The battlefield had evolved.
What began as calculated strategy had transformed into relentless survival.
Warriors no longer fought with patience alone. Movements sharpened. Decisions accelerated. Every clash carried urgency, every maneuver tinged with desperation.
The scoreboard flickered overhead.
Points tightening.
No clear victor.
High above, Elena watched with growing fascination, silver eyes reflecting the shifting tides of battle.
Yes… now they feel it.
Pressure.
Fatigue.
Fear of losing.
In the beastfolk zone, the tiger and snake warriors found themselves cornered by dark elf fighters. Their movements, once fluid and dominant, now strained under constant assaults.
Defeat loomed.
Until—
A surge from the water.
A merfolk warrior burst into the skirmish, intercepting a dark elf strike with violent precision. The battlefield froze for half a heartbeat.
Then exploded.
"THE MERFOLK ARE INTERVENING?!"
Gasps rippled through the arena.
An alliance.
Unplanned.
Unexpected.
The dark elves adjusted instantly, but the disruption had already shifted momentum. Beastfolk warriors seized the opening, pushing forward with renewed aggression.
Elena's lips curved slightly.
Ah… survival instincts overriding pride.
Good.
Across another zone, the elves and humans collided in a breathtaking exchange of speed and precision. No wasted movement. No hesitation. Flags nearly changed hands twice within seconds.
Points balanced.
Tension rising.
Meanwhile—
The orcs advanced like an unstoppable force.
Garuk Stoneclaw's warriors, intoxicated by their comeback, pressed relentlessly. Their movements carried brutal confidence now, each strike backed by certainty.
Another flag fell.
Cheers detonated.
"Elves losing ground!"
"Orcs climbing again!"
But dominance never lasted.
Human warriors, adapting rapidly, redirected their assault—not toward weaker teams—
But toward the orcs.
A strategic suppression.
The crowd roared.
Even Elena leaned forward slightly.
Ahhh… now this is interesting.
Temporary alignment.
Enemies cooperating against a rising threat.
Orc warriors suddenly found themselves under coordinated assault. Precision met brute force. Speed clashed with raw power. Teleports flashed repeatedly.
Points deducted.
Momentum wavering.
Elsewhere—
A human warrior broke through.
Not toward enemies.
Toward the center.
Elena's zone.
Her flag.
The entire arena held its breath.
If captured—
Immediate victory.
The warrior sprinted, weaving through collapsing skirmishes, desperation driving impossible speed.
The crowd rose.
Rulers leaned forward.
Azrael stilled.
Elena watched.
Silent.
Oh? So close?
The warrior's hand reached forward—
Touched the flag—
And reality fractured.
The ground dissolved.
The sky twisted.
The battlefield rippled violently like disturbed water.
Shockwaves tore across every zone.
Warriors staggered.
Cries of confusion erupted.
"What is happening?!"
"The terrain—!"
The crystal scoreboard flickered violently.
New words burned into existence.
FINAL PHASE ACTIVATED
BOUNDARIES REMOVED
ALL FLAGS VISIBLE
Silence.
Then absolute madness.
The invisible barriers separating zones vanished instantly.
Warriors froze in disbelief.
Every team exposed.
Every flag revealed.
No safe territory.
No isolated battles.
The arena detonated into chaos.
"Elimination phase?!"
"THIS WASN'T IN THE RULES!"
Warriors collided immediately, strategies collapsing under the sudden shift. Alliances strained. Defensive formations shattered. Attacks erupted from every direction.
High above—
Elena leaned back slowly.
Silver eyes glowing.
Satisfied.
Why would I reveal every rule?
Where would the fun be in that?