Tamer's Path

The familiar rustle of leaves and chirping of distant birds greeted me as we returned to the forest arena. This time, I had a plan. I turned to Asura, his molten form radiating heat as the forest air shimmered around him.

"Asura," I said firmly, my voice low to keep Elias from overhearing. "You go ahead. Draw their attention. I'll hang back and set traps. Let's make this their problem, not ours."

Asura didn't respond verbally—he never needed to—but the confident tilt of his head and the crackling of his emerald flames said enough. Without hesitation, his boosters roared to life, propelling him forward in a blur of molten silver and green.

I activated my mech armor, the silver energy plating forming around my body like a second skin. Its cool hum steadied me as I retreated into the dense foliage, blending into the shadows. Laying traps wasn't my usual style, but Elias was clearly a better fighter. If I wanted to defeat him, I needed to play this game on my terms.

Asura flew through the forest canopy, his boosters leaving a trail of scorched leaves in his wake. It didn't take long for him to locate Elias and the massive Lava Wyvern. The dragonic creature's molten rock body glowed ominously, heatwaves distorting the air around it.

Elias stood confidently beside his partner, his energy mech armor shimmering in hues of red and gold. He didn't flinch as Asura created a massive pillar of emerald flames beneath them.

The wyvern, resistant to fire, weathered the attack with minimal damage. Elias, shielded by his armor, emerged unscathed. "You're going to have to try harder than that!" he called out, his voice carrying through the forest.

The wyvern retaliated instantly, unleashing a concentrated beam of earth energy. Asura darted through the sky, dodging effortlessly before responding with a barrage of laser attacks. The lasers arced and curved mid-flight, carving through trees and earth as they homed in on their target.

The wyvern roared, summoning a magma barrier to deflect the attacks. Simultaneously, it launched magma bombs, each one exploding into fiery bursts that scorched the forest floor.

Elias, however, had other plans. Ignoring Asura, he activated a flight booster on his armor and took off in my direction.

I crouched low, hidden among the roots of a massive tree. My traps—trip mines and energy nets—were set in a wide perimeter. I watched through my rifle's scope as Elias closed in, weaving effortlessly through the trees.

"Asura," I murmured into the communicator. "Focus on the wyvern. Don't let it support him."

Elias must have noticed the shift in my strategy. With a smirk, he gave his wyvern new orders. "Stay grounded. Use the terrain to your advantage."

The wyvern dropped to the forest floor with a resounding crash, kicking up a smokescreen that blanketed the area. Asura, unable to see through the dense smoke, flew higher for a better vantage point.

But the wyvern was no longer visible. Instead, it sank into the ground, moving through the earth with alarming speed.

Asura scanned the battlefield from above, sending laser barrages into the smoke to flush out his opponent. But the wyvern was now using the terrain to its full advantage, sending boulders flying from below.

The attacks became a rapid back-and-forth exchange, neither side gaining a clear upper hand. Frustrated, Asura dove into the smoke, crashing into the ground with a thunderous impact. The force created a massive crater, spreading emerald flames in all directions.

This, however, played right into the wyvern's trap. The ground beneath Asura shifted, trapping him as an earth energy beam struck him head-on.

The hit was powerful, shaking the forest as debris flew everywhere. But Asura's armor and resilience held strong. He roared, breaking free of the earth's grasp with sheer strength, his molten body glowing fiercely.

Akira's voice cut through the chaos. "Asura, deploy the spikes. Let's take control of the battlefield."

Obeying, Asura launched metallic spikes into the ground, each one embedding deep within the earth. These spikes began to pulse, creating an electromagnetic field that disrupted the wyvern's movements.

The wyvern attempted to dodge but found itself increasingly boxed in as more spikes moved toward it. Just when Asura seemed to have the upper hand, the wyvern activated a personal energy armor that was mixed with energy from Elias, repelling the spikes and taking to the skies.

The wyvern, now airborne, roared and unleashed its full power. Towers of earth erupted from the ground, forming a network of elevated platforms. From these towers, the wyvern launched a barrage of earth bullets, each one aiming to corner and distract Asura.

Despite the wyvern's overwhelming strength, Asura remained agile, dodging the attacks with ease. But Elias wasn't done. A sudden glow enveloped the wyvern's eyes, and I recognized the technique instantly.

"Eye of Tiamus…" I whispered, dread creeping into my voice.

The wyvern's gaze locked onto Asura, and for a moment, he froze mid-flight, unable to move. The Dragon Ravine ability—a battlefield-wide suppression technique—activated, amplifying the wyvern's stats while weakening Asura.

"Get out of there, Asura!" I yelled through the communicator.

Snapping out of the stun, Asura's boosters flared to life, propelling him high above the battlefield. From his elevated position, he began to charge his ultimate attack.

Hovering in the sky, Asura focused his energy into his lance. A massive ball of emerald flames began to form, its size dwarfing the surrounding trees. Slowly, it compressed into a concentrated sphere, no larger than a ping pong ball. Flame ribbons danced along the lance, their intensity growing with every second.

