*Chapter 19: The Symphony of Chaos*
The battlefield was a canvas of tension and anticipation. The five unlikely allies—Fulan, the archer, Fayrouz, the bald man, and the blonde girl—stood at the center of the sandy arena, their eyes locked on the chaos unfolding around them. The air was thick with the hum of energy, the scent of ozone, and the faint metallic tang of blood. The stakes were clear: only 17 seats remained, and their team of five needed to secure their places among the victors. The clock was ticking, and the pressure was mounting.
At the edge of the arena, the successful candidates stood in stark contrast to those who had been eliminated. The victors—13 in total—were a mixed bunch. Some leaned casually against the trees, their expressions bored as if the exam had been a trivial inconvenience. Others stood with their arms crossed, their eyes scanning the battlefield with a mix of curiosity and disdain. A few sat on the ground, their postures relaxed, as if they were waiting for a bus rather than the conclusion of a life-altering exam.
On the other side of the arena, the eliminated candidates wore their defeat like a second skin. Their shoulders slumped, their eyes downcast, and their faces etched with a mixture of regret and despair. Some clutched their injuries, their bodies trembling from the physical and emotional toll of the exam. Others simply stared into the distance, their minds replaying the moments that had led to their downfall. The air around them was heavy with the weight of failure, a stark reminder of the brutal nature of the competition.
Back in the center of the arena, the bald man cracked his knuckles, his bronzed skin glistening under the overcast sky. His muscular frame exuded confidence as he turned to Fayrouz, the architect of their plan.
"Well, shall we begin?" he asked, his voice a low rumble that carried across the battlefield.
Fayrouz, her blue hair shimmering with faint traces of Menma energy, knelt and placed her hands on the ground. Her pale skin seemed to glow faintly, and her deep blue eyes closed as she focused. Her voice was calm but firm as she spoke.
"We need at least 20 people. Some of them already have more than five points, while others only have one. To balance the points and reach our goal of 36, we need to target at least 20. But it all depends on you, Baldy. Can you pull that many at once?"
The bald man grinned, his teeth gleaming as a nearly colorless aura enveloped his fists.
"Of course I can. In fact, I have to!"
Fayrouz took a deep breath, her mind reaching out to the Menma energy flowing through the earth. She could feel it—the subtle vibrations, the ebb and flow of particles that made up the world around her. Her eyes remained closed, but in her mind's eye, she could see the positions of every candidate within her range.
Feel the Menma. Breathe the Menma. See its particles with your mind, not your eyes... I don't need to see them. I can feel the Menma flowing through their veins. This way, I can pinpoint more than 20 people at once...
When Fayrouz opened her eyes, they glowed with a faint blue light, like the reflection of sunlight on the surface of the ocean. The Menma energy within her surged, and she slammed her hands into the ground.
*[Atomic Manipulation ~ Mountain Tremor!!]*
Crash!!
The ground beneath her erupted in a series of violent tremors, the sand shifting and cracking as the shockwaves radiated outward. The candidates who had been standing nearby were thrown into the air, their bodies momentarily weightless as the earth beneath them buckled.
"Damn it! The earthquake again?" one candidate shouted, his voice tinged with frustration as he flailed in mid-air.
"What's the point of this attack? She's not punching or kicking anyone. She's not going to earn points like this!" another sneered, his tone dripping with disdain.
"Pathetic. Is this really her strategy? Just making us lose our balance? What a joke!" a third candidate mocked, his laughter cutting through the chaos.
The candidates' reactions were a mix of annoyance and overconfidence. They had grown accustomed to Fayrouz's seismic attacks, dismissing them as nothing more than a minor inconvenience. They didn't realize that this was only the beginning.
Fulan, his black hair whipping in the wind as he descended from the air, landed gracefully beside Fayrouz. His dark eyes scanned the floating candidates, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Fayrouz, it seems they're no longer afraid of your ability."
The archer, his golden eyes sharp and focused, already had three arrows nocked and ready. His blond hair fluttered as he balanced himself mid-air, his voice calm but determined.
"Well, I'm ready. Let's start the party, Muscle Head!"
The bald man, now standing firmly on the ground, interlaced his fingers and grinned.
"Since I'm the heaviest, I'll be the first to land. That gives me the advantage. Pulling their bodies while they're in the air will be easy!"
*[Menma Manipulation ~ Super Pull!]*
In an instant, the air seemed to warp as the bald man's ability took effect. More than twenty candidates found themselves suspended in mid-air, their bodies pulled toward him against their will. The bald man's face contorted with effort, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple as he strained to maintain control.
The candidates, now realizing the gravity of the situation, began to panic.
"What is this? Why can't I move?!" one shouted, his voice tinged with fear.
"Are they working together? This isn't fair!" another cried, struggling against the invisible force.
The blonde girl, her green eyes glowing with Menma energy, placed her hands on the ground.
*[Menma Zone ~ Molecular Conversion!]*
In less than a second, the sandy ground within a 30-meter radius transformed into strands of golden hair. The speed of the conversion was breathtaking, the particles of sand and earth rearranging themselves into shimmering locks. The blonde girl's voice was steady but strained as she spoke.
"This is the maximum range I can convert. But don't think this is all I've got!"
The golden strands of hair came alive, snaking through the air and wrapping around the suspended candidates. Within moments, more than twenty students were bound in mid-air, their bodies immobilized by the blonde girl's ability.
The candidates' confusion turned to outright panic as they realized the extent of their predicament.
"What kind of ability is this? How is she controlling the ground?!" one screamed, his voice cracking under the strain.
"Let me go! This isn't fair! You can't just gang up on us like this!" another shouted, his words echoing across the battlefield.
The blonde girl exhaled sharply, her face showing signs of exhaustion.
"Converting such a large area and controlling the strands to bind over twenty people at once... I didn't expect it to be this draining..."
This marked the end of the third phase of Fayrouz's plan. The first phase had been the earthquake, disrupting the candidates' balance. The second phase was the bald man's move, pulling them into range. And now, the third phase—binding them with the blonde girl's hair—had been executed.