[Begin]
With that system notification, both champions shot into battle. The frog moved with surprising speed, its long, powerful legs coiling before launching it forward like a living missile. It lunged at the hybrid with unnatural precision, its bright purple tongue flickering as if sensing its target. But just as the frog was about to close the distance, something unexpected happened.
Fission's champion raised its front paw deliberately, revealing long, razor-sharp claws that glinted under the arena lights. The frog, already midair from its jump, had no time to change course. The hybrid's claw slashed across its eyes with surgical precision. There was a sharp, wet sound as the frog's frantic leaps became erratic and panicked. It wasn't just a blow it was a calculated strike. This display wasn't merely physical strength; it was proof that the hybrid had intelligence enough to target a vulnerability, to aim for the eyes and blind its opponent.
Now blinded, the frog flailed desperately, its leaps chaotic and unfocused. It croaked frantically, the sound sharp and filled with confusion. The crowd stirred, murmuring in surprise at the swiftness of the strike.
Fission's champion walked forward without haste, claws clicking against the dirt. It moved with a predator's confidence, stalking its prey like a hunter who knew the outcome was certain. With a single, precise movement, it slotted its sharp birdlike nails against the frog's throat. A quick motion and the fight was over. The frog let out one last weak croak before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
[Winner: Fission]
Fission's face remained unchanged, that wide, unshakable smile firmly in place. He didn't even glance toward the crowd or acknowledge the death of his opponent's champion he simply stood, arms crossed, waiting to be taken away by the familiar golden light.
Science's eyes, however, told a different story. She stared down at the corpse of her champion, tears welling before she could even blink. Her chest shook as she tried to contain her emotions, but they spilled over, and she began to cry openly. The crowd didn't let this chance go, laughter rang out across the stands. Shouts echoed, calling her weak and mocking her for showing emotion in the arena.
I paid little attention to the noise around me. My thoughts were elsewhere, focused entirely on the implications of that fight. Watching the hybrid's precision and cunning made one thing painfully clear: if my champion faced Fission's, there would be no chance.
The thought settled over me like a shadow. My lizard was strong, yes, but it had never faced an opponent like that, especially not one that intelligent.
-------
As I was deep in thought, two figures near me disappeared into golden light and reappeared within the arena.
[Match 2: Nova vs All Seeing Eye]
The moment the names appeared, my mind instantly linked the first competitor the god who had been boasting endlessly in the chat since the very first day. Just seeing that name brought back the echo of his arrogance, and I couldn't help but sneer. I really didn't like people that believed that they were better then those around them, like the rich with the poor. Still, I kept my eyes fixed on the stage I wanted to see whether that arrogance was deserved or if it would soon blow up in his face.
On one side of the arena stood a fairly average-looking man. His features were plain, but his expression was anything but. He wore an arrogant smile that stretched from ear to ear, radiating the confidence of someone who truly believed he could never lose. His body language told the same story: shoulders squared, head held high, no trace of hesitation.
On the other side, the contrast couldn't have been more extreme. A thin, almost fragile-looking boy appeared, his frame lanky and awkward. He looked no older than sixteen, with wide eyes darting nervously between the crowd and his opponent. The weight of Billions of stares pressed on him, and it was obvious he wasn't used to being the center of attention. His hands trembled slightly, and I could see him swallow hard, trying to compose himself.
It didn't take long to decide who was who. The arrogant man had to be Nova. There was simply no mistaking that kind of smug confidence.
As I studied them, their champions began to manifest. On Nova's side, the ground shook slightly as a creature materialized a trilobite, It was massive. Its armored body stretched nearly one and a half meters long, the chitin plates glistening under the arena's light. From its back protruded sharp spikes, each at least twenty-five centimeters in length, arranged in rows like natural lances ready to impale anything foolish enough to come close. More than its size, it was the aura it radiated that drew my attention. The creature didn't need to move or roar to make its presence known. It stood like an immovable wall, radiating the oppressive sense of absolute defense. (Image in comments)
Across from it appeared something far more unassuming: a lizard. Ordinary, even disappointing at first glance. Its scales were a dull gray-green, its frame small compared to the hulking trilobite. Yet its mouth was unusually large, lined with jagged teeth designed for tearing and crushing. Its only real strength seemed to be its bite. Including my own champion, this made the fourth reptilian contender to appear. It wasn't surprising. Reptiles were dominant during this stage of evolutionary history, long before mammals ever rose to power. Still, appearances alone made it hard to imagine how this scrawny lizard could deal with the walking fortress in front of it.
Before I could speculate further, the system's voice rang out in its familiar monotone.
[Begin]
The lizard wasted no time, sprinting forward in a blur of motion. Its speed was impressive, especially compared to the sluggish way the trilobite had started to move. Each movement the trilobite made seemed to move in slow motion, heavy, as though it had all the time in the world. The lizard reached its target in seconds, circling and probing, but every attempt to attack was thwarted by the deadly spikes and impenetrable armor.
The fight dragged on like this, minute after minute, with neither side able to secure an advantage. The lizard darted and snapped, occasionally earning shallow cuts on its body from brushing against the spikes, while the trilobite simply shifted and turned, defending with ease but offering no way to retaliate. At first, it seemed almost comical, like watching someone fling themselves against a stone wall.
But then I noticed something. The lizard's movements were changing. At the start, its attacks had been calculated, cautious, as though it knew the danger of those spikes. Now, however, its strikes were becoming frantic, almost reckless. It snapped its jaws harder, lunged closer, and seemed to care less and less about the cuts accumulating on its body. Its eyes held a wild gleam.
A theory struck me immediately: This probably not just desperation, but system. It made sense that the organizers wouldn't want matches to drag on endlessly. Perhaps some hidden mechanism pushed the champions into a frenzied state the longer a battle lasted, forcing a conclusion one way or another.
And so the battle shifted. The lizard grew more and more manic until finally, in a fit of madness, it attempted something suicidal. With a frenzied cry, it leapt onto the trilobite's back, jaws wide, hoping that raw aggression might succeed where strategy had failed.
It was a fatal mistake.
The spikes welcomed it with cold finality, piercing straight through its body. The lizard twitched once, blood spilling onto the ground, and then fell limp. Death was almost instantaneous.
[Winner: Nova]