The forest race is reaching its peak as participants clashed fiercely, each trying to outdo the other to complete the challenge. Some fought with all their might, while others focused on survival, desperate to reach the finish line unscathed.
Steven in the Forest
Steven blasted away every competitor that dared to stand in his way, his fiery attacks leaving trails of scorched earth behind.
"All these nuisances," Steven growled, his eyes blazing as he leaped from tree to tree. "Getting in my way… I'll burn them all."
Suddenly, a sharp object shot at him from a distance. Steven dodged it, but the unexpected attack threw him off balance, causing him to slip and fall hard to the ground.
"Tch," Steven muttered, glaring as he stood.
A voice rang out, mocking him. "Hehe, seems like you missed your landing."
Steven turned to see a smirking knight participant. His frustration flared, and fire began to gather in his palms. "Why are you disturbing me?" he said coldly, preparing to unleash a fiery blast.
Before Steven could act, a scythe came flying out of nowhere, slashing the knight participant and knocking him out in an instant.
Steven's expression soured as he looked at the figure wielding the scythe. "You…"
Barry, a knight exam candidate from the Weapons Nation's 8th branch(Scythe branch), rested the curved blade of his weapon on his shoulder. "Hey there, fire brat."
Steven let out a long sigh. "I don't have time for this," he said, turning away. "And don't call me a brat. You're just one year older than me."
As Steven attempted to walk past him, Barry swung his scythe and blocked his path.
"Hey," Barry said, grinning. "Who said you could walk out on me?"
Without warning, Barry struck at him with his scythe. Steven narrowly managed to block the attack, sparks flying from the collision.
"Shit," Steven muttered under his breath, realizing this wouldn't be an easy fight.
Barry charged forward at full speed, his movements precise and deadly as he unleashed his move, Coffin Blaze. The scythe attack slammed into Steven, sending him flying backward. Barry smirked, confident in his victory.
"Take that, you brat," Barry said smugly. "That should be enough to take you out."
Steven rose to his feet, bruised but still determined.
Barry's eyes widened. "What the—?"
"You know something, Barry," Steven began, his voice calm but filled with menace. "All I wanted to do was finish this annoying race, complete the final exam, and become a knight. Slowly but surely, I'll fulfill my dream of becoming the Fire Nation's King." His fists clenched, flames swirling around them. "But nuisances like you keep getting in my way."
"And so—" Barry started, but Steven interrupted him.
"Don't interrupt me when I'm talking," Steven snapped. His fiery aura flared as he continued. "Now I'll deal with you just like all the other fools who dared to challenge me."
Steven charged at Barry with a fiery fist, striking him so hard he was sent flying.
Barry coughed as he steadied himself, glaring at Steven. "What the fuck?"
Steven with a serious tone. "Prepare yourself, asshole."
Dan in the Forest
After his grueling fight with Cleve, Dan took a brief rest. Now, he was back on his feet, ready to push forward.
"Time to continue this race," Dan said, determination etched on his face as he ran through the dense forest, dodging trees and leaping over obstacles.
The forest was eerily quiet, but his mind was anything but. (This race just started, and it's already been so tough. I wonder what the next exam will be like… But I know one thing—no one can stop me.)
As Dan pushed forward, his pace faltered when he came across bloodied bodies scattered on the forest floor. His eyes widened in shock. "What the hell?"
A voice rang out from the shadows, dripping with malice. "What do we have here? A new prey."
Before Dan could react, a boy leaped down from the trees, landing in front of him.
"Hello there," the boy said with a smile. "My name is Norman, and I'm from the Air Nation."
Dan raised an eyebrow. "And why are you telling me that?"
Norman's smile widened. "So it can be the last thing you hear before you pass out."
Dan smirked. "Like hell I—"
Before he could finish, Norman appeared in front of him in an instant, throwing a punch aimed at Dan's face. Dan barely managed to dodge it, stumbling back.
"Shit, that was close," Dan muttered.
Norman chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. "So, you're from the Lightning Nation? Nice."
Dan narrowed his eyes. "I don't know what you think you can do, but face the facts—you can't beat me because I'm from the—"
A sudden air blast struck Dan, cutting him off mid-sentence and sending him flying. Norman didn't let up, leaping into the air and kicking him back down to the ground with tremendous force.
Dan groaned as he struggled to get up. (What was that? I couldn't even see the attack…)
Norman grinned wickedly. "What are you doing? Get back up—we're just getting started."
Dan clenched his fists, summoning his resolve. "Fine. You want to go? Let's go."
Charging at Norman, Dan prepared to deliver a lightning punch, but Norman casually parried his attack, deflecting it with ease.
"What?!" Dan gasped in disbelief.
Norman drove a knee into Dan's stomach, following up with three rapid air shots to his chest. The force sent Dan flying once more, and he coughed up blood as he hit the ground.
