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Koji sat on the ground, his eyes fixed on the distance.
“Sitting here won’t help us get the flag,” he said.
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“Logan’s facing off against Cassandra, but who knows if he’ll succeed? And Sakura and Kokoro... no one knows how strong that new girl is. [Sigh] What a pain.”
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He paused, collecting his thoughts.
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“Her clan’s ability is love,” Ori Kaito explained. “She can make anything capable of loving fall deeply in love with her. With a single word, she can command them—but only one person at a time. I doubt she’s strong enough to control both Kokoro and Sakura.”
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“That’s some crazy power,” Koji replied, standing up. “Have a nice day, Ori.”
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As Koji walked away, Ori watched him disappear into the trees. Then, without warning, he vanished into a thick fog.
Unbeknownst to Koji, the Ori Kaito he had been with all along was actually a clone—and not the real one
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Group Three and Five
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“Staying together is our best chance of winning this,” Lia Matsumoto declared. Her rich, dark brown hair and amber-gold eyes exuded elegance. Standing at 5'6", she stood confidently beside Yui Nakahara and Shinji Inoue, forming a united front.
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Just then, James, Jane, and Naoki revealed themselves.
Step
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“Hand over your flag,” James demanded, flanked by his teammates. “You’re only three, and surrounded—we’ve each created clones all around. There’s nowhere to run.”
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Naoki, standing atop a nearby ridge, added, “In your current position, Lia Matsumoto, you have no right to refuse. Hand it over.”
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Yui Nakahara smiled mischievously. “Why do you think we ventured this deep into the forest? We knew you were coming. Lia has been monitoring every single person in this forest—including Kokoro’s team, Cassandra’s team, and Renna’s—thanks to her Verdantia clan abilities.”
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As a member of the Verdantia clan, Lia could transform into plants and command them. Her connection to nature was unparalleled—she was born from a plant herself.
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“I, on the other hand, as a Petragoria clan member, can create golems,” Yui continued. Her silky, silver-blonde hair cascaded down her back, framing her bright sapphire-blue eyes. She stood about 5'1".
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Shinji Inoue, an Anthropos clan member, could control and tame any beast. He also had the power to shapeshift into any creature he desired. The tallest among them at 5'4", his spiky jet-black hair was streaked with piercing emerald green, matching the sharp angles of his golden-amber eyes.
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Suddenly, the forest began to rumble. Birds scattered into the sky as the ground cracked open.
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Giant golems—and smaller ones—materialized, encircling James, Jane, and Naoki.
The predators had become the prey.
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The sound of the golems echoed through the forest, their towering heads visible even from a distance.
SCREAM
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Defeated, James, Jane, and Naoki surrendered their flag.
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“So, in other words, you knew we were coming?” Jane spat, her face twisted in anger.
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Yui’s smile widened. “Sucks to be you. You should’ve listened to Mason’s idea.”
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Maya’s voice rang out,
“First team to claim two flags: Lia Matsumoto, Yui Nakahara, and Shinji Inoue!”
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The trio stood victorious, their bond and unique abilities proving unbeatable.
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Mason vs. Cassandra
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“As you can see, I obtained Logan’s flag before you could,” Mason said with a smirk. “My team may be weak, but I don’t need them. My goal is to collect all three flags—yours, Logan’s, and Leo’s.”
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Cassandra charged at Mason with a flurry of punches, but he effortlessly blocked most of them with one hand. She retreated, unleashing a massive blast of flames. Mason casually deflected the fire using air manipulation.
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A lightning bolt struck, but Mason was prepared. He manipulated the earth, summoning three boulders as a shield. The bolt destroyed them all.
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“Petty tricks won’t get you anywhere,” Mason said, accelerating toward her.
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With a single punch, he sent her flying into a nearby tree. Cassandra rebounded instantly, using the tree as a springboard. She channeled Eno energy into her hand, combining all four elements. The enhanced punch struck Mason, breaking his bone.
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The force of her blow uprooted the tree she used for momentum. Though Mason blocked it, the damage was done.
