Part 2 - Once again, Night

The water churned violently around me, every wave like a hand trying to pull me under. Each time I fought my way up for air, the tide knocked me back, forcing me to swallow huge gulps of water. Panic clawed at me as I struggled to push forward, the current relentless. My arms grew heavy, and just as I was about to be swept further back, I felt something latch onto my wrist.

"Kiara! Hold on!" Konota's voice cut through the chaos, her grip strong and unyielding. She yanked me out of the water with ease, and I gasped for air, clutching onto her like a lifeline.

Luna was perched on Konota's shoulders, her fingers gripping tightly onto Konota's hair for balance. My eyes dropped to Konota's feet, astonished—she was standing on the water's surface, as steady as if it were solid ground.

"K-Konota? You know water Mucik?" I sputtered, trying to catch my breath as I clung to her.

Konota grinned, barely winded. "Kinda, yeah. Some random kid showed me back in Frallencia." she replied with a laugh, like this was no big deal.

With Luna holding on tightly, Konota broke into a sprint, her steps light but swift, carrying us effortlessly toward dry land. Each footfall seemed to glide across the surface, cutting through the chaos of the water with ease. Behind us, the tide continued to churn, trapping others in its violent grasp.

As we reached the edge of the flooded track, Konota leaped onto solid ground, her momentum sending all three of us skidding slightly before we caught ourselves. The race was still ahead of us, and somehow, against all odds, we'd made it out of the first obstacle.

"They're not that far ahead! We can still catch up!" Luna shouted, pointing at the six teams in front of us.

Without wasting a second, we broke into a full sprint, our hearts pounding in sync with our feet as we charged forward.

"Kiara! Cover for me! I'm going straight ahead to make a wall!" Konota shouted, her voice carrying over the chaos.

Before I could even respond, she was already off, her speed like a bullet tearing through the competition. She didn't even hesitate as she barreled through a team, charging to the front. But almost immediately, magic of all kinds rained down on her—streams of fire, bursts of water and whirlwinds.

Remember Lyra's training... Focus...

I took a deep breath, centering myself. "Split Blaze!" I shouted, thrusting my open palm forward.

Fire erupted from my arm, spiraling in a wild, controlled dance. The blazing inferno shot toward Konota, intercepting every spell hurled her way. The fire met the oncoming attacks in mid-air, explosions of heat and light scattering sparks in every direction, neutralizing the magic before it could reach her.

With her path clear, Konota slammed her palm into the ground, her voice a roar over the battlefield. "Whole Barrier!"

The ground trembled beneath her feet, cracks splintering out from where her hand touched the earth. In seconds, a massive metal wall burst from the ground, towering behind her and cutting off the one of the teams that was ahead. They screeched to a halt, their momentum crashing to a standstill as the wall blocked their way.

But one of them wasn't giving up. A figure lunged forward with ferocious speed, his arm ablaze with magic. Fire twisted and solidified, forming into a jagged, crackling blade as he raced toward Konota, eyes locked on her with deadly intent.

I couldn't let him reach her.

I gritted my teeth and surged forward, my own fire blazing hotter than ever. "Not on my watch!"

I threw my hand forward, another blast of flames shooting out, aimed straight at the fire-wielding attacker. The fire collided with his blade mid-swing, the two forces of heat clashing in a swirling vortex of flames. The air crackled with energy as my fire surged, pushing his blade back, forcing him to retreat.