The ocean went silent.
Above the water, the First Ring pulsed once—slow, deliberate—like a heartbeat waking from sleep.
Then the sea answered.
A deep metallic note rang out.
DONG.
The surface of the ocean fractured into glowing geometric lines as something massive rose from beneath the waves. Crystal plates locked together midair, forming a colossal combat platform suspended between sky and sea.
The First Combat Arena had awakened.
The Arena Opens
Mist rolled across the platform as the trio stepped forward.
Ren walked first, staff resting low against his back, eyes already mapping angles and distance.
Rina followed close behind, both hands wrapped around her staff, bells chiming softly with each breath.
Kai rolled his shoulders, chains clinking, excitement radiating off him like heat.
The stands filled rapidly—elves from every isle, aura specialists, merchants, duel-watchers, and fighters already eliminated but eager to witness the chaos.
A commentator's voice boomed across the arena.
"WELCOME TO TRIAL THREE!"
"THE FIRST COMBAT STAGE!"
"NO ELIMINATIONS—JUST SHOW US WHAT YOU'VE GOT!"
Kai waved enthusiastically.
Rina shrank behind Ren.
Ren didn't look up.
The Rivals Arrive
Four portals flared open across the arena floor.
From them stepped their opponents.
Veyrin Fael — Moon-thread duelist, silver-eyed and precise.
Liria Vess — Frost-limbs specialist, calm and calculating.
Taros 'Ember Jaw' Dryne — Heat brawler, massive fists steaming.
Echo-Line Quill — Sound rhythm fighter, humming softly as the air vibrated around him.
The commentator nearly screamed.
"THE FOUR SIGILS!"
"DISCIPLINED! DEADLY! AND STATISTICALLY VERY RUDE!"
Kai cracked his knuckles.
"We're outnumbered."
Ren replied calmly. "Good."
The announcer crystal flashed.
FIGHT.
Chaos Ignites
Taros charged first—fists blazing.
Ren met the punch with a single staff tap.
The shockwave rippled across the arena.
Rina slammed her staff down, petals spiraling outward to shield them.
Echo hummed a sharp note—
Kai spun his chain, breaking the frequency mid-air.
"Nice try!"
Veyrin's moon-threads sliced through the air toward Ren.
Ren countered with fingertip wires—silver sparks scattering.
Liria struck at Rina with frost blades.
Rina dodged instinctively, bells ringing once.
The arena became a storm of color, sound, and movement.
Rina's Bloom
Liria trapped Rina inside a rising frost cage.
Rina froze—then closed her eyes.
Bell chime.
"Orbit."
Petals ignited.
They spiraled outward in a blooming wave, shattering the ice instantly and launching Liria backward across the arena.
The crowd erupted.
Rina stared at her hands, breathless.
Ren's Precision
Veyrin moved faster—threads slicing in complex patterns.
Ren stepped forward.
For a moment, the world slowed.
Silver wires formed sharp angles around him, mapping the battlefield.
"Line."
A single flick.
Veyrin's entire formation collapsed.
He staggered, stunned.
The announcer crystal flared.
"PRECISION RATING: EXCEPTIONAL."
Kai Unleashed
Taros slammed his fists together, flames exploding outward.
Kai grinned.
"I love this guy."
Chains lashed forward, wrapping Taros' arm. Using the momentum, Kai flipped him overhead and slammed him into the ground hard enough to rattle the arena.
The commentator lost his mind.
Perfect Sync
Echo stepped forward, humming deeper.
The arena shook.
The Sigils regrouped, moving as one.
Ren saw it instantly.
"Their rhythm," he said sharply.
"Now."
Rina leapt without hesitation—petals forming steps midair.
Kai anchored his chains.
Ren positioned behind them.
The announcer crystal flashed gold.
HARMONY LEVEL: 100%.
The Sigils charged.
The trio moved.
Together.
The Finish
Petals, chains, and threads merged into a tri-colored storm.
They struck as one.
The collision shattered crystal skyward.
When the dust settled, the Sigils lay defeated—breathing, shaken, but alive.
Veyrin looked up, smiling faintly.
"Your harmony… is dangerous."
Ren met his gaze.
"We don't rely," he said.
"We resonate."
Victory
"VICTORY: TEAM KAI."
The arena erupted.
Rina lifted her staff shyly.
Kai flexed dramatically.
Ren simply nodded once.
Above them, the Rings shifted slightly.
Something unseen stirred.
The storm was coming.
© 2026 Tamaurio Jenkins
All Glory To The Most High God
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