The spectators flinched, backing away as the winged lion was hurled from the arena like a ragdoll, crashing into its bewildered tamer—defeated so easily by none other than the once-tiny, adorable white snake.
Just moments ago, that snake had been curled innocently around Skyler's arm.
Now, it towered above them all.
Like a monstrous presence.
The crowd had assumed that, at the very least, Skyler's small beast wouldn't be as ridiculously powerful as he was. But they were wrong. Oh, they were very wrong.
The snake wasn't just powerful—it was even more terrifying than its tamer! They had been deceived by its appearance!
Skyler chuckled, mirth dancing in his eyes, and the crisp sound made both Isaac and Zack, who stood around him, flinch. Unlike them, Charles stayed unfazed—he already knew Riruru could change into a massive form, so the sight didn't shake him much.
The trio stood watching as Skyler calmly approached the arena in the center of the room, where Riruru's massive form stood.
The spectators and other beast tamers gawked in stunned silence, instinctively stepping aside to clear a path for him.
At the center, the referee—an old female professor—was already raising her voice, officially declaring Riruru's first victory.
Skyler hurriedly extended his hands, and Riruru lowered her head to meet his touch, silencing the room even more. He grinned and rested his forehead against hers.
"Good job! Amazing—one-hit victory!"
The crowd grimaced at his words.
One spectator—who had wagered a small fortune on the winged lion to win—buried his face in his friend's arm and wailed.
"I want a my star coins back!"
His friend could only pat his back.
"Me too, me too… but it's too late."
Skyler traced the silver patterns etched along the sides of Riruru's head. She had harnessed the power of the treasure he had found for her—and was wielding it far better than Max and his friends ever could.
Good thing he'd stolen it.
Riruru quickly shifted into her smaller form and climbed up his body, nuzzling her head against his face as he walked back toward Isaac and Charles, who were watching him.
"Guys, Riruru has another battle coming up. I can't stay here long—I have a match soon. What should I do? I can't leave her alone."
Charles checked his student ID card.
"I have a match too."
Isaac raised his hand.
"I can stay with her. I didn't sign up for any other battles, and I have already passed the first round of the potion making competition. The second round isn't until tomorrow."
Skyler furrowed his brows, reluctant. The hesitation practically radiated off him in waves, as if entrusting Riruru to someone else were the gravest sin imaginable.
Isaac's eyebrow twitched.
"It's not like I'm going to kidnap her or anything. Riruru's powerful—more than capable of protecting herself."
Zack, who had been ignored by the three and treated like thin air, stepped forward.
"I can stay with Riruru—"
Skyler cut him off instantly.
"Absolutely not! You're coming with me!"
He glanced at Riruru with a smile, planted a few kisses on her head, and reluctantly told her to stay with his friend and focus on her battle. She blinked at him but nodded.
'You can go. But come back soon.'
Skyler nearly considered skipping his own match after hearing her solemn words. But Charles pulled him away just as Riruru slid off his body and climbed onto the shoulder of the elderly female referee—the one they had informed about Skyler's absence.
As he was pulled away, he shouted.
"I'll be back in no time! Promise! And Isaac—record her battle! I want to watch it later!"
Zack stared at him, utterly speechless.
Even as Charles dragged Skyler away, the bastard didn't forget to grab him and drag him along too. Wow. Just wow. Almost as if he would steal his precious snake.
He'd be lying if he said he wasn't tempted, seeing how powerful it was. Unfortunately, he had zero taming skills. The snake would crush him before he could even get close. The thought alone made him shudder.
***
After a short while, Skyler stepped into the familiar, massive arena complex, with Zack and Charles both following close behind.
His gaze swept over the massive crowd already gathered—the battles had begun.
He uttered a quick goodbye to Charles as the latter quickly made his way toward his own arena for his upcoming match before rushing toward the arena where he would fight his first battle of the day.
The referee, an elderly man, nodded at him in acknowledgment. Meanwhile, Professor Ohm Glacier, the host appointed by Alistair, announced Skyler's arrival to the crowd the moment he stepped onto the arena floor.
Skyler gave a salute to the professor.
"Couldn't have asked for better!"
He chuckled as the professor returned a knowing smirk. The crowd was practically buzzing with anticipation, all eyes fixed on him—except for those still cheering for the students they had bet their star coins on.
