CHAPTER 19-SELF CONTROL

GIBBY- "For the next match-up, we have Nobu, the courageous, versus Aza, the...!"

Aza interrupts, "Aza, the Berserker!"

Gibby: "OOOOOKKKK! Aza, the Berserker! The crowd goes wild!"

As Aza heads down into the ring, Zesh stops her. "Make this quick, Aza, but don't lose control."

Aza: "Hmph... She walks into the arena, her eyes blazing with intensity."

Kari- "Are you ready, contestant 2?"

Nobu: "Nervously shaking... Get it together, come onnnnnn!"

Announcer: "OK! Here we go! Thousands of robots enter the arena, some on the ground and others flying above."

Aza quotes scripture, "The road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman... ANOOOOOOO Jael!"

A giant hammer appears before her, falling to the ground with incredible force. The ground beneath it cracks, and the sound echoes throughout the arena.

Aza reaches for the hammer, grasping the long hilt. She looks at the announcer and smiles, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Zesh: "Oh no..."

The robots begin firing on Aza, but she screams "RAAAAAAAAAAH!" and leaps into the air with tremendous speed and force.

Twirling her hammer above her, she blocks the blasts with ease, her movements swift and precise.

She stops in front of one of the robots, almost 100 meters in the air. Grabbing it by the face, she hurls it to the ground.

The robot hits the ground, exploding on impact and destroying robots in the area.

Aza lands on the ground in the explosion, her hammer still glowing with energy.

Thirty robots dash towards her with bladed arms slashing, but she leaps back, shouting "STAMPEDE!"

Her hammer splits down the middle, forming another giant head on the new head. She swings the two hammers at the ground, sending a path of giant spikes behind each swing.

The spikes travel through hundreds of robots, impaling them all.

The robots in the air begin firing again, but Aza, still in her berserk mode, forgets to focus on what's in front of her.

Nobu warns her, "Look out!!!" but it's too late. Aza is bombarded by blasts from the robots.

Aza attempts to cover herself with her hammer, but the sheer number of blasts proves too much, and she's unable to block them all. The robots cease firing, momentarily recharging, while the ground bots move in to subdue Aza.

Aza's eyes widen in fury as she screams "RAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" With a Herculean effort, she slams her hammers into the ground, picking up enormous boulders. With brute strength, she hurls them into the air, wiping out half of the robots still airborne.

She shouts "ENOUGHHHH!" and slams one hammer into the ground. Leaping into the air with the other, she unleashes a mighty cry.

Aza: "SHATTERING JUDGMENT!"

The hammer in her hand extends and grows to a colossal size. The hammer embedded in the ground morphs into a gigantic spike, spinning rapidly and forming a vortex. The vortex sucks in all the remaining robots in the arena.

Aza screams again, "RAAAAAAAAAH!" as she swings the massive hammer onto the spike, piercing the ground. The entire arena floor is destroyed, obliterating every last robot.

Exhausted, Aza faints to the ground, her spirit gauge completely depleted.

Gibby: "What a show of brute force! But the challenge was to only destroy 100 robots and show control of your Annoiting."

Aza struggles to speak, "But I di…"

Gibby's words trail off as the crowd erupts into cheers, acknowledging Aza's incredible display of strength.

Aza gazes around, realizing over 4,000 robots have been destroyed. "Ooooooooo no... I got carried away."

Ark sighs, while Zesh comments, "I literally told her not to go crazy."

Gibby: "Please, Ms. Aza, step out of the arena until deliberation takes place."

Aza leaves in disappointment.

Kara "OK, here we go! Nobu, the spotlight is on you!"

Nobu: "For this level of enemies, I shouldn't need to use my eye. I'll make this quick."

Gibby: "Let the Trial Begin!"

More robots appear in the arena immediately. Nobu charges forward.

Nobu: "I don't feel like wasting time here. With the three hundred men that lapped, I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Ano Gideon..."

The roars of 300 glowing figures resound throughout the arena. The figures merge into Nobu, and a wave of spiritual aura emanates from him.

Adon: "He's controlling his spirit much better now. It seems his training has paid off."

Nobu leaps onto the arena wall, running up the side and jumping over the robots. "SM 1 Eagles Talons!" he exclaims.

