The clash was sharp, brutal. Fists and forearms met in the center of the corridor, the sound of the impact echoing against the rock like a muffled gunshot.
Liora attacked first, chaining quick, precise strikes… but lacking power. Her ether was at its limit; each movement drained what little remained, stealing her speed and strength.
Victoria responded with pure violence. Each of her blows was slower, heavier, but loaded with raw, almost desperate force. Her body was wrecked, yet her ether reserves remained intact, pushing every attack as if refusing to acknowledge the physical collapse that had already begun.
And that difference showed immediately in the fight.
Liora remained more agile, more consistent. She moved with short, lateral steps, maintaining balance, reading Victoria's gestures before they completed.
Victoria, on the other hand, advanced like a crumbling wall. Every time she struck, she gave it her all, ignoring the pain running through her useless shoulder, the burned skin, the blood that resurfaced with every effort. Her breathing was rough, irregular, but her gaze remained fixed, locked on Liora like a promise.
Liora dodged a descending punch by inches and immediately responded with a sharp hit to the side.
Victoria growled, spun using the momentum, and countered with an elbow that grazed Liora's face, cutting the skin and drawing blood.
Without stopping, Victoria pulled back her arm and threw another straight punch to the face.
Liora narrowly avoided it and countered with a clean strike that landed.
However, even as she took it, Victoria launched hers almost simultaneously. Her fist collided with Liora's jaw, throwing her off balance and forcing her to step back awkwardly.
Victoria advanced with a grunt full of effort and delivered a direct kick to the stomach.
Liora managed to bring both arms together at the last second, blocking the impact. Still, the force pushed her back; she let herself move with the blow, sliding her feet along the ground to avoid falling.
For a moment, they stood face to face, breathing heavily, eyes locked through gasps and blood.
It was not a clean exchange for either of them.It wasn't an elegant fight.
It was a duel of attrition.
And in that narrow corridor, each passing second pushed them one step closer to the limit.
Victoria was the first to break the silence of the fight. She threw three quick, precise jabs. Liora dodged them with clumsy head movements, forced by exhaustion. She ducked under the last one and, from below, spun her body in an upward strike that hit Victoria's nose full on, making her bleed.
Victoria didn't back down. Ignoring the pain, she responded with a brutal knee to Liora's stomach. She followed with a left hook that struck her head, and when she prepared to finish with an upward kick, Liora closed the distance with a sudden strike.
Her fist crashed into Victoria's right shoulder, exactly where the wound was.
Victoria's grunt of pain echoed through the corridor. Liora gave her no respite. She pushed forward, leaning her weight against her, forcing her to retreat until she lost balance, finally bringing her to the ground, determined not to relinquish the advantage.
Liora struck Victoria's cheek with her fist, once, then again, sharp and precise. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the movement of Victoria's left arm and immediately understood the intention: she was going to summon her spear.
She didn't give her the chance.
Liora moved her foot quickly and crushed Victoria's wrist against the ground. The bone cracked under the pressure. The gesture was nullified before it could complete.
She took advantage of the moment. Two more blows landed on Victoria's face, each heavier than the last. Then Liora grabbed a rough, blood-stained stone from the ground and raised it with the clear intention of smashing it against her face.
—Surrender —she said coldly, without raising her voice.
Victoria slowly lifted her gaze. Her blue eyes locked on Liora's, and against all logic, she smiled. A crooked, almost amused smile, as if that command were an absurd joke.
—As you wish.
Liora raised the stone with her free hand.
And then it happened.
From the corridor they had come from, a sound broke the moment: footsteps. Slow. Heavy. Metallic against the rock.
They weren't hurried. Nor hesitant.
They were firm.
The echo moved down the corridor like an uncomfortable reminder. Both Liora and Victoria heard it at the same time. The air seemed to tighten.
This time it was Marcus who emerged from the curve.
His silhouette appeared first, outlined by the shadows of the corridor. Covered in dried blood, dust, and open wounds, he moved forward steadily, each step heavy but determined.
—Seriously…? —Liora murmured, almost like a tired complaint, more incredulous than afraid.
Without thinking, she threw the stone.
Marcus reacted on pure instinct. He twisted his torso, and the rock brushed past his face, hitting the wall with a dry crack. At the same time, the golden flash of Victoria's spear crossed the air, forcing Liora to dismantle her attack stance and step back just in time to avoid being impaled.
The balance was broken.