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Holding his broken arm, Mason channeled Eno energy to accelerate his healing. His bone repaired instantly.
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“You’ve improved,” he acknowledged. “Time to take you seriously.”
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Mason clapped his hands, generating a harmonized convergence of air, earth, and flame energies. The resonant frequency vibrated the earth, releasing heat and causing Cassandra to bleed from her nose and mouth.
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“What the hell was that?” she gasped, barely able to move.
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As Mason prepared to clap again, Cassandra used detection and saw the shockwave carrying tiny molecules. She clapped back, canceling his attack.
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“Impossible,” Mason exclaimed. “You learned that in just two attempts?”
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Cassandra healed gradually, blew her nose to clear the blood, then created five clones that charged at Mason.
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He dodged them all, blocking their punches. As Cassandra circled him looking for an opening, she leapt in with a powerful punch.
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But Mason vanished—teleported. Her attack distorted and destroyed her own clones.
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“Teleportation?! You’ve unlocked Dio energy!” she exclaimed.
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Mason formed a blade made of Dio energy. With a single slash, he cut through the air. Cassandra dodged, but the wind slash tore through the forest, clearing entire trees.
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She coated herself with Eno energy to block his strikes, but the blade inflicted damage each time, slowly wearing her down.
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“I’m not done yet!” she yelled, refusing to give up.
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Mason laughed. “You’re a mess. This could’ve been avoided if you just surrendered the flag.”
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She hurled a spear at him. He blocked it with a Dio shield, but the spear pierced through and left a scratch on his face. The spear vanished instantly.
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“How did she break through my Dio shield?” he wondered.
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Cassandra stood firm. Using detection, Mason noticed Dio energy flowing from her body.
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Mystic Lythoria – ARISTO Class
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“Dio energy—the power of creation. A power every living being possesses, but only a few can unlock,” the instructor began.
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“There are four stages of Dio:
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1. Unlocking Dio
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2. First Tier Dio—the highest most beings can reach
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3. Second Tier Dio—rarer and more powerful
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4. Third Tier Dio—said to be the power of creation itself
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“With Dio, you can manipulate the elements just like with Eno, but at a greater scale. You gain enhanced speed, strength, teleportation, and advanced techniques depending on your Dio level.”
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Drake raised his hand. “Even bring back the dead?”
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“Yes,” the instructor replied, “though there’s no proof. But since it’s the power of creation, it’s believed to be possible.”
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Cassandra vs. Mason (Final Phase)
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“Impossible! You’re nothing compared to what I can do!” Mason sneered, teleporting behind Cassandra.
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She sensed him. As he struck with his sword, she dodged, grabbed his arm, and hurled him toward a massive tree.
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Mason narrowly avoided impact, flying past Renn Ava, Leo Shimon, Amit Rafael, and Gideon Noah—who were battling Ori Kaito, Akira, and Hesper.
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Mason cleared most of ori clones
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Ori seized the moment.
“Hey, Ori took the flag!” Renn shouted.
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Ori swiftly created hundreds of clones, each holding a flag—sowing confusion among them.
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Meanwhile, Cassandra sensed Mason’s teleportation again. She teleported behind him. They both unleashed elemental attacks using Dio energy.
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The collision sent shockwaves through the forest, clearing the central area. Teams were blown away. Hesper shielded her face, and Leo protected his team with a massive boulder.
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“Give up, Mason!” Cassandra shouted, her Dio-powered punch landing hard.
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Mason crumpled, unconscious.
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“Finally... I’m stronger,” Cassandra whispered, collapsing beside him. “You were wrong. Ori Kaito had our flag all along.”
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Mystic Lythoria – Sickbay
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Cassandra groggily sat up in bed, wincing. “Ouch... that hurts.”
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Hesper sat beside her, smiling. “You’re awake. You passed out—but we won thanks to you. We secured all three flags. I never thought humans could be this strong and it seems you’ve unlocked Dio, just at the right time "
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Cassandra beamed with pride, feeling a newfound bond with Hesper. As exhaustion returned, she drifted peacefully back to sleep.
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