The forest race continued, and with each passing moment, more and more participants were eliminated. Dan had just experienced his first real defeat, and the loss weighed heavily on his mind.

  "That fight was tough... I was lucky those arrows hit him; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to continue this race. Damn, my body hurts. I have to think rationally—there are people way scarier than me here, like that guy who could take me out without breaking a sweat."

  As Dan muttered to himself, rustling in the bushes caught his attention. Before he could react, several competitors leaped out, attacking him from all sides.

  "Shit, just what I needed," he cursed, bracing himself.

  With sheer determination, he retaliated, knocking them away with powerful strikes. However, the battle took its toll on him. Wounds from his previous fight throbbed painfully, making every movement a struggle.

  "Damn it... I'm hurt too badly... But I can't give up now. I have to finish this race."

  Just then, a shadow loomed behind him—another competitor, ready to strike. Dan's sluggish reactions couldn't keep up. But before the attack could land, a blur of movement flashed before him, followed by the sharp clang of a sword strike.

  The attacker crumpled to the ground.

  Dan's eyes widened as he looked up at his unexpected savior.

  A familiar smirk greeted him. "Down already? And after just one fight?" Alexis said, his sword resting casually on his shoulder.

  Dan tensed. "It's him... the guy who wanted to beat me that day in the hall."

  Alexis took a step closer, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement. "So, Lightning Boy, I saw you running earlier... That wasn’t just you trying to get ahead in the race, was it?"

  Dan remained silent.

  Alexis chuckled. "Hah. I knew it. You were running away from someone, weren’t you?"

  Dan clenched his fists.

  "Hmmm, I thought so…" Alexis continued, his expression darkening. "You see, I don’t like you."

  "Same here," Dan shot back.

  "Shut up. I’m not done talking," Alexis sneered. "I don’t like almost anybody, except for a select few. Sometimes, I respect those who are strong or those who have goodwill. But do you know the people I hate the most?"

  Dan narrowed his eyes. "What?"

  "The Lightning Nation."

  Dan blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

  "You so-called prodigies always find a way to be the strongest or miraculously overcome defeat," Alexis spat. "But this is where I draw the line. I am the one who will surpass you useless Lightning bastards and become number one. I will do what no man has ever done. I will become King of the Weapon Nation."

  Dan’s heart pounded. "He wants to be a king too… just like me."

  "Okay… So why are you telling me this?" Dan asked, his voice wary.

  Alexis grinned. "So you can drum it into your thick skull that defeat is the only thing that awaits you."

  A chill ran down Dan’s spine.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  "I saw you running away from someone weaker than me," Alexis continued. "And since I am the strongest in this forest, you have no chance against me. I’m going to enjoy thrashing Lightning scum like you."

  Dan felt the weight of those words settle deep in his gut. "Oh no…"

  Without another word, he turned and bolted.

  Jumping from branch to branch, he thought, "I should be able to pull this off. I’m faster than him!"

  But before he could gain any distance, Alexis swung his sword in a wide arc, sending a sharp wave of energy that sliced through the branch Dan had just landed on.

  Dan’s eyes widened. "Oh, shit—"

  He crashed to the ground with a thud.

  Alexis walked up slowly, shaking his head. "Where were you running off to? I wasn’t even done talking yet. I still had more to say."

  Dan groaned as he tried to push himself up. "Like what?"

  "In as much as I hate your nation, I have to admit… there is one person I might consider to be on my level," Alexis mused. "What was his name again? Oh, yeah… Chase. I sometimes see him as a rival. But he’s boring—our fights have no spark. A real rivalry is supposed to make both sides excited, but he just sees me as a nuisance."

  Dan wiped blood from his mouth. "What about the two guys in the hall?"

  "Oh, the fire fool and ice idiot?" Alexis chuckled. "Steve is strong, but his way of thinking is all wrong. And Ash? He’s strong too… but he can’t beat me."

  "Good to know," Dan muttered before suddenly grabbing a handful of dirt and flinging it at Alexis’s face.

  "What the hell?!" Alexis shouted, staggering back.

  Dan wasted no time. He charged forward, his fist crackling with lightning, and landed a solid punch straight to Alexis’s chest.

  "Didn’t see that one coming, did you?" Dan smirked. "Now, time to—"

  Alexis chuckled. "Interesting. You’re finally ready for your beating, huh?"

  Dan barely had time to react before Alexis moved past him in a blur, his sword cutting through the air. Pain exploded in Dan’s side as a deep slash appeared on his torso.

  Alexis turned back with a wicked grin. "Wow… you didn’t even see that coming, did you? Weak."

  Dan staggered, clutching his wound. "Impossible… how can there be a monster like this at my level?"

  Alexis stepped closer. "What? Aren’t you going to get up? I’m not done toying with you yet."

  "Toying? He’s playing with me?" Dan clenched his teeth. "No. I can’t lose here. I have to give it my all!"

