"Summon the Shadow Panther!" The bright-eyed thief quickly places his hand on the Silver Tome, ready to call forth his third battle creature.
"It's too late!" The man with the sly, triangular eyes at the entrance smirks triumphantly. Without any visible summoning gesture, a tiny creature engulfed in black flames materializes behind him.
Eddie, having once perused a beastiary brought back by his sister from the academy, recognizes the creature as akin to a Fire Imp described in the tome.
Not particularly strong in attack, Fire Imps are known for their ability to cast long fireballs. Originating from the Abyss, such malevolent beings are not native to the Dragon-Tongue Continent.
The mercenaries witnessing the sudden appearance of the Fire Imp without any summoning ritual are taken aback. Their reaction is not one of awe at his power, but of disdain for his underhanded tactics.
In the mercenary world, as well as among duelists, there's an unspoken rule to conduct open combats fairly and honorably. Only the most despicable would stealthily summon creatures to launch a surprise attack.
This man known as Evilfire, with his triangle eyes, seems to have secretly summoned the Fire Imp within the confines of the Happy Forest, biding his time until Shadowclaw was at a disadvantage before revealing himself.
His interference in a one-on-one duel is detestable enough, but his premeditated summoning of creatures is utterly contemptible.
If the mercenaries didn't recognize him and know they were no match for him, they might have rushed him in a rage.
When Evilfire's Fire Imp is joined by a demonic bee flashing into existence behind him, the onlookers are too exasperated even to curse him.
Such shameless individuals, they feel, deserve divine retribution and have no place among the living.
If Evilfire claimed his Fire Imp was not specifically targeting the bright-eyed thief's Confusion Butterfly, perhaps a few naïve souls might have believed him.
But the arrival of the sinister-looking bee, with its distinct black and yellow abdomen, leaves no doubt. This loathsome man, Evilfire, with his sleazy demeanor and despicable character, is clearly targeting the thief.
Coupled with his earlier crass demand for the thief's innocence, the crowd realizes that as flawed as they may be, next to Evilfire, they're practically saints.
The Confusion Butterfly, like many other insectoid flying beasts, is particularly vulnerable to fire or frost. The Fire Imp's fireball is a deadly threat, capable of instantly obliterating the defenseless butterfly.
Similarly, the formidable Spider Woman's sole bane is the demonic bee. The bee's agility allows it to evade the spider's webs while its sting can paralyze and kill the Spider Woman.
Seeing Evilfire's two summoned beasts, the bright-eyed thief trembles with anxiety. As she commands, the Confusion Butterfly tries to retreat back into the protective shield, attempting to return to the Silver Tome.
But it's too late. The Fire Imp shoots out a curving black fireball that tracks its target and explodes upon the butterfly's wings.
"Boom!"
The Confusion Butterfly is reduced to ashes, leaving nothing but a smoldering trace in the air. With the butterfly gone, the stone golem, previously wandering aimlessly, regains its sense of direction.
It lumbers forward, lifting its massive rocky fist to strike at the thief's newly summoned Shadow Panther.
While the slow-moving golem is unlikely to hit the swift and elusive panther, the panther, in turn, has no means to directly confront the golem, merely dodging its powerful blows.
The ground trembles as the golem's fist smashes down, echoing like thunderous explosions.
Meanwhile, the Spider Woman, emitting a shrill scream of terror, swiftly retreats toward the light shield. It manages to escape just in time, avoiding the demonic bee's pursuit, but still shakes uncontrollably, evidently terrified of its natural enemy.
"So, this is how summoned creatures duel, interesting!" Eddie observes with intrigue, witnessing the tactical interplay of summoners for the first time.
He realizes that combat isn't just about brute force; it's equally about strategy. No beast is all-powerful; the key lies in understanding the complex interplay of strengths and weaknesses.
For instance, while the Confusion Butterfly might stand no chance against the war eagle, it's extremely effective against the stone golem. The Spider Woman might dominate other flying creatures, but the demonic bee is an exception.
