《Minakai: Monster Tamer [PROGRESSION FANTASY]》 Chapter 1 Today was the day to conquer the tower. Aurin could think of nothing else as the train pulled up to the platform. He rose to his feet, grabbing his backpack from the empty seat to his right. He beckoned his short friend forward and the pair waited by the door for it to open; what was mere seconds felt like an hour. Aurin was excited to venture into Harmony Tower here in the quiet countryside town of Hazelton. The doors opened and he burst out. He could wait no longer, and his companion followed him enthusiastically. The small green creature had spikes protruding from the back of his head along with a wooden mask featuring green markings. The creature, Shamtile, chased after the young man who had run down the platform and leapt down the stone staircase. The reptilian Shamtile had no trouble keeping up, even though he was less than half of Aurin¡¯s height. He was a speedy little Minakai. Minakai. Monsters from parts unknown that made their way to Aurin¡¯s world through ancient, magical towers. Some kept Minakai as pets, others battled them for fun, and some used their Minakai to ascend the towers in search of adventure. The last of those was Aurin¡¯s goal. ¡°No time to rest, Shamtile,¡± said Aurin brightly as the pair quickly dashed through the streets of Hazelton. Harmony Tower was a magnificent structure and loomed in the distance, higher than any building in the small town. Fifty floors tall was what they said, but nobody seemed to know what lay at the top. Aurin wanted to find out. He was going straight to the top this very day. He would be the first person to reach the top of a monster tower on their first try. Less than half an hour later, Aurin stood in a small forest clearing at the base of the tower with his masked lizard standing beside him. The grey stone tower was covered in vines and moss all along the outside. At the top of the mysterious structure, was a shadowy aura that was almost reminiscent of storm clouds as they swirled and flashed, fading from sight for a short while only to reappear seconds later. The only windows were to black voids and the only entrance was the large wooden doors. It was not a doorway that you could merely walk through, and you certainly couldn¡¯t break the doors down. The magic of the tower would not allow you to. Aurin walked towards the entrance while reaching inside his shirt, pulling out an ornate key tied to a string. The bronze key glistened in the midday sun, without a hint of stain or tarnish. It had been a gift from Aurin¡¯s father for his fifteenth birthday a few months ago. In fact, his father had given Aurin both a key to Harmony Tower and a Shamtile egg on the very same birthday. It took many months after that to convince his mother to let him embark on this journey. Shamtile waved his arms frantically, letting out a warbling noise as he did so. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Shamtile,¡± grinned Aurin. ¡°Just follow my instructions and we¡¯ll be at the top by this time tomorrow. I¡¯ve been studying for this for years, remember? A combat-type tower like this one should be easy for us.¡± Shamtile clapped his hands and started jumping. Aurin was never quite sure what his Minakai was trying to convey, but he took it to mean that Shamtile was reassured by his tamer¡¯s confidence. The young man ran his hand through his dark blonde hair and sighed, a lot had led up to this big moment. He raised the key and inserted it into the lock. It turned with little force and the doors began to open by themselves. Aurin pulled his key out and took in the sight before him. The tower doors didn¡¯t open into a room. No. The doors opened into a swirling vortex of blue and green. Aurin could feel the portal pulling him inside and he gave in, allowing it to do so. For a few seconds, everything went dark. Light then flooded Aurin¡¯s vision and he found himself standing in a corridor. It was lit by mysterious lanterns that did not contain fire, but something much closer to glowing orbs of pure light. The walls were a dull grey stone, and the floor was covered in cream and black marble tiles, similar to a chessboard. ¡°We¡¯re stuck now, Shamtile,¡± said Aurin as he turned to where you would expect to find a door. ¡°Now that we¡¯re in the tower, we don¡¯t get to leave until you¡¯ve been defeated, I find a magical orb to use or...well, I die. That doesn¡¯t happen too often these days, certainly not on the lower floors.