"Move!" I shouted, diving sideways. The stone lances slammed into the ground where I'd been, dirt and dust exploding upward.
Ray blocked one with his sword, but the force still threw him back a step.
Maya cast Water Jet in return, a clean stream of blue slicing forward — but the spell just bounced harmlessly off another transparent barrier.
I exhaled sharply, crouching low. "Yeah… they're better than we thought."
Ray glanced at me. "You think?"
We regrouped, standing side by side. Maya came up behind us, breathing quickly.
"That shield spell of hers is ridiculous," I said, eyeing the redhead. "It's not just strong — it's fast. She can react instantly."
Ray's jaw tightened. "Then we make her focus on me."
I blinked. "You volunteering to be bait?"
He shrugged. "If it works."
I couldn't help but grin. "Alright, brave of you. Let's make it count. I'll use quick Step to get behind them when you engage. She can't shield two directions at once."
Ray nodded once. Maya adjusted her stance and nocked another arrow.
"Ready," she said.
The next few minutes were chaos.
Ray charged first, swinging his broad sword in powerful arcs, each blow ringing out against the shimmering shield. Sparks flew every time his blade hit. The redhead barely flinched — her lips kept moving, keeping the shield up.
Her teammates fired spell after spell — small explosions, spinning rocks, blasts of air. Dust filled the arena, and I could hear the crowd murmuring.
I darted in and out, using Flash Step in bursts, trying to look for an opening. Every time I thought I had one, another spell came flying.
Ten minutes of back-and-forth later, my lungs burned, sweat dripping down my temple. They were good. Very good. Their teamwork was seamless — they covered for each other perfectly, never straying too far apart.
We'd taken more hits, but thanks to my healing, we were still standing. Barely.
Maya's voice cut through the din. "We're not breaking that shield at this rate!"
She wasn't wrong.
Ray growled low, frustration bleeding into his movements. But then, suddenly, I saw it — a flicker in the redhead's focus, just for a heartbeat.
"Now," I whispered.
Ray moved instantly, slamming his sword forward again. It hit the shield dead-on, and I saw it — a ripple, the faintest shimmer of instability. That was my cue.
I vanished.
The world blurred around me, the ground whipping past in a rush of wind. For a moment, I was nothing but motion.
When I reappeared, I was behind them.
The three girls stiffened, realizing too late. Their heads whipped around, eyes wide.
"Hi," I said, before swinging the blunt side of my sword into the redhead's side.
The impact echoed — a sharp, loud thud. She screamed as she was thrown to the ground, rolling several feet before stopping.
"Crap," I muttered, wincing. I hadn't meant to hit that hard.
But there was no time to hesitate. I pivoted, striking the other two girls quickly, just hard enough to send them sprawling. Ray moved in front of them, his sword lowered in warning.
The proctor hadn't even called it yet, but it was clear — the fight was over.
The crowd roared, clapping and shouting. I could hear people calling things like, "Did you see that speed?!" and "That team's insane!"
Ray wiped his blade clean and looked at me. "You hit her pretty hard."
"Yeah," I said sheepishly. "I noticed."
Maya jogged up, breathing hard, sweat on her forehead. "Good teamwork though. You almost gave me a heart attack with that vanish trick."
"Almost?" I asked, grinning.
"Don't push it," she said, smirking back.
The proctor finally raised her hand. "Team Seven wins."
Cheers went up again.
But my eyes went back to the redhead. She was sitting up now, clutching her left arm, her face twisted in pain. Her robe was dusty, her hair slightly mussed — but what caught my eye was how her arm hung at a bad angle.
I sighed. Guilt hit me like a weight in my chest.
I sheathed my sword and walked over, kneeling beside her. "Here, let me help."
She glared up at me, clearly torn between pride and pain. "I don't need—"
Her sentence cut off when she tried to move her arm. The pain made her wince, her lips tightening.
"Yeah, you do," I said softly. I held out my hand, palm glowing faintly with green light. "Hold still."
She hesitated, eyes flicking to my face. Then she sighed, giving in, extending her injured arm.
I placed my hand over hers. Warm light spread from my palm, wrapping around her limb. Slowly, the tension in her shoulders eased. Her breathing steadied. The bone shifted slightly back into place with a soft crack sound, and she gasped, more in surprise than pain.
When it was done, she flexed her fingers experimentally. Her eyes widened. "It doesn't hurt anymore."
I smiled faintly. "Guess it worked."
She looked up at me again — really looked this time — and a faint blush colored her cheeks. "Thank you."
Her voice was quiet, a little embarrassed.
"No problem," I said, smiling. "Sorry for the hit, by the way. Got a little carried away."
She gave a small, reluctant smile. "I noticed."
I chuckled, then stood, offering her my hand again. She hesitated only a moment before taking it. Her hand was small, warm — she stood slowly, brushing off her robe.
When she met my eyes, there was something softer there now.
Then she turned away quickly, muttering, "Don't think this means we're friends."
I grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Back in the stands, Maya was waiting with her arms crossed, smirking like a cat that caught a mouse.
"So," she said, "our heroic healer saves the pretty redhead. How gallant."
I groaned. "Don't start."
"Oh, I'm just saying," she continued innocently. "You looked really worried about her. Very gentlemanly. Maybe even… charming?"
Ray snorted. "He's a ladykiller."
Maya burst out laughing. "See? Even he agrees!"
I rubbed my face. "You two are unbearable."
"Hey, I'm just calling it like I see it," Maya said. "She was blushing."
"She was in pain!" I said defensively.
Maya wiggled her eyebrows. "Uh-huh. Sure."
Ray leaned back, arms crossed. "If you're done flirting, we should rest before the next round."
"I wasn't flirting!" I said quickly.
Neither of them replied — just twin smirks from both sides.
I sighed. "I need new teammates."
Maya chuckled. "Nope, you're stuck with us."
I smiled despite myself. "Guess I am."
We sat there in comfortable silence for a while, watching the next teams battle. The noise of the crowd washed over us — cheers, shouts, bursts of magic lighting the platforms.
The fourth round was behind us, and though my body ached, a strange sense of excitement thrummed through me. We were doing it. Really doing it.
Maya leaned forward, resting her chin on her knees. "You know," she said softly, "we actually make a pretty good team."
I nodded, glancing at Ray, who didn't deny it — though he muttered something that sounded suspiciously like agreement.
"Yeah," I said quietly, watching another explosion of light from a nearby platform. "We do."
For the first time since the selection started, I let myself relax — just a little.
The fights weren't over, but for now, we'd earned our small victory.
And, maybe, a bit of teasing along the way.