As Alex and the "Elite Squad 10" stood at the military base of the Lightning Country, Nazuna walked ahead of them, her short yellow hair swaying as she spoke with a professional tone.
"Okay, now as you all are aware, you're going to be teleported into various areas of the country," she explained, turning to face them. "These places will serve as your battlefields while you fight against your assigned opponents."
She continued, "The rules are extremely simple. Whoever comes out on top in their fight wins."
Alex leaned toward Kinto, whispering quietly, "Yo, Kinto… how prepared are you? From the looks of it, I feel like the elites of the Lightning Country are pretty damn strong."
Kinto sighed at him. "You really just say whatever comes to your head." He paused, then added, "Actually, I have something for you."
Reaching into his pocket, Kinto pulled out a small circular device. It glowed faintly with concentrated energy. He held it out to Alex.
"I prepared this explosive device—embedded with a crazy amount of energy. You might need it, so take it."
Alex took the device, blinking. "Thanks, I appreciate this. But… how are you gonna fight without using a powerful trump card like this?"
Kinto shrugged lightly and said, "Don't worry. I'll be fine. I specifically made that for you. So don't worry about me."
Their expressions softened as the two friends bumped fists in silent understanding.
After Nazuna finished explaining the rules, she clapped her hands lightly. "Alright, now—let the battle begin."
She performed several rapid hand signs, and the ground beneath the Elite Squad 10 lit up. A massive circle made of pure lightning formed beneath their feet. In a flash of bright electricity, everyone vanished.
Nazuna exhaled and wiped a bit of sweat from her brow. "Well… I better head to Lady Najenda's office and inform her that the fight has begun."
Najenda's Office
Inside Lady Najenda's office, the Lightning Lord sipped her tea calmly as she sat across from Kojin.
"I believe the fight has begun," she said.
Kojin leaned back in his seat comfortably. "Yeah. May the strongest soldiers win."
The door opened as Nazuna walked in, bowing slightly. "Lady Najenda, the fight has started. I'll activate the cameras across the designated areas."
She snapped her fingers. Instantly, the lights dimmed, and massive glowing screens lit up the room, each showing different regions of the Lightning Country.
Teleportation
Each member of Elite Squad 10 found themselves dropped into entirely different landscapes:
Kinto and Baraka materialized in a deep forest, the air moist and dense.
Raquel appeared in a deserted, crumbling city.
Sōn found himself in another abandoned city, surrounded by mountains and wastelands stretching endlessly across the horizon.
Deo landed in a barren wasteland of cracked earth.
Serena and Sukuna appeared inside a massive abandoned factory full of rusted trucks and destroyed machinery.
Mori and Runo appeared in a colossal empty stadium, with a city stretching outside its gates.
Alex materialized before an ancient ruin, surrounded by a massive forest.
Alex smirked as he looked at the towering stone structure.
"Let's go. I'm going to win this for sure," he said, running straight into the ruins without hesitation.
Kinto & Baraka — Forest Encounter
As Kinto and Baraka walked through the forest, Baraka scratched his head.
"Wow! We just got teleported to random places we don't even know."
Suddenly, Kinto stopped. His expression sharpened.
"Baraka, stay back!"
A massive bolt of lightning shot from the sky. It struck the ground with such force that the resulting explosion ripped apart a huge portion of the forest.
Baraka reacted instantly—slamming his palm onto the ground. A towering wall of hardened earth rose before them, shielding the two from the devastating blast.
Kinto exhaled. "Thanks, Baraka. You're a lifesaver… but where the hell did that attack come from?"
A figure stepped out—standing on a tree branch with confidence.
A buff man wearing a yellow ninja outfit stared at them. His left arm was a huge robotic limb ending in three razor-sharp claws. Behind him, several masked assassins appeared, each wielding sabers made entirely of lightning.
The man grinned. "That attack came from me. Pretty neat, right?"
He cracked his robotic arm, sparks dancing across it.
"My name is Hendrickson, and I'm one of the top ten strongest lightning soldiers in the country."
Kinto narrowed his eyes, sweat forming on his forehead.
"This is bad… I'm sensing insanely high energy from his body. Especially from that left arm."
Baraka gave him a concerned look. "You sure you're okay? You seem pretty nervous."
Kinto forced a smile. "Don't worry about me. You take care of the ninjas while I take on this guy."
Baraka summoned his massive rock hammer and charged toward the assassins. They immediately rushed to meet him.
Kinto whispered, "You better be careful, everyone… because these guys look like they're no joke."
Hendrickson looked down at him. "You look nervous. Want me to end this fight quickly for you?"
Kinto smirked boldly. "Nah. If anything, I'm excited."
A red glowing mark manifested on his arm, spreading all the way up to his eye. His expression twisted into a deadly grin.
"Sorry, but you mocked me earlier. I don't like people who look down on others."
He stepped forward, energy surging.
"I'm the one who'll be ending this quickly."
Mori & Runo — Stadium City Battle
As Runo and Mori walked through the city near the stadium, a sudden blast of lightning fell from the sky, aiming straight for them.
Mori instantly cloaked his arm with energy.
Runo summoned a railgun, releasing a massive surge of electricity to counter the bolt. Mori followed up by slapping the lightning attack aside. The redirected bolt exploded into a distant block of buildings, vaporizing them into ash.
Mori glanced at Runo. "You okay?"
Runo nodded firmly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
They both looked up to see two figures standing on top of a tall building.
A girl with a short skirt and cardigan stepped forward. "My name is Jiro, and I'll be your opponent."
The boy beside her smirked. "And I'll be your opponent as well. My name is Junichi."
Lightning circles formed behind Jiro as she fired bolts toward Runo—each shot powerful enough to detonate an entire block. Runo darted between the attacks, the explosions tearing through buildings and sending shockwaves across the city.
Junichi's fingernails crackled with lightning as claws of pure electricity formed along his arms. He leapt toward Mori at high speed.
Mori formed a hand sign, focusing his energy.
The battles had begun.
END OF CHAPTER.