Chapter 16: Chapter 16: The Ranking Storm Begins
The announcent of the Skygate Internal Ranking Tournant changed the entire atmosphere of the academy within a single day.
Skygate Academy had always been competitive. Every student who entered its gates understood that strength determined everything—resources, respect, and future opportunities. But tournants were different. They were not simply training exercises or routine evaluations. They were events that shaped destinies.
Victors would gain access to rare beast evolution materials, elite instructors, and invitations from powerful external factions. Losers would fade into obscurity.
By dawn the next morning, the central courtyard was already crowded.
Students gathered around the massive stone board that stood at the heart of the academy grounds. Its surface shimred faintly, enchanted to display official announcents. Nas, rules, and tournant structures were carved into its glowing surface.
Excitent filled the air like static before a storm.
So students spoke in hushed, nervous tones. Others argued loudly, debating strategies and potential matchups. Groups ford quickly, alliances strengthening and rivalries intensifying. Confidence radiated from so, while anxiety clung tightly to others.
Aether walked into the courtyard with steady steps.
The Fire Pup padded beside him, its small body radiating gentle warmth. Tiny sparks occasionally flickered from its fur as it moved. Its golden eyes scanned the surroundings with alert curiosity.
Liora walked on his other side, her posture relaxed but her eyes sharp.
She stopped in front of the stone board and crossed her arms as she read.
"This tournant is bigger than usual," she said quietly.
Aether stepped closer and studied the announcent carefully.
The structure was more complex than he expected.
There were several stages:
1. Preliminary ranking matches
2. Team challenges
3. Elite duels
4. Final top rankings
Each stage would eliminate participants, refining the rankings until only the strongest remained.
This wasn’t just a test of strength. It was a test of adaptability, strategy, and endurance.
The Fire Pup looked up at Aether, sensing his focus.
Aether rested his hand lightly on its head.
"Yes," he said softly. "We’ll participate."
The Fire Pup wagged its tail imdiately, small sparks scattering into the air like fireflies. It was eager. It always was.
Aether allowed himself a faint smile.
This tournant would be important—not just for recognition, but for understanding.
Understanding his opponents.
Understanding himself.
And understanding how far he still needed to go.
—
Not far from them, another group of students watched silently.
They stood with the quiet confidence of those who knew their strength. Their uniforms bore a distinct insignia—the mark of one of Skygate’s Top Training Groups.
At their center stood a tall young man with sharp features and calm, calculating eyes.
He stepped forward.
"So you’re the one causing all the noise."
His voice was calm, but it carried authority.
Aether turned to face him without hesitation.
"That depends," Aether replied evenly. "What kind of noise you an."
A faint smile appeared on the student’s lips.
"My na is Riven."
Liora’s posture stiffened slightly.
She leaned closer to Aether and whispered,
"He’s ranked in the top fifteen."
That alone made him dangerous.
At Skygate Academy, rankings were everything.
Aether nodded once, acknowledging the information.
Riven’s gaze shifted to the Fire Pup.
His eyes narrowed slightly with interest.
"That beast is interesting," he said.
The Fire Pup stared back without fear. Its flas flickered slightly brighter, as if responding to the attention.
Riven continued,
"I’ve been hearing a lot about you."
Aether t his gaze calmly.
"Rumors tend to grow quickly."
Riven’s smile widened just slightly.
"Let’s see if they’re true."
The tension between them sharpened instantly.
Nearby students fell silent, sensing the confrontation.
A challenge was about to happen.
But before either of them could move, a powerful voice echoed across the courtyard.
"Save it for the tournant."
An instructor had arrived.
The tension broke imdiately, though the aning remained.
This was only delayed—not avoided.
—
The tournant arena was enormous.
Constructed from reinforced stone and layered with protective enchantnts, it was designed to withstand the destructive power of combat beasts.
Hundreds of students filled the surrounding stands.
Their voices blended into a constant wave of noise.
Excitent.
Curiosity.
Anticipation.
Participants waited near the arena floor, each standing in designated areas.
So paced nervously.
Others stood perfectly still, conserving their focus.
Aether stood near the edge, observing everything.
His breathing was calm. His posture relaxed.