  With renewed determination, he charged at Alexis, unleashing a flurry of furious lightning punches.

  Alexis dodged each one effortlessly. "That’s more like it!" he laughed. "That’s the spirit!"

  Dan’s attacks grew more desperate. "Will nothing work on this guy?!"

  Alexis smirked, then delivered a powerful sword strike, sending Dan flying backward into a tree. "Is it just me… or am I finally feeling a spark?"

  Dan coughed as pain wracked his body. "Shit… I think I’m going to lose again… But if I lose, I’ll make sure I give him everything I’ve got!"

  Alexis sighed. "Gosh, are you as weak or even weaker than Drake?"

  Dan ignored him, focusing on his right hand as it started to charge with electricity.

  Ash in the Forest

  Jumping from tree to tree, Ash yawned. "Damn, this race is boring. Maybe I’ll just go and finish it."

  Suddenly, he caught sight of the fight between Dan and Alexis. He paused, intrigued. "Hmm… what a bad matchup. What will happen?"

  Dan vs. Alexis – Final Clash

  Alexis pointed his sword at Dan. "Maybe I’ll put you out of your misery with this next strike."

  Dan gritted his teeth. "This is it!"

  Just as Alexis lunged, Dan reacted—firing a powerful lightning blast straight into Alexis’s chest.

  "Yes! That should take him out!" Dan panted. "My special ‘Dan Blast’… I can’t fire it from a distance, but up close, it’s perfect."

  However, as the smoke cleared, Alexis stood back up, a dark grin on his face.

  "That hurt," he admitted. "Now I’ll get serious."

  Dan’s blood ran cold.

  "This is bad," Ash muttered from the trees.

  Alexis’s aura flared as he took a stance. "You’ve provoked me, Lightning Boy. Now, I’ll kill you properly."

  Dan braced himself. "Even if I lose, I won’t go down without a fight!"

  Just as the two were about to clash, a figure suddenly appeared between them—blocking both attacks with an ice shield.

  "Hi hi," Ash grinned.

  Dan staggered back, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he stared at Ash, who stood between him and Alexis with a smug grin. The ice shields covering Ash’s hands shimmered under the forest light, glistening like frozen steel.

  Alexis scowled, his sword still raised. "Ash," he growled. "Why are you interfering?"

  Ash chuckled. "Just felt like it."

  Without another word, he grabbed Alexis by the collar and effortlessly tossed him against a nearby tree. Before Alexis could react, thick ice spread from Ash’s hands, encasing Alexis’ body against the trunk.

  Dan blinked in shock. "What the hell?"

  Ash dusted his hands off and turned to Dan. "Hey, don’t give me that look. I just saved your butt."

  Dan stared at Alexis, who was now struggling against the ice. "You defeated him so easily…"

  Ash shook his head. "Nah, he’ll break out soon. He’s too stubborn to stay down for long." Then, turning back to Dan, he added, "I actually wanted to talk to you about something. Let’s go somewhere private."

  Dan hesitated but nodded. "At least he isn’t trying to fight me," he thought as they left the area.

  Meanwhile, behind them, Alexis’ body trembled with fury. He grit his teeth, his golden eyes glowing as a single mark burned into his iris.

  "Damn you, Ash… I’ll get out of this, and when I do, I’ll kill both of you."

  The ice began to crack.

  Elsewhere in the Forest

  Samuel stood over a pile of unconscious competitors, his chest rising and falling as he took a deep breath. His knuckles were bruised, but a wild grin spread across his face.

  "This race is tough," he muttered, stretching his sore muscles. "But it’s fun. I feel like I’m getting stronger the more I fight."

  A voice behind him made him freeze.

  "Me too."

  Samuel turned sharply, his instincts flaring. Standing a few feet away was a boy with flame-like markings on his arms and a confident smirk on his lips.

  Samuel clenched his fists. "Agi…"

  The boy chuckled, tilting his head. "What’s wrong? Did I scare you by sneaking up on you?" He spread his arms dramatically. "I just love watching someone who enjoys fighting as much as I do."

  Samuel’s heartbeat quickened. "Damn it… I’ve been trying to avoid the five great nations. He’s from the Fire Nation’s 6th sub-branch—Agi. And worse… I didn’t even notice him sneaking up on me. How is that possible?"

  Agi’s smirk widened as he took a step forward. "Why is your hand shaking?" he asked. "A man who loves to fight shouldn’t be afraid of an opponent, no matter how strong."

  Samuel exhaled slowly, forcing his nerves to settle. "He’s right. I have to stay calm. I have to finish him off before he gains the upper hand."

  Without warning, Samuel lunged forward and threw a punch straight at Agi’s face.

  Agi didn’t flinch.

  Instead, he let the punch land—taking it directly to his forehead.

  The impact ba

  rely made him move.

  Samuel’s eyes widened. "Oh shit."

  Agi slowly turned his gaze back to Samuel, his expression gleaming with excitement.

  "Nice way to start a fight," he said with a wicked grin.