"The winner is Ishita from the Leopard Clan!" Sushant the snake shouted.
"Yeah!!!" Cheers erupted from the crowd after hearing the result.
"Wow, what a great match! Breathtaking. Now, let us take a short break to give the next competitors time to prepare," Sushant announced.
"That was amazing," Sumit said.
"I know, right? I even won more than expected," Jack said happily.
"You won? You mean from betting?" Sumit asked, surprised.
"Yes! There were so many idiots who bet on Bulu just because of his big body. That helped me win three times the original prize," Jack said with a grin.
"I didn't know we could bet," Sumit said.
"Last time, there were too many illegal bets that couldn't be stopped, so we decided to legalize it," Leo explained.
"That's a stupid idea. Who came up with something like that?" Sumit asked.
"Want to guess?" Leo said, pointing toward someone.
"You mean… Jack!?" Sumit said, shocked.
"Of course! I was the one who came up with the idea," Jack said, smiling smugly.
"Okay, but tell me one thing—didn't you say the loser gets killed?" Sumit asked.
"Oh, I was kidding about that part," Jack said, laughing.
"What?" Sumit's eyes widened.
"You seriously believed everyone here was savage enough to kill each other? I said that to scare you," Jack said, still grinning.
"You…" Sumit glared at Jack angrily.
"Alright, enough talking. You should head down there—you're up next," Jack said, pushing Sumit toward the arena.
"I know," Sumit said, shaking off Jack's hand.
"Kid, don't feel too bad when you lose. Oh, and by the way—I'll be betting against you," Jack teased.
"We'll see about that." Sumit turned to Leo. "Sir Leo, I have a favour to ask."
....
"Welcome back, everyone! Are you ready for the second match?!" Sushant asked in a cheerful voice.
"Yesss!!!" the audience roared.
"Excellent! Let's see who our competitors are. The second match will be between Raph from the Rhino Clan and… Kaali Bili from the Human Clan? I've never heard of a Human Clan before, but I expect a good match from Raph. Let's see how this goes!" Sushant announced.
Sumit stepped onto the rough, uneven ground of the tournament pit. Dust and pebbles crunched beneath his feet as the crowd's roar swelled into a deafening wall of noise.
Across from him stood Raph — the towering figure of the Rhino Clan. Broad shoulders, thick muscles, and armor-like skin — the embodiment of power and endurance.
Raph's dark gray hide was marked with deep scars, remnants of past victories. His eyes were sharp and calculating beneath the heavy ridge of his brow. Deep silver aura flickered around him, pouring into the ground beneath his feet, causing the earth to tremble.
Sumit exhaled, golden light flickering around his hands. His aura felt steady — focused. He knew Raph was faster than most rhinos and hit like a hammer. This wouldn't be an easy fight.
The horn sounded.
Raph's foot slammed into the ground. A pulse of silver aura shot through the earth — and the arena floor erupted beneath Sumit's feet. The shockwave sent him skidding backward. Raph charged through the dust, his massive frame cutting through the air like a battering ram.
"What the…?" Sumit muttered in shock.
The speed isn't the only problem.
Sumit's golden aura flared around his legs. He pivoted, the edge of Raph's horn grazing his side as he narrowly avoided the charge. Gathering aura into his fist to form a gauntlet which he used to punch Raph's side.
Raph twisted mid-stride, planting his feet into the ground. His aura surged downward — and the ground buckled beneath Sumit's feet. Sumit stumbled, his balance thrown off by the artificial quake.
"Nice try," Raph growled. His silver aura flared, gathering around his fists.
Sumit's eyes narrowed. He focused his aura into his arms and back, feeling the familiar heat fill his muscles.
Raph's fist shot toward him. Sumit leaned into it.
Light surged across his forearm as he blocked. The impact rattled his bones, but Sumit absorbed the force, redirecting it through his aura into his legs.
Seeing Raph not attacking anymore, Sumit asked, "How are you doing that?"
"What?" Raph frowned.
"I mean the artificial quake. Can you teach me?" Sumit asked.
