I am Just an Average Tamer

A loud, sharp ring buzzed through the arena, silencing the excited murmurs of the crowd.

"The final Phase begin now!" the announcer bellowed, his voice full of energy.

The crowd roared in response, the stadium trembling with the weight of excitement.

One by one, the remaining participants marched onto the expanded stage, the ground beneath them solidified and reinforced by earth mages.

A storm of cheers erupted when a familiar figure in black appeared — the crowd's chants unified into a single deafening wave.

"Ghost! Ghost! Ghost!"

Kai's eyes narrowed slightly.

The others looked around, shifting uneasily—none of them were eager to cross paths with him.

Then Kai caught the glimpse of Aria among the crowd, her figure calm, poised like a drawn arrow ready to fire.

Riven leaned over the railing, cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Go, Aria! Show 'em how it's done!"

Kai stayed silent, arms crossed.

Riven smirked and elbowed him playfully. "C'mon, show some spirit. That's your girl out there."

Kai didn't respond, just kept watching.

The announcer didn't waste any more time.

"And—BEGIN!"

The earth shook as dozens of magical beasts burst onto the battlefield, colliding in a chaotic, breathtaking storm.

On one side of the stage, Aria's Ironfang Panther materialized with a feral snarl, its sleek muscles coiled and ready. Two opposing beasts—a wind fox and a stone-armored boar—lunged at her from opposite directions.

The Panther snarled, weaving through their attacks with razor precision.

Aria gave a quick hand signal, and her panther moved like a shadow, dodging the fox's snap and slamming a clawed paw into the boar's side.

The ground shook from the impact, but the opponents weren't down yet.

The battle raged on, fierce and gritty, but with a final powerful strike, the Ironfang Panther sent both opponents sprawling, victorious.

The crowd roared, a wild mixture of awe and excitement.

Around the field, more beasts clashed—thunder roared, fireballs flew, shadows danced.

Then—

A chilling silence spread across the arena.

From the corner of the stage, Ghost's shadow wolf began to move.

It blurred into a dark mist and darted across the field, faster than the eye could track.

In mere seconds, it tore through half of the participants' beasts—swift, brutal, merciless.

Kai felt the blood drain from his face as he watched.

Even Riven, who was mid-cheer, lowered his hands slowly, eyes wide.

The stadium erupted into a deafening cheer, the Ghost chants growing louder.

The battlefield trembled as all the remaining participants summoned rest of their beasts.

Dozens of creatures appeared, each roaring, growling, or bracing for the chaos to come.

But for a moment, none attacked each other.

Instead, all eyes turned to the boy in black.

Ghost.

It was an unspoken agreement, yet clear in everyone's actions.

Rivalries were momentarily set aside—because if they didn't eliminate the real threat now, none of them stood a chance.

A tall boy with silver hair sneered.

"Looks like your time's up, freak."

Another nodded, confident.

"You're strong, but this is where it ends."

Ghost didn't respond. He simply stood there.

Then—

His shadow wolf lowered into a stance, barely visible tendrils of dark mist curling around its limbs.

The beasts charged—wind tigers, lava serpents, a lightning hawk, and more, surging toward him like a wave.

And then—

HOWL!

The shadow wolf howled.

A sudden hum of energy filled the air.

From its maw, a crackling, purple energy orb formed, pulsing violently.

The moment it launched the orb—

BOOM!

The explosion sent shockwaves through the arena.

Some beasts were knocked unconscious instantly.

Others staggered or tried to dodge—only to be struck down in the next second by the shadow wolf itself, who moved like a blur, a phantom of death.

One by one, the beasts dropped.

It wasn't a fight.

It was a slaughter.

Back in the stands, Kai and Riven stiffened, unease churning in their guts.

Kai clenched the edge of his seat, breathing shallow.

Then—a familiar blue panel hovered in front of him.

[<Brat.. don't even think about engaging with that boy. He isn't someone you can afford to cross path with, not now, not ever.>]

Kai's eyes narrowed. He bit his lip hard, forcing himself to stay calm.

"I know..." he muttered, barely audible.

Every part of him burned to confront Ghost.

To wipe that smug silence off his face. But he couldn't.

Not yet.

Not while Ghost was a monster walking in a human's shadow.

Meanwhile in the arena.

Aria's Ironfang Panther pounced through the chaos, knocking another beast to the ground with a swift, brutal strike.

It barely paused before spinning around and tackling a second one.

One by one, her panther cleared the field, carving a path through the battle.

Above the roaring crowd, the numbers quickly thinned.

From fifty, only ten participants remained.

Most were already clinging to their last summoned beasts, their previous ones lying unconscious or recalled.

Only two stood steady with their first — Aria and Ghost.

But Aria could feel it —

Ironfang Panther's breaths were getting heavier, its movements a fraction slower.

She clenched her fists.

She needed to end this. Fast.

Just as she prepared to make a move—

A hulking Ironhorn Ram charged from the side with a furious bellow.

Ironfang Panther pivoted on instinct, dodging with a sharp sidestep and moving in for a vicious counterattack.

But a blur of darkness zipped past.

CRACK!

In an instant, both the Panther and the Ram were sent sprawling across the stage.

"Dammit," she muttered under her breath.

Without hesitation, she summoned her second beast — a Stormtalon Hawk, its wings crackling faintly with static.

Aria clicked her tongue and swiftly summoned her second beast. A sleek Frostclaw Lynx emerged onto the field with a growl.

But as her lynx materialized, she realized — it was already too late for most.

Across the stage, the last remaining participants were falling, one after another. Ghost's shadow wolf darted among them like a phantom, leaving a trail of unconscious beasts behind.

In seconds, all that remained were her and him.

Without hesitation, Aria summoned her final beast.

A stone-plated Direhound and signaled both her beasts forward.

From the stands, Kai watched.

Beside him, Riven shifted uneasily.

"Come on, Aria…" he muttered under his breath.

On the stage, Aria didn't waste a second.

Her lynx darted in from the left, her hound from the right.

Feints, quick attacks, and sudden switches—a perfectly executed combination.

The wolf shifted to dodge—and stepped right into her trap.

A shimmering frost barrier rose at the perfect moment, trapping the shadow wolf in.

Her hound's earth-spike attack followed, sealing the exits.

Aria smirked, confident.

"It's over."

The crowd gasped, leaning forward in their seats.