The sigil above the arena blazed brighter, then twisted into a lattice of shifting symbols. Glyphs spun outward, forming a massive, floating tournament bracket visible from every angle each matchup etched in burning gold.
Teams leaned forward, scanning the display.
Calla's breath caught. "We're match two."
Kieran's eyes flicked upward. Their team name pulsed faintly beside another — a group he didn't recognize. Opposite them, near the bottom of the bracket, another team's name shimmered: Duskwatch Academy.
Victor.
He didn't look up. He didn't need to.
"Match One: Initiating."
The arena trembled.
Two teams shimmered into focus across the field — a group in silver-trimmed armour with spears and kinetic harnesses, and another in black and crimson cloaks, faces masked, moving with eerie synchronization.
A chime rang out.
Then the chaos began.
---
A girl from the armoured team launched forward, spear glowing with kinetic force. She hurled it like lightning it split into three midair, arcing toward her enemies.
One masked figure flicked their wrist. A curved blade spun into view, catching the first spear mid-flight. The others scattered one creating a shimmer-wall of red light, the other vanishing entirely.
Flash step.
The masked team retaliated coordinated, seamless. One slid under a strike and sent a pulse of black smoke into their opponent's face. Another blurred behind a defender and swept their legs out with shadow-formed chains.
Selene narrowed her eyes. "Shadow casters. And bloodweavers."
"Fast ones," Rei muttered. "That's going to be annoying."
A boy from the armoured team slammed his fists together kinetic shockwaves cracked the arena floor. The ripple struck three enemies, but two-phased through the impact like mist, counterattacking with mirrored movements.
Blades clashed. Smoke curled. Glyphs burst midair.
One masked fighter drew a sigil mid-spin launching a blood-formed spear across the field. It slammed into a kinetic user's shoulder, sending him flying across the arena.
Calla let out a low whistle. "Damn."
As the fight stretched, the terrain responded floating platforms began to shift, pulling apart or slamming together, reacting to the intensity of the combat.
Then it happened.
One of the masked team leapt high, landing on a falling boulder midair. A symbol formed beneath their feet glowing crimson. From above, dozens of blood-spike projectiles rained down like thorns.
Two of the armoured team raised shields one fell, struck clean through.
Selene frowned. "They're going for suppression."
"They're winning," Talon added.
Moments later, the masked team surged in a final coordinated strike illusions flared, pressure waves collided, and the leader struck the last standing armoured fighter with a sigil-etched blade.
Silence.
Then the bracket shifted again.
Kieran's team name rose.
"Match Two: Prepare."
The arena began to reshape, platforms pulling inward into a new configuration.
Calla grinned. "Our turn."
Kieran exhaled, fingers twitching. His shadow rippled.