Our squad captain, Kairos, is a force to be reckoned with—formidable in both strength and combat technique.
As the leader of our squad and the undisputed strongest in ARA, he has become my ultimate goal. Surpassing him is my aspiration, a challenge I've set for myself to elevate my combat finesse.
To me, he's not just a leader; he's a mentor, a supporter, and a source of inspiration. Our squad, often referred to as "the Monsters" by other students in ARA, owes its reputation to his leadership.
To me, Kairos is not a rival, but a stepping stone—someone whose strength will push me to become stronger. And the best part is, he has allowed me to take that path.
"If the day comes when you've finally surpassed me, I want you to know that I've made an oath to follow and support you when that time arrives," Kairos said to me one day after a grueling combat session.
His words left me both humbled and grateful. "But until then, keep training and growing stronger. Your destiny affects us all. The stronger you are, the better we'll all be," he added, his tone turning thoughtful, as if he knew something about my strength that I hadn't yet discovered.
When Kairos entered the arena, I was ready. Master Savius had given me ample time to rest and restore my stamina to its peak, and I was determined to make the most of this opportunity.
What excited me the most, however, was the chance to spar with his Astro beast. In all of ARA, only Kairos and I owned an Astro beast. I had been looking forward to this moment for a long time.
"Captain, can you do me a favor? I'd like to fight your Astro beast," I asked.
Kairos raised an eyebrow, momentarily taken aback by my request. But his expression soon shifted to one of understanding, as though he had been expecting this. He chuckled softly. "Sure, but only on one condition—you'll have to summon both of your beasts. My Kraken is extremely strong."
"I accept, Captain," I replied, feeling the surge of excitement and resolve.
In that instant, Kairos summoned his beast. The moment his Kraken appeared, it was clear he had no intention of hiding the true nature of his creature. Its name alone—Kraken—spoke volumes about its power and presence.
The ground seemed to shift, the atmosphere warping like a mirage. From the distortion, a massive figure emerged—something that made the crowd gasp in awe.
The Kraken.
His Astro Beast. The Celestial Hydro Kraken. A gargantuan creature, its massive, coiling tentacles writhing with an eerie fluidity. Its deep, glowing blue eyes fixed on me, its powerful presence alone making the ground tremble. The Kraken was a force of nature, both beautiful and terrifying. And with Kairos controlling it, it was a deadly weapon in battle.
I knew this wasn't going to be easy. Kairos had already told me that his Kraken was beyond anything I had ever faced before.
But that only made me more determined.
"You wanted to fight my beast, Avant," Kairos said, a slight smirk curling the corner of his mouth. "Now you'll get your chance. But don't think it's going to be easy."
"I never expected it to be," I replied, cracking my knuckles. "This is what I came here for. To learn. To grow."
He chuckled, the sound warm but full of the weight of experience. "Then prove it. Show me what you've learned."
With a sharp motion, I summoned my own beasts. Blitz, the Void Hawk, appeared beside me, its feathers shimmering with a faint, otherworldly glow, while Sirius, the Timebound Wolf, materialized at my side, its eyes glinting with intelligence.
The two of them stood ready, their forms emanating power, each one different, yet perfectly complementing the other.
"Don't hold back, Avant," Kairos warned. "Neither will I."
The moment the words left his mouth, the Kraken lunged, its massive tentacles sweeping through the air, creating gusts of wind that sent dust flying. Its movements were fluid, almost graceful, but the sheer force behind each strike was enough to send a normal opponent flying.
I reacted instantly, my body already moving before my mind could fully register the threat. I activated Temporal Leap, teleporting behind the Kraken's massive form just as one of its tentacles crashed where I had been standing a split second before.
My heart pounded in my chest, but my focus was sharp. I had to move faster than I ever had before, had to anticipate every strike, every movement.
Sirius darted forward, its paws barely touching the ground as it used its Temporal Acceleration to get in close. A burst of energy radiated from it, and suddenly, the Kraken's movements slowed, just enough for me to strike.
Blitz was already in motion, its wings flaring as it positioned itself above the Kraken, its gravity field ready to disorient. But I knew this wasn't enough. I needed to think bigger, be bolder.
I reached into my arsenal of skills, letting the flow of energy surge through me as I activated Space Expansion. The arena seemed to stretch, the distances between me and the Kraken growing longer, making it harder for its massive tentacles to reach me. I had to maintain this distance, keep control of the battlefield. If I could do that, I'd have a chance.
But Kairos wasn't going to make it easy.
He twisted his wrist, and in an instant, the Kraken's tentacles shifted, the gravity around me warping as its Gravity Surge sucked me closer. My feet slid across the ground, and I found myself pulled directly toward its massive form.
It was too late to avoid it.
Sirius yelped as it was sucked into the gravitational pull, its body slowing as the Kraken's force intensified. I couldn't lose my advantage now.
I summoned all my focus and activated Void Trap, creating a pocket dimension around one of the Kraken's tentacles. The creature's limb was immediately trapped in the swirling energy, frozen in place. The Kraken howled in frustration, but it didn't stop. The other tentacles whipped around, crashing into the environment with earth-shattering force.
I barely managed to dodge the next attack, using Temporal Leap to vanish just as the Kraken's tentacle struck the ground where I had been standing. I could feel the heat of the impact as the ground cracked beneath me.
But then, I saw something—a brief flicker in Kairos's eyes. A shift in the atmosphere.
I didn't have time to react. The Kraken's tentacle, now free from the trap, swung back around with devastating force.
It collided with me before I could even blink.
The world spun, and I felt myself being flung through the air, my body slamming into the ground with a bone-rattling crash. Pain exploded through me, but I didn't let it consume me. I staggered to my feet, blood trickling down my lip as I wiped it away.
I had never been hit like that before. The Kraken's sheer power was unlike anything I had encountered.
I looked up, my vision blurry but focused enough to see Kairos standing across from me, his eyes filled with the same calmness as always.
"You've still got a long way to go, Avant," he said softly, but there was no pity in his voice. "You're strong, but strength isn't enough. You have to understand the battlefield. You have to feel the flow of combat like an instinct."
I gritted my teeth, trying to shake off the dizziness. "I'm not finished yet."
"You've learned well. But you still have much to learn," Kairos continued, his voice growing more serious. "That's why I'm here. To push you beyond your limits. Because you'll need every ounce of strength you can muster when your destiny calls."
Destiny. His words echoed in my mind. What did he mean by that? Why was he always so cryptic when it came to my potential? I didn't have the answers yet, but I would.
Kairos took a step forward, his gaze unwavering. "Now, let's see if you can survive the next step."
Before I could even react, the Kraken surged forward again, its massive form crashing toward me. And this time, I wasn't sure if I could dodge.
The next thing I knew, I was thrown off the arena unconscious. And in that instant, I knew I had truly lost this match.