The village square had cleared quickly once word spread that a fight was about to take place. The villagers gathered at the edges, watching with a mix of curiosity and unease. Bran and his adventurers stood on one side, while Hiro stood alone on the other, his wolf and bear flanking him.
Bran drew his sword, the blade gleaming in the dim light. His companions stood behind him, a mix of warriors and mages, ready to support him in the fight. Hiro could sense their overconfidence—they didn't see his beasts as a threat. To them, this was a simple display of power, a way to put the young tamer in his place.
But they were wrong.
Bran lunged first, his sword slicing through the air toward Hiro. But before the blade could get close, the wolf moved—swift and silent, a blur of motion. In an instant, it intercepted Bran, teeth bared as it knocked the warrior off balance.
Bran stumbled back, surprised by the wolf's speed and strength. His companions, seeing their leader falter, rushed forward to engage. One of them, a mage, began casting a fire spell, summoning a bright flame that danced between his hands.
But Hiro was ready.
"Now," he commanded, his voice firm.
The bear roared, charging toward the mage with surprising speed for its size. The ground seemed to shake beneath its massive paws as it slammed into the mage, sending him sprawling to the ground. The fire spell fizzled out, the mage's concentration shattered by the impact.
Bran recovered quickly, swinging his sword toward the wolf again, but this time Hiro acted, raising his hand. The wolf moved in perfect sync with him, darting to the side and avoiding the blow with ease. Its golden eyes glowed, reflecting Hiro's will.
The crowd gasped. They had never seen anything like this before—a beast moving with such precision, as if it were an extension of Hiro himself. It wasn't just a tamed animal. It was something more.
Bran, his frustration growing, swung wildly at the wolf, but it was no use. The wolf danced around him, its movements fluid and controlled. The bear, meanwhile, had forced the mage to retreat, leaving Bran without magical support.
"Give up, Bran," Hiro called out, his voice calm but firm. "You can't win."
Bran growled in frustration, his pride refusing to let him admit defeat. He charged at Hiro, hoping to bypass the beasts entirely and strike at their master. But before he could reach him, the bear roared again, stepping into Bran's path with a thundering crash.
Bran froze, his eyes wide as the massive creature loomed over him.
Hiro stepped forward, his gaze steady. "This is the power of taming," he said quietly. "It's not about controlling beasts. It's about bonding with them. Understanding them."
The crowd was silent, watching with rapt attention as Hiro moved past the bear and stood before Bran. The warrior's sword hung limply at his side, the fight drained from him.
"You've lost," Hiro said, his voice soft but final. "Leave."
Bran hesitated, his pride still warring with the reality before him. But in the end, he had no choice. With a grunt of frustration, he lowered his sword and signaled for his men to retreat. The adventurers moved quickly, eager to escape the humiliation of their defeat.
As they left the square, the villagers began to murmur among themselves, their gazes shifting to Hiro with newfound respect—and a hint of fear.
Hiro turned to the wolf and bear, nodding once. The creatures relaxed, their tension easing as the fight ended. Hiro's connection with them had grown stronger in the heat of battle, their bond reinforced by the shared experience.
This was only the beginning.