I am Just an Average Tamer

"The next pair will be Lira Elsworth vs Kai."

Just as Professor Lysenna announced the names, a sharp silence fell over the training grounds for a split second…

Then—

Gasps echoed among the crowd.

Then from a pillar, far from the other students.

A lone figure stepped forward.

Her silver hair swayed lightly behind her, catching the breeze like threads of moonlight. The strands cascaded over her shoulder, elegant and untamed.

Her cold emerald-green eyes, unblinking, stared straight ahead, focused and calm. With each step she took toward the center, an invisible pressure seemed to radiate out.

Whispers started flying all around.

"Heh… we're finally gonna see her in action again."

"Didn't she have a duel a few weeks ago? Hmph."

"Weeks? Do you even know how long that is since we saw her like that?"

"Tch. Whatever."

Excitement and envy twisted together in the air like sparks in oil. Students stepped closer to get a better look, some with anticipation, others with narrowed eyes.

Lira reached the center of the ring, boots brushing softly against the sand as she came to a stop.

Just as her emerald-green eyes locked onto her target, her jaw tightened ever so slightly.

And she just stared at him.

Meanwhile, at the other end—

"Go on. Don't worry, we know she's strong…" Liliana said, slapping a hand against Kai's chest with a cheeky grin. "But what matters is you do your best."

Kai raised a brow at her, but before he could reply—

Smack!

Riven's hand landed on his back with a sharp slap. "You got it, bro. Show her what you're made of."

Corrin chuckled beside them. "Just don't go making excuses after the loss… you know, like a certain someone."

That earned him a glare.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Riven shot back, turning with narrowed eyes. "I let you win, damn it—"

"Oh yeah?"

"Oh yeah."

The two launched into one of their usual bickering sessions.

Aria rolled her eyes and stepped in front of Kai, ignoring the boys. She held out her fist. "You can do it. Just don't lose focus."

Kai met her eyes, smiled, and bumped her fist. "Got it."

He turned then, walking toward the center of the ring.

'Why the hell does this feel like I'm heading to war and not some mock duel…?' he wondered, exhaling slowly through his nose.

[<Well, in a sense you are.>]

A familiar blue panel popped in front of his eyes.

But he ignored and without turning back, he raised a hand and waved once at his group.

Just as Kai stepped into the center of the training ring, his eyes met hers.

Lira Elsworth.

Silver hair swayed gently over her shoulder, her emerald-green eyes locked onto him with a calm, icy sharpness that made the air around her feel colder.

Kai opened his mouth. "Yo—"

Before he could say something, his instincts screamed.

And.

Whoosh!

CRACK! CRACK!

Two razor-sharp icicle spears slammed into the ground where he'd stood a heartbeat ago, shards exploding outwardly.

His eyes widened. "What the hell are—?"

Before he could finish his words.

"Let the duel begin!" Professor Lysenna's voice rang clear across the field.

Then...

Whoosh!

Lira was already moving, a sleek longsword of sculpted ice glinting in her grip.

Her movements were fluid, cold, and calculated.

Kai ducked low, rolling to the side to create distance.

But—

"Frostbind Field."

The grains of sand beneath his boots shimmered unnaturally before they turned pale, frost webbing across the surface like lightning bolts through glass.

Crack!

SLIP!

His footing faltered as he skidded.

"Fuck."

He cursed sharply, under his breath.

And then—

Hiss!

A crystalline serpent burst from a swirl of snow behind her. Its body glimmered with ice-scales, jaws open wide.

"Damn it!"

Kai twisted, narrowly evading the strike, the serpent's fangs snapping shut just inches from his shoulder.

'What's with her now? She's like this from the morning.'

[<...>]

[<Are you really that clueless?>]

'What you mean?'

[<Nothing. Never mind.>]

Meanwhile, the crowd exploded into cheers, and hushed awe.

"Damn, she's awesome as always!"

"She's an Ace for a reason!"

"Hehe, she's so beautiful. I wanna marry her!"

"Bro, look at yourself in the mirror. That guy's got way better looks than you. Still didn't even get to say hi before she attacked."

"So what if she's cold? That's what makes her perfect. Not like your clingy bookworm of a girlfriend."

"Hey! Take that back!"

"Nuh uh. Truth hurts."

