The arena trembled with anticipation as Demeter landed at its center, the shockwave from her arrival cracking the ground beneath her boots. Across from her stood Sarah, her opponent, cloaked in the eerie poise of a witch black robes flowing, eyes glimmering with arcane light. Between them, the teacher raised a hand, voice calm yet resonant.
"Are you both ready?"
Before either could answer, the battlefield began to shift. The stone floor melted into soil, mountains rising and seas forming beneath their feet. In moments, they stood upon a vast, living planet a conjured world forged for battle. Above them, the audience hovered in suspended platforms, watching in awe.
"Fight!" the teacher commanded.
Sarah wasted no time. With a flick of her wrist, a magical broomstick materialized beneath her feet. She mounted it like a skateboard and shot forward, leaving trails of violet light as she hurled bursts of energy toward Demeter.
Demeter moved with grace, weaving through the explosions as waves of earth coiled protectively around her. With each dodge, she molded the ground beneath her will stones rising to block blasts, pillars bending like serpents to carry her higher. Every fragment of earth she moved surged with power, its strength multiplied by her will.
The two collided in a flurry of motion. Fists met with thunderous impact, the sky itself shuddering from their blows. Tornadoes spiraled outward, scattering clouds of dust and light.
Then, as Sarah soared above, gathering magic around her broom, Demeter crouched low, pressing her palm to the ground. The earth responded. Golden light surged through the terrain, coalescing around her arm until her entire forearm was encased in a massive fist of glowing stone and molten energy.
She roared and swung.
The strike connected with a sound like worlds colliding. Sarah was flung from the planet, smashing through the atmosphere, tearing past the moon in a brilliant arc of light. Only by sheer force of will and the steady guidance of her broomstick did she stop herself in the void of space.
Demeter raised her hand again, and the earth below her shifted, breaking off a small platform. She rose into the air, riding the fragment of rock through the stratosphere. Soon, she met Sarah above the clouds.
Their eyes locked.
The next collision was cosmic. Their fists met once more, and the very universe around them quaked. The fabricated world crafted by the arena's magic stretched infinitely, filled with the roaring echoes of their battle.
From the stands, Ava and Dallas watched in silent awe, golden light flickering across their faces as the two combatants waged a war that transcended the ground beneath them.
The stands roared as energy blasts and explosions lit the arena sky, but Ava and Dallas sat untouched by the chaos, the storm of power washing over them like a show. A distant whale-shaped construct shattered in a blaze of light and fell away, yet neither student felt a singe. The crowd went wild. Teachers scribbled notes, eyes sharp and professional. Above them, Star screamed the loudest, and Tavius watched silently, a faint smile tugging at his face.
"I know you got this!" Star shouted, breathless with excitement. "We trained all summer for this, Demeter!"
Tavius sat back with his crew behind him, cool and watchful. Then his eyes drifted and landed on one of the new freshmen. She caught his gaze. He gave her a slow, confident wink. She blushed and smiled.
Star noticed immediately. "Are you seriously doing this again?" she snapped.
Tavius chuckled under his breath. "Calm down. You know what comes with the territory. I'm the future king back on our home planet."
Star glared. "Yeah, I know you're the future king. And I told you I wouldn't stand for you cheating on me again."
Tavius leaned closer, pulling her arm down. His voice lowered, calm but sharp. "Stop acting like you have a choice. Our parents decided for us to be together. Future King and Future Queen. You are loyal to me. But if I decide for one night or so to be with another girl it doesn't matter. I am king, and you are queen. Unless you want to disappoint your father."
"Don't bring my father into this," Star hissed, turning away. "I know what they want. I know what's expected. But that doesn't mean I like it."
The crowd roared again as the match raged on, planets exploding in distant simulation. Star straightened, forcing her confidence back as she raised her voice once more, cheering for her friend.
Ava leaned forward, cutting through the noise. "She's strong," Ava said plainly. "If she wins, she'd be perfect for my team."
Star snorted. "She's not joining your team. We already decided who's on ours."
Ava grinned without apology. "If you're strong enough, you can join me team too."
Star narrowed her eyes. "What makes you think you're so tough that you'll even be a team leader? Who knows, Mimi me and you could be lined up to fight, and I'll smash you."
Tavius rose from his seat and placed a hand on Star's shoulder, pulling her back down. "Hey," he warned, "don't talk to my girlfriend like that."
