The crowd's energy was electric as the tension in the arena reached its peak. Callista charged forward, determined to end the fight with one blow, but just as she was about to strike, the ground beneath her erupted. Her eyes widened in shock as massive rocks shot up, twisting into something enormous. Before she could react, a giant hand shot toward her, and she quickly lashed out with a vine to pull herself back, narrowly avoiding its crushing grip.
Dust and debris filled the air as Sona's laughter rang out from above. Callista's eyes locked onto the source of the voice, and her breath caught in her throat as she saw Sona perched atop a massive rock monster, its hulking form towering over the arena. The ground beneath them trembled with every step.
"How am I supposed to deal with that thing?" Callista muttered under her breath, her confidence shaken.
Sona smirked, her voice dripping with amusement. "You don't. Earth magic... Rock Golem!" she called out, and with a rumble, a second rock monster emerged, ready to charge.
Callista gritted her teeth, glaring at the approaching giants. "Stay away from me, you disgusting creatures!" she yelled, backing away. She quickly summoned her magic, and vines burst from the ground, wrapping around her in a burst of energy as a flower formed at her feet. "Plant Magic… Pea Laser!" A powerful beam shot from the flower's center, slamming into the stomach of the first golem, creating a hole.
Sona simply raised an eyebrow. "It's no use."
To Callista's disbelief, the hole in the golem's body began to regenerate, the stone knitting itself back together. The monster continued its relentless advance, undeterred by the damage.
"Damn it!" Callista shouted, barely dodging another giant fist that came hurtling toward her. She blocked with her blade, but the force sent her skidding across the arena. She quickly regained her footing, only to face yet another fist.
"I will be taking this arm!" Callista declared, leaping onto the golem's raised limb, slashing her blade across its stone surface. The arm fell off, but in a matter of seconds, it grew back, and the golem swung its other hand to strike her down. Callista was thrown back by the force, her body slamming hard into the ground.
The dust settled as Sona's cruel laugh echoed across the arena. "Two is too much to handle," she said, dispelling the second golem with a wave of her hand. "Just one is enough to claim victory."
Callista staggered to her feet, wiping blood from her lip. Her body ached, but she couldn't give up. "I have to figure out how to defeat that golem... one more time," she muttered to herself.
She aimed her hands at the golem again. "Plant Magic… Pea Laser!" she shouted, unleashing a barrage of powerful blasts at the golem. The stone creature roared in pain as the beams pierced its rocky body, but again, the golem regenerated and continued its relentless charge.
"Useless," Sona sneered from her rock throne.
Callista's eyes narrowed as she watched the golem wind up for another punch. She felt the desperation rising within her. "I only have one magic left... but how can I make it work?" she thought frantically, her mind racing.
She charged forward, dodging the golem's punch with agility, and launched another Pea Laser at its arm. This time, the arm didn't regenerate. "I got you!" she shouted in triumph, rushing forward to deliver the final blow. But before she could reach the golem's core, its hand lashed out, punching her in the gut with earth-shattering force. Callista's body crumpled under the blow, and she fell to the ground, coughing up blood.
Sona's voice rang out mockingly. "All I had to do was delay the regeneration," she said, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Looks like you've lost."
Callista's hand reached out, her fingers brushing against the golem's cold stone surface as she lay on the ground. She whispered softly, "Just one more..." Her body went still as she succumbed to unconsciousness.
For a moment, everything seemed to fall silent. The crowd was frozen in disbelief. Then, a sudden change rippled through the arena.
The ground trembled, and the rock golem, as if on command, lifted Sona's unconscious form by her legs, hurling her into the arena with terrifying force. The spectators gasped in shock, their voices rising in a chorus of amazement.
Callista's eyes fluttered open. She smiled weakly, her fingers still pressed against the golem's stone skin. "It worked, didn't it?" she whispered.
The referee's voice echoed across the stadium. "The winner is… Callista!"
The arena erupted into cheers as the rock golem raised its hands in triumph, holding Callista gently before lowering her to the stands, where her friends and teammates rushed to greet her. Arthur was among them, a relieved expression on his face.
"You had us worried there," he said, his tone teasing. "I thought you had lost for sure."
Callista grinned, her energy returning. "Don't count me out just yet," she winked, waving at the golem, which slowly faded into nothingness.
Ronan leaned in, his voice full of curiosity. "What happened? How did the rock golem become yours?"
Seraphina smiled knowingly. "She used a last-minute spell when she made contact with it," she explained.
"Oohhh!" came the collective response from the group.
"Hey! Don't steal my spotlight!" Callista laughed, shaking her head at her friends.
Nathaniel tapped her on the head affectionately. "No need to argue. You all did great. Now, heal yourself."
"I know, I know…" Callista muttered, rolling her eyes as she began to heal herself.
Meanwhile, the referee's voice came through once again. "We will move on to the next match. Kaelius Valeheart vs. Drake Tent!"
Damon called out, his voice full of encouragement, "Go keep his butt, alright?"
Kaelius smiled, giving a confident nod. "Sure."
"Do well," Edlias added, his usual calm demeanor reassuring.
Just then, Orion stirred, groaning as he rubbed his neck. "Why does my neck hurt?" he mumbled.
Kaelius raised an eyebrow. "Look who decides to grace us with his presence. How long was I asleep?"
Darius chuckled from beside him. "Like forever."
Orion blinked in confusion. "Is the tournament over already?"
Kaelius smirked, tossing a glance over at the arena. "Snap out of it. It's my turn next."
Orion shook his head. "The tournament's still going on."
With that, Kaelius stood up and made his way toward the arena. As he entered, his opponent, Drake, stood waiting on the other side.
The referee announced, "Begin!"
Kaelius and Drake took their stances. Kaelius's blade shimmered as he drew it, his voice low but confident. "Reflect… Utsushikagami." The blade transformed into a sleek dagger, ready for battle.
Drake, not to be outdone, raised his own blade. "Shock… Kōdenmaru!" His blade split into two rings, crackling with lightning energy.
With a blur, they both dashed forward.
Kaelius struck with precision, his dagger flashing. Drake blocked the attack with one of his rings while using the other to strike back. Kaelius swiftly dodged, kicking Drake in the leg to throw him off balance. But Drake recovered quickly, using his rings as support to spin violently and shout, "Lightning Dance!" The air filled with crackling electricity as the rings discharged lightning in all directions.
Kaelius leapt back, narrowly avoiding the surge of electricity, his eyes locked on Drake. "Ooh, looks like you're getting serious."
The two stood still for a moment, each waiting for the other to make a move.
The fight was about to get even more intense.