Exam 3

Once inside, they saw their real challenge:

Five guards remained at the flag—the team captain and four defenders.

Lirien and the rest silently spread out, positioning themselves behind supply crates and tents.

Then, Lirien gave the signal.

Ren canceled the illusion, revealing their true numbers.

Three Red members tackled the wind mage before he could react, pinning his arms.

Another four members swarmed the sensory mage, cutting off his vision with dust and holding his mouth shut.

The three physical fighters noticed the ambush too late.

Raven charged the largest of them, ducking under a wild punch before ramming her knee into the man's gut.

A teammate grabbed another fighter's legs and yanked him down while two others jumped on him.

The final White fighter tried to escape with the flag, but one of Red's scouts sprinted after him and tackled him to the ground.

Within forty-five seconds, Team White's inner defenses were completely dismantled.

Victory wasn't secured yet.

They had the flag.

But now, White's entire defense team had realized they'd been tricked.

From the barricade, shouts of fury rang out.

"IT'S A TRICK! THEY'RE INSIDE!"

The Team White defenders rushed back toward the center, faces twisted in anger.

Lirien they couldn't fight all of them.

"GO!" She shouted, grabbing the flag herself and sprinting toward the forest.

Her team followed, scattering in multiple directions to confuse their pursuers.

Ren cast an illusion of multiple Red members running in different paths.

Another mage created a mist cloud, blurring their escape.

Two members deliberately got caught to delay White's forces.

By the time Team White reorganized, Lirien was already deep in the forest, holding their flag.

Mission complete.

#

For the next one hour each team was at war with another. Draco himself took watch of everything while up in the air. Every 30 minutes,he would let out a roar.

For the recruits, each roar served as a ticking time bomb. By the time the third roar came,the battle became hotter. Each team leader was trying to come up with more plans,every recruit become more aware of their surroundings and traps. It became harder to deceive their opponents.

Of course,by then a lot of recruits had lost their bands and were back to the field. Some teams was very unfortunate to have lost their flag to another team,this lead to the whole team being disqualified, band taken or not.

To the remaining recruits this meant more competition.

#

The thick canopy overhead shrouded the forest in shifting shadows, the air damp with the scent of moss and earth. Team Blue had chosen their base wisely—a secluded clearing near a shallow stream, surrounded by dense foliage that provided natural cover. It had served them well so far. They had crushed two teams already, securing two flags and over 120 bands. Their numbers had dwindled to twenty-five, but their spirits remained high.

Then,a sharp whistle sliced through the forest, followed by a sudden explosion of dust and dirt.

Attack.

Before anyone could react, the first wave of Yellow surged forward, a blur of bodies emerging from the trees. They weren't reckless—they came in tight, coordinated groups, using the trees as cover. The mages among them whipped up more dirt and leaves, creating a thick haze that obscured visibility.

Blue braced. They couldn't see well—but they could hear. The crunch of leaves, the snap of twigs, the sudden rush of air before impact—

The first clash was brutal.

Vaelen, Team Blue's Captain, barely had time to shout an order before two Yellow fighters lunged at him. He ducked low, narrowly avoiding a sweeping kick. Instead of backing away, he stepped into their space, using his momentum to ram his shoulder into one's ribs. The impact sent him stumbling back.

The second attacker grabbed for his headband, fingers grazing his temple. Vaelen twisted sharply, grabbing his wrist mid-air and using his own weight to pull him forward. Off-balance, he tumbled to the ground with a grunt.

Nearby, Blue's frontliners engaged the main bulk of Yellow. It was a clash of raw strength and skill.

One Blue fighter sidestepped a charging opponent, twisting his body and using a leg sweep to send them sprawling.

Another locked arms with a Yellow member in a brutal struggle, muscles tensing as they wrestled for control. They gritted their teeth, feet digging into the damp soil.

A scout from Blue ducked and wove through the chaos, hands moving fast—he snatched headbands right off distracted enemies before darting away again.

The battlefield was shifting constantly—no weapons, no magic, just raw hand-to-hand combat.

Yellow had the numbers. Blue had experience.

Instead of fighting in a cluster,they spit themselves into three groups, even as the fight was going on. They used the hand symbols they were taught to communicate.

Vaelen and 9 other fighters served as decoy. They engaged Yellow head-on, making it seem like they were on the defensive. They allowed Yellow to push them back slowly, step by step, while 10 other fighters hid within the trees, waiting for the perfect moment.

Meanwhile the remaining 5 were tasked to weave through the battle and get the enemy flag.

As Yellow pushed forward, thinking they had the advantage, Aerin gave the silent signal.

Blue's flankers burst from the underbrush.

Orren,mid-charge, suddenly had someone crashing into his side, knocking the wind from his lungs. Another found themselves yanked backward, arm twisted behind them as their headband was stolen in one swift motion.

Vaelen himself ducked under a wild punch, grabbing the attacker's collar and using their momentum against them—he spun, sending them flipping over his hip.

While the battle raged, Blue's Flag Runners had slipped away unseen.

A young scout named Lian moved low and fast, barely disturbing the leaves beneath her feet. Her heartbeat was steady, her breathing controlled. She spotted the enemy's flag. Hanging off a low branch, guarded by three members.

She made a signal and told three teammates to stay back,she took a slow breath.

Then, she moved. Her footsteps silent against the damp forest floor. Her body remained low, movements fluid as she weaved between trees, every step calculated.

The first guard barely had time to react.

Lian lunged forward, twisting her body mid-air and landing silently behind them. Before they could turn, her arm snaked around their throat, cutting off their breath for a split second—just enough to make them stumble.

At the same time, Jian, one of her teammates in this mission, exploded from the side.

The second guard turned too late—Jian's shoulder slammed into their ribs, sending them sprawling into the underbrush.

Only one guard left.

Lian pivoted, eyes locking onto the flag—but someone else was already there.