The tropics' humid air in the simulation was growing thicker as tension between the three first-years came to a head. Lian's palms were perspiring, his web threads already sticking to his fingers in anticipation of the inevitable.
Rui's cold, narrowed eyes fixed on him. "You're in my way, Lian. Hand over the flags, or I'll crush you." His tone wasn't loud or dramatic—it was razor-sharp, like steel cutting through silence.
Lian clenched his fists, chest tightening as he tried to steady his breathing. Rui wasn't bluffing. The way his stance shifted, the subtle twitch of his muscles, told Lian the boy had been waiting for this moment.
"I'm not giving anything to you," Lian said, trying to keep his voice steady even though his legs were trembling. "If you want to fight, then fight."
That was all the encouragement Rui needed.
With a burst of wind at his feet, Rui closed the distance in a blink. His Qi-infused strikes cut through the air, slicing branches and scattering leaves. Lian barely dodged, his reflexes screaming as Rui's palm nearly clipped his shoulder. The sudden rush was overwhelming—every instinct Lian had screamed danger.
He shot a web to the side, jerking himself out of Rui's direct path, but Rui followed relentlessly. A condensed wind blade tore forward, splitting the trunk of a tree behind him.
Lian crash-landed onto the ground, rolling to his feet, his chest billowing. Too fast… too accurate. I cannot keep this up.
Before Rui could press his advantage, a bolt of lightning cleaved the ground between them. Sparks scattered in the misty air, and Rui paused.
"Enough!" Xia Yun's voice cut through the air like thunder itself. Her Qi burst around her, electricity crackling along her arms. She stepped in front of Lian, her glare at Rui naked and enraged.
"You so eager for a fight, Rui? Then fight me."
Rui's lips curled into a grin, his eyes gleaming with something close to joy. "Finally. Someone who understands."
He pivoted, launching a slicing gale at Xia. She responded instantly, her body flickering with speed as the current of her Qi pushed her forward. Sparks clashed with wind, the impact sending ripples through the forest.
Lian backed away, his mind torn. Rui was stronger than he had expected, and Xia was holding her own, but this was neither the time nor the place. Every second they lingered here took them that much further away from qualifying.
His gaze flicked from the flags tied at his hip to Rui and Xia fighting. A choice had to be made.
"Stop it!" Lian shouted, thrusting his arms out. Threads burst from his wrists, spooling thick, sticky webs that cracked out like bonds. With a snarl, he entwined both Xia and Rui in cocoon-like swathings, pinning them to the broken trees around them.
"Lian, what the hell?!" Xia cried out, her eyes blazing as she struggled against the threads.
Rui just laughed, a low, mocking sound that sent a chill through Lian's blood. "You think you can trap me? Interesting… very interesting."
"I'm not asking you forever," Lian said, his chest rising and falling. "But listen. If we stay here, we all die. Rui—if you must fight me so badly, then do it. Fight me in the next round. But not here. Not when all of us will lose if we stay."
There was silence between them for a moment. Xia glared, with sparks flying about her figure as she fought against the web. "You're just going to let him escape, Lian. Do you have any idea how deadly he is?"
"I do," Lian allowed, his eyes meeting hers. "But we're losing time. And if Rui qualifies, then I'll handle him when it matters."
Rui's laughter grew louder as he stiffened, the wind around him cutting at the webbing until it exploded. He walked out, brushing strands from his arms as though it was nothing more than dust.
"You've got guts," Rui said, his voice heavy with amusement. "Stupid, reckless guts. I approve. Alright—let's wait until the next round. But don't expect mercy to aid you then.".
With that, he took off, vanishing among the trees toward the base.
Xia struggled free a moment later, her eyes blazing with frustration. "You're a fool, Lian! I could have finished him off here!"
Lian shook his head, wiping the sweat at his forehead. "No… not yet. Rui's too strong at the moment. If you'd clashed with him, one of you would've died—and neither of us could afford that."
She clicked her tongue, her face twisting with annoyance. "Tch. You're soft." But beneath the frustration, a flicker of reluctant acknowledgment lingered.
Lian adjusted the straps holding his flags, forcing his legs to move despite the ache in his body. "We don't have time to argue. Let's move."
They traveled together, though reluctantly, battling the jungle. Its proximity grew louder with every step closer to the base—clashing Qi, shouts of battle, the heavy thud of running feet.
As they broke through the final stretch of treeline, Lian glimpsed the glittering silhouette of the base before him. His heart pounded in his chest as he sprinted, every step dragging his exhausted body forward.
Rui was already inside, his figure arrogantly at the edge of the base, arms crossed as though he had just been waiting for them. The crystal scoreboard floating above shifted with his name: Jin Rui – 13th Qualifier.
Lian's legs burned, but he burrowed deeper. Xia was right behind him, lightning illuminating her wake. In a final burst of velocity, they crossed the perimeter together, their names igniting on the board.
Lian Feng – 14th Qualifier.
Xia Yun – 15th Qualifier.
Relief washed over him so suddenly that his knees nearly gave way. He doubled up, breathing hard, sweat dripping from his chin. Xia stayed beside him, her arms crossed, her eyes still blazing intently at Rui.
"Don't think this is over," she snarled.
Rui merely smiled and said nothing.
Seconds later, the final character stumbled into the base—a tall kid with closely cropped black hair, his uniform torn from battle. Shen Qiu, a classmate of the first year in Class 1-C, collapsed onto his knees inside the boundary. His name appeared on the board as the 16th and final qualifier.
The signal resounded. The test was over.
The scoreboard glowed with the names of the ones who had survived, and Lian's chest tightened. He had made it… at what cost? His body ached, his webbing supplies were nearly depleted, and the tension among him, Xia, and Rui had only intensified.
When the sun began to set on the simulated tropics, one thought burned in his head:
The next round won't let me run or bargain. If Rui wants that fight… I'll have to be ready.