The Golden Arena thrummed with restless energy. The stands were packed tighter than yesterday—families of nobility and low born, scouts, merchants, from all over the golden globe. Banners snapped in the wind. The scent of roasted meat and nervous sweat hung heavy in the air. Every eye was on the field.
Meriosa stepped onto the platform first. Claws already extended, eyes locked on her opponents. Harry followed a step behind—head slightly bowed, as always.
Across from them stood Mercy and Max. Mercy—gravity-flow, boots planted like roots. Max— holds his blade tightly and ready, eyes glowing with faint blue light.
Meriosa didn't speak aloud. She didn't need to.
Mercy's gravity only activates when her feet touch the ground. So the plan is obvious.
The horn blew.
Begin.
Meriosa vanished.
Not teleportation. Pure beast-flow speed—too fast for the eye, too fast for thought. Mercy's foot was still an inch from the ground when Meriosa appeared in front of her. Fist cracked against Mercy's jaw—clean, precise. Mercy flew backward, crashing into the barrier wall twenty meters away.
Max reacted—force field flow snapping up like a dome. Meriosa was already inside it. Claws sliced through the blue light like paper. Max staggered, blood blooming across his chest. He dropped.
Mercy staggered to her feet—dazed, blood on her lip. She slammed her foot down. Gravity surged—air thickened, trying to crush Meriosa to the dirt.
Meriosa was gone again.
She reappeared behind Mercy. Claws rained down—slash after slash—controlled, brutal, surgical. Mercy collapsed. Max tried to crawl toward her. Meriosa stepped on his back, light but firm.
Both on the ground. Passed out.
The arena went silent.
Fifty-five thousand people held their breath.
The announcer's voice cracked.
"W-Winners… Meriosa and Harry!"
Meriosa retracted her claws. She walked off the stage without a glance back. Harry followed, head still lowered.
The silence held for three full seconds.
Then the stands exploded—cheers, gasps, some screams of disbelief. "That was over in seconds!" "She didn't even let them breathe!"
Koya watched from the competitors' stand, arms crossed. Lira beside her twisted a vine nervously.
Anna leaned forward. "She's terrifying."
Cal exhaled slowly. "Number 7 for a reason."
Ra'an—two rows back—smirked. " I can and will do better than that."
The boards flashed again.
"Next match: White & Cherry versus Melly & Nelly!"
White and Cherry took position. White's glow was already building—soft at first, then blinding. Cherry cracked her knuckles, bangles glinting on her wrists.
Melly and Nelly stood calm. Melly's ice-flow shimmered faintly around his hands. Wind slowly builds up around Nelly.
The horn blew.
White's light erupted—pure white fire swallowing the arena. No one could look directly at him. Screams of surprise rose from the stands. Melly and Nelly closed their eyes.
Cherry charged.
She threw a fist at Melly—fast, confident. Melly's hand snapped up—caught her wrist mid-strike. Cherry froze, stunned.
"Seriously?" Melly said, voice calm. "Same old trick?"
He punched—once, clean. Cherry flew backward, crashing into White. The light snapped off like a broken bulb.
The crowd saw nothing of the exchange—just two bodies on the ground and Melly & Nelly standing untouched.
Cherry staggered up—eyes wide. "How did he… Doesn't matter."
She tapped her bangles. Fire-flow ignited along her arms. She charged again.
Nelly stepped forward—wind intensify around her. Melly held her back with one hand.
"I got this."
Cherry threw a series of punches—right, left, uppercut. Melly dodged—effortless, precise. Not one connected.
The crowd went still. Then erupted—stunned, amazed, breathless.
White sprinted toward them—body glowing again, bright enough to blind. Nelly tried to intercept. Melly raised a hand.
"Stay back."
He sidestepped Cherry's next strike. White reached him—light blinding. Melly smirked. Ice-flow surged—White froze mid-step, locked in crystalline frost.
Cherry struck from behind—fire fist roaring. Melly spun, caught her wrist again. Fire-flow met ice. Steam hissed. He pushed—Cherry staggered back.
Melly appeared in front of her.
"Tired already?"
His fist exploded forward—boom of force. Cherry dropped to her knees.
The horn sounded.
"Winners: Melly & Nelly!"
The stands detonated—cheers, screams, disbelief.
"Double flow user!"
"Really impressive…"
"That was unexpected…"
In the competitors' stand, everyone stared.
Koya's jaw tightened. Lira whispered, "He's… terrifying."
Cal rubbed his temples. "Melly's always been quiet. Never knew he could do that."
Other contenders whispered "He was playing with her the whole time. Didn't even use his item."
Ra'an—watching from a few rows away—narrowed his eyes.
The boards shifted once more.
"Next match: Cal & Mary versus Ben & Lorry!"
Cal stepped onto the field with Mary. She was small, soft-faced, but her eyes were steady. Cal gave her a quick nod. "Stay close. I've got the front."
Ben pulled his pistol. Lorry's gauntlets glowed faintly.
The horn blew.
Cal loosed an arrow—fast, precise. It struck Ben's pistol—knocked it spinning from his hand.
Vines erupted from the ground—lifted Cal into the air. He fired again—arrows raining down. Ben rolled, scooped up the pistol. Lorry nodded to him.
They split—Ben left, Lorry right.
Cal dropped. Vines lashed toward Lorry. He focused on Ben—arrows flying. Ben dodged, took a breath, returned fire. One bullet grazed Cal's arm.
Mary rushed in—light energy blooming. She healed the wound instantly.
Lorry charged—gauntlets swinging. Cal blocked with vines—retracted them fast.
Ben and Lorry closed in.
"Plan B, Mary," Cal said.
Vines surged—wrapped Mary, pulled her to Cal's back, tied her tight.
The crowd gasped.
The Golden Guardian—high in her seat—smiled behind the mask.
Attaching her to him… perfect way to use support and battle flow. This kid's a genius.
Ben paused—just a fraction.
Then fired.
The bullet struck Cal in the side—lethal if not for Mary's healing. Cal didn't flinch. Light bloomed—wound closed instantly.
Cal smirked. "Two in one."
Lorry charged up close—gauntlets glowing. Cal blocked—vines clashing with metal. Ben kept firing—bullets connecting, healed instantly.
Cal pushed—vines shoved Lorry back, created distance. Arrows flew at Ben. Ben's eyes glowed—sight-flow activated. Everything slowed. He dodged every shot.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Mary's healing gave Cal boost—strength, speed, lethality. They gained the upper hand—constant pressure, no time for Ben or Lorry to think.
Ben thought: I'm more suited for range. Lorry for close. He separated us perfectly… He's a genius. I can't find any flaw in his plan.
Vines rushed him...
No… everything has a flaw. And I'm made to find it.
Vines came at full speed.
Ben's eyes glow brightened. Time slowed. Blackness edged his vision.
A vine brushed his shoulder.
He saw it—the small opening, the breather after every attack. Only a fraction of a second.
He fired—without hesitation.
The bullet struck.
The vine loosened. Mary dropped from Cal's back.
Cal froze—vines weakened.
Lorry struck—vines retracted. Cal raised his bow—Ben's next shot hit his arm. Then another. Then another—lethal places. Mary tried to heal—Lorry was already there, punched her down.
Ben's final shot.
Cal dropped.
The horn sounded.
"Winners: Ben & Lorry!"
The arena detonated—cheers, gasps, disbelief.
Koya and Anna stared from the stands—total shock on their faces.
To be continued...