The tension in the arena was palpable as the match between Team 5 and Team 6 officially began. The loud clang of the bell echoed across the coliseum.
Milo's eyes darted between his opponents, his mind already racing with potential strategies. To his left, Hannah was already brimming with energy, her fingers crackling with static. To his right, Damien's fists clenched.
Damien didn't hesitate to start things off flashy. With a sharp exhale, he slammed his palms to the ground, his muscles bulging with effort. The earth beneath him groaned, and the ground trembled as massive walls of rock and dirt erupted on either side of the enemy team, forming a jagged valley that trapped Team 6 in the center.
The ground shook violently as the walls rose, creating a sharp divide between the two teams. Dust billowed into the air as Damien's quake powers tore through the earth. The arena's floor cracked open, sending tremors throughout the battlefield. For a moment, the arena was a whirlwind of dust and debris, and when it cleared, Team 6 was effectively boxed in—forced into the narrow valley Damien had created.
The crowd gasped in awe at Damien's display of strength. Milo gave a quick nod of approval, already thinking two steps ahead. The narrow valley was exactly what they needed to execute their next move.
"We're not done yet, are you ready Hannah?" Milo said, his voice sharp and determined.
Hannah grinned, her eyes sparking with electric energy. "You know it."
Milo's focus sharpened as he raised his hands toward the sky. The air around him began to whip, stirring as he summoned a fierce tornado. His wind powers gathered with terrifying speed, the cyclone growing stronger and more violent by the second. The ground beneath him began to tremble as the winds swirled, a massive tornado forming at his command.
"Now, Hannah!" Milo shouted, locking eyes with her.
Without missing a beat, Hannah stepped forward, her hands raised high. The air crackled as lightning arced around her, her Storm Calamity amplifying the electricity in the atmosphere. A flash of light ignited around her body, and she called down a bolt of lightning, directing it straight into the funnel of the tornado Milo had created.
The tornado's swirling vortex began to glow with intense light as the lightning coursed through it, supercharging the storm. The combination of wind and electricity fused together into something far more powerful—something that could tear through anything in its path.
"Supercell!" Hannah shouted, the wind whipping through her hair as the tornado pulsed with energy.
A wave of murmurs ran through the crowd, disbelief turning into wild excitement. The force of the combined storm was palpable, the air thick with energy. Some spectators recoiled in fear, unable to tear their eyes away from the swirling vortex of wind and lightning.
"It's like a monster unleashed!" someone shouted, their voice trembling.
The announcer's voice came over the loudspeakers, clearly struggling to contain his excitement. "Ladies and gentlemen, what we're witnessing right now is nothing short of extraordinary! Team 5's combo attack—Supercell—has reached an unimaginable level of power!"
The massive storm spun with violent force, the lightning crackling through the funnel as it grew more intense.
The tornado roared to life, its winds intensifying rapidly as it hurtled down the steep valley, gaining speed with each passing second. The sheer force of the storm twisted and howled, a force of nature that seemed unstoppable.
Kora, Rose, and Chika stood frozen for a moment, staring in shock at the monstrous storm barreling toward them. It was Rose who snapped into action first, her eyes flashing with determination. She raised her hands high, summoning her own storm with a force that shook the air.
"Get it together and help me!" Rose shouted to Kora, her voice sharp with urgency.
Kora, still stunned, shook herself out of her stupor. "Got it!" she called back, her voice filled with determination. Without hesitation, she raised her arms as well, conjuring a fierce blizzard that swirled around her, her Blizzard Calamity freezing the air and creating a thick wall of ice.
Together, they combined their powers—Rose's storm and Kora's blizzard—into a towering ice wall, their ultimate defense. The wall shimmered with a cold, deadly energy, a barrier that was meant to withstand anything.
"Look at that! It's a wall of pure ice!" someone yelled from the back row, their voice filled with admiration.
But as the Supercell tore toward them, its sheer power was undeniable. The tornado, already moving with terrifying speed, smashed into the wall with a deafening roar. For a brief moment, the ice held, slowing the storm's progress, but it wasn't enough. The wind howled louder, lightning crackled through the funnel, and the sheer force of the Supercell tore through the ice wall like it was made of paper.
"Impossible… they're going to be swallowed by that storm!" a spectator exclaimed, fear and awe mixing in their voice.
