Betting Results:

  [18% on Zest and Kyrawl's Win]

  [82% on Maelvotruth and Eeriee Root's Win]

  "Amber. Dime. You fought valiantly against such fiends." Zest passed by, his gaze hard and somber, like a wraith that had seen the worst. He had. I understood the pain that must have been coursing through his veins. "We'll dedicate this battle to you." His gaze swept toward his combat partner. "Kyrawl."

  Kyrawl growled as he descended with a loud thud. Zest might've been large for a deer-like monster, but the feathered wyvern, Kyrawl, dwarfed him at nearly a 2:1 ratio. These monsters were probably the most hardened we had in the crew. Yet even then, I managed to intercept the men. They looked down at me expectantly, with the sparkling respect reserved for someone they recognized as a leader. I felt honored, at the very least.

  "You two. Raise hell if necessary. I trust in your strength, but my heart is committed to your well-being. Don't overexert yourselves," I said, raising my arms to offer an embrace.

  Half-expecting it, yet still astonished, I was alarmed when both the deer and the wyvern took turns pressing their snouts to my paw, as if I were some fairytale princess from folklore. I smiled, saying nothing more as they headed to the Combat Zone.

  ??? [Combat Status] ???

  ??? [Combat Status] ???

  Ahead, on the other side of the dome-like battlefield, stood the two rotting tree beasts, towering and emitting their dangerous auras. Their single eyes never left Zest and Kyrawl; they were out for blood.

  ??? [Combat Status] ???

  ??? [Combat Status] ???

  Bellatrixa flew across the arena. With a flourish she exclaimed, "… And let the 5th match of the colosseum… begin!"

  ??? ??? ??? [Perspective Switch: Kyrawl]

  Dense. Jungle. Big forest. Lots of wood and growth. Environmental change. Kyrawl's wings thrived in such conditions. If flight was no good, crawling worked. That was how Kyrawl always traversed. There was never just one way to move, but his sense of danger was very strong.

  Roots struck from the earth!

  Kyrawl glided away from the tree that erupted behind his previous position. He dashed across the ground for mere moments before taking off with a powerful beat of his wings. The roots of another predator gave chase. Kyrawl would not allow himself to become prey!

  His wings and claws grasped onto the closest tree, lifting his body as he made his ascent.

  The lesser Maelvotruth hunted. No. Kyrawl would not allow such an insult.

  He kicked off the tree, spinning as he unleashed a [Draconic Breath] through the forest. The breath burned through roots, vines, and other suspiciously moving plants. His havoc continued until he spotted an odd mass of bark with a single eye glaring at him.

  Kyrawl found his target: the lesser Maelvotruth. Tear. Rip. He would crush the blighted beast of the tree. Bloodlust coursed within him. His wings flapped with thunderous force as he unleashed a devastating gust toward his wooden foe.

  The Maelvotruth groaned as it used the growth to shield its sluggish, overweight body. Kyrawl blasted through the clutter, scattering debris. But his [Wind of Oblivion] did not reach its target.

  No. The Maelvotruth remained unscathed as it returned the favor, wrecking the surrounding landscape with a large wooden arm.

  An arm bigger than Kyrawl!

  Kyrawl dove as the wooden arm swiped above him, the booming noise echoing from the thunderous impact. He dropped quickly to the ground, dashing away as the slow opponent creaked with a groan after its attack. Kyrawl had his foe right where he needed it.

  His body ignited with heat. Not fire, but a draconic energy that erupted from his core. This skill was called [Wyvern Wrap]. It boosted both defense and offense. Kyrawl learned it from KiAera, mastering the technique under her guidance.

  His body collided with the Maelvotruth's stout frame. The trunk cracked. It cracked but didn't shatter as Kyrawl rebounded off the beast's toughened body. He hit the ground hard and slid across the surface.

  But he did not relent. He could not. He took to the winds again and activated [Wyvern Wrap] as the Maelvotruth missed with a stomp. Kyrawl slammed into the beast, recoiled, and bled. But he didn't relent; he repeated his actions.

  Under the heat of the battle-lust, he knew his foe was slow, but a direct impact from them could lead to a kill. Carelessness meant death, but the tournament didn't allow death.

  His next [Wyvern Wrap], combined with the addition of [Gale Wing], shoved the Maelvotruth into another tree, but that was where the problems began. The next swinging root was fast. Kyrawl evaded, but now the stones formed a storm as they flew at him from all sides. Kyrawl could not dodge this. [Ore] was his weakness!

  Gah!

  Kyrawl felt the rocks slam into his side like cannonballs, the impact jarring him, rattling his bones in a excruciating rhythm of pain. He stumbled but quickly regained his footing.

  The Maelvotruth was relentless, its single eye fixed on him with predatory intent, a hunger that sent a shiver down his spine. A wounded beast was often the most dangerous.

  The wind current grew strong then, his [Wind Surge] activating. He took to the air. Kyrawl's wings spread wide, his feathers ruffled with fury as he assessed the battlefield.

  Zest fought valiantly across the arena, his graceful movements striking a stark contrast against the lumbering behemoths. Kyrawl sensed the bond they shared, the understanding that they were more than partners; they were a single force of nature, ready to unleash havoc upon their foes.

  Another roar echoed from Maelvo, rattling the very ground upon which Kyrawl stood. The Treant's strength was undeniable, but he was not without his flaws. Meanwhile the lesser Maelvotruth's arms were rooted in the earth, moving heavy and deliberate like serpents. Kyrawl had to exploit that.

  He readied himself, feeling the energy simmer within him. [Wind of Oblivion] roared through his veins, and he unleashed a powerful gust, sending debris flying towards the Maelvotruth, forcing it to flinch and shield its eye. The moment of hesitation was all Kyrawl needed.

  With a primal scream, he flew forward, claws outstretched, ready to tear into the bark. He dashed toward the Treant, his body twirling in a whirlwind of destruction. The slow beast tried to retaliate but found its movements hindered by the wind and the chaos around them. Kyrawl leaped, soaring above the beast's massive form, aiming for the soft undersides of its branches, where the wood met the gruesome sap beneath.

  The impact sent shockwaves through the Treant's structure, and for a split second, Kyrawl felt the thrill of victory. But just as quickly, the Maelvotruth swung its massive arm, delivering a counterstrike that sent Kyrawl spiraling backward. The world spun around him in a chaotic blur of colors and sounds as he crashed to the ground, the force knocking the breath from his lungs.

  No. This would not be the end.

  He pushed himself up and released a roar, adrenaline coursing through his veins like fire. The crowd's cheers faded as the world narrowed to the singular focus of his enemy. He would fight to his last breath—for the rise of the Chimera Crew!