Gods & Mortals

As Klaus slowly opened his eyes, he realized that he was in a different location from the last battle. The room had a different layout and style, but it still had three distinct sections of rooms, with the alarm at the end of the room they spawned in.

"Klaus, you okay?" Trent asked as he approached Klaus.

"Yeah, the headache is starting to subside," Klaus replied, with Trent's help to get up.

Mia and Rose were also regaining consciousness. Soon, Team Lunar was fully awake and ready to discuss their defensive strategy.

Team Solar, their opponents for this round, was likely already awake and planning, so Team Lunar needed to act quickly.

"Any ideas?" Trent asked his team, hoping for some input.

But it seemed like everyone was at a loss, lacking the motivation they once had. They exchanged looks, with Klaus seemingly disinterested.

"Come on, my friends. We can't afford to repeat the same mistakes every battle. What happened to the drive we had during the Capture the Flag event?" Trent voiced his concerns about their recent losses affecting their performance.

They all knew Trent was right, but addressing the issue wasn't easy.

Then Klaus remembered Quinn's words.

He knew that if he didn't give his all in this battle, he'd never hear the end of it from her. So, he decided to set aside his personal problems and focus on becoming a better team member because deep down, he knew she was correct.

"I might have a plan."

Everyone turned their attention to Klaus, intrigued by his statement. Trent smiled, seeing a spark of determination in his teammates.

"Well, go on, light boy," Mia urged, her anxiety apparent.

"At this point, we're familiar with each other's abilities. So, we should be able to coordinate effectively. My suggestion is to have two members guarding the alarm room and the other two positioned in the room before it."

"But that means abandoning the first room," Trent pointed out.

"Exactly. Instead of spreading ourselves thin, we can concentrate our efforts in a smaller area for better results," Klaus concluded.

"I see. That does make sense," Trent acknowledged.

"The only thing left is deciding the pair-ups," Mia added.

"Well, I'm fine with pairing with anyone. How about you guys?" Trent inquired.

Rose hesitated briefly as she turned her gaze slightly towards Klaus. She knew there was some tension between them, and she suspected that Klaus might not want to work with her.

"I can team up with Mia at the frontlines, and then we can have you and Klaus at the back since you two are the stronger pair," Rose suggested.

Trent couldn't help but notice the underlying tension between Rose and Klaus, and it made him apprehensive.

"Are you sure about this? I mean, it was you and Klaus who faced off against Lance," Trent pointed out.

Klaus, sensing where the conversation was headed, decided to intervene.

"She's right," Klaus chimed in. "You're the strongest on the team, so you'd be better at the rear. Besides, considering it was both of us who took on Ace and Quinn, I think there's somewhat of a chemistry."

Trent accepted Klaus's reasoning, understanding that Klaus was not one to make decisions without careful consideration.

"Well, if you're both okay with it," Trent conceded.

Rose, however, assumed that Klaus did not want to partner with her by choice, and her spirits sank.

Before the teams could separate to their assigned positions, Klaus called Rose aside for a private conversation. As they stood face to face, silence hung heavily between them, intensifying the tension.

"I'm sorry."

Klaus's unexpected words shocked Rose. She never anticipated hearing an apology from him.

"I'm not good with these things. And because of that, I pushed you away and overreacted to the situation. So for that, I'm sorry."

Tears welled up in Rose's eyes as Klaus's words reached her heart.

"Please don't say that. I'm the one who should be apologizing, and you know that. So please don't blame yourself for reacting the right way," Rose replied, feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt for her actions.

"But all I ask is for you to forgive me. For everything to return to the way they were," Rose continued.

"In all honesty, I can't guarantee that things would be the same between us, or that I can ever trust you the way I did," Klaus admitted, causing Rose to lower her gaze.

"But at the very least, I do forgive you for what you did," Klaus added, slightly lightening the atmosphere.

"I'll take what I can get," Rose replied with a faint smile, wiping away her tears.

"But can you tell me one thing?" Klaus began. "Was using your ability on me intentional?"

Rose paused for a moment before responding, "Truthfully, my intention wasn't to use it on you. But I did become aware that you were under its influence after a while. Part of me wanted to stop, but the other parts...the other parts of me..."

"I get it," Klaus interrupted, understanding the complexity of the situation.

Realizing that their opponents would arrive soon, Klaus decided to cut their conversation short. They both headed to their assigned positions and, after some strategizing, the final game of the Breach mode commenced.

Team Solar cautiously entered the first room, only to find it empty. They proceeded to the second room together, moving as a cohesive unit.

As they stepped into the second room, they were immediately confronted by Mia and Rose. Mia wasted no time and launched three arrows toward Team Solar, but Link's drones intercepted them effortlessly, rendering the attacks harmless.