Golden ethereal claws form on Nobu's hands as he dives towards a robot, ripping straight through it. He then leaps to another robot, slicing it into pieces. Bouncing back and forth with increasing speed, he decimates the robots in the air.

Without wasting a second, Nobu lands on the ground. "Cross Slash!" he shouts, swinging his claws in a swift, threefold motion. The attack sends waves crashing into the robots in front of him, ripping through their ranks and leaving gashes in the arena wall.

Two robots appear from behind Nobu, but he's prepared. Using his enhanced discernment, he unleashes fine golden silk from his fingertips to block the robots' attack.

Nobu: "Alright, let's finish this. Silken Bonds!" He whirls his arms, wrapping all the robots in the arena with golden silk. With a swift swing, he hurls them directly in front of him.

Nobu: "I just need 50 more. SM 3333333!" An ethereal bow forms in his hands. He pulls back on the bow, and spirit aura radiates from his body. His eye blazes with blue flames.

Nobu: "S3 Radiant Strike!" He releases the bow, sending an ethereal arrow zooming through the robots. The arrow destroys the ground beneath it, and the blast obliterates 50 robots, along with the entire wall behind them.

Adon: "If he hadn't condensed that shot, he would have failed. Everything in the arena would have disappeared. He's grown strong, my son."

Gibby: "IDK how he did it, but that blast took out the exact number you needed, Nobu of the Sun-Kissed. You have passed the second trial."

Nobu thinks to himself, "I actually did it... I'm showing I'm capable. Yesssss."

Nobu leaves the arena, heading upstairs to watch the last of the trials. He walks past Raiza, who's leaning against a wall.

Raiza: "I gotta say, Nobu, you've grown... but if this is all you have to show for your training, you're just as pathetic as when I left you and the rest of these so-called Anointed. All just weak. I don't know what the elders see in you weaklings."

Nobu burns with rage, thinking, "I'm not weak. I'll prove it..."

Gibby: "OK, we will have Zesh go alone because every other contestant has gone. Here are the top 6 contestants:

1. Khayjin - Northern Edge (crowd goes crazy)

2. Raiza - Sun-Kissed Lands (crowd goes berserk)

3. Kayge - Sun-Kissed Lands

4. Nobu - Sun-Kissed Lands

5. Zane - Broken Coast

6. Sol - Broken Coast

These 6 contestants have qualified for Trial Number 3, which takes place tomorrow night. Congratulations!"

Gibby- "We will assess Zesh privately amongst us leaders tonight. Unfortunately, Zeyta and Aza have been disqualified."

Ark: "WAIT! EVERYONE IS SHOCKED! ARK: THERE WAS A MISTAKE. AZA DESTROYED 50, BUT THE TIMER WAS 13 SECONDS DELAYED."

Gibby: "YES, WE REVIEWED THE FOOTAGE. AZA DESTROYED 50, BUT IT DIDN'T COUNT BECAUSE THE CLOCK CONTINUED AFTER SHE DESTROYED THEM. ALMOST 13 EXTRA SECONDS WERE ADDED, TO BE EXACT."

Ark: "GRINS. SO, AS YOU WERE SAYING, GIBBY."

Kari: "WELLLLLLLLL! LOOKS LIKE AZA QUALIFIED ALSO! 7. AZA OF VESKA CITY! CROWD GOES WILD!"

Hela: "Wonder if you'd do the same for other contestants."

Ark: "OF COURSE, I WOULD! WHAT ARE YOU INSINUATING?"

Adon: "IDK, ARK. AS USUAL, THAT FELT KINDA SHADY. YET YOU USED NO EFFORT FOR ZEYTA?"

Ark: "IT'S NOT MY FAULT ZEYTA ALMOST KILLED EVERYONE. DON'T COMPARE MY STUDENT. SHE KNOWS BETTER."

Vojim: "As annoying as he may seem, he's correct on the difference between Zeyta and Aza. One focused on the bots; the other acted out of recklessness."

Rouke: ...

Gibby "OK, EVERYONE! SEE YOU ALL TOMORROW."

CHAPTER ENDS.

OUTSIDE NEW BABYLON

THREE HOODED FIGURES HIDE WITHIN THE TREES AS THEY STARE AT THE HUGE LAKE ABOVE NEW BABYLON.

???-LETS JOIN THE PARTY SHALL WE

CHAPTER 20 NEXT THURSDAY-INFILTRATE