Dancing blades and arrows, Part 1.

FIGHT!

The referee’s whistle resounded in the air, signaling the start of the match. As if triggered by the sound, the stadium’s environment mutated, the grassy plain transforming into a landscape of rocks and cliffs. This transformation, powered by Alpha Energy, altered the terrain into that of a wasteland, a challenging battlefield that demanded both strategy and skill.

Team Kennedy and Team Blue ran into action. On the Kennedy side, Alex slammed his fists together, activating the energy amplifiers in his mechanical gloves. With a powerful swing, he launched a colossal alphagram —a glowing, translucent, but solid projection of his fists— straight at the opposing team’s starting position.

"Dammit! Just a few inches and his hit would have connected." Matthew growled, his voice rough but steady as he darted out of harm’s way.

"These guys won't be holding back..." Angie muttered, positioning herself behind a nearby boulder.

"We won’t hold back either!" Allan screamed, his daggers gleaming under the artificial sunlight as he led the charge, gesturing his teammates to follow him.

Matthew, Team Blue's speedster, fixated on Cole, aiming to neutralize the tallest and seemingly slowest member of Team Kennedy. His feet barely touched the ground as he sprinted, leaving a cloud of dust behind him. As he was running, he felt a little breeze graze his left cheek, but he didn't pay attention to it.

Meanwhile, Angie drew an arrow from her quiver, her eyes locked on Alex. Incapacitating Team Kennedy's main attacker would put Team Blue in a giant advantage, after all. She steadied her aim, ready to disable Team Kennedy’s powerhouse, when—

"Not today!" A purple blur streaked past her, and suddenly, her quiver was gone.

"What the—!? Darn it!" The blonde archer exclaimed as she whirled around to see Johnny waving her stolen arrows mockingly before vanishing behind a rock formation.

"Matt, get my arrows back!" she hissed into her communicator, frustration dripping from her voice.

"Got it," he quickly replied, adjusting his trajectory.

Meanwhile, in the center of the battlefield, the metallic sound of the clashes Jack and Allan produced was testimony of their violent confrontation. Sparks flew as Jack’s glowing sword parried Allan’s twin daggers, their Alpha Energy amplifying each blow.

“You’re a thorn in my side, Kennedy!” Allan snarled, his breaths ragged between attacks.

Jack smirked, dodging a wild slash. “Funny, I was about to say the same about you. Don’t worry, though. After today, you’ll have plenty of time to reflect on your failures!” He said, slashing strongly with his blade.

"Has anyone told you how much of a nuisance you are, Kennedy?" Allan growled, with his voice cutting every two or three words to take air.

"I would tell you that yes, someone did. It was you." Jack grinned, dodging yet another vicious attack. "But after this fight, you'll be a nobody."

With a swift counter, Jack deflected Allan’s daggers, making his rival tumble down, falling to the ground.

"Ha! Me? A Nobody?" Allan chuckled at Jack's words. "You've got some guts." Suddenly, Allan slashed with one of his daggers at the Kennedy leader's shinbone, but he dodged the attack without much difficulty. "This is just the beginning of my career as an Engineer... Even if you were to beat us, that won't stop me from becoming the strongest warrior in this damn world. You know?"

The Kennedy leader delivered a clean strike to his rival’s chest. The impact shattered Allan’s armor, triggering an elimination buzz. The Southern team’s leader vanished in a flash of light and teleported out of the arena. Jack sighed after his defeated opponent vanished into thin air.

"That was too easy... What a letdown."

Elsewhere, Alex was locked in a desperate exchange. His alphagram fists pummeled the battlefield, he wasn't fast enough to connect his punches to Matthew, nor precise enough to make Amy's shields break, keeping both of his opponents out of harm’s way.

"Sorry, darling~," Amy teased him, deflecting another projection with a graceful spin. Her shield emitted a pulse of Alpha Energy, disrupting Alex’s constructs. Before he could recover, she charged forward and used the edge of her shield to cut through his armor like a blade.

Meanwhile, Cole remained absent. Matthew scanned the battlefield, his movements slowing as confusion crept in. How could someone so tall hide so easily on a battlefield with just a few rocks and cliffs here and there? "Where’s the tall guy hiding?" He whispered to himself. Sweat started beading on his brow.

Behind a jagged cliff, Johnny delivered the stolen arrows to Cole, making sure to not be seen by any of his rivals. "All yours, big guy," he whispered, already dashing off to rejoin the fray.

Cole grinned and then proceeded to shoot a pair of arrow bombs at a nearby cliff, making them explode and creating a cloud of dust. Then, he loaded one of the alpha-charged arrows onto his bow. He fired into the sky, the projectile vanishing into the clouds before splitting into multiple heat-seeking bursts.

Back in Team Blue’s ranks, Angie’s voice crackled through the comms. "Where’s Allan? Has anyone seen him?"

Amy hesitated before replying. "I-I think he’s out..." Her voice resounded sorrowfully. "But don’t worry, I’ve evened the score by taking out Alex.”

"It's on us three then... Let's prepare a counteroffensive before they can eliminate any of u-" Their exchange was interrupted by Matthew’s abrupt silence.

“Matt? Matt?!” Angie and Amy shouted, panic setting in.

The speedster woke up to the sight of a pair of boots. Johnny loomed over him, smirking."Do they call you the Green Mist because of your smell?" The young boy wisecracked. "You stink, dude. Both literally and as a fighter."

Matthew’s face twisted with rage. "Shuddup, you damn brat!" He leaped to his feet and started running in circles, creating a vortex around Johnny. Dust swirled, creating an impenetrable barrier meant to blind his opponent. But Johnny adjusted his glasses, his sharp eyes tracking Matthew’s every move.

With calculated precision, Johnny delivered a powerful and precise kick. The blow sent Matthew hurtling into the Alpha Barrier, his armor shattering upon impact. Another buzz signaled his elimination.

"I-I'll get you next time, kiddo..." Matthew groaned before being taken out from the battlefield. Johnny leaned against a rock, panting heavily. Despite his exhaustion, a grin spread across his face.

Team Kennedy was holding their ground—but the battle was far from over.