The forest race only grew more intense. Samuel had been defeated by Agi, and Alexis had broken free from his icy prison, now locked in battle with Ash. With each passing moment, the competition became even more unpredictable.
Ash vs. Alexis
Ash smirked, raising a hand defensively. "Just chill, dude."
"Fuck off," Alexis growled, swinging his sword with brutal force. The strike shattered Ash's ice defense and sent him skidding backward.
Still smiling, Ash brushed off the impact. "You've really become a beast, Alexis… Why don't we calm down and talk a little?"
Alexis ignored him, launching himself forward. "Hell no!"
His blade cut through the air toward Ash's head, but Ash quickly formed another ice barrier, blocking the attack. He leaped onto the branch of a nearby tree and sighed. "Come on, dude, why are you so angry with me?"
Alexis gritted his teeth. "Are you serious, or are you just playing dumb?"
"I'm serious," Ash replied, still smiling.
"You bastard," Alexis spat. "You stopped me from ending that useless lightning shithead, and to make matters worse, you froze me in ice!"
Ash chuckled. "Ding, ding, ding! Yes, yes, I understand now. But didn't that help you bring out your special eye?"
"I didn't want to use it," Alexis snapped.
"But you had to—because I'm too strong," Ash teased.
Alexis let out a short laugh. "Strong? Sure, you're strong. But to me, you're nothing more than a nuisance."
"Ouch—"
Before Ash could finish his sentence, Alexis slashed at the branch beneath his feet, causing him to plummet toward the ground.
"Ouch, that was painful. Well, I must—"
Alexis didn't let him finish again. He charged straight at him, aiming his sword for Ash's head. Ash barely managed to dodge, but the blade nicked his cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.
Ash froze in place, eyes darkening with anger. "How dare you."
Alexis grinned. "Heh, I knew it. The moment someone touches that precious little face of yours, you get all pissy. Serves you right."
Ash responded with a barrage of ice blasts.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Alexis shouted, swinging his sword to destroy the incoming attacks. However, some of them grazed his body, leaving shallow cuts.
"Shit, this hurts," he muttered.
Ash smirked. "Maybe this will teach you not to piss me off."
---
Elsewhere in the Forest
While the intense battle raged on between Ash and Alexis, other powerful competitors were racing toward the finish line. One of them was Chase, a knight exam candidate from the Lightning Nation's 16th sub-branch.
Lightning surged through his body as he sprinted forward. (I've faced a lot of obstacles, but no more. I'll finish this quickly and—)
Before he could complete the thought, a powerful blast of chi energy shot toward him. Chase barely dodged in time as an opponent stepped into his path.
A tall, broad-shouldered competitor grinned at him. "Heh, saw you up there, lightning lad. Thought to myself, 'Why don't I test my strength on you?'"
Chase narrowed his eyes. "And you are?"
The man grinned wider. "Name's Dadada. Let's see if you're the real deal."
Dadada opened his mouth, charging up another blast of chi energy. But before he could unleash it, a blur shot through the trees, and in a single powerful punch, Dadada was knocked out cold.
Chase's eyes widened. "Oh shit…"
A familiar figure stood before him, cracking his knuckles. Boston, a knight exam candidate from the Fire Nation's 5th branch.
Boston smirked. "Hey there, Chase."
Chase exhaled sharply. "Of all the people I could run into, why did it have to be you?"
Boston's grin widened. "Let's have some fun."
---
Ash vs. Alexis Continues
Back in the forest, Alexis dodged Ash's attacks with ease.
"You're really going at me here," Alexis noted.
"Of course," Ash replied without hesitation.
Alexis countered with a powerful sword technique—Hard Cut—slicing through the air and leaving multiple gashes on Ash's body.
"How do you like that?" Alexis taunted.
Ash wiped a trickle of blood from his arm. "Nice move. Now prepare yourself."
He launched forward, unleashing Blizzard Scratch, but Alexis was quick on his feet, jumping backward to evade.
"I knew you'd do that," Ash said, already behind him.
"Shit—"
Before Alexis could react, Ash hit him with his Ice Palm Blast, sending him crashing hard into a tree.
"Fuck, that hurt," Alexis groaned.
Ash dusted himself off. "I have more where that came from."
Alexis chuckled through the pain. "Of course you do. But I'm going to end this now."
Ash's smirk returned. "Same for me."