¡± Aurin and Shamtile walked down the corridor, Aurin on the lookout for treasure with each stride. Silver, gold and magical items would all be very nice, but Minakai eggs are what Aurin sought most. You could buy them on the outside, but the best ones were pricey. ¡°Caaaaaw,¡± came a sizzling screech from around a corner. A tiny fireball with bird-like legs and a beak emerged from the centre of the flickering flame and was charging at Aurin. ¡°A Flowl!¡± yelled Aurin at Shamtile. ¡°You¡¯ve got this, buddy. Go get him!¡± Shamtile got down on all fours and sped towards the charging Flowl, tackling it and knocking it backwards. The angered Flowl spat a fireball at Shamtile, but the reptile slickly dodged with a well-timed leap. ¡°You¡¯ve got the elemental advantage, Sham,¡± called Aurin, ¡°use an earth attack.¡± Shamtile nodded and waved his hands in the air, conjuring a large rock. Shamtile hurled the rock at the flaming bird-like Minakai; it was not fast enough to get out of the way. The rock collided with the Flowl and pinned the little monster against the wall. The Minakai passed out and disappeared in a burst of red light. Aurin jumped and cheered while Shamtile started to wave his hands in the air once again, this time in celebration. ¡°Good job, my friend,¡± congratulated Aurin. ¡°Our first battle in the tower and it was a great success. Feeling better now?¡± Shamtile rubbed his hands on his wooden mask and then began to clap. Aurin was confident that that was a yes. The pair walked further down the corridor. Before long, it forked in two directions and Aurin chose to go along the left path, which led into a small room containing¡­ The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Yes!¡± exclaimed Aurin, rushing to the centre of the room. ¡°A few pieces of silver. Now we might be able to afford a place to stay for the night, Shamtile.¡± Aurin continued to wander the first floor of the tower, slowly taking in the different rooms and corridors as he moved. He began forming a map in his head, making every effort to remember it. He didn¡¯t run into any more Minakai, nor any fellow tamers. He considered this to be somewhat odd, having read up on how the towers worked many times over. ¡°It¡¯s strange,¡± said Aurin to Shamtile. ¡°Why is it so empty here? Is somebody here on the floor with us clearing the way? It must have been recently or new Minakai would have spawned. We haven¡¯t found the elevator to the second floor either, so there must be more ahead somewhere.¡± Aurin backtracked to try and find a corridor he missed and, find it, he did. He walked down the corridor and came to another room. The young man¡¯s eyes lit up even more than when he had found the silver coins. ¡°An egg!¡± he yelled and ran towards it. ¡°It¡¯s my lucky day.¡± ¡°Indeed, it is,¡± came a gruff voice from the shadows as Aurin picked up the egg. Aurin turned towards the voice. Before him stood a man dressed in a black shirt and boots, with a white jacket and trousers. His hair was hidden by a white hat, and he wore a star-patterned mask that covered the top half of his face; it was made of wood and painted black, save for the white dots that were the stars. ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Aurin, backing off. Shamtile started waving his arms once again¡ªhe spent most of his day doing this for various reasons. ¡°Ah, you must be new,¡± said the man as he walked closer. ¡°I¡¯m a member of the Zodiac Squad. You¡¯ll soon find out that Harmony Tower is our territory. Anything in here belongs to us. Got it? Now, hand over that egg you¡¯ve got there.¡± ¡°No,¡± said Aurin, swiftly moving the egg behind his back. The Zodiac member laughed and raised a gloved fist with three diamond-shaped gems slotted into the back of it. One of the gems glowed a bright blue and he cast his hand out in front of him. A blue, water-like Minakai in the vague shape of an upright fish appeared before Aurin. It had two handless arms instead of fins and it floated eerily above the ground, not any less creepy for the large grey eyes on the side of its head. The Minakai stared lifelessly at Aurin, sending a shiver up the young man¡¯s spine. ¡°If that¡¯s the way you¡¯re going to be, then let¡¯s fight for it. My Spritzard versus your Shamtile. What do you say?¡± asked the Zodiac member. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have a choice, Shamtile,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Let¡¯s get them!