"You want to learn my techniques? Why would I teach you my techniques?" Raph said, narrowing his eyes.
"So… is that a no?" Sumit asked.
"Yes." Raph said.
"Wait… yes as in you'll teach me?" Sumit asked hopefully.
"No. I said no," Raph snapped, his aura flaring as he charged at Sumit again.
"I see. You're selfish," Sumit said, dodging the charge and landing on his feet. He dusted himself off.
"Okay… enough testing the waters." Sumit pulled a wooden sword from beneath his cloak.
"A sword?" Raph said, surprised.
"I don't know why you're so surprised — but it's too early to be shocked," Sumit said, pouring his aura into the wooden sword. A golden blade of energy flared to life along the edge of the wood.
...
In the stands, Jack's lazy grin faded. His eyes sharpened.
"Did he… just use aura in a sword?" Jack said, sitting up straighter.
Leo's jaw tightened. His eyes narrowed as he watched the glowing sword in Sumit's hand.
"Impossible," Leo muttered.
Beside Leo, a young soldier with pointed ears and short gray fur — Jimi — frowned.
"What's wrong, sir? Isn't he just using his aura in the sword?" Jimi asked.
Jack leaned forward, eyes glinting with sharp focus. "Have you ever seen a mid-level aura user holding a weapon?"
"No, sir. But shouldn't it be the same as a low-level using one?" Jimi said.
Leo sighed and reached for the sword strapped to Jimi's back. "Give me your sword."
Jimi handed it over without hesitation — a standard steel blade. Leo held it out in front of him. "Observe."
Leo's amber aura pulsed around his hand. The light poured into the sword, and the metal immediately cracked. Fissures spread along the length of the blade before it shattered into pieces. The fragments fell to the ground with a hollow clink.
Jimi's eyes widened. "W-What the—?"
"That's what happens when a mid-level aura user channels aura into a weapon," Leo said, letting the broken hilt drop. "Our aura is too strong. The weapon can't handle it."
Jimi's gaze flicked toward the arena, where Sumit's wooden sword still glowed with golden light.
"But… his sword isn't breaking."
"Exactly," Jack said, his grin returning. "That's not normal."
...…
Sumit lifted his glowing sword high and charged toward Raph. In response, Raph poured his aura into the ground, creating an artificial earthquake that knocked Sumit off balance. Raph charged again, his horn sharpening with jagged silver aura.
This time, Sumit didn't dodge — he blocked the attack with his sword.
Mistake.
Sumit's sword was as sharp as Raph's horn, but Raph had more strength. The impact blasted through Sumit's arms, sending him rolling backward. Pain flared in his chest as he coughed up blood.
Raph chuckled. "I admit it — you surprised me. But that's all you've managed to do."
Sumit wiped the blood from his mouth and smiled faintly. "Didn't I say it's too early to be surprised?"
He picked up a few stones from the ground and stood up.
Seeing Sumit rise, Raph gathered his aura in his feet and struck the ground. Dust curled around his legs as his aura condensed, sharpening his focus. Raph charged — but this time Sumit ran toward him.
Their auras collided mid-stride — silver meeting gold. Raph's horn glowed with jagged silver light as he thrust it toward Sumit's chest.
Sumit ducked low, golden aura spiraling around his arms, forming gauntlets. He caught the horn with both hands.
Sumit's knees buckled — but his aura pulsed through his back and shoulders. He redirected the force downward, forcing Raph's horn to the side. Sumit twisted, his sword flicking toward Raph's exposed flank.
A shallow cut.
Raph's aura surged defensively, hardening his skin. He retaliated with a crushing elbow aimed at Sumit's ribs. Sumit shifted his aura into his legs and launched backward — but the shockwave from Raph's strike sent him skidding.
Sumit coughed, tasting blood. His eyes sharpened.
Raph planted his foot — and the ground beneath him shattered. A massive pulse of silver aura rippled outward, shaking the entire arena.
Sumit's balance broke — his foot slipped.
NOW!
