Waves of flame crossed the battlefield as a blaze-filled bird unleashed a burst of hot energy. The earth hissed and cracked beneath the flames, forcing Karina to jump backward, her blade catching in the inferno's flickering light.
"Getting a little heated, aren't we?"
Karina quipped back, swinging her rapier to deflect a second dagger aimed for her chest.
Shin, watching from the other side of the arena, didn't miss the distraction. A sharp cry sent her leopard beast lunging at the flaming bird in mid-flight. The leopard leapt with blinding speed, its claws aflame with icy energy as it swiped at the bird's blazing tail feathers.
The fiery bird shrieked, ducking into a dive, but its tail clipped the leopard's side. Flames and shards of ice burst on impact, and the leopard was flung backward. It sprang back to its paws, its breath now visible in the hot air.
"Don't ignore me," Shin muttered, her rapier swirling with frost as she drove at the woman, seeking to turn the gap.
She stepped nimbly aside, her fiery daggers igniting once more.
"Tch, so impatient. Fine, come closer—I'll roast you myself!"
Karina sensed her chance and flanked Shin, thrusting her glaive toward the woman's exposed side. The strike forced the fiery woman to block hastily, the clash of ice and fire releasing a burst of steam that obscured all three combatants in a dense cloud.
Through the haze, Shin's leopard growled, its sharp eyes fixed on Onyxia as it advanced. The leopard leapt, slamming Onyxia into the ground with a resounding thud. The panther snarled, rolling over and lashing out with its spiked tail, forcing the leopard to release its grip.
Above the fray, the fiery bird circled, preparing another devastating flame attack. Shin's eyes flicked upward, knowing the danger that was coming.
Karina didn't appear to be bothered but moved her position, putting up her rapier to parry as the woman leaped at her once again. Her movements were fluid, every step was calculated to draw her two opponents closer while keeping herself out of direct harm.
The battlefield was alight with a furious dance of fire and frost and steel-no single opponent could obtain any upper hand, and the crowd roared its head off for mere spectacle.
And as the fiery bird shrieked again, its wings agleam to light night from day, the ground beneath Karina shook.
Her rapier sparkled as she steadied herself.
"What now?"
Shin's leopard suddenly roared, its frosty aura flaring as if sensing the source of the tremor. Onyxia hissed, retreating one step, and even the blazing bird faltered in mid-air, its fiery form flickering uncertainly.
The earth opened near the heart of the battlefield, releasing a burst of purple heat that equaled the fiery woman's bird. All three tamers sent their attention toward the commotion, their faces a mix of caution and confusion.
"What in the world…" Karina muttered, her grip on the rapier tightening as she adopted the defensive position.
The fight just got a lot more complicated.
****
In one fluid motion, Ren released Alaric's throat and pulled his fist back. He glowed faintly; a pulse of energy radiated from it as he prepared to hit Alaric's chest with a decisive blow.
But Alaric wasn't done yet.
With a surge of desperate strength, he twisted his body, using the momentum to push Ren off balance. The two rolled apart, each scrambling to their feet. Alaric's glowing hand snapped forward, releasing another blast of energy that Ren narrowly dodged.
Kael seized the opportunity.
FROM THE SHADOWS, he launched himself forward, dagger flashed to Alaric's flank. Alaric whirled about, eyes snapping open in realization, but Kael was already too close. The blade scored the edge of Alaric's ribs, sending a spark of light that went greenish in the air as it flashed upon his energy shield.
Alaric grunted in pain, but instead of retreating, he struck with a quick fist. His palm had brightened even more, which shot out toward Kael, the shockwave sending him flying backward and crashing into a pile of rubble.
Ren wasted no time. He dashed ahead, shortening the distance between him and Alaric. Their fists met with a burst of energy, the two sending shockwaves through the arena with every collision. The roar of the crowd resonated through the sound as the two traded blow after blow, their movements a blur of speed and precision.
Kael groaned and struggled to his feet. His grip on the dagger tightened as he watched the fight unfold. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes burned with a determined fire.
