Biron and Mirelia watched the first few fights. They weren't anything serious and ended quickly. The teachers had clearly placed the weaker students first, knowing they wouldn't be able to compete with the stronger ones.
"Life's not fair, huh?" Biron said as he watched a poor caterpillar-like earth creature curl into a ball, trying to hide from a flaming bird. Its partner, a water user, had summoned a slug that only hid in its shell while launching short bursts of water—bursts the bird easily dodged.
The bird, unfortunately, had to do most of the work, paired with a cocoon that didn't move but produced sticky silk webs.
The problem was that the webs could also harm their ally by blocking flight paths or sticking to wings.
"Reminds me of my own situation," Mirelia scoffed. At least now, she was better off than the students currently fighting. Follow current novels on NovelHub(.)net
"Well, get ready. We're up next," she added. "I wonder if I'll do well."
Biron looked nervous. It hadn't been easy to get Torch to pay attention to him, especially with the restrictions against using summons outside of school.
"You'll do fine. Your beast will carry most of the fight even if you don't say a word," Mirelia said. "But don't get used to that. Once we're in the dungeons, you'll need to learn how to handle it properly."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Now let's go—the teacher's calling us."
Biron picked up his staff and walked toward the large crystal at the center of the field. This was the source used to power all staffs and wands, granting the creatures the energy they needed to fight.
As he brought his staff closer, he watched as particles of light swirled and interacted, dancing in the air. After a moment, the staff dimmed slightly—almost as if signaling that it had absorbed enough.
"It's interesting how it doesn't take more than it needs…" Biron muttered, a bit annoyed.
He knew that with enough power, his creature might even evolve—but he was being held back. And he understood why.
"Yeah, keep moving. I need to charge mine too," Mirelia said, urging him along.
She stepped forward and placed her own staff near the crystal. The amber stone embedded in it began to glow brightly—hers was tuned for land-based creatures, after all.
With their staffs now powered, the two stepped into their designated ring—a circular platform surrounded by a faint barrier, meant to contain the fight and keep the spectators safe.
Their opponents were two boys, both of whom seemed eager to fight. Unlike the previous matches, they actually appeared capable. One of them had summoned a small piglet-like creature whose stomps left dents in the ground. His ally controlled a small snake that manipulated water, using its tail to extend and create a whip-like strike.
"Watch out, those two are strong," Mirelia whispered to him. "They've been training since before you arrived at this school. Barry and Nil are also close friends with ties to powerful families—even if they're not among the top four."
"Sure thing. You lead, I'll follow. Since you know my creature better than I do, there's no point in dragging you down—at least not in our first fight."
Biron, who didn't want to lose, let her take charge for now.
The opposing creatures were already making their move. The small pig charged forward, targeting the buddling, which was carefully aiming.
"Have your creature use Blazeburst Shot. That should be enough to stop the Mound Boar. I'll handle the snake," Mirelia instructed.
As soon as she spoke, Biron gave the order. Torch responded instantly, sending a stream of fire blazing toward the hog. It managed to sidestep the attack, but no longer advanced. Instead, it shifted its focus to charge at the small lizard.
The snake countered by slashing its tail through the flames, dousing them in bursts of steam as fire and water collided. But just then, the Glow Buddling found its opening. With the flames gone, its line of sight was clear—and it fired.
"Yes! Did you see that? It caught the snake off guard! Nice thinking, Mirelia!" Biron stepped in for a high-five, but the girl didn't react. She remained focused on the battle.
"Celebrate after we win. Have your creature prepare another shot—we need to deal with that pig before it knocks one of us down. The snake will take a few seconds to recover, so let's move."
The red-haired girl suddenly ordered her buddling to concentrate another burst of seeds toward the piglet. As for Torch, he was told to gather energy as well. It would have to end with the next hit—both Mirelia and Biron could feel their creatures were nearly out of energy.
"Don't use up all your mana. Remember, we're also being graded on how much energy they have left after the battle. The less they have, the lower our score," Mirelia reminded him.
Biron nodded. "I think we can finish it with this next move, so let's at least go all out."
The small pig, lacking any backup, hesitated. It wasn't sure which creature to target. Both sides were preparing dangerous attacks. After a moment, it seemed to decide that the buddling was the bigger threat and charged forward—only to be met by a powerful bombardment of seeds that caused it to stumble. Just after, it was struck by a burst of flames from the side.
"Alright, stop! We have two winners—Biron and Mirelia. Nice choice of tactics. You both pass and move on to the next round. Now recharge your wands so you'll be ready for your next match in a few minutes."
Biron raised his hand again, clearly signaling what he hoped Mirelia would do.
"Fine... just this once, alright?" the girl said, slightly red as she returned the gesture.
Afterward, she turned away to do as instructed, and Biron followed, returning his creature to its realm before heading off to recharge his wand.
As he glanced toward the next arena, he saw that Selka Drayne would be up next. He leaned forward slightly, eager to see what kind of monster she would summon.