Chapter 107: Beasts and Blades

Chapter 107: Beasts and BladesThe arena's temperature rose up as the battle pursued, and after Mercury's show, as the next match was about to begin: Catarina vs. Flint Hawk.

The crowd settled, eager for another thrilling display. Flint Hawk entered the battlefield with the kind of swagger that only came from overconfidence.

His broad frame, thick muscles, and the constant flexing of his arms added to his presence.

He cracked his knuckles and shot a grin at Catarina, who stood on the opposite side, arms crossed, her expression annoyed and her tail swishing in mild irritation.

Flint wasted no time playing up to the crowd, slamming his fist into his palm and grinning like a showman.

"You ready, pussycat? I'll crush you so hard, you'll be a flat little puddle! I'm coming for your booty!"

The crowd gave a mixed reaction, with some laughing at, while others remained silent.

"What is a booty?" Milo turned to Colin.

Colin crossed her arms with a serious face.

"I think he steals people's shoes after winning."

Cassie and Roger exchanged a gaze, both decided to stay silent.

The Crescent Moon team laughed in the locker room.

"Your funeral." Catarina muttered under her breath, giving him a bored look. She wanted to quickly get rid of him but now her soul reclaimed blood.

Flint continued, undeterred.

"You think that cute face of yours is gonna save you, huh? Well, I..."

"Are you done yet?" Catarina interrupted, her voice flat. "Seriously, who talks this much? Shut up so I can kick your ass!"

Flint's grin faltered, and he sneered.

"Oh, I'll show you who talks too much!"

The announcer's voice boomed across the stadium.

"Let the battle... begin!"

With a loud roar, Flint summoned his beasts. Two enormous creatures appeared at his side, a massive, boar-like beast with tusks as long as swords and a heavy, rhino-like creature covered in thick armor plates.

Both beasts stomped the ground, causing tremors beneath them.

Flint wasted no time, charging forward with his fists raised, his beasts thundering alongside him.

The ground shook with every step they took. The crowd cheered loudly, eager to see the clash of strength versus agility.

Catarina, however, didn't move. She stood still, her eyes lazily following Flint's charge. As he drew closer, she sighed, raising her hand with an elegant flick of her wrist.

Her field spell activated.

The arena transformed as cat heads began to materialize around Flint, their glowing eyes locking onto him.

The air grew thick with shadowy energy, and the feline apparitions hissed and circled, watching Flint's every move.

Flint hesitated for a split second but quickly brushed off the sensation, roaring as he continued his charge.

His boar beast lunged at Catarina, tusks gleaming, but she gracefully sidestepped, barely even acknowledging the creature's attack.

Flint swung his massive fists toward her, but she easily ducked and spun away, dodging every strike with effortless grace.

Her tail flicked behind her, her eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Mew, come on, is that the best you've got?" Catarina taunted, smirking as Flint's punches continued to miss.

The boar beast roared and charged again, but Catarina's shadowy cat heads sprang into action. One of them lashed out, striking the boar with claws that left deep gashes along its side. The beast staggered, howling in pain.

Flint gritted his teeth, his frustration growing.

"Stay still, you damn pussycat!"

"Nyan, you bastard," Catarina shot back, her tone playful.

The rhino beast tried to corner her, its heavy footsteps shaking the ground, but Catarina simply leaped into the air, flipping gracefully over its head.

The crowd gasped at her agility as she landed softly on her feet, completely unfazed.

Flint's beasts roared in frustration, unable to land a hit. The shadowy cat heads darted in and out of the battlefield, their energy claws slashing at Flint's beasts relentlessly.

The boar collapsed first, overwhelmed by the strikes, and the rhino wasn't far behind, its thick armor barely holding up against the barrage.

Flint himself was slowing down, his attacks becoming sloppier as Catarina continued to dodge effortlessly.

She didn't even seem to attack directly like before, her field spell seemed to have a will of its

own.

Her expression remained calm, almost bored.

"Really, this is just embarrassing," she said with a sigh, sidestepping another one of his wild

swings.

Flint, panting heavily, glared at her. "You... you won't..."

Before he could finish, one of the shadowy cat heads slammed into him from behind, knocking him off his feet. He hit the ground with a heavy thud, then Catarina followed by

swinging her arm toward the ground.

An enormous cat paw materialized and crushed flint, the man unconscious before he even realized what happened.

The crowd erupted into cheers as Catarina casually brushed off her hands.

"The winner is... Catarina!" the announcer declared, and the audience roared in approval.

Catarina glanced at Flint's unconscious form, shaking her head.

"I wanted to make a joke about pussycat but you would miss it," She purred off the

battlefield, her tail flicking behind her in satisfaction.

The next match between Jaden and Ellis Marrick was swift and deadly.

As soon as the battle began, Jaden enveloped the arena in his signature mist field spell, the thick fog swirling around like a ghostly veil.

Ellis, though strong, struggled to see through the mist, his attacks becoming more erratic as The tried to find his opponent.

But Jaden was patient, biding his time until Ellis was completely disoriented. With a smirk, Jaden unleashed a series of mystic energy blasts, striking Ellis from all sides.

Ellis never saw the attacks coming. Within minutes, Jaden had secured his victory, emerging from the mist as calm and collected as ever.

