Professor Lysandra, Ren, and Eric rushed forward, two terrified while one was excited.
"Do you even know how to use your powers?" Professor Lysandra gasped, her voice filled with worry.
"What are you doing, apologize right away!" Ren held his hands, the worry in her eyes hard to ignore.
Eric, on the other hand, flung his hand over Kael's shoulder, a proud grin etched on his face.
"I knew I sensed something special the moment I saw you!" he cheered.
Kael was lost in the chaos, his blank gaze locked with Liora's gaze. There was no worry in her eyes, just genuine shock.
{Even now, she doesn't care about you; she's still considering whether to show concern or not. In the end, words mean nothing without skills. This is your chance to prove her wrong.} Ra's cold voice returned.
'But I can't beat him.' Kael mumbled.
{You wield my power and I wield your mind. Have you forgotten the pact we made?} Ra said, his voice low but emotionless.
Kael's face snapped up, remembering how he challenged Captain Darius without realizing it. If Ra handles the fights, maybe they can win this.
{This is your chance to change everyone's impression of you. Show them you weren't lucky, you were chosen. Trust me!}
Pa!
Kael wasn't sure why he did what he did but he was certain Ra's influence had nothing to do with it. In one swift movement, he shoved everyone aside, taking long strides toward the arena with a look Captain Darius recognized clearly.
"The hunger for recognition," Darius mumbled under his breath, his excitement growing.
The Vargan stalker was a wolf-type demi-beast, and with it came incredible senses. He could smell the fear underneath every bold action Kael took.
It felt like the young man was desperately trying to break out of his cocoon.
"Unfortunately, emotional outbursts do not win battles." Captain Darius respected Kael's resolve but he has seen many like him die in the field.
He watched Kael climb the stage, walking to the center of the ring where Darius was waiting.
"The rules are simple, you have two minutes to impress me. Don't worry, I have no plans of using my abilities or we might end up killing you mistakenly. My base form is more than enough." Captain Darius chuckled.
Standing meters away, on the elevated stage, Kael couldn't explain the feeling. He was excited to be here but also regretted it at the same time.
{Don't be afraid…}
Kael felt it, a cold breeze whipping against his body, his anxiety fading as he felt darkness encroaching from all directions.
{All you need to do is repeat these words after them; Ka'... torr Vey'...lah!}
Buzz!
Kael's face turned cold once again, his eyes revealing a familiar azure hue. His lips opened but the voice they heard was far from human.
"Ka'torr Vey'lah!" Kael's voice was overlapped by a deep guttural voice.
The air rumbled in response to his words, his skin darkening. Kael stood erect, his muscles bulging with each movement as his hair stood up, pointing towards the sky, blue streaks running across it.
"Aah, this feels a lot more comfortable," Ra said, gazing at his long black nails.
His eyes were pitch black with a speck of azure light in them and his smile revealed his fangs.
Initially, Kael was 5'10'', but now he was over 6ft. His dark skin seemed tighter and his lean frame muscular in its ways. His ears were blade-shaped, like those of elves, and his presence felt heavy due to the steam that diffused from his skin constantly.
"2 minutes?" Ra said, his eyes meeting Darius's gaze. "I will make you transform in 1."
"What?!" Darius blurted out, alongside everyone in the field, but Ra didn't give them the chance to recover
Bam!
Ra sprang forward, closing the distance between them in seconds. His fist struck forward, however Darius effortlessly sidestepped and grabbed him by the wrist.
Ssssssssss!
Darius's eyes twitched with pain, and steam escaped between his fingers as Kael's wrist adopted a crimson shade.
Against any other person, they would quickly let go. Unfortunately, Captain Darius wasn't just anybody. Instead of letting go, his grip only tightened, making Ra's eyebrows knit into a frown.
"You didn't even last three seconds." Darius snorted disdainfully, his clenched fists swinging at Kael's exposed face.
Bang!
Kael's head jerked to the impact left due to the impact, his hair whipping in the opposite direction.
Professor Lysandra and Ren covered their mouths in shock; Eric, Mark, and Liora frowned. The impact was loud and clear, they all watched, expecting Kael to fall over.
Thud!
Kael's leg planted on the ground, his figure freezing mid-motion. His face slowly fell in Darius's direction, revealing the Pentagon-shaped obsidian glass scale riddled with web-shaped cracks.
"Three seconds? You won't make it to ten!" Ra hissed, his left palm racing toward Darius's face.
'This kid…' Darius was about to curse when he noticed it.
They were faint, but his eagle eyes allowed him to see it. Blue sparks popped over his palms, the temperature rising rapidly.
"Sha'lorr…"
The world went silent, Ra's calm voice echoing across the combat arena as a searing stream of azure blue flames erupted from his palms, its edges laced with dark energy.
Boom!
Everything in line with Kael's palm exploded in azure flames, the environment bathed a bright blue light.
"Aaah!"
Professor Lysandra and Ren screamed as they retreated from the stage, the heat overbearing. Meanwhile, Eric, Liora, and Mark were rooted to their spots; their eyes widened with shock at the beautiful scenery.
Unfortunately, nothing good lasts forever. Ra's azure blue flames faded just as fast as they came, the arena covered in thick, scorching steam.
Ding!
[Combat Arena Temperature reaching critical levels. Commencing countermeasures; Phase 1]
Compartments in the arena walls slid open revealing air vents. From there, a cold breeze blew into the room, rapidly reducing the temperature while clearing the steam.
Ra remained rooted to his spot, his hand outstretched. A mocking smile bloomed on his face as he turned to the figure at the far edge of the arena, his body covered in thick steam.
"Eight seconds, that's all I needed to make you transform… Pathetic."
Swish!
A cold wind swept through, dispersing the steam that clung to Captain Darius. His hulking form, nearly double its usual size, was draped in thick white fur, now charred black by Ra's azure flames.
He lost.