"Kora, Chika, we have to—" Rose began, but the words caught in her throat as the storm gained even more speed. The air crackled with energy, the tornado's roar growing louder with each passing second.
"We can't outrun it!" Kora shouted over the deafening winds, her voice tinged with panic. She turned to Rose, looking for any way out, but all she saw was the storm—raging, unstoppable, and closing in on them. Her own Blizzard powers seemed so insignificant now, swallowed up by the fury of the Supercell.
"We need something else," Chika murmured, her voice barely audible over the chaos, as she attempted to summon her own fog to obscure the storm's path. But it was futile. The fog was nothing compared to the violent winds of the tornado, and her powers couldn't hold up against the sheer force of their enemies' combined strength.
The trio of women stood frozen, their movements sluggish, their powers already stretched thin from their earlier efforts. They had no defense left.
"I… I can't," Kora whispered, her knees buckling as the storm's winds whipped around her. "We're done."
Rose clenched her fists, frustration and fear mixing in her chest. "We were so close…!" But she knew deep down, there was nothing more they could do.
Desperation painted their faces as the winds howled louder, drowning out everything around them. In unison, they screamed—"We surrender!"—their voices raw with exhaustion, pleading for mercy. But their cries were swallowed by the deafening roar of the Supercell. The howling winds twisted and turned, swirling with an unforgiving fury, making their desperate pleas seem like whispers lost in a storm.
Their words never reached their opponents, nor the announcer. They were only swallowed by the chaos, leaving them alone in their hopelessness. As the relentless force of the storm pushed closer, the reality of their situation settled in.
The three women stood motionless, battered and broken, and with the storm bearing down on them, they started to accept the inevitable. The pain that awaited them would be unimaginable—an onslaught of nature's fury unleashed in the most brutal way. There was no escaping it now.
Their thoughts grew hazy as the wind howled even louder, drowning out the last vestiges of their resistance. They braced themselves ... yet nothing ever came.
The girls slowly opened their eyes, only to see a broad figure looming over them, his presence commanding and towering. Despite the overwhelming size of the man, a sense of calm washed over them, an unexpected feeling of safety in his presence.
Rose blinked, her mind still reeling from the intensity of the fight. "W-who…" she started, but her voice faltered, caught somewhere between exhaustion and awe.
Kora's eyes widened in recognition, her breath catching in her throat. "Wait... is that…?"
Milo, Hannah, and Damien sat in silence, their eyes fixed on the storm they had unleashed, watching it tear through the enemy with relentless force.
Damien shifted uncomfortably. "Do you think we went too far?"
Milo shook his head, his voice confident. "No, we're here to make a statement. And there's no better way to do that than with something like this."
Hannah, her eyes still on the destruction, smirked. "Hey, we should appreciate our art. Just look at... it."
Before she could finish, the ground trembled beneath them. A massive pillar shot up from the earth, surrounding their storm in a flash. In an instant, it slammed the Supercell down into the ground, crushing it with an overwhelming force. The trio stared in disbelief, unable to comprehend what they were seeing. How could anyone destroy it like that? They didn't even have an Earthquake Calamity. The pillar had come out of nowhere, and it left them frozen in utter shock.
Without another word, they sprang to their feet and sprinted toward the entrance of the valley Damien had created, desperate to see what had happened. As they emerged, they were met with the sight of a towering figure standing at the end above the girls.
Suddenly, the towering man roared in fury, his voice booming across the arena. "Announcer, call the match! Team 5 wins!"
The announcer, clearly rattled by the intensity of the moment, fumbled over his words. "Y-Yes, Sir! Uh... Team 5 is the winner of the bout... by forfeit!"
As the announcer's voice echoed across the arena, the trio of Milo, Hannah, and Damien remained rooted in place, still trying to make sense of the events that had just transpired. The stadium had erupted into a frenzy of noise, but it all felt distant now—like the world around them had slowed to a crawl.
The air crackled with tension as the massive figure of the man remained motionless at the entrance to the valley. His gaze was sharp, cold, and filled with unmistakable fury. Slowly, deliberately, he began to take a step toward them.
Each step he took shook the ground beneath their feet, his immense presence amplifying the silence. The crowd's excitement had turned into murmurs.
Damien swallowed hard, his eyes darting back and forth between the man and his teammates. The weight of the moment was beginning to hit him. As the figure continued to close the distance, Damien's mind raced, trying to piece together the puzzle.
