The arena floor still smoked from Tristan's victory. His cheetah padded beside him, paws leaving faint scorch marks as they exited the stage to thunderous cheers.

From the preparation tunnel, Aston watched in silence. Mirage shifted her wings above his shoulder, Gray pressed close to his leg. The sight of Zoom's runes burning brighter than ever clawed at his thoughts.

Even he's growing, and fast.

The Grand Neophyte Festival wasn't just a stage for show. Every clash sharpened beasts and binders alike. For someone like Tristan, arrogance wasn't just pride—it was fuel. Aston couldn't afford to forget that.

The crowd hadn't settled when the announcer's voice boomed again:

"Quarterfinal Match Two! Isabelle Pierra of the Spirit Combat Division versus Yosef Redrich of the Spirit Alchemy Division!"

The gates yawned open. Isabelle strode forward, blade strapped across her back, her panther prowling low at her side. Yosef emerged opposite, calm and composed, his serpent coiling at his feet. Sling's fiery venom glinted faintly under the sun.

The clash was short but brutal. Isabelle pressed hard from the start, her panther lunging with reckless speed, claws sparking against the serpent's scales. But Yosef was patient. Sling slid beneath every strike, its tail cracking like a whip, its fangs flashing in poisonous arcs.

When Isabelle's beast finally staggered, fire blooming across its flank, the crowd's gasp said everything. She tried to rally, shield raised—but the referee was already raising his hand.

"Winner—Yosef Redrich!"

Cheers rolled through the stands, though tinged with unease. Spirit Combat had fallen to Spirit Alchemy, and Yosef's cold efficiency left little to celebrate.

Aston exhaled, a steadying breath. He remembered Yosef well from the entrance exam trials—the boy who had stood with him and Genevieve against impossible odds. They weren't that close of a friend, not truly, but Yosef's strength was undeniable.

The announcer's voice thundered again before the cheers died.

"Quarterfinal Match Three! Laios Pembroke of Enchantment Arts Division versus Francheska Guilbar of the Spirit Combat Division!"

The next duel was over even faster. Laios raised his staff, enchantments flaring in rippling sigils across the battlefield. Francheska didn't wait—her beast was already charging, a bear-shaped juggernaut armored in spirit-iron.

The clash ended in a single devastating strike. Laios' enchantments crumpled under sheer force, and his beast was hammered into unconsciousness. The referee called it in less than five minutes.

"Winner—Francheska Guilbar!"

This time, the cheers were savage. The Combat Division's pride was restored.

Aston's hand curled into a fist. Each battle tightened the pressure around him. Each victory screamed louder: your turn is next.

The announcer let the roar of the crowd build, then lifted his voice like a hammer:

"Quarterfinal Match Four! Aston Rhyner of the Scouting Arts Division versus Uriel Racks of Support and Healing!"

Aston's jaw tightened. Mirage shifted above him, glasslike feathers glittering faintly. Gray brushed his leg with a low growl, as if sensing his mood.

The gates rumbled open. Light flooded the tunnel.

He stepped forward.

The crowd shifted from jeers to murmurs as Aston stepped onto the battlefield. His steps were steady, eyes forward, expression unreadable. Mirage descended from her perch, wings of glasslike translucence unfurling wide, catching the sun in prismatic shards. Although he had already proven himself in the scouting circle, his infamy is still spread in the other divisions in the academy.

From the opposite gate, Uriel Racks entered with calm dignity. Unlike many Support students who had already fallen, he carried himself with quiet confidence. At his side, his beast followed his steps—a gleaming ibex that drew gasps from the spectators.

Aston studied the beast of his opponent. Its stance was aggressive, not defensive. A healing beast that could fight.

Dangerous.

—

[Spirit Beast: Dawnscale Ibex]

[Type: Bestial]

[Attribute: Light]

[Genus: Capra]

[Rank: 3-star]

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

[Potential: 7-star]

[Description: A lithe, golden-horned ibex with fur that gleams like morning sunlight. Its hooves strike like blades, and its horns refract light into dazzling arcs. Though primarily combat-oriented, its innate vitality allows it to mend wounds mid-battle.]

[Skills:]

[Radiant Charge: Surges forward in a burst of light, striking with blinding horns.]

[Solar Kick: Rear hooves lash out, each strike reinforced with essence to crack stone.]

[Passive Skills:]

[Surefooted: Stays balanced even on uneven or unstable terrain.]

[Innate Skills:]

[Vital Glow: Emits a golden aura that slowly mends wounds and revitalizes stamina for both itself and its contractor.]