The next battle between Cyril Haven and Talia Brin passed quickly, with Talia's agile movements proving too much for Cyril's grounded beasts. Talia's swift maneuvers and precise strikes earned her a clean victory, leaving Cyril little room to counterattack.

Then came Kaida's turn.

Kaida entered the battlefield like a storm, her fiery eyes burning with intensity.

Her opponent, Iris Vallon, specialized in plant-based beasts, a direct vulnerability against Kaida's fire abilities.

As the battle began, Iris summoned her beasts, massive, vine-covered creatures with thick, thorny hides. But Kaida was ready. With a step forward, her fire field spell erupted around her,

flames roaring to life and consuming the battlefield.

The heat was overwhelming, and Iris's plant beasts stood no chance.

They withered under the intense flames, their vines turning to ash within moments. Kaida's attacks were relentless, her fire burning brighter with each passing second.

The crowd watched in awe as Kaida overwhelmed Iris with sheer force, her flames reducing the battlefield to a scorched wasteland. Within minutes, Iris was forced to surrender, her plant beasts unable to withstand the heat.

"The Blazing Tempest is victorious!" the announcer declared as Kaida walked off the

battlefield.

With several intense battles behind them, the crowd eagerly awaited the next match: Ryder

versus Raya Kobayashi.

The arena buzzed with excitement as Ryder entered, the crowd chanting "Furry! Furry!

Furry!" in support of the Crescent Moon member.

Ryder smiled nervously, waving to the audience as he stepped into the battlefield. He could feel the energy of the crowd, but the pressure weighed on him.

Opposite him, Kobayashi Raya entered with a serene smile. Her outfit was worn and bruised,

but her demeanor remained calm and kind.

Her long, dark hair flowed gently in the breeze, and her eyes, though seemingly unfocused,

were filled with warmth. Sёarch* The novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

She bowed slightly to Ryder, her smile soft.

"Good luck, Ryder. May this be a good fight."

Ryder hesitated for a moment before returning the sentiment, his nerves getting the better of

him.

"Uh... yeah. You too."

From the stands, Zara leaned forward and muttered.

"Don't underestimate her, Ryder. She's more dangerous than she looks."

The battle began, and Ryder wasted no time. He summoned three of his beasts: his thunderbird crackling with electricity, his wind lycaon, with wind swirling around its paws,

and a massive, armored bear.

Immediately, he entered beastification with the three monsters, lightning crackling around his body as he prepared for battle.

Raya smiled gently, clearly impressed by Ryder's quick response. She raised her hand and

summoned a single beast, a tall, armored figure resembling a samurai, its armor gleaming under the light.

The crowd murmured in surprise as the samurai beast moved with a precision and grace that

belied its size.

The battle commenced, Ryder's beasts charging toward the samurai beast, but Raya's control

over her creature was flawless.

The samurai beast parried and countered each attack with effortless ease, its movements fluid

and calculated.

Ryder's thunderbird dove from above, crackling with electricity, but the samurai beast

deflected the strike with a single, graceful movement of its blade.

The crowd gasped at the display of skill, and Ryder, though impressed, felt a growing sense of

unease.

Something about Raya's gaze seemed... different.

Ryder, preparing for his next move, paused suspiciously. His brow furrowed, and instead of

attacking immediately, he hesitated.

"I'm about to attack," he warned, his voice unsure. "You better be ready."

Raya's smile widened, her cheerful demeanor never wavering.

"Don't worry, Ryder. I'm more than ready. Give it your best."

The crowd began to murmur. Some spectators exchanged confused glances, wondering why

Ryder was delaying his move.

The tension in the air thickened as everyone waited for the battle to truly begin.

"Why isn't he attacking?" a voice from the stands asked.

In the stands, Zara crossed her arms, her expression tight with frustration. She knew exactly

why Ryder was hesitating. "Damn it, stop with that crap, move!" Zara muttered under her breath. Ryder's gaze flickered toward Raya's face, and in that moment, he noticed something.

Her movements were smooth and graceful, but her eyes... they weren't focused on him or his beasts. Instead, they appeared distant, unfocused, moving in a troubling way.

As the big screen zoomed in on Raya's face, the truth became clear to everyone. Her eyes did

not properly align with each other, and her pupils were cloudy.

The crowd began to whisper.

"Wait... she's blind," someone in the crowd gasped.

"Look at her eyes," another voice called out. "She really can't see!" Ryder's hesitation deepened as the crowd grew louder. His empathy for her swelled, and it

made his resolve falter.

"She's blind..." he murmured. His attack, prepared moments ago, faltered.

Zara's patience ran out. She leaned forward, her voice sharp with annoyance. "Ryder, stop hesitating! She's here to fight! You can't hold back just because of that!"

But Ryder's hesitation remained. He was torn between the battle and his growing reluctance

to attack someone he now viewed as vulnerable.

Sensing his internal struggle, Raya chuckled softly. Despite not seeing him, she seemed to understand Ryder's hesitation completely, she was used to it.

"Don't pity me, Ryder," Raya said softly. "I'll give you a reason not to."

Suddenly, her aura shifted, and an intense wave of energy spread outward, causing the crowd

to fall silent. Everyone watched in awe as a spiritual form manifested behind Raya, a tall, red figure with several arms, each one gripping a katana.

The energy in the air grew in size, thick and tense.

As the energy converged into a katana in her hand, Raya brought the blade closer to her face

and murmured.

"Beastification."