As the team entered the coliseum, Damien was handed a flyer outlining the rules for the preliminary round. Before he could even glance at it, the staff ushered them into a waiting room with a spectacular view of the arena below. The battleground was designed for brutal competition, the atmosphere buzzing with the anticipation of the upcoming fights.
Before they could settle in, a woman entered the room and immediately commanded their attention.
"Listen up, everyone," she said. "This is an unusual occurrence for the preliminaries, but two generals have decided to attend this block of fights. So make sure you give it your all. Don't worry about the spectators; the coliseum will be surrounded by a protective barrier."
"Wait, what?!" Damien exclaimed, his surprise evident.
Milo leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. "Which generals?" he asked.
"The second general, Caspian the Wall, and the seventh general, Iris, the Witch of the Mist," she replied.
"Caspian?!" Damien blurted. "He's a living legend, with the best sparring record among all the generals!"
Hannah shot Damien a questioning look. "Wait, doesn't he use the same Calamity as you?"
"Yeah," Damien answered, his tone respectful. "We both wield the Earthquake Calamity, and he's the strongest user of it to date."
The news that two top generals would be watching their matches immediately put the team on edge. The weight of being judged by two of the world's greatest fighters began to sink in. Milo felt a familiar knot of fear tightening in his stomach. What if he wasn't good enough? What if his goals were too far out of reach?
Noticing his unease, Hannah walked over and ruffled his hair teasingly. "I thought you were going to protect your poor big sister. But now you're shaking in your boots!"
Milo forced a smirk, brushing off his nerves. "Oh, I know you're not weak. Cut the act. We're going to win this, no problem. We'll show those generals exactly what we're made of."
Damien chuckled, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Aww, how sweet." He leaned in closer and added, "Hope you're ready, because the first fight starts in five minutes."
"Already?" Milo exclaimed, his anxiety creeping back.
"Yep," Damien nodded. "So listen up while I explain the rules."
Damien held up the flyer and began. "There are eight teams in the preliminaries. It's a team vs. team format, and the goal is to defeat or trap the entire enemy team. If you win, you move on to the next round, with both teams advancing to the Clash of Calamities."
Milo, trying to mask his nerves, interrupted sarcastically, "So, just a basic tournament. Could've led with that."
Damien shot him a playful glare. "Shush. Now for the specifics. There are three key rules to keep in mind."
He raised three fingers. "Rule one: No ranged physical weapons are allowed. Rule two: If any member of your team is defeated, they're out for the rest of the tournament, even if the team advances."
Milo raised an eyebrow. "That's a bit harsh, isn't it?"
"Rule three," Damien continued, "For every player your team is down going into a fight, you'll be given one item or weapon of your choosing. But, if you ask for something too powerful, the organizers will deny your request, and you won't be allowed to ask for another item."
Hannah nodded thoughtfully. "That last rule could really be a game-changer. We just need to choose wisely."
"Yeah," Damien said, a glimmer of optimism returning. "Being down two people isn't as bad as we thought."
Milo chimed in, "We should probably look for items that can help us counter the enemy's strong Calamities. The good news is, we get to watch all the other fights first."
Hannah quickly added, "But we can't be too greedy, or we'll end up with nothing."
"And don't forget," she said, "We have no idea who our opponents are in the first round."
Damien sighed. "Yeah, we'll have to figure it out—and fast."
Milo waved a hand dismissively. "Eh, let's just watch the other fights for now. There's two fights before ours, and anyway, we don't need extra items to beat a bunch of weaklings. We'll think about it later."
As the team settled into their seats, the announcer's booming voice echoed through the coliseum, signaling the start of the first match.
"Welcome to the preliminary rounds of Cell D, where future talents will showcase their resolve and power!" The announcer continued, "Without further ado, let's introduce Team 1, a quartet with a penchant for destruction! On the left, we have Mabel, a Drought Specialist; next to her is her brother Victor, a Volcanic Calamity user. Then we have Brock and Liam, both Meteor Calamity specialists."
The crowd erupted into cheers as Team 1 entered the arena.
"Next up, Team 2, a team of five," the announcer continued. "Though they have the numbers advantage, their range is smaller. The team consists of Trent, Wilson, and Maddie, all Earthquake specialists. Perhaps they'll catch the eye of Caspian, who is watching this block. The remaining members are Meena and Logan, both Fog Calamity users. While Fog is considered one of the weakest Calamities, it can be surprisingly effective in team-based strategies."
The crowd roared as the countdown began: "3... 2... 1... BEGIN!"
The battle began in earnest. Brock and Liam immediately jumped back, while Mabel and Victor charged toward the center of the arena. Trent and Wilson acted quickly, cracking the earth beneath them in an attempt to send the pair tumbling. Meanwhile, Meena enveloped Victor and Mabel in a dense fog, obscuring their vision.
The crowd cheered, eager to see how Team 1 would respond.
"Mabel, where are you?" Victor called out.
"Over here!" Mabel replied, her voice faint in the fog.
Victor sprinted toward her, and in the chaos, he and Mabel fell through the cracked ground, sending dust and debris flying.
"Did they just—?!" Milo exclaimed, watching in disbelief. "They're down already?"
