Bab 24: First Battle

The two factions, with determination etched on their faces, diverged towards their respective preparation rooms. The arena, buzzing with anticipation, watched as each team retreated to their sanctuaries of strategy and focus.

Inside the room, the atmosphere turned tense as Brandon's demeanor shifted dramatically; his face contorted into a scowl, frustration seeping through his words. "That damn barbarian has the audacity to mock me!" he spat out, his anger palpable in the confined space.

Turning to his subordinates, his eyes blazed with a fierce determination. "I want you to crush them, leave them so defeated they're crawling back to us, begging for mercy," he commanded, his voice a low growl of fury and resolve.

The men around him responded with a unanimous, sinister grin, their faces alight with the anticipation of the challenge. "That's exactly what we'll do," they assured, their voices laced with a menacing promise. The room was charged with a dark energy, each member feeding off Brandon's anger and transforming it into a shared, ruthless ambition to dominate their opponents by any means necessary.

As the moment of confrontation drew near, both teams emerged from their respective preparation rooms, positioning themselves on opposite sides of the expansive, silent arena. The air was charged with anticipation, a palpable tension bridging the space between them.

Brandon stepped forward, his expression morphing into a practiced smile, a stark contrast to the fury that had seethed within him moments before. Across the arena, Vargus wore his signature smirk, an embodiment of confidence and defiance.

The battle commenced with a palpable intensity as representatives from each team made their way to the center of the arena. From the men's side, Gery stepped forward, his approach marked by a confident, almost contemptuous smirk.

With an air of arrogance, he looked around and called out, "So, which one of these foolish girls dares to be my opponent today?" His voice, dripping with disdain, echoed across the silent arena, aiming to intimidate and belittle.

In response, Livia from the girls' team walked into the arena with a composed stride, her presence a stark contrast to Gery's mocking demeanor. As she entered, Gery's smirk widened, a clear attempt to unsettle her.

Gery, with a blend of arrogance and amusement, looked directly at Livia. "Ah, so it's you, dear Livia, who's chosen to face me," he said, his voice carrying a mocking undertone.

His smirk then took on a more challenging aspect as he added, "I've offered you the chance to be my girlfriend many times. This is your last chance—accept me, or face the consequences."

Livia met his gaze head-on, her response immediate and laced with contempt. "Do you honestly believe I would ever be interested in you? You're delusional. I find you repulsive, both in attitude and appearance. I would rather meet my end than entertain the thought of being with you," she retorted, her words sharp and unwavering, cutting through Gery's bravado and exposing the folly of his proposition.

Gery's face flushed with anger at Livia's dismissive words, his pride wounded. "For that insult, I'll make sure to humiliate you in front of everyone today," he hissed, his threat laden with the promise of retribution.

Livia, undaunted by his anger, met his fury with a calm, steely resolve. "I'd be interested to see you attempt that," she replied, her tone serious and challenging.

In a fit of rage, Gery spat out, "Damn you," unable to contain his fury any longer. With a swift gesture, he called forth his beast, a magnificent flame tiger, its fiery fur glowing ominously in the arena's light, a tangible manifestation of his anger.

Responding to the challenge, Livia, with a composed and graceful motion, summoned her own beast, an elegant Flame Fox. Its sleek fur shimmered with flames, reflecting a serene yet powerful aura, contrasting sharply with the aggressive presence of Gery's tiger.

Without hesitation, Gery commanded his flame tiger to unleash its Flame Roar, a tactic designed to intimidate both Livia and her Flame Fox from the outset. The tiger reared back, its jaws opening wide to emit a fearsome roar, a torrent of flames bursting forth in an attempt to dominate the battlefield with its raw power.

However, the outcome diverged sharply from Gery's expectations. Instead of cowering in fear, the scene that unfolded was one of unexpected defiance. The Flame Fox, alongside Livia, stood their ground, unshaken by the tiger's display.

In the midst of the confrontation, Livia found herself undisturbed by the tiger's display, her thoughts drifting to a comparison, "Vargus's aura is far more intimidating than this."

Similarly, her Flame Fox, sensing its companion's calm, reflected on its own experiences. In its mind, the aura of Auris, Vargus's own beast, held a far deeper sense of power and dread than anything the flame tiger could muster.

Gery was visibly shaken by the unwavering stance of Livia and her Flame Fox. "How is this possible? How are they not affected at all?" he exclaimed, his voice a mix of disbelief and frustration. The sight of their calm in the face of his beast's fearsome roar threw him off balance, challenging his expectations of an easy victory.

Recovering from his shock, Gery quickly regained his composure and issued a new command to his flame tiger, determined to reclaim the upper hand. "Fine then, use Flame Claw!" he ordered decisively.

Responding to Gery's command, the flame tiger's claws ignited with an intense blaze, casting a menacing glow over the arena. With a powerful leap, it charged towards the Flame Fox, its fiery claws aimed to strike with lethal precision.

Without hesitation, Livia countered Gery's move with a calm command, "Flame Fox, use Flame Claw as well."

Her Flame Fox, in perfect sync with Livia's intentions, ignited its claws with a fiery blaze, mirroring the tiger's earlier action. The two beasts stood ready, their fiery claws a testament to their respective power and determination.

Seeing this, Gery couldn't help but scoff, his mockery evident in his tone. "Do you really think your Flame Fox can outmatch my tiger?" he jeered, disbelief and scorn woven into his words.

Unperturbed by Gery's taunt, Livia maintained her focus. Gery, eager to prove his beast's superiority, intensified his command, "Flame Tiger, crush that Flame Fox!" His voice carried a blend of command and desperation, urging his beast to launch a decisive attack that would overwhelm their opponents and validate his boast.

But in the electrifying moment of their clash, the unexpected occurred. As the two beasts met in a fiery exchange, it was the flame tiger that faltered and collapsed, while the Flame Fox remained standing, unscathed.

Gery, witnessing this unforeseen turn of events, was overtaken by shock and disbelief. "How can this be?" he stammered, his voice echoing his astonishment across the arena. The sight of his formidable flame tiger defeated so swiftly by the Flame Fox challenged everything he had anticipated, leaving him grappling with the reality of his beast's unexpected downfall.