And although the Fire Imp's fireball can easily eliminate the Confusion Butterfly, its overall combat effectiveness is far less than that of the stone golem.
Witnessing the battle unfold, Eddie comes to an important conclusion about the art of summoner duels.
"Every beast has its counter! In this world, no creature is invincible; it's the strategic combinations and counter-tactics that edge closer to invincibility." Eddie's realization of why warriors with Summoning Tomes have such formidable advantages is crystallizing.
They have a life guardian beast that never dies or betrays, and with a tome in hand, they can summon a wide array of creatures for precise tactical responses. Without Evilfire's unforeseen meddling, Shadowclaw would likely have been vanquished by the thief's strategic prowess.
But as the tide turns, the thief's situation is rapidly deteriorating. "We need to get out of here! Shadowclaw is about to bring out something big, and I can't hold out much longer!"
She passes Eddie a finely crafted scroll, the 'Teleportation Scroll'. "Just unfurl it, channel your energy like you're summoning a creature, and it will whisk us away."
"Summoning a creature?" Eddie blinks with exaggerated innocence, a facade of naivety.
Her frustration boiling over, the thief can't believe Eddie's apparent lack of crucial knowledge. Could he really have spent all his time on trivial pursuits without even learning to summon a single creature? It's almost incomprehensible. And now, their backs are against the wall.
"Trying to flee so soon?" Evilfire's sneer slices through the tension. With a cryptic gesture and a swift slice to his palm, a bloody sigil emerges, erupting into a shower of red light that skyrockets before bursting open like a firework, sprinkling the battlefield with ominous sparkles.
At that moment, an invasive thought strikes both Eddie and the thief: they've been locked in a 'Death Duel' by Evilfire. Escape is not an option unless they wish to face divine wrath, a fatal explosion of their life's energies.
The thief's hand trembles under the weight of this grim revelation, reflecting the daunting reality of their situation: a fight to the death within the confines of the Blood Arena, imposed by the despicable Evilfire.
Evilfire's initiation of the Death Duel comes at a dire cost. His face is ashen, his bloodied hand appearing to be consumed by an unseen monster, the wound continuously cracking, bleeding, and even rotting, emitting a foul stench. "Die for me, it's your honor, hahaha!" Evilfire presses his bloodied hand onto the Fire Imp, which explodes into a mess of gore.
"Well done, cough cough, it's finally time to summon. Your end is near!" Shadowclaw's every orifice bleeds profusely, his body a horrifying sight of decay. The excessive draining of his energy for the forced summoning causes rapid deterioration.
Perversely, the fresh blood oozing from his body transforms into a bloody light, all converging onto the red crystal in his clenched fist. Finally, the crystal, engorged with blood and energy, emits a sinister red glow, turning the surrounding space a ghastly crimson.
The surrounding mercenaries feel an inexplicable fear settling in their hearts. The more timid among them begin to shiver uncontrollably as if standing in the midst of a frozen tundra. After three long minutes of blood-filled summoning by Shadowclaw, the powerful beast is finally called forth.
A terrifying roar sends the onlooking crowd into a frenzy. Even the demonic bee, previously circling overhead, is so frightened that it crashes to the ground, trembling and crawling, unable to take flight again.
Safe within the protective shield, the Spider Woman succumbs to fear and disappears into the Silver Tome in a streak of green light, abandoning its master and the battlefield.
Eddie watches as a hulking beast with dark green, snake-patterned skin and blood-red eyes emerges at Shadowclaw's command. The mercenaries scatter in terror, no longer daring to linger.
Even the warriors watching from the Happy Forest balcony turn pale and cry out in alarm, "My God, Shadowclaw has summoned a Bronze Savage Bull!"
"A Bronze Savage Bull?" Eddie asks the bright-eyed thief curiously. "Is this the legendary creature known for its deadly gaze?"