"All we have to do is stall as much as possible before the timer runs out, so make sure to give it everything you've got," Mia instructed Rose, resuming her relentless arrow barrage.

Rose understood that her role was to support Mia strategically, watching her blind spots and making sure the enemy couldn't easily predict their moves.

Mia continued to fire arrows rapidly, with only a brief pause as she swapped arrows from her quiver. Her accuracy and speed were truly remarkable, effectively keeping Team Solar pinned down.

Lance, after dodging a few of Mia's arrows, raised his arm as if to activate an ability. However, before he could do anything, Riley interrupted.

"Wait, Lance. You don't have to waste your energy. We'll handle things here, so you and Shade can go ahead."

Mia briefly halted her barrage, clearly annoyed by Riley's comment. It seemed like Riley was implying that Lance's involvement was unnecessary and energy-consuming.

"You think I'll let you go through without a fight?" Mia retorted as she reached for another arrow. She had about twenty left in her quiver, and her arrows were lightweight and slender, allowing her to move with agility.

Before Mia could attack again, Riley placed her hands on the floor, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"Gaia State."

As she uttered these words, trees and branches erupted from the floor and rapidly filled the entire room. Various types of trees sprouted, even covering the gap between Team Solar and Team Lunar. The branches reached all the way up to the ceiling, obstructing the line of sight between the teams.

Mia and Rose swiftly dodged the emerging branches, but it was evident that Riley's power was formidable.

"I'm starting to believe she actually has unlimited energy," Mia commented, impressed by the extent of the ability.

With no clear sight of the enemy, Team Lunar began to worry. However, after a few moments, some of the trees retracted back into the ground, revealing Riley and Link in the distance.

"So you're not smart enough to use the distraction as an advantage to advance, it seems," Rose taunted as they approached.

"Well, if we did, you would eventually catch up, making the odds worse for our team. So I'd rather place my hopes on Lance to finish things uninterrupted," Riley explained her strategy.

"I guess we'll find out if it was a good idea," Mia remarked, readying her bow.

Riley then turned to Mia, her smile indicating she had a particular goal in mind.

"So I get to have my revenge on the person that got me out of the first mode," Riley declared with a mischievous grin.

"Seems like the same fate falls on me as well," Link added, referring to Rose, who had played a role in his elimination in the earlier game.

Link's drones surged towards their opponents, while Mia fired her arrows at them. However, it became apparent that his drones were well-prepared for her attacks, as her arrows failed to damage or slow them down.

Mia deftly dodged the first drone, but the second grazed her arm. Meanwhile, two other drones, totaling four, made a beeline for Rose, attempting to strike her as well.

Fortunately, Rose proved nimble and managed to evade the drones effectively, drawing on her previous experience.

The drone that had hit Mia's arm ignited her fury. She wielded her bow as a makeshift weapon, attempting to strike the drones. She swung it rapidly, trying to connect with one of them, but the drones' motion sensors aided them in evading her attacks.

Suddenly, tree branches emerged from the ground around Mia, ensnaring her feet and reaching for her arms.

"You!" she exclaimed, directing her anger at Riley, who had initiated the entangling branches.

Mia swiftly retrieved a sharper arrow from her quiver and used its tip to shred the encroaching branches, freeing herself.

Before one of the drones could return to attack Mia, Rose intercepted it, wielding what appeared to be batons in both hands, smashing the drone to the ground with a single swing.

"Damn, when did you get those beauties?" Mia inquired, admiring the pink rose design that complemented the deep blue color of the batons.

"I had XII design weapons for me after the first game mode since my abilities don't help too well offensively," Rose explained.

"Why didn't you use them in our first fight with Team Astra?" Mia questioned.

"I wasn't in the right frame of mind earlier," Rose replied after a moment of reflection.

Their conversation was abruptly cut short as Link's drones continued to assail them, and Riley employed her roots in an attempt to ensnare them.

Mia managed to disable one more drone after a connected attack, leaving two more for Link to control. Realizing this, Link decided to alter his strategy.

"Pixel, initiate protocol Lullaby," he commanded.

In a matter of seconds, a response suddenly came from Link's headgear.

"Protocol L initiated."

The drones then immediately began to transform, morphing into a more streamlined configuration, now armed with tranquilizer darts.

"Stay on guard. This is going to get tough," Mia warned Rose. She readied her bow, armed with the few arrows she had left, while Rose adjusted her batons for a more effective grip.

"They're here."

Klaus and Trent shifted their attention to the room's entrance as Lance and Shade entered gradually. The presence of the enemy cast a heavy atmosphere over Team Lunar, as they understood that every decision they made from that point would be crucial in determining the game's outcome.

"Greetings, adversaries," Lance greeted with a smile as he approached Klaus and Trent. "I am hopeful this fight will display the true elegance of battle."

