Dawn covered RiverHold with a thin mist rising slowly from the waters of the great river.
The first rays of sunlight crossed the city’s suspended bridges and reflected off the pale stone buildings, painting the streets with golden and bluish hues.
Even early in the morning, RiverHold was already bustling.
Merchants opened their stalls, adventurers crossed avenues carrying weapons on their backs, and arena messengers hurried through the crowds.
The tournament had transformed the entire city.
The tension could be felt in the air.
Inside Guild EXO’s inn, however, silence still dominated the corridors.
Hitori slowly awoke.
His body felt heavy.
Every muscle still carried the marks of the battle against the elves the previous day.
Even trying to move caused small stabs of pain to run through his shoulders and back.
Beside the bed, the black spheres floated in complete silence.
Unlike the aggressive behavior they had shown during the previous battle, they now merely seemed to be watching him.
Quiet.
Attentive.
Like creatures waiting for something.
Hitori stared at them for several seconds.
Something was wrong.
It wasn’t just mana.
It almost felt like a presence.
As if those shadows were slowly developing a will of their own.
Hitori:
“…”
He rubbed his face, shaking off the sleep.
Then walked toward the door.
But the moment he grabbed the doorknob—
BAAAAM!!
The wooden door exploded right into his face.
Hitori:
“GAHHH!!”
The impact sent him crashing onto the floor.
Sarina entered the room without noticing.
Sarina:
“Hitori!”
She looked around.
Sarina:
“Huh… where is he?”
Then lowered her gaze.
Hitori lay sprawled on the floor, holding his nose.
Kamero appeared right behind her.
The mage silently observed the scene for several seconds before sighing.
Kamero:
“Your nose became surprisingly artistic.”
Hitori partially raised his head.
Hitori:
“Go to hell…”
His nose was bright red.
It would probably swell.
Sarina tried to hold back her laughter.
She failed miserably.
Sarina:
“HAHAHA!”
Hitori:
“Stop laughing, you lunatic!”
Aysa appeared behind them.
She leaned against the corridor wall with a mischievous smile.
Aysa:
“Hmm… entering his room so early in the morning?”
Yashina appeared farther behind.
Silent as always.
Her golden eyes moved from Sarina to Hitori lying on the floor.
Then remained silent.
Hitori immediately realized the problem.
Hitori:
“Hey! Don’t look at me like that!”
Sarina crossed her arms.
Sarina:
“I only came to call him for breakfast!”
She pointed at Hitori.
Sarina:
“It’s not my fault he decided to stand behind the door like an idiot!”
Kamero massaged his temples.
Hitori:
“So now it’s my fault!” he said while checking if his nose was still intact.
Kamero:
“The intellectual level of this guild worries me sometimes.”
Aysa smiled.
Aysa:
“My, Kamero, you’re so dramatic.”
Hitori finally got up.
Still holding his nose.
Kamero then crossed his arms.
Kamero:
“If you’re here this early, that means the draw is out.”
The atmosphere changed immediately.
Sarina raised her hand.
Sarina:
“Oh, right.”
Then footsteps echoed through the corridor.
Herny appeared, walking elegantly toward them.
Perfect posture.
Immaculate clothes without a single wrinkle.
Even the sound of his footsteps seemed calculated.
He slightly bowed his head to Sarina.
Herny:
“Milady.”
Sarina smiled brightly.
Sarina:
“Did it work?”
Herny nodded.
Then he pulled a small paper from inside his jacket.
The moment Sarina opened it—
A magical hologram appeared before the group.
Information shone in the air.
The sixteen remaining guilds.
Schedules.
Arenas.
Match brackets.
Upcoming battles.
Kamero’s eyes immediately searched for EXO’s name.
Kamero:
“Found it.”
Sarina:
“Who’s next?”
Kamero narrowed his eyes.
Kamero:
“Hidden Lotus Guild.”
The name alone was enough to create discomfort.
Hitori felt a silent chill run down his neck.
Hitori:
“That’s kind of creepy, isn’t it?”
Aysa pointed to another section of the hologram.
Aysa:
“Hey… look at this.”
Yashina observed calmly.
Yashina:
“Guild Beasts versus Adamantys.”
Kamero smiled faintly.
Kamero:
“They fight before us.”
Hitori:
“Guma…”
Yashina:
“Let’s go early and watch their match.”
