“You know what they told me, Klein?” Luna interrupted, her tone carrying childish disgust with an icy edge “That you’ve been going around talking about engagements and false promises. I don’t even like you!”
Klein visibly tensed. Feng and Astor exchanged confused looks.
The words struck harder than any physical attack, not because of Luna, but because of what they meant for the future hanging over his head.
His grandfather had been clear: without this engagement, their family’s position would weaken. His father counted on him, his mother had arranged so many social gatherings to prepare him…
In the stands, Kassian’s gaze sharpened, his attention suddenly focused like a predator sensing weakness.
“That cursed rotting boy,” Klein growled, his lion manifesting more intensely. “He went running to tattle!”
A soft laugh floated through the mist. “Ren? Oh no, he has more class than you despite being a commoner. The academy is just full of attentive ears…”
A silhouette moved in the mist, imposing. For a moment it seemed to be Luna, but when Feng launched his beast’s acid, the figure vanished like smoke.
“You know what’s worse, Klein?” Luna continued, her voice now coming from another direction. “That you actually believe you’ll have any right over me.”
“Shut up already!”
Klein tried to maintain concentration while searching for the wolf in the mist.
“They told me you should be grateful because we’re trying to improve your family situation!” he roared into the fog. “Look, at least my beast is truly noble! From a fixed golden lion egg! Not a dirty shadow wolf obtained by pure luck!”
“Golden? Oh, Klein… your lion can’t even reach ‘golden’ rank. And now it’s just an iron lion with a pretty shine. My ‘luck’ will tear it to pieces.”
“Watch out!” Astor blocked an attack from another angle. “They’re toying with us!”
Another silhouette appeared, more defined this time. Klein ordered Feng to attack, but again found only mist. The wolf then emerged from another point, its fangs grazing Feng’s leg before vanishing again.
Ren watched the mana silhouettes clearly moving in the haze while listening to Klein’s comment.
“You know,” he remarked to Min and Taro, “it’s funny how everyone calls it a golden lion when it barely shines yellow. A normal ‘golden’ tiger of his same iron rank would be physically more powerful. Jin’s is weaker in physical enhancement only because it’s a spiritual one.”
The golden, no… yellow beast lunged toward where it thought it saw the wolf. Its claws cut only mist yet again.
“You know what’s the difference between you and me, Klein?” Luna’s voice came from everywhere and nowhere. “I fight for my freedom.”
♢♢♢♢
‘No,’ Klein thought desperately. ‘It can’t end like this. The promise to my father… the agreement…’
The figure in the mist, now clearly visible as the noble girl with the turtle, emerged with a powerful kick trying to knock Feng down just as the wolf attacked from the opposite side.
Astor barely managed to block both attacks, but the effort forced him back.
“Enough games!” Klein ordered his beast to attack the girl who had revealed herself.
“There it is,” Luna murmured, her voice now laden with satisfaction. “The moment desperation makes you commit mistakes.”
The wolf emerged like black lightning, its fangs heading directly for the lion’s flank.
But Klein also saw his opportunity in the ‘mistake’.
Instead of ordering his beast to dodge, Klein himself lunged forward, grabbing the wolf with his own hands. The fangs sank into his shoulder, but he didn’t let go, blood beginning to stain his uniform.
‘This is my chance,’ he thought through the pain.
“Klein!” Astor tried to approach to help.
“No! Stop the turtle girl!” Klein gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain. “Maintain formation! This is my battle!”
The lion turned toward the wolf while Astor blocked Mayo.
Klein roared triumphantly as his lion’s claws finally found flesh. The wolf’s side opened in a wound that bled black mana, its howl of pain resonating across the field.
The pressure on Klein’s shoulder increased slightly, the fangs sinking deeper from his grip, but he didn’t release his hold.
He couldn’t let go.
Not when his honor and family depended on his ability to defeat this girl.
‘Grandfather, father, mother…’ his thoughts mingled with the pain. ‘I won’t fail you.’
The lion attacked again, its claws tearing at the wolf’s already wounded flank. The shadow beast howled, its form becoming unstable for a moment.
Klein smiled despite the pain. The wolf was badly hurt, his beast had finally managed significant damage. If he could hit it once more, prevent it from vanishing into the shadows by interrupting its mana flow…
The lion roared triumphantly as its claws rose for a third time.
Finally.
The lion would finish it…
Or so he thought.
“You really are an idiot,” Luna’s voice had lost all mocking tone.
A strange sound cut through the air.
“Leave my poochy alone,” Luna whispered, her voice coming from very close now.
Klein realized his mistake too late.
The wolf had vanished like ink in water, leaving Klein holding… Luna herself.
His brain froze.
Suddenly he had the girl who was supposedly going to be his future fiancée in his arms, her perfume reaching his nose. The lion halted its attack as much as it could, only grazing the girl’s back, since the rules prohibited deep damage to tamers.
Luna’s eyes flashed dangerously as she endured the pain.
“You’ll never touch me again!”
Her knee rose with the extra force of her buff, finding a target that made every man in the audience capable of seeing mana wince in sympathy.
Klein doubled over, his grip loosening as an entirely new pain replaced his shoulder’s one easily. His lion roared in confusion, torn between the rules prohibiting attacks on tamers and the instinct to protect its own.
That moment of hesitation was all the wolf needed.
The beast emerged from the shadows like a nightmare made manifest, its fangs finding the lion’s throat. This was no superficial attack now, it was against another beast, and the fangs sank deep, making the yellow beast roar in agony.