I am Just an Average Tamer

Kai took stance, raising both his daggers, steady and low.

The faint flicker of tension thrummed through his frame, but his eyes were calm—sharp.

Measured.

Across from him, Aria straightened, one hand brushing against the fur of her Ironfang Panther.

Frosty held their position at front of her.

Arven twirled his polearm once—a lazy motion with deadly precision.

His lips curled into a half-smirk, sharp eyes watching everyone like a seasoned hunter sizing up prey.

Cassian, standing a few steps away from him, rolled his shoulders once, cracked his neck, then gripped both his swords tighter.

Quiet focus, jaw clenched. Unlike Arven, there was no grin, just pure readiness.

Riven cracked his knuckles loudly, fire coiling around his arm as his Flame Serpent slammed against it and let out a hiss.

"Alright! Now this… this is my kinda chaos."

Seyvr raised both arms, and glowing fire glyphs spiraled around him like blooming sunbursts. His expression was carved in stone.

And Corrin?

He tilted his head, crescent blade resting on his shoulder, grin curling like he'd already won. "I was getting bored. Let's make it fun."

BOOM!

Cassian lunged first, fast and brutal.

His twin blades danced toward Kai, but Kai was faster

[Ghost Steps!]

He blurred to the side, vanishing into smoke.

Corrin moved at the same time, blade arcing low toward Aria.

[Moon Cleave!]

The attack split the air with a crescent of whitish-purple light, but Ivy surged forward, blocking with a roar.

Arven clashed with Riven, polearm whirling like a scythe.

Riven caught it with flaming fists, eyes wild. "You hit like my grandma!"

Cassian twisted mid-swing, now clashing with Corrin as Kai darted back.

Then—

[Phantom Slash!]

Aiming at Seyvr from the shadows.

But—

[Sunburst Flame!]

Glyphs exploded around the elf and Kai was forced to vault back.

"Try harder," Seyvr muttered, throwing a fire spiral straight at Aria, forcing her to dive and roll, loosing a wind pulse in retaliation.

Corrin laughed as he blocked Cassian with one hand, blade spinning in a crescent blur—

[Abyssal Spectrum!]

Shadowy afterimages splitting in three directions. Cassian grunted, barely blocking.

Arven clashed with Riven again, this time sparks flying as his polearm caught Riven's flames. "Talk less."

"Make me!" Riven cackled, sending his Flame Serpent curling behind Arven while he punched forward.

Kai appeared behind Seyvr again.

[Thunderclap!]

Crackling energy burst through his blade and hit its target.

Seyvr stumbled, rolled on the ground.

Corrin turned mid-laugh and clashed with Kai. Sparks burst. Corrin grinned. "There you are."

"Focus," Kai muttered, locking blades, before vanishing again.

Cassian swung at Corrin from behind, but Corrin flipped and kicked him in the chest, sending him tumbling.

Arven now was facing Seyvr—fire vs polearm. The clash set the trees behind them ablaze.

Kai moved in a blur—his four extra daggers flying in different directions—two toward Cassian, two at Riven.

Cassian blocked with a cross slash. Riven ducked. "Hey! Friendly fire huh?"

Kai didn't respond.

Just moved—

[Ghost Steps!]

And appeared right back toward Corrin. Their blades collided again.

CLANG!

Seyvr aimed a fire beam at Aria, who whirled and called Gleamy's storm shield.

Sparks and wind mixed, bursting outward.

Ivy tackled Corrin, forcing him back. Corrin leapt and flipped midair, grinning wide. "Gods, this is fun!"

Then—

Kai darted in from the right.

[Thunderclap!]

But. Corrin twisted, blocking with one hand while sweeping the other blade to catch Cassian's sneak attack.

Kai was breathing heavier now. Muscles aching. But his eyes? Focused.

Corrin backed off, rolling his neck.

Riven stumbled near him, singed by Arven's latest strike. "Okay… that one hurt."

Corrin chuckled.

Gleamy shrieked as it parried a fire slash from Seyvr.

Cassian and Arven stood back to back now, blades up, bruised but not broken.

Kai twirled a dagger, watching everyone. Breathing deep.

[<You okay?>]

'Looks like it.'

[<Just for the record, I ain't saving your sorry ass here.>]

'Gaah! Just shut up already.'

His jaw tightened.

Everyone was watching everyone.

Gleamy circled overhead, casting glimmering shadows with each beat of her wings.

Ivy prowled beside Aria, fangs bared, muscles coiled tight.

Frosty's ears were flattened, paws low against the forest floor, steam rising from the air around her.

Corrin's grin was still in place, crescent blade balanced like a toy against his shoulder.

"Round two?" he offered.

Cassian didn't wait.

He surged forward like a drawn arrow, blades blurring into a cross-slash aimed straight at Corrin's midsection.

The other boy sidestepped, barely and swung low.

CLANG!

Sparks flew.

Cassian grunted, feet sliding over the dirt as he locked one blade with Corrin's.

Then Corrin twisted.

[Abyssal Spectrum!]

Three phantom blades shot out like shadows, streaking toward Cassian's torso and sides.

