The two teams worked on their arrangents simultaneously. Each trying to predict the other's thinking. Adjusting orders based on assumptions about what the opponent would prioritize.
It was a chess ga before the pieces even began moving.
When they finally revealed their orders to Zhao for confirmation...
Larissa had won the arrangent matchup.
By a narrow margin.
But sufficiently.
She'd predicted correctly most of Ren's decisions about positioning.
And had adjusted her own order to exploit those predicted decisions.
Guaranteeing early victories that would build montum before facing him directly.
It was a small advantage. Ren's team was weaker on average than Larissa's anyway... he'd had fewer quality options in the random teammate assignnt lottery.
But every advantage counted in this situation.
Especially when you knew eventually you'd have to face the monster at the end of the line.
Larissa allowed herself a small smile when she saw confirmation that her prediction had been correct.
Ren noticed the smile. Understood what it ant.
And nodded with genuine respect. "Well played."
Larissa inclined her head in acknowledgnt. "Thank you. But this only ans I'll reach you with two or three victory advantages. Doesn't change the outco."
It was true and both knew it.
But Larissa would take any advantage she could secure.
The initial battles began with a ceremonial announcent.
First mber of Larissa's team against first mber of Ren's team.
Victory for Larissa as she'd anticipated.
First against second. Victory for Larissa again. Faster this ti.
First against third. Ron entered here, demonstrating why he was one of the team's strong cards. Won cleanly against his opponent.
But the score remained 2-1 in Larissa's favor.
The pattern continued until Larissa obtained the final victory in the first phase, reaching Ren's turn with so more mbers than expected still having advantage.
But the score remained 2-1 in Larissa's favor.
The pattern continued until Larissa obtained the final victory in the first phase, reaching Ren's turn with so more mbers than expected still having advantage.
And then it was Ren's turn to enter the field.
He stood on the opposite side. Observing her with a neutral expression that revealed nothing of what he was thinking.
Everyone expected Ren would use the mantis first as always. It was his most frequently deployed beast lately. The most famous now after its tournant performance. The one that had destroyed opponents with ease during the entire exam.
But Ren manifested the hydra instead.
The beast appeared in an explosion of blue-green mana. The now famous two heads rising on serpentine necks. Diamond scales gleaming brilliantly under the afternoon sunlight.
And Ren had an expression that Larissa recognized imdiately.
He wasn't here to just win.
He was here to showcase his beast.
The next mber of Larissa's team, a student with earth beast at Silver 2 rank, prepared defensively.
The hydra didn't wait for the opponent to establish position.
The first head rose smoothly, its mouth opening to reveal the glowing interior.
Light concentrating in the throat with visible intensity.
And then it fired almost instantaneously without prolonged charge ti.
A beam of pure light crossing the field in fraction of a second.
The student's beast attempted blocking with an earth barrier. Raising a thick wall of reinforced rock but it didn't even reach half the necessary height for coverage on ti.
And the beam still struck only the upper portion with half its circumference and penetrated as if the barrier didn't exist at all. Impacted the beast directly behind the inadequate defense. Exploded in brilliance that made several spectators avert their eyes from the glare.
When the light dissipated...
The remaining half of the beast was dispersing into mana on the ground. The bond severed cleanly.
One strike. Not even five seconds of battle total.
Zhao raised his hand, barely able to process how rapidly it had concluded. "Victory: Ren Patinder."
Score now 9-6.
The seventh mber of Larissa's team entered with determination.
Sa result. The hydra fired a light beam... One strike.
Victory.
9-7 now, another point in Ren's favor.
Eighth mber advanced to the field.
Light beam. One strike. Victory.
9-8.
Sa pattern repeating.
The audience observed in a growing silence that felt oppressive.
Because it wasn't just that Ren was winning. It was the absolute ease of it. Complete domination.
Each opponent was eliminated with a single attack. Without visible effort and without significant fatigue accumulating in the hydra.
It was a demonstration of power that went beyond Taro's simple size oppression.
It was a statent, like establishing a standard.
"This is the minimum my hydra can accomplish. This is the level where it operates."
The last mber of Larissa's team entered with an expression mixing determination and resignation. Knew he would lose to the sa attack pattern.
But had to try anyway...
The hydra fired without ceremony.
Light beam.
One strike.
Victory.
9-9.
Ren had eliminated four mbers of Larissa's team consecutively.
With a single "blow" from his beast.
With a unique attack for each one, no combination necessary, no accumulated damage strategy.
The hydra remained in position, both heads still glowing faintly with residual energy. Showing no fatigue. Ready to continue if necessary.
And Larissa...
Larissa stood on her side of the field watching the systematic dismantling of her earned "advantage".
She'd known it would be one-sided.
But seeing it was different from knowing it.
Four consecutive eliminations. Four one-shot victories.
Without the hydra even using its second head to help in any coordinated attacks.
Just the first head firing repeatedly.
Like target practice.
She swallowed against the tightness in her throat.
This was what she'd trained so hard to face.
This was the standard she'd been trying to reach.
And the gap was... larger than she'd hoped.
But she couldn't afford dwelling on that now.
Because it was her turn.
She was the last mber of her team remaining.
The only one with a real chance of changing the outco.
The final obstacle between Ren and complete victory.
And she had to give everything she had.
Although honestly…
It wasn't going to happen.
Larissa walked to her position on the field with asured steps.
But that wasn't really the point.
The point was to put up a proper fight. To show improvent. To prove that the training and resources invested in her were worthwhile.
And mainly...
To see exactly where she stood compared to the standard Ren represented.
Larissa stared at the hydra in front of her.
And honestly, she had no idea how to proceed against that immovable wall.
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