Lloyd POV
I couldn't help but cover my mouth to hide my smile, savoring the moment I'd waited for so long. The anticipation of the final battle, the chance to prove myself and secure victory, filled me with a sense of grim satisfaction. I was a bit surprised that Master Chen had skipped the Deadly Riddles, but it still worked in my favor. With Skylor and Kai by my side, all I had to do was win the tournament.
However, my smile faltered for a moment when I remembered Mister Glasses. I had almost forgotten about him while focusing on the challenges. After this tournament, I would have to return to him, and the thought made my blood boil. Memories of what he did to me flashed through my mind, reigniting a burning anger deep within me.
"What are you thinking about, Lloyd?" Skylor asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Are you still mad about the last challenges?"
I looked at Skylor, noting her beauty and understanding why Kai found her attractive. An idea sparked in my mind, one that might just work in our favor. "Hey Skylor, do you think Kai is attractive?"
She turned to me, flustered. "What?! Why are you asking such a question?"
"Nothing, just that Kai has a little crush on you," I explained casually. "I was just wondering if you feel the same?"
"Well, I do say he has his quirks," she admitted, her cheeks tinged with a slightly bush. "But there's no point in returning his feelings because I am going to betray everyone here."
I nodded thoughtfully. "That is true, but it doesn't have to be that way. Just get on Kai's side and assist everyone in the end, and you'll be the hero. Besides, I'm planning on killing your father after this challenge so you don't have to deal with him anymore."
She didn't look surprised by my comment. Instead, she glanced at her father sadly before looking at the ground. "He's long gone, so just make it painless for me."
I shrugged, my mind drifting to thoughts of my past life. I never quite understood why I had respected that man so much before. Dying in my last life had opened my eyes, and now I wished I had figured things out sooner. Maybe then I wouldn't feel so disgusted with myself. I glanced at my father, standing not so far from Master Chen and Clouse. He was looking at me sadly, and for a moment, I wondered if Skylor was right. Perhaps talking to him would help me feel less conflicted.
"Didn't you say Elijah was with you when you caught Lu?" I asked, suddenly recalling Skylar's earlier account.
"Yeah," Skylor confirmed, her expression thoughtful. "We kinda left him behind, but he somehow bumped into the spy while he was looking for us. You could say he was lucky there."
I nodded, mulling over the information. Elijah's involvement had been unexpected but fortuitous. Maybe he wasn't as much of a loose cannon as I initially thought. Skylor's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
It looked like I had gotten a good idea why Elijah was staring at me like that. This tournament was shaping up to be even crazier than it was in my last life. Elijah was the first person I had to take out.
"Is your back okay?" Skylor asked concern etched on her face. "It looked back then."
My back was indeed injured from the heat of the explosion when I had shielded Elijah from getting killed. He had been the closest to the blast, yet it looked like he was fine. Since my back had been facing a wall, nobody noticed the extent of my injuries. "It's fine," I replied. "I can heal myself after this whole thing is over. But you should try and convince Kai to join your side so that Master Chen won't kill him off."
"I'll try," she said, glancing at Kai. "But good luck in this round. I won't be participating."
I gave her a small wave before heading to the arena. I hadn't planned on winning this year's tournament, but it felt strange to think about losing. Am I not the type of person who likes making everyone feel weak and insignificant around me? If I allowed myself to lose, Noah would lose, and I didn't want Noah to feel a single ounce of happiness, considering he hadn't allowed me to feel that in my past life.
…
Heroes POV
Noah once again found himself dodging a large boulder, barely avoiding the massive rock as it crashed into the arena floor, leaving a deep hole where solid ground once was. How powerful is Elijah? He looked down at the gaping pit, realizing that almost everyone else had fallen in. He had been lucky to summon his dragon, Kaida, just in time, and now the fight was taking place in the air.
A little while earlier, Everything had been relatively normal, with contestants battling each other on the ground. That all changed when Lloyd, always the provocateur, managed to agitate Elijah. In a fit of rage, Elijah had disassembled the floor, and now he was hurling boulders with alarming force. Lloyd, undeterred was riding on an Energy Dragon he had created using his Energy Manipulation ability, nimbly dodging Elijah's relentless attacks.
"I thought you were really strong, but all you're doing is throwing some rocks," Lloyd taunted, his voice carrying a mocking tone as he skillfully dodged another boulder. "I thought you could do so much more, given your ability to control all forms of magnetism."
Elijah's eyes blazed with fury, his face contorted with rage. "You think you're so clever, don't you, Garmadon?" he spat, his voice choking with anger. "Let's see how clever you are when I crush you!"
Elijah started to manipulate metal pipes from the wall, making them move like snakes slithering toward Lloyd with deadly intent. Lloyd, however, remained calm. With a swift motion, he turned off his Energy Dragon and began and began to slide down, nimbly jumping and weaving around the writhing pipes. His agility allowed him to close the distance between himself and Elijah in mere moments.
