The battle continues until you're either defeated, yield, or your stamina reaches the safety threshold. The top scorers will be ranked accordingly. Understood?"
"Understood!" the students shouted in unison, excitement and nerves buzzing through the air.
"Good. Then let's begin."
The first name appeared on the glowing panel hovering above the arena—Sophia Jinra
She took a deep breath and stepped forward confidently. Behind her, her Mystic Bond shimmered into existence—a phoenix-shaped spirit of living flame, hovering above her shoulder like a burning halo.
"Opponent, Red-Fur Rat—Low Private Stage!" announced the instructor.
A summoning circle formed in front of Sophia, and from it emerged a red-furred rat nearly the size of a wolf. Its twin teeth gleamed like curved daggers, and sparks danced beneath its claws as it hissed lowly.
Sophia narrowed her eyes. "Speed type, huh?"
The beast lunged with a screech, vanishing into a blur. But Sophia was faster. Her crimson flames flared to life, twisting into a whirling spiral that exploded forward like a miniature vortex of fire. The rat was engulfed instantly, its shriek echoing briefly before dissolving into mana fragments.
"Target eliminated. Moving to Mid Private Stage," the instructor called.
Another red-fur rat appeared—stronger, faster, its fur glowing faintly. But Sophia's expression didn't waver. The ground beneath her feet cracked as her flames surged once more, forming fiery wings behind her for a brief moment before she thrust both hands forward.
A crimson spear of flame shot through the arena, piercing the rat cleanly through the chest.
"Mid Private Stage cleared."
Her classmates erupted in cheers. Even Sykes nodded with approval.
"She's good," he muttered. "If she keeps that pace, she might even reach Specialist-tier opponents."
But Sophia didn't stop there. As the next summon began, her flames intensified—radiating the unmistakable might of a High-Grade Fire Salamander.
Fire Salamanders in the Rare Rank were absolute rulers when it came to flame control. No other beast below their rank could match the sheer purity and destructive force of their fire. Even though Sophia's Salamander wasn't a Peak Rare Rank, its power was already terrifyingly refined.
Her control reflected that mastery perfectly. The flames around her didn't just burn—they flowed, rippling like molten silk with both grace and precision. The instructors exchanged glances, their eyes widening slightly.
"Her flames are identical to that of a Fire Salamander," one instructor whispered, scribbling down notes. "Her bonding synchronization must be at least 90%."
Sykes, who stood nearby with his arms crossed, shook his head. "No… not 90%. It's closer to 100%."
The other instructors turned to him, surprised.
Sykes' gaze shifted toward the spectators, specifically to where Alex was standing quietly, watching Sophia's match with calm eyes.
"But she's not the only one," Sykes said softly. "If Sophia's at 99%, then that boy… he's already at 100%."
"Oh, him?" one of the instructors replied. "Yeah, he's the one with the mutated fire chicken. Calls it the Golden Eating Chicken."
Sykes raised an eyebrow. "Golden Eating Chicken, huh? After the Golden Eating Colossus?"
The instructor nodded. "Exactly. And his flames—molten gold in color—are identical to the ones described in the Colossus' records."
Now, Sykes looked genuinely intrigued. "That's strange. The Golden Eating Colossus belongs to the Reptilian family, while a fire chicken is from the Aves line. How could two entirely different bloodlines merge?"
Another instructor shrugged. "Most likely, somewhere in its ancestry, one of its predecessors devoured a Golden Eating Colossus or a relic infused with its essence. That could've altered the gene structure—making it a hybrid mutation. Still, it's incredibly rare. The boy got very lucky to form a bond with it."
Sykes nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. "What grade did you assign him?"
"Mid-Rare," the instructor replied. "That's the limit based on the offensive capability he showed."
"Mid-Rare…" Sykes murmured, then smiled faintly. "Still, a remarkable mutation—from a Common-rank lineage to Mid-Rare at the start. Not something you see every day."
The instructor agreed with a small nod, turning back toward the arena. By then, Sophia had finished her match, having pushed all the way to the High Specialist-stage Red-Fur Rat before finally being forced to yield to Peak Specialist-stage Red-Fur Rat.
"Next student—Lloyd!" the instructor called.
Lloyd stepped forward, calm but focused. His water bullets shot like piercing arrows, each one finding its mark, but his endurance gave out after defeating the Peak Private-stage monster. Even so, it was a solid performance.
Then, finally, it was Alex's turn.
Once again, he walked up quietly, Lyra perched on his shoulder. The faint golden glow of her feathers drew a few curious looks from the audience.
"Begin!" the instructor commanded.
Alex's molten-gold flames roared to life, his movements smooth and controlled. Each attack was efficient—powerful enough to impress but not overwhelming. He advanced through the early stages easily, defeating monsters up to Mid Specialist-stage before panting like he is at his final breath(stopping voluntarily), letting the flames fade from his hand.
He didn't push beyond that point. Just enough to keep pace with Sophia, but not enough to draw unwanted attention.
Sykes, watching him closely, smiled faintly. "He's holding back," he muttered under his breath. "Smart kid." Unlike others he saw through Alex's facade.
Soon after Alex's match, more students stepped up one after another. The arena filled with roars, flashes of light, and the sound of steel meeting claw. Some battles ended in seconds; others dragged on until both tamer and beast were gasping for breath.
Finally, it was Max's turn.
"Next—Max Ironwood!" the instructor called.
Sophia turned and smiled. "You've got this, Max."
"Yeah," Alex added, giving him a firm nod. "Show them what you've got."
Max grinned, rolling his shoulders. "Wouldn't dream of doing anything less."
As he stepped into the arena, a faint metallic shimmer spread across his skin. It wasn't armor—it was his body itself. His bond beast, the Iron Talon Hawk, resonated with him, the bond flaring so intensely that his entire frame seemed to turn to steel. Even his eyes gleamed like tempered metal.
The instructor raised his hand. "Begin!"
As the instructor said once again a low rank red fur rat materialised as it looked at Max with its grey yes ans then with a shriek he rushed at Max, but Max just simply took an stance and then throw a puch that killed the rat instantly.
" Thats our top rank student in terms of combat" instructor Kale said as he is also professor in the class of close combat mastery and Max is the top ranker there.