The sky darkened slightly over the arena as the sounds of the forest filled the air. Tensions ran high between the two teams. On the Red Team's attack squad, they had a clear view of the Blue Team's base. They remained hidden, undetected by their opponents.
"Elios, what are we going to do?" Saya whispered to him.
"Let's just go in there, beat them up, grab the flag, and get out," Toran replied in a low voice, his excitement for the battle still evident.
Elios appeared thoughtful, closing his eyes as he contemplated the best strategy to attack the group. After a few moments, a small smile crossed his face. "I know what we're going to do," he said confidently.
Meanwhile, on the Blue Team, Adrian led his group to the left, with Lian at his side and eight more students following closely behind. The secondary group, designated as a distraction, had begun advancing to the right, while the Red Team organized their defense atop the hill, where the red flag was positioned.
Adrian was at the front, as confident as ever, but Lian kept a close watch on their surroundings. His eyes scanned the terrain ahead, looking for any traps or suspicious movement within the ruins that lined their path to the red flag.
"Move faster, Lian," Adrian said in a low tone, glancing over his shoulder. "If we're too slow, the distraction team will be useless."
"If we rush blindly, we'll all be useless," Lian shot back, not bothering to hide his irritation. "Don't you realize they're leading us right into a trap?"
Adrian opened his mouth to retort, but he was interrupted when a volley of magical arrows shot through the air, fired from an archer perched in the ruins above. "Get down!" Lian shouted, diving behind a large rock as the arrows struck the ground around them.
"It's a trap," Adrian muttered through gritted teeth. He partially rose, his rapier glowing with energy. "They knew we'd come this way."
"Obviously," Lian replied, as his shadows spread across the ground, shielding the more exposed members of the group. "If they've got archers, it's because they know a direct attack is exactly what you'd do."
Adrian ignored the remark. He glanced at the archers atop the ruins and pointed to two students in their group, both specializing in long-range combat. "You two, neutralize them. Now!"
The two nodded quickly, firing off spells of fire and energy arrows toward the archers. The blasts lit up the ruins, forcing the archers to retreat temporarily. Taking advantage of the moment, Adrian stood and resumed leading the charge.
"You really like throwing yourself into danger, don't you?" Lian murmured as he followed, his shadows still trailing along the ground, searching for any hidden threats.
"That's how you win, Alvarez. With courage," Adrian responded, flashing a challenging grin.
Meanwhile, on the Red Team, the attacking squad had already reached the Blue Team's base.
Elios, with his tactical mind, devised a plan to split his group into three smaller units. A smaller team moved to the left to create a distraction, while another attacked from the right. Elios himself led the main force through the center, ensuring the Blue Team defenders would be overwhelmed by attacks from multiple directions.
The sound of magic and weapons echoed through the clearing as the Red Team launched its coordinated offensive.
Back on the other side of the arena, Adrian and Lian's group approached the Red Team's base. They had passed through the outer ruins and reached the base of the hill where the red flag was secured. The Red Team defenders were ready, their spells and abilities strategically placed to repel any attack.
Adrian didn't hesitate. "Everyone to the left! We'll flank them through that narrow path. They won't expect it."
"That's exactly what they're expecting," Lian said, stopping as he noticed the defenders moving strategically to cover the sides of the hill. "If you can't see that, you're leading us straight into an ambush."
"Got a better plan?" Adrian challenged, turning to glare at Lian.
"Yes. Split the group into two smaller squads and create multiple distractions, forcing them to spread out. Charging in as one group is suicide," Lian said firmly.
Adrian scoffed. "I'm the leader here. We're doing this my way."
Before Lian could argue further, Adrian commanded the entire group to attack from the left. The group obeyed, but Lian stayed back for a moment, watching as chaos unfolded.
The Red Team defenders reacted quickly, sending out explosive spells and coordinated attacks to halt their advance. Two students from the Blue Team were hit—one fell to the ground with a burn on his arm, while the other was trapped in a barrier of ice that immobilized him.
"This is a disaster," Lian muttered, moving swiftly to shield the injured with his shadows. He neutralized the spells around them, but the group was already disorganized.
"Their weakness is in the central defense," Lian shouted to the rest of the group, ignoring Adrian. He summoned his shadows to create a dark curtain, obscuring the defenders' vision. "Anyone with long-range attacks, hit the center of the barrier!"
Two students responded to the command, firing fire projectiles and energy bolts at the magical barrier surrounding the red flag. The blasts created a small breach, but the defenders quickly regrouped.
Adrian, visibly frustrated, attempted another advance but was intercepted by two Red Team students wielding spears and mobility abilities to block his path.
"You're not getting through!" one of the defenders shouted, lunging with his spear in a strike that nearly hit Adrian.
Taking advantage of the moment, Lian used his shadows to entangle the two defenders, holding them long enough for Adrian to counterattack with his rapier, forcing them to retreat.
"You need to be more careful," Lian remarked coldly as he helped the rest of the group push toward the hilltop.
Adrian gritted his teeth but didn't respond. He knew the original plan had failed, and now the group was relying on Lian to lead them.
Finally, they reached the flag. The last two Red Team defenders readied themselves for a final stand, but Lian was faster. Wielding Oblivion, he moved swiftly, striking one of the defenders in the stomach and incapacitating him. The second defender tried to retaliate, but Lian disarmed him with a precise slash and subdued him.
Adrian rushed toward the flag, but Lian stopped him. "You're in no condition to carry it. Let someone less injured do it."
Adrian opened his mouth to argue, but the other students sided with Lian, electing one of the less-exhausted members to carry the flag.
As the group began to retreat, Lian turned to Adrian. "This is what happens when you act alone. If you won't listen to anyone, maybe you shouldn't lead."
Adrian narrowed his eyes, clearly furious, but before he could respond, Lian interrupted. "From now on, I'm leading the attack team."
"Who gave you the authority to decide that?!" Adrian shouted, his anger spilling over.
Calmly, Lian proposed, "Fine. Let's decide. Everyone who wants Adrian to remain as the leader, raise your hand."
No one raised their hand, some students even avoiding Adrian's glare.
"Looks like the team has spoken. If you want to win, you'll follow my orders," Lian said firmly.
Adrian clenched his fists in silent rage but didn't protest further. His hatred for Lian only deepened with each passing moment. "Fine," he spat.
Lian sighed, imagining Lena enjoying the chaos from somewhere. Gathering his team, he led them back toward their base, focused on securing their victory.