Chapter 248 248: The program begins

Eliara recovered first, slamming her fist into the ground. The platform's surface transformed again, this time into something resembling quicksand that immediately began pulling Lila downward. Lila sank to her waist before establishing telekinetic resistance. She hovered in place within the quicksand-like substance, neither sinking further nor able to extract herself easily. Eliara approached cautiously, the remains of her armor reconfiguring into gauntlets around her fists. "Had enough yet?" she called. Lila's response was chilling laughter. "Why would I want this to end?" Blood from her facial cuts had matted sections of her blonde hair to her forehead, giving her a deranged appearance. "We're just getting acquainted." The air around Lila pulsed visibly as she extended her telekinetic grip not just to objects, but to the very space around her. The quicksand substance began to compress inward, condensing into a solid platform beneath her feet that lifted her clear of the trap. "That's new," Adrian muttered from the competitors' area. "Compression field," Noah replied grimly. "She's not manipulating the material—she's manipulating the space it occupies. She really does have a lot of tricks up whererver she keeps them," Standing atop her newly formed pedestal, Lila raised both hands. The debris from their battle—metal fragments, glass shards, pieces of Eliara's discarded armor—rose into the air around her. Instead of launching them as projectiles, Lila compressed them together into a swirling sphere of densely packed material. The sphere grew as she added more debris, compressing it further until it resembled a miniature planetoid of fused materials. Eliara backed up, recognition dawning on her face. "That's dense enough to—" "To what?" Lila interrupted, her voice playful despite the blood still flowing from her various wounds. "To crush you? To punch through the platform? To break every bone in your body?" She raised the compressed sphere higher. "Why don't we find out?" With a flick of her wrist, Lila sent the sphere hurtling toward Eliara. Instead of dodging, Eliara stood her ground, pressing both palms outward. As the sphere made contact with her hands, its outer layer transmuted, turning from solid matter into something gaseous that dissipated harmlessly around her. But the core remained solid, driving Eliara backward until her heels reached the edge of the platform. The crowd held its collective breath as she teetered on the brink of the energy field keeping them in. With a primal scream of effort, Eliara pushed back, her powers working overtime to continue converting the sphere's mass. Layer by layer, she transformed the dense material into harmless vapor. When the final layer disappeared, Eliara remained standing at the edge, breathing heavily. Blood streaked her face and arms, her gear torn in dozens of places. But her eyes burned with determination as she stepped forward. "My turn," she growled. She launched herself toward Lila with unexpected speed. As she ran, she dragged her fingers along the platform's surface. The metal responded to her touch, forming into a rippling wave that carried her forward at accelerating speed. Lila attempted to establish another Zone Slow, but Eliara was moving too quickly. She crashed into Lila with bone-jarring force, driving them both to the ground. The impact cracked the platform beneath them. Eliara straddled Lila, her hands pressing against Lila's shoulders. The metal of the platform suddenly liquefied, flowing upward to encase Lila's limbs in restraints that solidified instantly. "Yield," Eliara demanded, blood dripping from her face onto Lila's. Lila's response was to laugh harder, the sound bordering on hysterical. "Oh, you sweet thing," she cooed, her voice shifting to something softer, almost maternal. "You think this is restraint?" The air around them distorted violently. This wasn't a Zone Slow—it was something new, a compression field that bent space itself. The metal restraints crumpled inward, crushed by forces that defied normal physics. Eliara cried out as the compression field expanded to include her. Her armor cracked under the pressure, the material manipulation fighting against Lila's spatial distortion. "I can feel your bones," Lila whispered, her eyes unfocused, distant. "All those little calcium structures, so perfectly arranged. Have you ever wondered what they sound like when they fracture in exactly the right sequence?" In the competitors' area, Noah stood abruptly. "This is going too far." Adrian grabbed his arm. "She won't kill her." "I'm not worried about Eliara," Noah replied grimly. In the stands, Kelvin had finally fallen silent, his usual excitement replaced by growing unease. Beside him, Sophie watched with hollow eyes, her lips pressed into a thin line. On the platform, Eliara fought desperately against the compression. With a burst of power, she transmuted her own