Victoria took advantage of the moment. She rose with a contained grunt, supporting herself briefly before standing fully. Her body was wrecked, but her presence reasserted itself. She positioned herself sideways, between Marcus and Liora, ready to face both if necessary.
The corridor fell silent.
Three young people stood there, separated by barely a few meters, none willing to turn their back on the other.
The tension was so dense it seemed to weigh on their shoulders. Only irregular breathing, the drip of blood on rock, and the distant echo of the mountain could be heard.
—Surprised, Liora? —Marcus finally asked, his voice hoarse but firm.
Liora tilted her head slightly, accepting reality.
—I won't lie… yes. I admit I underestimated you —she said, then shifted her gaze to Victoria—. Both of you.
Victoria's voice resonated in the corridor, low but clear.
—I did too, honestly. You've been good competition.
—Her eyes locked on Liora, with no trace of mockery—. Especially you. You haven't stopped surprising me throughout the exam.
She paused briefly.
—I'll remember your name.
Silence closed over the three again, heavy with respect, exhaustion… and the certainty that this was far from over.
Marcus realized almost instantly.
The egg wasn't there.
His gaze swept the corridor analytically. If it wasn't on the ground, nor in Liora's hands… then it had to be with an ally.
With Victoria, it was impossible. That would have meant Ryun had passed him, and that hadn't happened.
So only Emma or Jhon remained. No. Only one of them.
If both were there, the other would be right there, supporting Liora.
The deduction concluded just as the air whistled.
Victoria's spear shot toward him like a golden lightning bolt, aimed straight at his torso.
Marcus reacted instinctively. He leaned his body, feeling the blade graze his chest, taking fabric and skin in a shallow cut.
Victoria didn't stop.
In the same motion, she rotated her hips with absolute precision and turned the failed thrust into a horizontal slash aimed at Liora.
Liora stepped back. The blade passed in front of her abdomen, taking her breath but not flesh.
Marcus was already on top of Victoria.
He advanced with a direct, heavy right punch, powered by his battered body.
Victoria raised her left forearm and shoulder, taking the impact with a sharp thud that echoed through the corridor.
The clash wasn't elegant. It was brutal.
Victoria's muscles creaked under the force, her feet sliding a few centimeters over the stone, but she didn't yield.
Marcus felt the impact run through his arm to his shoulder, awakening a dull pain.
Quickly, he blocked a hook from Liora and responded with a sharp hit to the stomach. The impact stole her air and forced her to step back several paces.
Out of the corner of his eye, Marcus noticed a hook from Victoria.
He tilted his head with precision and countered with a direct punch to the face, forcing her to pause.
He gave no respite: he threw a low kick that struck her knee and followed with a jab that made her nose bleed.
He was about to continue when a rock flew toward him. Marcus raised his forearm to block it, but a deep pain shot through his bones. Not just from the force, but because his forearms were still sore from the fight with Duke.
He closed the distance with Liora and threw a fast frontal kick.
She deflected it and responded with a right hook.
Marcus dodged it by inches and twisted his body, landing a backfist squarely on her head.
As he turned, he saw Victoria coming toward him. He blocked her charge with both forearms and the pain flared again inside him.
Still, he countered with a high kick. Victoria ducked, but didn't anticipate the violent, upward uppercut that followed.
The fight had become a clash of wills more than technique.
Neither was at their best, making every exchange more dangerous than the last. Marcus fought against exhaustion and pain throughout his body; Liora relied on her agility and precise reading of the fight; Victoria resisted driven solely by iron determination, refusing to fall.
Even so, Marcus maintained a slight advantage over both. His mastery of unarmed combat surpassed even Victoria's, and his overall condition was the most balanced: he had more ether than Liora and had suffered less damage than Victoria.
That subtle but consistent difference showed with every exchange of blows.
The fight continued for several more minutes.
Until, in the same instant, Liora and Victoria reached the same conclusion: as long as they fought separately, Marcus would keep asserting himself.
Without words, they adjusted their positions… and allied against him.
Marcus noticed immediately.
Liora's angle closed in, forcing him back, while Victoria advanced from the flank, cutting off his escape. Their bodies moved with dangerous synchrony, not perfect, but enough.
For the first time since entering the corridor, Marcus felt the pressure genuinely increase.
One wrong step. That was all Liora and Victoria needed.
Still, Marcus adapted to the challenge. He breathed, endured… and stood firm.
He endured.
Then, the sound of rocks breaking resonated from the other side of the bridge, dry and violent, followed by a scream that cut through the corridor like a blade.
—Liora! —Emma's voice pierced the corridor—. It's ready!