Dust flared. Sand sprayed. Six hunters exploded into motion, every footstep cracking against the arena floor and leaving shimmering trails of power in the air. The moment the whistle faded, hesitation died with it—this was no longer a test. It was survival.
Nao's hand snapped to the beast charm at his waist, fingers already trembling with adrenaline. He didn't hesitate.
"Beast Dog—come out!"
Blue light tore open the space before him, ripping through the dust like lightning. A summoning circle burned itself into the ground, and from it emerged a massive hound, dark fur bristling as if charged with static. Its eyes glowed like molten coals, and a deep, resonant growl rolled from its chest, vibrating through Nao's bones.
The beast felt him—his fear, his resolve, his hunger to prove himself—and it answered in kind.
Across the field, Aoi laughed.
"Two can play that game." She slammed her palms together, the impact echoing like a gunshot. "Nekoma! Rise!"
The ground beneath her feet cracked violently. Golden light surged upward, and a massive catlike spirit rose from the fissure, muscles rippling beneath radiant fur. Its claws gleamed like honed blades, every movement fluid and predatory. When it roared, the air itself recoiled.
Nao swallowed hard.
She's not holding back.
"Beast Dog, intercept!"
"Go, Nekoma!"
The two summons collided with a thunderous impact that shook the arena walls. Sand and smoke exploded outward, obscuring everything. Beast Dog lunged first, jaws clamping down hard on Nekoma's shoulder. The golden cat shrieked in fury, twisting midair and raking claws across the hound's muzzle.
Blood—dark and luminous—sprayed across the ground.
Nao sprinted forward, boots pounding as he pushed more power into the bond. His mind flooded with Beast Dog's instincts: rage, pain, the need to dominate. It threatened to drown him.
"Push harder!" he yelled, voice hoarse, teeth clenched.
The hound answered with a savage snarl, forcing Nekoma back inch by inch.
Too focused—too tunnel-visioned.
Aoi moved.
She darted in from the flank, blades flashing, her smile sharp and fearless. "Too slow, Nao!"
She leapt, slicing downward in a clean, lethal arc.
Nao reacted on instinct. He dropped to one knee and slammed his palm into the earth.
The ground rippled like water struck by stone.
Beast Dog's shadow stretched unnaturally long—and then split.
From the darkness rose a second head. Then a third.
"Cerberus—now!"
Three snarling maws lunged forward in unison. Aoi's eyes widened just a fraction before Nekoma roared and threw itself between them. The impact sent both summons crashing into the arena wall, stone exploding outward as cracks spiderwebbed through the barrier.
The shockwave knocked Nao backward. He hit the ground hard, breath knocked from his lungs, ribs screaming in protest.
But he was smiling.
Behind them, Yuta was already moving.
Kenzo's telekinetic knives filled the air, dozens of blades spinning and weaving like a living storm. Their metallic hum drilled into the skull, disorienting and relentless.
"You think you can dodge forever?" Kenzo asked calmly, almost lazily.
Yuta ducked, twisted, and slid beneath a blade that shaved hair from his temple. He smirked. "Nah. Just waiting for you to blink."
Kenzo's eyes narrowed.
The knives curved sharply, attacking from every direction at once.
Yuta planted his foot.
The demonic mark on his arm flared violently, crimson light crawling up his veins and across his neck. His aura detonated outward in a pulse of suffocating pressure. The air warped.
The knives froze midair.
They trembled, metal shrieking as if resisting an unseen force.
Kenzo's calm shattered. "What the hell—?"
Yuta's grin turned feral. "My turn."
He extended his hand—and pulled.
Every blade reversed direction instantly, slamming into the ground around Kenzo in a violent explosion of sparks and shattered stone. Kenzo barely managed to throw up a telekinetic barrier, the metal screaming as it scraped against his invisible shield.
Dust swallowed them both.
Yuta stepped forward through the haze, aura blazing, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"Guess I'm not just some rookie anymore, huh?"
At the rear of the arena, Itsuki stood alone.
Shin faced him, unmoving.
The masked veteran's eyes glowed faintly blue.
And suddenly, Itsuki's body betrayed him.
His limbs locked mid-motion. His breath hitched. His heart slowed as if caught in thick syrup. The world felt distant, muted, unreachable.
"Eye Binding," Shin said flatly. "You lost the moment you met my gaze."
Itsuki gritted his teeth, sweat pouring down his face. His tome hovered beside him, chains rattling softly as its pages fluttered in silent defiance.
"Not… yet," he whispered.
Runes burned to life across his chest and arms, glowing brighter with every strained breath. The air crackled, pressure building as he forced his body to move—inch by agonizing inch.
Shin tilted his head. "Impressive. But you'll break before you reach me."
"Or maybe," Itsuki hissed, voice shaking but fierce, "you'll underestimate me."
His chanting accelerated, words overlapping, stacking atop one another. The tome blazed gold.
The air shattered like glass.
The invisible bindings exploded outward, sending a shockwave rippling across the sand. Shin staggered, his glowing eyes flickering in surprise.
Itsuki roared, power surging through him.
"Seal Break—Chains of Ra!"
Golden sigils erupted from the ground, wrapping around Shin's body in an instant. The same binding force Shin had wielded moments ago now locked him in place, freezing him in radiant light.
Itsuki collapsed to one knee, gasping—then pushed himself up.
He sprinted past Shin and ripped the flag from its post.
The whistle screamed.
Everything stopped.
Silence crashed down on the arena, broken only by labored breathing and the faint crackle of fading energy. Beast Dog's three heads dissolved into motes of blue light. Nekoma faded beside it, purring weakly before vanishing entirely.
Nao knelt in the sand, shaking, chest heaving. Despite the pain screaming through his ribs, he smiled. "We did it."
Yuta wiped blood from his lip. "Barely."
Itsuki joined them, flag clutched tightly in his hand. His quiet smile said everything words couldn't.
Across the arena, Aoi bent forward with her hands on her knees, breathing hard. Kenzo brushed dust from his coat as his blades clattered lifelessly to the ground. Shin remained kneeling, frozen in golden light.
Genzo's voice carried over the field. "Round one—Nao's team. Excellent display of adaptability."
Nao looked up in disbelief. Then he laughed, wincing through the pain.
Aoi straightened, crossing her arms with a crooked grin. "Don't get used to it. Next round's mine."
Yuta snorted. "We'll see about that."
For a brief moment, the tension eased—replaced by something harder earned.
Respect.