The night was a canvas of tension, painted with fear and anticipation.
The giant tiger, its golden fur gleaming ominously in the moonlight, let out a deafening roar that shook the very trees.
Ardyn moved forward, his stance calm but charged with latent power. His blade gleamed, and the air around him grew heavier.
The tiger lunged with terrifying speed, the ground shattering under its weight. Ardyn met the charge head-on, his sword flashing in a blur.
The clash echoed through the forest—steel against claw, will against raw primal fury.
Every impact sent shockwaves rippling through the ground, rattling the trees where the candidates hid. Eryon felt the vibrations in his bones, his grip tightening around his branch.
"They're evenly matched," Kael whispered, awe in his voice.
"No..." Ryn muttered, his brow furrowed. "That beast is stronger."
Alice said nothing, but she clutched her pendant even tighter, her eyes never leaving the battlefield.
The tiger attacked with relentless ferocity, its claws slicing through the air like blades. Ardyn dodged with supernatural grace, countering with swift, precise strikes that left shallow cuts along the beast's flanks.
Yet despite his skill, it was clear that Ardyn was being pushed back.
The beast's roars grew louder, its attacks more frenzied.
Eryon could hardly breathe.
"Ardyn..." he whispered, worry gnawing at his gut.
Finally, after another massive exchange that sent dirt and leaves flying in all directions, Ardyn skidded back, planting his sword into the ground to stop his momentum.
He exhaled slowly, then lifted his gaze to the roaring tiger.
"Enough playing," he said, his voice low but carrying an immense weight.
The air changed.
Stars seemed to shimmer faintly above him, and a profound, crushing energy erupted from Ardyn's body.
The candidates gasped as the sheer force of his aura slammed into them, making the trees groan and the ground tremble anew.
"He's... releasing his true power," Kael said in disbelief.
"A Stellar Cultivator," Ryn breathed, wide-eyed.
Alice's knuckles turned white around her pendant, but even she couldn't hide the flicker of awe in her eyes.
The great tiger paused, sensing the shift.
It growled lowly, muscles tensing.
The real battle—the battle between beings who had touched the power of the stars—was about to begin.
Ardyn raised his free hand toward the sky, and starlight itself seemed to answer his call. The constellations above shimmered, and motes of celestial energy rained down onto him, fusing with his body and weapon.
With a sharp movement, Ardyn slashed downward.
From his blade, a wave of radiant energy—like a river of stars condensed into a blade—exploded forward.
The tiger roared defiantly and charged.
They collided.
The impact shook the earth violently, sending shockwaves that nearly dislodged the candidates from their trees. Eryon clung tightly, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"It's like watching a god fight!" Kael cried out.
"Unreal..." Ryn muttered, his voice hoarse.
Ardyn moved faster now, empowered by his Stellar Realm. His strikes left afterimages of brilliant starlight, each one carving deep wounds into the tiger's massive frame.
The tiger tried to retaliate with crushing swipes and deadly fangs, but it was hopeless. Each movement Ardyn made seemed to be guided by celestial precision, dodging effortlessly and retaliating with devastating blows.
In one final, blinding flash, Ardyn gathered a vortex of starlight around his sword and lunged.
The sword pierced straight through the tiger's chest.
The mighty beast let out a final, shuddering roar before collapsing to the ground, its body twitching once, then growing still.
Silence fell.
Only the crackling of the dying fire and the distant howl of the wind remained.
Ardyn stood over the fallen beast, breathing slowly, the starlight around him fading like the last embers of a dying fire.
Eryon, Kael, and Ryn stared in stunned silence, their hearts hammering in their chests.
They had witnessed the true power of a Stellar Cultivator.
And they understood, in that moment, just how far they still had to climb.