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The wind inside the arena carried a strange weight—quiet at first, but heavy with tension. Unit 06 lined up in formation, eyes set on the six figures across from them. Lexa and her Unit 02 stood ready, calm and unreadable. The light around their captain shimmered slightly, almost like the air itself bent to her presence.
From the inspector's lounge above the battlefield, Leo leaned back in his chair, arms crossed as he watched the two units face off. Around him, other inspectors whispered theories, odds, and predictions. But Leo stayed silent. He knew Lexa didn't need brute power—she had something far more dangerous: strategy.
Back on the field, Kayden narrowed his eyes. "We're not going in blind like last time," he said to his teammates, voice sharp but steady. "Zane—stick to mid-range. Kira, scout their support. Elliot, shadow play only when I give the word."
Devin grinned slightly, already adjusting his gauntlet. "About time we faced a team that plays smart."
Henry rolled his shoulders and spun once. "Just don't let her beams mess with my hair."
Kayden ignored the jokes. He was locked in now.
Lexa raised her hand slowly, and the entire Unit 02 shifted subtly. They didn't need words—just gestures. And when she dropped her hand, they moved like pieces in a perfectly oiled war machine.
Talon slammed both palms into the ground, and the earth rippled. Stone pillars erupted like jagged teeth, cutting across the field toward Unit 06. Kira leapt to higher ground immediately, only to feel the temperature drop—Eira's frost spread across the stone, turning it into a slippery, frozen trap.
From the side, vines burst upward—Kael's roots reached out like snakes, targeting Devin and Henry, trying to bind and pull them apart.
"Devin, take the high left! Henry—spin and cut those vines before they root!" Kayden barked, already lifting his hammer. Lightning crackled around it, the weight humming with anticipation.
Wind howled as Rhea launched slicing air currents toward Zane, while Mira stood back with hands swirling water, forming a mirror wall in front of Lexa. Then came the distortion—Lexa's light shimmered, splitting her into three mirages. Beams of focused energy ricocheted off the mirror surfaces, curving midair and aiming for Elliot.
"Break formation—NOW!" Kayden yelled.
Zane ducked and sent a searing blast of Scorch Fang, the fire wave melting through vines and boiling away the water defense. Henry spun into a twisting dance, wind sweeping the vines aside, while Devin locked onto one of Eira's traps and fired a Perfect Shot that shattered it instantly.
Elliot moved through the chaos like a shadow, unreadable, unspoken, but waiting. Not yet, he told himself. Not until Kayden gives the sign.
Lexa was always three steps ahead—but Kayden wasn't far behind.
"She's controlling the tempo," Kayden muttered. "If we don't disrupt her rhythm, we're just reacting."
He slammed Storm Hammer into the ground, sending a shockwave that cracked through the stone traps and knocked Kael back, breaking the vine assault.
"Zane, double up with Kira—split their defense! Henry, with me! We're pushing middle!"
They obeyed without hesitation.
In the lounge, Leo watched Kayden closely now. "Good," he muttered. "You're not just strong—you're learning how to lead."
Back on the field, Lexa caught Kayden's eyes through the chaos. She gave a faint smile, as if to say: "Let's see how far you'll push me."
Kayden narrowed his eyes. "Elliot…" he muttered under his breath, just loud enough.
That was the signal.
Elliot vanished into the moving shadows.
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