—

The referee's hand rose. "Begin!"

Uriel wasted no time. "Solari, Radiant Charge!"

Solari's horns flared, and in an instant the ibex surged forward, a streak of blinding gold.

"Glass Cloak," Aston ordered.

Mirage shimmered, her body melting into near-invisibility, refracting the light around her. Solari's horns ripped through where she had been—but struck only air.

The ibex skidded, dust scattering. Uriel's voice carried calmly: "Track with aura sense."

Solari turned sharply, head low, scanning.

Aston narrowed his eyes. He won't be fooled for long.

"Strike back. Icy Gale."

Mirage swept her wings wide. A burst of freezing wind tore outward, shards of ice carried in the gust. They struck Solari's flank, biting into its golden hide. The ibex staggered, frost creeping across its fur. Its movements slowed, just for a breath.

But Uriel lifted his hand. "Vital Glow."

Light surged from Solari's horns. Golden warmth washed over its body, melting frost, sealing shallow cuts. The ibex pawed the ground, renewed vigor in its stance.

The crowd cheered at the display of healing resilience.

Aston exhaled through his nose. So that's how it is.

—

The clash repeated in cycles. Mirage struck from above, weaving through the air with translucent wings, unleashing shards of ice and cutting winds. Solari countered with blazing charges and Solar Kicks, hooves cracking the stone wherever they landed. Each time damage appeared, the Vital Glow mended it in seconds.

The audience roared, but Aston's focus sharpened. His eyes tracked not the wounds—but the aura.

Every healing pulse came slower than the last. The glow wasn't endless.

He adjusted his command. "Fractured Halo."

Mirage's wings trembled, releasing five frost sigils that darted toward Solari like silver-blue sparks. Above the arena, a wide ring of frost formed, glowing with runic symbols.

Solari barreled into the sigils. They clung to its hide, icy light crawling over its body. The ring above pulsed—activating the effect.

Uriel frowned. "Push through it, Solari!"

The ibex tried to surge forward, but its breath misted with chill. Its movements faltered, legs sluggish, essence channeling delayed by the frost's interference.

The crowd gasped as Solari stumbled mid-stride.

Aston's voice rang sharp. "Now—pin him!"

Mirage swept down in silence, talons glinting. She slashed across Solari's shoulder, frost deepening in the wounds. The ibex bellowed, legs quaking.

But then, golden light flared again. Vital Glow pulsed desperately, mending skin, knitting muscle. The aura was shaky—but it still clung to life.

Uriel's voice was calm but firm. "We don't fall so easily."

Solari dug its hooves into the ground and roared, horns shining blinding gold. With a sudden burst of force, it launched into another Radiant Charge, plowing through the air toward Mirage.

Aston's eyes narrowed. "Glass Cloak—deflect!"

Mirage shimmered, crystalline sheen wrapping her body. The horns struck, grazing her side. Instead of a piercing blow, the attack skidded off her icy veil, sparks scattering across the air. She was thrown back, but not pierced.

The crowd roared at the exchange—one beast glowing with sunlight, the other shimmering with translucent ice.

Aston steadied his breath. The healing weakens every time. It's not infinite. One decisive strike…

His hand clenched. "Mirage. One more. Put him under."

The owl's body shimmered, frost sigils sparking once more. She swept her wings, sending another Icy Gale to buffet Solari, slowing its movements further. The ibex's steps faltered—Vital Glow sparked, but the aura sputtered.

Mirage vanished upward, wings almost soundless. Then she folded them tight.

"Dive."

She plummeted like a shard of ice.

Uriel's eyes widened. "Solari—defend!"

The ibex raised its horns, golden light flaring in a desperate shield.

Too slow.

Mirage struck like a falling blade, talons burying into Solari's hind legs. Frost burst outward, locking joints, freezing golden light in place. The ibex collapsed, legs buckling as the frost spread. It tried to rise, but the healing aura sputtered, golden sparks fading into nothing.

The referee rushed forward, hand raised. "Stop! The ibex is unable to continue. Winner—Aston Rhyner!"

The arena erupted. Cheers, shouts, disbelief, all colliding into a roar.

Aston exhaled slowly. Mirage perched beside him, wings folding with pristine calm. Gray padded into the light, tail flicking smugly.

Across the field, Uriel knelt by Solari, his expression calm despite defeat. He stroked the beast's horn gently, then looked up at Aston and nodded once, respectful and resolute.

Aston inclined his head in return before turning back toward the participant's bleachers.

The crowd's noise pressed against his back as he walked.

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