The hall buzzed with the murmur of conversations as the candidates from the Five Nations gathered. The room, grand and opulent, was adorned with banners representing the nations—flames for the Fire Nation, a sword for the Weapons Nation, snowflakes for the Ice Nation, clouds for the Air Nation, and a thunderbolt for the Lightning Nation. The air was thick with tension and excitement, with clusters of young warriors exchanging glances, some in curiosity and others in rivalry.
Dan stood near the edge of the hall, observing the scene before him. His eyes were drawn to three individuals in the center of the room, their argument echoing over the general din.
"What the hell, why are those three guys so angry at each other?" Dan thought, his brows furrowed.
The first boy, Alexis, from the Weapons Nation, had a sharp, piercing gaze and carried himself with the arrogance of someone who knew his strength. He sneered as he pointed at the second boy, Steven, a candidate from the Fire Nation whose fiery temper matched the embers in his eyes.
"Fuck off, Ash," Alexis spat, dismissing the third boy, Ash, from the Ice Nation. "This is between me and this asshole Steven."
"Who are you calling asshole, fuckface?" Steven shot back, stepping closer with his fists clenched.
Ash, taller than the other two and exuding an air of mischief, raised his hands in mock surrender. "Now, now," he said with a grin, "let's all get along. It's been so long since we last saw each other."
"I don't care," Alexis snapped.
"Same here," Steven added coldly.
Dan watched them uneasily. "These three egos are just clashing. I don't think I can intervene."
Alexis smirked, tilting his head at Steven. "So, Steven, are you still the dog's tail, or have you finally taken control of yourself?"
Steven's eyes widened in fury. "What did you just say?"
Ash sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "I just can't with you guys."
Before the argument could escalate further, a girl with long black hair darted into the scene. Esther, a knight exams candidate from the Air Nation from the 2nd branch, placed herself between them, her delicate features twisted in frustration.
"Stop it, you guys! No violence!" she scolded, her voice firm despite her smaller stature.
Ash's expression softened immediately. "Aww, it's you, Esther. You're still so cute. Oh, sorry—Lady Esther." He bowed his head theatrically.
Steven grinned. "Baby chick, you qualified?"
Alexis, too, relented, letting out a small laugh. "Okay, okay, Esther, anything for you."
Dan's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "They can stop just because of her?"
Esther huffed. "Hey, stop calling me Lady Esther."
"Why?" Ash asked, a playful glint in his eyes. "Everyone does."
Meanwhile, Dan slipped away to a quieter corner of the hall. He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "I don't know anyone here. How can I even start a conversation?"
A boy with a bright smile suddenly appeared beside him. Agi, a knight exams candidate from the fire nation 6th sub-branch, seemed to sense Dan's discomfort. "It's easy," Agi said, as though reading his thoughts. "You just say hi or hello, like, 'My name is…'"
"Oh," Dan stammered, "uh, hi. My name is Dan."
"Hello, Dan. My name is Agi," the boy replied cheerfully. "I'm from the Fire Nation. Haven't seen you before. You're from…?"
"The Lightning Nation," Dan said.
Agi tilted his head curiously. "Weird. I don't know about you."
Dan gave an awkward chuckle. "Maybe because I didn't know about myself until just recently." "So, uh, what's up with those three in the center?" he asked, pointing at Alexis, Steven, and Ash.
"Oh, them?" Agi grinned. "Those guys are Alexis, Steven, and Ash. They're from the Weapons Nation, Fire Nation, and Ice Nation, respectively."
"And the girl?"
Agi's smile softened. "Her name's Esther. She's from the Air Nation."
"Cool," Dan replied. "So, why did they call us out here?"
"Well," Agi explained, "it's kind of a reunion, but also to brief us on the next qualifying exam."
Dan blinked. "Wait, there's still another qualifying exam?"
"Yep."
Before they could continue, Steven's voice cut across the hall. "Agi, what are you doing? Get over here!"
"Oh, okay. Bye, Dan," Agi said, waving as he jogged off.
"Yeah, bye," Dan muttered, watching him leave.
