A month had passed since the day that Orion contracted Stella. This was the day that the Intermediate Tamer Tournaments would be held. Mrs. Claire had signed Orion in this tournament. This tournament was for Intermediate Beast Tamers.
The tournament took place in a large stadium where hundreds of intermediate beast tamers had come to participate. Orion had come with his two rare beasts, Nova and Stella. They were both in their beast space and ready to fight. Orion had already checked his competition list and had been informed that he had to win five rounds in the qualification stage to advance to the next stage.
Orion was confident that he could easily win the first five rounds by only using Nova, without even needing to use Stella. The first round was about to begin, and Orion stepped onto the battlefield with Nova. His opponent was a young girl with a lizard-like beast. The girl was nervous and unsure of herself, while Orion was calm and collected.
The referee announced the start of the battle, and the girl immediately ordered her beast to attack. The lizard-like beast charged toward Nova, but he easily dodged the attack. Nova then used his primal strength and knocked the beast out with a single blow. The girl was shocked, and the audience was impressed. Orion had won the first round with ease.
The second round was against a more experienced tamer who had a large bird-like beast. The bird had razor-sharp talons and could fly, giving it an advantage over Nova, who couldn't fly. But Orion was prepared for this, and he used Nova's elemental manipulation skill to create a powerful gust of wind that knocked the bird out of the air. The bird crashed to the ground, and Nova finished it off with his primal strength.
In the third round, Orion faced a tamer with a beast that resembled a large insect. The insect had a hard exoskeleton, making it difficult for Nova to damage it with his primal strength. Orion quickly realized that he needed to use Nova's elemental manipulation skill to create a small flame to weaken the insect's shell. With the shell weakened, Nova was able to use his primal strength to finish off the insect.
The fourth round was against a tamer with a beast that resembled a large cat. The cat was fast and agile, making it difficult for Nova to land a blow. But Orion was patient, and he waited for the right moment to strike. When the cat lunged at Nova, Orion used Nova's primal instinct to predict its movements and dodge its attack. Nova then used his primal strength to knock the cat out with a single blow.
The fifth round was against a tamer with a beast that resembled a giant octopus. The octopus had long tentacles that it used to attack from a distance, making it difficult for Nova to get close. But Orion was determined, and he used Nova's elemental manipulation skill to create a small flame to distract the octopus. While the octopus was distracted, Nova used his primal strength to close in and deliver the finishing blow.
Orion had easily won all five rounds by only using Nova. He had not even needed to use Stella, much to the surprise of the audience and the other tamers. Many of the academy representatives had begun to take notice of Orion's power, and whispers had started to spread throughout the stadium.
Orion was pleased with his performance, but he knew that the real challenge lay ahead in the tournament's next stage. The second stage was a knockout tournament, where the winners of the qualification stage would face off against each other in single-elimination matches. This would continue until 32 participants were left.
Orion and his beasts rested in their beast space, preparing for the next stage of the tournament. He knew that the competition would be tougher, and he needed to be ready for anything. He spent the rest of the day analyzing his potential opponents and coming up with strategies to defeat them.
The representatives from different academies continued to discuss Orion's performance in the Intermediate Tamer Tournament. They were all impressed by his skills and the power of his rare beasts. Some of them even speculated that he might have the potential to become a legendary beast tamer in the future.
"He's only fifteen years old and yet he's able to defeat experienced intermediate tamers without even breaking a sweat," said one representative.
"It's clear that he has a natural talent for taming rare beasts," added another.
"I heard that he's only been a tamer for more than a year. Can you imagine what he'll be able to accomplish with more training and experience?" said a third representative.
The representatives from different academies were all in agreement that Orion was a rare talent in the world of beast tamers. They discussed the possibility of recruiting him to their own academies, but they knew that he would be in high demand and would likely choose an academy that could offer him the best training and resources.
As the representatives continued to discuss Orion, they noticed that many of the other intermediate tamers in the stadium were watching them with interest. They knew that Orion was the talk of the tournament, and they were curious to know more about him.
The representative who had been speaking about Orion walked towards the area where the young tamer was resting with his beasts. As he got closer, Orion noticed him and stood up to greet him.
"Hello there," Orion said politely, offering his hand for a shake.
The representative shook Orion's hand firmly and smiled. "Hello young man, my name is Professor Alphonse. I represent the Tamer Academy in the Northern Region. I couldn't help but notice your impressive performance in the tournament earlier."
Orion smiled modestly. "Thank you, sir. I did my best."
"I'm sure you did," Professor Alphonse said, nodding. "In fact, I was just discussing with my colleagues how much potential you have. You're only fifteen years old, and yet you managed to defeat all five opponents with ease. That's quite an accomplishment."
Orion felt a sense of pride welling up inside him. He had always known that he was skilled at taming beasts, but to have it acknowledged by a representative of an academy was a great honor.
"Thank you, sir," he said again. "I've been taming beasts for as long as I can remember. It's something I've always been passionate about."
Professor Alphonse nodded approvingly. "Passion is important, but talent is equally important. And you, young man, have both in spades."
Orion felt a surge of excitement at the professor's words. He had always dreamed of attending an academy and honing his skills as a tamer. To hear someone of Professor Alphonse's caliber speak so highly of him was a dream come true.
"Thank you, sir," he said again. "It's always been my dream to attend an academy and learn more about taming beasts."
Professor Alphonse smiled. "Well, if you keep up this level of performance, I'm sure you'll have no trouble getting into any academy you want. And if you ever decide to attend the Tamer Academy in the Northern Region, I would be happy to vouch for you."
Orion's eyes widened in surprise. To have a representative of an academy offer to vouch for him was a huge opportunity. He knew that getting into an academy was not an easy feat, and having someone vouch for him would greatly increase his chances.
"Thank you, sir," he said again, feeling a deep sense of gratitude toward the professor.
Professor Alphonse smiled. "No need to thank me, young man. You deserve it. Keep up the good work, and I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of you in the future."
With that, the professor gave Orion a pat on the shoulder and walked away, leaving the young tamer feeling both excited and humbled. He knew that he still had a long way to go before he could truly be considered a master tamer, but to have a representative of an academy acknowledge his skills was a huge step in the right direction.
The announcement of the end of the first stage and the start of the second stage was met with excitement from the audience and participants alike. The atmosphere in the stadium was charged with anticipation as everyone prepared for the knockout tournament.
Orion and his beasts returned to their accommodation, where they rested and prepared for the upcoming battles. The next day, they arrived early at the stadium, ready for the start of the second stage.
As Orion lay on his bed, he couldn't help but replay the events of the first stage in his mind. He was satisfied with his performance, but he knew that the next stage would be much more challenging. He had to be prepared for anything.
Orion's beasts, who were resting in his beast space, seemed to sense his unease. They both lifted their heads to look at him with concern. Orion smiled at them reassuringly and took them out to stroke their fur and feathers.
The accommodation that he got was big, and it was enough for Stella and Nova to be in the room. It was also the room that was specialized for a beast tamer.
"Don't worry, guys," he said. "We'll be ready for whatever comes our way."
His beasts nuzzled his hand in response, and Orion felt a sense of comfort wash over him. He knew that he could always count on his beasts to support him.