Fanny's eyes widened as a massive fireball surged toward her. Without wasting a second, she leapt to the side, narrowly dodging the searing blast.
"That was close," she muttered, landing in a crouch. Her eyes locked onto the fiery beast before her. A grin spread across her face as she clenched her fists.
"Let me show you what I've got," she growled.
With a swift motion, she hurled a flurry of fireballs at the lion. But the beast didn't flinch. With a thunderous roar, it unleashed a wave of flame that engulfed and neutralized every single attack in an instant.
Fanny's grin widened. "Now it's getting interesting."
The lion lunged with terrifying speed, swiping its massive claw at her. Fanny caught the attack with her bare hands, locking into a fierce struggle. Sparks flew as their powers clashed, both refusing to back down. Fanny's expression wasn't one of fear—it was exhilaration.
Suddenly, the lion began charging a fireball in its mouth, right next to Fanny's face. Her eyes flickered with alarm. Just as the beast fired, she smashed her head into its snout, causing the blast to veer off into the sky.
Both fighters jumped back, panting. Fanny clenched her teeth and steadied her breathing.
"I've had enough," she muttered, channeling energy into her fist. Flames swirled around it as she dashed forward.
The lion responded with a massive flamethrower. Fanny leapt high, narrowly dodging it, and landed on the beast's back. With a primal yell, she drove a powerful punch into its spine.
From the sidelines, Isla and Leon cheered, "You're amazing, Fanny! Let's finish this!"
Isla added sarcastically, "Yeah, yeah. Not a big deal."
Despite his tone, a hint of unease flickered in his eyes.
Fanny's attack left a gash on the lion's side. The beast roared in rage, its fur bristling with heat. Then, it unleashed a beam of fire so intense the air shimmered.
Thinking fast, Fanny struck the ground with enough force to launch herself high into the air, soaring above the blaze.
"She's so smart!" Leon exclaimed.
Fanny landed gracefully—but the lion was waiting. With a guttural growl, it charged and slammed its head into her, sending her crashing into the wall. She slumped to the ground, unmoving.
The crowd fell silent.
"The match is over," the teacher declared, "Lion wins—"
But Fanny stood.
Her eyes glowed crimson. A red aura erupted from her body like wildfire. The lion, sensing the shift, roared and ignited its own aura. The temperature spiked. Even the teacher took a step back.
"They're... overheating the whole field," she whispered.
Fanny's and the lion's auras flared violently as both were consumed by fire. They charged, colliding with a deafening BOOM.
A shockwave ripped through the stadium. Heat rolled across the crowd like a wave, and a thick wall of smoke swallowed the arena.
All fell silent.
As the smoke cleared, the figure still standing was Fanny. The lion lay unconscious at her feet.
The teacher stepped forward and raised her hand. "Fanny wins!"
Leon and Isla cheered, rushing toward her. Even Finn clapped, his usual sarcasm replaced by admiration.
"You nailed it, girl!" Isla grinned.
"You're totally awesome," Leon added.
Fanny smiled, a little surprised to hear Finn mutter, "Yeah… it was good."
Together, Leon and Isla supported Fanny toward Darius Sir for healing. She lay down, breath still heavy.
"So, how's training today?" Sir asked.
Finn smirked. "The best. And far better than yours."
Sir gave him a cold glare. Leon chuckled, "Yeah, it was good. Even Fanny passed."
"That's really great," Darius nodded.
That night, as Leon and Finn walked through the dim hallway, they spotted the two boys who'd previously fainted.
"Hey! How're you guys feeling?" Leon asked.
"We're fine now," one of them replied.
"What did you see that day?" Leon asked curiously.
The boys hesitated. "We… saw a huge monster in the basement. It had a marble on its head."
Leon's eyes narrowed. "A marble…? Oh, I get it now."
"What is it?" Finn asked.
Leon smiled. "Those were divine beasts. Part of our training. These two just got unlucky."
The boys looked embarrassed. "Oh, so it wasn't a monster? We really thought—"
Everyone laughed. "Alright, goodnight," Leon said as they went to their rooms.
Next Morning – Training Ground
Another student lost their match. The teacher turned to Finn. "You're up."
"Finally!" Finn said, eyes shining. "Let's see what kind of powerful beast I get. A dragon? A tiger?"
Behind him, Fanny called out, "I think they'll give you a monkey. Suits you."
"Shut up! I wasn't talking to you!" Finn snapped.
He entered the arena as the door opened. Smoke hissed out dramatically. He stood tall—until he looked down.
Standing before him was a tiny monkey.
From the stands, Fanny burst out laughing, "Told you! It suits you!"
Finn's expression twisted. "Why… why in this world… a monkey?!"
Then he noticed the pink marble on its head. Electric element.
With a growl, Finn charged and punched—but the monkey vanished.
"What the—?" Finn turned. The monkey zapped him from behind.
Finn collapsed, twitching. Leon and Isla watched anxiously.
"Annoying little—" Finn groaned, his body smoking from the shock.
He bled slightly from his hand. "That's it."
He summoned an explosive sphere and launched it, but the monkey dodged with ease. Finn tried again and again, growing tired and frustrated.
The monkey landed on his back and delivered another shock. Finn cried out.
"Enough!" he shouted. "I'll use it!"
From afar, Leon panicked. "No! Finn, don't! You'll get hurt!"
But Finn ignored him.
He summoned a massive explosion, covering the entire field in fire. The blast was so intense the teacher had to raise a water shield to protect the students. Even then, the barrier cracked under the heat.
Smoke covered everything.
"FIIIIINNNN!" Leon yelled.
As the dust settled… both Finn and the monkey lay unconscious.
But… their fingers twitched.