At Emma's intervention, Ryun stepped back in quick, bounding hops, assessing the situation. He knew he now had to face two opponents, and his gaze showed he was ready. Rylan, aware that the egg was his priority, shouted at Emma:
"Keep him busy."
Without waiting, Rylan launched himself at full speed toward the egg. Ryun reacted immediately, rushing after him, katana ready to intercept. Emma, still in her giant bear form, placed herself between them.
She roared and charged at Ryun, forcing him to divert the trajectory of his pursuit. Each charge from the massive bear was enough to destabilize him, but Ryun maneuvered with precision, dodging while keeping Rylan in sight, maintaining the rhythm of the chase.
Then, a golden spear sliced through the air at an impossible speed to follow with the naked eye, intercepting Emma's path. The impact was enough to stop her dead in her tracks, forcing her to brake abruptly and change direction to avoid being struck.
Duke and Marcus continued their confrontation, both so focused that they were isolated from everything around them. Their fighting styles were similar: direct combat, no weapons, relying solely on the body and constant contact. However, the difference between their styles was clear.
Marcus fought strategically, with measured movements and a constant reading of his opponent. He analyzed angles, distances, and rhythm, seeking to create small but cumulative advantages. His calm was not passivity, but control.
Duke, by contrast, fought with ferocity. His attacks came from pure instinct, loaded with brute force and aggression. He did not calculate exchanges or conserve energy; he advanced relentlessly, pressing forward, trying to break Marcus's rhythm with continuous violence.
Marcus noticed Rylan and the swordsman running toward the egg, and at that moment, his priority changed. The fight with Duke had to end: if he didn't intervene now, the outcome was decided. He dodged one of Duke's blows with a brief twist of his torso. This time he did not counterattack. Instead of continuing the usual exchange, he took a longer lateral step than normal, breaking the rhythm of the fight. He used the momentum to shoulder-check Duke just enough to unbalance him and launched himself toward the center of the chamber, straight for the egg.
From above, the scene offered a clear and tense image, like the final stretch of a race where the competitors were about to cross the finish line. Rylan was leading, just a few meters from the egg. Marcus advanced from another direction, closing the distance like the second runner. Behind Rylan, a few steps back, Ryun maintained the pursuit without losing pace.
Marcus evaluated Rylan's position for a moment: he was ahead, about to reach the egg if no one intervened. Without hesitation, he calculated the perfect action. He combined speed and precision in a single motion. With a natural movement, he grabbed one of the claws he still held in his mouth and launched it using the ether technique Kara had taught him, without losing any momentum in his sprint.
The projectile cut through the air, heading precisely toward Rylan's torso. He reacted instantly, leaning his body in an instinctive move to dodge, but the gesture cost him speed and rhythm. The loss of inertia opened a tiny but sufficient margin: Marcus gained the advantage needed to reach the egg before Rylan could recover his stride.
Almost within reach of the object, Marcus extended his monstrous hand, barely brushing the surface of the egg, which was only slightly larger than his palm. A sharp whistle cut through the air, precise and piercing, and Marcus sensed it before his mind could process the threat. Instinctively, his body folded in on itself, letting Rylan's dark blade spin above his head, barely grazing his plate without interrupting his momentum.
Lifting his head, Marcus saw the attack from Rylan's other blade. Without hesitation, he stepped sideways, sliding his body just out of the edge's reach, feeling the cutting air brush his plates.
Almost simultaneously, Ryun appeared at the edge of the scene. His wide, controlled horizontal strike filled the space with precision. Marcus and Rylan were forced to duck immediately, synchronizing reflexes and speed, as the tension of the moment compressed every millimeter of movement in the chamber.
Ryun lunged toward the egg with a broad arc, extending his arm to grab it before Marcus or Rylan could reach it. His fingers brushed the object's surface; the tension in his shoulders and arms was evident.
But Rylan didn't hesitate. Crouched low, he focused all his strength into his right leg, aiming precisely at the pedestal holding the egg.
