The arena was once again filled with noise as the next teams prepared for their battles.
After Kaelen and Allan's victory, the atmosphere among the students had changed. The earlier excitement had been replaced by tension. Everyone now understood that the battles were becoming more serious. Only the strongest teams would move forward.
Kaelen and Allan stood near the edge of the waiting area, watching the arena carefully.
Students whispered among themselves, discussing the fights that had already taken place.
"That sword user is strong."
"I didn't expect him to break an earth barrier like that."
"His teammate's water control is impressive too."
Kaelen ignored the whispers. His eyes remained fixed on the arena.
The next team stepped forward.
Soon several battles took place one after another. Some ended quickly, while others lasted longer as both sides tried to outsmart each other.
The supervisors above the arena quietly recorded their observations.
Every movement, every decision, every technique was being judged.
After some time, a familiar pair stepped forward.
Ryuzen and Darek.
The crowd immediately became louder.
Ryuzen walked into the arena with complete confidence. His expression showed no fear or hesitation.
Darek stood beside him, calm and focused.
On the opposite side, their opponents looked nervous.
"All right," Allan said quietly. "Let's see how strong they really are."
The examiner raised his hand.
"Battle… begin!"
The moment the signal was given, the battlefield exploded with action.
Ryuzen rushed forward without hesitation.
"Fire Style!"
Flames burst from his hands and shot across the battlefield like a blazing wave.
His opponents jumped backward, trying to avoid the attack.
But Ryuzen did not stop.
He moved forward aggressively, launching another powerful strike.
Darek moved at the same time.
"Earth Style!"
The ground beneath the opponents suddenly shifted. The stone floor cracked open and rose into jagged formations, blocking their escape paths.
The two enemies quickly found themselves trapped between fire and stone.
"Those two work well together," Allan said.
Kaelen nodded.
Within seconds, the battle turned completely one-sided.
One of the opponents attempted a counterattack, sending a wind strike toward Ryuzen.
But Ryuzen simply stepped through the attack.
The flames surrounding him burned away the wind.
With one final burst of fire, the match ended.
The opponents fell to the ground.
The examiner raised his hand.
"Victory: Ryuzen and Darek."
The crowd reacted loudly.
Some students looked impressed, while others looked worried.
Ryuzen walked back toward the waiting area, clearly satisfied.
As he passed Kaelen, he glanced at him briefly.
"Looks like we'll meet again later," he said with a smirk.
Kaelen remained calm.
"We'll see."
Meanwhile, another battle was called.
"Kaito and Sora."
The two stepped forward.
Unlike Ryuzen, Kaito walked calmly, his expression quiet and focused.
Sora followed beside him.
The battle began.
Immediately, the wind around the arena began to move.
Kaito raised his hand slowly.
A powerful gust formed around him, swirling across the battlefield.
His control over the wind was precise and smooth.
Instead of attacking recklessly, he controlled the battlefield carefully, pushing his opponents into difficult positions.
Sora supported him perfectly, blocking incoming attacks and creating openings.
Within a few minutes, their opponents were overwhelmed.
"Victory: Kaito and Sora."
More whispers spread through the crowd.
The stronger teams were beginning to reveal their abilities.
Soon after, Mira and Ren were called.
Their fight was faster but equally impressive.
Mira moved with incredible speed while Ren supported her attacks with perfect timing.
The match ended quickly.
"Victory: Mira and Ren."
One by one, the strongest teams began to move forward.
Taro and Akira also fought their match soon after.
Taro's aggressive fighting style combined well with Akira's calm and careful movements.
They secured their victory after a hard battle.
By the time the sun began to lower in the sky, the number of remaining teams had been reduced significantly.
The examiner stepped forward once more.
"Today's matches are finished."
The students immediately became quiet.
"Tomorrow, the remaining teams will enter the final stage of the exam."
A wave of excitement and nervousness spread through the arena.
The final stage.
Only the strongest teams had made it this far.
Kaelen looked around at the remaining students.
Ryuzen and Darek.
Kaito and Sora.
Mira and Ren.
Taro and Akira.
And several other teams.
All of them had proven their strength.
All of them wanted the same thing.
To become ninjas of the Ancient Masters Village.
Allan stretched his arms and looked toward Kaelen.
"Well… looks like tomorrow will be even harder."
Kaelen nodded slowly.
"Yes."
But deep inside, he felt something else as well.
Excitement.
The real test was about to begin.
And Kaelen was ready for it.
If you enjoy the story, please add it to your library and leave a comment." And the next chapters will have more tragic.