After catching their breath, they got up and headed out, the others all excitedly waiting for them outside.
"That was sick," Jace said, once again the first to congratulate them.
"You were practically a machine gun out there, Orion," Ethan added, clapping him on the shoulder.
Aurora wore a small smile. "You both performed exceptionally. I don't think any other pair could've done as well."
She wasn't exaggerating. Elias had been right in assuming he was the best fit. His slowing field had been absolutely pivotal to destroying as many targets as they had. And while Orion still struggled a bit with larger, high-power spells, there wasn't anyone else on the team who could match his sheer volume of fire.
"Thanks, captain," Orion said, his face flushing red from the compliment.
"Do we know how we did?" he asked.
"From what we could see, it looked like you guys did really well," Astra replied, practically hanging off her brother. "But we won't know for sure until they post the results."
Elias nodded with a quiet smile. That was pretty much what he figured too. Still, he was just glad to have contributed again.
"Well, what's the plan for Tag then?" Lyra asked. She figured it was probably going to be her, but wasn't sure whether her partner would be Lucian, Felix, or Astra.
"As far as I'm concerned, we can look at a couple of possible formats," Felix said, jumping into strategy mode. "Either it's going to be a game of who can avoid being 'it' the longest, or, since it's two on two, it could be something like one attacker and one defender."
"So no matter what Lyra's in, the question is, who's going to be her teammate?" Ethan asked, sitting down on one of the couches.
"I'm doing the last round, right? So I'm not an option," Jace said, glancing toward Aurora for confirmation.
"Correct," Aurora replied. "If they were willing to send someone out as a sacrifice in the first round, they must not have anyone they think can go toe to toe with you. So yes you're definitely in the last round."
"What about Astra?" Selene suggested. "She's fast, and her Ice and Metal could be helpful."
"I think she's probably a better option than me, honestly," Felix admitted after a pause. "If it's the first type of match, I think Astra's the better choice. But if it's the second, where someone has to defend, then Lucian's probably stronger."
Ethan let out a laugh. "I thought you'd do whatever you could to get yourself into the match."
Felix scoffed. "Sure, I want to get my rank 1 back, but the team winning is more important."
"Alright, alright, my bad," Ethan said, raising his hands. "Sorry for teasing."
It was actually Lucian who spoke next. "I think it should be me. If it's one attacker and one defender, I can buy Lyra plenty of time to land a tag. And if it's a free for all version, I might be able to isolate one of them and force a one on one."
The group went quiet, considering his words. He definitely had some good points.
"I think he's right," Jace said finally, nodding. "If it comes down to a one on one, Lyra wins that straight up. And Lucian's probably the best one to make that happen."
"Alright," Aurora nodded in agreement. "Lyra, Lucian, you're up."
"Understood, captain," Lyra said, standing and stretching as she started toward the arena.
Lucian, ever the quiet one, rose without a word and followed. Already focused. Already ready.
As they stepped into the arena, they were met with a striking scene.
Ancient ruins, half consumed by nature, sprawled before them. Shafts of golden light pierced through tangled trees and crumbling stone, casting long shadows across the moss-covered ground. It was a perfect blend of open space and claustrophobic cover, the kind of battlefield that could flip in an instant.
From the sidelines, Jace's attention shifted toward their opponents.
The first was a broad-shouldered man who walked with slow, deliberate swagger. His sleeves were rolled to his elbows, revealing forearms crisscrossed with old scorch marks. Whether from reckless spell work or brutal training, it wasn't clear, but he radiated heat, the kind of pressure forged confidence that thrived in the middle of chaos.
The second figure was quieter, but no less imposing. He didn't carry the same bravado, he didn't need to. Built like a stone wall, but moving with surprising ease, he combined solid footing with windborne grace. Not shy, just... focused. Steady. Like a glacier in motion.
"Malik and Xander," Aurora said, her voice cutting into Jace's thoughts.
"What?" Jace blinked, snapping out of his focus as he turned to her.
"That's their opponents. Malik uses Wood and Fire magic, and Xander has Wind, Earth, and Ice," she replied, calm and clipped as always.
"Ahhh, okay. Which is which?"
Aurora pointed. "Malik's the big one. Xander's the graceful one."
Jace nodded slowly, studying them both. "Are they any good?"
Aurora hesitated for just a second. "They're not bad. Malik is one of their primary duelists, strong and aggressive. Xander hasn't been in many contests yet, so he's more of a wildcard."
"Well, I guess we're about to find out," Jace said with a shrug, turning back toward the screens showing the arena.
Inside, the announcer's voice rang out, amplified across the space.
"Both teams will now designate one runner and one chaser. The objective of this round is for your chaser to tag the opposing runner. All spells are permitted, but direct attacks on your opponents are not allowed. The match will begin at the sound of the horn."
Both teams began to move, spreading slightly as they prepared for the challenge.
The arena had gone quiet. The tension started to build.
All that remained was the horn.