The opponent remained a phantom, vanishing from sight, their presence eclipsed by the relentless storm of darts raining down upon them. The onslaught demanded the cadets’ full attention, erasing any thought of tracking the elusive adversary.

  “Crap!” Tee cursed under her breath, dismissing her swords in a blur as she leapt away from the deadly hail. The sheer volume of sharp projectiles made it clear that trying to slash them all away was impossible.

  Safe for the moment, she lifted her gaze toward the sky, scanning the azure expanse interrupted only by the looming canopies of colossal trees. No hints of the opponent’s location appeared—nothing but the swaying branches and the endless blue above.

  Her attention snapped to Saeda, who moved with frantic precision, swinging and swatting at the darts with wide-eyed urgency. Each strike came with a short, startled shriek, the tension in her body radiating raw fear and determination. Yet, there was no trace of the opponent nearby, only the deadly storm they commanded.

  Then Miko’s piercing scream cut through the chaos, sending a jolt down Tee’s spine. She tightened her grip on her swords, pivoting instinctively—but a dark figure flashed across her vision in the blink of an eye, disappearing before she could fully process it.

  Tee gasped, reflexes snapping into action. She swung her right sword with deadly intent, but the adversary moved with unnatural agility, slipping past her strike. Her blade sliced only empty air. Two more swords from her companions followed, whizzing over the phantom’s head, missing by inches.

  The opponent’s feet landed lightly on a log, and with a fluid twirl, they launched a new flurry of sharp darts in every direction. Tee and the others raised their swords instinctively, steel flashing as they blocked, parried, and deflected the rain of projectiles, muscles straining against the relentless assault.

  Then—just as suddenly—the opponent vanished again, leaving behind an eerie emptiness that gnawed at Tee’s chest.

  “What the—” Tee muttered, her voice taut with bewilderment. Frozen in place, she struggled to gather her thoughts amidst the swirling chaos. The opponent’s vanishing act defied all logic, leaving her grappling for any explanation.

  Perhaps, beneath the enigmatic mantle, some concealed mechanism—prosthetic or otherwise—enabled such impossible movements. The thought offered little comfort, only deepening the knot of unease in her stomach.

  A distant scream pierced the air, snapping Tee from her speculation. Her eyes darted across the battlefield, anxiety threading through her every fiber. Kie lunged and parried, desperate to engage the unseen adversary, deflecting spikes with frantic precision. Miko spun gracefully, twin swords flashing as she shredded the relentless rain of darts. Zod clung to a log, struggling to maintain balance after his unexpected fall.

  The scream rang out again—that time unmistakably Saeda’s—and strangely, it came from above. Tee’s gaze shot skyward, slicing through the towering canopy, until she saw Saeda plummeting through the air toward the distant treetops. Panic ignited within Tee, her heart hammering at the raw fear in Saeda’s voice, each branch slicing past like jagged blades amplifying the terror.

  Instinct surged through Tee. She leapt onto the nearest logs, propelling herself forward with fierce resolve, determined to intercept her falling comrade.

  “Saeda, hang on!” she shouted, voice sharp with urgency. With lightning reflexes, she swung her sword, aiming to anchor it into the lower bark of a tree in Saeda’s path. For a fleeting heartbeat, hope flickered as the blade caught, but Saeda’s fingers slipped from the hilt, powerless to halt the downward descent.

  Branches snapped under Saeda’s body as she tumbled, the cacophony of cracking wood echoing through the clearing. Finally, she slammed against a large, sturdy branch, her fall arrested with a bone-jarring impact.

  Tee flinched at the sight, a pang of empathy and memory shooting through her as she recalled her own injuries. She leapt from her log with precise force, dismissing her sword with a subtle press of its dent, letting it vanish into nothingness. Free of its weight, she summoned every ounce of strength for a mighty vault upward, scaling the towering tree trunks with determination etched into every motion.

  When she finally reached Saeda, Tee’s voice cut through the tense silence, edged with relief and concern. “Are you alright?” She sprinted along the broad branch—its width nearly that of a doorway—to reach her fallen comrade, eyes scanning for injuries and offering reassurance in equal measure.

  Saeda’s black, curly tresses fell across her face as she struggled to push herself upright on the dark-brown branch. Tee stood over her, concern etched deep across her features. “What happened?” she asked, her voice low but urgent.

  Silence greeted her question, leaving Tee momentarily puzzled. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw their comrades still locked in fierce combat with the elusive opponent. Determination flared within her, and she reached out, gripping Saeda’s arm to help her to her feet.

  The mere thought of Kie besting the opponent ignited a fire in Tee’s chest. Gritting her teeth, she urged, “We’re wasting time. We need to head back.”

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  Saeda’s hand jerked away from Tee’s grasp. Her wide eyes locked onto Tee’s before darting skyward, pointing with urgent insistence. Her words spilled out in fragmented bursts. “Sand… not quicksand. The sky!”

  Tee frowned, confusion mingling with curiosity. Saeda rummaged through her pouches, producing a glow stick. With a sharp snap, it lit up, casting a neon radiance over her determined expression. Without hesitation, she leaped from the branch, descending toward the forest floor.

  Tee couldn’t quite fathom Saeda’s intentions but took solace in seeing her comrade act decisively, heading back toward the log-filled field. Yet, Saeda abruptly halted at the field’s edge, frustrating Tee’s sense of urgency.

