[The Spectator Stands – Strategy Phase]
"We need some time," Yoru called out, her voice echoing across the obsidian arena.
Gladiator Bahamu stood like a statue in the center, his black-and-red flames burning steadily. "Take as much time as you want for the second round," he rasped, slamming his greatsword into the ground. "Preparation only makes the taste of defeat sweeter."
The group huddled together in the floating stands, the unconscious Goto being treated by Fraxy in the background.
"He's a Dark type," Yoru analyzed, her brow furrowed. "That means Fairy, Fighting, Electric, and Fire types are super-effective. But the pillar specifically forbade Cynthia from joining. That's our biggest fire-power gone."
"Should I go?" Captain Carod asked, his metallic joints hissing as he stood up. "My passive ability, [Type Switch], allows me to recalibrate my mana output. I can shift my entire core to an Electric-type frequency. I might be able to pierce that obsidian armor."
Lapis shook his head, his Honoured Eyes tracking the lingering mana trails in the arena. "Yoru, you're a dual Fighting/Electric type, right? Your speed and physical strikes are a natural counter to a Dark-type swordsman. You have a better chance of seeing his blade."
"I am," Yoru nodded, "but if I fail, we lose our primary scout and secondary leader."
"The Z-Elites should reserve their mana," Gaia intervened, her silver hair shimmering with authority. "We don't know what's on the second or third floors. If we send our strongest now and they get injured like Goto, the mission ends before it truly begins."
"Indeed," Neweland added, his arms crossed. "We need someone who can test his defensive patterns without exposing our 'trump cards' yet."
Ruta grunted in agreement. "We need a sacrifice play. Someone with high evasion."
Techyon stood at the edge of the circle, his hand gripping the railing. He felt Mana pulsing in his veins, reacting to Bahamu's darkness. I can see his rhythm, Techyon thought. The others are looking at types and ranks, but I can see the gaps in his flames.
He took a deep breath, his chest tightening. Okay... I will go. I'll show them I'm not just a newbie writer. He opened his mouth to speak. "Everyone, I—"
"I'll go!"
The shout cut Techyon off mid-sentence. Saina, the Z-rank fangirl who had just gotten Lapis's autograph, stepped forward with her jaw set in a hard line.
"Master Goto was humiliated," Saina said, her voice trembling but determined. "As a member of the Z-rank vanguard, I can't let that stand. I'm a electro-element specialist. My attacks should be able to blind a Dark-type like him. Let me take the second chance!"
[The Spectator Stands – The Second Challenger]
"Saina, are you out of your mind?!" Kokoi Ai hissed, grabbing Saina by the shoulder. "Master Goto is one of the strongest Z-Rankers we know, and he's still lying there unconscious! If a physical powerhouse like him lost in ten seconds, what makes you think you are going to win?"
"Kokoi is right," Siyo added, his face grim as he looked down at the towering armored figure of Bahamu. "This isn't a training simulation. If you step down there, you're on your own."
Saina shook her off, her eyes glowing with a faint, iridescent pink and yellow hue. "I'm not Master Goto," she said, her voice filled with a desperate kind of courage. "I am a dual Fairy/Electro Type. My mana is naturally tuned to disrupt Dark energies. I can resist his shadow-pressure and deal super-effective damage that he can't just 'slide off' his armor!"
Nefa looked at the girl's determined face and then at the Arcons, who were staying silent. A playful yet sharp glint appeared in her green eyes. "Okay, everyone, give her a chance. If she's got a plan, let's see it. We can't sit here debating forever while the mana-drain eats our souls."
Saina took a deep breath and stepped toward the edge of the platform. She looked back at the group, especially at Lapis, as if seeking one last bit of approval from her idol.
"Everyone, just wait and watch," Saina declared, manifesting a shimmering bow made of crystalline light. "Because the damage level I'm about to drop on this scrap-metal is going to be 999 Pro Max!"
With a leap, she descended into the arena.
[The Void Arena – Second Chance]
As Saina landed, the black and red torches flared higher. Gladiator Bahamu didn't move, his greatsword still buried in the obsidian floor.
"A child of the Fairies and the Storm," Bahamu rasped, his red visor pulsing. "A bright light to snuff out. Proceed, little bird."
Saina didn't waste time with words. She pulled back the string of her bow, and the entire arena began to hum with high-frequency electricity. Pink fairy dust swirled around her arrows, crackling with yellow lightning bolts.
"[ULTIMATE COMBO: PIERCING STAR-STORM]!"
She released the string, and a barrage of hundreds of glowing arrows arched into the dark sky, turning the void into a sea of neon light before screaming down toward Bahamu like a meteor shower.
Techyon leaned over the railing, his heart hammering. He could see the arrows hitting—each one a perfect 'Super Effective' strike. But as the smoke cleared, his stomach dropped.
Bahamu hadn't even raised his sword to block.
The smoke from the "Star-Storm" began to clear, revealing Gladiator Bahamu standing exactly where he had been before, his obsidian armor unscratched. The hundreds of super-effective arrows had simply dissolved upon contact with his black-flame aura.
"Is that it?" Kokoi groaned from the stands. "She used her best attack and he didn't even move a muscle!"
"Why isn't she being serious?" Lilia shouted, her voice trembling. "She's not using her passive ability! At this rate, she's going to get swatted like Goto!"
Techyon turned to Lilia, his eyes narrowing. "What? You mean that wasn't her full power?"
In the arena, Saina let out a long, shaky breath. She watched as Bahamu slowly lifted his greatsword, the red flames licking the edges of the blade. "Looks like I have to use this now," she whispered to herself.
Saina clapped her hands together. The shimmering light of her crystalline bow didn't shatter—it reconfigured. The light condensed and hardened, shrinking until it rested on the bridge of her nose.
Suddenly, a pair of oversized, star-shaped Prismatic Sunglasses covered her eyes, glowing with an intense, neon-rainbow hue. She raised her glowing right hand toward the dark sky of the void, her mana output spiking so hard it created a localized tremor.
"FULL DOMINATOR MODE: ACTIVATE!"
A golden status window erupted in front of her, visible to everyone in the stands. The text flashed in a violent, warning red before turning a steady, digital blue:
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Passive Ability: VISUAL ENERGY — ACTIVATED.
Current Status: Dominator Mode (Level Max).
Effect: All mana output is converted into concentrated light-photons. Critical Hit Rate: 100%.
Saina's aura transformed from a soft pink to a blinding, jagged neon energy that cut through the darkness of the Void like a diamond through glass. She looked up at the towering Gladiator, her eyes hidden behind the glowing lenses.
"Now," Saina said, her voice sounding layered and electronic. "Let's see if your shadows can hide from a light that never blinks."