Isla's heart pounded as the shadow of the massive rock loomed above her. Her breath caught. "How do I dodge that?" she whispered in panic, her legs frozen, her instincts screaming to move.
Leon's eyes widened from the sidelines. "Isla…!" he muttered, a flicker of fear in his usually calm voice.
Then—slash! A sharp yellow gleam sliced the air.
The giant rock split cleanly in half, collapsing on either side of Isla. Dust blew past her face as she dropped to the ground with a thud, knees scraping the dirt. A faint shimmer of yellow blood dripped from her palm.
Behind her, Fanny's voice cut through the chaos. "Well done, Isla," she said, calm but with pride buried under her breath.
Gripping her yellow sword tightly, Isla narrowed her eyes at the monstrous snake towering before her. The ground trembled beneath its weight. She let out a sharp breath and charged forward.
The snake hissed, its eyes glowing with a sinister hunger. With a flick of its tail, it hurled several more massive rocks. They thundered through the air like meteorites.
Isla jumped, rolled, ducked. Every stone that missed left a crater where it fell. Sweat dripped from her brow. Her jaw clenched.
If this keeps going… how can I even get close enough to land a hit?
Suddenly, the snake saw an opening. It lunged, massive body coiling with speed unexpected for its size. Isla's pupils shrank. I can't dodge that.
With a cry, she summoned a shimmering golden shield just in time. The snake slammed into it, a shockwave rippling outward. The shield shattered into dust. Isla was thrown like a ragdoll, flying backward towards the arena wall.
Thinking quickly, she conjured a golden spear midair and thrust it into the ground. The force of the impact anchored her just inches from slamming into the wall. Her body hung off it, trembling from the momentum.
There's no way I can fight this thing in close range... Her thoughts raced until a spark lit her eyes.
In a swift motion, she summoned a bow of gold light and unleashed a flurry of arrows. The snake screeched as the projectiles thudded into its thick scales.
She fired again. This time, the snake dove underground.
"What the—" Isla whispered. Around the arena, Fanny, Leon, and Finn all rose from their seats in alarm.
"Where'd it go?" Finn muttered.
The ground exploded behind Isla. Dirt flew as the snake burst out, jaws wide, hurling another barrage of massive rocks.
Isla barely had time to throw up another shield. The impact cracked it, throwing her backward again. She hit the dirt hard, her teeth clenched, body sore.
This thing… is a nightmare.
Breathing hard, she summoned star-shaped blades and hurled them like spinning saws. They pierced the snake's side. It shrieked, scales smoking from the magic.
Its rage exploded.
It slammed its massive tail into the ground. Cracks split the arena as rocks surged up and encased Isla. Her arms, legs—everything was pinned. She couldn't move.
Her eyes widened. "No…"
From above, the snake conjured a monstrous boulder. With a guttural roar, it launched the rock toward her.
Leon stood, fists clenched. "ISLA!!!"
The rock hit.
Smoke and stone dust filled the air as Isla's body was slammed into the arena wall. The audience gasped.
Leon bolted toward the edge. "ISLA!"
The dust settled.
Isla's battered body lay on the ground, bloodied and trembling. But somehow—she moved. Her hand dug into the ground. Her legs shook as she stood up, blood trailing down her arm.
The snake charged again, massive and merciless.
Isla didn't run. She smiled through her pain.
"I've been waiting for this," she whispered.
As the snake neared, she sidestepped in a blink and leapt up—landing on its back, then its head.
The crowd roared.
Golden swords materialized around her in a circle. She thrust them down one after another, burying them deep into the beast's skull. The snake howled in agony.
It bucked. Isla flew from its body, hitting the ground again with a grunt.
The beast vanished underground once more.
Isla's head darted left, right. Her body trembled, breath shallow. Where is it?!
Then, the earth erupted beneath her feet. The snake lunged up and caught her mid-air in its massive jaws.
"NO!" Fanny screamed. Leon froze, eyes wide with horror.
