The atmosphere was thick with tension, as all eyes remained locked on the fierce battle unfolding before them. In an instant, the air rippled, and multiple copies of herself appeared, scattering across the battlefield.
Ye-jun frowned as his fire soldiers stopped, confused. "Tsk… illusions." He swung his arm, commanding his soldiers to attack. They lunged forward, slashing and striking at the copies, but they passed through them like mist.The real Ha-yun had already retreated further, observing Ye-jun carefully. She knew she couldn't win in a direct fight. Instead, she needed to bait him.
Ye-jun clicked his tongue in frustration. "Damn illusions…" he muttered, scanning the battlefield. His fire soldiers continued attacking the false images, but they only hit thin air. Ha-yun smirked, staying at a distance while watching Ye-jun's reaction.
"He's too aggressive," she thought. "If I keep making him waste energy, I can wear him down." But Ye-jun wasn't just going to stand there. "Fine, let's see if you can trick all of them!" he growled. He raised his arm, and his fire soldiers suddenly exploded, releasing a burst of flames across the battlefield. The sheer heat burned away several illusions instantly.
The crowd roared in excitement. "There!" Ye-jun's sharp eyes locked onto a shadow moving slightly differently from the others. The real Ha-yun, without hesitation, he charged forward. His feet dug into the ground, propelling him like a bullet toward her.
Ha-yun barely had time to react. "Too slow!" Ye-jun shouted as he threw a flaming punch straight at her. But just before impact. Ha-yun vanished. Ye-jun's punch went through thin air, flames dispersing as he hit nothing.
"What the?!" he gasped. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his back.
"Ugh!" Ye-jun stumbled forward, turning just in time to see Ha-yun standing behind him, a dagger made of energy in her hand. She had created an illusion of herself to trick him while sneaking behind for an attack. "Not bad," Ha-yun said with a smirk. "But you're too predictable." Ye-jun gritted his teeth. "You sneaky little minx!" He whirled around, trying to grab her, but Ha-yun jumped back, staying just out of reach.
"You rely too much on your strength and fire," she continued. "But what happens if you can't hit your opponent?"
Ye-jun scowled. He hated to admit it, but she was right. He was used to overpowering his enemies with raw strength and speed. But against someone like Ha-yun, brute force wasn't enough. "Think… think…" Then, an idea hit him. Ye-jun closed his eyes. Ha-yun raised an eyebrow. "Giving up already?"
"Not exactly," Ye-jun replied. "I just realized something."
Without warning, he stomped the ground hard. The flames around him flared up, creating a wave of heat that spread across the battlefield. Ha-yun's illusions shimmered, struggling against the rising heat. Her eyes widened. 'Crap!' Ye-jun grinned. "You trick my eyes, but your illusions can't fool the heat!"
Before Ha-yun could react, Ye-jun launched himself forward, using the heat as his guide. His fist ignited with even brighter flames as he aimed a powerful punch at her.
Ha-yun barely managed to dodge, but the heat sorched her arm, making her wince. She rolled to the side, panting. The crowd was on their feet. "This is getting intense!" Ha-yun knew she had to end this quickly. If Ye-jun kept raising the temperature, her illusions would stop working entirely.
She focused, her eyes glowing for a moment. One last trick… Suddenly, the battlefield shifted. Ye-jun's eyes widened as the entire arena around him transformed. The ground stretched endlessly, the crowd disappeared, and the sky darkened. "W-What the hell…?!" Ha-yun's voice echoed from all around. "You figured out my smaller illusions… but what about a full illusionary world?"
Ye-jun spun around, trying to find her, but there was nothing. Just endless darkness. For the first time in the fight, he felt lost. The real Ha-yun, standing outside the illusion, watched him struggle. She snapped her fingers. Inside the illusion, chains of energy wrapped around Ye-jun's body, locking his limbs in place. "No… no way!" Ye-jun struggled, but the chains wouldn't budge.
Then...The illusion shattered like glass.
Ye-jun gasped as he fell to his knees, completely drained. The battlefield returned to normal. The announcer raised her hand. "Winner: Ha-yun!"
The crowd erupted into cheers. Ha-yun walked over and extended a hand. "You're strong, but you need to think before attacking. "Ye-jun stared at her for a moment before grinning. "Yeah, yeah… I'll get you next time." He grabbed her hand, letting her pull him up.
As they left the battlefield, Ji-ho and Seo-jun watched from the stands, analyzing every move.
As the cheers from the previous battle settled, the blonde announcer returned to the center of the arena, her voice echoing through the stadium. "That was an amazing battle, wasn't it?" she shouted. The crowd roared in agreement, their excitement still burning.
