The sound of pounding hooves echoed through the ruins, each thunderous step shaking the fragile ground beneath them. Ren sprinted ahead, his breaths coming in sharp bursts as Zardlite skittered beside him, its sharp claws scraping against the moss-covered stones.
"Any bright ideas, or are we just running till it gets bored?"
Ren yelled over his shoulder, dodging a crumbling column.
Karina was only a few steps behind, her golden hair gleaming in the sunlight that pierced through the vine-draped ruins. Her shadow panther, Onyxia, darted gracefully beside her, its glowing emerald eyes scanning for threats.
"I have a plan, but it's going to need timing. You good at that, star boy?"
Ren grin at her, narrowly avoiding a low-hanging branch.
"Timing's my middle name. What's the plan?"
Karina smirked, sidestepping a fallen pillar.
"We split up. Onyxia and I'll keep its attention. You climb that rock pile ahead and drop the archway on it when I give the signal."
Ren glanced at the jagged mound of stones looming in the distance.
"Climbing and smashing things? I can handle that."
"Good. Don't mess it up."
Karina quipped, veering left without another word. Onyxia followed, its sleek form disappearing into the shadows of the ruins.
The armored boar bellowed, its tusks carving deep furrows into the stone as it pursued Karina and Onyxia through the maze of ruins. Meanwhile, Ren scrambled up the mound of loose rocks, his strength magic coursing through him with every pull and push. Zardlite scurried up beside him, its claws anchoring it to the stones.
He glance back just as Karina turned a sharp corner. She spun around, raising her hand, and Onyxia leapt onto a crumbling wall, its claws glowing with a faint, green light.
"Now!"
Ren grinned, slamming his fist into the base of the archway. His enhanced strength sent cracks splintering through the ancient structure. With a groan, the stones gave way, tumbling down in a cascade of debris.
The boar skidded to a halt, its armored hide scraping against the ground as it tried to backtrack. But the falling rocks were too fast, burying its legs and pinning it in place.
"Your turn!"
Ren yelled down, wiping sweat from his brow as he balanced atop the rocks.
"Onyxia, Bind it!"
The panther leapt gracefully from the wall, its sleek body dissolving into swirling tendrils of black mist. The mist coiled around the boar, tightening like chains and rooting it in place. The beast thrashed, its bellow shaking the air, but the shadows only tightened their grip.
Karina turned her attention to the boar's tamer, a burly man who had been hiding behind a nearby column. His face twisted in panic as Karina approached, her rapier gleaming in the light.
"Would you look at that. A man cowering in fear, you should learn from the boy."
She said, shooting a look at Ren who's now climbing to a pillar.
****
Block A - North Arena
Far away in the icy expanse of Block A, the frigid winds howled as the cloaked figure strode forward. His massive, bear-like beast crushed the icy ground beneath its feet, its glowing purple eyes locked on the glowing Magic Door ahead.
Behind him, the noble with the golden armor and the scholar with the owl-like beast fought fiercely, their shouts drowned out by the roaring wind. But neither could stop the cloaked figure as he approached the magic door.
"And there we have it!" the announcer's voice boomed across the arena, amplified by magic. "Our first winner for Block A! Only one more spot remains!"
Back in the fray, the woman with the white leopard moved. Her beast prowled beside her, its snow-white fur blending into the icy terrain.
She spared a glance at the Magic Door, her icy blue eyes narrowing. "Almost there," she murmured, her voice lost to the wind.
With a graceful leap, she and her leopard pressed onward, the glow of the door beckoning them closer. But the golden-armored noble intercepted her path, sword raised.
"You're not going anywhere!"
The woman smirked, her voice calm and unhurried.
"Shut up, low life noble."
Her leopard sprang forward in a blur, its claws meeting the noble's blade with a screech of metal on ice. The scholar joined in, sending a wave of arcane energy toward her, but she moved like flowing water, effortlessly dodging each strike.
Within moments, her leopard pinned the noble, its icy breath freezing his blade in his grip. She stepped past him, her hand reaching for the Magic Door.
"You won't make it."
Te scholar warned, but his words were swallowed by the storm as the woman pressed her hand against the glowing runes.
The Magic Door flared again, and in a blink, she vanished, reappearing beside the cloaked figure in the middle of the Colosseum.
****
Block C - East Arena
The clash of steel and roars of beasts echoed through the crumbling ruins as Karina squared off against the boar tamer. The man was burly, his armor dented but still imposing, and his movements were surprisingly agile for someone of his size. His armored boar charged forward with an earth-shaking bellow, tusks gleaming like polished blades.
Karina dodged gracefully, her sleek movements a stark contrast to the brute force of her opponent. Onyxia, her shadow panther, mirrored her agility, darting in and out of the boar's range, her obsidian claws raking against its thick hide in quick, calculated strikes.