He wasn’t nervous.
He was analyzing.
The Fire Pup sat beside him quietly, though its flas burned slightly brighter than usual. It could feel the tension in the air.
Liora stood nearby, watching him.
"You’re surprisingly calm," she said.
Aether kept his eyes on the arena.
"I’m learning," he replied.
Learning to observe.
Learning to control.
Learning to think beyond instinct.
She smiled faintly.
"That’s why people are starting to notice you."
Aether said nothing.
Attention could be useful.
But it could also be dangerous.
He needed to understand everyone here.
Their strengths.
Their weaknesses.
Their habits.
Everything.
—
The preliminary matches began.
Multiple platforms activated simultaneously across the arena floor.
Barriers shimred into existence, isolating each battlefield.
Battles erupted instantly.
Beasts roared.
Flas surged.
Stone shattered.
Wind howled.
So matches ended within seconds.
Others stretched longer, becoming contests of endurance and control.
Aether watched them all.
He noticed patterns.
Many students relied entirely on their beasts, offering little guidance. Their beasts fought on instinct alone, without coordination.
Others issued commands too slowly.
So panicked under pressure.
Very few demonstrated true synchronization.
It confird his earlier thoughts.
Strength alone was not enough.
Control.
Timing.
Understanding.
Those mattered more.
Then, a voice echoed across the arena.
"Aether — Arena Platform Three."
The crowd reacted imdiately.
Whispers spread quickly.
"That’s him."
"The one with the Fire Pup."
"I want to see this."
Aether stepped forward calmly.
The Fire Pup walked beside him, its steps steady.
They ascended the platform together.
Across from him stood his opponent.
A muscular student with a confident smirk.
Behind him stood a massive beast.
A Stonebreaker Rhino.
Its thick, armored hide resembled layered stone. Its muscles were imnse. Each breath it exhaled carried visible force.
It was a defensive powerhouse.
The opponent crossed his arms.
"I’ve been waiting for this."
Aether nodded slightly.
"Good."
The barrier activated around them.
The match began.
—
The Stonebreaker Rhino charged instantly.
Its massive weight shook the platform.
Each step thundered like falling boulders.
The crowd roared with excitent.
"That beast is strong!"
But Aether didn’t move.
Instead, the Fire Pup moved.
It stepped sideways lightly, avoiding the charge with effortless agility.
Its small body contrasted sharply with the rhino’s massive fra.
The rhino turned and charged again.
Faster this ti.
More aggressive.
The Fire Pup released a small wave of fire.
Not to attack.
To disrupt.
The flas spread briefly across the ground, forcing the rhino to slow and adjust its movent.
Aether watched everything.
The breathing rhythm.
The muscle tension.
The reaction speed.
He wasn’t trying to win imdiately.
He was gathering information.
The opponent frowned.
"You’re not fighting seriously."
Aether answered calmly.
"I am."
He simply wasn’t rushing.
Because rushing led to mistakes.
The rhino charged again.
This ti, the Fire Pup’s flas deepened.
The temperature rose sharply.
Heat distorted the air itself.
The rhino hesitated.
Just slightly.
But that hesitation revealed everything.
Its resistance to heat was limited.
Its speed decreased under environntal pressure.
Its confidence depended on overwhelming force.
Aether had already understood the opponent’s strategy.
And its weakness.
—
High above in the stands, Riven watched silently.
Unlike the others, he wasn’t excited.
He wasn’t entertained.
He was focused.
Because he could see what most students couldn’t.
Aether wasn’t just fighting.
He was calculating.
Every movent.
Every reaction.
Every weakness.
He was studying his opponent in real ti.
And that made him dangerous.
Far more dangerous than raw strength alone.
Riven’s smile had disappeared.
For the first ti, his expression beca serious.
Because he understood sothing important.
Aether wasn’t trying to win this match.
He was preparing for every match that would follow.
—
On the platform, the Fire Pup stood calmly, flas flickering like a living aura.
The Stonebreaker Rhino hesitated again.
The balance of the battle had already shifted.
The first stage of the tournant had begun.
And this was only the opening move.
For Aether, this wasn’t just a fight.
It was the beginning of his ascent.
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