Aysa:
“I agree.”
Sarina:
“Then let’s watch.”
After a rather chaotic breakfast together, they all headed toward the location of the next phase.
Hitori:
“It’s huge…”
Sarina:
“You really get impressed by everything, don’t you?”
Aysa:
“He must be a country boy.”
Kamero:
“Don’t start.”
The circular arena rose beside the river like a colossal fortress.
The metallic structures surrounding it glowed with blue mana, while enormous pillars supported grandstands packed with adventurers, nobles, merchants, and guild members.
The sound of the crowd echoed like the constant roar of a distant storm.
Yashina:
“Let’s go. Our section is up there.”
When Guild EXO reached the upper section of the arena, the battle had not yet begun.
But the tension had already completely taken over the field.
At the center of the arena—
Guild Beasts waited silently.
Guma stood at the front.
The enormous blue tiger rested his heavy sword on his shoulder while calmly observing the opponents.
His mere presence made the surroundings seem smaller.
Heavier.
Beside him stood Yuri and Yudi.
The wolf brothers.
One with black fur.
The other with white fur.
Even standing still, the two gave off the feeling of predators watching prey.
Further back—
Mimi delicately held her pink staff.
Small shining particles slowly revolved around her like lunar fireflies.
Nicelle stood with her arms crossed.
The nine tails of the kitsune swayed gently while small purple and orange flames appeared and vanished around her fingers.
Hitori carefully observed everything.
There was something different about that guild now.
Before, they had merely seemed strong and goofy.
Now they seemed serious.
Dangerous.
As if they were finally revealing their true nature.
Aysa raised her hand.
Aysa:
“Hey, Nicelle!”
Nicelle immediately looked toward them.
The kitsune smiled faintly.
Nicelle:
“Look who’s here to watch us.”
The nine orange tails swayed slowly behind her while purple flames flickered around her fingers.
Mimi smiled softly.
Mimi:
“Hi, Hitori.”
She held a pink staff adorned with small metallic moons.
Glittering particles slowly floated around her.
Hitori waved.
Hitori:
“Hi, Mimi.”
Guma crossed his arms with a grin.
The giant blue tiger carried his heavy sword on his back.
Even standing still—
He gave off the feeling of a predator ready to strike.
Guma:
“So, ready?”
Kamero smiled faintly.
Kamero:
“I think we should be asking you that.”
Guma laughed.
Guma:
“We’re good.”
He pointed toward the arena.
Guma:
“We’re going to win this fight.”
Then he looked directly at Hitori.
Guma:
“And after that, it’ll be your turn.”
Sarina crossed her arms.
Sarina:
“Such confidence.”
Yashina silently observed the other guild.
Her eyes were paying attention to every detail.
Yashina:
“They look strong.”
On the opposite side of the arena—
Guild Adamantys waited in silence.
Crystals of various colors floated around its members like magical satellites.
Sapphire.
Amber.
Quartz.
Topaz.
Their mana was refined.
Dense.
Dangerously stable.
Then—
A voice echoed throughout the field.
A knight slowly walked toward the center of the arena.
One hand rested on the sword hanging from his waist.
Even without actively releasing mana, the mere presence of the Royal Knight caused the spectators to fall silent.
Eros:
“My name is Eros, one of the Royal Knights of Liogres.”
Yashina:
“Another knight.”
Kamero:
“It seems we’ll have different faces as judges now.”
Eros:
“The battle ends when one of the guilds is no longer capable of fighting.”
His eyes slowly swept across both sides.
Eros:
“Deaths will not be tolerated.”
Eros:
“Disqualification will be the lightest punishment.”
Eros:
“And if more lethal actions are involved, we will be forced to apply the full authority of our duties as knights.”
Eros:
“Make that perfectly clear.”
The mana around him fluctuated briefly.
Heavy.
Suffocating.
Even Hitori felt his shoulders stiffen.
Then the pressure disappeared.
Eros slowly raised his hand.
The two guilds took their positions.
Silence fell over the arena.
Eros:
“Good luck.”
The hand descended.
The battle began.
???:
“Hanlin, do the honors.”
Hanlin:
“Right, Kiho.”
Hanlin immediately raised his hand.
Golden crystals began appearing around him.
Hanlin:
“Topaz Burst!”
