Nova leaned against a metal railing of the American Guild section of the spectator box, his team forming a tight circle around him. Elesch stood at his right, Adam to his left.

"Alright," Nova said, his voice low, not trying to foil their plan by the other guilds. "Stage two. This is just an open field, which means there is no cramping; it's all about agility. We should prioritize mobility. Zane, because of your ability, you're going to act as our scout and visually capture the battlefield and all the flags, but don't engage solo. Michael, pair with him for extra protection, just in case shit happens."

Zane nodded sharply, cracking his knuckles. "Got it, you can count on me. I'll map the hot zones and report the types of flags I've found. I'm thinking if we grab any, it should be the versatile ones first."

"Versatile, yeah," Michael said. "But we have to watch for clusters. If two flags are close to one another, we should feint one and grab the other." Then he turned to Emma. "Emma, your arrows can help pin with long-range suppression."

Emma adjusted her bowstring, her eyes narrowing in focus. "I'll shoot high once we're down there. Col, you and I should link up for takedowns, your axe can clear the ground, and I can pick off runners, or help suppress."

Col grunted in agreement, putting his axe deftly on his shoulder like it was paper. "I like it. Smash and grab. Sounds like the kind of rave I would go to."

Then Galileo added, just to somewhat contribute to the conversation at hand. "As the 'mage' of the group, I'll weave illusions for diversions and make it look like we're chasing a dud flag while Adam slips in."

Adam simply nodded, apologizing for the trap he had stepped into that nearly got them killed in a matter of seconds. Everyone eased him, telling him not to blame himself, that anyone in that situation, especially his age, would do the same.

Trevor, who stood next to Adam, while also somewhat glancing towards James Mage, trying to impress him, nodded. "I can act like a meat shield at the front. Try to distract them, while our stronger members can then get the opportunity to power up and then annihilate them."

Nova shot Trevor a glance, appreciative of him putting himself at risk being the meat shield. "Yes, you can be the tank and hold the other guilds off until we can charge up. That's smart." Nova said, smiling, then he turned to Elesch. "Elesch, you're with me on the flag push. Once we get a flag, try to rift us to the center, we can submit and bail immediately."

"Can do. But just to ensure that the rift works that long a distance, I would need to charge up first, since these rifts take way too much of my energy and mana."

"Okay, yeah, that's fine, we don't want you to die on us, so take your time," Nova said, then turned to the larger group. "If the French or any other guild were to happen, we need to adapt. James can lead the visible charge, drawing eyes onto him, while we snatch the real prize and win. Use the radios, I think everyone here forgot about the radios in the first stage, so use them for tight communication. We need communication to survive."

Across the spectator box, James Mage lounged against a pillar. He fiddled with a guild-issued comm device, listening silently to the unfolding plan. He thought of Nova as a leech, trying to grab his leadership from under James's nose.

Hames mused, an evil sneer contorting his lips. His eyes flicked up occasionally, tracking the group's movements and anything that he would hear, he would instantly react to. Trevor caught his gaze, flashing a thumbs-up, but James waved it off, like an arrogant asshole.

As the discussion came to an end, Nova shifted at the sudden shift in the presence around them. He turned to see Kai coming towards him with a smile, his red-crimson aura shifting all the other guild members naturally, many gulping and panting just by the presence itself.

"Nova," Kai said, his voice low. "How are you doing? Ready for this next stage? Open battlefield, guilds will know where other guilds are, higher stages, I mean, sheesh, it's getting more and more exciting."

Nova nodded in agreement, then said, "It's getting exciting, alright. Though I don't plan on staying on this stage for that long, so I might dip early, ya'know."

"Ok, Mr. Hotshot." Kai smiled. "Though I was wondering, since the Tournament has no rules on cross-alliances, how about we team up, and share intel on flags and locations?"

"Fair," Nova agreed, the brief exchange drawing eyes from the team.

They continued to banter, including everyone in. They insulted the French and James, which Trevor wasn't too happy about, but then eased into the conversation. But from across the box, James stared at them as they bantered and got together and formed a larger team; he couldn't stand it.

James straightened, sneering angrily towards Kai. Kanghee? Schmoozing that bitch? The sight of Kai, the Kai, tournament near-champion, blood tyrant of Seoul, treating Nova like an equal ignited a spark in his chest.

Friendly nods, shared laughs? It reeked of favoritism, of Nova worming into spheres James had clawed for years. He wanted to gain Kai as an ally, but due to James's nature, Kai never agreed to do anything with him; thus, James hated Kai. He pushed off the pillar, striding over with anger.

"Nova was just wrapping up," James interjected, clapping a hand on Nova's shoulder, a touch too firm. "President Kanghee, pleasure. James Mahe, American Guild. We appreciate the... camaraderie, but we've got our own plays to run. No need to poach talent mid-brief."

"Poach? Nah. Just trading scars." He released Nova's hand, stepping back with deliberate leisure. "Catch you on the field, ally. Don't let the fireworks blind you."

With that, he turned, his team falling behind him. But as he passed James, Kai paused, just for a moment, and flashed a smirk. James's face turned red, the pressure spiking as his aura lashed out instinctively, met by Kai's effortless parry.

Kai sauntered away, his smirk still lingering on James's soul. The tension shattered, leaving James seething, fists clenched at his sides. "Arrogant prick," he muttered, loud enough for the team to hear.

Nova exhaled, rolling his shoulders to shake off the residual weight. "Back to it," he said quietly, voice steady as the team regrouped.

Five minutes ticked down like a fuse. The mechanical voice boomed once more: "Adventurers, prepare. Teleportation in three... two... one."

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