The sun hung high in the sky, casting its rays on the floating pyramid that served as the battleground for the Grand Evaluation. On the massive stone structure, Ned and his teammates gathered in a tight circle, their minds focused on the upcoming chaos of the first round. But before they could dive into strategizing, Reena had an idea—one that involved a frank discussion about their powers.
"I think we should get a better sense of what everyone can do," Reena said, arching an eyebrow as she glanced at each of them. "We're going into a war zone here, and it would be nice to know what kind of weapons we're all bringing to the table."
Ned, not one to shy away from an opportunity to talk about himself, grinned. "Good call. I'll go first, since I'm obviously the most interesting one here."
Reena rolled her eyes. "Let's just get this over with, then."
Ned cleared his throat, as if preparing for a grand revelation. "Alright, so... my talent has evolved. It's not just about watching and learning anymore. I'm faster now—faster than I've ever been. My observational skills are sharper too. I can read a situation before it even happens. I can use any weapon I want, but...," he paused dramatically, "I prefer a staff. It's just... elegant, you know?"
Bonita, who had been standing to the side looking thoroughly unimpressed, mumbled something like "Stick. Good,".
Ned said with a grin "Now, who's next?"
Reena stepped forward, clearly ready to share her own talent. "I control water," she said, her voice steady and serious. "It's not just about splashing around—water bends to my will. I can manipulate it into any form I need. And... I'm pretty good with a bow. So, I'll be your ranged support."
Ambessa, walked out and said with a smile. "My talent is strength, Me and my brother, Bonita, we're both born with the strength talent.I'm good with a light sword."
Bonita, as expected, just nodded, looking at the group with his usual grin. "Hammer. Good."
Ned couldn't help but laugh. "You know, Bonita, one day you're going to string more than one word together. And when that day comes, I'll be amazed."
Bonita gave him a blank stare, clearly unbothered by the remark. "Hammer good," he repeated, as though confirming his life's purpose in one short phrase.
Lily, who had been quiet until now, stepped forward with a graceful smile. Her pale white hair shimmered in the sunlight, adding to her ethereal appearance. "I can control earth," she said softly, yet with conviction. "I'm skilled with the sword, and I can manipulate the ground beneath our feet. It gives me a lot of versatility in combat."
Ned couldn't help but be impressed by the combination of elegance and power she exuded. "Well, we've got quite the team here, huh?" He chuckled to himself. "I mean, we've got strength, speed, water, earth... and Bonita, who's... good with a hammer."
Bonita's expression didn't change. "Hammer good."
Reena clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention back to the task at hand. "Okay, we've got the basic rundown. Now let's figure out how we're going to win this thing."
"Right," Ned said, snapping back to the situation. "Let's check the rules one more time."
With a quick flick of his wrist, Ned activated his Spectator's Insight. The rules of the stage appeared before him in a glowing script:
Flag Possession: A team must always have their flag in their possession for it to considered valid.
Capture the Flag: Teams can capture other flags to increase their points. If you capture a flag with points already on it, you take all of those points.
Flag Return: To successfully capture a flag, you must take it back to your base and plant it there.
"That's a lot of flag stuff," Ned muttered under his breath. He looked at the team. "We're gonna need some solid strategy to manage all this."
Reena nodded. "The key thing to keep in mind is that our flag has to be at our possession. If we lose it, we lose points."
Ned scratched his chin thoughtfully. "So, basically, it's a game of defense and offense. Some of us need to stay back to protect the flag, while others go out and grab others' flags."
Lily raised her hand. "We can divide our team based on strengths. Ned and Bonita are both fast and strong—"
"Wait, fast?" Ned interrupted. "Bonita?"
Ambessa cut him off before he could finish. "He's the fastest person in our kingdom, trust me."
Ned stared at Bonita, who was still standing there, expression unreadable. He blinked. "Right, okay, sure. Fast."
Ambessa continued, "So Bonita and Ned should go capture flags. Reena and I will stay back to defend, and Lily can help with building walls for defense using the pyramid platform."
Ned grinned. "This is gonna be fun."
Reena raised an eyebrow. "Don't get too excited. We have a lot to do."
"I'm excited because I have a plan," Ned said, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Here's what I'm thinking. Bonita and I scout the area first. If we can't capture flags immediately, we'll get the lay of the land and see who's weak. Then we go for it."
"You're getting ahead of yourself," Reena warned. "We need to make sure our defenses are solid first. We can't afford to get caught off guard."
"Right," Ned said, nodding seriously. "Defense first, chaos second. Got it."
They spent the next few minutes refining their plan. The roles were clear: Reena, Ambessa, and Lily would stay back and secure the base, while Ned and Bonita would scout for opportunities to capture flags. They discussed positioning, timing, and how they would communicate during the chaos that was sure to unfold.
As the planning continued, Ned's mind raced with possibilities. The excitement was starting to build inside him, but he also couldn't shake the nagging feeling that there was something more to this game than just flags and points. Something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
With a final glance at his team, he whispered to himself, "Hmm, so that's how it is"
"Ned?" Reena's voice broke him from his thoughts. "You ready?"
Ned shook his head, trying to refocus. "Yeah. Let's do this."
The team gathered at their designated positions, and as the signal to begin the round blared through the arena, the chaos erupted. Flags were being captured, teams clashed in the middle of the arena, and the sound of battle rang in the air.