Before the start of the third round, the referees announced a short ten-minute break.
Lock released his magic, the dragonlight fading as his wings dissolved into sparks of black flame. From the outside, it simply looked like he folded his wings away before walking calmly back to his team.
"We won."
Lock held out his palm, waiting for the others to high-five. One by one, his teammates met his hand with tired but spirited slaps.
But their celebration was almost drowned out by the rising roar from around the arena.
The crowd of examinees had erupted into chaos.
After Lock's team lost the first sub-match, nearly everyone had turned their attention toward the second—
And the sight of Lock's dragon wings had driven them wild.
"Did you see that?! Those were wings, right? Actual wings!"
"And those scales—just like before! So he really can turn into a dragon!"
"Well, he's the son of the Dragon Heroes… makes sense he'd inherit their power!"
"Man, I'm so jealous! That's like the perfect Quirk!"
The atmosphere was buzzing like a disturbed hornet's nest.
Even the candidates waiting for their own matches couldn't keep quiet.
If the crowd in the arena was like this, Lock could only imagine the pandemonium on the national broadcast.
He sighed and shook his head. "Forget it. Let's focus on the team battle."
There wasn't time for celebration now.
Ten minutes.
Not enough for a full strategic breakdown, but enough for one last talk.
Lock motioned for everyone to gather in. "All right—let's review what we know about their Quirks."
The five huddled close, and he began listing them in a low voice:
Kuji Ayato — Quirk: Spatial Rotation. Can swap places with any visible target. Can't use it again on the same person within an hour.
Makoto Kiku — Quirk: Guilt. Inflicts crushing psychological guilt, a hundredfold over, on the target.
Bai Ryūka — Quirk: Flame. Fire-user. Unclear if he can project it.
Reili Amamiya — Quirk: Electric Current. Details unknown.
Ryota Hojo — Quirk: completely unknown.
"It's those last two we need to watch," Lock said, folding his arms in thought. "We know almost nothing about Amamiya or Hojo."
He analyzed carefully. "Kuji's Quirk only works if he can see us. As long as we avoid getting locked in his line of sight, he can't swap anyone out of the ring."
"As for Makoto Kiku—her Quirk's situational. It's strong one-on-one, but in a team battle, it's risky for her to use. Just take her out last."
"And Bai Ryūka's flames…" Lock's lips curved slightly. "They won't be a problem for me."
He was, after all, the Fire Dragon Slayer.
Still, his tone grew serious. "Amamiya's electric current could be dangerous. I can handle lightning, but the rest of you might not fare as well."
Finally, his gaze hardened. "And Hojo—he's the wild card. Until we see what he can do, stay on guard."
He looked to Mt. Lady next. "When you giantify, can you shrink back at will?"
"Of course." She nodded quickly, flipping her hair. "Anytime."
"Good." Lock tapped his chin. "Kuji's Spatial Rotation would be wasted on me now that I can fly, and Kamui Woods' branches can anchor him in place. That means his best bet would be to target someone big—someone like you or Death Arms."
Mt. Lady frowned. "So you're saying he might swap me out of the ring the second I grow?"
"Exactly. So stay sharp."
He turned to Kamui Woods. "Use your branches to restrict Kuji's movement if you see him prepare his Quirk."
Kamui nodded. "Got it. I'll hold him down if he tries anything."
Even though his burns hadn't fully healed, his resolve was steady.
Then Lock looked toward Sirius. "Your Quirk lets you hear ultra-high frequencies, right? Think you can pick up the sound when Amamiya's electricity discharges?"
"Of course!" Sirius straightened up, ears twitching slightly. "I'll hear it the moment she moves."
She remembered clearly how the electric crackle had sounded in their last match—and this time, she was determined to be ready.
"Good. Warn us the instant you sense anything strange."
Finally, he turned to Death Arms. "You use brute strength to break their formation. Smash through and keep them from grouping up."
"Got it," Death Arms grunted, pounding a fist into his palm.
Lock looked over them all—four sets of eyes waiting for his word.
"Then here's the plan. In the formation, Mt. Lady takes point. Death Arms and I cover the middle and strike hard. Kamui supports us, protecting Sirius."
He raised his hand, palm out. "We fight as one."
The others smiled faintly, stacking their hands over his—one atop another.
"Kamui, guard the rear. Sirius, listen for any irregular sounds. The moment something changes, call it out."
"Right!" Sirius nodded firmly.
Lock's confident smile spread to them all. "Then let's finish this."
"Three… two… one…"
"Let's go!" ×5!
Their voices rang together, a united cry that echoed across the arena.
The ten-minute break had passed in a heartbeat.
The referee's signal came.
Both teams climbed onto the ring, the tension so thick it was almost physical.
On the left, Lock's formation stood ready:
Mt. Lady leading in front, Lock and Death Arms behind her on either side.
Kamui Woods followed as support, with Sirius at the very back—an arrow-shaped formation, precise and balanced.
On the right, their opponents mirrored them:
Bai Ryūka took the front, followed by Kuji Ayato and Makoto Kiku at the center, with Reili Amamiya and Ryota Hojo defending the rear.
A pentagonal formation—compact, guarded, strategic.
Lock frowned slightly. "Huh. I thought Kuji would stay in the back. Guess I was wrong."
Still, his tone was calm. "Doesn't matter. We'll deal with them as they come."
The two teams faced each other across the ring, the tension between them palpable.
Even before the fight began, their combined auras clashed—two waves of power colliding in silence.
The referee stepped forward, raising a hand.
"In the team battle, the match ends only when one side either surrenders, all members are incapacitated, or any member touches the ground outside the ring!"
His words cut through the static of anticipation. "All players ready?"
Ten voices answered as one. "Ready!"
"Then—begin!"
Every candidate in the arena turned to watch.
This was the match that would decide which team would advance from eighty to forty.
And between the two groups standing face to face, no one could predict which would still be standing when the dust settled.
The team battle had begun.
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A/N: New Fanfic Is Out " Naruto: I'm Boruto Uzumaki"
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