Dallas watched him closely, jaw tight. Ava's smile.
"Be careful," Dallas murmured. "He's one of the strongest students. Made top twenty last year."
Tavius turned toward Ava, fists clenching. "You better listen to your friend," he said coldly. "Or you won't even make it to your match."
Ava tilted his head, unfazed. "Funny you call her your girlfriend," he said. "Seems like she wants nothing to do with you."
Star lowered her head, saying nothing.
"What'd you just say to me, punk?" Tavius growled. "I made top twenty last year. She's grateful to be my future queen. Her poor little country's being saved because I decided to make her my queen. She wants nothing more than to be with me."
Ava smiled faintly. "Someone like you made top twenty? Then it can't be that hard."
Tavius's jaw tightened. "I will break your skull." Behind him, his crew rose as one; a dozen kids followed, standing up and closing ranks.
Star pushed to her feet and moved between them. "Calm down," she said. "You'll get disqualified if you start a fight right now."
Ava stood too, meeting their stares. Intensity filled the air; other students turned, drawn by the flare of conflict. In the middle of the arena, a teacher's voice cut through the noise. "Match concluded."
On the simulation arena, Demeter floated in space while her opponent Sarah lay defeated, knocked out, her broomstick drifting nearby. Multiple planets burned and broke apart in the background. The arena's projection dissolved; reality snapped back.
Demeter jumped down and streaked toward her seat. She landed just as the commotion peaked.
Tavius shoved Star aside and stepped down a stair toward Ava. "I do not like your attitude, kid," he said. "You're a freshman. You'll learn your place."
Ava walked up to him until they were face to face. "I would never fear a man who needs fear to keep women," he said. "And who puts his hands on a woman to make her stay."
Tavius's mouth stretched into something cold. Scales rippled across his skin; his features smoothed, taking on a blue, sharklike sheen.
Star lunged between them. "Tavius stop it, right now. If you get disqualified and kicked out of school, that's one less person to fight for our planet." Her voice shook. "Don't listen to him. I" The words faltered; she couldn't finish.
Tavius smiled, cruel and proud. "See? She likes me." He yanked Star toward him and forced a kiss.
Then an announcement rang out: "Tavius versus Meliolis."
Tavius let Star go and glared at Ava. "You're safe for now," he said. "While I'm gone, don't speak to my girl." He nodded to his crew; they answered with hard looks.
Water pooled at his feet and whipped up around him as he launched off, jetting toward the center of the stadium to face his opponent. The crowd settled; students returned to their seats.
Demeter watched the exchange, then slid into the seat beside Star. "What happened?" she asked softly.
Star bowed her head and said nothing.
Ava watched Scar's fight with attentive eyes, studying his timing and movement. Tavius won cleanly and returned to his seat beside Star. His crew clustered above, voices low and urgent.
"What do you want to do about that kid, boss?" one of them asked.
Tavius shrugged. "No. I want to beat him fair and square. Hopefully our names get called."
Then the announcer called Dallas. "Dallas versus Tank," the teacher said.
Dallas swallowed. "Oh no. Not that guy."
Ava leaned over, voice sharp. "You said you wanted to be my psychic, right?"
"Yeah," Dallas answered.
"Then do not be weak. Win this," Ava said. "Remember, you are doing it for your people. I need you as my right hand."
Green constructs unfurled along Dallas's back like a jet pack. He pushed off from the seat and shot toward the arena floor, steady and determined. The center of the fighting field awaited him; the crowd leaned forward, hungry for the next clash.
Dallas landed and froze in the middle of the arena. The air around him hummed with pressure as the teacher stepped between him and his opponent. Across from him stood Tank a broad-shouldered student with fury burning in his eyes.
A crooked smile spread across Tank's face. "Your new friend isn't here to protect you."
Dallas straightened, fear flashing but fading fast. "Your friends aren't here to protect you either," he said. "I trained all summer to make sure I didn't fail this time."
Tank moved first. In a blur of light, he launched forward at faster-than-light speed, the air warping behind him. Dallas barely had time to react rockets of green energy burst from his back, propelling him away just in time.
The two streaked through the atmosphere, diving into the dense forests of the simulated planet. Dallas crashed through the trees and rolled to his feet, breathing hard. Leaves shimmered in the heat of Tank's approach.