armor into something that expanded rather than compressed, creating counterpressure against Lila's field. The opposing forces created a momentary stalemate. Eliara seized the opportunity, pressing her palm directly against Lila's chest. The fabric of Lila's uniform suddenly hardened, constricting around her ribcage like a vice. Lila gasped, her concentration slipping just enough for Eliara to break free of the compression field. She rolled away, scrambling to her feet as Lila tore at the constricting fabric. "Can't breathe properly, can't focus properly," Eliara taunted, though her voice was ragged from exertion. Lila's face had turned alarming shades of red as she struggled against the constricting material. For a moment, it seemed Eliara had found the winning strategy. Then Lila went completely still. Her eyes closed, her body relaxed despite the obvious pressure on her ribcage. When her eyes opened again, they held a clarity that hadn't been there before. "That's quite enough of that," she said, her voice somehow perfectly calm. The air around her fractured like breaking glass as she established not one Zone Slow, but multiple overlapping fields that distorted time in concentric circles around her body. Within this complex arrangement, she carefully, precisely, manipulated the molecular structure of her own uniform without touching it. The fabric relaxed its grip, allowing her to take a deep breath. "Much better," she sighed. Eliara backed away, wary of this new, controlled version of her opponent. "What the hell are you?" "I don't know. I was hoping you'd last long enough to help me figure it out," Lila replied with a small, genuine smile. "But I think we've played enough now." She rose to her feet, blood still streaming from numerous cuts, bruises darkening across her visible skin. Yet she moved with renewed purpose, as if the injuries didn't exist. Eliara didn't wait for whatever came next. She pressed both hands to the platform, and the entire fighting surface rippled outward. Massive spikes erupted from every direction, converging on Lila from all angles. In response, Lila simply raised one hand. Every spike stopped dead, suspended in perfect stasis. With her other hand, she gestured toward Eliara, and the air between them warped. Eliara found herself trapped in a bubble of distorted space where time moved at a fraction of normal speed. She struggled against it, attempting to manipulate the material of the platform, but her powers seemed to work at the same reduced rate as everything else in the field. Lila approached her slowly, stepping carefully around the suspended spikes. Tiptoeing, spinning around like a ballerina. She simply wasn't taking any of this serious. When she reached Eliara, she leaned in close. "I want you to remember something," she said softly. "I could have ended this much sooner. I could end you right now. But that's not why we're here." She placed her palm against Eliara's forehead. The compression began subtly—not enough to cause permanent damage, but enough to create mounting, excruciating pressure inside Eliara's skull. "This is just a tournament," Lila continued, her voice gentle, at odds with the brutality of her actions. "Just a game. Remember that when you wake up." The pressure increased gradually until Eliara's eyes rolled back. She collapsed as Lila released the time field, catching her before she hit the platform. The arena fell silent as Lila carefully laid her unconscious opponent down. Blood still dripped from Lila's own injuries as she straightened and turned to face the crowd. "Winner by incapacitation—Lila Rowe of Academy Twelve!" the announcer finally called, breaking the stunned silence. As medical teams rushed onto the platform, Lila walked calmly toward the exit. She passed Noah in the competitor's section without acknowledging him, but he caught a glimpse of her expression—serene, satisfied, and utterly disconnected from the violence she had just inflicted. "That wasn't a fight," Noah murmured to himself. "That was a message," Up in the stands, Sophie hugged herself tightly. "Damn," she whispered, too quietly for anyone to hear. "That was ... disturbing..." ___ The observation deck reserved for Academy leadership offered an unmatched view of the tournament grounds, sealed behind soundproof glass with ambient masking generators to prevent eavesdropping. Commander Owen of Academy Twelve slumped into one of the plush chairs, eyes still fixed on the medical team attending to Eliara on the platform below. "That was..." he began, then stopped, searching for the right word. "Fascinating," Commander Bella of Academy One finished for him, her lips curving into a smile that didn't reach her dark eyes. She remained standing, one slender hand resting on the railing. "Though I confess, I knew Eliara wouldn't last as long as she did." Owen glanced up sharply. "She performed admirably against a clearly superior opponent." "Superior?" Bella