The first duel was called.
A large, broad-shouldered bear beastman entered into the arena. He had thick braids hanging down his back. Across from him stood an antelope beastman, lean and agile, and he had his horns smooth and shiny.
The duel began with a booming horn and a flurry of motion. The antelope darted swiftly, circling, feinting—but the bear was relentless. Within minutes, he caught the antelope mid-dash and slammed him down with a thunderous move that shook the dust from the benches.
The crowd roared. The bear raised a fist in victory.
Next, a wolf and a leopard entered. Rayna instantly recognized the leopard—it was the same one who had flirted with her earlier.
The duel started with a snarl. The wolf struck fast—but the leopard was faster.
He twisted, flipped, dodged, and finally swept the wolf's legs out from beneath him. A sharp blow to the chest and the wolf lay defeated.
The leopard raised both arms with a cocky grin. And then—he looked directly at Rayna and gave her a wink.
Rayna turned her face away from him, unimpressed.
She shifted in her seat, trying to focus on the duels—but her attention kept drifting.
Her eyes scanned the arena edges, the treetops, anywhere—
Still no sign of Soren.
As Rayna turned her head in yet another direction, eyes scanning the crowd, a gentle tap landed on her shoulder.
Ezra called out,
"Hey—look over there. That's Soren."
Rayna followed the direction of his gaze—and there he was.
Soren stood at the edge of the arena, his usually long hair tied back into a loose, low knot that exposed the sharp cut of his jaw and the full intensity of his golden eyes.
Rayna's face lit up. "He looks so hot..." Her eyes gleamed.
A massive bear beastman stepped into the dueling circle. His broad shoulders flexed, and he let out a low growl that made a few nearby females gasp in anticipation.
Then—Soren stepped in. He was calm, composed, and there was no showboating, no growl—just a deadly quiet confidence.
The bear charged first, heavy and fast. But Soren dodged effortlessly, twisting to the side with inhuman grace. He struck back with a swift kick to the bear's ribs, sending the larger beast stumbling.
Rayna's breath caught.
The crowd erupted in cheers as the two clashed again—claws, fists, movement so fast it blurred. But Soren never lost rhythm. He was precise. Calculated.
Finally, with one powerful leap, Soren landed behind the bear and swept his leg in a clean arc—the bear crashed to the ground with a loud grunt.
Silence. Then the horn blew again.
Soren had won.
The duels went on one after another.
Bear versus Leopard. Wolf versus Bear. The ground trembled with every strike, and the crowd roared louder with each win.
Rayna lost count after the tenth match. Sweat, dust, and cheers filled the air.
Finally, in the end only four fighters remained.
The semi-finalists:
A massive bear, a sleek wolf, the flirty leopard, and of course—Soren.
The matches were fierce, but in the end, Soren and the leopard beastman stood victorious, stepping into the circle for the final round.
The crowd hushed.
Rayna leaned forward, heart pounding.
Around her, females whispered—
"Two powerful males..."
"They're both so fast—how do we even pick?"
"It could go either way."
The leopard flashed a cocky smirk at Soren, his golden eyes gleaming with challenge.
"I'll have you on the ground in minutes, furry bird and when you lose, that little admirer of yours will come running straight into my arms. Don't worry—I'll take very good care of her." He taunted, glancing at Rayna.
Soren didn't respond—he just shifted his stance, arms flexing slightly, his eyes cold and focused.
The tension thickened.
Two capable beastmen. Both strong. Both skilled.
It was hard to say who would win.
The horn blew.
The leopard pounced first, fast and sharp. He aimed for Soren's side—but Soren moved just in time, their bodies brushing mid-air.They circled, muscles tight. Each strike was dodged, each kick countered. Dust swirled under their feet.
Suddenly, the leopard feinted left—Soren turned—but it was a trick.
Crack! A brutal blow slammed into Soren's side. He staggered back, teeth clenched. The crowd roared, some females even gasped.
Rayna shot up from her seat, heart hammering. "Come on, Soren..." she muttered.
Then—Soren shot forward.
The two collided with a force that shook the arena. Soren slammed the leopard down—but the feline rolled, kicking Soren off.
They clashed again. Claw met claw. Snarl met snarl.
The leopard leapt high for the final strike—his claws aimed at Soren's throat.
In a flash—Soren spun, grabbed the leopard mid-air with raw strength, and slammed him into the ground.
The leopard didn't move.
A beat passed.
Then the horn blew—once.
Twice.
Three times.
It was Soren's victory.
Rayna cheered with joy, heart racing, as Soren turned and looked straight at her.
"Damn I knew that guy would win but the leopard gave him a tough competition." Ezra commented while crossing his arms.
Soren was called up to the central platform, where the village chief stood waiting with a proud smile. The crowd clapped, cheered, and stomped the ground in celebration.
The chief raised his hand. "Soren our Vukari Village's Guardian—today's victor of the Nomei Duels!"
Cheers echoed through the night air.
Soren stood tall, as the chief handed him a large woven sack filled with smoked and fresh meat—his reward.
Down below, Rayna watched with a grin, nudging Ezra. "Guess he won't need to go hunting for a while now. That's a lot of meat."
Ezra chuckled. "You're not wrong."
Then the village chief's voice boomed again. "And now—the Grand Feast begins! Please, everyone, gather around the fire!"
Excited chatter erupted as beastmen and females moved toward the central fire. A wide array of food was laid out on leaf-plates—ripe fruits, fish, skewers of charred meat, and even some root vegetables.
