With 20 days left until the Thunder Tournament, the team knew they couldn't waste any time. Day one had been about understanding their strengths and weaknesses, but now, it was time to push their limits.
Morning - The Tournament Rules & Battle Structure
As they gathered in the lodge's meeting hall, Raidon had prepared another storm-glass projection, displaying what looked like a pyramid-shaped bracket with countless names listed.
"Before we go all out with training, let's talk about how the tournament works," Raidon said, crossing his arms. "You need to know what you're preparing for."
He explained the structure:
🔹 Preliminary Rounds: A massive free-for-all battle where hundreds of competitors fought until only the top 64 remained. This meant they had to survive, not just win.🔹 Bracket Matches: The remaining 64 warriors were then put into 1v1 battles until only 16 were left.🔹 Final Tournament: The last 16 fighters competed in an elimination-style event, but this stage was held in front of the Thunder Council and thousands of spectators.
"You're not just fighting to win," Raidon added. "You're fighting to prove yourselves to the Thunder Skies. This tournament decides who is worthy of recognition."
Midday - The Game of Lightning Reflexes
After discussing strategy, they needed a way to train speed, reaction time, and endurance. Raidon introduced a game that thunder warriors used to hone their reflexes.
⚡ The Game: "Skyfall" ⚡
The rules were simple but brutal:
Dozens of small thunder orbs would randomly appear in the air. The goal was to catch them before they hit the ground. However, fake orbs were mixed in—if you grabbed one, you'd get hit with a mild shock (not enough to injure, but enough to make you hesitate next time). The last person standing without getting shocked three times was the winner. The Match Begins
The storm-glass arena transformed, with clouds swirling above them. Blue lightning orbs began to rain down at random intervals, making it impossible to predict their movements.
Round 1:
Ren relied on his instincts, managing to grab most orbs without looking. Sakayanagi tried using flames to block out fake orbs, but it cost too much energy. Shigan used ki sensing to detect real orbs, but his reaction speed was slightly off. Kaelen tried using nature energy to predict the wind flow, but the arena's storm kept shifting unpredictably.
By the end of Round 3, only Ren and Raidon remained.
Raidon smirked, his eyes flashing with electricity. "You're fast, kid… but let's see if you can keep up."
He vanished in a blur, snatching orbs at lightning speed. Ren had no choice but to push his shadow abilities to the limit, using afterimages and teleportation tricks to keep up.
Final Moment - Ren's Instinct Awakens Again
As the last real orb fell, Raidon darted forward, aiming to grab it first.
But something in Ren clicked.
He felt a pulse in his instincts, as if the orb was calling to him. Without thinking, he shifted his stance, his body moving before his mind processed it.
In an instant, Ren's hand closed around the orb—milliseconds before Raidon.
A brief silence. Then…
"Not bad." Raidon chuckled. "You might actually survive this tournament."
Ren had won, but more importantly, he realized something—His instincts weren't just sharp. They were evolving.
Evening - Planning Their Next Steps
After the game, they returned to the lodge, exhausted but excited.
As they ate from Raidon's table carpet, they discussed their next steps:1️⃣ Endurance Training - They had to fight through multiple rounds, so stamina was crucial.2️⃣ Combat Efficiency - Wasting energy could mean losing a fight before it even started.3️⃣ Adaptability - Each opponent would have different abilities, meaning no single strategy would work every time.
"Tomorrow, we start real training," Raidon said, finishing his meal. "No more games. It's time to prepare for war."
To be continued…