"What are you doing?"
Her voice carried an edge of irritation as she glared at the cloaked man.
He sat perched on a jagged rock, his posture relaxed, one leg crossed over the other. Behind him, his beast stood motionless, its glowing eyes scanning the horizon like a silent sentinel.
"Can't you see? I'm sitting."
His voice carried a disinterested tone, as though the stakes of the tournament were a distant afterthought.
"You're such a waste of time."
The woman scoffed, her frustration barely contained.
The cloaked man tilted his head slightly, the faintest hint of amusement playing on his lips beneath the shadow of his hood.
"Perhaps it's you who's wasting mine."
Her hands balled into fists, but she forced herself to turn away, the ground crunching underfoot as she stalked off. The beast behind him let out a low, rumbling growl, but the cloaked man raised a hand, silencing it.
****
Meanwhile, Ren and Karina moved cautiously along the rocky terrain, their steps deliberate on the uneven ground. The arena stretched wide and vast, with enormous boulders casting long shadows under the magical orbs floating above.
The towering rocks blocked their line of sight, each turn feeling like it could lead to an ambush. The faint rustle of wind through the sparse, magical trees made Karina's grip tighten on her weapon.
Zardlite skittered ahead, sniffing the ground, its scales shimmering faintly in the dim light. Every so often, it paused, letting out a low hiss, as if sensing something unseen.
"This place feels too quiet."
Ren nodded, his gaze darting upward to the jagged cliffs.
"Yeah, it feels exciting."
Just as Ren finished speaking, Zardlite froze, its head snapping to the side. A low, guttural growl rumbled from its throat.
Karina's beast stiffened as well, its eyes narrowing at the shadows ahead.
"Exciting? Still feeling that way?"
"Yup! Come on, let's find them!"
Zardlite's growl turned into a furious roar as the ground trembled beneath them.
"What the—"
Ren started, but the words caught in his throat as a massive, grotesque frog-like beast leaped from the shadows, its stony skin glistening under the magical orbs.
The beast's throat bulged as it let out a deafening croak. In an instant, its tongue lashed out like a whip, striking the ground between Ren and Karina with enough force to send up a cloud of dust and debris.
"Ren!"
Karina shouted, but her cry was drowned out by a sharp bark behind her.
She turned just in time to see a boy with wild eyes charging forward, his wolf-like beast snarling and snapping at her heels.
Karina rolled to the side as the wolf's claws raked the ground where she'd stood.
"You're quick."
She muttered, her eyes narrowing at the boy standing confidently behind the beast.
"Flatter me later, If you survive."
The wolf snarled, and suddenly its form shimmered, splitting into three identical versions that surrounded her.
Karina cursed under her breath, gripping her weapon tightly.
"Cheap tricks? I can handle those."
Her beast roared from the shadows, leaping into the fray with a ferocity that sent two of the wolves scattering. The real one lunged forward, its eyes glowing red.
****
Ren flinched as a distant roar echoed through the arena. Karina. He couldn't spare a glance her way – Zardlite snarled, drawing his attention back to the massive frog beast closing in.
The frog beast croaked again, its tongue darting out like a serpent. Ren barely dodged, the whip-like appendage slicing clean through the boulder behind him.
"Okay, gross and dangerous. Great combo."
Zardlite hissed, launching itself at the beast with its claws extended. The frog turned its bulbous eyes toward the lizard, its throat swelling ominously.
"Zard, watch out!"
The beast spat a glob of glowing green sludge, the air around it sizzling as it flew.
But Zardlite didn't flinch. Instead, the lizard beast darted forward, jaws snapping open to catch the sludge mid-air. It swallowed the glowing glob in one swift gulp, its shimmering scales momentarily glowing faintly green before fading back to their usual stardust sheen.
"Zard, what—are you crazy?! That stuff could—"
Zardlite turned its head toward Ren, letting out a low growl, almost as if saying, Relax. I got this.
The frog beast croaked in confusion, its bulbous eyes blinking rapidly. Even its Tamer, the man in the demon mask, took a step back, his confidence visibly shaken.
"What kind of beast is tha—"
His words were cut off by a sudden surge of movement. Ren was already in motion, dashing forward with a burst of speed.
With energy crackling around his clenched fist, he leapt, driving his punch straight into the man's face. The impact was explosive, the force shattering half of the demon mask and sending the man staggering back.
