In the midst of chaotic combat, Haru, Sylvie, and Bane moved with a level of teamwork that any other newly formed group would struggle to match.
What should have been overwhelming, waves of beasts, and screams, felt strangely manageable within their small pocket of the battlefield. Haru realized his prior encounter with Motar had changed him. It wasn't just the experience, his instinct was adapting at a frightening pace. He reacted faster, thought sharper, and trusted the others without hesitation. Although he hadn't known them for long, the more he fought with them, the more he felt a connection he never had in his previous life.
Bane was easily the most seasoned of the three. He naturally fell into a leadership role, his eyes scanning constantly, reading the battlefield like a map in motion. "Our left flank's collapsing, don't get boxed in!" he shouted over the mayhem, parrying a strike before stepping through an opening. His Hydra blades, a National treasure of his kingdom, moved with lethal precision, each swing having a milky blue glow that seemed calculated.
Sylvie, on the other hand, was able to analyze weaknesses quickly and had shown her skills more than once.
Haru ensured he stayed close, his breathing steady despite the chaos. The last thing he wanted was to get separated against beasts he knew nothing about.
'There it is again, that same feeling and connection. I wonder if it's due to how many people and beasts are currently utilizing mana.' He thought.
What Haru was feeling, was his Arc abilities connecting to multiple strands throughout the battlfield. Everytime someone used their magic, a faint line appeared showing him a potential connection. Due to so many using it, lines were popping up all over the battlefield.
As the Haru's group advanced through the swarm, two Ifrits broke from the larger group, their glowing eyes locking onto the trio with focus. These weren't the mindless attackers others were dealing with, they moved with purpose.
Sylvie reacted instantly. "Haru, switch with me!"
Haru immediately spun around her as her hands moved rapidly. "Hex Magic: Territory Restraint!"
The ground ruptured as thick vines burst upward, twisting and snapping toward the incoming Ifrits. One evaded, darting sideways with unnatural agility. The other wasn't so fortunate. It tried to move but noticed its limbs were caught, bound tightly as the vines constricted.
Haru stepped forward without thinking. His body moved on instinct, guided by something he couldn't quite understand. He extended his arms, latched on to the Arc lines he could see and he released his own arc towards them.
The air distorted.
Sharp, but unstable crackling lines of condensed energy formed instantly, like blades made of lightning. With a flick of his hands, they launched forward fast, moving along the connections.
The Ifrit that evaded jumped, but this would be its downfall. Being airborne ensured it did not have time to react. The arc cut through it cleanly, severing its form in a flash of light and heat.
Behind him, Bane moved at the same time, finishing the ensnared Ifrit with a decisive strike. His blade pierced clean through its core, ending it without hesitation.
For a brief moment, the three stood still.
Then the chaos rushed back in.
From above, the Vanguards watched, observing the unfolding chaos. The field was quickly thinning; about 300 participants had already fallen, their dreams dashed by the brutal reality of the initiation. This year's initiation was proving to be exceptionally lethal, designed not only to test the warriors' combat skills but their ability to adapt to unexpected and extreme situations.
"…Rough year," one of them muttered.
"Gotta remember,this isn't the standard initiation," another replied. "It's a trial by fire."
They weren't wrong.
This wasn't about proving strength anymore. It was about survival. Adaptation. The ability to function when everything went wrong.
King Drago stood at the center of the viewing platform, his expression unreadable. He had already seen what was coming when he decided on this plan. Some might call it cruel, but it was needed. Having seen the report, he knew the kingdom needed warriors who could handle the real and present dangers, not just triumph in staged duels. What many failed to realize was that preparing for reality was much different than preparing to obtain glory.
The Initiation was intermittently being broadcasted outside the magical barrier. Families and supporters who had come to cheer on their loved ones were now witnessing a horror spectacle none had prepared for. Some had to be escorted away, unable to watch as the participants were decimated by the beasts.
Back on the field, Haru wiped sweat from his brow, his chest rising as he tried to keep up with the pace. "This… is insane," he muttered.
"We can't lose focus," Bane replied sharply. "We're faring much better than others, but we can't get comfortable."
Bane has estimated at least 50 to 60 beasts had come out the portals.
Their numbers thinned so quickly due to the initial shock as well as most never having been in a life or death situation. while this method was brutal, he understood the reasoning.
Sylvie was already moving again, her mind racing. She scanned the field, trying to identify areas that needed help. While she paid attention to her group, she also ensured Boone rose became overwhelmed within her vicinity but the constant mental pressure was taking a toll on her mana. "We should push toward the center of the arena, might be less exposure!" she called.
As she said this she noticed a wounded healer trying her best to help her neighbors although it was evident her mana was low.
"Be right back!" She yelled as Bane and Haru nodded while she broke off to assist the girl.
As she neared she realized Gram and his group reached the girl first.
For a brief second, Sylvie felt relief until she noticed a Wood Orc charging toward them. It's massive frame shook the ground with each step. Grams groups froze for half a heartbeat, just long enough for fear to set in.
And then one of Gram's men moved.
He grabbed the injured healer with a sneer. "Don't worry doll, it's for a good cause." Before the healer knew it, she was thrown straight into the Orcs path.
What followed made Sylvie freeze, as the creature tore through her body violently, ripping her apart before she could even scream.
"…What…"
Gram didn't flinch. Didn't hesitate.
"Move," he said coldly, getting out of the creatures Agro zone.
Sylvie's mind went blank.
That single moment of hesitation was all it took. "Did I get her killed?" Sylvie was having an internal battler when two pond dwellers, frog-like creatures with slick skin and venomous limbs, launched from the nearby wall. Being ambush hunters, their movements were silent and precise.
They were already mid-air aiming straight for her. Haru felt two connections suddenly become stronger. Something in his chest tightened, his instincts screamed before his mind could process.
He turned sharply, eyes locking onto Sylvie just as the creatures closed in.
"SYLVIE!" Suddenly he moved.
The world blurred.
His Arc abilities surged through his body uncontrollably, as his legs pushed harder than they ever had. The force caused the ground to slightly crack beneath each step.
"Bane! Help!" he shouted, but even as he did, he saw Bane locked in his own fight, barely holding off a mutated Mountain Boar that charged relentlessly. There was no backup and no time.
As he ran, his arc intensified. It crawled across his arms, his shoulders, his spine, coiling, building, demanding release. The air around him began to vibrate faintly, reacting to the pressure of the energy gathering within him.
'I need to go Faster. He pushed harder as the distance closed.
The creatures descended, yet Sylvie still hadn't moved. She was in shock. She turned as she noticed someone rushing toward her frantically.
"Haru…" she whispered, snapping back to reality too late.
Haru's arc peaked for a split second and everything went silent. Then it burst.
A concentrated surge exploded outward from Haru's body, his movement accelerating beyond anything he had done before. He launched. His arc abilities propelled him forward like a lightning strike given form.
His hand reached out.
Energy condensed instinctively, forming around his arm, not wild, but focused.
He didn't think. He acted and his powers answered.