As the countdown reached zero, the finale of the second year officially began amidst the roar of the crowd.
Both participants immediately moved backward, creating distance. Daniel's eyes tracked Robert's flying beast — the Skyfeather Hawk circling high in the air — while the Emberlace Fox had already locked onto his Tide Trickster Monkey.
At Robert's command, the Hawk activated Gale Glide, swooping down at high speed toward the Electrosquirrel. At the same time, Robert ordered the Fox to use Blazing Dash, lunging directly at the Tide Monkey.
Seeing this, Daniel didn't hesitate. He commanded the Electrosquirrel to use Flash Rush, charging head-on to intercept the incoming Hawk. Simultaneously, he told the Monkey to use Bubble Punch against the approaching Fox. He intended to meet attack of both the beasts head on.
However, at the last moment, the Hawk glided upward, avoiding a direct collision, and the Fox's blazing charge narrowly passed the Tide Monkey, aiming instead for the Electrosquirrel.
Daniel was unable to react to this and was slow to command his pets, but the Electrosquirrel activated Spark Guard to meet against the Fox's Blaze Fang attack. The guard successfully blocked the sudden strike, though the momentum still sent the Electrosquirrel skidding backward a few feet.
The crowd erupted with excitement, witnessing the clash of speed, power, and strategy.
Robert stared in surprise at the outcome. This was something he didn't see often — the beast had used a skill without his master command. He had secretly instructed his beasts to create such faint and strike the electrosquirrel telepathically with his Innate Bond talent, intending to injure one of Daniel's beasts, but the result had gone completely differently from his plan.
Daniel, equally shocked at what just happened, broke into a wide grin and cheered enthusiastically at his beast.
"Luxy, you're amazing!! Keep it up, and we'll win the finals!"
Filled with confidence, he immediately instructed Luxy, the Electrosquirrel, to use Flash Rush against the Fox. However, the Emberlace Fox evaded with a quick, agile step. At the same time, sharp wind blades rained down from above, striking Luxy.
Robert, unfazed by this small setback, had already issued a follow-up command. This time, the wind blades managed to hit the Electrosquirrel, injuring it slightly.
Despite the minor setback, Daniel's enthusiasm didn't waver ,he immediately shouted, "Nemo! Use Tricky Water Laser Spray on that Fox!"
The Tide Trickster Monkey immediately obeyed. The attack came from behind, catching the Emberlace Fox off guard. Reacting quickly, Robert commanded the Fox to use Blazing Dash to evade, and it darted away from its original position. But the moment it stopped, the laser water spray struck with perfect precision, hitting its target squarely.
From the stands, Aion watched closely, a small smile forming on his face. This is the result of training, he thought. The skill proficiency of this move had clearly reached an advanced level, and the outcome was obvious.
Daniel clapped his hands and cheered, motivating his beasts. "Yes! That's it, Nemo! Luxy, keep it up!" His encouragement fueled their resolve, readying them for the next strike.
In the audience stands, Seeing Aion's smiling expression, the girl next to him asked with curious eyes,
"Hey, big brother, who do you think will win?"
Aion looked at the innocent, expectant face of the girl and replied with a smile,
"The one with the monkey will win."
Hearing his confident answer, the girl frowned slightly and said,
"But that big brother looks quite dumb… How could he beat my brother?"
The girl's mother, sitting beside her, immediately scolded her,
"Don't call anyone dumb!"
Then the girl's mother nodded at Aion apologetically, embarrassed by her daughter's words. The little girl looked down after being scolded, her cheeks puffed in frustration.
Aion smiled gently and said in a kind tone,
"Come on, let's watch the match."
The girl peeked up at him, still sulking a little, and muttered softly,
"My big brother will still win…"
Aion just chuckled and turned his attention back to the arena, the corners of his lips still curved in amusement.
In the arena, after the attack hit the Fox, it quickly created distance between the two sides.
Daniel wasted no time and shouted, "Nemo, use Tidal Wave!"
The Tide Trickster Monkey raised its hands, and a massive surge of water formed, flooding across the arena floor. The ground turned slick and wet as the wave surged toward the Emberlace Fox.
Robert reacted instantly. "Skyfeather Hawk, use Skyblade Vortex!" he commanded. The Hawk let out a sharp cry, forming a swirling vortex of cutting wind blades that swept outward in a wide arc — an AoE attack. At the same time, he ordered, "Emberlace Fox, use Ember Blast!"
A fiery explosion burst from the Fox's mouth, colliding with the incoming water wave.
Seeing the powerful combination of attacks rushing toward his beasts, Daniel's expression turned serious. "Luxy, Spark Guard! Now!" he shouted.
The Electrosquirrel quickly formed a protective electric barrier, but the combined force of wind and fire was too overwhelming to fully block.
Daniel clenched his fists, realizing he had no other choice. "Valor—Activate!"
His B-rank talent flared , and both Nemo and Luxy radiated with renewed energy. Their strength surged dramatically, allowing them to withstand the crushing impact of the incoming attacks.
As the water and fire collided, a wave of steam and smoke billowed across the arena, creating a thick, hazy screen that blurred the vision of both tamers.
Robert narrowed his eyes. "Skyfeather Hawk, use Feather Dance!"
The Hawk flapped its wings powerfully, generating a strong gust of wind that cleared the lingering steam, revealing both sides once again .
But this time, everyone in the audience suddenly gasped — their eyes were fixed behind Robert's Hawk.
Out of nowhere, the Electrosquirrel, Luxy, appeared in midair right behind the Skyfeather Hawk and unleashed a Storm Bolt, lightning cracking across the sky and slamming into the bird's back.