"You can't hide forever!" Tank's voice boomed from above the canopy. "You have to fight!"
He extended a hand and unleashed a storm of energy blasts. The forest erupted craters split the ground, trees vaporized, lakes boiled dry. The entire planet shook beneath the assault.
Tank descended, eyes searching. Then he saw movement Dallas, stepping from the smoke, a new, fierce confidence in his eyes. Emerald energy flared around him as he shaped his first solid construct, meeting Tank head-on.
They clashed, striking faster than sight, sparks of magic scattering through the burning woods. Tank summoned a shimmering blade of pure energy and slashed downward its arc tore through mountains and split the planet clean in half.
Dallas barely escaped, diving into the void as the world began to explode. A massive green shield construct formed around him, absorbing the detonation.
When the light faded, Tank hovered amid drifting debris. "Guess I killed him," he muttered, scanning the ruin.
Then his mouth filled with blood. His eyes went wide. A sword jutted through his chest from behind green, translucent, and humming.
The referee's voice rang out: "Match over!"
Tank collapsed, the illusion fading, the battlefield restoring itself to normal.
Dallas stood amid the wreckage, his green sword fading away into dust, the engine-like hum dying with it. For a moment, he just breathed then looked toward the stands, where Ava sat smiling proudly.
Dallas returned to his seat, still catching his breath as the cheers of the crowd echoed through the arena. His victory hung in the air like a storm that hadn't yet cleared. But before he could even relax, the teacher's voice rang out once more.
"Next match Star versus L!"
The crowd erupted.
From the stands, a brilliant flare of pink light burst forth as Star rose into the air. Pink flames coiled around her body like a living aura, shimmering with celestial energy. She landed gracefully at the center of the arena, her eyes burning with confidence.
Across from her stood L a towering warrior encased in obsidian armor. His face was hidden behind a helmet, but through the thin slits in the mask, faint red light pulsed like the eyes of a demon. In his hand, he carried a sword wreathed in fire, the blade burning hotter than magma.
The teacher appeared between them, raising an arm.
"Begin!"
The moment the word left his lips, both fighters surged forward.
Star struck first, screaming as a torrent of energy burst from her mouth a beam of condensed flame and fury that split the battlefield in half. L dodged with impossible speed, the blast soaring into the sky and tearing through the distant stars. Whole suns exploded in its wake, the night sky igniting in gold and crimson.
L retaliated in a blur, his sword sweeping through the air in a wide arc. The flaming blade connected but instead of piercing her, Star caught it in her bare hand.
The entire arena gasped.
The weapon sizzled against her skin, but she didn't flinch. She clenched her fist and the sword shattered like glass.
L barely had time to react before her other hand crashed into his chest. The impact was cataclysmic. He flew upward like a meteor, tearing through the atmosphere, the shockwave blowing apart the landscape below. He smashed into the moon, shattering it into burning fragments that spiraled through the void.
Before the debris even settled, Star was already there. She appeared beside him in an instant, wrapping her arms around him in a crushing embrace. A bear hug that burned like the heart of a star.
Her pink flames engulfed him completely, devouring his armor, his sword, his very form. Then, she lifted her gaze to the void above.
"Come," she whispered.
In response, suns shifted in the distance massive orbs of fire drawn toward her by her call. They gathered, roaring like divine beasts, orbiting closer and closer until all of them collided directly into her and L.
The explosion was beyond comprehension. The arena shook. Light consumed everything. For a heartbeat, it felt like a new universe had been born from the blast.
When the brightness faded, the battlefield was silent.
Only fragments of L's armor drifted through the air like ashes. His body was gone.
Star hovered in the center of the devastation, her flames dimming to a faint pink glow.
The teacher raised a hand. "Winner: Star."
The crowd erupted once more, the roar shaking the stands. Star exhaled softly, then flew back to her seat, her expression calm but her eyes blazing with pride.
A few more matches followed, each one fierce but fleeting. Eventually, the teacher's voice echoed across the arena again
"Next match: Ava!"
Ava stepped forward, and after a tense bout, his victory was clear. The students cheered, the scoreboard flashed, and the competition raged on.
Thousands of matches passed. The field narrowed until only a few of students remained.
Then the teacher's voice thundered through the arena, drawing every gaze toward the center:
"Tavius versus Ava!"