Klein doubled over, his grip loosening as an entirely new pain replaced his shoulder's one easily.
His lion roared in confusion, torn between the rules prohibiting attacks on tamers and the instinct to protect its own.
That moment of hesitation was all the wolf needed.
The beast emerged from the shadows like a nightmare made manifest, its fangs finding the lion's throat. This was no superficial attack now, it was against another beast, and the fangs sank deep, making the yellow beast roar in agony.
"Klein!" Feng reacted instinctively, his cobra rising to strike, scales glowing with deadly intent.
"Too slow," whispered a voice behind him.
Mayo emerged from the mist like an avenging ghost. Her kick connected with the base of Feng's skull with deadly precision, sending him crashing to the ground like a puppet with cut strings.
"Oops!" Mayo landed with perfect grace, a playful smile dancing on her lips. "Where did the noble maiden facade go? Well, an occasional slip is forgivable."
Only the most troublesome remained… Astor with his powerful defense that was difficult to breach.
The cobra, sensing the danger to its tamer, began spitting acid erratically. The wolf, as if having anticipated this very reaction, tore the lion's throat with one savage motion and bit the serpent's tail.
The effect was immediate and spectacular.
The cobra hissed in pain, its body writhing as its acid attack became completely uncontrollable. The wolf, using the tail as leverage, threw the thrashing cobra with its wild spray toward where Astor tried to maintain his defensive position.
"Watch out!" someone shouted from the stands, but it was far too late.
The acid rained down on Astor's plates like corrosive tears. His scream of pain cut through the air as his defensive plates began to dissolve, steam rising from where the acid ate through his protection.
"It's over!" Yang intervened instantly, his voice carrying command. "Auxiliaries, quickly!"
Medical staff rushed onto the field as the mist began to dissipate. Klein remained on the ground, his lion slowly fading from the throat wound while he tried to process what had gone so terribly wrong. Feng lay unconscious, his cobra weakly writhing before it too vanished back into his body.
Astor received immediate attention from several auxiliaries working to neutralize the acid. Though not in mortal danger, they needed to stop the effect quickly to prevent injuries that would require excessive healing.
Luna observed the scene with calm detachment, her shadow wolf returning to her side. Though the beast trembled slightly from its wounds, it maintained an air of dignity that matched its tamer's bearing.
"Next time you try to claim something that doesn't belong to you," she said as she walked away, "remember this moment."
Mayo approached her, all pretense of servility abandoned in their triumph. "Wasn't the knee strike a bit... excessive?"
"He deserved it," Luna shrugged, though a hint of satisfaction colored her voice. "Besides, I needed his lion to hesitate for a moment."
"Ah, so it was all planned?" Mayo's smile widened. "The dramatic appearance, the strategic knee strike...?"
"Of course not," Luna blushed slightly. "It was... impulse. But it worked, didn't it?"
In the stands, spectators were still processing the devastating outcome.
"That was..." Min responded to Ren's comments, his snake coiling nervously, "intense."
"Luna is terrifying," Taro nodded, his beetle's markings shifting uneasily. "Let's remember never to make her angry."
"The most impressive thing," Ren observed while his mushrooms pulsed analytically, "is how she turned every 'error' into an opportunity. Klein's attack on the wolf, Feng's reaction, even the uncontrolled acid... everything ended up playing to her advantage. Astor would have been very difficult to take down with their current beasts."
"You think she really planned all that?" Min asked, fascination mixing with awe in his voice.
"Not everything," Ren smiled. "But she definitely had enough contingencies to exploit any opportunity. The rest was... creative improvisation."
On the field, the auxiliaries continued their work. Klein's shoulder and pride would need more attention, though the latter would take far longer to heal.
Feng began regaining consciousness, confusion evident on his face as he tried to understand how a "mere girl" had taken him down so easily. Astor would be taken to the infirmary for more extensive treatment along with Klein.
Luna received treatment for her back, but her team had emerged almost unscathed. Mayo couldn't help one last satisfied smile. Their noble maiden facade might have cracked today, but the message had been sent with crystal clarity:
Underestimating Luna and her team was an error paid for dearly.
"Victory for Luna's team," Yang announced officially, though by now it was mere formality.
In the higher stands, Luna's cousins exchanged knowing looks. One whispered something that sounded suspiciously like "he had it coming," while another tried to hide her smile behind a beast manual.
The six new students observed everything with carefully neutral expressions, though their eyes sparkled with what might have been amusement.
Kassian, on the other hand, was far from pleased with the result. His rigid posture spoke volumes about his thoughts on this public humiliation.
The tournament had ended, but its repercussions were only beginning.
The award ceremony was brief.
Luna received her ten thousand crystals with elegance and a neutral expression, as if the prize were mere trinkets. Her "companions" maintained their facade once again, though Mayo couldn't help a small smile seeing Klein receive his five thousand crystals for second place.
Klein pocketed the prize without even looking at it. What were five thousand crystals to the Goldcrest family? An insignificant sum compared to what he had just lost.
His shoulder still ached slightly where the wolf had bitten him, but it was his pride that had suffered the deepest wound. The auxiliaries had healed the physical injuries, but the pitying looks from his peers...
Kassian's voice cut through his thoughts like an ice blade. His older brother waited at the training field's entrance, his expression unreadable.
It wasn't a suggestion.
Klein followed his brother to his room, acutely aware of Harold watching their departure with calculating eyes.
"Interesting spectacle," Kassian began once they were alone in the room. His tone was soft, almost casual, which made it all the more threatening. "Especially the part where a little girl brought you to your knees. Father will be... fascinated when I tell him."
Klein clenched his fists. "It was just a friendly tournament. In the finals…"
"In the finals there will be no excuses," Kassian cut him off, steel entering his voice. "You better have followed the cultivation method to the letter and reached bronze rank 1 by then. You and your... companions."