Meanwhile, Logan and Maddie, who had been keeping their distance, saw the opportunity to charge after Brock and Liam. But as they closed the gap, both Brock and Liam suddenly collapsed, as if fainting for no apparent reason.
The crowd fell into stunned silence, murmuring in confusion. "That's it?" one voice whispered. "Is that all it takes to win a preliminary?" another muttered. The disapproving murmurs grew louder.
As if on cue, the sky above the arena darkened, and the crowd gasped in collective awe and fear as a massive meteor streaked toward the center of the field, leaving a trail of fiery light.
"Here it comes!" the announcer shouted, his voice filled with excitement. "A meteor—an attack so powerful, it could end the fight in an instant! Will it hit its target, or is this a final trick from Team 1?"
Milo's eyes widened in shock. "Holy—this is crazy! I thought they were done for, but that meteor—"
The announcer continued, "Wait, what's this? The fog around Mabel and Victor is changing... it's turning brown, swirling with dust! Is that... is that part of the meteor attack?"
Swiftly Trent and Wilson made a bunker securing there team underground to absorb the impact.
Suddenly, the meteor collided with the arena, but instead of crashing down like a fiery boulder, the impact was absorbed—into a pool of lava that burst out from the cracks in the ground. The massive meteor, once thought to be unstoppable, seemed to disintegrate, and the pool of lava flowed, spewing molten rock in every direction.
The dust started to settle and the entire arena was revealed to be covered in lava. Except a small platform in which Team 2 had made there bunker beneath. But Standing on top of it was Brock, Liam, Victor and Mabel Cheering "Trapped Trapped Trapped"
The arena busted into cheers pondering just how they made it happen.
The Announcer cut in and says "Team One Has Won Via Entrapment, and will be moving on to the next round". He continues "This is quiet the mess so we will be taking a 20 minute break to clean the field before the second round"
Milo shook his head, still stunned. "I'm so lost."
Damien chuckled. "I think we all are."
Hannah, however, looked thoughtful. "No, I think I understand. That meteor was just a bluff."
"What do you mean?" Milo asked, confused.
"The Mabel girl used the dust to make the meteor appear much larger than it actually was. It scared the enemy team into thinking they were facing a devastating attack, forcing them to retreat underground."
"So, it was a diversion," Damien said, now understanding.
"You've got it," Hannah said, nodding. "Their plan was to trap the enemy underground by surrounding them with lava so they couldn't escape. Brock and Liam made the diversion believable, making the enemy think they used all their power to summon a massive meteor, and then feigned defeat." She paused, looking puzzled. "The only thing I don't get is how they made it look so convincing that they were actually dead."
Milo thought for a moment before answering, "They did get an item we never saw. Maybe that was what made them look lifeless."
"That's a possibility," Hannah agreed.
Damien leaned back with a smirk. "Well, whatever it was, their plan was brilliant for one more reason."
Hannah raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"
"They didn't show their full hand. Sure, we know their affinities now, but all we really saw was one big move from Victor. We still don't know their fighting style, nor their weapons," Damien explained.
"That's a huge advantage," Milo said thoughtfully. "Other teams won't be able to fully counter them, but they might be able to figure out how to counter a team before they even fight them."
"However, we can deduce that their counter is speed," Milo added.
Hannah raised an eyebrow. "But how do you know that if they didn't show everything?"
Milo grinned. "The reason they kept two of their members back as a diversion was to buy more time and sow confusion. Victor needed that time to pull off such a massive attack. And by nature, Meteor Calamities are the slowest. So, the real threat at the start is Mabel."
"Well, apparently they revealed more than I thought," Damien laughed.
Hannah smirked. "This is just a reminder that we're not the only ones who've been building strategies. We'll need to put on a show, too."
Milo's eyes brightened. "Oh, the next match is about to be announced!" he said excitedly.
The announcer's voice booms, "Thank you for your patience, everyone. The arena is now restored to fighting condition, and we are ready to begin the second round!"
He continues, "Introducing Team 3, a five-man squad with a diverse range of fighters! From left to right, we have Ethan, the Drought Calamity; Oliver, the Storm Calamity; James, the Tornado Calamity; Leo, the Blizzard Calamity; and Lucas, the Volcano Calamity. Lucas has a lot to live up to after Victor's impressive performance in the last round, but maybe he'll surprise us with something just as spectacular."
The crowd erupts in cheers as Team 3 makes their entrance.
The announcer returns, "And now, on to Team 4. They're the smallest group in today's preliminaries, with only two contestants. These two girls have requested to remain anonymous, so we'll respect their wishes. All you need to know is they are silver-haired twins who have both mastered the Fog Calamity. If they put on a good show, perhaps they'll catch the eye of Iris, the Fog General, who's in attendance tonight."
Damien, clearly surprised, leans in and says, "Wait, it's just the two of them? What are they thinking, going up against five?"
Milo mutters under his breath, "You better not lose. I want to beat you myself."
Hannah turns to Damien and says, "Well, they definitely have more courage than we gave them credit for."
The crowd admires the twins as they walk in, captivated by their beauty.
The girl on the left sneers "Let's finish this quickly"