¡± Shamtile darted forward on all fours towards the Spritzard, but it was a slippery creature and dodged with ease. It spat a jet of water from its mouth at the lizard, knocking him to the floor and out cold. Aurin ran to his friend, but the Spritzard fired a jet of water into Aurin¡¯s back pushing him into the wall and knocking him out as easily as it had Shamtile. * Aurin came to. His head was aching, but he was surprisingly comfortable. It felt as though he was lying in a bed. Yes, he was sure it was a bed. He slowly opened his eyes and light filled them. It was blurry, but he could see a ceiling above him. He blinked a couple of times and his vision started to adjust. ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± came a sweet-sounding voice from next to him. ¡°I was worried it was more serious than I first thought.¡± ¡°Shamtile?¡± asked Aurin, remembering what had happened and bolting upright. He looked around and saw that he was in a girl¡¯s bedroom. A young girl, about Aurin¡¯s age of fifteen, was sitting on a chair staring at him. She had sparkling blue eyes and shoulder-length auburn hair, held back by a blue hairband. She wore a purple jumper with wide cuffs, a white skirt and a pair of boots that matched her jumper. ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± smiled the girl. ¡°Inno, come here and bring your new friend.¡± A knee-height, sky-blue drake with a cream-coloured belly and a tall fin-like ridge atop his head ran into the room excitedly. He was followed by Shamtile who, true to form, waved his hands wildly as he ran. Shamtile leapt onto Aurin, almost winding his tamer. The drake stood by, smiling widely and patting his stomach while flicking his short tail back and forth. ¡°Good to see you, buddy,¡± laughed Aurin as his Shamtile sat there staring at him from behind his wooden mask. ¡°I¡¯m Luna,¡± said the girl, reaching out her hand. ¡°Nice to meet you properly.¡± Aurin shook it. ¡°Nice to meet you too. I¡¯m Aurin. How did you find us?¡± Luna stood up excitedly. ¡°My little Innogon and I were on a valiant quest to enter the tower and search for magical healing herbs when we happened upon you and your Shamtile unconscious outside the tower.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Aurin, realising what had happened. ¡°Shamtile is my only Minakai, so the tower threw me out.¡± ¡°I thought as much,¡± said Luna, nodding her head. ¡°It¡¯s normally only the Minakai who gets knocked out. Your Shamtile came around quite quickly so the three of us carried you back here to my house. You¡¯re rather heavy, you know? I¡¯m not sure I could have done it by myself.¡± Aurin gasped. ¡°My egg! My coins!¡± Luna nodded once again. ¡°You won¡¯t see those again. When the tower expels you after being defeated, everything you¡¯ve gathered is left behind, but I¡¯m sure you knew that already. Did you get attacked by another Minakai?¡± ¡°Not quite,¡± said Aurin quietly, embarrassed by what had happened. ¡°We were attacked by a strange man with his own Minakai. He said he was part of a group called the Zodiac something.¡± ¡°The Zodiac Squad? They¡¯ve been causing a lot of trouble here lately. They¡¯re a large gang that acts like regular people in the town, so you don¡¯t even know they¡¯re part of the group. When they enter the tower, they put on their Zodiac outfits to disguise themselves and sabotage other tamers.¡± ¡°Why?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± sighed Luna. ¡°Maybe they want to claim the treasures in the tower for themselves? It¡¯s been happening a lot lately and people are starting to get sick of it.¡± Aurin sat on the bed thinking about all of this. He¡¯d met his fair share of unpleasant folks in his hometown of Buckstone, but this Zodiac guy was something else. He didn¡¯t like the thought of many more of these Zodiac Squad members walking around, hidden in plain sight, ready to attack you the second you enter the tower. ¡°Do you have an Orb of Return?¡± asked Luna. ¡°It¡¯s a magical orb that lets you escape from the tower with everything you own.¡± ¡°I know what it is,¡± said Aurin, slightly offended. ¡°I had an unfortunate accident in the tower, but I¡¯m not clueless.¡± Luna raised an eyebrow. ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have snapped,¡± Aurin said, feeling ashamed of how he had spoken to her. ¡°And thank you for helping me out, Luna. I haven¡¯t said that yet and I really should have.