FWOOOOOOOOOSH!!
Several crystal projectiles raced across the arena at incredible speed.
The golden volleys resembled meteors cutting through the air.
Guma instantly leaped backward.
Guma:
“So you made the first move!”
Yudi and Yuri charged together.
Their fur began hardening like metal.
Yudi:
“Steel Fur.”
Yuri:
“Steel Claws.”
Their bestial aura exploded around them.
Gigantic wolf silhouettes appeared behind their bodies.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The crystal volleys were instantly destroyed.
Golden fragments scattered through the air like shattered glass.
Hitori:
“Damn…”
Kamero narrowed his eyes.
Kamero:
“So that’s their true power.”
This no longer looked like a fight between adventurers.
It looked like the clash of monsters.
Guma charged.
No—
The sensation was closer to a moving wall.
The ground sank beneath the blue tiger’s feet as he propelled himself forward.
His heavy sword sliced through the air with enough brutality to create a visible distortion around the blade.
Kiho:
“Not here, little tiger!”
Kiho reacted immediately.
Sapphire swords appeared in his hands as natural extensions of his own body.
CLAAAAAAAAANG!!
The impact echoed throughout the entire arena.
A shockwave spread dust and fragments of stone across the field.
Spectators in the front rows instinctively recoiled.
Kiho slid several meters backward with a smile.
His feet tore through the arena floor as he tried to stabilize himself.
Even so—
His smile only widened.
Kiho:
“It’s been a long time since I met someone like you.”
Guma raised his sword again.
Guma:
“Then stop wasting time and come.”
Sapphire fragments began rotating around Kiho.
Bluish mana flowed through the crystalline blades like electric currents.
???:
“Those wolves…!”
Shiden created a crystal club.
He prepared a counterattack against the brothers.
The quartz-covered club smashed into the ground.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Red crystals spread throughout the arena like buried mines.
Shiden:
“Let’s see you escape this!”
But Yuri didn’t even slow down.
The black wolf charged through the explosions.
The detonations illuminated his body, revealing the metallic fur covering his arms and chest.
Smoke swirled around the bestial figure.
His cold eyes remained fixed on Shiden.
Without hesitation.
Without fear.
That made Shiden’s stomach tighten.
For the first time since the fight began—
He realized.
He wasn’t facing ordinary adventurers.
He was facing predators.
FWOOOOOOOOOSH!!
Yuri appeared directly in front of him.
Too fast.
The black sword descended violently.
Shiden raised his club by pure instinct.
CLAAAAAAAAANG!!
The impact traveled through his arms like an earthquake.
The arena cracked beneath them.
Shiden felt his knees weaken.
Yuri:
“Weak.”
The voice came out low.
Almost indifferent.
But those words immediately enraged Shiden.
Shiden:
“BASTARD!”
Explosive crystals appeared around the club.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The explosion pushed Yuri backward.
Or at least—
It should have.
The black wolf only slid a few centimeters.
His feet remained firmly planted on the shattered ground.
The smoke slowly dissipated around him.
The metallic claws remained intact.
His eyes remained cold.
Shiden felt sweat run down his neck.
Meanwhile—
Hanlin fought Yudi.
Golden kunai crossed the arena at absurd speed.
Each shot ricocheted off the pillars before changing direction violently.
An impossible rain to predict.
Hanlin smiled arrogantly.
Hanlin:
“Try to keep up with this!”
But Yudi simply moved.
His steps were silent.
Light.
Precise.
Like an animal hunting in the forest.
The kunai passed mere centimeters from him.
Some struck the ground.
Others pierced pillars.
Others exploded against the walls.
But none reached the white wolf.
The crowd slowly began to realize.
This wasn’t just speed.
It was instinct.
Yudi seemed to predict every trajectory before the attacks even happened.
Hanlin slowly lost his smile.
Hanlin:
“What the hell…?”
Then—
Yudi slowly raised his head.
The air around him began to vibrate.
The grandstands trembled.
The spectators felt their ears throb.
An invisible sound pressure formed around his blade.
Yudi:
“Sonic Howl.”
The shockwave exploded across the arena.
Hanlin’s golden kunai shattered in midair.
Hanlin’s eyes widened the instant the sonic pressure struck his body.
The impact hurled him violently into one of the arena pillars.
