Both of them reached the academy gates, talking and laughing along the way.
The area nearby was bustling with people — families, friends, and many citizens of the city had gathered to watch the matches. Long queues formed near the entrance, but with Daniel's help, Aion easily passed through the gates.
As they entered, several people in the crowd recognized Daniel and called out his name, "Look! It's Daniel!" Soon, more voices joined in, cheering for him.
Daniel waved enthusiastically at them while walking forward without stopping, his grin growing wider by the second. He turned to Aion with a proud look and said, "You see, Boss? I'm quite famous right now!"
Aion glanced at the grinning Daniel and replied with a faint smile, "Yeah, I can see that. You're quite the celebrity here."
Hearing Aion's words, Daniel's smile grew even brighter.
While chatting, they reached the arena entrance. Daniel turned to Aion and said excitedly, "Boss, you can watch the match from the stands. I'll go get ready for my match!"
With that, he hurried off toward the preparation area, while Aion made his way to the stands to watch. The announcer's voice soon echoed through the arena, declaring that the finals for the first-year students were about to begin.
Aion watched the battle of the first-year finalists with quiet focus. Both beast tamers had Rank 1, level 18 beasts. One of them commanded an Ironspike Hedgehog, a beast with metal and poison affinity. Aion immediately recognized it — he knew this species well; its potential usually reached around mid-commander level.
Its opponent was a Windspew Leopard of same rank , a wind-affinity beast known for its agility and sharp attacks.
The match began fiercely. The leopard darted around the stage, sending bursts of wind toward the hedgehog, while the Ironspike Hedgehog rolled and launched poisonous spikes in retaliation. For a while, the fight seemed even, but eventually, the leopard's movements slowed as the poison from the spikes took effect. In the end, the windswept leopard collapsed, and the hedgehog stood victorious.
A loud cheer erupted from the audience as the staff hurried to clear the stage.
Aion nodded slightly, analyzing the battle in his mind. If I were in that place, he thought, I'd use an Aerial Wave to lift the hedgehog off the ground, then follow up with Wind Blades to strike its exposed belly. He reflected that the leopard's tamer lacked the fluidity and quick decision-making needed for such instant tactics during a real fight.
Still, Aion smiled faintly to himself. It's a good thing I came to watch these matches, he thought. Even observing others' battles can teach him something new.
After waiting for a few moments, the final match of the second year began.
Daniel entered the arena from the left side, greeted by a wave of cheers from the audience and his classmates. He grinned widely and waved at them, soaking in the energy as he walked to the center of the stage.
From the right side, another student stepped forward — Robert, also a second-year student. The crowd cheered for him too, and Aion soon learned from ongoing discussions around him that Robert possessed the Innate Bond, a B-rank talent that enhanced coordination and attack power between a beast tamer and their beasts. A good talent for group battles, Aion thought, watching with mild interest.
As both competitors faced each other, the referee raised his hand and asked if they were ready. "There will be three rounds," he announced, "two solo matches and one duel battle."
Before Daniel could respond, Robert suddenly spoke up with a confident smirk.
"Daniel, how about we skip the solo rounds? Let's go straight to the duel. We'll both use our beasts at their best — the winner takes all!"
The audience erupted in murmurs. Everyone knew that this was Robert's advantage — his talent was made for team fights. Many people in the crowd clicked their tongues or sighed. Only an idiot would agree to that, they thought.
And then, amidst the growing discussion, Daniel raised his hand and said loudly,
"I agree!"
The entire arena fell silent.
Even Aion froze for a moment before slowly dragging a hand down his face.
This idiot… he thought helplessly. How can he fall for the taunt so easily?
Daniel, however, stood there with a proud grin, completely unaware of the collective facepalms happening around him.
Daniel didn't give much thought to this, and seeing both participants ready, the referee spoke in a firm but cautious tone,
"Remember, no direct harm to the beast tamer is allowed, and do not go for the kill. Fatal attacks on beasts will lead to instant disqualification."
Both nodded in agreement.
At the referee's signal, they summoned their beasts.
Aion watched closely. He already knew Daniel's two partners — the Tide Trickster Monkey, now at Level 29, and the Electrosquirrel, at Level 27. Then his eyes shifted toward the beasts summoned by Robert.
One was a Skyfeather Hawk, a sleek flying beast at the peak of Rank 2, Level 29, with wind and metal affinity — a powerful combination and a potential reaching Rank 5. The other was an Emberlace Fox, glowing faintly with heat, a fire affinity beast at Level 27, with peak Rank 4 potential.
Seeing that the fight was about to start, Aion's gaze drifted to the judges' panel. Three people were seated there. The first was Principal George Silver, a renowned King Rank Beast Tamer. Next to him sat a refined woman in a silver suit, wearing a silver mercenary badge on her chest. Aion immediately recognized it — the emblem of the Raging Raven Mercenary Group, an A-tier organization and the lady sitting is the leader, Dani Ross, an early King Rank beast tamer who recently become King Rank.
However, the third judge was unfamiliar to him. As he was looking at the judges a playful voice beside him interrupted his thoughts.
"Hey, big brother, the match is about to start! What are you staring at?" a girl said with innocence.
Aion blinked, realizing he had gotten lost in thought. Turning back toward the arena, he saw the referee stepping back as the countdown began.
"Ten! Nine! Eight!..."
The crowd joined in, their voices growing louder with excitement.
"Three! Two! One!"
The arena erupted in cheers — the battle had begun.