Jack froze when he saw him.
"…Evan?"
Evan smiled lightly.
"Hey, Jack. It's been a few days."
Jack turned fully toward him. For a brief moment, his eyes widened - but just as quickly, he steadied himself. The surprise faded, replaced by his usual calm.
"So it really was you," Evan said. "The one everyone's been talking about. Today's match."
"I figured it was only a matter of time," he added.
Jack met his gaze.
"…Yeah. It's me."
Evan studied him for a moment.
"Are you ready to fight him?"
"Yes," Jack replied without hesitation.
Evan raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? You've changed. A lot, actually."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Doesn't it ever get tiring?"
Jack didn't look away.
"You're the reason I'm here today."
Evan's smile softened.
"That might be true."
Jack nodded slowly.
"Then I guess it was worth it. I've seen things I never would have otherwise. There's still so much left to explore."
Evan crossed his arms.
"That's good to hear."
Evan's expression turned serious.
"But tell me something," he said. "Do you really think you can beat him?"
Jack didn't answer immediately.
"That guy is insanely strong," Evan continued. "I barely managed to win."
Jack's eyes sharpened.
"…So it was you," he said. "You were the one who fought him yesterday."
Evan nodded.
"Yeah. That was me."
Jack exhaled slowly, absorbing it.
"I see."
Evan added quietly,
"So… be careful."
Jack looked back at him and gave a short nod.
"Thanks for the warning. But I think I'll be fine."
From a short distance away, Sera watched the exchange. A strange pressure settled in her chest.
Why does this feel so heavy…? she wondered.
Before she could think further, a loud voice echoed across the arena.
"Both battlers, please proceed to your respective positions."
Jack turned back toward Evan.
"I'll see you after the match."
Evan nodded.
"Yeah. I'll be watching."
Jack walked toward his position, leaving Evan standing behind - his presence lingering heavier than the crowd's gaze.
As both battlers Ray and Jack moved toward their respective positions, Evan stepped closer to the edge of the arena, standing beside Sera.
Sera glanced at him, her look clearly wary.
"…You know Jack, don't you?" she asked.
Evan turned slightly.
"Oh. You're talking to me?"
Sera frowned.
"Obviously."
Evan chuckled lightly.
"Oh - sorry. I don't think we've met."
She crossed her arms.
"I'm the one traveling with him. A professor trainee."
Evan nodded.
"I figured."
She hesitated for a moment, then asked again,
"So… you really do know Jack?"
Evan sighed.
"Alright, alright. Relax. I'll explain."
He looked back toward the arena.
"We're childhood friends. From the same village - Noll."
Sera's eyes widened slightly.
Noll…
Jack had mentioned it before.
"You're the friend," she said quietly. "The one he made a promise to."
Evan smiled faintly.
"Yeah. That's right."
As they spoke, whispers rose from nearby villagers.
"There's no way that boy can beat Ray."
"He's strong—too strong."
Sera overheard them and frowned.
"What are they saying?"
Evan answered calmly,
"They're not wrong."
She turned to him sharply.
"But Ray lost yesterday, didn't he?"
"Yes," Evan replied. "But only by a few seconds."
He paused.
"If the timing had been any different… I would've lost."
Sera swallowed.
"So… does that mean Jack will lose?"
Evan shook his head.
"I never said that."
A faint smile formed on his lips.
"They just don't know who they're up against."
Still uneasy, Sera looked toward the arena.
Jack stood at his position now - calm, focused.
Across from him, Ray waited, just as steady.
The battle was about to begin.
Nearby, on a row of wooden chairs overlooking the arena, the village chief and elders sat quietly, their eyes fixed on the battlefield.
Rayden stepped forward, positioning himself at the center of the arena.
He raised his voice so everyone could hear.
"Today, I will be acting as the judge for this match."
The murmurs from the crowd slowly died down.
"This will be a one-on-one battle," Rayden continued.
"Each battler is allowed to use only one monster."
He paused briefly.
"The moment one battler is unable to continue, the match will end immediately."
Jack nodded faintly, taking in the rules.
He slowly scanned the arena, his eyes moving across the packed earth beneath his feet. He bent down, brushing his fingers against the ground, feeling its texture.
Firm… but uneven.
Then he straightened and looked toward Ray.
Ray brought two fingers to his lips and let out a sharp, unfamiliar whistle.
For a brief second, nothing happened.
Then….
A shadow swept across the ground.
A powerful flying monster descended from above, its wings cutting through the air before it landed gracefully beside Ray.
Heat rippled faintly around it.
Ray glanced at Jack.
"Jack," he said calmly, "meet Arnor."
The creature lifted its head, sharp eyes glowing faintly like embers.
Jack stared.
"A flying-type monster…?" he began.
Ray cut him off with a small shake of his head.
"No," he said. "Not a flying type."
Jack blinked.
"This is a fire-type monster," Ray continued, "with flying abilities."
Jack felt a jolt run through him.
"A fire type…?" he muttered.
Behind him, Sera stiffened.
"Did he just say fire type…?" she whispered.
Evan, standing beside her, nodded calmly.
"Yeah," he said. "That's Arnor."
His eyes stayed on the arena.
"The fire bird."
Ray looked at Jack and spoke evenly.
"Yes. A fire bird."
Then he added,
"So…..who will you choose? Fenix… or Turt?"
Jack didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he asked,
"Before I decide, tell me something. Is that monster a second-stage monster?"
Ray frowned slightly, surprised by the question.
"…Why would you ask that?"
He paused, then answered honestly.
"No. It's still in its first stage—though it's very close to evolving."
"I see," Jack said quietly.
He lowered his gaze for a moment, then looked up again - this time toward Fenix.
