The colossal arena took on a new shape. Ruined towers, synthetic forests, urban corridors, and gravity-shifting zones... all built to simulate a real war zone.
From the loudspeaker, Lorien Valtier's voice echoed with authority:
— "Stage 3: Zone of Conflict! Teams assigned. Remember: here, strategy and sacrifice matter more than brute strength."
The display revealed the teams:
🛡️ Heroes
Team Ryan: Ryan Valeborn, Kane Jayson, Annie Halloway
Team Ethan: Ethan Stormbreak, Arnie Johnson, Flynn Eldara
Team Hant: Hant + background characters
☠️ Villains (with tactical advantage)
Team Ryu Nox: Ryu Nox, Abby Fountier, Williem Forst, Areliun Pierne
— "Showtime..." — Ryu whispered with a tilted smile, activating a shadow seal on his palm.
🕶️ Eastern Sector – Phantom Ambush
Ryan, Kane, and Annie patrolled a narrow corridor between rusted metal structures.
— "Kane, take the left flank! Annie, with me," Ryan commanded, trying to lead.
But Kane scoffed:
— "I make my own path."
— "Seriously…?" — Ryan sighed.
SHRAK! A sensor on the ground exploded in black smoke. Suddenly, shadow tendrils burst from the floor, surrounding them.
— "An ambush?!" — Annie shouted.
From atop a tower, Ryu calmly watched, his twin daggers crossed behind his back.
— "Heroes play too fair... That's why they fall first."
With a gesture, he triggered "Penumbra Prison," trapping Annie and forcing Ryan to dive to save her. Kane, however, resisted using his Crimson Reflex to slice the shadows apart — but the lost time came at a cost.
📉 –25 pts for the villains capturing a zone📉 –50 pts for Ryan being temporarily knocked out
⚡ Central Sector – The Wrath of Stormbreak
Ethan, Arnie, and Flynn advanced in tight formation. Ethan led with calm precision, but his eyes burned with intensity.
— "Ryu is always two steps ahead… I need to break the pattern."
Suddenly, shadows burst from all directions.
— "NOW!" — Ethan shouted.
Arnie activated his Incomplete Identity, transforming into an illusionary Ryu to confuse the enemy.
Flynn froze the ground around them, creating a trap zone. Ethan, igniting his lightning core, leapt toward Ryu above.
CLANG!Daggers and katana clashed — lightning and shadow exploded in the air.
Ryu smirked.— "Knew you'd come."Ethan replied, eyes glowing blue:— "Same here."
🧮 Zone of Conflict Results
As the round ended, the main screen displayed the updated points:
🥇 Ryu Nox – 415 pts(3 zones captured, 2 direct wins, 3 assists)
🥈 Ethan Stormbreak – 340 pts(2 direct wins, 4 assists, 1 zone captured)
🥉 Kane Jayson – 295 pts(1 direct win, 3 assists, 2 zones captured)
Others:
Abby Fountier – 275 pts
Ryan Valeborn – 190 pts
Annie Halloway – 175 pts
Arnie Johnson – 170 pts
Flynn Eldara – 160 pts
⚔️ The Top 8 move on to the Individual Semifinals
From the VIP seats, Lorien murmured:
— "They're ready."
Beside him, Inavy, with little Saddie in his lap, grinned:
— "Better get more popcorn… this is getting good."
And far above, in deep space, Kairon gazed down at Earth with cold, calculating eyes.
— "So the new generation has begun to move..."
To be continued in Chapter 14...