CRAAAAAAAAAASH!!
Fragments of stone collapsed around him.
In the stands—
Hitori watched in silence.
His heart raced.
Not just because of the fight.
But because of the way Guild Beasts fought.
They wasted no movement.
There was no excess.
Every strike seemed calculated to slowly crush the opponent.
Stone over stone.
Kamero appeared to be thinking the same thing.
His eyes carefully followed every exchange.
Kamero:
“They dismantle the enemy little by little.”
Aysa crossed her arms.
Aysa:
“It almost hurts to watch.”
Further north on the battlefield—
Izeu:
“Looks like we’re the ones facing you.”
Anasele:
“These two will be easy prey.”
Mimi:
“Hm.”
Nicelle:
“Mimi, be careful.”
Nicelle stepped away.
Amber crystals began forming around them.
Izeu smiled arrogantly.
Izeu:
“You two won’t have room to run.”
Huge amber walls rose around the girls.
Rosatele raised her hand.
Several green emerald rectangles appeared in the air.
Rosatele:
“Emerald Reflectors.”
FWOOOOOOOOOSH!!
Green blasts started ricocheting between the crystals.
Rosatele calmly watched the two girls as the emerald reflectors appeared above the arena.
Green lights crossed the field in geometric patterns.
Like mirrors prepared to multiply attacks.
Rosatele:
“I watched your fight in the arena…”
Rosatele:
“You’re fast, but let’s see you escape this!”
Nicelle immediately opened her hands.
Purple flames appeared in her right hand.
Orange flames in her left.
Her nine tails slowly swayed behind her.
Nicelle:
“Kitsune Twin Flames.”
Izeu slammed his hands together.
Massive crystal walls rose around the two girls.
The sound of amber forming resembled growing glass.
Nicelle quietly observed the barriers.
The purple flames reflected in her golden eyes.
“How annoying…”
Then she smiled.
Her nine tails swayed behind her.
The temperature around her rose instantly.
Rosatele narrowed her eyes.
Her confidence faltered slightly.
Because those flames…
They didn’t look like ordinary magic.
They looked alive.
Like hungry creatures preparing to devour everything around them.
Nicelle took a step forward.
The flames slowly climbed her arms like awakened spiritual serpents.
The purple fire emitted a cold glow.
Almost ghostly.
Meanwhile, the orange flames were the complete opposite.
Violent.
Unstable.
Destructive.
The two temperatures coexisted impossibly.
Freezing and burning sharing the same space.
The ground beneath the kitsune began to crack.
Part of it froze.
Part of it burned.
Rosatele noticed first.
Her eyes trembled slightly.
Rosatele:
“That mana…”
Izeu immediately reinforced the barriers.
Additional layers of amber appeared.
Izeu:
“Don’t let her cast that spell!”
The emerald reflectors began firing.
Green blasts crossed the field like arrows of light.
But Nicelle didn’t dodge.
She simply raised her right hand.
FWOOOOOOOOOSH!!
The purple flames advanced first.
The fire pierced through the green blasts.
And the instant they touched—
CRAAAAAACK!!
The reflectors began freezing.
Not just their surfaces.
The mana inside them seemed to crystallize.
Rosatele completely lost her composure.
Rosatele:
“The fire… froze my magic?!”
Then came the second impact.
The orange flames exploded right behind the purple ones.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The frozen reflectors shattered in midair.
Crystallized fragments of mana fell across the arena like glittering snow.
The heat wave struck the amber barriers.
Izeu’s eyes widened.
Izeu:
“The barriers are melting?!”
The amber began to deform.
Crack.
Melt.
Nicelle advanced through the explosions.
Her nine tails left trails of fire behind her.
Her golden eyes shone intensely.
At that moment—
She truly looked like a supernatural fox from an ancient legend.
Hitori watched from the stands.
Hitori:
“So that’s the power of that fox.”
Aysa:
“You have no idea.”
Mimi slowly raised her staff.
A pink moon appeared behind her.
Water began to gather around her body.
But unlike normal water, which should have been blue—
This water glowed pink.
Kamero narrowed his eyes.
Kamero:
“Their mage…”
Hitori widened his eyes.
The pink particles illuminated part of the arena.
Mimi:
“Pink Moon.”
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
An enormous pink moon appeared at the center of the arena.
The spectators widened their eyes.