The masked man stumbled, a low groan escaping him. Blood trickled from his nose as he glared at Ren, the remaining half of his mask barely clinging to his face.
"The hell? How can you focus your magic in one place?"
"I don't know what you're talking about. It's always like this."
"No—"
His words got cut off again as Ren dashes forward with incredible speed. He delivers another punch to the man's gut, forcing the air out of him.
Ren's fist connected with the man's chest, a crackling burst of energy rippling outward. The masked man flew back, slamming into a boulder with a grunt.
At the same moment, Zardlite lunged at the frog beast, its claws raking across the stony hide. The beast let out a pitiful croak before collapsing, its massive body trembling before going still.
Ren turned to face the masked man, who was slumped against the rock, his mask shattered.
His breath came in short gasps as he turned to check on Zardlite. His beast stood tall over the fallen frog, but something was… off.
"Zard?"
He called out, frowning as his lizard beast trembled slightly.
A radiant glow began to emanate from its scales, bright and pulsating. It grew stronger with each second, casting long, sharp shadows across the rocky terrain.
"What's happening to you?"
Zardlite turned its glowing eyes toward him, and for the first time, Ren felt an unfamiliar intensity radiating from his companion.
Before he could take another step, a deafening roar tore through the air – Karina's voice shouting over the chaos.
The sound jolted Ren back to reality, his head snapping in her direction.
"Karina!"
He shouted, but his voice was swallowed by the clash of steel and snarls in the distance.
He turned back to Zardlite, only to shield his eyes as the glow grew blinding.
"Zard, stay here!"
He wasn't sure his beast even heard him. The light pulsed again, almost reaching a crescendo, before dimming just enough for Ren to glimpse its silhouette.
****
The ground cracked under Karina's feet as she deflected another strike from the snarling wolf. Its copies darted in the periphery, each one ready to pounce.
Her beast roared in the distance, slamming into one of the shadowy wolves with enough force to scatter its form into wisps of glowing energy.
But the real wolf was still standing. It lunged forward, its claws catching the edge of her sleeve. Karina twisted away, rolling across the uneven ground, her breath ragged.
"You can't keep dodging forever, my wolf's faster. Stronger."
Karina gritted her teeth, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her blade. She could feel her muscles screaming in protest, but the fire in her eyes hadn't dimmed.
"Maybe your wolf is faster, but you're not."
Her retort was met with a mocking laugh from the boy, his wolf circling her like a predator toying with its prey.
"Big talk for someone who's clearly losing."
Karina didn't answer. Instead, her beast crouched low, baring its fangs at the wolf.
The boy smirked, his wolf lunging forward in sync with its illusions. Karina's beast roared, leaping into action to meet the charge head-on.
The impact was explosive. Claws met teeth, and the ground quaked beneath their combined weight. Karina darted to the side, her eyes locked onto the boy.
"You don't get to hide behind your beast forever."
The boy's smirk faltered as Karina closed the distance. He raised his hand to command his wolf, but he was too slow. Karina's rapier whirled through the air, forcing him to step back, his confidence cracking.
"You fight like a cornered animal."
"And you fight like a spoiled brat."
Her taunt hit its mark. The boy's face twisted with anger, but his distraction gave Karina's beast the opening it needed. With a bone-shaking roar, it slammed into the real wolf, pinning it to the ground.
Karina moved for the final strike, but she was a fraction too slow. A shimmer of light enveloped the wolf, and in an instant, it shifted positions, breaking free and tackling her beast.
Karina winced, her eyes flicking between her struggling beast and the boy. Her instincts screamed to push forward, but she knew the odds were stacked against her.
The boy's wolf howled, its illusions reforming as it leapt toward her. This time, Karina wasn't fast enough. A swipe from the wolf's claws knocked her weapon from her hands, and she stumbled backward.
"Karina!"
Ren's voice cut through the din like a blade. He stood at the edge of the fray, his expression hard. Karina's eyes widened as she watched him leap forward, his fist crackling with energy.
"Stay down!"
Ren roared as he delivered a devastating punch to the boy, sending him sprawling to the ground.
The wolf snarled, snapping its gaze toward Ren, but then, the ground trembled. Something is marching faster towards them. Something fast.