¡± Luna beamed. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Aurin. You can stay in our guest room tonight, my parents won¡¯t mind, and tomorrow morning we can go to the tower together. I have an orb, so we¡¯ll have an escape route when we need it. I¡¯ll help you find an egg and you can help me find herbs.¡± Aurin nodded. ¡°Okay, that sounds like a great idea. What do you think, Shamtile?¡± Shamtile made an uncomfortable screech that Aurin took as a yes. * The following day, Aurin, Luna, Shamtile and Innogon walked up the forest path towards the monster tower that forever stood above the forest. Aurin felt substantially less prepared this time, despite being more prepared than on his first venture. He knew he had been foolish in thinking that he could conquer the tower on his first try and being defeated so easily on the first floor had brought him back down to Earth. Now it was time to be serious and not underestimate the challenges that would make themselves known to him. ¡°Ready?¡± he asked, stopping by the large doors. ¡°Yes,¡± nodded Luna with a smile on her face. The young man placed his key in the hole and turned it once again, feeling the tower trying to pull him inside as the doors opened. Aurin, Luna, Shamtile and Innogon did not resist and entered the swirling vortex, ready to face the gauntlet of Harmony Tower together. Chapter 2 Aurin and Luna landed in the tower with their Minakai, Shamtile and Innogon, standing by their side. Luna reached into her bag and put on a glove with a blue gem embedded into it. Aurin recognised it as one similar to what the Zodiac Squad member he faced had worn. ¡°Let¡¯s go this way,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I went this way last time and it¡­¡± The young man realised what he had just said. ¡°The tower changes each time you enter,¡± said Luna. Aurin pressed his fingers into his temple and massaged it. ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯m being sloppy again, sorry.¡± The duo walked forward, their Minakai in tow, and followed one of the corridors presenting itself to them. Aurin instinctively wanted to turn left, knowing that the last time he faced a similar route it led him to silver coins. Perhaps, it would again, but he knew that he could not rely on his previous experience in navigating the floor. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to keep an eye out for traps,¡± whispered Luna, trying hard not to sound like a know-it-all. ¡°Right,¡± said Aurin, grateful for the reminder. Aurin rounded the corner and spotted a room ahead. He cautiously approached, careful not to trigger any of the unseen traps that could be activated by simply stepping on the wrong floor tile. As he neared the room, he spotted a hunched figure rummaging around on the ground. As Aurin and Luna entered the room, the figure stood up and turned to face them. ¡°Good day!¡± smiled the young man, barely older than Aurin and Luna. He had a round face and wavy red hair. Outside of the tower, you would have presumed him to be a farmer had you met him. ¡°Hello,¡± said Luna brightly. ¡°Are you a tamer?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I am indeed, yes,¡± said the young man. ¡°My name is Gardner. Fancy a battle? This floor has been too quiet for my liking so far.¡± Aurin started to get more excited. ¡°Let¡¯s do it! My name is Aurin and this is Luna.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going to face me? I¡¯ve only got two Minakai, so I¡¯d rather not lose them both and get booted from the tower. One versus one is enough.¡± Luna nudged Aurin forward slightly, but he had already decided that he would be the one to fight. ¡°That works for me,¡± said the man as he raised his hand, equipped with a glove containing two green gems. Aurin sent Shamtile to the front of the room, ready to face whatever monster Gardner was going to use. ¡°Ready when you are, Gardner,¡± he said. ¡°Fantastic,¡± smiled Gardner as he thrust his hand forward. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Happynut!¡± One of the green gems started to glow and a Minakai appeared upon the floor in a flash of green light. It was a reddish foot-tall nut-like creature with a face and a small shoot growing from its head that split into two green leaves. It smiled a toothless smile so wide that it was hard to see its eyes. ¡°Attack, Happynut!