Liam had just won the second challenge, and now it was time for the third. The tension in the air was palpable as the contestants gathered, eager to find out what lay ahead. Dakota was the first to break the silence.
Dakota: "So, what's the third challenge?"
Andri: pauses for a moment before speaking "The third challenge is... the dodging challenge."
Dakota: "The dodging challenge?"
Andri: "Like the name implies, some spells will be thrown at you, and you either have to dodge them or block them. Dodging earns you two points, while blocking gets you one. Those are the rules for this challenge."
Dakota: grins "Okay, this seems like fun. Now, who should we choose..."
He took a moment to think, looking over at his team, before making his decision.
Dakota: "We'll choose Lucas."
Lucas looked surprised for a moment, then shrugged with a smile.
Lucas: "So, it's my turn? Who's going to be my opponent?"
Andri: "Bart will be your opponent."
A tall, muscular figure stepped forward. It was Bart, a formidable opponent with a reputation that preceded him.
Bart: smirking "You're going to lose this one. I never lose."
Lucas: eyebrows furrow "You sure about that? Everyone in your group said the same thing, but they still ended up losing."
Bart: grinning wider "That's because you guys got lucky."
Lucas: shaking his head "Lucky? You're the one who's been cheating."
Bart: mocking laughter "Cheating? We would never cheat."
It was all an act, of course, but Lucas was having none of it. He knew Bart well enough to see through the act.
Lucas: "Your act isn't going to fool me. I will defeat you, no matter what."
Bart: with a dramatic sigh "I'm honored to get challenged by the third strongest in the academy."
Lucas: "I'm not the one challenging you. You're the one who's challenging me."
Bart: grins "I know, and I'm happy you accepted."
After a few seconds of silence, Lucas gave Bart a cold stare.
Lucas: "Whatever, let's just get this over with."
The two of them made their way to the training grounds, where the challenge was about to begin. The atmosphere grew heavier as the competitors readied themselves. Everyone around them could sense the tension building up.
Andri stood at the side, signaling for the challenge to begin.
Andri: "Alright, begin!"
Spells flew at both Bart and Lucas with incredible speed. They darted back and forth, their movements swift and precise. Lucas, though, was managing the dodges effortlessly, while Bart was already starting to show some struggle.
The spells increased in speed, but both competitors matched the pace. However, after five minutes of intense action, the first round concluded with Lucas narrowly edging out Bart in the score. The final tally was 200-180 in Lucas's favor.
Lucas: catching his breath, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead "Okay, I won round one, but Liam won round one too, and then lost round two. So I can't let my guard down just yet."
Dakota: clapping Lucas on the back "Good job, Lucas. But brace yourself, the cheating is going to start now. Be ready."
Lucas: grinning confidently "Don't worry. I'm ready."
Liam, Henry, and the rest of the team gathered around, all of them clearly displeased with the situation.
Liam: with clenched fists "Yeah, these cheaters are really starting to piss me off."
Even Dakota couldn't hide his frustration.
Dakota: "Those cheating bastards are really starting to get under my skin. Lucas, don't let them win."
Lucas turned to his team, determination in his eyes.
Lucas: "I won't lose. You don't have to worry."
As the second round began, Bart's behavior shifted. His grin was now wider, more confident. It was clear to everyone that the cheating had begun.
Bart: smirking "Ready to lose?"
Lucas: narrowing his eyes "We'll see."
And then, the second round began.
The speed of the spells was rapidly increasing, but Lucas was still dodging them effortlessly. However, as the pace picked up, Lucas noticed something strange—his side of the field was getting hit with spells that were much faster than the ones Bart was facing.
Lucas: muttering to himself "Shit, the spells on Bart's side are moving slower... His parents must be messing with the magic somehow... Dammit."
The realization made Lucas grit his teeth in anger, but he didn't give up. He continued dodging the spells as best he could, but soon enough, he was forced to start blocking the attacks.
The decision not to transform was starting to weigh on him. If he transformed, he would have been able to dodge the spells easily, but he wanted to win this challenge without relying on his full strength. At least not yet.
The score was ticking up, and Bart was managing to get more points than Lucas, thanks to the slowdown of his spells. Eventually, Bart won the second round, with the score being 250-240.
Bart: with a smug grin "How was that? How does losing feel?"
Lucas: fuming, but still calm "I don't count that as a loss. You were cheating."
Bart: mockingly "Cheating? Can you prove it?"
Lucas knew he couldn't—at least not without revealing the parents' involvement, and they were too well hidden for him to pinpoint their exact location.
Lucas: gritting his teeth "...No, but I'll still win the final round. Just wait."
Bart: laughing "Oh, will you? This is going to be fun."
Lucas returned to his group, fuming with frustration. He recounted what had happened.
Lucas: "They're definitely cheating. I don't know how, but I'm going to figure it out."
Dakota: sighing "Yeah, I noticed it too. These bastards are making it harder than it needs to be."
Liam: looking furious "It's pissing me off. But don't worry, Lucas. You've got this."
Dakota: his eyes narrowing "Just keep your head in the game. Don't let them get to you."
Lucas: nodding firmly "I won't lose. I've got a plan."
As the final round began, the atmosphere was charged with anticipation. Everyone could feel that this would be the round to determine the winner. Bart stood on his side, still grinning, while Lucas narrowed his eyes and focused, a newfound determination flashing across his face.
Bart: mockingly "Ready for your defeat?"
Lucas: with a cold, confident smirk "You're going to regret saying that."
The spells began flying toward Lucas and Bart, just as they had in the previous rounds. But this time, Lucas wasn't just dodging—he was moving with purpose, each move more precise than the last. The spells were speeding up, and as expected, Bart's side was still receiving slower-moving spells.
Lucas: gritting his teeth "This isn't going to work for them anymore."
Suddenly, Lucas transformed, his energy erupting in a burst of power. His aura flared, and his speed increased drastically, allowing him to dodge the spells with ease.
Bart: shocked "What! He transformed! Can he even do that?"
Lucas was now effortlessly dodging the increasingly fast spells, his movements graceful and calculated. Meanwhile, Bart was falling behind. The spells on his side were moving slower, and he had no choice but to start blocking, which meant he was losing valuable points.
Lucas: smiling as he dodges "You're going to regret this."
Bart: shouting to his parents "Make the spells go faster! We have to catch up!"
But no matter how fast they made the spells, they were no match for Lucas in his transformed state. He was racking up points at an incredible rate, while Bart was struggling to keep up. The score was quickly growing, and after five minutes, it was clear who the winner would be.
The score was 350-250—Lucas had won by a comfortable margin.
Lucas: sighing in relief, wiping his brow "Phew, that was stressful. But not as stressful as that high-ranked Djinn fight."
He turned to Bart, who was standing there in disbelief, his smirk now gone, replaced with frustration and anger.
Lucas: with a grin "What did I tell you? I told you I was going to win. And that your reaction would be satisfying. Looks like I was right."
Bart stood there in silence, seething in anger. It was clear that he hadn't expected to lose, especially not in such a dramatic fashion. His face was flushed with frustration as he turned away, not able to meet Lucas's gaze.
The rest of the group cheered, happy that Lucas had won, but Lucas couldn't help but feel a bit of satisfaction watching Bart in despair.
Lucas: to himself, smirking "I knew I had it in me."