Class 7-Z had faced many threats.

  Magical combustion. Rogue enchantments. One time the furniture tried to unionize.

  But today, they faced their greatest challenge yet:

  Cooperation.

  ---

  Professor Kremeth’s Motivational Breakdown

  Professor Kremeth stood before the class, clearly on the edge.

  His hair was frazzled. His glasses had tape on top of tape. He had stress glitter in his beard.

  “Alright!” he announced, voice cracking, “since the future of our class depends on this tournament, we’re going to do a little… team-building exercise!”

  The room groaned.

  “First up!” Kremeth said too cheerfully. “Trust falls!”

  He gestured to the tallest student, Gorrik the half-dwarf. “You first!”

  Gorrik turned around. “Okay, who’s catching me?”

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Professor Kremeth pointed. “Lirien!”

  “I accept this challenge,” Lirien said, eyes sparkling. “Let him fall.”

  “That’s not—no—you have to catch him,” Kremeth corrected.

  Lirien extended her arms slowly.

  “I shall catch him with my soul.”

  “Please don’t.”

  Gorrik fell.

  There was a loud crash and a scream. Lirien rolled out of the way mid-fall just to feel something.

  ---

  The Team

  Rin: Former naked lava survivor, reluctant leader, likes punching physics in the face.

  Lirien: Elf battle-princess, royalty, masochist, believes pain builds friendship.

  Gorrik: Half-dwarf juggernaut with exactly zero social cues.

  Tessa: The bee mage. Speaks only in vague prophecies and bee facts.

  Alain: Self-proclaimed genius who believes emotions are inefficient and should be phased out like floppy disks.

  Mira: Rich noble girl with drill hair who refers to commoners as “bustling ambiance.”

  They were the worst team imaginable.

  ---

  Obstacle Course Training (feat. bees)

  The training ground was a nightmare.

  Kremeth had prepared a complex course: swinging axes, magical traps, illusion zones, and inexplicably, one room filled entirely with warm pudding.

  “GO!” he shouted.

  Gorrik punched through the first three obstacles.

  Tessa’s bees carried her over a pit, but dropped her halfway when they got distracted by flowers.

  Mira screamed every time dirt got on her shoes.

  Alain tried to lecture the traps into deactivating. He failed.

  Lirien just charged into every hazard like it owed her money.

  And Rin?

  Rin was halfway through the course when Lirien tackled her mid-jump.

  “For inspiration!” Lirien cried, clinging to her.

  “We’re gonna die in pudding!” Rin shouted as they sank.

  ---

  Group Strategy Meeting (aka: disaster)

  After everyone was hosed off and de-puddinged, the class gathered in the broken common room.

  “We need roles,” Rin said. “Strategy. Focus. Less flailing and shrieking.”

  “Can my role be ‘Get punched and smile’?” Lirien asked.

  “No.”

  Alain cleared his throat. “Statistically, we are an embarrassment.”

  Mira flipped her hair. “I refuse to be on the front lines. I have fragile cheekbones.”

  Gorrik raised his hand. “Can I be the distraction? I’m great at yelling and falling over.”

  “You’ve already proven that,” Rin muttered.

  Tessa simply held up a honeycomb and whispered, “The bees remember the pudding.”

  Rin sighed deeply.

  “This is going to be the worst, dumbest, most dangerous team in the entire tournament.”

  She smiled.

  “Let’s make sure we w

  in.”

  Lirien grinned. “Can I explode from joy when we do?”

  “As long as it's not literal.”

  “No promises.”

  ---