The teams bolted from their starting points, sprinting toward the hill.
Each ascended the mountain alone, climbing with deliberate, powerful strides. Step by step, they carved their way upward until they reached the summit the mana-rich zone.
Tori scanned the guilds already inside. Everyone stood still, tense, waiting for someone to make the first move.
Then, out of nowhere, Sonjuro landed in the center of the zone, slamming down with enough force to shake the ground.
"I suggest you all leave. Now," he said, voice booming. "No one here can beat me."
But no one was falling for the same trick twice.
They lunged at him all at once, unleashing their authorities in a coordinated assault.
Sonjuro didn't flinch.
He dodged every strike, retaliating with brutal precision. A punch. A kick. A sweeping blow that knocked them all off the hill like ragdolls.
"Guys, it's time for the plan!" Sunless shouted, tossing an artifact to each of his teammates.
Tori and Mica bolted down the hill, Beatrice leaping after them. Their job was clear: pick off the remaining teams that hadn't reached the summit.
Sunless turned back toward Sonjuro, who had just finished off the last of the challengers.
Their times were neck and neck both tied for first.
"And who are you?" Sonjuro said, appearing in front of Sunless mid-stride, fist cocked back.
But before he could strike, Sylph appeared in a blur, grabbing his wrist. A split second later, pressure slammed down on him like a meteor Issac had dropped from above, crushing him into the ground.
"We got him, Sunless. You handle the others coming up."
Sunless turned just in time to see three more climbers cresting the hill. He raised his arm and fired spiraling bullets toward them. The moment they made contact, the climbers screamed in agony, collapsing under the force.
Sonjuro erupted from the ground, kicking Issac in the face. He spun and unleashed a flurry of punches at Sylph but she dodged every strike, her movements fluid and precise. She countered with a brutal punch to his gut, forcing him to spit blood.
He tried to kick her.
She vanished.
Then reappeared behind him, using the Silver Asuran fighting style a technique built around striking vital points. Her palm slammed into a pressure node near his collarbone.
He staggered back, tried to headbutt her.
Too slow.
She air-palmed him with a top-speed strike, launching him off the hill.
But mid-air, he activated his authority.
His veins glowed like molten fire.
He punched the air and it bent.
Invisible shockwaves tore through the sky, slamming into Sylph and sending her flying.
Sunless continued picking off enemies as Eleutheria's time entered first place, with Sonjuro just seconds behind. He landed back in the mana-rich zone, power surging through him.
Elsewhere…
Tori and Mica stumbled across another guild while sweeping the base of the mountain.
"Josh Caster…" Tori muttered, narrowing his eyes. The Eye of Constellation activated, glowing faintly.
Josh flinched.
"What did you do to me?" he asked, feeling a sudden shift in his abilities.
"My ability cuts your power in half as long as my opponent is stronger than me."
Tori vanished.
He reappeared in front of Josh, slamming a fist into his chin. Branches erupted from the ground, swatting at Tori like he was an insect.
Mica weaved through the chaos, slashing the branches with her twin spears. Beatrice launched fireballs from behind, burning the roots to ash.
Josh's guild members charged, hoping to overwhelm them.
But Mica was a beast.
She dodged every strike, dismantled every attacker. Her hand-to-hand combat was unmatched the ultimate authority in close quarters.
Tori and Josh's blades clashed, sparks flying with every strike. Their weapons rang out like thunder, each blow heavier than the last.
Tori jolted back and hurled a volley of rocks. The stones grew mid-air, transforming into massive boulders that crashed down on Josh. He blocked most of them, but still took damage scrapes and bruises forming as vines erupted from the ground, wrapping around Tori's sword and neck.
He hit the ground, tangled.
Josh dashed forward, blade raised.
But Tori switched places with one of the boulders.
He appeared behind Josh and slashed across his back.
Meanwhile…
Issac and Sylph were still holding off Sonjuro and the other guilds. But Sonjuro's power was monstrous. Every strike he threw carried the weight of a mountain.
He was a beast in the ring.
[ The Primordial Observers are watching your battles in joy. ]
[ Your guild viewers are rising: 35 ]
[ The Primordial Observer "The Fighting God" is smiling in excitement at this battle royale. ]
The association members watched the feed with growing interest.
"This group is promising," said the B-ranked World Order Association manager, eyes narrowing as he smirked at Tori's display.
Back on the field, Mica was still holding off Josh's guild when a shard of ice pierced her arm.
"Argh!" she cried, freezing mid-step.
A group of masked men appeared behind her dressed in blue, white, and gold. Their robes were lavish, far too luxurious for an exam.
Mica gritted her teeth as they continued their assault.
Elsewhere, Sylph was still trading blows with Sonjuro. But he was overwhelming her and Issac.
"We can't hold him off much longer, Sunless!" Issac shouted, sending waves of pressure across the hill.
"I'll pull out my final skill, then," Issac said, a glint in his eye.
He inhaled deeply, absorbing all the mana in the air. Then he slammed his foot into the ground.
A wave of pressure exploded outward.
The hill cracked.
The earth crumbled.
And the shockwave sent Sonjuro and everyone else flying off the summit.