[hr][hr][@Duthguy][@Th3King0fChaos] "Oh, it won't kill ya! Maybe just scald a little--a mark to remember me by, maybe!" Bryant cackled. But Albie and Illios were both of the same mind when it came to conflict avoidance in the air. As the two defended themselves as best they could, they each dove straight down to try and get below the fray. Funnily enough, it seemed the timing matched for both of them as well--as each one opened his eyes, he'd see the other falling straight down alongside him in almost a sort of "You too, huh?" solidarity. Above them, however, the struggles were shared in a different way. Illios had avoided most of Byrant's spray, some of it hissing and sizzling through his mana barrier to eat at his clothes--but the greater part of it, instead shot through empty air. Meanwhile, Albie's magical bullets had hit their mark with the same accuracy he displayed in the target-trial, sending Snyder into a hysterical rage as his broom spun out of control and two of his blades shattered in the explosion. He sent the others hurtling forward in the last direction he'd seen Albie with a scream of rage! Thus, as both Albie and Illios pulled out of their dives, they would hear some rather disturbing sounds--acid searing flesh, and someone being stuck by something large and sharp, and two pairs of pained, agonized yelps. [hr][hr][@imia][@Remram] As Ludo grinned, his opponent blinked in confusion--just before she was struck from behind by a volley not dissimilar to her own! Parin appeared, as seemingly out of nowhere as their erstwhile vanishing foe, and with her magical bullets knocked the previously invisible girl from her broom! With a yelp as the impact battered her, she lost her grip on the Angel Sphere[sup]TM[/sup]! It spun in place as she fell, its wings starting to flutter as it tried to regroup itself--but Parin's eyes were sharp and her reflexes sharper! With a pickpocket's grace, she snagged the golden construct just as it had been about to launch itself away! [hr][hr][@ReusableSword][@Expllo] For the moment Rio and Maverick were as lost in the cloud of chaos as anyone else. Thanks to Kohra's whirlwind a few broomlengths over, the steam redoubled on itself and grew even thicker--which aided Hikari in confusing the situation further with his clone. But, just as he was rising up, the opponents were attacking--that barrage of various elements struck his clone, and itself, all at once! A monstrous explosion of many colors swept what was left of the steam cloud away--along with a great number of the mages who were inside it. None of them were dead, thankfully, but unconscious forms and superficial wounds abounded as brooms and riders fell out of the sky. Hikari, up above, wasn't spared--the shockwaves of the blast would feel like he'd been tackled by someone his own size, thudding into his body hard enough to send him and his broom careening into the arena's wall! The impact sent crackling ripples through the barrier that protected the audience around the arena's balcony...Nonetheless, at least he was able to hold onto his prizes... [hr][hr][center][h3]The Third Trial[/h3][/center][hr][hr] [b]Nephertys, Solveig, Isvelt, Kohra, Tristan, Hikari, Parin, Ludo, Albie, and Illios had all managed to obtain and keep hold of a sphere.[/b] Others, both named and unknown, throughout the trial had done the same. As soon as the 100 spheres were in hand, the magically enhanced voice boomed out again. [h3]"ALL CONTESTANTS, CEASE FIRE! THE THIRD TRIAL HAS ENDED! I REPEAT, THE THIRD TRIAL HAS ENDED! RETURN TO THE ARENA FLOOR!"[/h3] As shouts of both triumph and despair echoed out, everyone who was still able-bodied returned to the ground. Those who were wounded were directed to an infirmary tent set up on the right side of the arena, where a handful of officials with potent healing magic, potions, and mundane first aid were available to quickly tend to everyone. But the older man who'd been running things thus far once again raised his voice: "Attention, attention! Ahem...The Captains have decided to, er, [i]review[/i] the results of the previous trial! Due to the...[i]surprising[/i] amount of magical power this year's applicants have put on display, we have elected to use this time for a [b]short rest period! Those of you who were injured, or who need to recover your mana, make good use of this recess![/b] The doors to the rest of the coliseum shall be opened--men's restrooms on the left wing, ladies on the right--[b]but do not exit the building![/b] Anyone who goes outdoors will [b]fail[/b] the exam, regardless of their previous performances!" [b]While some rested, others recovered, and a few might have even chatted in a friendly manner with their so called "competition," about an hour passed.[/b] It had been roughly mid-morning when the exams had begun, and now was past lunch-time for certain, but there was too much adrenaline and excitement for most to worry about their stomachs. Then, the Captains returned to their seats... [hr][hr][center][h3]The Final Trial[/h3][/center][hr][hr] The officials ushered anyone who had strayed--restrooms, infirmaries, audience members who tried to sneak food in--and once everyone was gathered in the center of the arena floor, Captain Argos of the Golden Dawn stood to make the next announcement. "Ahem! Well done thus far, applicants, on the exam! Even many of you who did not complete the objective in the last trial have shown us a great many feats of skill and bravery! Raw power alone is not everything--we have paid careful attention, even to the bearing of your character! And, given the results we have seen, we have elected to make one more change to these trials: [u][b]The next, shall be the last![/b][/u]" There were murmurs and gasps of surprise at this--the sparring trials were often the highlight of the Magic Knight Exam, but were they really going to fight again so soon after so many people had exhausted themselves trying to play keepaway earlier? Even after being granted a rest period, that might be hard, especially on those commoners or other unfortunates who had low mana reserves... "Therefore, as preparation, everyone please turn your attention to the officials! They will give you a small Magic Tool to be placed on your LEFT wrists! Please do so now!" [b]It looked like a simple, hinged bracelet made of blackened glass, or some kind of thickly glazed ceramic--maybe even obsidian.[/b] The officials went line-by-line across the field of applicants, passing them out from large canvas bags. It took a bit longer than passing out the brooms, which had simply been dumped out of a spatial magic portal... But, once everyone had put on their bracelets, which Argos confirmed by a show of hands, he turned to the older gentleman in the green robes and nodded. At a signal, the officials around the arena activated a sudden glowing sigil on the floor... [h3]And they were transported to another world.[/h3] Well, not really. There was a "crack" in a wide blue sky, a circle that moved with the applicants any time they took a step or turned their heads. Through this circle, they could still see the arena's audience and the Captains in their high seats. [b]"This special Combination Magic we have prepared has created a separate dimensional space,[/b] which is where your final challenge will take place! Put simply," Argos announced, "[b]This is an obstacle course![/b] You have only to cross the field before you and reach the end before the time limit--20 minutes--in order to pass! [u][b]With one caveat, of course[/b][/u]!" The applicants would look down to find themselves [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4JmMBC28x8]standing in a deep trench[/url], marked with a white line at their feet from which sprang a magical barrier to keep anyone from getting a head start. Above the lip of the trench, a green, grassy field seemed to stretch on towards infinity--but there were also:[list][*]fields of barbed wire that would need to be crawled under, [*]a set of bars suspended over pits of mud that would need to be crossed, [*]tall vertical walls with a confusing set of handholds, [*]a deeper pit that could only be traversed by jumping between upright wooden logs, [*]another path over a mud wallow that seemed clear, except that it was narrow and surrounded by spinning constructs tipped with oversized red boxing gloves, [*]and finally, a vertical ramp covered in oil, at the top of which was a platform.[/list] [b]In addition to that, the whole time, various magical projectiles were going off from who-knew-where, bombarding the field and sending sprays of dirt and dust into the air.[/b] "And the caveat is--" [u][b]Their bracelets suddenly latched on even tighter, and every applicant felt a sudden rush of their strength leaving them.[/b][/u] [h3]"You must do so without your magic."[/h3] Then, with a wave of his hand, Argos gave the starting signal.