As she exited the battlefield, Mercury checked her phone, her expression cool and composed.
She typed quickly, asking Zara if everyone had arrived. The response came almost immediately.
"We're in the stands, come join us!"
Mercury raised an eyebrow, she came to the stands and started scanning the crowd, but she couldn't spot them.
With a small sigh, she made her way up the stairs to the stands and located them after a while.
She kept her usual calm facade intact, but as she approached the group and her eyes landed on Eratz, something shifted.
A playful smirk tugged at her lips, and her cheeks puffed out slightly under a teasing gaze. It was a look she almost never wore, and it caught everyone off guard.
Adrian, standing nearby, flinched, his confident posture briefly faltering.
'Wait, did I just see that right?' He blinked in disbelief. Mercury was always serious and composed, never one to show her playful side. 'Is she... smiling?' His mind raced. 'She must be happy to see us... So that's mean that I'm also special for her...'
His confidence erupted, oblivious that her gaze wasn't on him, but locked on Eratz.
In a silent exchange, Mercury's teasing eyes seemed to say, "One minute, that's how you do it, M."
Eratz, with a slight grin and a raised eyebrow, met her gaze, the vein popping on his temple, the message was perfectly conveyed.
Mercury reached the group, her expression back to normal. Zara and Ryder greeted her enthusiastically.
"Girl, you were amazing out there!" Zara said, her eyes lighting up.
"Yeah, you destroyed that guy!" Ryder added in laughter.
Mercury gave a small nod of thanks, her voice steady.
"Thanks, Ryder. Glad you're all here."
Adrian, as a new man, stepped forward.
"Well, Mercury, I made sure to book my match after you, so the two leads will set a good example for everyone, right?" he said, flashing a smile that he was sure would get her attention.
"Mm-hmm," Mercury hummed, her eyes drifting back to Eratz.
"So, Eratz," she began, "have you fought yet?"
Before Eratz could reply, Adrian cut in smoothly.
"Oh, he couldn't fight before me, obviously. You are the announcement and I am the warm-up. I'll make sure to set the standard."
Mercury barely acknowledged him, her focus still on Eratz.
"What time's your match?" she asked, her tone light but teasing.
"10:30," Eratz replied with a grin. "I came early but either people are sleeping in the arena either there's something I don't know about the registration protocol."
Mercury smirked.
"That's what you get for focusing on the power and not learning the bases."
They settled in to watch the rest of the morning's matches. Ryder bounced excitedly in his seat, barely able to contain his energy.
"Man... So I'm the last? I'm up at 11:30!"
Adrian crossed his arms confidently.
"It's not a big deal, you have the time to prepare. In my case, it's harder, I'm up soon but I'll show you all how it's done," he said with a smile, his eyes scanning the arena. "These other challengers are... Not bad, but... well, they're not quite at our level, right, Mercury?"
He glanced at the girl, but to his dismay, she was locked in a quiet, teasing conversation with Eratz.
They were seated next to each other, their voices barely audible to the rest of the group, and their tone showed that she was taunting him.
"You're going to use that thing today, right?" Mercury asked.
Eratz gave a disgusted glare.
"I could have... If someone had let me train with it."
Mercury chuckled softly, leaning back in her seat.
"Ahh, you're saying you're not ready? I thought mister I use a technique right after evolving my monster wouldn't need a training to master a dragon."
"... You know what? I won't use it at all... I will save it for you, for you only."
"Oh? So you're giving me your first time?"
"Ye-What the?!" Eratz shook his head in surprise.
Adrian, catching snippets of their conversation, leaned in with his usual swagger.
"Hm, by the way, uh... Man, You know, battles aren't just about raw power. It's all about strategy, finesse. No offense but a strong fighter is nothing against a master and his beasts." He flashed a grin, but Mercury rolled her eyes and picked Eratz's arm to get back his attention.
'What are they even talking about?'
Adrian thought, growing more frustrated by the second. He couldn't focus on anything else.
But then, it was his turn. He stood up.
"Well, I guess it's my time to shine." He stretched, ready for his match, then glanced at Mercury with a playful smirk. "Watch closely, Mercury. I'm gonna beat your time."
Mercury barely reacted, her eyes half-lidded as she waved a hand.
"Good luck," she said, her tone indifferent.
Adrian strode into the arena, oozing confidence. His opponent was a young boy, likely a newcomer to the professional beast-fighting world, but the kid had a determined look on his face.
The referee gave the signal, and the boy immediately summoned two beasts, muscular humanoid creatures with glowing fists.
They charged at Adrian's side of the arena, their raw power on full display.
Adrian smiled, brushing a hand through his hair.
"Alright, let's give them a show." He summoned his ace, a dark, sinister creature with the appearance of a dark elf and a gremlin. Its red eyes glinted, and shadows coiled around its body like a cloak.
"Umbraxis, let's dance," Adrian called out, his voice steady and confident.
The battle began, and at first, Adrian played it cool, letting Umbraxis dodge and weave between the boy's fighting beasts.
The crowd watched in awe as the Umbraxis darted through the battlefield, disappearing into shadows and reappearing behind its enemies with lightning speed.
It seemed like Adrian was toying with his opponent.
But the boy wasn't going to get down easily. He called for his beasts to launch a coordinated attack, using their raw strength to corner Umbraxis.
The brawlers punched the ground, sending shockwaves through the arena that made the shadowy creature stumble.