gave a short laugh. "That's putting it mildly. Still, my girl didn't break." She tapped manicured nails against the railing. "Didn't reach that threshold we were hoping for—no S-class awakening today." Below them, Eliara was being carefully loaded onto a stretcher, consciousness slowly returning as evidenced by her weakly moving limbs. "The new program is showing results, though," Bella continued, her voice casual despite the weight of her words. "Just not for my student. We saw something down there, Owen. Something we overlooked." She nodded toward the VIP section where a distinguished-looking couple sat rigidly, eyes following their daughter's exit from the arena. "The Rowe girl." Owen shifted uncomfortably. "What exactly are you suggesting?" "I'm not suggesting anything. I'm stating facts." Bella finally took a seat beside him, leaning in conspiratorially. "We all thought she was headed toward a modest second-gen awakening. Talented, yes, but nothing revolutionary. But after what we just witnessed?" She whistled softly. "Imagine if we pushed her properly. Really pushed her to break that ceiling. She could awaken as alpha ranked." "S, SS, or even SSS," Owen murmured, the classification hanging in the air between them. "Precisely." Owen rubbed his temples. "I've never been comfortable with how far the program takes things. These are still children, Bella." "You are right. But after last night's meeting, I have come to realize that these children will defend our regions one day," she countered smoothly. "Besides, your discomfort hasn't stopped Academy Twelve from producing results." She gestured to the arena. "The girl fought and exhibited power and control much like a third-gen, possibly even S-ranked region material. You can't deny that." "No," Owen conceded reluctantly. "I can't." He pulled up Lila's file on his tablet, scrolling through it with a frown. "Ironically, she's from the same class as the first years representatives from Twelve. All from Class 1B." Bella's eyes widened fractionally before a knowing smile spread across her face. "Let me guess the class instructor." Owen nodded. "Brooks." "No surprises there," Bella said, leaning back with satisfaction. "The Weeping Widow is training monsters now. How fitting." "Don't call her that," Owen said automatically, though without much heat. The nickname had stuck years ago, and no amount of administrative disapproval seemed capable of erasing it. "Results speak for themselves," Bella replied with a shrug. "Her methods may be unconventional, but year after year, her students dominate in the field, you told me that yourself. I'd say that warrants whatever title she's earned." Owen's gaze drifted to the teachers' section high above the arena floor. "I wonder if she knew what she had in Rowe." "With Brooks? Who can tell?" Bella stood, smoothing her immaculate uniform. "I should check on Eliara. And you..." She cast a meaningful glance toward the VIP section. "Might want to have a chat with the Rowes. Before they hear from someone else just how special their daughter might be." --- In the teachers' section, Miss Brooks maintained her perfect posture, betraying no reaction as Lila exited the arena floor. While other instructors around her erupted in excited chatter about the match, she remained silent, her expression unreadable behind stylish rectangular glasses. 'How did I miss it?' she thought, her internal voice sharply contrasting with her outward calm. 'All this time watching her, and I never noticed there was something... not right about that girl.' She replayed moments of the fight in her mind—the layered time fields, the spatial compression, the molecular manipulation. On the surface, they looked like standard techniques, albeit performed with unusual skill. 'Those weren't simple applications. That control... it should take years to master. Years.' Brooks mentally reviewed her class roster, calculating exactly how long Lila had been under her instruction. 'Not even five months. How is a Year One student this impressive already?' Around her, Mr Rourke leaned over, "Your student certainly made an impression, Brooks. Quite the bloodbath." Brooks offered a noncommittal hum in response, her thoughts racing behind her carefully composed facade. 'That smile when she was bleeding... the way she spoke to Eliara at the end...' The memory sent an involuntary chill down her spine, though she allowed none of it to show on her face. 'I've seen awakened third-gens with less finesse. Less control. Less... whatever that was.' She rose from her seat with fluid grace, excusing herself as the next match was announced. In the corridor, away from watching eyes, she finally allowed herself a moment of genuine reaction—a slight trembling of her usually steady hands. "First it was Eclipse, now it's the blonde girl drawn towards him. What are you, Lila Rowe?" she whispered to the empty hallway, the question hanging unanswered in the sterile air.