The ruins erupted into a cacophony of chaos as Ren and Zardlite sprinted toward the glowing Magic Door. The air crackled with energy, the distant roars of beasts and the shouts of their Tamers mingling into a frantic symphony.
Behind them, the defeated snake tamer lay motionless, his beast curled up in reluctant submission. But there was no time to savor the small victory. Ren could feel the weight of eyes on him—other Tamers closing in, each one desperate to claim one remaining spot.
A streak of fire lit up the sky, the blazing arrow narrowly missing Ren as it embedded itself into a crumbling pillar. He skidded to a halt, heart pounding, and whipped around to see a sharp-faced woman wielding a glowing bow. Her beast, a massive hawk with wings aflame, circled above, its screeches splitting the air.
"Nice shot! Too bad I'm not sticking around to admire your aim!"
Zardlite roared, a defiant sound that seemed to echo across the battlefield. Ren's eyes darted to the Magic Door – it was so close now.
But reaching it wouldn't be easy. Ahead, two Tamers were locked in combat, their beasts – a hulking armored scorpion and a sleek, three-headed wolf – tearing into each other with feral intensity. The ground shook as the scorpion slammed its tail down, narrowly missing one of the wolf's heads.
Ren chewed his lip, considering his options. He glanced at Zardlite, who was eyeing the battlefield with keen alertness.
"Think you can cause a little distraction."
Zardlite gave a low growl, a sound of playful mischief that made Ren grin. The lizard darted off, skittering noisily over the rubble before leaping onto a nearby wall. Its scales caught the light, flashing brightly as it let out a sharp, challenging hiss.
Heads turned. The archer's hawk screeched, diving toward Zardlite.
"That's my boy!"
He shouted. But this is not the time to be happy, he still has to two tamers in front of him. He slapped himself and focused on letting his magic flow through his legs, strange marking appeared on his legs as he speeds up towards the two tamers.
The two tamers fighting noticed him and were surprised when Ren suddenly sped up. He gushed like the wind and in less than five seconds he was in front of the magic door.
He smiled at the two tamers before he completely disappeared.
The battlefield, the chaos, and the roars of beasts faded in an instant, replaced by a blinding white light. For a heartbeat, he was weightless, suspended in the void.
Then, with a thunderous whoosh, he landed hard on solid ground.
The first thing Ren noticed was the noise. A deafening roar of cheers and applause erupted around him. Blinking rapidly, he found himself standing in the middle of a massive colosseum, its towering stone walls packed with spectators. The arena was illuminated by magical orbs floating above, casting a golden glow over the sandy floor.
Six other tamers stood scattered across the arena, their beasts looming beside them. Each one radiated an air of confidence and power. Some eyed him with mild curiosity, others with open hostility.
Before Ren could fully process the shift, a familiar voice caught his attention.
"Ren?"
He turned to see Karina standing a few feet away, her arms crossed, a sly smirk on her face.
"About time you showed up. Thought you'd miss all the fun."
Ren opened his mouth to respond, but a booming voice cut through the arena, amplified by magic.
"Attention, ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer's voice echoed, silencing the crowd. "With the arrival of our final contestant, the first half of the Tournament of Tamers is officially complete!"
The audience erupted into cheers again, the sound reverberating through the colosseum.
"We will take a short break to prepare the arena for the second round. Please bear with us and witness who will become the champion of this year's Tournament of Tamers!"
Ren barely had time to register the announcer's booming proclamation before the ground beneath him shimmered. A faint hum resonated through the air, growing louder with each passing second.
The floor beneath them began to glow, intricate glyphs forming a circle around each Tamer. Before he could say a word, the magic activated, and he felt himself being yanked upward, weightless once more.
The sensation was disorienting, like being caught in a whirlwind. Colors blurred together, and for a moment, there was only silence. Then, with a jarring thud, Ren hit solid ground again, the impact jarring his knees.
He groaned, pushing himself up and blinking against the bright light.
"They gotta stop doing that thing..."
He looked around and saw that he was in a room with Karina. The room is neat and organized, it has a sofa where you can rest, a table, and bookshelves with many books.
"We're getting the vip treatment, huh?"
Karina said. She removed her jacket and put it down on the table in front of her. As Karina settles onto the sofa, Ren walks toward the bookshelves, idly skimming the titles. Most are ancient-looking tomes on beast taming, magical theory, and combat strategies. One book catches his eye, glowing faintly as though calling to him.