¡± called Gardner, suddenly seeming a lot more serious. Happynut ran and jumped in the air. It curled up like a cannonball and threw itself towards Shamtile, who leapt out of the way. ¡°Conjure up some sand,¡± ordered Aurin. Shamtile waved his hands around and a whirlwind of sand spawned from the chessboard-patterned floor. The little reptile directed it at the Happynut and it shut its eyes even more tightly, trying to blink away the sand that had hit it in the face. ¡°Follow up with a rockfall,¡± Aurin called out. Shamtile raised his hands up, then brought them down forcefully and a large rock appeared in the air before suddenly plummeting onto Happynut, knocking the Minakai out. Luna and Innogon jumped up and cheered. ¡°Oh no!¡± yelled Gardner as he ran to make sure his Happynut was okay. ¡°Did we overdo it?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°No, no,¡± said Gardner as his Happynut disappeared in a green glow, ¡°Happynut will be fine. He¡¯s in stasis for now but will be on his way back to Kyle¡¯s ranch the second I leave the tower. A little bit of sunshine and food then he¡¯ll be right as rain.¡± Aurin reached out his hand for Gardner to shake. ¡°It was a fun battle.¡± Gardner shook it. ¡°Albeit far too short on my part. Congratulations, Aurin. We should have a rematch someday when we both have full teams and more experience.¡± ¡°I¡¯d enjoy that,¡± said Aurin sincerely. ¡°Say,¡± began Gardner, with a slightly puzzled look, ¡°I noticed you don¡¯t use a summoning stone or tamer glove for your Shamtile. Is there any particular reason for that?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t found or bought any stones yet and Shamtile is my only Minakai so it¡¯s easy just to have him follow me.¡± ¡°You can only use three Minakai for each tower run, so I¡¯d think about buying one if you don¡¯t find one in the tower before that. It¡¯ll be useful for when you expand your team. Just a little advice, my friend.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good advice, to be honest. Thanks.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you both later, perhaps in town,¡± said Gardner as we waved and departed. ¡°He seemed nice,¡± said Luna. ¡°Nicer than the Zodiac guy I ran into last time,¡± laughed Aurin. He, Luna and their Minakai returned to the corridor to try a different direction. They weaved in and out of the long hallways and across the various rooms. It took less than ten minutes to cover the entire floor, but it felt a lot longer to both of them. Along the way, they battled a couple of stray Minakai and picked up a few coins, but it was otherwise as quiet as the first floor was the previous time. Luna insisted that this was normal, but not to expect the easy ride on higher floors. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°What¡¯s the highest floor you¡¯ve been to?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°The third floor,¡± Luna admitted, suddenly seeming shy. ¡°I entered the tower for the first time four weeks ago and this is my fifth time in here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about. You know how my first attempt ended.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that up ahead?¡± asked Luna excitedly as she pointed. ¡°Is it what I think it is?¡± Aurin squinted up the corridor to the open doorway ahead. Inside the room sat a blue egg-shaped gem, considerably larger than Aurin¡¯s head. It was embedded in a podium of ornate gold that wrapped around it, securing it firmly in place. There was a great majesty about it, radiating importance with how prominent it was against the otherwise flat tower floor. ¡°Is that the elevator?¡± asked Aurin, also growing excited. ¡°Yup!¡± exclaimed Luna. The quartet ran into the room and admired the beautiful stone. Aurin suspected that the orb alone would be worth thousands of ounces of gold, never mind the gold content of the stand itself. ¡°Has anybody ever tried to remove one of these things?¡± he asked with no intention of trying himself. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought to ask,¡± said Luna, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t know if the magic of the tower would even let you.¡± ¡°How does it work?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°How do we go up?¡± ¡°Hold out your hands and touch the gem,¡± said Luna, moving to do just that. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about our Minakai, they¡¯ll follow us.