Raph lunged, aura sharpening around his fists like spiked armor. Sumit's aura shot into his legs. He blurred sideways — but not fast enough.
THWACK!
Raph's fist smashed into Sumit's shoulder. Pain exploded through his arm as he crashed to the ground, his aura flickering.
Sumit groaned, clutching his arm. His golden light pulsed weakly. Raph's shadow loomed over him.
"Got you," Raph said.
Sumit grinned through the pain. "Says who?"
His aura gathered in his hand — and his sword dissolved. Sumit's fingers closed around a small stone. His golden light seeped into it, causing it to pulse faintly.
Raph's eyes narrowed. "What are you—"
Sumit flicked the stone toward Raph's feet. It landed softly between them.
"A stone? You think you can defeat me with a stone?" Raph scoffed.
Sumit smiled. "Yes, I can."
BOOM
The stone exploded in a burst of golden light. Dust and debris shot upward. Raph's balance broke — and Sumit was already moving.
His sword hummed with golden light as he slashed toward Raph's exposed side.
SLASH!
A clean line of red appeared across Raph's ribs. He stumbled, his aura flickering.
The crowd's noise dimmed — a stunned silence spreading through the stands.
"What… was that?" asked Raph while healing the cut with his aura
"I will tell you if you yield," Sumit said. His sword's glow faded as his aura settled. He kept his stance light and relaxed.
"If I yield…you say" Raph's aura surged violently. His silver light exploded outward, forcing Sumit to step back. Raph turned, breathing hard. "Don't make me laugh"
Raph's breath came in ragged bursts. His silver aura flared violently, cracks spreading through the ground beneath his feet. Dust curled around his legs as his muscles tensed.
He slammed his foot into the ground. A pulse of silver aura surged outward. The ground beneath Sumit fractured, jagged pieces of earth flying into the air.
Sumit jumped back, golden aura flickering around his legs — but Raph was already moving.
A blur of gray and red.
Sumit barely raised his sword in time.
CLANG!
Raph's horn met Sumit's blade in a deafening clash. Sparks of red and gold scattered through the air. Sumit's legs buckled under the sheer force. His feet dug into the loose dirt as Raph pushed forward, the weight behind his attack like a battering ram.
Sumit's arms trembled as Raph's horn pressed closer to his face. His muscles screamed under the pressure. Then, his golden light pulsed — and he twisted his grip, forcing the blade upward.
Raph stumbled — just for a second.
Sumit's free hand flicked downward. Another stone slid between his fingers.
Golden light pulsed through it.
BOOM!
The stone exploded at Raph's feet. Dust and golden light shot upward. Raph's balance wavered — his footing gone.
Sumit shot forward. His golden aura spiraled into his legs. He blurred toward Raph, sword poised.
Raph's aura thickened around his chest like armor. Sumit's sword struck.
CRACK!
The impact pushed Raph back — but the cut was shallow.
Raph's fist shot toward Sumit's face.
Sumit dropped low. His golden aura wrapped around his legs as he drove his palm toward Raph's knee.
THWACK!
Raph's leg buckled. His aura flickered.
Sumit jumped back, tossing another stone into the air.
BOOM!
The explosion sent Raph sprawling onto one knee. Blood dripped from the cut on his ribs. His breath hitched.
Sumit stood over him, a golden aura crackling around his frame.
Raph's muscles tensed — then slumped. His aura sputtered. His fist, half-raised, lowered slowly.
Raph's body tensed — then slumped. His aura dimmed. His fist, half-raised, lowered slowly.
"Damn it…" Raph coughed, wiping blood from his mouth. He stared at Sumit with narrowed eyes. "How… how are you doing that?"
Sumit smiled, flipping the stone between his fingers. "If you want to learn, I can teach you."
Raph's eyes widened. For a moment, his mouth opened — then he chuckled. A deep, rumbling sound.
"Heh… Hahaha…"
Raph tilted his head back, laughing despite the pain. He pushed himself onto one knee.
"I look forward to it" Raph raised his hand weakly. His grin was sharp, feral. "I yield!!!"