The vast administrative map of Sector 4 had fractured into isolated, high-intensity combat zones. While Ninten locked down Team Astral and Thunder faced off against the elite monster tamer, the rest of Team Thunder found themselves separated, navigating their own separate trials against the tournament's heavy hitters.
MARK'S ENCOUNTER WITH ZEX
Mark wandered through the scorched, rubble-strewn paths of the canyon, his cybernetic lenses panning across the perimeter coordinates to ensure his teammates' telemetry links remained stable. The tactical data scrolling across his visor suddenly froze as a sharp anomaly spiked on his radar.
Standing right in the center of the path ahead was Zex, a formidable independent combatant known for his unpredictable tactical mind and ruthless execution speed. Zex crossed his arms, a cold, challenging smirk on his face as he stared down the cybernetic strategist.
"Looking for your friends, Mark?" Zex asked, his fingers twitching over his hidden combat gear. "Too bad. Your path ends here."
Mark didn't flinch. He raised his wrist blasters, his targeting reticles locking firmly onto Zex's center of mass. "Probability of your victory is currently calculated at zero point zero four percent, Zex. But feel free to test the math."
FI AND DENT VS. TEAM VANGUARD
A few hundred yards away, Fi and Dent moved side-by-side through a narrow rock gorge, their senses heightened. Suddenly, the shadows above them shifted.
Dropping down from the cliffside with terrifying physical presence were the members of Team Vanguard, the elite 4th-ranked team in the overall tournament leaderboards. At the forefront stood Ousmane, the legendary 10th-ranked solo fighter whose reputation as an absolute menace in hand-to-hand combat, raw physical strength, and fluid weapon mastery preceded him everywhere he went.
Ousmane cracked his knuckles, a bone-deep crunch echoing off the canyon walls as he stepped forward. The oppressive air around him grew heavy, radiating a brutal aura of raw physical violence that sent a sudden spike of tension through Fi and Dent.
"Team Thunder," Ousmane grinned, his voice booming with confidence. "I've been waiting to test my fists against your martial arts."
Dent involuntarily took a half-step back, sweat beading on his temple as he felt the suffocating pressure of Ousmane's presence. Thrusting his hands forward to slam a barrier into the ground, Dent braced himself. "Fi, stay sharp! His physical output... it's completely off the charts!"
GIC'S ENCOUNTER WITH TEAM HIRA
Further toward the eastern perimeter, Gic was walking briskly through a patch of scattered boulders when a soft rustling sound made him stop dead in his tracks.
Emerging from behind a stone pillar were the remaining members of Team Hira—Padma, Tista, Karnaphuli, and Surma—minus Jamuna, who was still recovering from her clash earlier. They weren't hostile, but their tactical formations blocked Gic's path completely.
Gic's eyes widened behind his veil. Remembering his strict spiritual oaths regarding female combatants, he immediately turned around on his heel.
"Nope! Absolutely not!" Gic muttered under his breath, taking off at a brisk sprint in the opposite direction. "I cannot strike or fight women! Must find a tactical loophole to escape!"
THUNDER VS. RIBER: THE APEX DUEL
Back on the rugged northern cliffs, the duel between Prince Thunder and Riber, the Creature Tamer (the 8th-ranked master of beasts representing Team Apex) had escalated into an apocalyptic display of raw power.
Riber stood atop a towering boulder, commanding his massive, multi-headed Hydra that towered over the canyon like a mountain of living scale and venom.
"Burn them to ash!" Riber commanded.
The Hydra's central head snapped open, unleashing a roaring torrent of superheated, volatile Dragon Breath—a devastating dragon-type attack that incinerated the stone floor wherever it touched, turning solid rock into molten glass.
Thunder didn't blink. Operating at lightning-fast speed, he phased through the scorching wave of fire, his body dissolving into a crackling bolt of blue electricity before re-appearing safely on an adjacent ridge.
Before the Hydra could recover its breath, Thunder raised his hand toward the sky.
"My turn," Thunder called out coldly.
CRACK-BOOM!
A massive, concentrated cluster of heavy thunderstorm clouds materialized instantly above the canyon, guided by Thunder's magnetic manipulation. A torrential barrage of pure, high-voltage lightning crashed directly down onto the Hydra's multi-headed frame, sending shockwaves through its scales and forcing the colossal beast to roar in pain.
Riber's eyes narrowed, but he didn't panic. With a swift whistle, he summoned his second beast—the blazing, swift-footed Tempest Horse, a mythical steed wreathed in roaring gales.
Riber leapt gracefully onto the saddle of the Tempest Horse. As the steed galloped across the vertical rock faces with defying gravity, Riber drew his weapon, infusing every single projectile and strike with lethal, razor-sharp Astrager Abha. He began circling Thunder at blinding speeds, firing rapid-fire elemental arrows from various tactical angles to test Thunder's perimeter defenses.
Thunder deflected the Astrager-infused arrows with sharp arcs of electrical energy, his eyes tracking Riber's movements.
"Persistent," Thunder noted.
Riber grinned, pulling back on the reins. With a flash of dark energy, he dismissed the Tempest Horse and summoned his ultimate mount—the Malefic Horse, widely recognized as the most powerful and fastest malefic creature in existence.
The moment the beast materialized, temperature plummeted. Absolute darkness bled outward from its hooves, decaying the surrounding flora instantly and warping space into pitch-black static. The sound of wind vanished—replaced by an unnatural, hollow silence that radiated pure malevolence.
Mounting the Malefic Horse, Riber surged forward like a streak of black lightning, drawing a heavy, rune-etched sword and unleashing a flurry of vicious, high-speed slashes aimed straight at Thunder's vitals.
Thunder parried the strikes with his bare hands wrapped in magnetic plasma, sliding backward across the stone as the sheer pressure of the Malefic Horse's dark momentum threatened to break his guard. Every slash carried the weight of an apex predator.
I need to close this gap, Thunder thought, his electric blue eyes flashing.
Channeling every ounce of high-frequency electricity around his body, Thunder gathered the ambient plasma into his legs. As the Malefic Horse lunged forward for a final overhead cleave, Thunder ducked beneath the blade, pivoted on his heel, and unleashed a devastating, thunderous lightning kick straight into Riber's midsection.
BANG!
The concussive shockwave knocked Riber off the Malefic Horse, sending him skidding across the dirt as the beast dissolved back into shadow mist.
Thunder stood tall amidst the cracking electricity, breathing steadily as he stared down his opponent. The battle for Sector 4 was reaching its absolute boiling point.