¡± Aurin copied her, holding out his hands. They both laid their palms on the large gem and felt themselves being pulled. The sensation was similar to the feeling of entering the tower through the vortex in the doorway, however, they could tell they were being dragged upwards rather than forwards. The pair stood on the second floor mere seconds after touching the elevator. The room they were in looked different from the ones below. The chessboard pattern on the floor was now yellow and grey, while the walls were a dark green. Aurin was glad that it had changed, it would help him keep track of which floor he had reached once he rose higher and higher. Once he was no longer disorientated on this new floor, Aurin led the way forward. Something about the corridors here felt darker, but he didn¡¯t think that it was just because of the walls. There was something that made Aurin feel unsettled, but all was quiet except for the soft humming of the light from the glassless lanterns. After navigating a few looping corridors, Aurin spotted a room ahead. He walked towards it, hoping it would hold a treasure of some kind. Sadly, for him, it was empty save for a couple of large red berries. ¡°Wow!¡± exclaimed Luna. ¡°I was hoping to find Orna berries around here somewhere.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad the berries excite you so much,¡± laughed Aurin. ¡°You can joke, but they¡¯re great for helping Minakai recover from fights once you mix them into a good meal. They work by themselves, but they can be enhanced.¡± The pair walked out of a door on the other side of the room and deeper into the second floor. It only just hit Aurin how difficult it would be each time he entered the tower if the layout kept changing. One floor was bad enough to keep track of, but what about a dozen floors each new tower run? ¡°Egg,¡± said Aurin bluntly and with a large grin forming on his face. Luna clapped her hands as Aurin ran into another room excitedly. When Aurin stepped through the doorway, he heard a click as four teal birds appeared in a flash of white light. It was a small flock of Peekan, a flying Minakai, which were neutral elementals as signified by the white light. ¡°Oh no,¡± said Aurin, realising his folly. ¡°Shamtile!¡± The earth elemental lizard ran into the room on all fours, followed by Luna and Innogon. ¡°Inno, it¡¯s time to battle,¡± said Luna pointing towards the birds. The Peekan split into two groups of two, one group heading for Shamtile and the other towards Innogon. Shamtile began conjuring small rocks and tried to knock birds to the ground, but they were fast. Innogon shot jets of water from his mouth, only clipping stray feathers. ¡°Shamtile, wait for it to get close then summon the best boulder you can!¡± called Aurin. Shamtile waved its arms in anticipation as the birds dived at him. As Aurin had ordered, he summoned a boulder and the two Peekan crashed into it, bursting into light shortly after. Innogon continued to spray water jets, rolling out of the way of the birds anytime they struck, but it was clear that he was tiring. ¡°Distract them,¡± ordered Aurin. Shamtile ran towards the remaining two Peekan and flailed around, hoping to grab their attention. When they started chasing him, Innogon was free to catch his breath for a moment. He took careful aim and shot a jet of water at one as it charged for Shamtile. It was knocked out in a watery splash and disappeared from the tower seconds later. The remaining Peekan saw that it was alone and flew out of the room, wanting to save itself, giving the quarter a resounding victory over the wild Minakai. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Luna to Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m not much of a battler if I¡¯m honest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was my fault for setting the trap off and summoning them in the first place,¡± lamented Aurin, slapping himself lightly in the face. ¡°That egg definitely belongs to you. You know how to handle Shamtile so well, so I¡¯m sure a second Minakai will be easy.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about handling him well, but at least this run hasn¡¯t ended in disaster yet.¡± Aurin thanked Luna and walked over to the egg. As he picked it up, Aurin noted that it was a little bigger and heavier than a football. He placed it carefully in his backpack, not wanting to damage it, but he had the suspicion that it was sturdier than your average egg. Upon putting his backpack on once again, he found himself doubting that he could carry more than half a dozen of these easily. ¡°Help!