The strike was sharp and accurate, hitting the lower edge of the stone base directly. The small, narrow pedestal gave way immediately. The egg lifted off the ground. First half a meter, then a second impulse sent it floating almost a full meter into the air, suspended as if time itself had slowed for a moment. Ryun barely had time to react, his hands stretching out, but the distance kept him just out of reach.
Rylan leapt from his crouched position, propelling himself with force as the ground resonated under his weight. He lunged toward the egg, brushing it with his fingertips. Victory seemed within reach, but before he could secure the object, a monstrous hand covered in gray plates suddenly appeared.
The strike was fast and precise, like a hammer of steel. The egg rose even higher, describing an upward arc toward the cave's eastern entrance.
For a moment, time seemed to slow. Dust particles, reflections on the egg's surface—everything appeared suspended. All the students—Victoria, Liora, Duke, Jhon, and Emma—halted their actions and watched expectantly as the scene unfolded.
Marcus didn't hesitate. He planted a foot against the stone pillar, using the momentum to catapult himself upward. His massive body floated for an instant, suspended between gravity and sheer strength. With a fluid, lethally calculated motion, he extended both hands and caught the egg at the highest point of its trajectory.
The impact of the landing produced a dull thud, and the ground shook. Marcus absorbed the blow by bending his knees, maintaining his balance and protecting the egg in his hands. The air vibrated with the energy of the movement, and for a second, all the chaos of the chamber seemed to condense into that instant.
Marcus stood, the egg safe in his hands. With a natural motion, he hugged it against his torso like a football, adjusting his arms to keep it secure and protected. And he ran. He didn't waste a single moment; he knew how valuable every second was within those walls.
Marcus sprinted at full speed, the egg pressed tightly against his torso like a football. Every muscle in his monstrous form tensed and released with precision, propelling him toward the exit with brutal force. The cave seemed to compress around him, rocks and dust rising with every stride.
Suddenly, a living wall appeared before him: Duke, in all his imposing monstrous form, blocking the path. There was no room to go around, nor time for a direct confrontation. Marcus remembered a move from his past life—a football feint: a quick, calculated change of direction, using the opponent's body against them.
Without hesitation, Marcus leaned slightly to the left, faking a direct collision. Duke reacted instinctively, shifting his weight to intercept. Marcus, with an explosive twist, slid his body to Duke's right side, brushing his plates without losing any speed.
Marcus couldn't advance any further. For a moment, the path seemed completely sealed. And then he saw him: the swordsman he thought had fallen behind—Ryun—suddenly appeared in front of him. Marcus had no time to process it. It was almost impossible: he remembered him several steps back, yet the bastard had somehow caught up.
Ryun launched a diagonal upward cut, the blade tracing a precise arc toward Marcus. Instinctively, Marcus leaned back, planting his right hand on the ground to keep his balance. The edge skimmed his plates, kicking up a spray of dust and small stones.
Marcus spun on himself, searching for an escape route, but when he raised his head he saw Rylan advancing toward him, sword in hand, striking with predatory speed. Marcus reacted immediately, dodging the blow with a lateral movement and a leap that carried him to the left, escaping the deadly crossfire of both opponents.
Marcus then fixed his new objective: the southern exit. Without losing a second, he resumed his run. He managed to advance a little further, feeling that every meter gained brought him closer to the exit. But a deep, monstrous roar tore through the air.
"I'm coming!" Duke bellowed, his voice echoing through the cave as he lunged to intercept him. Marcus barely had time to react. Duke slid across the ground with surprising speed, trying to catch Marcus's legs and trip him. Instinctively, Marcus jumped, rising above the attack, propelled by the momentum of his monstrous body.
But he hadn't accounted for Duke's cunning. As he slid, the monster raised his hand and clamped down hard on Marcus's ankle. The grip was brutal and unexpected, and Duke's strength halted his jump. Marcus felt his body jerk to a stop, violently dragged downward. With a calculated pull, Duke slammed him into the ground; the impact kicked up a cloud of dust and small stones that scraped against his plates. The blow echoed throughout the cave.