[INT. ILLUSION WORLD – NIGHT CAMP, SECOND NIGHT]
The shadows moved with deadly intent.
Two teams from different Divine Schools had launched a coordinated night ambush on the Light School team — and this time, it wasn't an illusion.
> Rika (urgent):
"They're real! Everyone, wake up!"
Ray and Syleria snapped out of their misjudgment at once, grabbing their weapons. One by one, all ten of the Light School's elite students leapt into action.
Their attackers emerged from the treeline —
On one side: the Elemental School Team A led by Volrik, Lysandra, and Glayce.
On the other side: the Living Creation School Team A, spearheaded by Faryn, Vessiel, and Korr.
> Volrik (grinning):
"You Light kids always shine too brightly. Time to dim you out."
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[BATTLE SEQUENCE BEGINS]
Lyrion surged first, facing Volrik directly. Volrik sent twin whips of flaming wind spiraling toward him, but Lyrion bent the light around his body, dodging gracefully.
> Lyrion (cold):
"You're not the first to try and blind the light."
With a glowing fist, he struck forward, compressing photons into a beam that slammed into Volrik's chest, sending the elemental warrior flying back.
Veloria locked eyes with Faryn, who summoned binding roots of golden light in complex spirals.
> Faryn:
"Let's see how Time handles Creation itself!"
Veloria responded by slowing the very breath between them, disrupting the rhythm of Faryn's living constructs. With one hand she accelerated a blade of air through Faryn's defenses.
---
Kairo and Syleria paired off against Lysandra and Korr. Fire clashed with storm. Kairo burned through a freezing mist, his flames whipping into a serpent shape, while Syleria generated a pulse of thunder to break open the terrain around Korr.
> Syleria (smirking):
"Still think we're just heirs with titles?"
Aria and Auron faced off against two agile mages from the Living Creation team. Their synergy came to life — Aria erected multiple defensive zones while Auron manipulated terrain and light to form illusions, disorienting the enemy and taking control of the battlefield.
Ray, injured from the last skirmish, found himself holding back Glayce, whose elemental mastery over crystals sliced through the ground. Ray enhanced his mobility, using spatial shifts to evade each blade narrowly, then sent out shockwave palms to rupture Glayce's formations.
Rika, however, was still wounded from the monster ambush earlier. She supported Aria by disrupting incoming attacks, casting binding waves and mana spikes from behind cover.
But one of the opposing mages, Vessiel, spotted her hesitation.
> Vessiel (low):
"Wounded prey? You should've stayed hidden."
With a flick of his palm, a projectile of pure kinetic force fired through the air — and struck Rika across the shoulder.
She screamed, staggering, her shield barely holding.
> Rika (gasping):
"Not yet… I can still…!"
Blood stained her sleeve. Her legs trembled. Another mage surged forward, blade raised—
> ?? (shouting):
"RIKA!"
But it was too late.
The blade came down.
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[INT. OBSERVATION DECK – ZYREN'S BALCONY]
From far above, Zyren watched, arms crossed, impassive.
> Silent Death (quietly):
"She's on the edge. If she falls now, the Light team crumbles."
> Zyren (without emotion):
"Let's see how far she wants to survive."
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[INT. STADIUM – GODLY BALCONY]
The gods watched with divine calm.
> Light Goddess Lyria (tight tone):
"She's reached the brink."
> Time God Aion:
"Every heir has a trial. Perhaps this… is hers."
The divine board updated—
90 Participants Remaining
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TO BE CONTINUED…