Arriving at the location, I could hear the unmistakable sounds of intense combat echoing through the forest.

Clash!

Boom!

Crack!

The sounds of trees breaking, metal clashing against metal, and heavy grunting filled the air as I approached the battlefield.

It had taken me nearly fifteen minutes to reach the contested shrine. During those fifteen minutes, Emmet and Seraphina had clearly pushed themselves to their absolute limits. Both fighters were breathing heavily, their movements sluggish with exhaustion, yet they continued their relentless battle.

I found them locked in what appeared to be the final stages of their confrontation. Seraphina's body was keeping her upright despite obvious fatigue, while Emmet's endurance had allowed him to match her blow for blow throughout the extended fight.

Both combatants reacted immediately to my arrival. Seraphina's eyes widened as she registered my presence, clearly recognizing that facing two Elite-class opponents of our calibre simultaneously would put her in an impossible situation.

Yet despite this obvious disadvantage, she didn't disengage from Emmet. Her body language suggested she physically couldn't stop fighting.

Emmet's reaction was entirely different and far more problematic but expected.

"Don't get involved, Blackwood!" he shouted without taking his eyes off Seraphina. "Otherwise I won't be continuing this examination!"

His threat was serious, Emmet was so consumed by the combat that he was willing to forfeit the entire examination rather than accept interference in what he viewed as his personal duel. The bloodlust and competitive drive had completely overridden his strategic thinking and team loyalty.

I stood at the edge of the battlefield, analyzing the situation.

The fight continued as I watched from the sidelines with my arms crossed, analyzing the deteriorating situation.

Intervening would definitely remove Emmet from my team permanently. He never backed down from his words - if he said he wouldn't participate in the examination, then he absolutely wouldn't.

The more the battle progressed, the more I realized that Emmet was going to lose. My original plan had been for him to hold Seraphina in combat just long enough for the others to secure the crests and then assist him. Fighting her alone for this extended period was never sustainable.

Seraphina finally landed a devastating attack that sent Emmet crashing to the forest floor, unconscious. Her legendary bloodline had ultimately proven decisive in the prolonged engagement.

Seraphina collapsed to her knees but remained conscious, breathing heavily with numerous injuries covering her body. It had clearly been an exhausting fight that had pushed both combatants beyond their normal limits.

She looked up at me with those distinctive cold eyes, recognizing that her situation had become precarious now that a fresh opponent had arrived while she was in a weakened state.

With the duel concluded, it was finally appropriate for me to intervene. I wasn't going to honor any noble concepts about fair combat or wait for her to recover from her injuries.

I approached deliberately, drawing my sword. The outcome had been predetermined from the moment I decided to come here personally. Seraphina had served her purpose in neutralizing Emmet, but now she represented a liability that needed to be eliminated to protect my examination standings.

Standing before her kneeling form. I placed my sword blade gently under her chin, lifting her face to meet my gaze directly, our eyes locked in a moment of confrontation.

"Are you going to surrender, or…" I began, offering her one final opportunity to end this peacefully.

"Never," she interrupted with fierce determination, immediately attempting to launch another attack despite her obvious exhaustion.

Her movement appeared almost in slow motion due to her depleted state. The strike that might have been dangerous from a fresh opponent was easily readable and avoidable given her current condition.

I shook my head at her stubborn refusal to accept the reality of her situation. Moving swiftly, I appeared beside her and delivered a precise strike with the hilt of my sword to render her unconscious.

Thud!

Her body collapsed to the forest floor, finally ending the confrontation.

With both Emmet and Seraphina unconscious, I could now focus on damage control. I needed to activate her emergency crystals to ensure instructor intervention for her safety.

Activating it will allow me to get rid of kyle's strongest team member. With her gone, the first spot in this tournament was almost destined to be ours. It was nothing but a matter of time.

The situation had been resolved, though not exactly as I had originally planned. Emmet's reckless behavior had created complications, but the primary objective of denying this shrine's contents to Kyle's team had been accomplished successfully.

I began searching the immediate area for any additional Crest Marks or valuable materials before the instructors arrived to handle

Seraphina's uncounscious body.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I quickly searched Seraphina's unconscious body, looking for any items or resources she might have collected. My hands moved quickly through her equipment pouches, retrieving several Crest Marks she had been carrying before walking toward Emmet's still form.

Looking down at his unconscious body, I had to admit he had performed better than expected.

'He did pretty well, I must say.'

The fight had lasted much longer than I had anticipated, and he had pushed Seraphina to her absolute limits despite the disadvantage of her legendary bloodline.

Suddenly, voices erupted from the forest around us. I could hear sounds of people approaching rapidly through the underbrush - multiple voices and the sound of branches breaking as they moved toward our location. They were still far, but this area's quietness and my enhanced senses allowed for me to spot them early.

I needed to make a quick decision. The approaching voices likely belonged other student teams drawn by the sounds of the extended battle or Kyle's group. Either scenario required immediate action.

The sounds of students grew closer and clearer as they moved swiftly toward my direction. I prepared to either engage with whoever was approaching or make a strategic withdrawal depending on what I encountered. The mission objectives had been accomplished, but now came the challenge of managing the aftermath.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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