The room suddenly fell silent as a woman in red armor stepped onto the stage, her presence commanding attention. The insignia of the Fire Nation blazed on her chestplate, and her fiery red hair was tied back in a high ponytail. Catherina Vice-commander from the fire nation, fire chi user from the 8th branch family "The Ross".
"Now that you're all quiet, I can talk," she began, her voice amplified by a megaphone. "Hello, everyone. My name is—"
"Cathy!" Ash's voice rang out, breaking the silence. "It's been so long! Look at you, standing there, talking to us."
The woman's face flushed as murmurs rippled through the crowd. "Shut up, Ash," she snapped.
"Hehe," Ash chuckled.
The woman sighed and continued. "Like I was saying, congratulations to all the candidates. I wish you all luck in the next qualifying exam. Remember—failure is not an option."
Dan frowned. "Wow. Such high standards."
"The next qualifying exam," she announced, "is a forest race. You will all start in different positions in the forest and must get out as fast as possible before being eliminated. You can fight your opponents to knock them out, or you can race to the finish line. The choice is yours."
Alexis smirked. "Interesting."
Steven nodded. "It'll be best to finish early."
The woman continued, "This exam will test your ability to navigate in disastrous environments while dealing with adversaries. It's crucial for future knights."
Dan's interest piqued. "Cool. But what about the other non-nation contestants?"
Ash leaned toward him and whispered, "They're in their own hall being briefed."
"Oh, okay," Dan replied.
The woman then provided a breakdown of the candidates. "This year, 20 candidates qualified from each of the 16 branches of the Five Nations each, making a total of 1600 candidates, we have 80,000 candidates from all over the world that qualified. However, this year, we have one additional candidate—a unique case. That makes 1601 in total.
Murmurs erupted in the hall as the candidates whispered among themselves.
"The one extra candidate," she continued, "is from the Lightning Nation. He qualified outside the normal bracket system."
Alexis's face darkened as he unsheathed his sword. He pointed it directly at Dan. "Bullshit!" he shouted. "You mean to tell me those Lightning Nation bastards pulled a fast one? Eliminate him now, or I will."
Dan's heart raced as he raised his hands defensively. "What the—hey, I didn't mean for this to happen!"
A boy from the crowd rushed forward and wrapped his arms around Alexis in an attempt to stop him. His expression was calm yet firm. Henry, a candidate from the Weapons Nation, stood his ground.
"Stop, stop," Henry said softly but insistently.
Alexis glared at him. "Henry, what the hell are you doing?"
Ash stepped in, gripping Alexis's hand tightly, his icy demeanor now sharp and serious. "He's doing the right thing. You can't just attack someone out of nowhere like that."
Dan, still shaken, muttered under his breath, "Yeah, like you Weapons Nation people are even strong."
The room fell silent, and then an overwhelming aura of bloodlust filled the air. Every candidate from the Weapons Nation turned to glare at Dan, their eyes brimming with contempt.
Ash leaned toward Dan and whispered sharply, "That's not a wise thing to say to them."
Realizing his mistake, Dan stiffened. "Oh, shit," he muttered.
"Enough of this!" a strong female voice rang out. Rebecca, another candidate from the Lightning Nation, stepped between Alexis and Dan, her expression stern. "Alexis, stand down. This isn't the time or place."
Another boy, Chase, equally composed but carrying an air of authority, nodded. "If the officials didn't kick him out, then you have no right to either."
Alexis sighed and finally lowered his sword, though his face remained twisted with anger. "You're right," he said begrudgingly. "But I'm not stopping because of you clowns. I stopped because I thought to myself—what will bozo from the Lightning Nation even do?"
Dan clenched his fists, stepping forward as anger surged through him. "Just watch and see!" he retorted, his voice trembling but resolute.
Catherina's sharp voice cut through the tension. "Enough!" she bellowed, silencing the murmurs in the hall. She stepped forward with an authoritative air, her crimson armor catching the light. "That's all I wanted to say to you people. You may now leave and prepare for tomorrow's event."
The hall echoed with a collective, "Yes, ma'am," as the candidates began to disperse.
As Dan turned to leave, Alexis deliberately bumped into him, his shoulder slamming hard against Dan's. The smirk on Alexis's face was infuriating. "Be ready, bozo," he sneered.
