Back in the arena, the crowd roared as the two tamers clashed. Ren sidestepped the boy's punches with ease, his movements fluid and deliberate. A wild kick sliced through the air, but Ren twisted gracefully, letting it pass harmlessly by.
The boy's next strike came faster—a sharp jab aimed for Ren's cheek. This time, Ren didn't dodge. His hand shot up, catching the boy's fist mid-air.
The boy's face twisted in frustration as he tried to pull back, but Ren's grip was like iron. Slowly, inexorably, Ren tightened his hold. The boy winced, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple as the pressure mounted.
"Come on, show me what you got. I know you're hiding something."
The boy flinched, his gaze flicking to the crowd. For a moment, his lips parted as if to speak, but no words came.
"What are you so scared of?"
Without waiting for an answer, Ren pivoted and threw him against a nearby rock. The impact sent dust and shards of stone flying as the boy hit the ground hard, gasping for breath.
Ren straightened, his tone sharp.
"If you're going to hold back, you might as well forfeit now."
....
The crowd murmured in awe as Leizage continued its rampage, smashing through the rocky terrain with terrifying ease. A massive claws swiped through the air, and the wolf lunged, its fangs bared. The beast's attack hit home—only for the energy to ripple and vanish, absorbed into Leizage's glowing scales.
A collective gasp swept through the stands, but one man remained calm, his expression grave.
"It's been decades since I've seen one in action." the old man interrupted, his gaze never leaving the arena. "And I hope I never see it again. Leizage isn't just powerful—it's a beast born of balance. It doesn't just fight, it absorbs. Every blow, every spell, every ounce of energy thrown at it… it takes it all in. And then it grows stronger."
The crowd stirred uneasily, whispers spreading like wildfire.
"But that's not all, is it?"
Demetrica asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
The old man's jaw tightened.
"No. It's said that when a Leizage reaches its peak, it can return the energy it absorbs tenfold. A single swipe could level this entire arena if the tamer loses control."
The murmurs turned to gasps of alarm.
"So what you're saying," a younger man ventured, his voice shaky, "Is that it's unstoppable?"
The old warrior finally turned to the crowd, his expression grim.
"Not unstoppable. But close enough. A tamer who can control a Leizage doesn't just win battles—they reshape the battlefield."
As if on cue, Leizage reared up, the glow along its scales intensifying as it absorbed yet another attack. The wolf faltered, realizing its strikes were doing more harm than good. The old man shook his head.
"Let's hope that its tamer knows what he's doing. Or we're all in trouble."
....
Swoosh!
A piercing sound graces the air as Karina dodged the incoming strike. The ground breaks and rocks exploded to where the strike landed. Thick smoke filled the air before a figure started materializing.
Karina narrows her eyes as her hand rested on her rapier.
A woman walks out of the smoke, sheathing her rapier back to its sheath. Her expression is serious and her magic fills the air.
"This round was supposed to be a two on two between eight competitors... but I guess there's no need for that since my supposed to be "partner" clearly doesn't want to cooperate."
Karina shifted her weight as she gauged the distance between them. The woman before her was no ordinary opponent—her movements were too precise, her stance too practiced.
"Not going to introduce yourself?"
Karina said, her tone light but her grip on her rapier firm.
The woman stared at her, the glow of her magic intensifying around her.
"I don't waste time with formalities." She tilted her head, her eyes cold and calculating. "And I don't plan to let some spoiled mercenary walk away from this unscathed."
Karina's jaw tightened, but her smirk didn't falter.
"Spoiled, huh? Let's see if you can back that up."
Shin darted forward, her speed almost inhuman. Karina's rapier shot up, meeting the strike mid-air with a burst of sparks. The clash sent vibrations up her arm, but she held steady, her muscles coiling as she pushed back.
"You're Lady Shin of the house of Rein."
Karina said with a smirk as she parried another blow from Shin.
"What are you doing here, Lady Shin?"
For a moment, Shin's expression faltered, a flicker of something unspoken crossing her face. It was gone in an instant, replaced by cold fury.
"What I'm doing here is none of your concern."
She snapped, her strikes coming faster now, fueled by frustration. The glow of her magic flared brighter, her blade crackling with energy as it sliced through the air.
Karina pivoted, narrowly dodging the blow as it shattered the ground behind her. Dust and shards of stone erupted into the air, but she was already moving, her rapier darting toward Shin's unguarded flank.
The crowd roared as the two clashed again, their blades singing in the air. Whispers of "House Rein" rippled through the stands, drawing gasps and murmurs.
Onyxia snarled, its purple spikes glowing faintly as it lunged at Shin. A streak of white shot across the arena, colliding with Onyxia mid-air. The two beasts tumbled in a whirlwind of claws and growls, dust billowing around them as they wrestled for dominance.
The crowd gasped, their cheers momentarily silenced. Whispers of awe rippled through the stands as the beasts rolled apart, each landing in a crouch. Onyxia's sleek black form radiated raw energy, the purple glow of its spikes pulsing with anticipation. Opposite it, the white leopard stood poised, its icy spikes glinting like shards of glass, mist curling from its maw.
Both beasts padded forward, their movements mirroring their tamers as they took their places by their sides. Onyxia let out a guttural growl, the vibration of its power sending ripples through the ground. The leopard responded with a low hiss, frost crackling at its claws.
"You even brought the royal beast."
Karina quipped, her hand tightening on her rapier. Onyxia growled again, its spikes flaring with a faint purple light.
Shin said nothing, her eyes fixed on her leopard. The beast's gaze never left Onyxia, its muscles coiling like a drawn bowstring. Frost danced around its feet, chilling the ground beneath it.
The crowd erupted into cheers once more, the arena alive with anticipation. Tamer and beast stood side by side, the tension between them palpable, as if the battlefield itself was holding its breath.