The forest trembled with the energy of dozens of combatants clashing amidst rustling leaves and shattered bark. The thick tree leaves let in streaks of sunlight, illuminating patches of the race route below, which was now littered with fallen trees, craters, and groaning bodies. Shouts, explosions, and the occasional crack of chi energy echoed across the woods like the sound of war drums. The Knight Exam's forest stage was no simple test of speed—it was a battleground.
Steven – Fire Nation
Steven blazed forward, leaping from one tree branch to the next. Each time a competitor dared intercept his path, he incinerated them without hesitation.
"These nuisances…" Steven muttered, his tone dark. His auburn hair fluttered behind him like a flame, his crimson eyes burning with frustration. "They dare get in my way? I'll burn them all!"
A bolt of energy suddenly sliced through the trees and narrowly missed him. Steven's feet lost grip on a slick branch, and he tumbled through the air, slamming into the dirt with a thud.
He gritted his teeth and rose quickly, brushing off the ash-covered leaves. "Tch… Who dares?"
A cocky laugh came from behind a rock. A tall, lean boy in dark clothes emerged. "Looks like you missed your landing."
Steven squinted. "Why are you disturbing me?"
He raised his palm, flame flickering to life—but before he could strike, a flash of silver slashed through the air and knocked the stranger aside.
A figure stepped from the shadows, spinning a black, hooked scythe with ease. His dark clothes fluttered as he walked, his pale gray eyes gleaming with mischief.
"You..." Steven growled.
"Hey there, fire brat," Barry said with a smirk. He was from the Scythe Nation—8th branch family—famous for their brutal and elegant executions.
Steven sighed, brushing soot off his vest. "I don't have time for this. And stop calling me a brat—you're barely a year older."
As Steven tried to walk past, Barry lowered his scythe in front of him.
"Who said you could walk out on me?"
With a swift move, Barry swung. Steven raised both arms and blocked the scythe, but the impact sent him skidding back.
"Shit," Steven muttered.
Barry grinned and shot forward, his blade igniting with a blue black chi aura.
"Coffin Blaze!" he roared.
The move hit Steven head-on, engulfing him in the wave of a powerful chi attack. But as the dust cleared, Steven stepped out, bruised but standing tall.
Barry's eyes widened. "What the...?"
Steven's body glowed faintly with flickers of heat. "All I wanted was to finish this damned race… become a knight… slowly climb my way up to becoming the Fire Nation's King. But fools like you—"
Barry started, "And so wh—"
"SHUT UP!" Steven's voice thundered through the forest, echoing like a flame cracking stone. "Don't interrupt me!"
His fist ignited as he launched at Barry and punched him in the stomach, sending him flying through a tree.
Barry groaned, wiping blood from his mouth. "What the hell is wrong with this guy?"
Dan – Lightning Nation
Meanwhile, deeper in the forest, Dan leaned against a mossy tree trunk, catching his breath. His hair was damp with sweat, his lightning aura flickering softly.
"That fight with Cleve was rough…" he murmured. "But the race isn't over."
He started running again, weaving between tree trunks, the wind rushing past his ears. "This race has already tested everything I've got… What's the next exam going to be like? No matter what, I won't stop. No one can stop me."
As he dashed forward, something caught his eye—bloodied bodies strewn across the forest floor.
"What the hell happened here?"
A voice floated from the trees. "Well, well… what do we have here? A new prey."
A tall boy landed silently in front of him. He had a calm, almost gentle face, but his eyes were cold and sharp.
"Name's Norman. Air Nation, 13th branch."
Dan narrowed his eyes. "And why the hell are you telling me that?"
"So they can be the last words you hear."
Norman moved. Dan barely dodged, skidding across the leaves with his lightning. He's fast, he thought.
"You're from the Lightning Nation, aren't you?" Norman said, grinning. "Let's see if you live up to the hype."
Dan tried to charge his lightning and retaliate. "You think you can beat me because—"
A sudden blast of wind erupted from Norman's palm and launched Dan into the air. Before he could recover, Norman appeared above and drop-kicked him into the dirt.
"Ugh!" Dan coughed out blood.
"Get up," Norman said coldly. "We're just getting started."
Dan pushed himself to his feet. "Fine! You want to go? Let's go!"
He roared forward with a charged punch, but Norman deflected it with ease, twisted, and kneed Dan in the gut. Three quick jabs with air bullets slammed into his chest, sending him flying again.
Why can't I land a hit? Why can't I even see his attacks? Dan thought, panting hard.
Norman pointed at him again. Dan tried to read the direction—Norman's fingers were aimed at his chest.