¡± called a voice from down the corridor. ¡°Was that Gardner?¡± asked Luna. ¡°Did the final Peekan attack him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± said Aurin as he ran to the door. Aurin followed the commotion and saw Gardner suddenly burst into light, now ejected from the tower. As Aurin hurried along, he heard two voices chuckling and start to talk amongst themselves. Aurin and Luna darted around the corner and saw two individuals, a male and a female, in Zodiac Squad uniforms standing with their Minakai. The male had a green wolf cub in front of him and the female had an orange puppy dog in front of her. ¡°Got any eggs?¡± chuckled the man, tossing an egg from hand to hand. ¡°That young lad was very kind and donated one to our cause.¡± ¡°We thought we¡¯d give him a shortcut home,¡± smirked the woman. ¡°Shamtile, get them!¡± barked a furious Aurin. ¡°Back him up, Inno,¡± ordered Luna, visibly angered with a red face almost matching her hair. The two Zodiac members were taken aback by the sudden attack. Shamtile hurled rocks at the orange dog while Innogon shot jets of water at the green wolf. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, Heatpup!¡± yelled the woman. ¡°Do something, Petalcub,¡± scolded the man. The two canines charged at Aurin and Luna¡¯s Minakai. Shamtile continued to hurl rocks relentlessly at the orange Heatpup, utilising his earth elemental advantage against the fire elemental. Innogon¡¯s strong jets were powerful enough to knock the green Petalcub back repeatedly even without an advantage. Both the Heatpup and Petalcub were clearly already tired from fighting Gardner and the two Minakai attacking had caught them completely off guard. The Zodiac members yelled orders and protested vigorously, but it was to no avail. Shamtile threw a particularly large rock and Innogon shot an extra intense jet of water, both of which knocked their targets out within seconds of each other. Shortly after the Minakai burst into light, their Zodiac tamers did the same¡ªall four were expelled from the tower. ¡°Good job, boys,¡± smiled Aurin, squatting low and patting his Minakai friends on the shoulders. ¡°Yes, well done,¡± agreed Luna, retrieving Gardner¡¯s egg from the floor, having been dropped by the Zodiac man. ¡°I think we should leave to check on Gardner. I don¡¯t want to speak for you, but I think both of our Minakai have earned a rest.¡± Luna nodded. ¡°No, you¡¯re right. Come close to me and I¡¯ll cast the spell.¡± The young girl withdrew her Orb of Return from her pack and stood up, fixing her hairband that had gone astray in the excitement. She held the orb out in her palm and focused, willing it to return her and Aurin to the entrance. Aurin felt himself pulled downwards, Luna alongside him, and they found themselves almost instantaneously on the grass at the tower entrance. The Zodiac members were nowhere to be seen, but Gardner was sitting on the grass a short distance from the pathway, up against a nearby tree. ¡°They ran into the woods,¡± lamented Gardner, his face filled with disappointment. ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Luna. ¡°Thanks for dealing with them.¡± ¡°How did you know we dealt with them?¡± enquired Aurin. ¡°They appeared out here shortly after I did and I could see you weren¡¯t ejected by a defeat. There was something different about how your teleportation looked.¡± ¡°What now?¡± asked Luna. ¡°We should go back to Hazelton,¡± said Aurin, wondering if he could come up with a better plan on how to handle the Zodiac Squad there. Chapter 49 Aurin, his parents and Shamtile stepped off the train and onto the platform on a fine day in early summer. It was not any old day; it was the day of the opening ceremony of the second ever qualifier tournament in Hazelton. Aurin was excited for his first match to kick off and was keen to get into the tournament spirit. ¡°It feels like I¡¯ve been gone forever,¡± said Aurin, while Shamtile nodded his head in agreement. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± said Aurin¡¯s mother, Alice. ¡°You¡¯ve been away for three days and that wasn¡¯t nearly long enough.¡± ¡°He¡¯s hard at work here,¡± said his dad, Edwin. ¡°Can¡¯t blame the boy for working hard now, can we?¡± Aurin and Edwin chuckled while his mother clicked her tongue. Just then, a brown-haired girl ran up to them with a blue drake clinging to her back. ¡°I¡¯m here! I¡¯m on time!