The tension in the air was palpable as the recruits stood on the edge of the forested trial grounds. Shadows stretched long across the rocky terrain as mist curled up from the dense trees ahead. This would be the battlefield—a place where stealth, strategy, and strength would each play their part. Of the eighty recruits who had entered the trials, only two would emerge victorious.

Renjiro’s pulse quickened as he stood at the edge of the forest, bracing himself. The past week of training had prepared him, but this was more than skill—it was survival. He looked over at his squadmates: Goro with his usual confident grin; Emi, her quiet gaze hardened with determination; and Yumeru, her expression cool and unreadable as ever. He knew they were strong. But in a free-for-all, nothing could be certain.

Commander Thalor’s voice cut through the silence, calm but with an unmistakable edge. "This is the second trial. You stand alone—no alliances, no teams. Only two of you will advance to the final trial. This is not a battle to the death. Eliminate your opponents by disabling them or forcing them to surrender. Show us the strength that will earn you a place among the Azeron Guardians."

With that, he raised his hand and let it fall. "Begin!"

The forest exploded into chaos. Recruits scattered like leaves in the wind. Some darted deeper into the trees to hide, hoping to wait out the early skirmishes. Others, hungry for victory, charged forward, battle cries piercing the mist.

Kairro vs. Farin

Kairro darted through the trees, his gaze laser-focused on a target he had marked from the start—Farin from Squad Mist. From atop a rocky hill, Farin had been stringing his bow, infusing arrows with Lumina energy, likely hoping to pick off opponents from a distance. Kairro had no intention of letting him get the advantage.

With Lumina crackling around his fists, Kairro sprinted up the incline. Farin looked up, eyes widening as he saw Kairro closing in. He released an arrow, the Lumina-infused projectile blazing toward Kairro’s chest. Kairro deflected it with a swipe of his hand, the impact sparking against his Lumina shield.

"Too slow," Kairro sneered, lunging forward.

Farin tried to roll out of the way, but Kairro anticipated his movement, delivering a bone-crushing kick to Farin’s side that sent him sprawling. Farin scrambled, fumbling another arrow as he tried to gain some distance. But Kairro was relentless, sweeping his leg beneath Farin’s, knocking him to the ground with brutal efficiency. He seized Farin by the collar, lifting him just enough to make his point.

“You’re out,” Kairro muttered, driving him down with a surge of Lumina that left the rock beneath them cracked and Farin unconscious. Without a second glance, Kairro straightened, his gaze already scanning for his next target.

Emi vs. Tarek

In another part of the forest, Emi crouched low, moving in near silence. She knew her best advantage wasn’t brute force but her adaptability and sharp eye. Somewhere nearby, she sensed Tarek—Squad Mist’s strategist, a master at setting traps and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

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Stepping carefully, Emi spotted a faint shimmer in the air, a telltale sign of one of Tarek’s Lumina-based traps. A small smile tugged at her lips. She skirted around it, creeping closer until she spotted him perched on a branch, eyes fixed on his trap.

Centering herself, she bolted forward, delivering a precise Lumina-charged kick at the tree’s base. The whole tree shuddered, and Tarek, caught off guard, tumbled from his branch, landing with a grunt.

Before he could rise, Emi was upon him, unleashing a flurry of rapid, Lumina-infused punches. Tarek tried to retaliate, summoning a whip of Lumina energy, but she wove through his strikes with ease.

"Smart move, Tarek," Emi taunted, her voice calm. "But not quite enough."

Tarek’s frustration grew, his strikes becoming erratic, and Emi seized her opening. She delivered a precise blow to his chest, sending him sprawling.

With the wind knocked out of him, Tarek lay on the ground, glaring up at her. Emi extended a hand, her expression unreadable. “It’s over,” she said.

Reluctantly, he accepted her help, rising to his feet and conceding with a nod. As she moved on, Emi felt a surge of confidence—she had proven her resilience.

Thyros vs. Esmir

Thyros stomped through the forest like a colossus, his massive frame crashing through branches and undergrowth. Esmir from Squad Mist tried to stay hidden, but there was no outrunning Thyros’s relentless advance.

Seeing no other choice, Esmir lunged at him, his fists glowing with Lumina as he struck at Thyros’s sides in a flurry of quick hits. But Thyros didn’t even flinch.

"Is that all?" Thyros scoffed, catching Esmir’s fist mid-punch.

Before Esmir could pull back, Thyros swung him around, hurling him into a nearby tree with bone-rattling force. Esmir crumpled to the ground, dazed.

With a dismissive grunt, Thyros moved on, not even bothering to look back. “Too easy.”

Illira vs. Goro

Goro charged through the forest with his usual gusto, his heavy footsteps shaking the ground. Illira, agile and focused, stayed just ahead of him, weaving between trees and darting out of reach.

"Hold still, Illira!" Goro bellowed, swinging a Lumina-infused fist.

She dodged effortlessly, laughing. “You’ll have to catch me first!”

But Illira’s energy was waning, and Goro’s endurance seemed boundless. Sensing her misstep, Goro lunged, his massive fist connecting solidly with her midsection and sending her flying backward. She crashed into a tree, groaning as she slid to the ground.

Goro approached, his expression softening as he extended a hand. “Guess this round’s mine.”

Illira smirked, accepting his hand. “I’ll give you this one, Goro.”

Yumeru vs. Veyra

Moving silently, Yumeru tracked her chosen target, Veyra from Squad Storm. She had watched Veyra’s movements, noted her patterns. Now, it was time to make her move.

The two met in a flurry of strikes and counterattacks, Veyra’s speed against Yumeru’s calculated power. Veyra darted in, aiming a Lumina-infused strike at Yumeru’s shoulder, but Yumeru deflected it with ease, holding her ground.

Veyra’s strikes became faster, each one more aggressive, but Yumeru remained unfazed, her movements almost mechanical. Then, with a sudden surge of speed, Yumeru caught Veyra’s wrist, twisting it and pulling her down in one fluid motion.

"You’re finished," Yumeru murmured, her tone cold as she held Veyra firmly in place.

Veyra struggled for a moment, but seeing no escape, she sighed. “Alright, you’ve got me.”

Yumeru released her, standing tall as she watched Veyra rise unsteadily to her feet.

The skirmishes continued each combatant either emerging victorious or bowing out as the battlefield gradually thinned. The survivors moved on, breathing hard but focused, knowing that the final round was drawing closer.

Back in the viewing area, Commander Rei watched intently, his eyes rarely leaving Renjiro. Across the field, Renjiro’s path through the forest had been a blend of calculated strikes and tactical retreats, his movements demonstrating both the strength and restraint he had honed in his training. The trials had only just begun, but as the forest grew quieter and the contenders fewer, a new resolve shone in Renjiro’s eyes.