GLADIATOR | ELYSIUM RISING 1 ✔️

⍢ | 19

Iggy's squad—Team Green—had a simple game plan. Four of them would guard their station's flag. The other four would be split into two partnerships, both tasked with attacking the other three bases and collecting points for their team.

Iggy and Tenn volunteered to hang back and play defense. One of their other teammates—a muscular, four-armed, rouge-skinned Tetrak—opted to defend alongside them. The final member of their defense was a mousy-looking tribute with blonde whiskers and feline features. Iggy wasn't familiar with their species, but he supposed it wasn't relevant. The arena didn't discriminate.

The other four members of Iggy's team split off into their partnerships before heading out into the field.

He tossed his knife between his hands, his eyes performing a similar motion as he scanned the battlefield. The Red Team—helmed by Krav—adopted a bold tactic, opting to only leave two members at their base while the other six rushed toward Team Blue, led by Jaromik. None of them left the glowing lines surrounding their part of the arena.

The final team, Team Yellow, took advantage of the chaos and encroached on Team Red's area. Stone walls rose from the floor and random energy barriers activated all over the field seconds after the game started. Team Yellow used their new environment for cover, creeping behind walls and staying out of sight of the other teams.

But Iggy saw them. He kept his attention on them, while occasionally checking on the warring red and blue teams.

The crowd cheered as Krav and Jaromik's squads hacked away at each other with their energy blades. Pain-filled cries rose above the noise as they fought. Blood sprayed into the air, staining armor plates and the ground.

Iggy tensed. His palm ached from how hard he gripped his dagger.

"Hold your nerve, Iggorrii," Tenn said at his side. The old man rotated around the steel pole rising into the sky.

Per the rules of the game, each team started with zero points. The jumbotron in the sky displayed the score, which just changed to add a point to Team Yellow's score. Team Red's score read negative one. To secure a point, an opposing team had to grab another squad's pole. This caused a light on the gauntlets they wore to light up in the color of whatever team they'd stolen from.

Iggy spotted one of the Red Team's members with their wrist glowing a bright blue darting across the battlefield back to their base. Jaromik and others chased them down, bellowing and cursing as they desperately tried to get their point back.

Two teams were in the negative now. The yellow squad was the only team with a point.

Iggy surveyed the field in search of his team's attackers. One of their parties skirted around Team Red's barrier, which was about to come under fire from Team Blue hawking down the red runner.

The other attackers from Iggy's squads were fighting with Team Yellow.

So far, no one had attacked Team Green.

Iggy's strategy was working. Well, almost.

His idea behind having four defenders was based on the other teams being too afraid to attack. While that meant their attack force wasn't as great as the other teams, their numbers on defense would do enough to keep their enemies at bay.

The crowd erupted into cheers, the noise snatching Iggy's attention. Team Red had collected a point. That now meant Iggy's squad and Team Blue were tied for last place. A lump manifested in his throat.

He turned to Tenn.

"We can't stay here all night," the Andradan said.

"Yeah...yeah, I know."