"Do you know that you could manipulate the iron in the blood to take control of people's actions?" Lloyd pointed out, his voice steady despite the chaos. "You can manipulate all forms of magnetism, summon force fields, and shoot electromagnetic pulses that can disable electro devices. You can also assemble complex machinery in seconds?"
Elijah looked momentarily confused, his eyes narrowing as he processed Lloyd's words. But then, his usual rage took over, and he began to disassemble the arena itself, the structure groaning as pieces of it were torn away. "That's interesting, why didn't I test it on you?" he snarled.
Lloyd fired a large energy beam, but Elijah dodged it, the blast scorching the place where he was last. "I don't think that will work," Lloyd said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "Did you know that Energy Manipulation works by controlling the flow of energy itself with oneself and the surrounding environment? The user can create, shape, and manipulate energy- the capacity or ability to cause change or do work, one of the most basic quantitative properties of a system, such as an object or a field of energy. I can become extremely powerful; I can be omnipotent."
Lloyd continued to dodge another pipe and a boulder hurled by Elijah. "I can manipulate temperature, electricity, sound, kinetic energy- either moving at insanely high speeds or punching stuff hard. I can fly by manipulating gravity, become a walking, talking nuclear bomb, or turn invisible by manipulating electromagnetic energy. What makes you think that you can beat me?"
Noah could now understand why Lloyd was the Chosen One. His abilities were beyond formidable; they were awe-inspiring. Even though Noah's power was creation, a gift that allowed him to bring anything into existence, he couldn't help but feel like Lloyd's energy manipulation eclipsed his own in sheer versatility and potency. Lloyd could manipulate any article he desired, bending reality to his will. Noah felt a mix of embarrassment and shame for ever thinking he could match or surpass himself with such confidence- he had every right to be cocky.
As Noah stood lost in thought, contemplating his shortcomings, he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Startled, he turned to find Lloyd standing beside him, his expression unreadable but his eyes carried a glint of something that could be understanding or challenging.
"Hi, Noah," Lloyd said, his voice steady and calm. "It looks like only three of us are left."
Noah felt a shiver run down his spine. When did Lloyd get onto Kaida? He couldn't help but stare at Lloyd's ash-filled hair, which gave him an eerie resemblance to Abaddon. Maybe there was some hidden connection between them, but it wasn't like Noah could ever ask. The thought made him uneasy, and he instinctively took a step back from Lloyd, feeling acutely aware of his inferiority in comparison to the others.
Lloyd's eyes, filled with determination, met Noah's. "Sorry about this, but I need to win," Lloyd said, his voice resolute.
Before Noah could result, Lloyd grabbed his hand with a strength that was both surprising and terrifying. In one swift motion, Lloyd hurled Noah towards the giant hole in the ground. Panic surged through Noah as he tried to summon his powers, but Lloyd's throw was so forceful that he couldn't concentrate. The darkness of the pit swallowed him before he had a chance to stop his descent.
…
Lloyd POV
I peered into the dark abyss below, convinced that Noah wasn't coming back. Running a hand through my ash-filled hair, I felt relief and anticipation. One obstacle down, now I had to deal with Elijah, who was still floating above the wreckage, his face twisted in disgust.
"Did you just eliminate your brother just like that?" Elijah spat, his voice dripping with contempt. "You're just like your father."
"Yeah, I sure did," I replied, keeping my gaze steady on him. "I still love my brother. Even he knows that. But one of us has to win this."
Elijah's eyes narrowed as he hurled another boulder in my direction. I dodged it easily, my body moving almost reflexively. A metal pipe flew towards me, and I caught it in mid-air, feeling the cold steel against my skin.
"And by the way," I added, my voice calm and controlled, "I'm nothing like my father."
Elijah's expression hardened, and I could see the gears turning in his head. He was trying to find a way to take me down, but I wasn't going to make it easy for him. I needed to stay focused, to keep my edge.
"You think you're better than him?" Elijah taunted, manipulating more debris into the air. "Prove it."
I smirked, feeling a surge of adrenaline. "Gladly."
The pipe in my hand began to transform, its cold metal surface shifting and molding into the sword I found during the Elemental Games. I swung it around a few times, the weight and balance perfectly in my grip. It felt good, but I knew I had to end this fight now.
I jumped off Noah's dragon, which finally disappeared, landing on a moving pipe. I started to sprint toward Elijah, determination fueling my every step. He sent more debris and metal shards my way, but I sliced through them effortlessly. Energy Manipulation isn't so hard to master when you know its secrets.
"Hey, Elijah, do you want to see a magic trick?" I called out as I closed the distance. He barely had time to react before I grabbed his hand, swinging him around with all my might. "I like to call this a Bad Trip."
With a swift motion, I slammed the handle of my sword into his neck. I hoped I hadn't broken it, but I knew this was necessary. Elijah's eyes widened in shock before they fluttered shut, his body going limp. I grabbed him by the hair and threw him into the large hole in the ground that he created.
"I hope you have a nice nap," I said, summoning the Energy Dragon back beneath me. It lifted me gently into the air, allowing me to look down at the dark pit. "Before you wake up very angry."