Dan glared at him, muttering under his breath, "Damn you."
After Alexis strode off, Henry approached Dan with an apologetic expression. "Sorry about how he's reacting," Henry said. "He's not such a bad guy, really. He just behaves like this sometimes."
Dan let out a sigh, trying to calm his frustration. "Alright," he replied. "Who are you, by the way?"
Henry smiled warmly. "Henry. I'm Alexis's closest friend."
Dan nodded but didn't say much, still lost in his thoughts. "Okay," he muttered to himself. (I'll show him. No, I'll show all of them. I have to train hard today.)
Outside in a Small Forest
Later that evening, Dan stood in a secluded forest on the outskirts of the town. The light from the setting sun cast long shadows among the trees, and the cool breeze rustled the leaves. He tightened his fists, determination etched across his face.
"I have two special moves," he said aloud to himself, his voice steady. "I fought like hell in that contest, but Greg said I'm not using my ability well. What more can I do?"
A familiar voice broke through the silence. "Maybe train with me," said Samuel, stepping out from behind a tree.
Dan turned, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Hey there, Samuel. Tomorrow's the big day."
Samuel nodded. "Yeah. They told us what it's going to be—a race. So, will you run or fight?"
"Both," Dan replied confidently.
Samuel smirked. "Smart answer. Me too."
Dan's gaze softened. "I hope we both make it."
"Same," Samuel said earnestly. Then, clapping his hands together, he added, "Enough talking—let's spar!"
Dan grinned. "Alright."
The two of them squared off, the forest coming alive with the sound of their sparring. Samuel's fiery determination matched Dan's resolve, but by the end of their session, Dan stood victorious, pinning Samuel to the ground.
Samuel groaned in frustration. "What the hell did you just do with your legs at the end?"
Dan shrugged, slightly amused. "I don't know. I just did it on impulse."
Samuel chuckled and sat up, brushing dirt off his clothes. "Maybe you should train more on it. As for me, I need a lot more work."
Dan extended a hand to help Samuel up, a smile crossing his face. "We still have time. Let's continue."
Back in the Rooms
As the candidates settled into their rooms for the night, the air was thick with anticipation for the next day. In his room, Ash lounged casually, sipping wine as he eyed Catherina.
"Thanks, Cathy, for bringing the wine," Ash teased, smirking. "And for dressing like that."
Catherina rolled her eyes, clearly exasperated. "Shut up, you perv."
Ash leaned back, laughing. "Okay, okay. By the way, why did you change your hair to red? I liked your pink hair."
"Shut up," Catherina snapped. "You know, you should've taken the exam two years ago with me. Why did you stop?"
Ash shrugged nonchalantly. "Didn't feel like it. I just wanted them to force me to do it. Since this is my final chance—what with the age limit of 14 to 18—I figured, why not?"
"Idiot," Catherina muttered, shaking her head. "So, where do you think you'll finish?"
"At the top," Ash said confidently, grinning.
"What about the other contestants?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well," Ash began, his tone thoughtful. "Alexis and Steven look stronger than ever. Esther keeps growing stronger too. Agi and Henry are still good. Rebecca is decent, and Chase is still perfect."
Catherina's eyes narrowed as she leaned against the wall. "I saw you watching Dan today. What do you think of him?"
Ash sighed, his usual smirk fading slightly. "To be honest, disappointed. He still uses his power like a child. Hopefully, he'll qualify."
"Okay then," Catherina said, nodding.
Ash grinned again, leaning closer. "Now, should we—"
Before he could finish, Catherina punched him squarely in the stomach, cutting him off. "Shut up, idiot," she said, her cheeks flushed.
The Next Day
Morning came swiftly. All the contestants stood in their assigned starting positions at different points in the forest. The dense trees stretched endlessly, sunlight filtering through the canopy above. The air was filled with nervous energy, and the rustling of leaves seemed to echo the pounding of their hearts.
Dan stood still, taking a deep breath as he gazed at the forest ahead. He clenched his fists, determination blazing in his eyes.
"This is it," he whispered to himself. "Time to show them all."