Sana's voice rang out, clear and commanding—
"Lightning Magic: Lightning Vortex!"
Beneath Ashenfang, a spiraling whirlpool of lightning formed, rising into a vortex.
Ashenfang roared in pain, trapped in the crackling storm.
Tracey narrowed his eyes, He smiled.
"Ashenfang—Flame Armor!"
Ashenfang's body blazed as fire engulfed his scales. The flaming shield clashed against the lightning vortex, and for a moment, sparks danced where magic met magic.
"Now—Release it!"
Ashenfang roared and expelled the flame armor outward.
The explosion of fire clashed with the vortex, disrupting the storm's structure and dispersing it completely in a burst of steam and light.
But Sana was relentless.
Before Tracey could even respond, she appeared behind Ashenfang, blade crackling.
"Lightning Blade Magic: Six-Fold Slash!"
Six arcs of lightning whipped across Ashenfang's back—but they hit nothing.
Ashenfang vanished.
Sana narrowed her eyes.
"Huh? Where'd he—"
Suddenly, a magical presence surged beneath her.
Tracey's voice echoed from behind her.
"Beast Magic: Summon—Ashenfang!"
From under the ground, Ashenfang burst out with a deafening roar and slammed into Sana midair.
WHAM!
She was launched skyward by the impact.
Tracey: "Now! Flame Beast Magic—Red Impact!"
Ashenfang leapt after her, engulfed in flame, and aimed a second devastating hit.
Sana recovered just in time, vanishing midair with a flash of Lightning Walk.
Ashenfang missed, slamming into the wall instead.
The fight had shifted. Tracey was matching Sana now—blow for blow.
He took a deep breath, and his aura surged.
"Beast Drive: Second Mode."
Ashenfang's form shrunk slightly, becoming sleeker, more compact—but sturdier.
His muscles rippled with denser magic. His movements quickened.
"Ashenfang—Flame Rings!"
From Ashenfang's body, glowing red rings of fire spiraled outward toward Sana.
Sana: "Lightning Magic: Sonic Disks!"
She spun her blade, forming circular blades of lightning that met the flame rings in the air—BZZZT! CRASH!
The rings were neutralized—but Sana suddenly noticed Ashenfang charging through the smoke.
Her blade glowed as she prepared an attack—
But Ashenfang slammed into her before she could swing, sending her crashing into a wall.
"Aghh—! How is he faster now?" she muttered, struggling to her feet.
"Did shrinking his form increase his speed?"
She clenched her jaw.
Then, electricity surged around her feet.
"Lightning Zone."
A deep blue circle expanded beneath her and Tracey, buzzing with high voltage.
The entire zone sparked with unstable lightning, creating an intense storm-like atmosphere.
Tracey winced as he stepped back.
The very air burned with electric tension.
Sana: "playtime over now."
"Lightning Magic: Lightning Pillars!"
From the floor of the zone, massive pillars of lightning erupted upward like spears.
BOOM! CRACK!
Two—three—four pillars struck Ashenfang in rapid succession.
The beast roared in agony but remained standing, steam rising from his burnt scales.
Tracey's eyes widened. He remembered...
________________________________________
[Flashback – Training with Master Cyrus]
Ashenfang roared, trapped in a simulated battlefield Cyrus created using illusion and impact magic.
He was struggling. Roaring. In pain.
Tracey tried to intervene.
"Undo the summon! I need to bring him back!"
But Cyrus raised a hand to stop him.
"Don't. Not yet."
Tracey glared at him.
"But he's hurting! I can't just stand here—"
Cyrus's voice was calm, but sharp.
"That's the problem. You rely on your bond with him so much... that you're holding him back."
Tracey looked down.
Cyrus stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"You're a great partner to Ashenfang, Tracey. But if you keep shielding him from pain… he'll never grow."
Tracey clenched his fists.
"After everything… Imperial and other, Ashenfang, Re, Ro(traveling beast name)—they're family. I can't let them suffer."
Cyrus nodded slowly.
"That's noble. But Ashenfang isn't a fragile companion. He's a warrior. His strength will bloom only when you allow him to face struggle."
He turned, watching the struggling beast.
"Ashenfang isn't like other beasts. I've fought many beast tamers in my time… most beasts were weapons—used, not respected."
"But Ashenfang… he fights with you. Not for you. That's why he's different. That's why he's stronger."
He looked Tracey in the eye.
"So let him hurt. Let him rise. Together, you'll become something far beyond master and beast."
________________________________________
[Back to the Present Battle]
Ashenfang trembled, steam rising, sparks dancing across his injured body.