The powerful strike sent the Hawk spiraling downward, feathers scattering, and before anyone could react, Nemo, the Tide Trickster Monkey, was already waiting below. With perfect timing, Nemo's fist glowed blue as he threw a Bubble Punch, striking the falling Hawk and sending it hurtling straight toward the Emberlace Fox on the opposite side.
A heavy boom echoed through the arena as both beasts collided, raising a massive cloud of dust and smoke. The crowd fell silent, holding their breath.
When the dust finally cleared, only the Emberlace Fox was still standing — trembling, barely keeping its balance — while the Skyfeather Hawk lay unconscious, completely out of the fight.
The audience erupted in thunderous cheers —
"Daniel! Daniel!"
Daniel, however, just stood there, completely dumbfounded. He hadn't given a single command during that entire exchange — yet his beasts had acted perfectly on their own, pulling off a flawless combo. His wide eyes darted between Luxy and Nemo, both panting heavily but still standing firm.
Across the arena, Robert's Emberlace Fox was in no better condition — exhausted, but outnumbered one against two. Robert looked at his weary partner, then at Daniel's beasts, who were also struggling to stay upright after the fierce battle.
He exhaled deeply, his expression turning resigned. "I surrender," he said quietly.
The referee blinked for a moment, then raised his hand and turned toward the panel. "Judges, do you confirm the surrender?"
After a brief exchange and nods from the judges' side, the referee faced the crowd and declared loudly,
"Victory goes to Daniel !"
The stands erupted into cheers, the sound echoing through the entire arena.
"Daniel! Daniel! Daniel!"
Amidst of cheers Robert walked toward Daniel, a faint smile tugging at his lips despite his clearly dejected look. He gave Daniel a teasing glance and said, "I didn't think a muscle-brain like you could actually use his head to fight."
Daniel blinked in confusion, still half in disbelief at what just happened.
Robert chuckled softly and continued,
"Anyway, you won — congratulations! Just don't embarrass our academy in the summer tournament, alright? Good luck!"
Saying this with a playful grin, Robert gave him a small wave before turning and leaving the arena.
Daniel stood frozen for a moment, still not quite processing the outcome. Slowly, he pinched his own cheek and winced.
"It hurts… so it's real!" he muttered, massaging the sore spot before rushing toward his two exhausted beasts.
He crouched beside Luxy and Nemo, scooping them up gently with a big grin as the crowd continued cheering his name. The entire arena was filled with loud chants —
"Daniel! Daniel! Daniel!"
Amidst the cheers, Daniel carried his tired partners proudly off the stage, waving once before disappearing behind the arena curtains.
Meanwhile, at the judges' panel, the three evaluators exchanged surprised looks — not because of Daniel's performance, but because of his beasts. Their level of intelligence and coordination was extraordinary. To them, it was clear that even without Daniel's commands, those two might have won the match even faster.
The audience might have missed the fine details, but how could such a thing escape the eyes of King-rank Beast Tamers?
They had clearly seen it — how the Tide Trickster Monkey had timed his throw perfectly, sending the Electrosquirrel flying behind the Hawk for that decisive strike. Such thinking and battle instinct were far beyond what normal Rank 2 beasts should possess.
Dani Ross smiled faintly, glancing at Principal George Silver beside her.
"Your student's beasts are quite talented," she said approvingly. "If he's interested, he could join our mercenary group as a trainee."
George chuckled at that, his expression full of pride.
"I'll let him know," he replied. "That boy will be over the moon hearing your invitation."
Dani smiled and gave a nod. Both of them turned their attention back to the arena — waiting for the finale of the third-year matches to begin.
In the stands, the little girl crossed her arms and muttered like an angry child,
"Hmph! My brother is really dumb… but always acts smart."
Hearing that, the corner of Aion's mouth twitched. He glanced at her, thinking helplessly, This little girl calls everyone dumb over the smallest thing.
With a curious smile, he asked, "Why do you call your brother dumb?"
The girl turned to him with a serious yet innocent expression and said, "Because he was defeated by that big brother who looks a little dumb. So that means my brother is also a big dumb!"
She nodded proudly afterward, clearly pleased with her brilliant reasoning.
Aion didn't know whether to laugh or sigh. Before he could say anything, Daniel and Robert entered the stands. Daniel was grinning from ear to ear, practically glowing with excitement.
"Hey, Boss!" Daniel called out loudly. "See? I won the match!"
Robert rolled his eyes at Daniel's grin and came to sit beside his mother. But before he could settle, the same innocent voice chimed in again, loud and clear —
"Brother! How could you lose to this big brother who looks a little dumb?"
The moment froze. Aion burst out laughing, trying to stifle it, while Daniel blinked in shock, pointing to himself.
"Who? Me? Dumb?" he asked, looking completely offended.
Still chuckling, Aion patted the seat beside him and said, "Come on, sit down, Daniel. The third match is about to start."
Robert's mother gently placed her hand on her son's shoulder and said warmly, "You fought very well, Robert. Winning or losing doesn't matter — what matters is that you gave your best. I'm proud of you."
Then she turned to Daniel with a kind smile. "And congratulations on your victory, young man."
"Ah—thank you, ma'am!" Daniel said quickly, scratching his head with a sheepish grin. He sat down beside Aion, still mumbling under his breath,
"What does a little girl know anyway? I'm the champion…"
Aion didn't pay much attention to Daniel muttering — all his attention was on the arena.
Amidst the huge cheer, a lady clad in a white uniform entered the arena, and Aion kept looking at her. She was beautiful; Aion had never seen such a beautiful girl in his life. Her white dress and silver hair gave her an ethereal feeling. The cheering didn't flutter her — she stood like a surreal beauty, carved perfectly, waiting for her opponent amidst the loud cheering of her name —Augusta Silver.