Missing the Mark

"At least we learned a lot from this match," Jace said, reflecting on what they had just seen. "More than anything, it's clear they're missing arguably the most important thing when it comes to duels."

All the main duelists from both teams nodded.

"Experience," they all said in unison.

It didn't really matter how much power you had, if you had no idea how to use it, it meant nothing.

As the remaining rounds played out, both groups found themselves growing increasingly disappointed with Team Ulysses' overall performance.

The two on two match followed a similar pattern to the first duel. This time, at least, the contestants from Team Ulysses weren't blindly hurling spells like the man in round one. There was some restraint, some awareness.

But their teamwork? Practically nonexistent.

Strategy? Missing entirely.

The only real threat they posed came from their increased mana reserves and raw magical output.

Even so, it wasn't enough.

Team Gabriel's duo handled them cleanly, overwhelming them with coordination, adaptability, and precise execution. They played off each other like they'd been practicing for years, and the results spoke for themselves:

Final score: 5–0.

Another decisive win.

But Jace wasn't happy. If anything, his brow furrowed deeper.

"Technically, they were stronger than the last guy," he said, arms crossed as the arena began to shift again. "But it felt like they'd never fought as a team. Did they just throw two random people in? No synergy at all."

"Agreed," Aurora said, her confusion clear in her tone. "It felt like they hadn't practiced with each other before."

"Reminds me of trying to do construction work," Orion murmured. "Except they forgot to bring anything like nails or glue, nothing to hold it together."

"It's more like they don't even know what nails are," Harper scoffed.

The arena finished adjusting to the familiar scene of the Target Challenge, the large tower forming once again.

"So… they're going to get crushed here, right?" Ethan asked. "I mean, the first three have already proven that they don't know how to properly aim, so there's no way that these two are going to prove any different."

Jace and the others didn't respond right away. Their eyes were already fixed on the shifting arena as the final pieces of the tower and track locked into place.

"I agree with Ethan, this event's about precision," Jace finally said. "It's not just aiming spells, but knowing when to commit and how to adjust your spells on the fly."

"It's all about timing, positioning… Coordination," Aurora added. "Everything they've struggled with so far."

Orion folded his arms, leaning back, shaking his head. "It's going to be brutal isn't it?"

The group only answered with nods as both teams took their places.

"Do we know anything about these two?" Selene asked, looking mainly at Aurora and Hannah.

"Not really," Hannah replied. "But honestly at this point I'm just hoping that they aren't like the others, that they don't have the strange power."

There was no argument there, they were all hoping at least a little bit that at least some of Ulysses's team had avoided whatever this power was.

The match started, and their hopes were immediately dashed.

Both participants from Team Ulysses started firing a mass of spells, going with accuracy by volume, instead of actually going for precise shots.

"This… This is stupid." Astra said in disbelief.

"Watching this is pissing me off," Orion said, clenching his fists. "Don't they realize that accuracy has to be part of the scoring?"

"Technically we don't know that it is part of the scoring," Lyra pointed out. "I mean it makes sense that it does, but maybe they think just hitting every target scores higher.

The barrage of uncoordinated magic continued as they progressed into the later rounds.

"They're just... wasting mana," Ethan muttered, his brows drawn tight. "Do they even know how to aim?"

"They're not even tracking the moving targets," Selene added, frustration clear in her voice. "They're just reacting to whatever shows up. Absolutely no plan at all."

Aurora leaned forward slightly, her eyes scanning the layout of the challenge. "No utility spells either. Nothing like Elias's slowing field. It's like they don't even know how to set up a shot."

Jace's gaze remained steady. "They're treating this like a raw power test," he said. "But this event was designed to reward intelligence and creativity."

A glance at Team Gabriel's side made the contrast even starker.

Their pair moved with calm precision, clearing each wave like clockwork. One of them used wind magic to nudge a fast moving target into their partner's line of fire, where it was instantly blasted apart.

"Just look at the difference," Jace said, his voice low with disbelief. "That was a clean combo."

"They're using less mana too," Harper noted. "Probably half as much, and still hitting more targets."

"They're almost as efficient as you two were," Aurora said, glancing at Orion and Elias.

"Maybe," Orion said with a shrug, a slow grin spreading across his face. "But we were still better."

Finally, the tension cracked, just enough. Orion's casual confidence pulled a few smiles, the weight in the air lifting slightly.

Even if it was just for a moment.