Alexis took his stance, activating his One-Eye Mark, while Ash climbed onto a tree branch, preparing his own finishing move.
"Star Slash!" Alexis shouted.
"Ice Thorn Blast!" Ash countered.
The two attacks collided in an explosion of energy, shaking the forest. When the dust settled, both fighters were covered in bruises and scratches.
Alexis let out a low whistle. "Wow… That was awesome."
Ash grinned. "I know, right?"
They both took deep breaths, the adrenaline still pumping through their veins.
"You really have gotten stronger, Alexis," Ash admitted.
Alexis smirked. "Yeah, yeah, I know. You too."
Ash chuckled. "Thanks."
Alexis leaned against the tree. "Can you believe I used this move on Drake and knocked him out cold? I didn't even need my special eye."
"Damn, that guy is weak," Ash scoffed.
"Yeah. But that lightning kid you protected? He's even weaker," Alexis remarked.
Ash shook his head. "Maybe for now, but I see a lot of potential in him."
Alexis raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Are you sure? That 'prodigy' shit isn't in him. He's just bottom of the barrel. Nothing special."
Ash disagreed. "No, he has something. He'll surprise you. In fact, the way you both chase power is pretty similar."
Alexis let out a loud laugh. "Real funny. If you want to talk about true potential, you should be looking for Chase."
Ash nodded. "Oh yeah. That one's one in a million. I wonder where he is."
---
Chase vs. Boston
Chase and Boston exchanged powerful blows, their battle shaking the trees around them.
Boston grinned. "Aren't you gonna use your legs on me?"
Chase scoffed. "Are you kidding? My legs would break you in a second."
Boston smirked. "Think again."
With a swift motion, he landed a Fire Punch, sending Chase flying upward. Boston followed, ready to strike him back down, but Chase dodged at the last second, landing on the ground.
"Can we stop fighting now? I just want to finish this race," Chase sighed.
"Why should I let you?" Boston grinned. "They call you a genius of geniuses. Show me what that really means."
Chase sighed again. "Fine then."
Lightning crackled around him as he dashed forward at an impossible speed. Before Boston could react, Chase landed a powerful Lightning Punch, launching him backward. He followed up with a devastating kick that sent Boston soaring into the sky.
Boston winced. (That's one hell of a kick…)
Chase smirked. "How was that?"
He jumped from tree to tree, striking Boston with lightning-infused punches before finishing with a Lightning Mouth Blast, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Finally, I'm done," Chase muttered, turning to leave.
The Viewing Center
While the battles raged on in the forest, a group of high-ranking knights sat in a vast chamber, watching the competition unfold through several crow cameras. The footage displayed on magical projection screens showed the intense fights between the candidates, each screen flickering between different sections of the forest.
Seated at the long observation table were some of the most powerful figures from different nations, each carefully analyzing the performances of the young competitors.
Greg, a captain from the Fire Nation and a chi user from the 13th branch family, The Denvers, leaned forward with interest. His fiery red hair matched his impatient nature. "This year's participants sure are tough," he remarked, rubbing his chin.
Pixie, a general from the Ice Nation, nodded in agreement. She was from the 6th branch family, The Stars, and was known for her cold demeanor, both in personality and combat. "I know, right? They are really strong..." She smirked slightly. "...For their level."
Roger, a branch family leader from the Sword Nation, folded his arms as he observed Alexis' battle. "Yes, they all have a lot of potential," he said, his gaze narrowing. "But Alexis still doesn't know how to control his temper."
Daver, the Vice-Commander from the Lightning Nation, sat with his arms crossed, a small smirk forming on his face. As a lightning chi user from the 16th branch family, Bang, he had a keen eye for talent. "But this matchup is interesting," he commented.
Rigar, the Vice-Commander from the Fire Nation, leaned forward, intrigued. He was from the 6th branch family, Tanner and specialized in vine conjuring chi. "Yes," he agreed, eyes locked on the battle unfolding on-screen. "The fighting genius Chase against one of the top five strongest Fire Nation candidates... Boston."
Daver corrected him with a slight chuckle. "Correction. Copy Genius."
Rigar smirked. "Oh yes. The exceptional Copy Genius Chase... versus the beast Boston."
Behind Chase, Boston stirred, standing up and removing his shirt.
"Where do you think you're going?" he grinned. "We're just getting started."
Chase exhaled. "…Tch."