Malo (D12) stepped forward, smirking.
Malo: "Alright, hero boy. That was a hell of a run. You've got the most flags. Hand 'em over, and maybe we'll let you walk."
Jimmy didn't flinch. His voice was calm.
Jimmy: "If you want them…" (he raised his hand slowly) "...then fight for them."
Serra (D13): (snorts) "Are you serious? You're outnumbered. Seven against two—and your Luna's running low."
Jimmy: (nods slightly)
Binny (A15): (eyes narrowing) "So you're choosing pride over survival? Brave. Stupid."
Eloa: (stepping beside Jimmy) "It's not pride. It's principle. You all watched us fight, dodge, bleed our way here. Now you think you can just claim what you didn't earn?"
A1: (softly, her voice like frost) "You're cornered. You know how this ends."
Jimmy: (glancing at Luna, then back) "Yeah. With us standing tall. Win or lose—they'll remember the ones who didn't fold."
Glacireine, A1's Ice Whisp, growled low. Pyrorine flared its wings behind Binny. The others tightened their grip on their badges, sensing the standoff shifting.
Jimmy: (takes a step forward, planting the flags in the ground between them) "This is the line. You want them?"
(He points at the flags.)
"Then take them… the hard way."
A hush fell. Even the wind paused.
Malo: (grinning) "Well then… let's make it a memory worth burning into history."
...............
[Lingrithm Broadcast – Live Feed on Screens] (announcer is changing every time.)
Announcer 1 (Riv):
"Whoa... hold on... what are we seeing here?!"
Announcer 2 (Shia):
"Two figures—Jimmy and Eloa—standing on the lower slope. The flags are on the ground in front of them… and seven challengers are closing in."
Riv:
"They're not running. Not flinching. Not speaking. Just... standing there. Facing them."
Shia(whispers):
"They're… choosing to fight."
[Crowd Reactions – Watching the Feed]
Class B Common Hall
"Are they crazy? That's seven against two!"
"No way… are they really gonna stand their ground?"
"Jimmy just dropped the flags. What does that mean?"
Upper Viewing Deck (Staff Area)
Instructor Rayne(quietly):
"He's not giving them up. He wants them to take it by force."
Dr. Mu:
"Interesting... very interesting."
School
Saya(leaning forward):
"He's provoking them."
Henry:
"This is going to explode."
[Lingrithm Status Update – On-screen Text]
"‼️ Stand-Off Detected: 2 vs 7"
"Flags Dropped — Not Surrendered"
"Tactical Rating: Unpredictable"
"View Count: 12,903 and rising"
Announcer 1 (Riv):
"They're not backing down. Not asking for help. Just standing—like they want the world to remember this."
Announcer 2 (Shia):
"This moment… might just change everything."
...............................................
The forest clearing grew quiet—too quiet. Mist clung low to the soaked terrain as seven figures loomed in a semi-circle across from Jimmy and Eloa. Their Whisps stood ready, muscles coiled, eyes fierce.
Then, A1—the veiled girl—stepped forward. Her voice, though soft, echoed with certainty:
A1:
"Don't think I'm weak just because I'm here for him… We both are strong."
She raised her hand, and her Glacireine let out a cold, whispering cry as snowflakes curled in the air.
"All of you—summon everything. All Whisps—front line."
In a sudden surge, all seven Whisps moved forward:
Papilyra — a majestic, butterfly-like creature with prism wings and shimmering trails of light.
Grashrog — a hulking grasshopper Whisp with steel-hardened legs and emerald-chitin armor.
Braequinox — the fire-mane horse Whisp, its mane and tail ablaze, hooves scorching the earth.
Emberail — the molten fire serpent, body coiled and flickering with lava sparks.
Fellcape — the scarf-winged wind-type, darting above with gleaming feathers like blades.
Glacireine — A1's ice queen, stepping with icy elegance, her breath forming snow trails.
Pyrorine — the firebird, its wings stretching wide as burning feathers rained gently downward.
All seven Whisps now stood together—forming a fiery, icy, wind-blown wall before Luna and Pookie.
Jimmy took one long breath.
Eloa stepped up beside him, her cloak fluttering from the tension in the air.
Eloa(softly):
"I'll support from the ground… I'll keep them off your back."
Jimmy turned his head slightly toward her in yes.
Jimmy:
"Luna—call the rain."
In a fraction of a second, the skies obeyed.
Dark clouds swirled unnaturally above them—drawn by Luna's power.
A crackle of energy. A shimmer of electric blue.
And then—rain. Sudden, cold, and relentless.
The terrain soaked instantly, the battlefield slick and shimmering.
The opposing team blinked, stunned. Even their Whisps hesitated.
Malo(staggering back):
"She still had that much power left?!"
Serra(low whistle):
"What did they feed her…"
Eloa grinned under the downpour, water dripping from her bangs.
Jimmy:
"Luna. Focus fire. Hit Pyrorine and Braequinox first.
Ignore the rest. Overwhelm them fast."
He turned to Eloa again:
Jimmy:
"Take down Grashrog and Papilyra. Control the flanks. We cut their numbers early."
Eloa nodded, face calm.
Eloa:
"Got it."
She pointed, and Pookie surged forward, stomping the ground as vines burst from the earth, coiling like green serpents.
Luna vanished into blur-speed—a bolt of ice and water.
And like that—
The real battle began.
............................................
Glacireine's paws shimmered with a frost-glow as she leapt into position. Beside her, Braequinox — the fire-maned stallion — reared up, his hooves striking sparks against the wet earth. For a fleeting moment, fire and ice danced side by side.
Then came the blast.
A spiraling beam of frost-blue light from Glacireine arced through the mist, meeting a scorching lance of flame from Braequinox mid-air. Together, they formed a swirling storm of scalding steam and cracking frost — a devastating combo meant to lock and burn Luna into submission.
But Luna didn't flinch.
She twirled—no, she danced—through the downpour. Her mane whipped with light, her hooves struck the shallow puddles like rhythm drums, each step guiding the rain. Her body shimmered as if the water itself flowed with her pulse.
Then—
Boom.
In a sudden blur of silver and blue, Luna vanished from their sights—then reappeared mid-dash with a Volt-Aqua Tackle. Her body cloaked in electric water energy, she crashed straight into Braequinox's flank with a force that sent shockwaves up the trees.
The fire-stallion screamed as he was launched across the glade, crashing through ferns and half-shattered roots. His flames sputtered—and as he tried to rise, his legs buckled. Frost began to creep up his limbs. Icy tendrils locked onto his mane. In seconds, his fiery glow dimmed into misted breath.
His partner—C13—stared in disbelief.
"H-How? How did she conjure ice that quickly? That kind of flash-freeze shouldn't even be possible in her this state!"
Jimmy didn't even look at them. He raised one hand.
"Let's go, quickly" he said, voice low.
The others—Papilyra, Grashrog, Emberail, Pyrorine, Fellcape, Glacireine—surrounded her now, forming a battle ring. But she stood at the center, tail arcing, water flicking from her hooves like sparks. Still breathing hard. Still glowing.
Eloa clenched her fists beside Jimmy, her bear snarling protectively.
A1 narrowed her eyes. "Everyone... use your best moves. Now. No holding back. She still has power left—too much. If we wait, we'll lose."
Thunder rolled above. The battlefield lit in a flash.
Seven Whisps tensed.
Luna didn't move.
Jimmy's fingers twitched.
And then—
Blackout.
The screen cut.
The crowd gasped.
And somewhere in the silence, a voice whispered through the comms:
"Signal lost... Reacquiring feed... Wait—what was that shadow?"