With those words, a small spear materialized in Lance's right hand, about five feet in length, which he gripped firmly.

Shade and Klaus exchanged nods, acknowledging each other's presence and battlefield roles.

And with that, the battle between the elite members of each team commenced.

Trent extended his index finger, thumb up, directing it toward Lance as a small amount of water coalesced around the tip. With precision, he fired the water droplets one by one at Lance, attempting to inflict damage.

Lance effortlessly evaded all of the attacks. He moved his head and body fluidly, sidestepping the incoming water projectiles. The final shot was deflected as he swung his spear with practiced finesse.

In the meantime, Shade and Klaus were locked in combat, exchanging swings as they aimed for each other's lifelines. The siblings appeared to be evenly matched, with Klaus holding a slight advantage due to his training and prior experience.

However, in the confrontation between Trent and Lance, it became evident that Lance was gaining the upper hand, overpowering Trent with his physical prowess.

Klaus noticed his teammate's predicament and attempted to come to Trent's aid before he could be eliminated. But he found it challenging to disengage from his battle with Shade, who was giving him no openings.

Fortunately, Trent wasn't out of the fight yet. As he struggled against Lance's close-quarters attacks, he quickly adapted and switched tactics. He retreated, moving to a safer distance while firing drops of water from his fingers at Lance.

Lance managed to counter all the shots, but they still forced him to keep his distance, allowing Trent to retreat toward Klaus.

Sensing the danger, Shade placed his palms on the floor beneath him. Trent immediately shouted a warning to Klaus, realizing what Shade intended to do. As Trent finished his statement, his body froze in place, and his shadow darkened.

The same fate also befell Klaus... or so it seemed.

Shade removed his hands from the floor and began advancing toward Klaus. Suddenly, Klaus moved from his location and rushed at Shade intending to strike his lifeline.

Shade barely managed to interpose his arms in front of his lifeline as Klaus slammed his fists into them, sending him sprawling to the ground. Shade immediately realized his error.

"I can't believe I thought that would work when it's a shadow I created," Shade commented, clarifying why Klaus' shadow was left behind as he rushed at Shade.

Lance swiftly intervened to prevent his teammate from being eliminated. Recognizing the timed nature of the game mode, he understood the need to end the battle swiftly. While the option to focus solely on hitting the alarm still existed, Lance's principles guided him to finish the battle honorably.

"Apologies, but it appears I must conclude this battle shortly," Lance declared as he gracefully crouched and assumed a stance reminiscent of his earlier confrontation with Klaus, although not entirely the same.

This stance had his right hand placed at the front of the spear and his left hand at the back, distancing from the earlier stance which had his left hand in the middle. Not only that, but the tip of the spear was now slightly slanting toward the floor from its position.

Klaus knew that this was going to be almost impossible to evade, and he also knew that Lance was probably going to be able to switch styles if they managed to do so, making their chances even slimmer. But he couldn't give up.

"I won't cower," Klaus murmured to himself. "I will not lose the same battle twice."

Klaus then walked forward, ahead of Trent, as he raised his left arm to the sky, similar to what he did at the first event.

Lance then realized what he was attempting to do, and a slight smile crossed his face, maintaining his striking stance.

"Your determination is credible, Walker. Let's just hope your capabilities can back it up," Lance said to Klaus.

As Klaus took a deep breath, he closed his eyes, clearing his mind from all the clouded thoughts he'd had. He thought about the reason he was there and why he decided to be a demigod in the first place, and he attempted to use this as a way to fuel his hunger for victory.

And as he opened his eyes while also exhaling, light gradually flowed directly to his palm once again, as it did before. The ball of light grew gradually, catching everyone's attention. Lance noticed that the rate at which the ball of light grew was faster than the last time, making him wonder.

And as the ball kept growing, it was clear that it was not the same as the last time. The ball of light grew at an exponential rate, getting bigger and bigger than the previous second.

Trent turned to Klaus as he noticed the signs of exhaustion on Klaus' face. He knew that Klaus was pushing himself past his capabilities, which worried him slightly.

"Why is Klaus so determined to win?"

But he knew from the first few times he was around Klaus that Klaus wasn't just an ordinary person.

As the flowing light finally came to a stop, and Klaus halted the process of building his attack, it was clear to everyone that the amount of energy required to make such an attack was tremendous.

Klaus was panting heavily, and it slightly echoed around the room, surprising Shade, who had never seen Klaus so out of breath in his life.

"You truly are magnificent, Klaus Walker," Lance proceeded to say as he retracted his initial stance to pay respect to the effort Klaus had made.

Everyone looked in awe as the ball of light, around four feet in diameter, dropped gradually onto Klaus' palm, surpassing the first time he had used the ability in battle by over four times in size.