Rayna made her way toward it, her mouth already watering... she was starving from morning, but just before she could sit, Ezra lightly caught her wrist.
"Wait, you know, during the feast... it's also when the males start courting the females they're interested in. It's kind of a thing."
Rayna blinked. "Oh. I see," she said, suddenly very aware of how many beastmen were eyeing her.
Ezra led her to sit and the two settled down beside the fire. Rayna wasted no time digging into the food. She was starving from morning. "Oh gods, finally," she mumbled. "So good..."
But her bliss was short-lived.
"Sweetheart." That annoying voice.
Rayna looked up.
The flirty leopard beastman was back, now slightly bruised but still grinning like he hadn't just been flattened by Soren.
He dropped beside her uninvited, draping an arm lazily over her back..
"Hey," the leopard beastman said, voice smug. "I saw how excited you were during the match. Couldn't take your eyes off me, huh?" He leaned closer, his freckles catching the firelight. "My leg slipped, that's all. Otherwise, I would've won, no doubt. But you—" he pointed at her with a grin—"you totally stole my heart the moment I saw you. Come on, give me a chance, will ya?"
Rayna didn't even look at him. She just muttered under her breath, voice dry and biting. "Chance my foot. Get lost."
Ezra, began to move ready to intervene—but before he could say a word, Soren appeared behind Rayna.
He gave a sharp glare in his golden eyes said it all. "Get away from her," he said coldly, voice low and firm.
The leopard beastman froze. For a moment, he looked like he was going to argue, but then—with a nervous chuckle and an awkward excuse—he quickly retreated into the crowd.
Rayna exhaled. "Thanks, Soren. For driving that pest away."
She flashed him a playful smile. "And congrats, huh? You fought really well back there. Plus now you don't even need to hunt—you've got meat for days." She elbowed him lightly. "Lucky."
Soren looked down at her, something softer than usual flickering in his gaze. Then, without his usual sarcasm, he bent slightly and said quietly, "I have something to show you. Will you come with me for a moment?"
Rayna blinked, surprised by the gentleness in his tone. No teasing? No smirk?
"...Okay," she said, getting to her feet.
She glanced at Ezra, who simply gave her a small nod—like he understood—and leaned back to give them space.
Soren walked ahead, leading her away from the crowd, between thick trees and flowering bushes. The path twisted a little, bathed in moonlight.
And then they stepped into a clearing.
Rayna's eyes widened.
It was the river.
But under the silver glow of the moon, the water shimmered like melted glass, catching the night light in rippling waves. A soft breeze swept through, carrying the scent of damp earth and something faintly floral.
What truly made her breath catch, though, were the fireflies.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of glowing dots danced lazily above the river, blinking in gentle pulses. They floated like tiny stars come down from the sky, swirling around the banks and over the gently flowing water.
Rayna was in awe. She had never seen fireflies in her city life.
The wind tugged at her hair gently, and for a moment, she felt like the whole world had quieted—just for this.
It was magical.
She turned to Soren, who had been watching her, his expression unreadable in the dark.
"This is beautiful," she said softly. "Why did you bring me here?"
Soren shrugged, glancing away, but his voice was quieter than usual. "Figured you might need to see something nice. You've been here for a few days."
Rayna smiled, the glow of the fireflies reflecting in her eyes. "This... this is more than nice."
They stood silently and the only sound was of the soft chirping of crickets and some rustle of leaves.
She heard Soren take a slow step closer. Then another.
He came to stand beside her, his presence steady and quiet. For a moment, they both just stared at the glowing river.
Then gently, without a word, Soren reached out and lightly took her hands in his.
Rayna turned her head, startled, meeting his gaze. His golden eyes weren't sharp or unreadable like before—they were soft now, open in a way she hadn't seen.
"Rayna..." he began, his voice low, almost hesitant.
"You know I was sent here from the Beast City a few years ago. As a guardian to protect the village. I knew it was my duty so I came. But every day was the same—wake, patrol, hunt, protect. Nothing ever changed. It was all just... routine. Duty. Predictable. Bland."
He gave a small breath of a laugh, one without humor. "I thought that was normal. I didn't even realize how empty it felt. Until you came."
Rayna's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't pull away.
"You crashed into this world—literally—and suddenly. You started arguing with me the moment we met, and yes I thought you were another bratty female at first. But the way you looked at everything with your sparkling curious eyes, and that childlike smile, all of it made me feel different. You're bold, you're sharp-tongued, and you refuse to be taken care of, and yet... I want to take care of you anyway."
His thumbs brushed gently across her knuckles.
"You don't wait around to be rescued, and you can even take care of yourself including everything from hunting to light fire, but even so... I want to stand beside you. Not just because the Chief asked me to, or because it's my duty—" He paused, searching her face. "—but because I want to. I want to be your partner."
"I'm not great with words or expressing my feelings, Rayna. Not like those other males who know what to say and when to say it. I might come off as rough edged, but... I mean what I say. Always."
The breeze shifted slightly, carrying the soft hum of fireflies.
Rayna's breath caught in her throat.
Soren held her gaze, firm but vulnerable now. "You don't need anyone. That's obvious. But still... I find myself wanting to be there. Not to protect you because you're weak— as you're not. But because being around you brings me joy. I want to be with you. And if there's even a small part of you that feels the same—I'll wait. I have enough patience. I'll not force you or burden you."
Rayna stared at him, heart thudding in her chest. The wind rustled the leaves, fireflies blinking softly around them.
She removed her hands from Soren's. She looked down for a few minutes. And then she looked up, looking straight at Soren's glowing golden eyes.
"Soren... I—"