They had seen his battles yesterday and were bracing for yet another swift, one-hit victory from Skyler. On the stage opposite him, Jenny's brow furrowed in frustration.
"How does he defeat his opponents so effortlessly? Even I have to struggle. Is it because he's facing only easy targets?"
She muttered quietly under her breath, yet her fists clenched tightly as the memory of how Skyler had also easily defeated Austin in the friendly match replayed in her mind.
A flicker of jealousy crossed her blue eyes; however, she shook her head and glanced away, striving to conceal her frustration.
"I need to ignore him. But hopefully, he is not using any wrong methods like the Dark Light to get stronger. If he is… there will be serious consequences, truly."
Her eyes gleamed with a cold intensity as she prepared for her approaching battle.
Suddenly, a chill ran down Skyler's spine, and a frown crept onto his face. What was that? It felt as if a hostile gaze was fixed on him. Yet he shook it off—after all, who could harm him with so many people around?
He glanced toward the referee hovering above his arena, patiently awaiting the arrival of his noticeably late opponent.
The referee frowned, wondering if Skyler's opponent had simply fled after witnessing how brutally he had defeated his previous challengers. The spectators were already murmuring curses at the tardy contender.
Five long minutes ticked by, and still, his opponent was nowhere to be seen. Skyler hummed a low tune under his breath. His eyes sparkled as he waved casually at the tiny drones hovering around his arena. He started pacing, his eyes scanning the area as if searching for his invisible challenger.
The spectators' annoyed murmurs grew louder, bubbling into impatient shouts.
"How can a student be this late?"
Someone yelled.
"Who is this no-show? Why would anyone keep Prince Skyler Thorne waiting?"
The tension in the arena thickened, the crowd buzzing with clear irritation.
The event host tried his best to soothe the restless crowd, redirecting their attention to other exciting battles. But most eyes were fixed on Skyler Thorne—especially those of the powerful Lights—leaving Ohm Glacier with little control over the growing tension.
Fortunately, just before the crowd could completely lose its patience, the missing opponent finally showed up. He seemed oblivious to the countless eyes snapping toward his figure as he rushed toward the arena, silver eyes glued to his student ID.
"Sorry, I forgot to check my ID—"
His words died midway as he glanced up and met those familiar, smiling blue eyes.
"No fucking way… No way!"
He shouted, stumbling back in shock.
Skyler chuckled in response.
"Yes, absolutely yes! Come up here!"
The arena fell silent, all eyes fixed on the good-looking latecomer. Murmurs quickly rippled through the curious spectators.
"Who is that?"
"I'm not sure… but he looks familiar."
Finally, a voice shouted with laughter.
"That's Zack Everlette!"
Zack's face contorted. Why the hell was he called to face Skyler—and so early at that? This was only the second day of the Gala!
He had planned to win unnoticed. But now, all the attention was glaring down on him!
"Damn my luck…"
Skyler shrugged, his eyes sparkling with excitement. This fight was going to be fun.
"Don't worry, fellow classmate—I won't end the battle with just one hit this time. Really."
Zack's brow twitched. He had watched him enough to notice how Skyler subtly crossed his fingers—and what that really meant.
'He's absolutely going to end it in one hit!'
He muttered a curse under his breath and leapt onto the stage. Taking a deep breath, he moved to stand opposite Skyler as the referee told them to take their positions.
His silver eyes locked onto Skyler's, and a calm expression settled over his face. The sudden shift was almost jarring, considering how panicked he had been moments earlier.
He had already decided to make a name for himself in this year's Gala. Losing was really not an option—if anything, he had to win.
"How about you let me take the first hit?"
Skyler raised a brow, surprised.
"No way. Haven't you heard? Never underestimate your opponent."
Zack sighed. So much for tricking him. The referee signaled the start of the battle—and, just as expected, Skyler vanished. Everyone thought it would end in a single moment.
But something unexpected happened.
Skyler was flung backward as a massive bolt of lightning struck the very exact spot he had reappeared to launch Zack out of the arena.
Zack winced at the sight and rubbed his neck, goosebumps crawling down his skin. He had almost failed to detect him. Almost.
"Not so fast!"