"This ends now," he muttered, wiping the blood away with the back of his hand.
But not even Kael could anticipate what would happen next when the arena shook with all its might. A deep rumble was heard from beneath the battlefield, turning the cheering crowd into murmurs filled with confusion. The ground under the three combatants cracked, and a purplish glow lit up the air like a blade cutting tension.
"What now?! " Ren shouted as the ground heaved under his feet.
The radiance grew sharper, blazing with unnatural heat. Within a heartbeat, the battlefield's core imploded in a huge explosion of purple energy, forcing Ren to dive behind Leizage for cover.
Kael and Alaric weren't so lucky.
They swallowed it up with energy, cries of astonishment consumed by the cacophony of explosion roar. Their beasts, Alaric's serpent dragon and Kael's wolf, were swept inside as well as their glowing forms were lost to blinding light.
By the time dust settled down, Kael and Alaric were vanished from the battleground. The crowd gasped when they reappeared in the sidelines with their beasts beside them, slightly battered but in tact. Around their body, there was a faint purple glow marking that they have been eliminated.
The booming voice was heard echoing through the arena amplified by unseen magic.
"COMPETITORS KAEL AND ALARIC HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED. ONLY FIVE REMAINS."
Peeking out, Ren, still crouched beneath Leizage, saw that the purple light was gone, leaving only a scorched crater where the explosion had occurred. The air shimmered with residual heat, and the battlefield was eerily silent save for the crackling of energy.
"Man, what the hell was that?"
Ren mumbled to himself, dusting off his clothes as he stood. He scanned the arena for any sign of what had caused the sudden eruption.
Leizage growled low, its sharp eyes fixed on the crater. The feathers along its scaled body bristled, danger clearly being a sign. Ren followed its gaze, his heart pounding as he spotted a figure coming out of the smoke.
From the smoke came something monstrous in shape, and its heavy footsteps shook the arena. It was a black bear, huge and monstrous-looking. Its fur shone like polished obsidian. Along its back and claws danced purple flames, their unnatural light casting eerie shadows on the battlefield. Its glowing violet eyes seized Ren with a predatory gleam.
Ren instinctively stepped back, fists clenched, as Leizage moved to put itself in front of him. The feathered lizard hissed ominously, body poised to strike.
The bear let out a roar so deep and resonant that it seemed like it was shaking the air itself.
"Why can't anyone just stay down?"
The bear parted to let someone through, and a figure stepped forward from behind it. A man, no longer hiding under the deep hood he had worn earlier. His face was pale, almost ethereal. His left eye caught attention, a strange, jagged tattoo spiralled outward from it in a series of intricate runes, glowing faintly with the same violet hue as the bear's flames.
He scanned the battlefield with his cold, piercing gaze as if owning every inch of it. His steps, deliberately taken, exuded an air of confidence and disdain that seemed to envelop the entire arena. The crowd murmured nervously; even the announcer halted, obviously shaken by this sudden mysterious apparition.
From the top of a jagged rock, one silhouetted figure appeared in a flash of light. Shin stood up, expressions a mix of surprise and recognition.
Shin's eyes narrowed as she zeroed in on the man below. No hesitation, calling out to him was instinctive; her voice cut through the uneasy silence.
"I thought you were just going to sit and wait."
The man jerked his head towards her, a scowl working his sharp features. His bear growled in unison with his anger, and the flames along its back flared.
"I was... but then I remembered how much I despise nobles who think they can talk down to me."
He pointed a finger at Shin, his glare sharp enough to pierce through her icy composure.
"And you are the worst of them."
The growl of Shin's leopard grew and its cold aura intensified, as it focused on the bear, the eyes across.
Ren moved forward, advancing, but his fists glowed as he listened to Leizage's growling louder as if prepared to attack.
"If you're looking for a fight, I'm happy to oblige!"
As such, there fell again a great stillness in the arena, but this time, the crackling and dying embers of the bear's flames alone breached the stillness, flickering softly. The three opponents shared equally skeptical looks, because the air grew even more stifling than ever before above them, heavy with an almost tangible sense of foreboding.