If I dodge left—
"Bang."
The air bullet slammed into Dan's head. He hit the ground, a small trail of blood dripping from his brow.
"You struggling to see my moves?" Norman mocked. "Don't worry. You're not ready."
He lifted his left hand, three fingers raised.
Left side… I've got him this time—
"Bang. Bang. Bang!"
But the bullets hit Dan's right arm and stomach.
This is unnatural… I can't win…
Steven vs Barry (Final Clash)
In a clearing deep within the forest, scorched trees and upturned earth surrounded Steven and Barry, both standing with heavy breaths and fire in their eyes.
Barry gritted his teeth as he steadied his scythe. "Damn it, why is Steven so fired up like this?"
Snarling, he spun his weapon. "Coffin Blaze!"
A spiral of dark red chi spun out from the blade, wrapping around him like a storm as he charged Steven.
But Steven didn't budge. Instead, he took a deep breath and clenched his fist, fire crackling to life around his knuckles.
"Lion's Heart... Zero Stage!"
A fiery roar exploded around him, and in a single blink, he was gone.
Barry barely registered the movement before a blazing fist collided with his ribs, launching him backward through a tree. Bark and flame exploded on impact.
"Ugh..." Barry coughed up blood, rolling onto his side.
Steven stepped into the cratered clearing, flames coiling up his arms like serpents. "What's wrong? Get back up."
Barry groaned, struggling to his knees. "What—"
Before he could finish, Steven surged forward, slamming a barrage of flame-imbued punches into his face. Barry barely blocked with his scythe, sparks raining from the clashes.
He leapt back, his weapon spinning. "This ends now!"
Spinning like a hurricane, Barry charged with his final move: "Spin and Scratch!" The scythe became a blur of death aimed at Steven's chest.
But Steven had already leapt high into the air. "Fire Fist—Omega Punch!"
His entire arm burst into a red-hot blaze, and with a roar, he came down like a meteor. The punch crashed into Barry's chest, flattening him into the ground and sending a shockwave through the forest.
The trees bent outward from the impact. Smoke and dust billowed.
Barry lay unconscious in a smoking crater, his scythe cracked beside him.
Steven exhaled hard, his body covered in soot and bruises. "Now that I'm done with you... I've got a race to finish."
Dan vs Norman
Elsewhere in the forest, Dan sprinted through tangled roots and low branches, his breath ragged, clothes torn, and blood trickling from his lip.
Norman's mocking voice followed him like a shadow. "Aww, lightning boy! Where are you running to?"
"Screw you!" Dan shouted, but panic beat in his chest. I can't beat this guy… Is this it for me?
Suddenly, Norman dropped in front of him, kicking up leaves and dirt.
"Hi, hi." A smirk curled on his lips as he sent a gust of wind straight into Dan's chest, hurling him backward into a tree.
Dan gasped, pain exploding in his back. "Shit..."
Norman walked forward slowly, his Air Nation chi flowing with every step. "Let's end this, shall we?"
He raised his hand, forming three sharp gusts of air at his fingertips.
But before he could release them—
Whizz!
An arrow tore through his palm.
"Argh!" Norman jerked his hand back, blood trickling down his wrist. He turned sharply to the treetops. "Damn… that bitch again."
Dan blinked. "Huh?"
Norman scowled. "Consider yourself lucky. That bitch saved your ass."
Rebecca...?
But it wasn't Rebecca. Hidden high in the trees was a slender girl with silver hair, her green eyes locked onto them. A quiver rested on her back as she nocked another arrow.
Alexa, a candidate from the Arrow Nation's 15th branch, grinned. "I love killing my prey from afar."
Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!
She unleashed a flurry of arrows.
Norman disappeared with a blast of air, vanishing into the wind.
Dan, still disoriented, took the chance and fled deeper into the forest. Damn… I need to find cover.
Elsewhere in the forest, another figure watched from the shadows.
Alexis perched on a branch, licking his lips as he saw Dan sprinting. "The Lightning boy… the one who made fools of my nation. He's dead meat."
He leaped from the tree and gave chase, the wind hissing past his blade.
Deeper still, chaos erupted. A monstrous boy with a massive spear spun in circles, felling opponents like wheat before a scythe. His body rippled with power, and a glowing mark shone over his eye.
"Come on!" he shouted, laughing wildly. "Don't die yet—I'm just getting warmed up!"
His spear pulsed as another candidate screamed.
Rand, from the Weapons Nation's most elite bloodline"The Spear Nation", stood undefeated.
The forest race was far from over—and the real terror was just beginning.