(What the fuck? I'm usually fast enough to hit my opponents. Why couldn't I land a single attack on him?)
Norman smirked as he pointed his fingers at Dan. "Are you having trouble keeping up? Don't worry about it. You're not mature enough to beat me, weakling. Maybe this will be a turning point for you."
Dan staggered to his feet, his vision swimming. (I… I can't lose. I have to keep fighting…)
Steven vs. Barry in the Forest
Barry wiped blood from his lip, scowling at Steven. "Damn it. Why is this brat so fired up?"
He launched Coffin Blaze at Steven, but Steven deflected the attack with a fiery punch.
Barry's expression twisted with fear. "Scary…"
Steven clenched his fists tightly, his fiery aura growing more intense. "Prepare yourself. This might hurt."
Summoning all his strength, Steven unleashed his special move, Lion's Heart: Stage 0. The attack struck Barry hard, sending him flying into the distance.
Barry groaned as he hit the ground, blood dripping from his mouth. "Fuck, that hurt…"
Steven smirked. "Get back up."
Barry glared at him. "What—"
Steven rushed him, his fire-covered fists pummeling Barry relentlessly. Barry barely managed to raise his scythe to block the assault, jumping back to put some distance between them.
"Time to end this," Barry growled, spinning his scythe rapidly as he prepared his special move, Spin and Scratch.
As Barry charged forward, his scythe cutting through the air, Steven leaped high above him, flames erupting around his fist.
"Fire Fist: Omega Punch!" Steven roared, delivering a devastating blow that sent Barry crashing to the ground, leaving a crater in his wake.
Barry lay unconscious, unable to continue.
Steven dusted himself off. "Now that I'm done with you, I have a race to finish."
Norman vs. Dan
Dan turned and ran as fast as he could, his body battered and bloodied. He had no strategy, no plan—just the desperate need to get away.
Behind him, Norman's voice taunted, "Aww, Lightning Boy, where are you running off to?"
Dan clenched his teeth, muttering under his breath, "Screw you… shit, shit, shit. I can't beat this guy. Is this really the end for me?"
Norman leaped through the air with ease, landing in front of Dan and blocking his path. "Hi, hi," he said mockingly, grinning as though he were playing a game.
Dan's eyes widened. "Shit—"
Before he could react, Norman unleashed a powerful air blast that sent Dan flying backward, crashing hard against the ground.
Norman walked toward him slowly, his grin fading into a cold, emotionless expression. "Now, let's end this."
Dan struggled to stand, his vision swimming and his body trembling. He was completely outmatched. Just as Norman raised his hand to deliver the final blow, an arrow flew through the air, piercing Norman's palm.
Norman hissed in pain and looked toward the direction of the attack. "Damn that bitch again!"
Dan, still struggling to catch his breath, looked up in confusion. "Huh?"
Norman clenched his injured hand, his eyes scanning the trees. "Consider yourself lucky, Lightning Boy. That bitch just saved your ass."
Dan's heart raced as he tried to figure out what was happening. "Is that… Rebecca?" he muttered to himself.
Far away, perched on a high branch, a girl held her bow steady, her sharp eyes locked onto her target.
Alexa, a knight exam candidate from the Weapons Nation's 15th branch(Arrow branch), smirked as she nocked another arrow. "I love killing my prey from afar," she said, releasing a volley of arrows toward Norman and Dan's direction.
Norman cursed under his breath. "I don't have time for this," he muttered before retreating into the trees, disappearing from sight.
Dan staggered to his feet, still unsure of what was happening. "Damn… I have to get out of here too."
Alexis in the Forest
High above on a tree branch, Alexis sat with a calm yet menacing smirk as he surveyed the forest. His golden eyes gleamed with a deadly focus. "Everyone is just weak," he muttered, irritated. "Am I not going to the right places? Where are the real challenges in this so-called race?"
He leaped from branch to branch, the wind whipping through his hair as he moved gracefully. Suddenly, his sharp gaze caught sight of a familiar figure running below him.
Alexis's smirk widened. "Well, well, well… the boy from the Lightning Nation," he whispered to himself. "The one who mocked my nation and qualified in such a disgraceful manner. How lucky I am to run into you, Dan. You're dead meat."
Without hesitation, Alexis launched himself off the tree, landing silently on the ground as he began to pursue Dan.
Somewhere deeper in the forest, chaos unfolded as Rand, a knight exam candidate from the Weapons Nation's 1st branch(Spear branch), terrorized anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path. His sharp, glowing spear sliced through the air as he defeated opponent after opponent with deadly precision.
A group of three knight candidates had gathered to try and overwhelm him. "We can take him if we work together!" one of them shouted.
Rand tilted his head, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "Oh, really? By all means, come at me. I want to have more fun."
His eyes glowed with intensity as a single mark appeared in his eye, pulsing