Threshold Has No Substitutes

The open qualifier used a nine-round points system. Sixteen teams would advance. Threshold's first opponent, Tsunami, consisted of five retired pros. Before the match, public support favored them nine to one. "We respect a world champion," Tsunami's captain said in an interview, "but five injured players aren't a team. They're a support group." Fireline replayed the clip three times. "Stop watching," Zhao said. "I'm memorizing his voice. I want it in my head when I solo-kill him." Threshold had no uniforms. They wore black hoodies Wanzhao had ordered overnight, each marked by one white line. Fans from her stream filled the venue. **Inside the Threshold, we refuse to surrender!** **Zhou brought four rejects to break down the door!**