I. The Man Who Stopped the Battle
The battlefield fell silent.
Raj's breath came in ragged but controlled gasps, his body coiled, ready. The burning ache across his ribs, a souvenir from Ron's last strike, was a distant hum beneath the surface of his focus. Pain was a luxury he couldn't afford. Not now. Not with him here.
The man who had halted their duel stood between them, his long black combat cloak rippling slightly in the wind. His presence radiated not just authority, but something more profound—a weight of experience, a quiet power that pressed down on them like a physical force.
Raj felt it, a palpable shift in the atmosphere, as distinct as the crackle of Ron's Astra energy. This wasn't just another competitor. This was an apex predator.
Bruno, who had observed the confrontation with an unnerving stillness, crossed his arms. His usual smirk was gone, replaced by a flicker of something akin to…respect?
"Alright, mysterious guy," he drawled, the usual bravado absent from his voice. "Who the hell are you?"
The man's gaze swept over them, dark, sharp, and calculating. "Ethan." A single word that carried the weight of command.
"Squad One Commander of the Earth Defense Forces."
Raj's breath hitched. So did Ron's.
Bruno let out a low whistle. "Damn. A real EDF Commander, huh? And here I was thinking you were just some bored veteran looking for a scrap."
Ethan's eyes flickered to Bruno, but there was no hint of amusement in their depths. "I came to give you all a warning. The battlefield is about to change."
Ron sheathed his Astra blade. With a Squad One Commander present, further conflict was pointless. "What do you mean?" he asked, the usual arrogance replaced by cautious inquiry.
Ethan exhaled, his gaze drifting towards the horizon. Beyond the shattered ruins, past the scattered pockets of fighting, something was coming. "The first real Trial is about to begin."
II. The Trial Grounds Shift – The True War Begins
Above them, the sky roiled, the clouds darkening ominously. The air grew heavy, charged with an unnatural energy that raised the hairs on Raj's arms. Something ancient, something powerful, was stirring.
Ethan gestured towards the center of the battlefield, where a colossal fortress of ruins loomed against the darkening sky. "That's your next destination."
Bruno raised an eyebrow. "And what awaits us there?"
Ethan's voice remained level, devoid of emotion. "The first real elimination stage."
"Only half of you will make it out."
Raj's fingers curled into fists. Elimination stage. They're thinning the herd already.
Ron, ever the pragmatist, was the first to speak. "So what's the catch?"
Ethan's lips curved slightly—not a smile, more like a predator anticipating a hunt. "The catch? The fortress isn't empty."
Raj didn't need clarification. He already knew. Something was waiting for them inside. Something old.
III. The Fortress of Shadows – A Battlefield Unlike Any Other
The journey to the fortress was a tense trek. Raj, Bruno, Ron, and a handful of other warriors moved with wary caution, avoiding unnecessary encounters.
All around them, the remnants of the initial chaos played out. Warriors fought fiercely for Astra Fragments, some forging flimsy alliances, others betraying their temporary comrades for a slim chance of survival. Raj saw a recruit ambushed by two Astra users, his screams abruptly cut short. He saw a fighter in a mechanized exosuit effortlessly crush a group of unprepared opponents.
But these skirmishes felt insignificant now, mere ripples before the coming storm.
As they approached the imposing stone fortress, Raj felt a prickling sensation on the back of his neck. Something is waiting inside. Something older than Astra. Older than this war.
Bruno muttered under his breath. "I've got a bad feeling about this."
Raj shared the sentiment.
IV. The Gate Opens – The Nightmare Begins
The fortress entrance was a gaping maw, its massive stone walls covered in pulsing, eerie blue markings. A colossal holographic countdown materialized in the sky above the structure.
[3 Minutes Until Activation]
Ron exhaled. "It's a trial."
Raj nodded. A controlled test, orchestrated by the Earth Defense Forces. But what were they testing?
The answer arrived sooner than expected.
The instant the countdown reached zero, the battlefield convulsed. The ground beneath them trembled, cracks spider-webbing across the ancient stone. A pulse of raw energy radiated outwards, washing over the entire field.
And then—the screams began.
Not the screams of the competitors.
Screams emanating from within the fortress.
Something was awakening.
Raj's instincts screamed in warning. This isn't a normal battle. We're about to face something that shouldn't exist.
V. The Guardians of the Ruins – Monsters from the Past
The fortress gates exploded inward in a shower of dust and debris.
And from the darkness, they emerged.
Not warriors.
Not human.
Something else.
Massive figures, twisted and grotesque, their humanoid forms shrouded in dark, swirling energy, stalked into the light. Their eyes glowed with an unnatural luminescence, like dying stars, their movements jerky and unnatural, as if they were puppets animated by some dark, unseen force.
The battlefield erupted in chaos.
"They're not Astra users!" someone shrieked. "They're…something else!"
Ron drew his sword in a flash.
Bruno's fists clenched, his knuckles white.
Raj exhaled, centering himself. "Now it starts."
This was no longer a fight between humans. This was something far greater. And only the strongest would survive.
VI. The First Battle – Raj Faces the Impossible
The first creature lunged at Raj, its movements disturbingly swift.
Raj barely dodged, twisting his body to avoid the razor-sharp claws. The sheer force of the attack gouged deep furrows in the stone behind him.
Fast. Strong. And they're not normal.
Ron retaliated instantly, his Astra blade slashing across the creature's torso. The blade cut deep—but the wound didn't kill. The creature's flesh seemed to melt and reform, the gash sealing itself almost instantly.
Bruno cursed. "Oh, that's not good."
Raj's mind raced. They're regenerating too fast. Standard attacks are useless. He needed a plan. Fast.
The battlefield descended into a maelstrom of violence, warriors fighting desperately against foes that refused to stay down.
Raj's thoughts coalesced. "We don't fight them directly."
Bruno glanced at him, incredulous. "Then what? Run?"
Raj smirked grimly. "No. We adapt."
"Target the environment. Break them before they regenerate."
Ron nodded, understanding dawning in his eyes. "Collapse the ruins."
Raj grinned. "Exactly."
VII. The Plan – Bringing Down the Fortress
While other warriors engaged the creatures in futile close combat, Raj and his team moved with strategic precision. They weren't just attacking the monsters; they were attacking the battlefield itself.
Every step, every strike, every maneuver was calculated to weaken the structural integrity of the ancient fortress.
Bruno delivered a thunderous blow to a load-bearing pillar, cracks spider-webbing across its surface.
Ron's Astra blade sliced through weakened support beams, sending chunks of stone crashing down.
Raj, using his agility and knowledge of the terrain, lured the creatures into strategically unstable areas.
And then—the entire section of the fortress began to give way.
The creatures shrieked in rage and terror as the ruins collapsed around them, burying them beneath tons of rubble.
Raj exhaled, relief washing over him. One battle won.
But the war was far from over.
Above them, a new countdown appeared in the sky.
[6 Hours Until the Final Selection]
Raj's jaw tightened. "We're not done yet."
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