The boar tamer laughed, a deep, guttural sound.
"You think you can dance your way to victory? My beast will crush yours!"
Karina's lips curled into a smirk.
"You talk too much."
In a fluid motion, she lunged forward, her rapier gleaming in the dim light as it clashed with the tamer's broadsword. Sparks flew, and their beasts circled each other, each waiting for an opening.
Ren, standing on the fallen archway he had destroyed earlier, watched the battle unfold. Zardlite hissed beside him, its orange scales glinting as it crouched, ready to pounce. His eyes were scanning the ruins. Something felt off.
And then he saw it – a shadow moving against the light. Another Tamer, cloaked in vines and dirt, creeping up behind Karina. His beast, a lithe, snake-like creature with venomous fangs, slithered silently, its eyes locked on Karina's exposed back.
In a flash, Zardlite leaped from the rubble, its claws striking the ground with a resonant thud. The sneak attacker froze, his eyes widening as Zardlite bared its fangs, letting out a guttural roar that echoed through the ruins.
Ren followed, landing between Karina and the attacker just as the snake lunged. With a swift movement, Ren summoned his magic, the starlight energy forming into a protective barrier that deflected the beast's attack.
"Watch your back!"
Ren called over his shoulder to Karina.
She glanced back briefly, her rapier slicing through the air to parry another strike from the boar tamer.
"I had it under control."
Ren turned his focus to the sneaky tamer, his voice low and sharp.
"If you're going for an ambush, at least be good at it."
The vine-covered man hissed something unintelligible and commanded his snake to attack again. But Zardlite was quicker. With a flash of claws and a burst of stardust energy, the snake beast recoiled, stunned.
"Oh you're cooked."
The vine-covered man lunged forward, his fists clenching as he threw a wild punch. Ren sidestepped with ease, like a dancer avoiding a clumsy partner.
Ren smiled, catching the man's wrist mid-swing. With a quick twist, he forced the man's arm behind his back, drawing a sharp grunt of pain.
Before Ren could press the advantage, the snake beast lashed out. Its sleek, venomous body darted through the air, its fangs aimed at Ren's exposed side.
But Zardlite was faster. With a feral hiss, the lizard beast launched itself into the path of the attack. Its claws struck the snake mid-air, pinning it to the ground in a burst of stardust energy. The snake writhed, its venomous fangs snapping inches from Zardlite's neck, but the lizard held firm, its orange scales glowing brighter as the stardust energy intensified.
"Good boy, Zard!"
Ren shouted, slamming his foot into the back of the vine-covered man's knee, forcing him to collapse.
The man growled, yanking his arm free and throwing a desperate punch toward Ren's face. Ren didn't flinch. With a fluid motion, he blocked the strike with his forearm and delivered a sharp elbow to the man's ribs.
The man staggered back, gasping for breath. He glanced at his snake, now coiled helplessly under Zardlite's glowing claws. A flicker of panic crossed his face.
"Give up now."
Ren said, stepping forward.
The man snarled, feinting another punch. Ren anticipated the move, grabbing his opponent's arm and using his momentum to slam him into the ground. The impact sent a cloud of dust rising into the air.
Zardlite roared triumphantly, pressing down harder on the snake. Sparks of stardust crackled from its claws, forcing the serpent to cease its struggling.
"You did a good job, Zard."
Back to Karina. She lowered her rapier, flicking the blade with precision to clear it of... blood?
"Wait—is that blood?"
Ren asked, eyes narrowing as he noticed the streak of reddish-brown on the blade.
Karina glanced up, eyebrow raised, then smirked as she wiped the blade clean with a cloth.
"It's dirt, genius," she quipped. "I'm not going to get myself disqualified by killing some random."
Ren's gaze darted to the glowing Magic Door in the distance, and then to the shadows moving beyond the ruins – other tamers closing in. His stomach twisted.
"Karina, we've got more incoming."
Karina didn't break her focus, her rapier slicing in a controlled arc to keep the boar tamer at bay.
"Good, the more, the merrier."
"Yeah, until we're outnumbered. Listen—get to the door. I'll handle this."
Karina hesitated, glancing at the glowing archway. Onyxia snarled, lunging at the boar with glowing claws, and for a moment, the boar tamer stumbled back, giving them breathing room.
"You're serious?"
"Always am."
Ren replied, stepping forward with Zardlite at his side.
Karina's lips twitched into a smirk.
"If you don't show, I'll hunt you down myself."
With a sharp whistle, she called Onyxia, and the panther dissolved into shadows, reappearing at her heels. With one last glance at Ren, she dashed toward the door, her lithe form weaving through the ruins.
Ren turned back to the attackers, his grin fading.
"Alright Zardlite," he slammed his fist and smile widely at the approaching tamers. "Let's run for the door too!"