Elara didn't waste the moment. She crashed into their shield wall like a storm given flesh, her spear a silver blur. Adrian roared beside her, his axe biting into weakened defenses.
One by one, the wall cracked. Shields fell. Voices cried out.
The system's message hit like a thunderclap:
[Enemy Team Eliminated.]
The field shifted. The smoke cleared slightly. The ground beneath their feet trembled faintly as if the simulation itself had taken a deep breath.
Two teams remained.
Merlin's chest heaved as he straightened, dragging the back of his hand across his mouth. Nathan grinned beside him, though his breaths came sharp and fast. Elara's spear dripped with sweat, her eyes cutting immediately toward the last remaining squad.
They hadn't moved.
They'd been waiting. Watching.
And now, they came.
—
The final team broke through the mist like wolves.