Before he can reach for it, a loud chime echoes through the room, startling both Tamers. A deep, disembodied voice fills the space.
"Prepare yourselves, Tamers. The second round begins in ten minutes."
Ren exchanged a glance with Karina.
"Well, I guess the vip treatment doesn't last long." Karina said, standing and rolling her shoulders.
"Yeah, well... wait, am I forgetting something?"
He looked behind him and saw Zardlite lying on a soft bed and Karina's beast at the side of the room. He breathed a sigh of relief and put his hand in his pocket as if he was groping for something.
"Ah... where is it, come on... Ah, here it is!"
He took out a bracelet from his pocket and showed it to Karina.
"Look, this Ruin Bracelet can make me two times faster than normal. I got it from a friend."
Karina picked up the bracelet, turning it over in her hands.
"Two times faster, huh?" She raised an eyebrow. "But will you need it? I mean, your control on magic is really good."
"Well, I have no intention of using it. I'm just planning to keep it."
"Really?"
"Yeah, you can have it if you want."
"Then I'm going to keep this."
She put the bracelet on her hand and it glowed for a moment before disappearing and returning to normal.
"You might want to keep your guard up in the next round. I heard they are going for two-on-two battles."
****
At the other room, north of the colosseum. The cloaked man is sitting on the sofa with a glowing orb in his hand. It lit up his face which was quite serious, he was staring at the orb, his eyes were wide with the anger he was feeling.
A burning heart. It is unclear if he will be saved, the anger is heavy in his heart. A person full of hatred. There's nothing to gain if he can do it, and there's nothing to lose if he can't do it.
The door to the room opened and a woman immediately entered. The woman earlier with the white leopard beast.
"The second is about to start. It's a two on two battles. We should strategize for a plan."
She said. The cloaked man stood up and walked towards the woman, he hid the orb inside his cloak and walked past the woman to the door.
"Hey! Don't ignore—"
"Filthy noble."
The cloaked man interrupted her before she could finish her sentence.
The woman was about to answer but the cloaked man was far away in the hallway. She bit her lip and followed the cloaked man down the hallway.
****
"Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests, and our esteemed royals! Welcome to the second round of the Tournament of Tamers!"
The magical screens flickered, revealing a panoramic view of the transformed battlefield.
"Behold! The Arena of Ascension! A treacherous rocky mountain terrain carved by the very hands of ancient magic! Spanning cliffs, ridges, and hidden passages, this battlefield will test not only the strength of our Tamers and their beasts but also their wits, endurance, and teamwork!"
The screens zoomed in on the arena, showcasing jagged cliffs that jutted skyward like fangs, narrow ridges illuminated by faint glowing glyphs, and trees that glimmered with mysterious energy.
"Tamers, take note! The trees scattered across the battlefield may hold secrets – some will heal, others will hinder, and a few may even unleash wild surprises! Use them wisely, or risk becoming prey to their magic!"
The crowd roared with excitement, and the announcer's voice deepened, signaling the stakes.
"Today's challenge will be unlike any other! For this round, our Tamers will fight in pairs, their bond with their partner and beasts pushed to the limit. Only the strongest will advance to the final showdown!"
The screens panned to the VIP section, capturing the King sitting with a stoic expression, his ornate robe shimmering with golden threads. Beside him, Prince Carlos leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"And now," the announcer bellowed, "let us welcome back our brave competitors! Tamers, prepare to step into the Arena of Ascension and show us what you're made of!"
With a flourish of magic, a dozen glowing circles appeared on the colosseum floor, one by one.
"Introducing first! The winners of the Block D!"
Two man appears in the arena. First is a boy with a wolf on his side, and second is a man masked with a demon mask, beside him is a frog beast which has stone around its body and a red hair on top of its head.
"And now... the winners of the Block C!"
Ren appeared first, followed by Karina. Zardlite is standing on top of his head, it seems to be looking around the arena. Karina's beast is also looking around.
"And from the Block B!"
Both tamers appears at the same time. The first one is a boy with a white dragon, wrapped around his body. And the second one is a girl with an angry look on her face. She seems to be frustrated.
"And the winners from the Block A!"
The cloaked man appeared in the middle of arena, his beast standing behind him with the same menacing form. The woman appeared beside him and they seems to be frustrated with each other.
"Now... let the second round... Begins!"