He blocked the first two, barely, but the third caught his thigh.

Gush!

Blood sprayed.

"Argh!"

Cassian hissed.

Corrin didn't stop. He advanced again, his blade now sweeping down in an overhead arc, relentless.

Cassian crouched and countered with a rising slash.

CLANG!

Metal rang.

They broke apart, breathing hard.

Corrin smirked. "Not bad."

Cassian didn't respond.

He charged again, swinging his twin blades like a storm.

They clashed—strike, parry, sweep, dodge—each blow ringing loud, a chorus of steel.

But Corrin… Corrin danced through it all. Fluid. Ruthless.

[Moon Cleave!]

His blade split through the air.

Cassian tried to block, but Corrin feinted. The real strike came low.

Cassian's left leg gave out.

"Aaah!"

With a shout, he fell to a knee.

Corrin raised his blade.

One strike.

Clean.

Cassian turned into white motes, vanishing from the sight.

"First one down," Corrin murmured, his voice almost... disappointed.

Kai didn't move.

Yet.

Because Arven did.

He launched himself at Seyvr, polearm spinning like a windmill of death.

Seyvr met him head-on.

[Sunburst Flame!]

The explosion blinded everyone for a heartbeat. When the dust cleared, Arven's left shoulder armor was scorched black.

He grinned. "Now that's more like it."

He spun low and struck with the other end of the polearm, cracking into Seyvr's ribs.

The elf staggered back, coughing.

Fire flickered weakly around him.

"Losing steam?" Arven asked, eyes sharp.

Seyvr growled, stepping back, he flared another glyph.

[Fire Torrent!]

A spiraling whip of fire screamed forward.

But Arven had already moved, sliding under it, polearm aimed like a spear and slammed it into Seyvr's stomach.

The glyphs blinked out.

Seyvr gasped once and dropped onto his knees.

[Earth Wall!]

And build a cube around him.

Just as Arven was about to move towards him—

FWOOSH!

A blast of blue frost hit him.

Frosty leapt forward, freezing winds erupting from its paws.

Arven stumbled, blocking with his polearm as Gleamy swept in from above, talons glowing.

He fought both, barely holding ground.

Meanwhile, Kai moved.

[Ghost Steps!]

And appeared behind Riven.

[Phantom Slash!]

Riven twisted just in time, the tip of Kai's dagger cutting through his ribs.

"Yikes," Riven hissed, fire coiling.

Kai didn't let up.

[Thunderclap!]

A surge of lightning burst from his palm, sending Riven skidding backward.

Flame Serpent lashed out, wrapping around Kai's leg.

He stabbed down, freeing himself, then lunged again.

The two clashed in close quarters.

Fire against shadow.

Kai's movements were sharper, colder—cutting in and out, never lingering.

One final strike to Riven's chest and he turned into motes of white.

Aria turned from Arven, eyes tracking.

She saw Kai.

He nodded once.

Then they both moved—toward Corrin.

Ivy lunged first.

Corrin danced aside, but Gleamy swept low, wind slashing.

Kai appeared on Corrin's flank.

Corrin blocked, barely, but grinning.

"This is getting spicy."

[Thunderclap!]

[Moon Cleave!]

[Phantom Slash!]

[Abyssal Spectrum!]

The forest filled with light and shadow.

Kai struck from the left.

Aria from the right.

Corrin parried both, blade singing.

Ivy sank fangs into Corrin's leg.

"Argh!"

He hissed.

Then—

Corrin spun and slammed the flat of his blade into Aria's ribs.

She crumpled.

He turned, only to take a dagger to the shoulder.

Corrin grunted.

Then grabbed Kai's wrist and flipped him.

They both hit the dirt, rolling.

Kai stabbed—Corrin blocked—Corrin kicked—Kai slid back.

Then—

Both stood.

Breathing heavily.

Sweating.

"Hahaha!"

Corrin laughed.

Kai didn't.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

They clashed again.

It was brutal.

Fast.

Every strike was meant to end it.

Corrin's blade moved like a storm.

Kai's daggers like flickering death.

In the end—

Corrin's foot found Kai's chest.

"Guagh!"

Air left his lungs as he got sent flying back.

Thud!

And dropped onto the ground, coughing blood.

Corrin wiped blood from his mouth, the corner of his lip cut.

He looked around.

Across the clearing, Aria stood with Gleamy overhead and Ivy prowling at her side. Her breaths were shallow, arms trembling.

She didn't hesitate.

[Wind Pulse!]

Gleamy's wings flared and sent a slicing current barreling toward Corrin.

He charged through it.

Frosty leapt between them with a chilling growl, ice blooming beneath Corrin's feet, but he pivoted, flipped up, and came down—

[Moon Cleave!]

A crescent burst of silvery-purple carved through the air.

Gleamy shrieked as the attack collided with its wing, sending it spiraling down.

Corrin landed, feet skidding.

Ivy pounced with a roar.

Claws out, fangs gleaming.

[Abyssal Spectrum!]

Corrin split, three afterimages.

Ivy slashed through one. Then another.

But missed.

The real Corrin appeared above, twisting in midair.

"Sorry, kitty."