Chương 90: The Third Day of Tests – Part 13

The timer continued counting down. 13: 47… 13: 46… 13: 45… The group was clearly struggling. Even with all their strategy, the items on the table were limited, and the situations shown in the projection were far too heavy. The more time passed, the clearer it became that they would not be able to save everyone. Joker watched the projection in silence, with a serious expression. After a few more seconds, he spoke quietly: — We're not going to be able to save everyone if we keep going like this.

Not with the seal fully in place. The group fell quiet. They understood exactly what he was proposing. Harley was the first to respond, her voice low: — … You want to release a little? Joker nodded. — Just a little. Enough for us to act in more places at the same time. If we keep going the way we are, we're going to fail anyway. Astrid crossed her arms, clearly uncomfortable. — You two know that the more we release, the harder it gets to control, right? Joker looked at her. — I know.

But if we don't do this, a lot of people are going to die in here. And we're going to fail either way. Kuroe spoke quietly: Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. — If we're going to do this, it has to be controlled. No overdoing it. Rina wagged her tails nervously, but agreed: — I also think we should try. Marina and Sylvara exchanged a glance. Sylvara was the one who spoke: — … Alright. Let's try. But only what's necessary. Lirien nodded in silence.

Joker looked at all of them and said: — Then it's settled. Just a little. Enough for us to do more things at the same time. Nothing beyond that. They all agreed.

Joker was the first to release a small part of the seal. He closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, the shadows around his feet became more alive, moving in a more irregular way. His smile widened slightly, and his eyes grew brighter. Harley followed right after. She spun her hammer once in the air. The weapon glowed with greater intensity, and she let out a low, almost uncontrollable laugh before biting her lip and trying to restrain herself. Her eyes were also brighter.

The others also released a small percentage. Rina's tails grew hotter. Sylvara's vines moved with more life. Marina's vapor became denser. Lirien's eyes glowed faintly. Kuroe's runes became more visible. Even though it was only a small portion, the difference was immediate. With their power partially released, the group began to act with much greater efficiency. Joker used the shadows to move rapidly between several points of the simulated city at the same time.

Harley was able to create larger and more precise impact waves. Astrid moved with superior speed and strength. Rina covered larger areas with her flames. The others were also able to act in more than one place at once. However, even so… it still wasn't enough. They managed to save more people than they would have with the seal fully in place, but several situations still slipped through. The number of deaths was lower, but they still existed.

When time finally ran out, Master Thalor's voice echoed through the arena: — Time's up. The projection disappeared. The timer stopped. The group stood still in the middle of the arena, breathing heavily. Joker had his hands on his knees, breathing hard, but with a wide and slightly unstable smile on his face. Harley gripped her hammer tightly, laughing quietly, as if she still wanted to continue. Her eyes were brighter and a little unfocused. Astrid was sweaty, with a wilder look than usual.

Rina's tails were flaming more intensely than necessary. The others were also visibly affected. Joker was the first to speak, his voice hoarse: — … We still couldn't save everyone. Harley laughed quietly, running a hand over her face. — No. But it was better than it would have been. Astrid looked at the two of them with a serious expression. — You two almost lost control at the end. I saw it. Joker gave a crooked smile, but his eyes were still a little wilder than normal. — Almost. But we managed to hold it.

It was just a little. Harley nodded, still trying to control her breathing. — It was harder than I expected. The more we release… the harder it gets to stop. Kuroe spoke in a low, tense voice: — We need to seal it again. Now. Joker agreed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, pulling the power back into the seal. Harley took a little longer, but she also managed to reseal, although her hands still trembled slightly.

After a few seconds, the atmosphere returned to normal — or as close to normal as they could get. Joker straightened up and looked at the others. His smile had returned to its usual size, but his eyes were still a little darker than before. — We did what we could — he said, his voice calmer. Harley added, still trying to steady her breathing: — And it still wasn't enough. The group remained silent for a few moments. They knew the day had ended.

And that, even after releasing part of the seal, it still hadn't been enough. End of Part 13 (continues in Part 14)