A moment of silence following Le's declaration washed over the students, broken by the sound of buildings across the city replica slowly shifting to create an unrecognizable maze. "They didn't say anything about the buildings…" Elizabeth thought amongst herself, turning back towards her other team members. "This is no challenge for a duo like the US!" Michael boldly claimed, racing through the streets alongside Alex while leaving a path of wind, lightning, and fire for the other students. "Don't forget that we won't be waiting for you, Kevin!"
The storm of dust passed, leaving a wonky Kevin against the ground. "T-that was uncalled for…" he whispered, his eyes twitching upon noticing the opposing team's sudden movement. "If I want to have a chance of keeping up with those two, I'm going to have to figure out something quick…"
---
Arias used his kinetic energy to rip through the leather bag held by Michelle, who let out a startled whimper. "Arias, are you sure you're allowed to leave the bag? They put you there for a reason!"
Emerging from the ground, Arias brightly smiled at Michelle. "If I'm going to achieve my dreams, then I'll have to dodge every obstacle thrown at m-"
He began excessively sweating. "Damn it!"
---
Kevin's eyes focused on both his fists, using linking to generate fire and lightning. "I have a weaker variant of both their powers," he observed, the sudden chill from the lightning storm sending a slight shudder down his spine. Without a second thought, he clapped both hands together, creating a large explosion propelling him above the city. His head turned towards the stadium's entrance, slamming his hands together yet again. "Repeated use of this is sure to make my body sore, but I'll make do for now!"
Both Michael and Alex glanced towards Kevin, who now soared above the distorted Crystal City. "Merging our powers together using linking?" Alex thought, following a chuckle of admiration. "If the rumors are true and this kid is actually assembling a team of academy students, they'll be just fine as standard hunters…"
His hands divided once again, sliding both his feet against the concrete building beside Michael and Alex. "You two better not flee like that again!" he complained, repeatedly stomping his feet. "Isn't nearly killing me with your powers enough!?"
Spectating from the stadium's rooftop sat a pale woman with long brown hair, sitting beside two identical twins all glancing towards Michael, Kevin, and Alex. "That kid down there with the messy, brown hair," one twin started, lifting her head towards her sisters. "Kevin, son of Ellis. Despite being the son of a famous hunter, he normally lives alongside Grace, Victor, and Gerald Romanti, another first-year which he saved a few months before today. The two kidnappers were said to be former hunters who haven't been seen since…"
"Why do you have to make everything sound so scary, Jennifer?" the twin with a younger voice complained. "We're supposed to be using our power to breeze past them, not analyze them!"
Jennifer sighed, lifting herself above the rooftop's metal bars. Both her hands extended, sprinkling small bits of crystal down towards the ground. "We'll show those three the true power of Team Crystal!"
Michael's muscles loosened, his body slamming against the rooftop's surface. "I'm burnt!" he complained. Both Kevin and Michael bathed in awkward silence, their focus shifting to the small sprinkles of crystal raining from above. "Twins of Crystal - Jennifer, Eli, and Lia," Alex muttered. "Those three may be the strongest team out of us all - with those crystal sprinkles, they can erupt sharp crystal blades from the ground!" Jennifer smiled, jumping from the rooftop alongside Eli and Lia. "Students of Sora, Michael and Alex!" she exclaimed. "Student of Victor, Kevin! Hate to break it to you, but we'll be winning this challenge!"
Michael's eyes bulged open, small sparks of lightning pulsing within his veins following his awakening. "Triplets of Crystal!?" he screamed, locking eyes with a blushing Lia, who lost all focus while acknowledging Michael's eye contact. Despite being one of the strongest students among Fasal's first-years, the triplets of crystal each had their weaknesses - Eli was afraid of flying projectiles, Lia feared locking eyes with her so-called soulmate, and Jennifer usually tenses up whenever Arias overshadows her. "The rules Le announced strictly prohibited the shedding of blood!" Kevin exclaimed, igniting both fire and lightning across his arms. "Despite those rules being in place, I'll lead us three to victor-"
The crystal sprinkles finally kissed the ground, blooming into multiple shards restraining Michael and Alex from moving. Jennifer followed up, angrily plunging her fist into Kevin's face and pushing him to the ground. A few seconds later, she let out an obnoxiously loud laugh. "You need determination to be a hunter, real determination!" she claimed. "I've heard a lot about you, yet you aren't like they say! Half the people in this class are just absolute frauds afraid to give their lives - and you're one of them!"
Unable to move, Michael and Alex both watched Kevin's unresponsive body. "Calling me a fraud?" he spoke up, pushing himself despite his straining muscles. "After hearing about my father's adventures alongside Victor during Operation Anata many years back, I learned something - no matter how bad the odds are, you HAVE TO KEEP PUSHING TO SEE TOMORROW!"
Michael and Alex both gasped. "He's still moving after a punch like that!?"
Jennifer scoffed, cloaking her fist in pink crystal. "Let's put your willpower to the test then, boy!"
"Fire in my left hand, and lightning in my right! Even if I haven't gained a base power yet, I still have hope! And with that hope, I'll push through the Academy's curriculum and BECOME THE MAN I WANT TO BE!"
He pressed his hands against his hips, memorizing an iconic formation passed down from his father. "Combination of lightning, fire, AND willpower! Special Kevin PUNCH!" Both his fists plunged into Jennifer's chest, blowing her across the city into a nearby building. The shards entrapping Michael and Alex dispersed into thin air, freeing them from Team Crystal's damning restraint. Kevin grinned, wrapping his arms around Michael and Alex's shoulders with a bright grin. "Now that I saved you two, you have to give me a chance to keep up!" he claimed. Both of them rolled their eyes, turning their gazes towards the empty grassfield standing beyond the city. "Out of all people, why did we team up with you?" Alex mumbled.
"Focus on the challenge, not the teams!"