Asura launched a series of fireballs, blanketing the battlefield to trap the wyvern. Meanwhile, he created a metallic clone, sending it to engage the wyvern directly. The clone wasn't strong, but it was enough to distract the creature.

Then, with the battlefield set, Asura dived.

He moved like a missile, his lance leading the charge as he broke the sound barrier. The sheer force of his descent created a shockwave, tearing through the forest below.

The wyvern, caught between the clone and the incoming attack, braced itself. But just as the lance was about to connect, a system alert blared through the arena.

A shimmering barrier separated the combatants, and both Asura and the wyvern were forcibly pulled from the battlefield.

The battle was over.

----

The dense forest was alive with tension, the faint hum of energy from my traps barely audible over the rustling leaves. I crouched low, my mech armor active, its tail coiled around me like a serpent ready to strike. I could feel my heart pounding, a steady rhythm against the chaos of my thoughts. Elias was getting closer—I knew it.

Suddenly, a voice echoed through the clearing.

"I didn't expect you to run from the battlefield, Akira," Elias taunted. His tone was calm, calculated, the kind of confidence that came from knowing he had the upper hand. "This is strange… or have you prepared some traps for me?"

Before I could respond, an energy wave tore through the forest, clearing trees, foliage, and the traps I had meticulously set.

I barely had time to react. Raising my arm, I activated my barrier, blocking the brunt of the wave, though the force sent me skidding backward. My rifle was already in my hands, and I opened fire. Energy blasts shot toward Elias, precise and rapid.

But he blocked them with ease, his crimson energy blade deflecting the attacks like they were nothing.

I didn't answer his taunts, focusing instead on maintaining pressure. Each shot was calculated, aimed to keep him from advancing too quickly.

Elias narrowed his eyes. "Silent, are we? Fine. Let's get this over with."

Elias surged toward me, his movements impossibly fast. His energy blade—a brilliant crimson enhanced with a fire gem—glowed menacingly as it slashed through the air.

I barely dodged the first swing, its heat grazing the edge of my armor. Holstering my rifle, I summoned my energy blade, channeling my power to transform it into a massive axe. The weapon pulsed with raw energy, its edge gleaming with intent.

Energy orbs I had deployed earlier hovered above us. With a flick of my wrist, they shot toward Elias, forcing him to deflect or evade.

But Elias was relentless. He moved like a predator, weaving through the barrage with precision. His blade met my axe in a clash of sparks and force, the impact reverberating through the air.

I activated a barrier cage, hoping to trap him, but Elias shattered it with a single punch, the energy rippling outward as he launched a powerful beam attack.

I countered by firing a tail beam, the appendage of my mech armor whipping around to intercept the attack. The resulting explosion rocked the ground beneath us, but Elias emerged unscathed, his movements fluid and deliberate.

No matter how many energy spikes or bullets I launched, he blocked or avoided them all. His attacks were relentless, each one strategically aimed to exploit my weaknesses.

Elias's mastery of combat was overwhelming. He moved too fast, too precisely. His strikes with the blade weren't just powerful—they were calculated. Every cut seemed to target weak points in my energy armor, slicing through layers with precision.

I, on the other hand, was struggling. My movements felt clumsy in comparison, my attacks easily deflected.

"You're a beginner," Elias said, his voice devoid of mockery but filled with certainty. "I seem to have overestimated you."

His words stung, but I didn't let them distract me. I pressed on, swinging my axe with all the force I could muster.

He blocked it effortlessly.

With a final series of focused strikes, Elias dismantled my energy armor completely. His blade hovered inches from my chest, and I froze.

The system's voice rang out, cold and impartial. "Combatant Akira has been defeated."

Elias lowered his blade, stepping back. "Your tamer skills and planning are impressive," he admitted. "But your personal combat skills leave a lot of room for improvement."

I stayed silent, my chest heaving as I tried to process the fight. My body felt heavy, and my pride stung.

Elias smirked. "Let's test the limits of your tamer skills now, shall we?"

As he walked away, I felt a chill run through me. Fighting Elias had been terrifying. It wasn't just his strength—it was his precision, his strategy. He had torn through my defenses like they were paper.

Back at my side, Lilia and Asura spoke to me through the bond. Their voices were calm, soothing.

"You're not a fighter," Lilia said gently. "And that's okay. You've always been a thinker, a planner. Don't let this shake you."

Asura, despite his own recent defeat, was equally supportive. "He's strong, but so are we. Next time, we'll be ready."

But the frustration bubbled beneath my skin. I hated feeling helpless, hated being at such a disadvantage.

"Let me take care of this," came a dark, menacing voice.

It was Nyx, his shadowy form manifesting beside me. His tone was cold, calculated, and filled with barely restrained malice.

"Let me get revenge for you," he continued. "That human dared to mess with you, and I won't stand for it. Let me show him what happens when he underestimates us."

I hesitated, knowing Nyx's penchant for cruelty. But the sight of Elias, standing confidently with his Lava Wyvern, made my decision for me.

"Asura is out. Lilia isn't suited for this fight. Nyx… you're up."

The shadowy figure grinned, his aura darkening as he stepped forward.

"Good," Nyx said, his voice dripping with malice. "Let's see how confident he is after I'm done with him."