But inside the snake's maw, golden light flashed. A spear, glowing with double-pointed blades, burst from inside.
Isla sliced through the snake's mouth, emerging in a blaze of light. She crashed onto the ground, gasping, her face smeared with blood and dirt.
The snake thrashed, screaming, slamming its head again and again into the arena floor—then fell silent.
Unmoving.
The crowd erupted.
The announcer's voice rang out. "ISLA WINS THIS ROUND!"
Isla gave a weak smile—then collapsed.
Leon dashed to her, kneeling. "You really did a great job," he whispered, his hand cupping her bloodied cheek.
She smiled faintly. "Told you… I'm not going down easy."
As he helped her up, the announcer's voice stopped him. "Leon—after a few more rounds, it's your turn."
Leon glanced back. "But she's—"
"There are only a few more matches," the announcer said firmly. "Stay close."
Fanny stepped in, grabbing Leon's shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll take her to the medical room."
Leon nodded. "Thank you."
Fanny smirked. "Why thank me? She's my best friend."
She supported Isla's body and led her off as Leon and Finn returned to their seats.
A new student entered the battlefield. He looked nervous but determined. The air shimmered with cold.
A massive bird landed before him, a glowing red gem on its head—its body wreathed in heat. Fire.
The boy raised his hand and launched a flurry of ice crystals. The bird incinerated them with a single flame burst, then hurled a gigantic fireball.
The boy froze. Literally. He couldn't move.
Time slowed.
Just before the fireball hit, a wave of water splashed it away. The announcer stepped in, her voice sharp. "I think you should surrender. If I hadn't intervened, you'd be dead."
The student lowered his head. "I surrender…"
He walked back, head bowed, eyes dark with defeat.
Leon whispered to Finn, "This training… it's brutal. It's not just a test—it's survival."
Finn nodded. "I agree."
Next up, a girl stepped forward. Fire danced at her fingertips.
The door opened.
Out walked… a small yellow cat.
Everyone blinked.
It had a soft pink gem. Electricity.
"Aww… how am I supposed to hurt that?" the girl asked.
The cat tilted its head. "Meow."
A burst of electricity shot from its fur, faster than lightning. The girl gasped, trying to aim a fire blast—but the cat vanished.
"Where—?"
She looked down. The cat was rubbing against her leg.
"Meowww."
Then—BOOM—a jolt of electricity surged through her. She collapsed on the spot, unconscious.
The crowd stared, dumbfounded.
Leon raised a brow. "Looks can be deceiving…"
Finn laughed nervously. "That cat's terrifying."
Medical staff carried the girl out.
Finn turned to Leon. "Your turn."
Leon stood. "Yeah… I don't think these next matches are going to last long anyway."
He stepped into the battlefield.
Just then, Fanny returned with Isla, bandaged and sitting upright. Leon turned. "You're here? Are you okay?"
Isla gave a small nod. "I'm fine. Well… mostly."
Fanny snorted. "She needs rest, but she insisted."
Leon smiled. Isla blushed. Fanny smirked. "Aww, how cute."
Isla quickly covered Fanny's mouth. "She's joking!"
Grabbing Fanny by the hand, they made their way to their seats.
The announcer raised her hand. "Leon, are you ready?"
Leon's voice was calm. "Yes."
"Three… two… one—begin!"
The doors creaked open. A bone-chilling aura spread across the battlefield. Everyone tensed.
From the fog emerged a massive crocodile with a glimmering blue gem on its head. Its eyes locked with Leon's.
"Ice," Leon muttered, his breath visible now. "His aura alone… it's suffocating."
The crocodile exhaled.
A cold mist swept the field, freezing everything in seconds.
The mist cleared.
Leon stood frozen, ice crawling over his body.
Isla, Finn, and Fanny leapt to their feet.
"He froze him just by breathing," Fanny whispered.
"This one… might be the strongest beast we've seen," Finn added.
The crocodile didn't hesitate. It summoned a spear of ice and hurled it toward Leon with deadly precision.
Isla stood, screaming—"LEON!"