Noah looked at the five remaining students, then at his watch, then back at the students. He let out a long, tired sigh that seemed to come from the depths of his soul.
"You know what?" he said, his voice carrying that distinctive I-don't-get-paid-enough-for-this tone. "I'm exhausted. This is taking too long. So we're changing the format."
The five finalists exchanged glances, uncertainty rippling through them.
"Battle royale," Noah announced, walking to the edge of the arena and dropping into a chair someone had conveniently placed there. "All five of you, one fight. Last two standing become Commander and Vice Commander. Figure out the hierarchy between yourselves later."
"That's not fair," Michael protested. "How are we supposed to—"
"Life's not fair," Noah interrupted, waving dismissively. "I already told you that. Now stop complaining and start fighting before I decide to make it a last-one-standing elimination and deny you all leadership positions."
Cairo felt a grin tugging at his lips despite himself. A battle royale was chaotic, unpredictable, and exactly the kind of situation where his enhanced attributes and stolen talent could shine without revealing too much too quickly.
"Spread out," Noah ordered. "I want you positioned evenly around the arena. When I say begin, you fight until only two remain conscious or yielding. Any questions?"
Silence answered him.
"Good. Positions."
The five candidates moved to spread out, forming a rough pentagon with each person roughly equidistant from their nearest neighbors. Cairo found himself positioned between Alina on his left and Michael on his right. Across from him stood Dena, with Layla completing the pentagon.
Cairo's mind raced, analyzing angles and strategies. In a battle royale, alliances would form and break within seconds. The smart play was to let others weaken each other, but that required perfect timing and awareness.
His enhanced intelligence, boosted by those five points from Eden, processed possibilities faster than normal thought. Alina's telekinesis made her dangerous to everyone but required line of sight and concentration. Layla's Zone was devastating but limited in range. Dena's Shadow Wraith gave her mobility and control but weakened in direct light. Michael had raw skill but no special abilities awakened yet.
The wild card was how they'd interact. Who would target whom first? Who would try to ally with whom?
Noah raised his hand. "Begin."
For a heartbeat, no one moved. Five pairs of eyes tracked five targets, everyone waiting for someone else to make the first move.
Then everything happened at once.
Alina and Layla's eyes met across the arena, and something unspoken passed between them. Recognition. Acknowledgment. Challenge.
They moved simultaneously, closing the distance between them with single-minded focus. Alina floated upward on telekinetic force while Layla's hand went to her katana handle. The air between them seemed to thicken with tension.
"Finally," Alina said, her bored expression transforming into something hungry. "A real opponent."
"Don't disappoint me," Layla replied, her cold voice carrying a razor's edge.
They clashed, and the intensity was immediate and absolute. Debris flew through the air as Alina's telekinesis ripped equipment from the walls. Layla's Zone expanded and contracted, her blade singing as it cut through incoming projectiles with surgical precision. The two most powerful fighters in Delta class had found each other, and neither seemed interested in anyone else.
Cairo watched for a moment, recognizing the opportunity. While the two heavy hitters were focused on each other, the rest of them were essentially fighting for the scraps.
Dena seemed to reach the same conclusion. Shadows spread across the floor, but they moved away from where Alina and Layla fought, giving them a wide berth. Her purple eyes found Cairo, then Michael, calculating which to target first.
Michael made the decision for her. He rushed Cairo, probably thinking the Starlight descendant was the weakest link. His technique was solid, his strikes economical and precise, the product of countless hours of training.
But Cairo's enhanced attributes made the difference. He sidestepped the first combination, his speed letting him read Michael's movements almost in slow motion. A counter-strike to the ribs made Michael gasp. A sweep took his legs out from under him.
Michael rolled away, coming up defensive. "You're faster than you look."
"Lots of people underestimate me," Cairo replied, pressing the advantage.
Dena's shadows tried to interfere, tendrils reaching for both of them, but Cairo and Michael were moving too fast, their fight too mobile for her to pin either one effectively.
Across the arena, Alina and Layla's battle had intensified. Alina hovered ten feet off the ground, hurling massive pieces of training equipment with enough force to dent the reinforced walls. Layla moved like water, her Zone protecting her absolutely, her katana flashing as she cut through anything that entered her sphere.
"Is that all you've got?" Alina taunted, sweat beginning to bead on her forehead from the concentration required. "I expected better from the Wisteria family."
