“Luna’s team against Hector’s team!” Yang announced, his voice carrying across the hushed training field.
Luna stepped gracefully onto the field, her shadow wolf barely visible as a dark silhouette at her feet, rippling like ink in water.
Her “noble companions”, in reality her maids, took flanking positions.
The cloud bird of one created soft wisps in the air, while the small tree growing from the other’s turtle shell swayed gently.
In the stands, students leaned forward, eager to witness Luna’s infamous combat style. Even the new noble girls seemed to pay closer attention, their usual aloof expressions showing hints of genuine interest.
Hector (leader of Klein’s follower team) manifested his minotaur, its horns gleaming menacingly as he took center position. The beast’s power radiated in waves of barely contained aggression.
To his right, Vern let his centaur fully materialize, its hooves resonating against the ground in a steady rhythm. The hybrid beast’s muscles rippled with anticipation.
Rosalind completed the formation, her three-horned horse pawing the earth eagerly. The beast’s three horns caught the sunlight like polished spears, their points promising swift and decisive strikes.
“Begin!”
Hector’s minotaur charged immediately, its horns blazing as it aimed for Luna. Vern’s centaur flanked right while the tri-horned horse attacked from the left.
The triple attack formation would have overwhelmed most opponents through sheer power alone.
Luna smiled.
Her maids’ beasts moved to intercept, the cloud bird creating a curtain of mist while the tree turtle generated many thin wooden stakes at the front. They appeared to be a weak defense against the charging power of three noble beasts. Some spectators even muttered about the apparent mismatch.
But it was going exactly as Luna had planned.
Just as the minotaur was about to impact the barrier, the maids melted into the mist and Luna vanished into the shadows. Her wolf emerged behind Hector, its fangs gleaming as they prepared to bite his leg.
“Behind!” Vern shouted, spinning to protect his companion.
But there was nothing there except lingering shadows.
Luna appeared from Vern’s own shadow, her precise strike finding a pressure point in his neck that sent him stumbling off balance.The attack was so swift that many in the audience missed it entirely, seeing only its effects.
At the front, Rosalind turned and attempted to charge Luna, but the cloud bird had created enough cover for the shadow wolf to slide through the mist arriving at Rosalind’s back, biting (not too deep, as permitted) the girl’s leg before she could attack Luna from behind.
“Defensive formation!” Hector ordered upon seeing his injured companion, his minotaur backing up to protect him and his teammates.
The tree turtle advanced then, its seemingly harmless skill becoming a threat. It began creating more stakes between the boys to separate them, and when the horse tried to charge back, roots extended with surprising speed, entangling its feet.
Luna switched places with her wolf just as the centaur tried to stomp her. The wolf dodged the slow attack meant for Luna and its fangs found the beast’s flank while Luna materialized behind Rosalind like a ghost.
The cloud bird’s mist had spread across the entire field, creating a labyrinth of shadows and sticks that Luna and her wolf exploited with devastating efficiency.
Hector struggled to free his minotaur, also caught by the roots, but one of the maids emerged behind him for a knockout strike. The wolf also surfaced from below, its fangs finding the beast’s belly.
The minotaur roared one final time before fading, returning to Hector’s unconscious body.
Rosalind and her tri-horned horse were the last to fall.
But their resistance proved no different from their companions, and with her injured leg, it was only a matter of time… The end came swiftly, almost merciful in its precision.
“Victory for Luna’s team,” Yang announced.
The mist dissipated slowly, revealing the three defeated nobles and Luna standing at the field’s center, her shadow wolf once again barely visible at her feet. Her maids maintained neutral expressions, as if their role in the strategy had been insignificant.
From the stands, Klein watched with burning intensity. The shadow wolf’s power was impressive, but it was Luna’s tactical precision that truly stood out.
The defeated nobles rose with what dignity they could muster after receiving preventive healing from an assistant’s beast. They would head straight to the infirmary but their pride was more wounded than their bodies.
Still, despite their defeat, they had shown considerable skill and coordination. They had simply been outmatched by superior strategy and beast.
Luna inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment as she withdrew, her maids following like if they were normal noble girl subordinates.
♢♢♢♢
“Next match,” Yang called, drawing attention back to the field. “Ren’s team versus Han’s team.”
Ren studied their opponents’ formation as they took positions. Han’s weaver spider… their greatest threat, its ability to control the battlefield more devastating the longer they leave him alone.
Sora, with her deer’s antlers gleaming in her hair, took the left flank, while Jun with his monkey hands positioned himself on the right.
“Remember the plan,” Ren murmured. “Taro, contain Sora and Jun. Min, keep Taro standing.”
His mushrooms pulsed as he analyzed their opponents’ manifestation patterns. Han’s web was the priority, being the worst matchup for Taro. Once neutralized, the others would lose their main tactical advantage.
“Begin!”
Sora launched forward immediately, activating her skill to increase his speed to levels comparable to Kai’s.
Jun activated his skill too, though there was nothing to climb here, the boost it gave was useful, his muscles visibly swelling as his monkey’s strength increased from 30% to 60%.
Taro advanced to intercept them with his skill also activated, his shell gleaming as he expanded his defense. Min began channeling water, ready to heal or attack as needed.
Han started weaving webs around himself, creating hexagonal patterns. Ren moved laterally, studying how light refracted through the nearly invisible threads.
Sora rammed against Taro’s shield, his manifested antlers clashing against the reinforced shell. Jun took advantage to flank, his enhanced strength making each blow resonate.
“Hold on!” Min directed a concentrated water jet toward Jun, forcing him to retreat while using another stream to heal the cracks in Taro’s defense.
Ren dodged Han’s first web, noting how the mana had been channeled for the attack even before it was launched.
‘The edges,’ he thought while jumping aside. ‘They’re 4 meters from his hip.’