The lightning pillars kept erupting around him.
But he didn't fall.
Tracey clenched his fist.
"Ashenfang… for Master Cyrus. Let's do this!"
Ashenfang roared, the sound echoing across the battlefield.
"Flame Armor!"
His body blazed once more, stronger than before—scorching hot and defiant.
Ashenfang trembled, steam rising, sparks dancing across his battered frame.
Lightning cracked across the battlefield—pillars erupting around him in erratic patterns.
Tracey stood nearby, hand clenched. His beast was struggling. But not backing down.
Sana hovered on a raised slab of broken stone, arms crossed, electric arcs flickering between her fingers. Her grin was sharp.
Sana:
"He's got guts. Too bad lightning burns through guts."
She raised her hand—another pillar cracked into the ground beside Ashenfang, throwing him back.
Tracey stepped forward.
"You're not breaking him."
He touched Ashenfang's shoulder.
Ashenfang growled, then—
ROARED.
The battlefield trembled.
"Flame Armor!"
His body ignited—molten flames wrapping his body like a second skin. The heat forced the rain to hiss into mist around him.
Tracey smirked.
"Let's run it."
He leapt onto Ashenfang's back, gripping his mane.
Ashenfang charged, fire surging around his claws.
Sana blinked forward with a burst of lightning—fast. She kicked off a floating arc and snapped her fingers—
Lightning Magic: Surge Field!
An area lit up with electric static—paralyzing bursts flaring if they entered.
Ashenfang dashed through it anyway.
ZAP!
Electricity wrapped around him—but the Flame Armor pulsed, pushing it outward.
Tracey extended his arm—
"Fire Spike!"
He shot a blast of flame toward Sana mid-charge.
She dodged cleanly, appearing above him, hand crackling.
Lightning Bolt—
But Ashenfang leapt.
Through the smoke.
A blazing uppercut of fire met her midair.
BOOM!
She spiraled, flipping, but landed on a shard of earth, lightning cushioning her feet.
Sana (frowning now):
"…Not just a wild beast, huh?"
Tracey:
"Nope. We're just getting warmed up."
Outside the HQ – Dawn vs. Mich .
Mich launched forward—fast. aqua-coated swords aimed for her sides. Dawn didn't flinch. She spun her iron rod in a tight arc blocking mich attack.
CLANG. SPLASH.
Their magic clashed in bursts of pressure and steam.
Mich kept pushing. Step after step, strike after strike—quick, aggressive, always trying to corner her.
Dawn gave ground with control, never rushed, and never rattled. Every movement with purpose. She let his momentum build—and then shifted.
One quick slide to the side, rod jabbing in—
THUD.
Right in his ribs. Not a knock-out, but enough to sting.
Mich backed off, eyes narrowing.
"You've got rhythm. I'll give you that."
Dawn didn't respond. She adjusted her stance, rod low, water spiraling around the ends.
Then Mich snapped his fingers—
Water Magic: Torrent Breaker.
The ground beneath Dawn cracked—columns of pressurized water exploded upward. She jumped, flipping midair. Her rod pointed down.
Water Magic: Jet Drill.
A focused stream burst beneath her, drilling through the geysers and propelling her into a clean landing.
Mich was already on her—close range.
Their weapons blurred again—sword against rod. Sparks flew. Water sprayed in sharp arcs.
Dawn's expression didn't change.
She ducked under a horizontal slash, kicked off the wet ground, and drove her rod forward.
Mich twisted—barely dodging. But her follow-up sweep caught his ankle. He staggered.
She moved like water—tight control, zero waste.
Water Magic: Veil Form.
A thin layer of flowing water wrapped around her arms and legs, amplifying her strikes. Her next hit slammed into Mich's shoulder, forcing him back.
He growled—frustrated.
Water Magic: Razor Rain.
Above them, a storm swelled. Razor-sharp droplets fell, hundreds of them.
Dawn spun her rod once—
Water Magic: Flow Shield.
A moving barrier of water curled around her like a ring, redirecting the blades instead of blocking them.
She stepped through the rain, unfazed.
Rod ready, magic focused.
Water Magic: Azure Fang.
She thrust forward. A compressed spear of water tore through the space between them—striking Mich square in the chest.
CRACK.
He flew backward, smashed into the HQ wall, and slid down.
Silence.
Mich tried to get up—but his limbs didn't agree. He slumped, breathing hard.
Dawn didn't gloat. She simply looked at him, and then turned her eyes to the HQ doors.
Still more fights ahead.
She didn't say anything. Just stepped forward—water dripping from her rod, focus razor-sharp.