Each successful retrieval glowed green beside the academy na. Failures glowed red. The crowd began murmuring, doing their own ntal tallies.
The last match ended with a Thornevale student nearly crushed, but retrieving the orb just in ti.
The first phase was over.
"Evaluation Complete!" the announcer's voice bood. "Students, return to your corners and prepare for Phase Two!"
The teams began regrouping. The air shifted again. The arena's floor began to transform—runic lights drawing new shapes across the ground, readying for the next trial.
Up in the ElderGlow platform, Damon sat back in his seat, eyes narrowing.
"That wasn't just a warm-up," he said.
"No," Daveon agreed. "That was a warning."
The arena began shifting again.
Rumbles pulsed beneath the colosseum floor, sending tremors through the soles of every spectator.
Glowing runes spiraled out from the center stage, etching new lines and forming square grids, corridors, and uneven terrain across the wide arena.
Sections of the floor dropped while others rose, until the flat battleground beca a miniature field of cliffs, boulders, and stone outcroppings.
At the top, near the announcer's platform, glowing letters spelled out the next trial:
The Phase Two – Team Mission Challenge
The four groups of Year One contestants stood in place, side by side, facing the restructured battlefield with narrowed eyes and tense shoulders. The whole place was clean as though no fight had taken place on it.
From the upper platform, the announcer's voice returned—steady, loud, and wrapped in magical resonance.
"For the second phase of the Year One Evaluation, your task is simple—retrieve and secure a token from the enemy territory."
The students below leaned in, expressions sharpening.
"You will each be assigned to a section of this newly reford arena. Your token will be placed deep within the territory of another school. You are to infiltrate that territory, retrieve the token, and return it to your own base. Whichever team returns the token fastest, and with the fewest injuries or casualties, will win."
The arena lit up with four colored quadrants—blue, red, green, and gold—each one designating the assigned territory for ElderGlow, Crowgarth, Wyrre, and Thornevale respectively.
"And to make this challenge more realistic, there will be roaming constructs programd to hunt and impede you. These constructs simulate enemy forces. They will not kill—but if they disable you, it counts against your team's survival rating."
A low murmur went through the student sections above.
Damon's eyes narrowed as he watched the Year Ones being moved by magic to their assigned quadrants.
"They're not just testing teamwork," he said. "They're testing infiltration, tactics, and damage control."
Celeste leaned forward. "One mistake and the whole team ranking drops."
Miss Leana said nothing from her position above. Her eyes were fixed on ElderGlow's Year Ones, who now stood in a staggered formation within the blue quadrant, preparing to begin the mission.
Then the countdown began.
"Contestants, prepare yourselves."
"3…"
Each team fell into formation. Swords drawn, bows notched, spells channeled at the fingertips.
"2…"
From their assigned corners, the constructs began rising from hidden platforms—humanoid figures made of polished obsidian, with burning runes for eyes and weapons ford of essence.
"1…"
The crowd held their breath.
"Begin."
The battle began in silence, not chaos.
Each team imdiately moved out, but their approaches varied.
ElderGlow's Year Ones kept tight formation, hugging the walls and using terrain to their advantage.
Their leader, a short, dark-skinned boy nad Keon, barked low commands and signaled with hand gestures, directing his team with sharp precision.
They moved quickly but cautiously, avoiding the roaming constructs through sheer awareness and solid communication.
Wyrre's team, by contrast, split into two pairs—one to scout, one to provide backup. They relied heavily on ranged magic and sensory spells, trying to clear a path rather than sneak through it.
Crowgarth, predictably, didn't bother with subtlety. They charged straight into the challenge, bursting into the green quadrant like wild beasts.
Their spellcaster unleashed barrage after barrage, blasting constructs to pieces, while their lee fighters plowed forward with brutal, uncoordinated strength.
"Sa old Crowgarth," Daveon muttered. "Loud, reckless, and sohow still effective."
"They got it from sowhere after all. Just following a certain footstep." Damon murmured to his teammates while his eyes remained fixed on Dean Dethrein.
Daveon instantly understood but didn't say a word. He only nodded.
Thornevale's team took a thodical approach. They advanced in a diamond formation, rotating their front fighter as needed and using barrier magic to protect their flanks. Their movents were slow, deliberate—but not one construct got close to them.
As the battle unfolded, the crowd watched with intense focus.
In the ElderGlow section, Damon followed every motion of his juniors. "They're fast," he said. "But they're relying too much on Keon."
Anaya nodded. "If he falls, the team might collapse."
Celeste pointed down. "But look—he's not just leading. He's baiting."
Sure enough, Keon dashed forward into enemy territory, deliberately triggering the attention of two constructs.
He led them into a narrow canyon, then vanished behind a veil of mist summoned by his teammate—a girl with green hair and wind affinity.
While the constructs flailed blindly, ElderGlow's remaining three teammates retrieved the token—a glowing prism about the size of a fist—without a hitch.
As they regrouped, Keon reappeared from the other side, rejoining them seamlessly.
"They planned that," Daveon said, impressed. "Tight work."
But Crowgarth was already charging back with their token—bloodied and bruised, two students limping, one with a dislocated arm. But they had it.
Thornevale followed monts later, still flawless in their formation, not a single scratch among them.
Wyrre returned last—one mber missing entirely, knocked unconscious during a failed diversion.
The audience watched as the results were etched into the glowing projection above the arena.
Team Ranking – Mission Challenge (Phase Two):
1. Thornevale (Fast return, zero injuries)
2. ElderGlow (Moderate ti, zero injuries)
3. Crowgarth (Fastest ti, high damage taken)
4. Wyrre (Slowest, one mber disabled)
The rankings shifted. A few students cheered. Others stayed silent, taking notes ntally, calculating standings.
The announcer stepped forward again.
"Phase Two: Complete."
"Contestants, return to your designated positions. You will have ten minutes to rest before we begin Phase Three—the team-on-team combat round."
As the Year One students trudged back to their preparation chambers, heads held high or low depending on performance, Damon leaned forward and exhaled.
"This next one," he said, "is where they'll crack."
Anaya rested her chin on her hand. "Or prove they belong."
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