He knelt slightly and met the fox's eyes.
"Will you help me?" he asked.
Fenix didn't hesitate.
With clear confidence, it nodded.
A soft ripple of energy moved around it as it stepped forward and entered the arena.
Jack straightened.
Now, both battlers stood facing each other….
Their monsters ready on the field.
The battle was about to begin.
Sera stiffened the moment Jack made his choice.
"…Fenix?" she whispered.
Even Evan, standing beside her, showed a faint hint of surprise - though a small smile soon formed on his face.
What are you up to now, Jack…? he wondered.
Sera's worry surfaced immediately.
"What is he thinking?" she muttered.
"Fenix is a grass-type monster… and Arnor is both fire and flying. That's a terrible matchup."
Her fingers clenched slightly.
"Is he planning to lose?"
Evan didn't answer out loud.
But in his mind, the thought was clear.
No…
Jack wouldn't make a choice like that without a reason.
His eyes stayed fixed on the arena, sharp and focused.
He's definitely planning something.
The question is - what?
Rayden raised his hand high.
"Both battlers' monsters are on the field," he announced.
"Prepare yourselves."
The air felt heavier.
Rayden inhaled slowly.
"Begin the battle!"
Ray moved instantly.
"Arnor…..fly!"
Arnor's wings snapped open with a sharp whoom. The ground beneath it trembled slightly as powerful gusts kicked up dust and loose soil. In a single, smooth motion, the fire bird launched itself upward, spiraling into the open sky above the arena.
The heat followed it.
People instinctively raised their heads, squinting as the sunlight mixed with the glow radiating from Arnor's body.
Ray's voice echoed confidently.
"How do you plan to fight me from down there, Jack?"
Arnor circled overhead, wings cutting the air in wide arcs.
"You can't reach the sky," Ray continued.
"But I can reach the ground."
He raised his arm sharply.
"Arnor - Fire Shower!"
A deep crimson glow formed at Arnor's beak. The air around it warped from the heat.
Then the flame burst outward.
Midair, the single stream of fire split apart—breaking into dozens of blazing fragments. Like burning rain, the flames fell at different angles, scattering across the battlefield.
The crowd gasped.
The ground erupted in flashes of orange and red. Dirt blackened instantly. The smell of scorched earth filled the air.
Sera clenched her fists.
Before the fire could touch him…..
"Fenix," Jack said calmly, "full speed."
The next instant….
Fenix vanished.
Not jumped.
Not dodged.
Vanished.
The fire struck the ground where it had stood only moments earlier.
A split second later, Fenix appeared near the edge of the arena - only to disappear again.
Then again.
And again.
Each reappearance lasted no more than a heartbeat.
To the crowd, it looked like afterimages flickering across the field - brief flashes of green light darting unpredictably between scorched patches of earth.
Murmurs spread.
"Where is it?"
"Did it teleport?"
Jack's eyes followed the movement carefully.
No…
It's not teleporting.
His thoughts moved fast, but his breathing stayed steady.
This is speed.
Pure movement.
The air shifted every time Fenix passed, grass bending slightly in its wake. Fire fragments missed by inches, slamming uselessly into the ground.
Jack narrowed his eyes.
I didn't know much about Fenix yet…
But this is far better than I expected.
Above, Arnor adjusted its flight path, wings beating harder.
Jack felt it immediately.
Ray's adapting.
If Turt were here, Jack realized, that first attack would've ended this match.
His fingers tightened slightly.
Ray owns the sky.
Then my path forward… is to never stay still.
"Keep moving," Jack said firmly.
"You're doing great, Fenix."
Fenix's movements sharpened—faster, tighter, more deliberate.
High above, Arnor circled once more.
Below, the battlefield had become a scorched maze of timing and motion.
And everyone watching understood one thing clearly now -
This wasn't going to be a quick fight.
Ray's eyes never left the battlefield.
He wasn't panicking.
He wasn't guessing.
He was observing.
"…So that's it," Ray muttered.
His gaze sharpened as Fenix streaked across the field again.
"It's not teleporting," he said calmly. "It's moving."
Ray's eyes flicked toward Jack.
In that instant, something clicked.
Last night…
That handshake.
Ray smiled.
"So you really meant it," he called out.
"You're coming at me with everything you've got."
Jack looked up at him.
Ray's smile widened—not mocking, but excited.
"Then I won't hold back either."
He raised his arm sharply and shouted,
"Arnor…..burn the ground!
Don't give Fenix any space to run!"
Flames surged downward, spreading across the battlefield, turning open paths into walls of fire.
Jack watched the flames rise.
Then…..
He smiled.
"…You got it right," he said quietly.
"I'm giving it everything."
He looked straight at Fenix.
"My turn to get serious."
"Fenix," Jack commanded, voice steady,
"Move even faster."
The air trembled.
Speed and fire collided.
Two wills clashed across the scorched arena….
Raging flames against freezing speed.
And neither side was backing down.
Watching the battlefield, Sera stood frozen.
She could hardly believe what she was seeing.
How…?
How does Jack already know how to use Fenix like this?
Her mind raced.
It's only been a day…
He's barely synchronized with Fenix, yet….
Her fingers trembled slightly.
This level of control… this timing…
Beside her, Evan's eyes were wide.
Not with worry.
With awe.
"…Now this," he said quietly, a faint grin forming,
"this is what I call a battle."
His gaze never left Jack.
"You've improved, Jack," Evan continued.
"More than I expected."
He exhaled slowly.
"…Maybe even more than me."
The flames roared louder.
Fenix blurred faster.
And in that moment, everyone watching understood…..
This wasn't just a fight for passage anymore.
It was a clash of growth, resolve, and will.