Ren was too fast.
He connected a precise punch to the face of the nearest boy.
Vern fell unconscious, his centaur vanishing from the impact.
But the victory was brief.
Hector, seeing his companion fall, roared with fury. He instantly canceled the minotaur's struggle against the beetle and fused with the beam of light that was his beast, his body transforming into a smaller human version with several features of the creature.
He launched himself at Ren, who had barely landed after his attack on Vern.
"I've got you!" he shouted, his transford fist heading directly toward Ren's side.
The blow connected with a loud crack. Hector smiled, sure of his victory, until he noticed Ren's expression as he rotated. There was no pain, only calm. And then…
Hector was surprised, as he looked at his own fist.
Ren's hydra had also returned to his body in a flash of light just in ti, fully fused, covering his torso with diamond-like armor.
The translucent scales, supported by the power of the ring, gave him 140% extra defense and had absorbed the impact completely.
But the most alarming thing for Hector wasn't being unable to inflict damage… it was the pain now climbing up his arm. His knuckles were dislocated, so bones clearly fractured from the impact against sothing much harder than expected.
"My turn," said Ren, already executing his precise and devastating counterattack.
He spun, channeling the montum of Hector's blow into his own movent, and connected a spinning kick that hit exactly on the jaw of the fused minotaur boy.
Hector collapsed, unconscious even before touching the ground.
Rosalind, the last one standing, assessed the situation with the characteristic coldness of her noble battle education. Her horse was still trapped by Taro, Min had reappeared behind her and now directed his snake toward her back, and Ren was turning in her direction with that calmness that was more intimidating than any battle cry.
But what finally sealed her decision was seeing the enormous beetle, now free from its confrontation with the minotaur, approaching her horse to trap it in mineral formations erging from the ground.
With a sigh of resignation, Rosalind raised her hands. "I surrender."
Lin observed for a mont longer, ensuring that the combat had definitely ended, before raising her arm.
"Victory for Ren's team!" she announced, her professional voice barely concealing a tone of satisfaction.
The stands erupted in cheers and exclamations of amazent. What many had anticipated as a more complicated combat had again ended in less than a minute, a demonstration of effectiveness that few had seen in first-year students.
From her privileged position, Selphira Ashenway applauded with elegance, her eyes shining with pride, though no one knew exactly why.
Klein, observing from a secluded corner, clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. The ease with which the Gray Wing team had dispatched companions from his inner circle was more than humiliating; it was a direct threat to his honor.
"Impressive coordination," Luna comnted to no one in particular, though her tone suggested she was ntally asuring her own strategies against what she had just witnessed.
In the arena, while dical auxiliaries attended to Hector and Vern, Ren and his friends gathered in a tight circle.
"It worked better than I expected," admitted Taro, flexing his fingers to relieve the tension from resisting the charge. "Though I almost lost my grip when the horse charged."
"Ren said its horns couldn't pierce through the defensive synergy of your beasts even if you let go, don't be such a whiner..." Min smiled widely. "Did you see their faces when we disappeared? Priceless."
Ren, however, maintained his analytical expression while observing the battle marks on his companions. "The synchronization with the amphibian needs work," he pointed out. "I lost invisibility too soon when jumping. Taro could have damaged the horse with the mineral claws and..."
"Don't be such a perfectionist, you were the one who said we shouldn't plan too much so we could learn to react," Min sighed theatrically, though his smile didn't diminish.
"Klein's team, Larissa's or Luna's will be different," Ren remarked as they headed toward the exit. "Rember that we'll need more than invisibility tricks against them."
"A problem for another day," replied Taro, surprising his companions with his nonchalance. "For today, how about we enjoy this victory a little? Imagine Klein's face..."
Min burst out laughing, putting an arm around each of their shoulders. "That's the spirit! Wait... Who are you and what have you done with our worrywart Taro?"
The three walked away laughing, leaving behind an arena full of speculation about whether these boys with supposedly diocre beasts could really make it to the end of the tournant.
♢♢♢♢
Ren and his team watched so other battles of the day since they didn't need to be healed.
Han's team won theirs, and Min made a disgusted gesture, along with Taro's complete disappointnt one, when Klein's team easily won theirs.
But the next battle...
The murmur in the stands reached a new level when they announced the next pair of teams. It wasn't just another match of newcors; it was a battle that grouped three of the most powerful families in Yano, starring young heiresses who were also cousins and close friends.
"Team Luna versus Team Larissa!" announced Yang, his voice resonating throughout the arena. "Prepare to enter."
"This will be interesting," Ren comnted, leaning slightly forward. "All three have similar combat styles and know each other's weaknesses."
Min raised an eyebrow. "Who do you think will win?"
Ren didn't respond imdiately, his eyes studying the two teams entering the arena from opposite ends. Luna walked with her characteristic grace, flanked by Mayo and Matilda, both projecting serenity. From the other side, Larissa advanced with the almost innate elegance of the highest nobility, followed by Liora and Maria.
"It depends on how much they're willing to reveal," he finally answered.
In the center of the arena, the cousins looked directly at each other, an almost palpable tension floating between them.
"I didn't expect to face each other so soon," Larissa comnted, her voice maintaining aristocratic composure despite the situation.
Luna sketched a slight smile. "Consider it an opportunity to demonstrate who has progressed more since our training days."
"I suppose so," Larissa replied, and for an instant, a spark of sothing almost nostalgic crossed her face before the competitor's mask settled back into place.
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