Aysa almost jumped from her seat.
Aysa:
“HOLY—!”
The moon carried a strange aura.
A different kind of magic.
Rosatele’s eyes widened.
Rosatele:
“It can’t be—”
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
A powerful lunar blast pierced through the emerald reflectors.
The green blasts were destroyed and turned pink.
Izeu immediately created another barrier in front of them.
Izeu:
“Amber Shield!”
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
But the moon collided directly with the shield.
The impact pierced part of the crystalline defense.
Rosatele and Izeu were both hurled violently into the ground.
A strange feeling spread across the arena.
Guild Beasts didn’t fight like ordinary adventurers.
Each member possessed a monstrous presence.
But together—
They seemed even more dangerous.
Like different parts of a single creature.
In the stands—
Hitori watched in amazement.
Hitori:
“Mimi is insanely strong…”
Sarina crossed her arms.
Sarina:
“She was hiding a lot of power.”
Meanwhile—
Kiho and Guma continued exchanging monstrous blows.
CLAAAAAAAAANG!!
Their swords collided once more.
This time, the shockwave completely destroyed one of the nearby pillars.
Fragments of stone flew across the battlefield.
Kiho spun his body mid-motion.
The two sapphire swords attacked from different directions.
One horizontal.
One vertical.
Precise.
Deadly.
But Guma blocked both.
The heavy sword looked small in the blue tiger’s hands.
Even so—
Every defense carried absurd brutality.
Kiho smiled.
Breathing heavily.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Kiho:
“You’re a monster…”
Guma opened a ferocious grin.
Part of his fangs became visible.
Guma:
“Shh, scream quieter.”
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The spiritual tiger paws exploded around him once again.
This time, the aura partially enveloped his entire body.
His muscles expanded.
His pupils became beast-like.
The air itself grew heavier.
It wasn’t just mana.
It was predatory instinct.
It felt like standing before an animal capable of tearing apart anything that entered its territory.
Kiho:
“Hahaha…”
The sapphire fragments spun faster around him.
Kiho:
“Little tiger, I’m gonna make you scream nice and loud!”
The two crystalline swords shone violently.
The two disappeared simultaneously.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Their next collision exploded at the center of the arena.
A monstrous pressure swept across the entire field.
The stands trembled.
Part of the ground sank.
Eros watched everything with a serious expression.
Even he seemed attentive now.
Because the fight was slowly surpassing the level expected from ordinary adventurers.
Meanwhile—
Shiden stepped back, breathing heavily.
His eyes alternated between:
Yuri.
Yudi.
Guma.
His breathing became uneven.
Guild Adamantys was being pushed back.
Slowly.
Constantly.
Without pause.
Hanlin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Hanlin:
“These guys are absurd…”
Izeu created another amber barrier.
But even he was beginning to show nervousness.
His hands trembled slightly.
Rosatele looked at the feline-like girl.
Then spoke quietly.
Rosatele:
“If this keeps up…”
She clenched her teeth.
Rosatele:
“We’re going to lose.”
Shiden immediately raised his head.
His eyes hardened.
Then he looked toward Kiho.
At that very moment, Kiho blocked another monstrous strike from Guma.
Shiden:
“We’re using Plan B.”
Silence fell over Adamantys.
Even Hanlin stopped breathing for a moment.
Izeu slowly turned his head.
Izeu:
“Damn it…”
Izeu:
“Already in the first match…”
Shiden nodded.
There was tension in his eyes now.
Shiden:
“We have no choice.”
Far away—
Yashina watched carefully.
The golden hexagons rotated slowly behind her.
Yashina:
“They have a plan?”
Kamero immediately noticed it.
Kamero:
“Some hidden power?”
Hitori turned his eyes back to the arena.
The atmosphere had changed.
The pressure on the battlefield was increasing rapidly.
Like a storm about to explode.
And at that moment—
Izeu placed both hands on the ground.
Golden mana erupted violently throughout the arena.
Golden.
Heavy.
His mana spread across the field like underground roots growing beneath the battlefield.
Then—
CRAAAAAAAAAACK!!
Amber platforms began appearing everywhere.
On the ground.
On the walls.
In the air.
Crystal structures rose one after another until they covered almost the entire arena.
The spectators immediately began murmuring.
The atmosphere became suffocating.