---
The fortress courtyard burned with a low, shimmering heat. The Orcs were preparing the trial grounds—massive braziers being lit, stone gates creaking open—but the party still lingered in tense silence.
Inside the barrier, Nico kept hammering his fists against the Vita wall until Anne finally stepped closer. Her summoner's tome trembled slightly in her hands, but she lifted her chin.
"Nico," she said softly, "there's more to this than just fighting."
"Pfft," Nico scoffed, dropping into a crouch. Flames licked around his fingers like restless snakes. "It's always about fighting. About being the strongest. That's how you survive. That's how you win."
Anne hugged her book tighter. "No. Sometimes it's about… choosing the right moment. The right path. That's why Oliver decides what we do."
That made Nico pause. His flames dimmed a little. He leaned his head back, staring at the crimson Avernal sky. "Oliver, huh? He is a cool leader."
Then Nico spun toward Oliver, grinning wickedly, his teeth gleaming like firelight. "But you know what, Ollie? I'm like a speedrunner. I skip the fluff. I cut through the nonsense. Straight to the win."
Oliver blinked. "You… want to speedrun Avernal?"
"Damn right," Nico declared, chest puffed out. "So let me lead this one. Come on. Just this once."
Everyone stared.
Oliver's spoon from earlier mushroom stew still clinked in his pack. He hesitated, shifting uneasily. "…Alright. If you want to lead… I'll let you. Just this once."
---
Zack, leaning in the shadows of the courtyard wall, didn't move. He simply folded his arms, eyes glimmering like cold ink.
Garrick groaned loudly, dragging a hand down his face. "Oh sweet metals… this is going to melt into disaster."
But before Nico could pump his fist in triumph, Aether's calm, flat voice cut through.
"We don't have time for drama. The trial starts now."
The Orc guards banged their golden spears against the obsidian floor, the sound like a war drum echoing across the volcanic valley. The gates opened wider, revealing the molten trial arena beyond—walls glowing with heat, streams of lava carving paths like rivers of blood.
"Step forward, outsiders," the Orc captain roared. "Show us if you're worthy."
Nico smirked, his hands already sparking fire. "Perfect. Time for the speedrun strat."
Oliver gulped, looking at Sorrel.
Sorrel sighed. "We're all doomed."
---