The ground shuddered.
Not like before.
This was deep.
The soil itself trembled.
The Awakening
From beneath the arena, a tremor grew.
At first, students thought it was another quake.
Then the earth cracked.
A claw.
Then another.
Finally, a massive head broke through the surface.
Eyes like molten gold glared upward.
Teeth like shattered swords ground together.
A Colossal Presence
Kaelith stepped back.
Stormveil froze mid-step.
Selina instinctively raised her aura.
"…That's not normal."
"…That's ancient," Kaelith whispered.
The beast's size eclipsed the battlefield.
It roared.
Not a sound.
A vibration that rattled bones.
The air itself screamed in pain.
Unleashed
The Crimson representative narrowed his eyes.
"So… they really did it," he said.
The others exchanged subtle glances.
"This wasn't supposed to happen yet," whispered Helior's envoy.
Student Panic
Chaos erupted immediately.
Students scrambled.
Shouts. Screams. Explosions.
Magic clashed wildly.
Yet most of it was useless.
The beast moved faster than anyone could aim.
Stronger than anyone could resist.
Ancient energy flowed like rivers of molten rock and electricity combined.
First Contact
The beast's claws slammed down, creating shockwaves that ripped through the arena.
Cael stepped forward calmly.
Lightning hovered around him.
Crimson threads coiled and merged with the storm's energy.
No hesitation.
No fear.
The first strike came—
It hit the ground near him, sending shards of rock flying.
He raised one hand.
And the energy bent.
The lightning didn't attack the beast.
It controlled the storm around it.
Redirected the debris.
Pulled back the rocks.
Stabilized the terrain.
The Reaction of Others
Selina's eyes widened.
"…He's not fighting it. He's… controlling it."
Kaelith muttered under his breath.
"This… that's insane."
Even Stormveil flinched slightly.
"…No one should be able to do that."
The Beast Roars
The colossal creature lowered its head.
Its molten eyes locked on Cael.
It tested him.
Struck lightning from its body toward him.
Cael didn't dodge.
Instead, he extended crimson threads outward.
The strike bent.
Missed.
Struck the ground harmlessly.
The beast growled—a deep, rumbling sound—displeasure.
Tactical Observation
Cael circled slowly.
Analyzing the monster.
Mapping movement patterns.
Its weak points.
The rhythm of attacks.
Every strike the beast made was countered before it could land.
Every destructive force neutralized with precision.
The Families' Shock
The Ten Thrones hovered above.
Eyes wide.
"…He's treating it like a puzzle," said Astryn's representative.
"…And winning," muttered Noctis.
The Crimson representative scowled.
"He isn't even trying to kill it… and yet it can't touch him!"
Testing Limits
The beast lunged fully.
It slammed the ground with both fists.
Shockwaves sent soldiers flying.
Lightning clashed violently against molten rock.
Cael moved only slightly.
Yet every wave was neutralized.
Controlled.
Perfectly.
First Damage
A fissure opened under the beast's foot.
Rocks shattered.
Flames erupted.
The first signs of true damage to the battlefield appeared.
Even the Ten Thrones flinched.
Stormveil muttered—
"…That kind of energy… no student should ever do this."
Cliffhanger
The beast recoiled.
Then raised both arms high.
Its roar split the sky.
Energy pulsed outward—far beyond the battlefield.
A warning.
A threat.
Cael's crimson lightning flared instantly.
The storm responded—obeying him.
He raised both hands.
Eyes narrowed.
"…Let's see how far you can go."