"I'm just warming up," Layla countered, and her Zone suddenly expanded, doubling in size. Alina had to float higher to stay out of range.
The sheer power on display was staggering. These two were operating on a level above the rest of Delta class. Cairo could see it now, understand why they'd immediately gravitated toward each other. Everyone else in this fight was just background noise to them.
Which meant Cairo needed to eliminate his competition while they were distracted.
Michael came at him again, desperation beginning to show in his movements. He was skilled, but skill without a talent to back it up could only take you so far. Cairo blocked, countered, and drove his fist into Michael's solar plexus with enhanced strength.
Michael doubled over, gasping. Cairo didn't give him time to recover. A knee to the face, not hard enough to break anything but enough to rattle his brain. Michael stumbled backward, his guard dropping.
"Yield," Cairo said, not unkindly. "You fought well, but you're done."
Michael tried to stand tall, tried to keep fighting, but his legs wouldn't cooperate. He raised one hand, the gesture heavy with defeat.
"I yield."
"Michael Chamberlain eliminated," Noah called from his chair. "Four remaining."
The dynamic shifted. With Michael gone, Dena's attention focused fully on Cairo. Shadows rose from every direction, more coordinated now, moving with clear intent.
Cairo dodged, his enhanced agility carrying him clear of the first wave. But Dena was persistent, her shadows following him, adapting to his movements. A tendril caught his ankle, and cold flooded through the contact point.
Limitbreak.
The stolen talent activated, and the drain reversed. Power surged through Cairo's body, pushing past the limitation the shadow imposed. He ripped his leg free with force that dispersed the darkness like smoke.
Dena's eyes widened. "What—"
Cairo closed the distance before she could process what had happened, his Limitbreak-enhanced speed making him nearly impossible to track. His hand caught her wrist, solid and warm, pulling her off balance.
They went down together in a controlled fall. In the scramble for position, Cairo's hand landed on her chest, fingers sinking into generous softness. The contact was electric, her body warm and yielding beneath his touch.
"Ah!" Dena made a sound that was pure surprise and embarrassment, her face flushing crimson. "That's not—get your hand—"
"Tactical positioning," Cairo said, though he moved his hand to her shoulder, establishing a proper pin. His weight pressed her down, his knee between her thighs controlling her hips.
"Well played, Starlight!" Noah called out, clearly enjoying himself. "Groping your classmate in the middle of combat. I'm jealous! When I was your age, they'd have expelled me for that kind of tactical brilliance."
"It wasn't intentional!" Cairo protested.
"Sure it wasn't," Noah drawled. "That's why you're not moving. Very tactical. Beaufort's got excellent tactical assets, I must say."
"Instructor!" Dena's voice carried mortification, her concentration broken.
But she wasn't done. Shadows erupted from beneath them, wrapping around Cairo's arms and legs. He felt his strength being drained through multiple contact points, the cold more intense than before.
Limitbreak pushed harder, his talent shattering the limitations being imposed. Cairo broke free of the shadows through sheer force, but Dena used the moment to reverse their positions.
She ended up on top of him, her body pressed against his, her purple eyes wide with a mixture of frustration and something else he couldn't quite identify. Her chest heaved with exertion, pressing against him with each breath.
"Got you," she said breathlessly.
Cairo bucked his hips, using his enhanced strength to throw her off balance. His hand caught her waist as she tried to steady herself, fingers pressing into the curve where it met her hip. The contact made her gasp, another embarrassed sound escaping her lips.
"This is so inappropriate," she breathed.
"This is combat," Cairo countered, using her moment of distraction to reverse their positions again. This time he was more careful, establishing a proper submission hold that didn't involve accidentally groping her.
Mostly.
His forearm pressed across her collarbone, controlling her upper body. His weight pinned her hips. She tried to summon shadows again, but his other hand found her wrist, pressing it to the mat.
"Yield," he said quietly.
Dena struggled, her flexibility impressive, her body contorting in ways that made maintaining the hold difficult. But Cairo's enhanced attributes and Limitbreak boost gave him the edge he needed.
"You're stronger than you should be," Dena said, still trying to escape. "That's not normal for someone from a weakened bloodline."
"Maybe the bloodline isn't as weak as everyone thinks," Cairo replied. "Yield, Dena. You fought well."