  “Why are you stopping?” Tee exclaimed, her impatience flaring as her eyes flicked toward the ongoing battle.

  Saeda extended a hand, halting Tee mid-step. With deliberate precision, she flung the glowing stick downward, letting it vanish into the quicksand below.

  Tee’s eyebrows knit in exasperation. “We already established it’s quicksand!” she snapped, reaching to move Saeda’s hand. “Stop acting crazy.”

  But Saeda’s gaze had already lifted skyward, darting across the canopy, searching for something invisible. “Look!” she exclaimed, pointing emphatically.

  Tee followed her gesture, initially dismissing it as erratic. But as her eyes adjusted, the scene unfolding above left her captivated. Saeda gently lifted Tee’s chin, guiding her gaze to the sky.

  A faint shimmer appeared, descending through the dense forest foliage. Tee’s jaw slackened. “No way,” she breathed, disbelief coating her words.

  “It is,” Saeda confirmed, releasing Tee’s chin. “The quicksand is linked to the sky.”

  Tee blinked, skepticism creasing her brow. “That’s absurd. There must be a teleporter on the other side.”

  Saeda nodded, relief softening her features. “That seems more plausible. But how do we communicate this to the others? We need to turn it to our advantage,” she added, glancing back at the ongoing battle. “We should work with our environment—just as the Commander taught us.”

  Tee’s gaze shifted to her forgotten sword, still lodged in the tree. “I need to retrieve my other sword,” she said, preparing to move, only for Saeda to hold her back, a curious expression on her face.

  “What now?” Tee asked, curiosity piqued.

  Saeda clenched her left hand into a fist, pressing her thumb to summon a sword. With the same glove, she manifested another, plunging each into the ground in succession, summoning yet another sword in a flawless rhythm.

  “I get it now,” Tee said, awe flickering in her gaze as she looked at her gloved hands.

  “These swords are limitless,” Saeda confirmed, excitement lacing her voice.

  Hope surged through Tee, her previous sense of limitation dissolving. A mischievous smile curved her lips as her attention shifted to Kie, still locked in a struggle with the opponent.

  “I have an idea,” Tee declared, her voice charged with determination. Without hesitation, she darted toward the log field, Saeda following, a mix of confusion and curiosity on her face.

  Reaching the edge of the field, Tee began summoning sword after sword, letting them plummet into the quicksand below, tips pointed downward like deadly stakes. Saeda’s eyes widened in realization, and she quickly joined the effort, her own swords cascading into the sand with precision.

  “That should do it. Let’s regroup with the others and track where they land,” Tee instructed, her gaze sharp and calculating.

  “Shouldn’t we warn them?” Saeda asked, hesitation lacing her voice.

  “No,” Tee replied firmly. “We can’t risk the opponent discovering our plan. This ends now.” She deliberately left out the part about wanting to be the one to vanquish their foe.

  Saeda nodded, understanding Tee’s resolve, and together they weaved back toward the others. Zod caught sight of them but had no time for questions, swiftly evading a volley of incoming darts.

  Tee and Saeda froze when they noticed six spiked whips suddenly protruding from the opponent’s black mantle. A shiver ran down their spines. Tee’s mind raced, wondering how a single adversary could manipulate such a deadly array of weapons.

  Even more unnerving was the immovable hood of the mantle, perfectly concealing the opponent’s face, no matter how deftly he moved. Shadows seemed to cling to him, swallowing any trace of identity.

  With all five cadets attacking, the opponent no longer vanished; instead, he dodged their strikes with fluid, almost inhuman agility. Tee and Saeda continued summoning swords, their timing synchronized, while the others—seeing their initiative—joined in, maintaining careful distance and striking with relentless precision.

  A glimmer in the corner of Tee’s eye drew her attention upward. There, obscured by the endless blue of the sky, she saw them: their swords, falling like a deadly rain. Each blade’s trajectory was predictable, and Tee’s mind raced, formulating a plan to manipulate the opponent’s movements.

  She launched a barrage from a single direction, forcing him backward, retreating in calculated avoidance. Saeda mirrored her actions, a testament to their unspoken coordination.

  Kie, Miko, and Zod assumed Tee and Saeda were guiding the opponent away from the hazardous logs and quicksand, allowing them to focus fully on the assault. Together, all five converged on their foe, unleashing a relentless flurry of blades.

  The opponent deflected the spinning swords with the six whips he wielded effortlessly. Razor-sharp disks of steel collided with his defenses, forcing him to retreat faster than Tee had anticipated. Her eyes flicked between the falling swords and the agile figure below, panic rising as she feared he might evade her carefully orchestrated plan. Yet his footwork remained impeccable, each landing precise atop the logs, never faltering.

  Crap! Tee’s mind raced. Should she shout a warning? Would the others listen, or would it alert the opponent, causing him to glance skyward and spot the falling blades?

  Only Saeda noticed Tee’s sudden hesitation, matching her stillness instinctively. Unaware, Miko, Kie, and Zod pressed the assault, driving the opponent toward the edge with ferocious determination. Kie, in particular, moved like a predator closing in on its prey, unrelenting in focus.

  Tee summoned a sword and sent it spinning like a razor disk, aimed with surgical precision at Kie’s head—a daring, calculated risk to reset their formation and redirect the opponent.