Adrian's smug grin faltered as he realized the boy was taking control of the fight.
"Get up, Umbraxis!" Adrian shouted, frustration creeping into his voice.
But the Umbraxis was struggling. The boy's beasts continued their relentless assault, forcing Adrian to think fast.
The crowd watched intently as Adrian's face twisted. He hated how close this was getting.
He wanted to show off, to impress Mercury and the others, but it wasn't going according to his plan.
Finally, with a surge of frustration, Adrian commanded Umbraxis to unleash its most powerful attack.
Umbraxis conjured a swirling ball of dark energy, launching it at the boy's beasts. The impact shook the arena, sending the creatures flying backward.
The boy, too close, was knocked off.
Adrian stood there, panting, relieved that he'd managed to win.
"That's how you do it." He shouted.
He glanced back at the stands, expecting to see Mercury impressed. But she was still engrossed in conversation with Eratz, laughing at something he had said.
Adrian's jaw clenched in annoyance. 'They didn't even see me win?'
Up in the stands, Eratz groaned.
"So, even if everyone finishes their matches quickly, it doesn't speed up the schedule? I'm doomed to be here at 8 PM?"
Mercury chuckled.
"Exactly. No point in rushing it. The battles are programmed ahead of time. Even if we finish early, the next match won't start until its scheduled time."
Eratz leaned back.
"That will teach me to be impatient..."
Mercury chuckled softly, ignoring Adrian, who was making his way toward them, clearly irritated.
Zara, checking the schedule flinched.
"Eratz, you're up after the next match, You should already do a little warm up."
Mercury just shrugged.
"Oh? At long last."
Eatz stood up to leave, and Ryder cheered him on, clapping him on the back.
"Go get 'em, man!"
Zara smiled, adding,
"It's a level 1 arena, ok? They're beginners... Just go easy on your opponent, alright?"
"I'll see how to deal with it." Eratz said.
Mercury, with a tap on the shoulder, leaned closer.
"Imagine losing your very first match."
Eratz smiled.
"You wish."
Adrian, still trying to remain in the conversation, added,
"You know, in battle, it's not just about muscle. There's strategy, timing..."
But Eratz was already leaving.
A little later, Eratz entered the arena for his very first battle, and the small crowd began to stir.
His opponent, a confident young woman, gave him a polite nod.
"Good luck," she said, her voice steady.
Eratz nodded back, his mind briefly flashing back to his days at the academy. 'I've come a long way.'
The referee signaled the start of the match, and the girl summoned her beast, a towering fire-type creature with a mane of flames that crackled around its body.
But Eratz didn't move. He stood still, arms relaxed, watching her with a calm, focused gaze.
The girl hesitated, confused by his lack of response. With a frown, she decided to take the initiative.
Her body became enveloped in a fiery aura as she rushed toward him, her beast close behind her, planning to overwhelm him with her speed and power.
The crowd leaned forward, sensing the intensity of the moment. Ryder, Zara, and Adrian watched closely, while Mercury remained calm, her eyes locked on Eratz.
But just as the girl closed the distance, something shifted in the air. Her vision blurred, and an overwhelming sense of danger flooded her instincts.
RUN!
Her mind screamed, but it was too late.
She raised her arms defensively, but as her eyes met Eratz's glowing gaze, she knew she was finished.
A blinding flash of light exploded from the center of the arena, shaking the ground with a powerful blast. Cracks spread across the stone floor, and the entire arena seemed to tremble.
As the dust from Eratz's explosive attack settled, the arena was enveloped in stunned silence.
The ground was cracked, fractured by the immense force of his attack, and in the center of the destruction stood Eratz, calm and unbothered.
His opponent lay unconscious in a smoking crater, the fire beast she had summoned flickering out.
For a few seconds, no one moved. The entire crowd seemed frozen in place, as if they were still processing what had just happened. The sheer intensity of the blast had left everyone in shock.
Then, like a wave, the cheers erupted. The crowd roared with amazement and disbelief. Spectators leapt to their feet, their voices booming with excitement as the realization of Eratz's instant win.
"Did you see that?!"
"That was insane!"
"No way! He knocked her out in one hit!"
The energy in the stands surged. People who had been casually watching now leaned forward, their eyes wide, their faces lit up with awe.
In the stands, Ryder's jaw had practically dropped to the floor. His hands trembled, fists clenched with excitement.
"Holy… Eratz, you absolute monster!"
His voice was barely audible over the crowd's roar, but the awe in his tone was unmistakable.
Zara's eyes widened as she gripped the edge of her seat. Her heart raced, and she gazed at Mercury.
"What in the world... That was more power than during the selection matches. Way more... What kind of training did you two do in the forest?"
Adrian, who had been smugly awaiting Eratz's match, now sat frozen, his arms limp at his sides.
His usual bravado had been wiped clean off his face, replaced by wide-eyed disbelief.
He tried to speak, but no words came out. His mind was racing, replaying the explosion of power that had shaken the entire arena.
He glanced over at Mercury, expecting her to be as shocked as he was. But when he saw her expression, his stomach tightened.
Mercury wasn't shocked. She was smirking, and not just a normal smirk. Her eyes glinted, a vein popped subtly on her temple.
"Ah, so that's how you're taking it, huh?" she muttered under her breath, her gaze stayed locked on Eratz, who, from the center of the arena, looked directly at her and raised his two hands in the air, a small smirk tugging at his lips.
It was a simple message: I did it in ten seconds.