She met his eyes, searching for something. Then her body relaxed, acceptance settling over her features.
"I yield."
"Dena Beaufort eliminated," Noah announced. "Three remaining."
Cairo stood, offering Dena his hand. She took it, letting him pull her up. Her face was still flushed, whether from exertion or embarrassment or both.
"That was... interesting," she said, adjusting her uniform with shaking hands. "Next time, watch where you put your hands."
"Next time, don't try to drain my life force with shadow tentacles," Cairo countered.
Dena actually smiled at that, a genuine expression that transformed her face. "Fair."
Cairo turned his attention to the other side of the arena where the real battle had been raging uninterrupted.
Alina and Layla were still at it, and the intensity hadn't diminished. If anything, it had increased. The floor around them was torn up from the force of their exchanges. Scorch marks from friction decorated the walls. The air itself seemed to vibrate with the power they were throwing around.
Alina floated fifteen feet up now, her crimson hair whipping around her face as she hurled increasingly large objects. A entire equipment rack flew through the air like a missile. Layla cut it in half with a single stroke of her katana, her Zone extending to its maximum range to give her the reach.
"You're slowing down," Layla observed, her voice still calm despite the violence.
"You wish," Alina shot back, though Cairo could see the strain in her expression. Maintaining that level of telekinetic output for this long had to be draining.
They were so focused on each other, so absorbed in their personal duel, that they'd barely noticed Michael's elimination. They definitely hadn't noticed Dena's.
Cairo watched, analyzing their patterns. Alina's telekinesis was powerful but required intense concentration. Every major attack left her momentarily vulnerable. Layla's Zone was nearly impenetrable but had limited range. If you could stay outside it while attacking, she'd have to choose between defending and advancing.
The two of them were evenly matched, neither able to gain a decisive advantage. They could fight like this for another ten minutes easy, maybe longer.
But Cairo was done waiting.
He started moving, circling the perimeter of their battle, looking for an opening. His Limitbreak boost had faded, but his base enhanced attributes were still well above normal. Fast enough, strong enough, aware enough.
Alina sent a massive telekinetic blast toward Layla, the air itself rippling with force. Layla's Zone absorbed most of it, but the effort made her plant her feet, her mobility temporarily compromised.
Cairo struck.
He came in from Layla's blind side, fast and low. His hand found her wrist, pulling her off balance. She twisted, her katana coming around in a vicious arc that would have taken his head off if he hadn't ducked under it.
"Starlight?" Layla's surprise was evident. "When did—"
"Now!" Cairo shouted, and Alina, seeing the opportunity, pressed her advantage.
Telekinetic force slammed into Layla from the front while Cairo disrupted her from behind. Caught between two threats, her Zone flickering as she tried to defend against both directions simultaneously, Layla had no good options.
But Cairo had miscalculated. Layla was better than he'd given her credit for.
Her Zone suddenly contracted, pulling inward to a sphere barely larger than her body. Then it exploded outward with devastating force. Cairo was thrown back, his enhanced strength barely keeping him on his feet. Alina was forced to raise a telekinetic barrier, the opposing forces creating a shockwave that rattled the entire arena.
When the dust settled, all three fighters stood apart, breathing heavily.
Alina and Layla's eyes met again, and Cairo saw the moment they realized. The noise level had dropped. The chaos had diminished. Michael wasn't fighting anymore. Neither was Dena.
They turned simultaneously, their gazes finding Cairo standing alone on his side of the arena.
"When did you eliminate Beaufort?" Alina asked, her blue eyes narrowing.
"While you two were busy with each other," Cairo replied calmly.
Layla's expression remained neutral, but Cairo could see the calculation in her light blue eyes. "Chamberlain too?"
"He yielded a few minutes ago."
Silence stretched for three heartbeats as the implications sank in. While they'd been fighting each other, treating the others as irrelevant, Cairo had systematically eliminated the competition. Now it was three fighters remaining, and the two strongest had just revealed all their techniques and patterns while Cairo had held back.
Alina's bored expression transformed into something sharper. More focused.
Layla's grip on her katana tightened, her stance shifting to accommodate multiple threats.
They finally understood. Cairo Starlight, the supposedly weakest bloodline in Delta class, had just outmaneuvered them both.
The real battle was about to begin.