The desert stretched endlessly under Vrasnia's eternal night, its purple sands shimmering like pulverized amethysts beneath the violet glow of the purple moon. Tyrone and Lihanna sprinted through the dunes, their boots kicking up clouds of radiant dust, their silhouettes cutting sharp figures against the star-strewn sky. A shooting star streaked overhead, a fleeting blaze of light that caught Tyrone's blue eyes. "Did you see it, Lihanna? That shooting star just passed us!" he called, his blonde hair whipping in the wind.
Lihanna, her blue hair swaying like a cascade of sapphires, kept her blue eyes fixed forward, her voice steady but urgent. "I missed it—I was more focused on the sandstorm dead ahead."
Tyrone's gaze snapped to the horizon, where a wall of swirling purple sand loomed, a roiling beast of wind and grit. "Sandstorm? What are you—oh, never mind, I see it. So, what's the plan?"
She flashed a daring smirk, her nodachi glinting at her side. "We run through it, of course."
Tyrone's brow arched, a mix of amusement and disbelief in his expression. "You know, Lihanna, you make me look sane."
"Maybe," she replied, her smirk widening, "but it's creeping up on us. Even if we looked for shelter, we're in the middle of nowhere. We have to face-tank it."
Tyrone took a deep breath, his blue eyes narrowing. "I wasn't planning on eating sand for dinner, but let's go." As they charged toward the storm, Lihanna draped her arm over her eyes, shielding them from the onslaught, her blue hair dancing wildly. Tyrone followed, his blonde hair plastered against his face as he raised an arm to guard his vision. "Lihanna, how you holding up?" he shouted over the howling wind.
"I'm holding up fine, Tyrone—keep moving!" she called back, her voice cutting through the chaos.
"Alright, Captain!" he yelled, a grin tugging at his lips despite the grit stinging his skin.
Meanwhile, Kamaki and Felicia reached the desert's edge, their silhouettes framed against the distant storm. Felicia's eyes narrowed, her voice laced with caution. "Yeah, there's no way we're making it through that. We should wait this one out, to be honest."
Kamaki, his stance resolute, shook his head. "I would, but that storm looks like it'll last days. We took this route because it's where Tyrone and Lihanna are, and I doubt they plowed through it either—they probably took another path. Plus, there are giant sand worms in this area. The best tactic in this race is to reach the center and win, avoiding these challenges."
Felicia crossed her arms, her gaze fixed on the swirling maelstrom. "We've got two options: go around it, either through the jungle—which could waste energy since we don't know what's there—or risk the worms. We can't fly too high without disqualification, so going over it isn't an option. But can we outrun sand worms?"
Kamaki's expression darkened. "I don't know. Those things can cause earthquakes—might drop us into a pit, and then we're screwed."
Felicia nodded, her decision firm. "Then jungle it is. We'll take that route, head west-south, and ambush Raja and Hatsu."
Kamaki grinned, his eyes gleaming with strategy. "Sounds like a plan. We hit them fast and take them out."
Back in the desert, the ground beneath Tyrone and Lihanna trembled, a low rumble that set their senses ablaze. Tyrone's blue eyes widened, his voice sharp. "Looks like luck isn't on our side!"
Lihanna's gaze flicked to him, her nodachi drawn, its blade catching the moonlight. "Just run—don't fight back, keep moving!"
The ground rippled, sharp stone pillars erupting from the sand like jagged teeth, pulsing with malevolent energy. Tyrone dodged a spike, his movements fluid. "Holy shit, watch out! These things could stab you or block your path!"
Lihanna sliced through a pillar with her nodachi, the blade cleaving it into thin shards that scattered like glass. "Just don't get hit, Tyrone—these have the power to make the ground collapse."
His eyes widened, shock coloring his voice. "Wait, you for real?"
She sighed, her tone exasperated but focused. "Can't you hear it? The rocks are falling!"
Tyrone glanced back, his heart lurching as the ground behind them shattered, collapsing into a chasm. "Holy shit, you're right!" The earth buckled beneath their feet, and they leaped forward, narrowly escaping as a herd of giant sand worms surged behind them, their segmented bodies churning the desert into chaos. The crowd in the arena watched, breathless, as drone feeds captured the raw terror of Vrasnia's wilds on holographic screens.
Lihanna's eyes widened, her voice urgent. "Look, Tyrone, I see it—this is where it ends!"
Tyrone smirked, his confidence flaring. "I see it!"
"Don't stop—keep going!" she shouted, her blue hair whipping as they dodged the worms' relentless assaults—stone spikes, collapsing dunes, and snapping jaws. A massive sand worm erupted before them, its circular maw gaping wide, rows of teeth glinting like a nightmare's edge. Tyrone's blue eyes shifted to a deep purple, his aura darkening as he summoned a scythe of shadowy energy. He rushed ahead, slashing the worm's head with a swift, brutal arc, the blade cutting through its hide like a whisper of death.
Lihanna ducked beneath the beast, running under its writhing form as Tyrone soared overhead. She grabbed his arm, hurling him forward with a burst of strength. Tyrone caught her hand, his dark powers flaring, and blasted them both to the edge of the sandstorm with a surge of shadowy energy. They slid to a stop, Tyrone catching Lihanna in his arms as they collapsed onto stable ground. "We did it—we made it out of there," he panted, his voice thick with relief.
Lihanna's arms went around his neck, her breath steadying as he set her down. "Yeah, we made it," she said, her blue eyes scanning their new surroundings—a sprawling ruin of ancient stone, its weathered pillars and cracked arches shrouded in an eerie mist. "But what is this place? A ruin… one of the paths."
Tyrone muttered, his gaze sweeping the desolate landscape. "Yeah, I doubt any other team's reached this point. This was the shortest route." His eyes returned to their natural blue, the purple fading like a receding storm.
Lihanna looked at him, her expression softening. "Your instincts were quicker than mine back there. I went to slash it, but you were already on it—impressive."
Tyrone grinned, a playful glint in his eyes. "Look at you, teasing me."
She giggled, her blue hair catching the moonlight as she tossed him a mock glare. "Anyway, about this place… why do I get the feeling it's hiding something harder than what we just faced?"
Tyrone looked up, thunder roaring in the clouds above, lightning flashing like veins of raw power. "I have that feeling too. My guess is whatever challenge lies here is tied to lightning."
Lihanna threw a teasing jab, her smirk returning. "Oh? Then do I let you handle it? You're the expert when it comes to lightning."
He glanced away, his tone dry but amused. "Yeah, my feud with Raijin and those mental training sessions with Kazimir. Boy, don't I love me some lightning." His expression sobered as he studied the ruin, its shadows deepening under the storm's glow. "This place looks terrifying, honestly."
Lihanna nodded, her voice steady but laced with resolve. "I think so too, but we have to see this through."
They stood together, their silhouettes framed against the thunderous ruins, the air crackling with anticipation. Lightning split the sky, illuminating the path ahead, as Tyrone and Lihanna braced themselves, their hearts steeled for the unknown trials lurking in the storm's embrace, under Vrasnia's unyielding night.