The applause was deafening, especially from the sectors where supporters of the royal family were located. Larissa accepted the ovation with grace, though anyone watching closely could notice that she remained standing more from pride than from her almost nonexistent remaining energy.
As she withdrew from the arena, she exchanged a glance with Liora from the opposite entrance. The cousins shared a smile of mutual understanding: unfortunately, tomorrow they would have to face each other as their brackets were so close together.
"The girls are really sothing special," comnted Min as they watched Larissa disappear through the tunnel. "If they hadn't faced each other, they all could have reached the final, right?"
"It's very likely," answered Ren. "But I suppose luck is also an important factor... I myself didn't want to face Taro so soon, but tomorrow..."
"Will you have rcy on ?" asked Taro, his voice betraying a bit of concern.
Ren observed his friend for a mont.
"Not a bit," he finally responded. "If I'm careless, you'll kick my butt..."
Taro laughed.
"...I'll try to last longer than Jin at least."
♢♢♢♢
The next day of the tournant dawned with a different energy. Of the thirty-two first-year teams that had started the competition, only eight remained.
The stands were even fuller than the day before, with so students from other years who had been defeated deciding to watch the quarterfinals of the new and less-known students.
"Look at that," Min pointed out as they entered the stadium. "Even so people from other academies have co."
Indeed, a group of adults with uniforms of different colors was located in a special section. Official observers, sent to evaluate erging talent for the interschool competitions as they did every year.
Today they would face Han's team, a confrontation that, on paper, should be relatively simple. Bronze beasts and double tars against common Iron beasts.
However, sothing in Ren's expression suggested that he didn't consider this match sothing simple... Though not because of the power or difficulty of their opponents.
The team had been preparing... Jun and Sora practiced synchronized movents while Han, more distant, ticulously adjusted the threads of his weaver spider.
In the stands, spectators were beginning to take positions. Individual combats would continue afterward, but four rounds remained to complete them. In contrast, the team battles were entering their critical phase, with only three confrontations remaining before crowning the first champions.
"Team Ren versus Team Han," announced Lin, her voice resonating throughout the stadium. "Prepare to enter the arena in three minutes."
As they headed toward the entrance, Min gave small jumps, unable to contain his energy.
"This ti I want to do sothing spectacular," he declared, his amphibian jumping on his shoulder to emphasize the point. "In the last combat I barely participated."
"Each one fulfills a specific role," Ren reminded him patiently. "Your invisibility was very useful for surprising Hector."
"But it was you and Taro who had the heroic mont!" protested Min. "I want my own epic mont. Maybe I could..."
"Focus on the strategy we agreed upon," interrupted Ren, though a slight smile softened his words. "You can do your heroics in the individual combats afterward."
Han's team entered from the opposite side. Despite their previous words about the inevitability of defeat, their posture showed genuine determination. They wouldn't surrender without a fight.
"Both teams have demonstrated exceptional strategies in previous rounds," comnted Lin, positioning herself between the groups. "I remind you: victory by incapacitation..."
She briefly studied the competitors before continuing: "Ready?"
Six heads nodded simultaneously.
"Begin."
Han was the first to act. His weaver spider manifested completely, its eight legs moving with precision as it began to weave a complex web that took advantage of the rocky formations in the arena.
Jun invoked his monkey, partially fusing with it. His body acquired a reddish fur and his muscles swelled slightly, while his movents beca more agile and less predictable.
Sora completed the initial formation with her deer, the creature manifesting beside her with elegance, its antlers shining with a slight green luminescence.
"Standard strategy," murmured Ren to his companions. "They're setting up a trap with the threads while preparing a coordinated attack."
"Do we proceed as planned?" asked Taro, his Living Tunnel already invoked beneath his feet, creating small undulations in the ground.
Ren nodded, but his eyes never left Han.
The Gray Wing team deployed their own formation. Min and his amphibian began to generate their invisibility field, gradually extending it to cover all three. And Ren, keeping his hydra fused, prepared for direct combat.
The first seconds were an elaborate ga of tactical positioning. Han's spider extended its web with the help of its companions, creating a trap both visible and invisible.
But Ren's mana vision and Taro's Living Tunnel's ability to attack from below the ground were too advantageous against the team's tactics.
Han frowned, concerned about the Gray Wing's ability to identify the real threads from the decoys. His spider intensified its efforts, now weaving threads on the ground.
But by then, it was already too late. Ren had located and invisibly reached the nodal point of the web, the center from where the entire structure was controlled. With a fluid movent, he materialized his characteristic light claws and precisely cut that point.
The effect was imdiate. The threads, deprived of their central source of control and mana flow, lost tension and began to fade.
"Plan B!" shouted Han urgently.
Jun and Sora responded with impressive coordination. Jun's monkey channeled its rage ability, its fur becoming more intensely red as its strength increased considerably. Simultaneously, Sora's deer began to emit a greenish aura.
It was a good backup strategy, but not enough against the level that the Gray Wing had reached.
What followed was almost anticlimactic.
Han ordered his spider to generate a defensive barrier of threads, but the effort seed superficial, as if he knew it was useless.
Ren destroyed it and seed to be waiting for sothing... he positioned himself in front of Han.
"It's enough," declared Han, his voice perfectly controlled as he looked directly into Ren's eyes. "We surrender."
Jun and Sora, seeing that their leader had surrendered and dominated by Taro and Min's 4 beasts, followed his example. The combat had ended in less than 1 minute.
"Victory for Team Ren!" announced Lin.
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