The battlefield no longer resembled an organized contest.
It had become chaos.
Warriors sprinted across shattered terrain, traps detonated without warning, and flags changed hands faster than the crowd could follow. The once-clear strategies dissolved into desperate improvisation.
Points were dropping.
Fast.
"Another point lost for the elves!"
"The humans are down two!"
"The beastfolk just stole again!"
The capital roared with noise. Bets shifted wildly. Excitement turned sharp, electric.
High above it all, Elena leaned forward on her throne, silver eyes glowing with fascination.
Yes… this is where it becomes interesting.
The humans, once disciplined, now scrambled to recover their stolen flag. Their warriors moved quickly, but hesitation crept into their decisions. One miscalculation—
Shimmer.
A warrior vanished.
"One point deducted from the human team!"
Elena smiled faintly. Pressure always cracks perfection. Her butler starring at her while she smiled faintly what a brutal woman no sympathy.
Across another zone, the dark elf warriors executed a near-perfect ambush, catching an elven fighter off guard. The elves retaliated instantly, thunderous speed meeting lethal precision. Both teams traded eliminations within seconds.
Points balanced.
Tension rising.
But it was the orc zone that drew Elena's full attention.
Moments ago, they had been losing.
Badly.
Their warriors had charged recklessly, suffering teleportations and bleeding points. The crowd had already begun murmuring.
"Orcs are done for."
"They're too aggressive."
"Easy defeat."
Yet now—
Silence.
The orc warriors had stopped charging.
They stood still.
Watching.
Waiting.
Elena's silver eyes narrowed slightly.
Oh?
From the sidelines, Vorak Blackmaw barked orders, his voice thunderous even through the crystal broadcast. The massive warriors shifted formation, no longer a wild storm of muscle and rage.
They became something else.
Hunters.
An elven warrior darted forward, attempting a quick flag steal.
Too fast.
Too confident.
The ground exploded beneath him.
A hidden orc trap.
Shimmer.
"One point deducted from the elven team!"
The crowd gasped.
Before the elves could react, two orc warriors surged forward—not with reckless fury, but terrifying coordination. One created a distraction, the other slipped behind defenses.
Flag seized.
Cheers erupted like an earthquake.
"THE ORCS STOLE THE FLAG!"
Coins flew. Voices exploded. Shock rippled through the arena.
Elena's lips slowly curved.
There it is…
Momentum.
The elves scrambled to recover, but the orcs had changed entirely. No longer charging blindly, they lured enemies, cornered them, forced mistakes.
Another shimmer.
Another deduction.
"Elven team loses another point!"
Now the battlefield shifted violently.
The team once dismissed as predictable had become lethal.
Across zones, warriors began adjusting strategies rapidly.
The beastfolk, once dominant, were suddenly ambushed by merfolk using deceptive maneuvers. The humans regained ground with desperate precision. The dark elves exploited every opening like shadows with blades.
The scoreboard flickered.
Numbers tightening.
No clear leader.
The crowd could feel it.
Tension thickened like a storm about to break.
Elena's silver eyes gleamed, utterly alive with delight.
Yes… yes, this is perfect.
An underdog rising.
Favorites collapsing.
Strategies shattering.
Unexpected brilliance blooming from desperation.
A human warrior nearly captured the merfolk flag—
Intercepted.
Teleported.
"One point deducted!"
The humans groaned.
Moments later—
A beastfolk warrior leapt across impossible distance, snatching a flag mid-escape.
Roars of disbelief.
Every zone now pulsed with intensity.
No one relaxed.
No one safe.
And in the orc zone Vorak Blackmaw's warriors executed their masterpiece.
A calculated feint.
A baited retreat.
Three enemy warriors took the lure.
Too late.
Encirclement.
Trap.
Shimmer. Shimmer. Shimmer.
The arena detonated with noise.
"THREE POINTS LOST!"
The orcs surged ahead.
Complete reversal.
Elena laughed softly in her mind, unable to contain her excitement.
Magnificent… absolutely magnificent.
From near defeat to dominance.
The crowd erupted into wild hysteria.
"ORC COMEBACK!"
"UNBELIEVABLE!"
"THEY TURNED IT AROUND!"
Even the other rulers leaned forward now, tension visible. Calm strategies replaced by urgency.
Because now—
Points were close.
Dangerously close.
One mistake could decide everything.
Elena leaned back slowly, popcorn forgotten, silver eyes burning with satisfaction.
Fight harder… struggle more… surprise me again.
Below her, warriors clashed with renewed ferocity.
Above them—
Their queen watched, thrilled.