The Other Side/Rise Of The Crow

Shortly after our little break, the round finally ended and we discovered quite a bit. For one while some groups died while in the forest, most were just lost and were found by the instructors fighting off Colossi. Two, Urmac's theory was confirmed as they admitted to all of us that this was a test of how well we could work on the fly and whether we were good at forming alliances for a greater goal. With the contestants cut down and our bodies tired we're now being informed what the second round will be.

We're all back at the Coliseum at night with a bunch of torches surrounding us so we can see. King Tolivert and Master Elyon are standing in front of all of us as we eagerly wait. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Mine is staring us down with a fiery glare as I can tell she's ticked off that we bested her. I hope I'll get a chance to fight her eventually.

"Welcome back! The first round was quite interesting and we got to see a few of your skills on display! However, the next round will be a true test for all of you which is going to push you to your very limits from a physical standpoint and a mental standpoint!" King Tolivert declares as everyone looks really nervous.

"The first was about seeing if you all could put your pride to the side and fight with people you normally wouldn't for the greater good of your mission. But this one is going to be a true test of how far all of you have come!" Master Elyon adds.

"There is no one that knows any of you better than your own instructors! They've watched your growth from the very beginning and are one of the main reasons you're even semi-competent right now. So with that in mind, all 10 of the remaining teams will face off against their instructors in an all-out battle!" King Tolivert announces as everyone looks astonished.

"The goal of this is to see whether you guys can face off against Goliath's finest and use your teamwork to defeat your instructors! Yes, you heard correctly you will have to defeat your instructors!" Master Elyon explains as people start chattering in the crowd.

"But, we understand that all of you need some rest so take the day off tomorrow and prepare yourself for the next round! All of you are dismissed !" King Tolivert announces as we all slowly walk out of the Coliseum and back to our inn.

Even after everything we've been through, we all decide to have a meeting in our room to discuss the next round.

"Well if they're trying to make us feel sentimental they're doing a damn good job at it!" Layla shouts as she slams her hands on the table in frustration.

"It's clever, they know that most students have a very close bond with their instructors so they're hitting us where it hurts." Mari remarks as she lays her head on the table.

"Do you think we have a chance Sachi?" I ask as I still feel hesitant about this battle.

"Individually, nope. Kira's Taqa reserves almost seem endless, plus her veteran experience on the battlefield gives her the advantage strategically! As a team, I still don't think we stand much of a chance! But with all of the work we've put into our ultima attacks over the months and the amount of battlefield experience we've gained from our jobs who knows what might happen?" Sachi responds casually as she seems pretty unsure.

"Ugh, not even that damn forest is as scary as Kira is… I'm glad they gave us tomorrow off." Jack comments as he sighs really hard.

Suddenly, Kira walks through the door and everyone becomes really silent. Kira looks at all of us one by one and casually sits at the table with us.

"So, are all of you going to stare at me like a bunch of bumbling idiots? Just because I'm going to be your enemy in a couple of days doesn't mean I can't commend you for your performances in the first round." Kira asks sarcastically.

"Sorry Kira! We're all just a little tired from the last three days!" Layla reassures as Kira lets out a huge sigh.

"Hmph, you're all just being awkward because of Crow and I's argument earlier in the week. Anyway, let me just focus on your performances. First I'll start with Layla!" Kira says as she pulls out a pad with notes on it.

"For the most part you a pretty solid performance besides the mistake you made at the beginning with the poisonous tree. I understand you were trying to set up a shelter as quickly as possible but I taught you about this before. What do we do when we approach a tree for wood?" Kira asks as she gets into lecture mode.

"Check the trunk and see if there are any nests on the branches." Layla replies her voice full of disappointment.

"Don't hang your head low, you still held your own pretty well in battle. You used everything I've taught you so far and developed your own style. The fact that you were able to face off with so many enemies at the same time was impressive, keep improving and you'll fit right in with The Crimson Blades!" Kira encourages her voice full of pride.

"Yes Master!" Layla says as she smiles warmly.

"Next up is Mari! Unfortunately, you didn't have a lot of time to shine because you were trying to save Layla's life but I commend you for making that decision. You showed a lot of growth, maturity, and poise at that moment you really made me proud. However, you need to focus on becoming a more well-rounded fighter! Your spells are excellent but one underrated talent you have is your physical strength! Thanks to a combination of Celine and I's training you have the perfect balance of spell casting and close-ranged combat. I suggest that you use your talents to your advantage!" Kira explains.

"Yes, I understand Kira! I'll keep that in mind!" Mari replies.

"Jack, you easily had the most solid performance out of everyone! I couldn't help but cheer when I saw you accept the alliance and use it to your advantage. Your growth has been quite immense and I love how you have enough trust in your teammates to hold out for them. You took on every challenge that came your way and didn't hesitate when things got a little bit rough. Honestly, all I can tell you from here is to keep improving!" Kira compliments.

"Thank you, I'll continue to make you proud!" Jack responds his face full of determination.

"Sachi, thanks to your quick thinking and amazing strategies you managed to squeeze out a decent performance. Even still, I expected a lot more out of you! You should've known better than to leave Jack all by himself with the forest swarming with Colossi. You made a lot of desperate decisions which isn't really like you. The better option would've been to wait until Mari and Layla woke up and think of a solid strategy when they did. Do better, I know you can!" Kira asserts.

"Understood… I'm sorry to disappoint you." Sachi apologizes as she hangs her head low.

"Last is you, Crow. While Sachi isn't blameless about that nighttime excursion you guys did, you also wanted to do it as well and didn't think clearly! You put your whole team in danger in didn't think about the bigger picture." Kira told me.

"Hindsight is 20/20." I replied as Kira looked at me confused.

"What the hell does that mean?" Kira asked as she started to look angry.

"It's easy to say what we should've done but the fact of the matter is you don't know what you're doing in the heat of the moment. I agree that what we did was reckless but I won't apologize for it. A lot was going on and we did the best we could considering what happened." I answered as everyone looked shocked.

"That head of yours grows larger and larger by the day Crow. I didn't realize that human teenagers could get this rambunctious. That's alright though, I'll humble all of you in the next round. Don't expect me to pull any punches, I'll make sure all of you are sent home early!" Kira promised as she walked out of the room.

"Good job Crow, now we're really in for it…" Layla said sarcastically.

"We all have to start being able to think for ourselves. We can't just listen to what everyone says and not learn to follow our own compass. Otherwise, we'll just become yes-men who won't be able to do anything for the land of Goliath." I replied.

"But Crow, there's a balance to it! You've gone too far on one extreme and I don't think it's a good look for you." Sachi pointed out as everyone looked astonished.

"Listen, we'll leave all of the personal crap for another time. Right now, we all need to focus on the next round!" Jack added as everyone got really quiet.

Kira is going to be our toughest opponent yet, I hope I can get my head right.