A scuffle broke out near the back, a mini duel of its own among spectators, though nowhere near as intense as the real one unfolding in the arena.

Back in the ring, Kai's eyes narrowed.

'So that's how we're doing this, huh?'

He straightened his posture slightly, exhaling as he studied her.

She wasn't giving him even a second of respect, no greetings, no buildup, just straight into business. That icy determination in her eyes told him everything.

Of whether he was worth anything.

Or not.

And if she wanted serious—

Then she'd get it.

Without hesitation, Kai summoned his twin daggers from his storage bracelet in a flash of dark light.

The cold metal settled into his hands like old friends.

No more holding back.

He lunged.

But—

HISSS!

The crystalline frost serpent whipped across his path like a living scythe of ice and scale, forcing him to pivot sharply mid-charge.

Its jaws snapped at him again, and he barely ducked in time.

He barely had a moment to breathe when—

Whrrr! Shing!

Glinting needles of frost, tiny ice shards the size of throwing knives, materialized midair and shot at him from Lira's outstretched palm.

"Shit!"

He deflected some with the flat of his dagger, others slicing past his arms and cheek.

Pain flared through the tiny cuts.

He gritted his teeth, and just as he tried to plant his feet—

CLANG!

Her blade met his in a sudden, heavy clash. The blow rattled his bones, and his stance broke as he skidded backward across the frozen ground.

'Damn, she's strong.'

He slid a few meters, boots scraping against the ice-coated arena.

His muscles tensed trying to stabilize, but the slickness underneath offered no mercy.

'And this fucking ice… it's killing my momentum. Makes every step feel like a damn trap.'

She came at him again, blade flashing.

He dodged. Parried. Slipped. Regained balance.

Then again, her frost serpent lunged. Its tail lashed past his shoulder, slicing through the gear and skin. A hot sting bloomed across his cheek.

'Fuck.'

Blood dripped from his jaw.

'I can't win without my beasts. Vex would just lose traction on this slippery mess... and Vael? He's not strong enough to push through this.'

Lira kept the pressure on. Her style wasn't explosive, it was inevitable. Like a glacier creeping closer with every second.

Unstoppable, silent and merciless.

Another flurry of strikes pushed him back again.

CLANG!

CLANG!

SKRRT!

He blocked each one, barely.

Sliding. Slipping.

'That only leaves me with one choice. But…'

He spared a glance at the crowd.

'Should I do it now?'

Lira advanced again, blade whistling in the air.

CLANG!

He met it and braced. Though the force numbed his arms.

He clicked his tongue and muttered, voice low.

"I don't have any other choice, huh."

With a sudden burst, he lunged again, a feint this time.

She parried, her form as steady as ever.

But Kai used the momentum, twisted his grip, leaned in, and planted a hand over her shoulder—

Then vaulted.

He flipped over her, soaring into the air above the battlefield.

As he ascended—

He whispered under his breath, voice like thunder in stillness.

"Come. Stromeon."

CRACKLE!

A streak of lightning tore through the air as Kai began to descend and then—

THUD!

A loud impact rattled the ring, sending icy shards flying like shrapnel.

GRAAAAAAAAAH!!!

A piercing roar split the sky as the lightning began crackling in the air.

Blue scales shimmered in the dust, electricity dancing across the sleek, muscular body of a Thunder Drake.

A pair of piercing glowing eyes scanned the field with barely-contained wildness.

The crowd gasped in waves.

"Is… is that a drake?!"

"Yeah! A thunder drake!"

"Holy shit, where the hell did he find something like that?!"

"No way… How's a beast like that bonded to him?!"

"Forget that! Look at it! That thing's a monster!"

Professor Lysenna, however, just smiled.

A slow, dangerous curl of her lips.

"Interesting."

Stromeon exhaled, lightning crackling across his nostrils as he puffed smoke into the air.

Kai stood on his back, panting softly, eyes still locked on Lira.

Across the field, she remained unfazed. Her silver hair danced lightly as the frost around her shimmered with a subtle glow.

She adjusted her stance, sliding one foot forward, the other bracing behind. Her sword raised, clean and precise.

She spoke softly. Calmly.

"Come here, Snow."

Her frost serpent slithered to her side, eyes glowing with frozen rage, fangs bared.

Kai locked his eyes with Lira, while Stromeon with Snow.

And then.

They moved.