Patience was never my strong suit. Waiting and anticipation tends to eat away at me until there's nothing left but an unstable pile of nerves.

So being one of the first matches of the day was a blessing in disguise.

Chung Geonhae was not someone to gloat, unlike many others waiting for their matches, he never approached me, neither to gloat nor antagonize. Another blessing as a shiver rolls through me, the third of the hour.

Not a shiver of cold or even of anticipation, not of nerves or excitement. Something was going to happen today. Something big, I can sense it, a tangy taste on the wind and electricity in the air, something is coming. 

Having woken early and extensively strategized during breakfast and continued while Tao and Baekhyun were playing human barbie with me, there are very few situations we haven't prepared for, and while some include a strategic retreat most result in our victory.

Theoretically.

Geonhae is not to be underestimated, exceptionally smart and a skilled strategist who has been watching and learning every trick we have everything we've learned since the beginning of the year, trickery will not work on him and he will order his warriors like perfectly placed pawns to ensure our defeat.

In the weeks since our opponents were revealed, I've been all too aware of another pair of eyes watching my movements in class just as I'm sure he was aware of mine and it was clear we were both holding back our true potential, leaving the other to find out just how dangerous we are only once we are in the midst of battle.

"Lee Avery and Cheon Geonhae please make your way to ring two."

There are only three rings this time. Stretching the width of the field, three long rectangular rings are marked by walls of protective runes, sealing the action away from those who are being forced to observe, able to move through the stands and watch what they want but unable to leave unless for emergencies.

There are three judges for each ring this time around and a different scoring system to determine how many stars we are considered eligible for. It's not just about winning or losing anymore, it's about power and smarts, demonstrating that we can do more than just rush into battle and throw Warriors at anything that moves the wrong way.

The highest rank a first year has been able to achieve was three stars, average in the grand scheme of things but with only one year of official training, not counting whatever they may have had in years prior, three stars is impressive and only those Summoners of more than average skill move any higher than three.

There is no one assigned to my ring that I recognize but I take comfort in a familiar banner being held in the stands directly across from what will be my starting mark.

With no paperwork to sign and rules gone over a final time, we are sent to our marks after a civil bow of acknowledgment and ready to begin what will be the hardest fight either of us has had to endure all year.

Unlike those of the Summoner battles, there would be no follow-up rounds. If you won, you will get a higher ranking, if you lost, a lower ranking. There were no finals, no elimination, just one battle to give everything you have and one person to beat. 

That makes Cheon Geonhae even more dangerous. Neither of us has anything to lose but everything to gain.

"Please go to your marks and we will begin on the bell. If you wish to surrender before we call the end of the match, shoot your white chalk cannon into the air and the match will end," A woman, an upper-year instructor I'd assume, told us, gesturing first to the two marked out rings on either side of the ring then to the small cannons of compressed chalk in our hands.

I trace the markings of my card case as I walk to my starting position, mentally marking out the five-meter boundary I am given. Unable to summon any of the boys until the match begins, I feel a pressing sense of pressure and loneliness, me against the world in what will be our hardest battle yet.

The sharp ting of a bell sends me reacting on instinct, summoning all eleven of my Warriors without dimming the light they produce or pulling their cards from my case. 

I step out from the circle, walking only a few paces before I near my boundary. "Let's begin."

At my call, the boys fall into position around me, while unable to directly or intentionally target me nothing is stopping wayward attacks from coming my way. This was something Suho especially insisted we prepare to defend from as his very low opinion of Summoners had him believing there would be few who wouldn't use it as a real battle tactic.

Through the gaps between Kris and Tao, I see Geonhae has moved much the same to us, exiting his starting ring and placing his Warriors in a wall-like formation on either side of him, leaving himself standing uncovered in the middle rather than guarded like myself.

I am too far to hear what he says to his Warriors before he sends them forwards, two males with long hair run towards us, earth affinity if my memory and the ground trembling underneath them proves me correct. 

"Tao, Kai stop them from getting any closer, DO make using their abilities difficult for them and strike first if need be."

Tao and Kai as Warriors with speed-based abilities are the best two to make a first move being able to get out of the way of any attack sent their way while making it difficult for the attacking Warriors to move to other targets without taking care of them first. Kai's extra talent for identifying abilities also gives us the early upper hand especially now as he no longer had to retreat and tell us who is what, Luhan simply read his mind and relays the information while Kai himself battles it out with whoever his opponent may be.

"Wind, Fire, Wind, Earth, Water, Fire, Spirit, Spirit," Luhan relays, pointing at each Warrior in turn as he listsGeonhae's line of Warriors from left to right.

"Only one Water? I thought he had two." Xuimin musses.

"So did I." Luhan agrees and the matter is settled, Luhan's memory is perfect. At least one if not more of our opponents is a dual.

"Kai, find us the dual," Luhan mutters, projecting the thought towards the blur I know to be Kai only due to the obnoxious red sneakers he wears.

DO makes his move as one of the earth Warriors decides he is sick of having circles run around him and begins forming boulders and spikes in the path of both Kai and Tao, both of who manages to dodge and speed up. The vines DO makes holds the attacking Warriors arms to their sides, a move that would prevent a weaker Warrior from using their abilities but these are not weak Warriors and they continue their attack, now flinging rocks and vines the way of DO who is now forced into the fray as he dodges and ducks.

"Xiumin, Chen, you two handle the Fire Warriors. Let's see how long they can hold their breath."

"Aye aye captain!" Chen chirps, practically vibrating in place as he shares a look with Xiumin and darts forwards.

The Warriors Geonhae sends to meet them are not the Fire Warriors I was targetting but instead, the only know Water Warrior and a Wind Warrior.

"Kris, take the wind girl, Suho do you think you can overpower the control of the water boy?"

"Think? I know I can, especially if Xiumin's there as well."

"Good. Off you go then," I smirk liking the battle sure confidence he has in both himself and his brothers.

They take off and two by two both Geonhae and I send our Warriors into battle. We both know the affinity and general abilities of each other's Warriors, leaving little of our arsenal to the imagination as everything we have used in class at any point in time has lost its element of surprise.

Chanyeol battles against one of two Fire Warriors, green flames battling against his own as they attempt to overpower and outmaneuver the other. Baekhyun draws of Chanyeol's opponent's flames