The arena was gone. The battleground was now a vast expanse of barren wasteland surrounded by jagged cliffs and rocky terrain. The sky above was overcast. The remaining matches would be fought here. There were no spectators, no barriers, no medics waiting on the sidelines… nothing.
Inside the Starlight ship, the crew gathered around the hologram display.
"This is it! Cap's up first in that three-way fight. Think she'll have a hard time?" Jinx asked.
"With the captain? Please. They don't stand a chance." Rorik chimed in.
Talon stood at the back leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.
The hologram crackled as the names of the competitors flashed on the screen.
On one part of the battlefield, Elara stood still, her sword sheathed with a calm expression on her face. Her CPI scanner came to life in her eye as she looked across from her at Raze and Vorun who exchanged a troublesome glance.
"Hey, Vorun, what do you say? We take her down together and sort out the scraps after?" Raze asked.
Raze: 445,000 CPI
"Sounds like a plan." Vorun replied without a second thought.
Vorun: 495,000 CPI
The two made their move.
Raze's grey essence flared around him. He raised his hand that had a black tech-infused glove on it, his long turquoise fingertips poking out. A high-pitched screech began to enveloped the entire battlefield. It was disorienting, the very air seemed to vibrate and he began to launch sonic blasts toward Elara.
At the same time, Vorun's grey crystal body began to grow light blue crystals from his shoulders, arms, and hands. He slammed his crystal-encrusted fists into the ground, sending shards of crystal shooting toward her like a wall of spears.
Elara easily dodged the onslaught of sonic blasts and crystal shards, but the relentless barrage of attacks thrown out forced her back.
Raze and Vorun pressed forward, sensing that they had her on the ropes. They exchanged a cocky glance.
"What's the matter, Elara? Thought you were supposed to be some kind of legendary star traveler. You think you're better than us huh? You elves ain't worth shit, just like that filthy human on your crew." Raze said while laughing.
"It seems she was all hype my friend, I do not see anything impressive here." Vorun added with a grunty voice.
Their essence flared around them wildly, reaching high in the air before merging together. Raze brought his hands together. Each fingertip touched with another on the opposite hand creating a resonating pulse that distorted the air in the entire battlefield, even around Elara.
Vorun's body shimmered with crystals and ginormous ones began to emerge from the ground, waiting to be unleashed. As they prepared a combined attack, their cockiness grew.
Inside the Starlight, the crew was tense. Finn leaned in closer, her eyes wide with worry.
"Come on, captain… do something…" He mumbled worriedly.
But then, something happened. Elara's red essence flared to life around her subtly, not as much as Vorun or Raze's. For the first time in the tournament, her graceful and calm demeanor cracked.
"Wait… wh–what's happening?!" Raze asked, completely rattled by the change of her presence.
His CPI scanner flickered in his grey eye allowing him to catch a small glimpse of the figure.
Elara: 12—
But it was too late… her arm moved.
She unleashed a horizontal swing, her sword still sheath. The air itself seemed to buckle in on itself under the force of her swing. The sheer air pressure from it alone shattered the combined onslaught of sound waves and crystal shards.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!!
A deafening explosion rocked the battlefield, sending shockwaves across the landscape.
Inside the Starlight, the crew erupted in cheers.
Jinx took a swig of her outrageously large drink and spoke up.
"That's the captain for you! She's so scary when she gets serious!"
However, in the back, Talon remained silent. She kept her arms crossed as she stared at the screen.
As the dust settled on the battlefield, Elara stood in the center, her essence dwindling down to nothing. In the distance, both Raze and Vorun laid in the dirt unconscious.
The announcer's voice crackled through the speakers of a drone flying overhead.
"Th-The winner is… Elara!"
Elara began to walk off, her cold angry gaze softening slightly as she spotted Kaito in the distance. He was walking toward the battlefield preparing for his match with Myzen. They passed each other without speaking, but as they walked by, they exchanged a fist bump.
Inside the Starlight, the crew watched anxiously as the next match was about to begin.
"Hell yeah! The kid is next up!" Jinx said as she grabbed a larger drink and some snacks before plopping down right in front of the projection.
Kaito stepped onto the battlefield. In the distance, Myzen approached from the opposite direction. The two locked eyes, neither of them speaking as they slowly walked toward each other.
They stopped mere inches from each other, standing toe to toe. The viewers that watched from the holograms could feel the tension crackling between them.
No words were needed.
Their eyes said everything, this wasn't just a fight…
This was war.