She raised a hand, signaling for attention. "But we're just getting started! Remember, these young warriors standing before you today are the future protectors of our land! Put your faith in them, for one day, they will stand between you and disaster!" The audience erupted into another wave of cheers, voices blending together in pure anticipation. "We Will now begin next battle, Park Seo-A vs. Choi Byung-hoon!" Said the announcer.
A young girl with dark blue hair walked onto the battlefield. Seo-A. Her chin was lifted slightly, her eyes filled with determination. But deep inside, her hands were trembling.
Opposite her stood a tall, muscular boy with short black hair and piercing yellow eyes. Byung-hoon. His presence alone was overwhelming. Unlike Seo-A, his posture was relaxed, hands in his pockets. He wasn't taking this seriously. As they faced each other, the announcer stepped back. "BEGIN!"
Seo-A wasted no time. She raised her hand, and water gathered from the air, forming a small swirling orb in her palm. "He's an E-4… I have to be careful,' she thought. She launched the water forward. It shot through the air, aiming straight for Byung-hoon's chest. Byung-hoon tilted his head slightly, and the attack missed completely, splashing harmlessly onto the ground.
The crowd murmured. Seo-A gritted her teeth. "Too slow…!" She didn't stop. She twisted her fingers, summoning multiple water tendrils from the puddle left behind. They surged forward like snakes, wrapping around Byung-hoon's arms and legs. "Got you!" she thought, clenching her fists to tighten the hold.
A sudden burst of electricity erupted from Byung-hoon's body. The water tendrils instantly vaporized, burned away by the sheer energy. Seo-A's eyes widened in shock. "No!" Before she could react, Byung-hoon vanished in a flash of lightning, reappearing inches in front of her.
Seo-A barely saw the movement. Her instincts screamed at her to dodge, but she was too slow. Byung-hoon's fist slammed into her stomach. "UGH!" Her body lifted off the ground, air forced from her lungs as she was sent flying backward. She crashed into the dirt, rolling several times before coming to a stop. Her arms trembled as she tried to push herself up.
The crowd was silent. "One hit… and she's already down?" someone whispered. Seo-A gritted her teeth, her body shaking. 'I won't go down that easily!' She forced herself back to her feet, panting. Water gathered around her hands again, forming thin, sharp blades. "Not bad," Byung-hoon said, rolling his shoulder lazily. "At least you're still standing."
Seo-A didn't respond. She charged forward, using the water blades to slash at him from different angles. Byung-hoon dodged effortlessly, his movements smooth and precise. ZAP! A small spark of lightning flickered at his fingertips. Before Seo-A could react, a burst of electricity exploded outward, shocking her entire body. Her vision blurred, her knees buckled. And then She collapsed to the ground, her entire body paralyzed from the shock. As Seo-A lay on the cold ground, her mind drifted. "Why am I… so weak…?"
A memory surfaced.Her childhood.
She saw her parents smiling down at her the day they discovered she was an ascendant with water ability. "You have talent just like your brother!" they had said, ruffling her hair. Her older brother, a gifted water user, had just been accepted into the EDC at the time. He was the pride of the family.
At first, they had encouraged her. But as the years passed, as her growth stagnated, and she remained an E-6, their attention faded. Her father barely spoke to her anymore. Her mother only ever mentioned her brother's achievements. She had trained. Every day. Pushing herself to her limits. But no matter how hard she worked. She was still considered weak. Her chest tightened."Why…?"
Back in the arena, Byung-hoon stared down at her, unimpressed. "That's enough," he muttered. He raised his hand, lightning crackling at his fingertips. Seo-A squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself. 'Why am I so weak?' The bolt of lightning struck, sending a final shock through her body. Darkness. The fight was over.
The crowd was silent. Someone whispered, "Wow… and they're both rookies?" Byung, still standing above Seo-A, let out a sigh. He extended a hand, offering to help her up. But Seo-A slapped his hand away, her face twisted in frustration. She stood on shaky legs, her hands clenched into fists, and without saying a word. She turned and walked off the arena.
Byung-hoon watched her go, raising an eyebrow. "Huh. She's stubborn, at least." Up in the stands, Ha-eun was watching closely. "Don't act so high and mighty" she muttered under breath, clearly irritated.
As the announcer finally declared Byung-hoon the winner, the tension in the stadium lingered, everyone still processing what they had just witnessed. One thing was certain Seo-A had fought with everything she had. But the gap between her and Byung was just too vast.
As the announcer was calling out the Next matchup, Dae-chul stepped into the spotlight. The bright lights reflected off his dark hair as he casually ran a hand through it, pushing it back. He let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "Man, I'm so cooked," he chuckled.