Chapter 32: Chapter 32: The Mont of Collapse
The battlefield had reached its breaking point.
Ruined walls leaned dangerously, the ground was scarred with claw marks and burn patterns, and the air itself seed heavy with the heat of battle. Both beasts were breathing hard now, their movents slower than before—but the intensity in their eyes had not faded.
If anything, it had grown stronger.
Because both sides understood the sa truth.
This fight would end soon.
---
Aether stood quietly inside the fading spiral of flas.
The Fire Pup landed beside him after the last mid-air clash with the Steelfang Panther. Small embers drifted around its body like glowing dust.
But despite the fatigue in its movents, the Fire Pup’s flas had changed.
They were deeper now.
More controlled.
More focused.
Across the battlefield, Kael noticed it imdiately.
He narrowed his eyes.
"So that’s it..."
He smiled slightly.
"You’ve been holding back energy."
Aether didn’t deny it.
"Not holding back," he replied calmly.
"Preparing."
---
Students in the stands leaned forward again.
Everyone could feel it now.
The final stage of the battle had begun.
Liora spoke quietly to herself,
"He’s about to end it."
But she wasn’t sure how.
And neither was anyone else watching.
---
Kael raised his hand slowly.
"Steelfang."
The panther stepped forward.
Its tallic claws dug into the cracked arena floor.
Then Kael gave the command.
"Full release."
For a mont—
Nothing happened.
Then suddenly—
A dark tallic aura erupted around the Steelfang Panther.
Its muscles expanded slightly, and the steel-like patterns across its body began glowing faintly.
The pressure in the battlefield increased instantly.
Students gasped.
"That’s his beast’s second combat mode!"
"He’s using everything now!"
Instructor Dren’s expression turned serious.
"So Kael finally decided to go all out."
---
Down on the battlefield, the Steelfang Panther roared.
Then it disappeared.
Not vanished—
But moved so fast that it beca almost impossible to track.
The Fire Pup imdiately reacted, flas spreading across the ground again to detect movent.
But this ti—
The panther broke through the detection pattern.
Aether noticed instantly.
"So he sacrificed precision for raw speed."
That ant Kael had made a dangerous decision.
A high-risk strategy.
But if it worked—
The fight could end instantly.
---
BOOM!
The Steelfang Panther burst out from the flas and attacked directly.
The Fire Pup intercepted.
The clash was far more violent than before.
Flas exploded outward while the panther’s claws sliced through the air like blades.
The impact pushed both beasts backward several ters.
Students watching the battle shouted in shock.
"They’re destroying the arena!"
---
Kael moved at the sa ti.
This ti, he didn’t wait.
He rushed forward again to pressure Aether directly.
His voice echoed across the battlefield.
"Let’s end this!"
The Steelfang Panther launched another attack.
But this ti—
It wasn’t aiming for the Fire Pup.
It was aiming for Aether.
---
The audience gasped.
Even so instructors stood up slightly.
Because Kael’s strategy was clear now.
He was forcing Aether to defend himself instead of controlling the battlefield.
And that could change everything.
---
But Aether did not panic.
Instead—
He stepped forward.
Not backward.
Forward.
Kael’s eyes widened slightly.
"You’re eting it head-on?"
Aether spoke calmly.
"Yes."
Then he gave a quiet command.
"Now."
---
The Fire Pup’s flas suddenly changed.
Instead of spreading outward—
They compressed.
Gathering around its body like a concentrated storm of fire.
The air around the battlefield began distorting from the heat.
Instructor Dren imdiately realized what was happening.
"Wait... that’s not just an attack."
Another instructor said,
"He’s forcing an energy collapse."
---
At that mont, the Steelfang Panther lunged forward again.
The distance between the beasts closed instantly.
And then—
They collided.
But this ti—
The impact was completely different.
Instead of an explosion—
There was a mont of silence.
A strange stillness.
Then suddenly—
A massive shockwave erupted outward.
BOOOOOOM!
The ground cracked violently.
Broken structures collapsed completely.
Dust and energy spread across the entire arena.
Students shielded their eyes.
For several seconds—
No one could see what had happened.
---
When the dust began to settle...
Two figures stood in the center of the battlefield.
Aether.
And Kael.
Both beasts were still there.
But sothing had changed.
The Steelfang Panther was kneeling slightly, its breathing heavy.
The Fire Pup was also exhausted.
But it was still standing strong.
Flas flickered quietly around its body.
---
Kael stared at the battlefield.
Then he laughed.
A tired but genuine laugh.
"So that was your plan."
Aether nodded.
"You increased speed."
"And I increased pressure."
Kael looked at the cracked ground around them.
Then he realized it.
"You forced my beast to burn energy faster than it could recover."
Aether didn’t respond.
Because Kael had understood perfectly.
---
Up in the stands, Liora smiled slightly.
"He won."
But the battle hadn’t officially ended yet.
Because Kael wasn’t finished.
---
The Steelfang Panther slowly stood up again.
Students gasped.
"It’s still fighting?!"
Kael looked at his beast.
For a mont, the two of them exchanged a silent understanding.
Then Kael spoke.
"One last attack."
The panther roared.
And launched forward again.
---
The Fire Pup responded instantly.
Flas surged upward.
Both beasts charged toward each other for the final clash.
The entire academy held its breath.
---
Then—
BOOM!
The final collision shook the battlefield one last ti.
When the dust cleared again...
The Steelfang Panther collapsed to one knee.
Its strength had finally run out.
The Fire Pup was barely standing as well.
But it had endured just enough.
---
Silence filled the arena.
Then Instructor Dren raised his hand.
"The match is over!"
His voice echoed across the academy.
"Winner..."
He paused briefly.
"Aether."
---
The entire arena erupted into cheers.
Students stood up, shouting and clapping loudly.
Because they had just witnessed one of the most intense battles in academy history.
But down on the battlefield—
Aether simply walked forward.
He extended his hand toward Kael.
"You fought well."
Kael looked at him for a mont.
Then he smiled and accepted the handshake.
"Yeah."
He nodded.
"You too."
---
High above the arena, the instructors were discussing quietly.
"That boy is dangerous."
"Not just strong—he’s calculated."
Instructor Dren nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Then he looked at Aether carefully.
"And this is only the beginning of his academy life."
---
anwhile, in the stands, Liora watched silently.
Her expression was thoughtful.
Because she had noticed sothing no one else had yet.
During the final clash—
The Fire Pup’s flas had changed again.
Only slightly.
But enough.
And if her guess was correct...
Its evolution might be approaching sooner than expected.
---
Down in the battlefield, Aether placed a hand on the Fire Pup’s head.
"You did well."
The small beast wagged its tail slightly, despite its exhaustion.
But deep inside its flas—
Sothing was stirring.
A new power.
A transformation waiting to happen.
And Aether could feel it.
The next stage of their journey was coming.
Very soon.
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