Then it hit him.
His heart skipped a beat as he stammered, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. "Wait... Wait a second..." he muttered to himself. "That... that can't be..." His voice trailed off as he took a shaky step back, realization dawning on him like a heavy hammer.
Milo and Hannah looked at him, puzzled. "What is it, Damien?" Milo asked, his tone urgent.
Damien stammered, his words tangled as he tried to speak. "T-that's… th-that's Caspian! The Wall!" His voice faltered, but the truth was clear. "The second general..."
Hannah's eyes widened in recognition, and she instinctively took a half-step back. The weight of Damien's words hit her like a ton of bricks. Caspian. The legendary general, known for his overwhelming strength and iron will. He was standing before them, looking furious.
"Caspian? The legendary second general?!" the crowd said in shock , disbelief coloring the words.
The towering man's eyes narrowed as he took another deliberate step closer. His movements were slow, measured, but every step radiated authority.
Caspian's voice was low, gravelly, and filled with a barely contained fury. "You lowlifes, you want to join the corps and defend your fellow man yet cant even listen to their cries of surrender"
"Cries of surrender?" Milo asks frightened.
Caspian's cold gaze locked onto Milo, his towering frame casting a long shadow over the trio. His voice grew darker, more menacing as he took another step forward, making the ground tremble with his every movement.
"Yes, cries of surrender," Caspian spat. "Do you think you're untouchable because of your power? Do you think this is a game? Your opponents begged you to stop. They pleaded for mercy, and you ignored them. How can you claim to protect people if you don't even understand the value of mercy?"
Milo's heart pounded in his chest as the weight of Caspian's words settled over him like a heavy cloak. He opened his mouth, but no words came out at first. He had never seen someone like Caspian in person before, and now, standing face to face with him, Milo felt the crushing weight of his reputation. This was a man who had spent his life fighting, who had earned his place as the second general—The Wall—the one who stood as an unbreakable force on the battlefield.
Damien, still shaken, took a step forward, trying to regain some semblance of composure. "We... we didn't know—"
"You didn't care," Caspian interrupted, his tone growing more venomous. "You saw them as just obstacles, not people. And now you think you can just walk away from this, as if nothing happened?"
Hannah clenched her fists, stepping in front of her teammates, her own anger boiling beneath the surface. "We didn't mean to—"
"Save your excuses," Caspian snarled, his voice like a whip. "You think I haven't seen this kind of arrogance before? You've got talent, yes. But you're nothing without the humility to match it. And you..." Caspian's eyes flickered between the three of them, "You're not ready for what's coming."
The ground beneath their feet trembled once more as Caspian took another step closer, his expression darkening further.
Milo finally found his voice, his words tinged with both fear and defiance. "We were just following our instincts."
Caspian's piercing gaze didn't shift, but his voice softened, though still brimming with controlled fury. "Your instincts?" He laughed, the sound dark and bitter. "Your instincts could have killed them. If you're going to survive in this world, you need more than power. You need discipline. You need the ability to control yourself, to know when to stop. I don't see any of that in you. Not yet."
For a moment, the arena was silent except for the low hum of the energy still swirling in the air from the Supercell. The weight of Caspian's words hung heavily in the space between them.
Damien finally spoke, his voice quiet but resolute. "We'll learn. We'll do better."
Caspian studied him for a long, tense moment. "I hope for your sake that you do." His eyes narrowed. "If you want to stand among the strongest, you'd better prove you're not just a force of nature, but a thinking one."
Caspian's cold gaze bore into them, his voice laced with warning. "I have the authority to reject any applicant outright if I see fit," he said, each word cutting through the air like a blade. "Shape up, and smarten up, because my mercy is as thin as paper."
Milo, Hannah, and Damien stood still, not daring to move.
Caspian exhaled sharply, the tension still radiating from him. With a final glance at the trio, he turned and began to walk away, his footsteps thundering like the beat of a war drum. As he moved, the ground seemed to shake beneath him, a testament to his power.
The announcer, still shaken by the intensity of the moment, finally spoke, his voice more subdued than before. "And with that, Team 5 takes the victory… though it seems the price of that victory may be more than they bargained for…"
The crowd fell into stunned silence, the weight of what had just transpired settling over them. The once-vibrant energy of the arena now felt hollow, as if something had been lost.