The arena buzzes with anticipation as the tension between the cadets and the council reaches a boiling point. Noah's frustration boils over as he addresses the council, his voice sharp and accusatory. "You gotta be fucking kidding me! You all really think you can screw us around just because you're the Academy's hard-ass council? How could you force them to fight each other? Whose idea was this? I bet it was yours, right?" Noah's glare zeroes in on Vera, the fire in his eyes matching the heat of his words. "You look like the kind of uptight bitch who'd make a call like that."
Vera's face remains a mask of indifference, as does the rest of the council's. They neither acknowledge nor react to Noah's outburst. Their silence only fuels his anger further. "You think you're too good to speak to me or something? How Nik could've ever come—"
Before Noah can finish his sentence, a sudden, forceful kick slams into his back, catching him off guard and sending him sprawling to the ground. He barely has time to register the pain before he feels the crushing weight of a boot pressing down on his head, pinning him to the floor.
"…the fuck?" Noah grunts, his voice muffled against the cold, hard ground.
"What do you possibly think would give you the right to speak to your superiors in such a way? Surely you haven't forgotten your manners, cadet?" Tahno's voice is a low growl, filled with anger as he towers over Noah, his boot firmly planted on the boy's head. "You don't have the authority to question the council's actions. They will make decisions as they see fit, and that's all there is to it. You simply accept it. Is that understood, cadet?"
Noah's temper flares dangerously, and he can feel the beast within him clawing to be let out. His body tenses, every muscle coiled with the desire to lash out. But he forces himself to hold back, to grit his teeth and swallow his pride. "Yes, Sir," he growls, the words laced with barely restrained fury.
Tahno removes his boot, and Noah can feel the pressure on his skull ease. He quickly stands, shooting Tahno a look of pure venom as he does. With an intense sneer, he turns and stalks back to his group, his fists clenched at his sides.
As Noah rejoins his comrades, the tension hangs heavy in the air. "I'm sorry, guys," he says through gritted teeth. "I tried getting to the bottom of it, but all I got was Tahno's fucking boot on my head. They're not gonna budge on it."
The disappointment is heavy among them, but Gunther, ever the optimist, steps up to rally the group. "It's okay, guys. It sucks, sure, but we'll get through it. We'll get through this, Lili. So do your best, okay?" His voice is steady and reassuring, and Lili nods weakly, trying to draw strength from his words.
Before they can dwell on it further, Callie's voice rings out, filled with forced cheer. "Yo ho! Welcome back, everyone! Just before the break, we got some unfortunate news, but it looks like both sides are planning to make the best of it, so let's cheer them on and get this party started! Yay!"
The crowd responds to Callie's enthusiasm, their cheers echoing through the stadium. Jason's voice follows, his tone as flat as ever. "Okay, please take your positions, everyone, and wait for the tone to sound. Then you may begin. Fight well but fight safely."
Everyone moves to their designated spots. Lili takes a deep breath, clutching her scythe staff tightly in her hands. Her heart races as she sees Gunther slowly making his way toward her, Warhammers in hand. But despite his approach, she hesitates, unsure if she can bring herself to actually fight him. Pax and Trina, on the other hand, are already locked in an intense battle, paying no attention to anything else.
As Gunther closes in, he transforms his Warhammers into a double-sided Warhammer staff, locking them together with a practiced ease. He angles the staff upward and sends a barrage of earth pellets flying toward Lili. He's careful not to use too much force—just enough to make contact without causing her serious harm. He needs her to understand that he's taking this seriously, and that she should too.
Lili instinctively spins her staff to block the incoming pellets, but a few slip through, striking her side. The impact stings, but it's manageable. She looks at Gunther, meeting his eyes, and she sees the silent message there: Fight back. Don't hold back.
Despite her initial reluctance, Lili knows she can't afford to back down now. She's made a promise to herself, to Mai, to everyone. She's going to work hard; she's going to become stronger. Summoning her resolve, she responds to Gunther's attack with concentrated wind blasts, each swipe of her scythe sending crescent-shaped waves of air hurtling toward him. At the same time, she starts running, closing the distance between them.
In seconds, they're clashing in close combat, their weapons colliding with a series of sharp clangs. The force of their strikes sends them both skidding back, giving them a moment to reassess their strategies. Gunther doesn't waste any time—he quickly flings a series of earth spears at Lili, the projectiles shooting out from the head of his hammer as he swings it from side to side.
Lili doesn't have time to counter, so she spins her scythe above her head, creating a small twister that lifts her into the air. The earth spears sail harmlessly beneath her as she hovers for a moment before dissipating the vortex to lower herself back to the ground. As soon as her feet touch the earth, she unleashes a powerful air spiral, a spinning stream of wind that barrels straight toward Gunther.
The force of the air spiral is overwhelming, pushing Gunther back with relentless pressure. He grits his teeth, struggling to move forward against the onslaught. He never would've believed that air could have so much power unless he'd felt it himself. But he knows this is his chance to end the fight.
"Well folks, it looks like Gunther and Lili's pair are finally getting into it. It's about time," Jason comments dryly, his voice crackling through the speakers.
"Oh Jason, you're such a scrooge. Let's see how—" Callie's commentary is abruptly cut off by a sudden turn of events on the other side of the arena. "Oh my goodness, guys, it looks like Trina might be down! That was a pretty strong earth blast she just took. Will she be able to get up?"
The entire arena watches with bated breath, but Trina gives a sign of resignation and exits the field, conceding defeat.
"Well, there you have it, folks. Trina is out, and Pax is moving on to the finals. Now, let's see how the other pair is faring. My money is on Gunther, personally. What's this? It looks like he's making a move against Lili's wind spiral. Is he… building a wall? Well, this is interesting!" Jason's voice is tinged with rare excitement.
"Wow, Jason, that's the most excited I think I've ever seen you, and that's not saying much," Callie quips. "But it looks like he is! Gunther is projecting his energy through the head of his hammer and building up a wall of earth to block her air attack. It's super effective!"
Gunther channels his energy into the ground, raising a tall wall of earth that successfully blocks Lili's air spiral. As soon as he feels the pressure of the wind subside, he leaps over the wall, his Warhammer staff raised high above his head. He angles his descent perfectly, aiming to land a crushing blow on Lili.
"Oh boy! It looks like he's going in for the finishing blow. If that hits her, there's no way she won't be knocked out. Will we break the eight-year streak and have two of the same element class in the final?" Callie's voice is filled with anticipation.
The crowd is on the edge of their seats, knowing that this battle will be decided in just a few more seconds. Lili watches Gunther's hammer come down, almost in slow motion, and she knows that if it connects, it's all over. She's tempted to let him win—he did save her earlier, after all. But as she locks eyes with Gunther, she sees something there that stops her. He wouldn't forgive her if she gave up. He wants her to fight.
In a split-second decision, Lili grips her scythe tightly and points it upward, unleashing a concentrated air blast directly into Gunther's stomach. The force of the blast at such close range is enough to send him flying back, his large frame crashing through the wall he'd just built. The impact is brutal, and when Gunther lands on the other side, he doesn't get back up.
Seconds later, he surrenders.
The arena falls silent for a moment, stunned by the sudden turn of events. And then, the crowd erupts into cheers, their applause thunderous as they acknowledge Lili's victory. Lili stands there, panting and trembling, barely able to believe what just happened. But as the reality sinks in, a small, proud smile spreads across her face.
She did it.