¡± said Luna. ¡°Not quite, but close enough,¡± said Aurin. ¡°What have I missed?¡± ¡°Zodiac attacked the town hall and kidnapped the mayor,¡± said Luna snarkily. Aurin held his index finger and thumb to his chin. ¡°That would be a way to liven things up, I suppose. If only it hadn''t happened while there was a tournament about to start.¡± ¡°You two shouldn¡¯t joke about these things,¡± said Alice. ¡°The last time you had any dealings with them, you both nearly got killed and Kyle had his lovely ranch burned down. I suggest you take them a lot more seriously considering they¡¯re still at large.¡± ¡°We¡¯re still here, mum. Stronger than ever and without a confirmed sighting of our masked friends for months.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope it stays that way,¡± said Edwin. ¡°I know you two can handle yourselves, but the less trouble you find yourselves in the better.¡± ¡°Cheer up, everyone,¡± said Luna brightly. ¡°It¡¯s opening ceremony day! It¡¯s a day for happiness and no worries¡­except for whoever the first opponent is.¡± Shamtile clutched his mask and screeched, desperately hoping it wasn¡¯t against Hunter. Everyone was gathering in Hazelton today and the streets were as crowded as could be. Unlike Edwin and Alice, many tourists were hoping for a resurgence of the Zodiac Squad to make the tournament even more interesting, but the residents weren¡¯t so keen on the idea. They were worried they would have their Minakai stolen, or this year¡¯s prized egg wouldn¡¯t be returned. The stadium loomed overhead and the front courtyard by the waterfront was packed with tamers and their Minakai, ready to finalise their registration. Aurin double checked that he still had his registration pass he obtained last week. Once he had confirmed it, he summoned his team. Shamtile bounced around excitedly with Steambot, while Spikruption, Dolissile, Leonite, Chull and Gorungol were more serious. True to form, Desparee wept wildly¡ªand it wasn¡¯t from nerves. ¡°We¡¯ll see you inside,¡± said Luna. ¡°If you don¡¯t wave at us, I¡¯ll be very upset.¡± ¡°Your decision not to enter is final then?¡± asked Hunter, walking up with his Flambot beside him. Luna jumped a mile. ¡°Hi Hunter,¡± she said upon realising who had snuck up. ¡°I didn¡¯t register for my pass last week. No going back now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a real shame,¡± he lamented, shaking his head. ¡°Perhaps we can do a friendly battle instead? You had a lot of raw talent.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll battle you if I can use three Minakai against one of yours,¡± Luna joked. ¡°I¡¯ll have to think about whether or not I can win that,¡± laughed Hunter. Luna, Edwin and Alice all said farewell and headed inside to take their seats, leaving Aurin and Hunter at the back of the queue. Aurin kept looking around to see who else he knew this time round. He spotted Jimmy, the tamer who he fought in the previous tournament, and he could see Eclare, a tamer he met in the tower, standing a few spots ahead. ¡°There are a few faces from last year,¡± said Hunter, ¡°but it seems to have a lot of new folks too. I wonder if the big boom in publicity from the first tournament drove the floor requirement up considerably.¡± Aurin suddenly thought of something. ¡°I¡¯m curious, Hunter. What¡¯s the highest floor you¡¯ve ever reached in a tower?¡± ¡°Thirty nine,¡± he said. ¡°Ludonia Tower on the second of March this year. Flambot here was with me too, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Flambot tensed his arms and let a roaring flame burst out from behind him, almost scorching Gardner who had just joined the line. ¡°Careful!¡± cried the nature elemental enthusiast. ¡°I want to be able to enter, not end up in a hospital bed.¡± ¡°My apologies,¡± said Hunter, then turning to Aurin. ¡°How about you? What is your highest floor?¡± ¡°Harmony Tower, floor twenty one. About two weeks ago, but I couldn¡¯t tell you the exact date. It was with my Dolissile, Leonite and Steambot. Shamtile decided to take the day off.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Shamtile waved his arms in protest, but Aurin assured his Minakai that he was joking. ¡°Floor sixteen for me,¡± said Gardner, ¡°but in my defence, I go solo¡­well, as a solo human with three monsters.¡± Aurin was quietly satisfied that he too had reached floor sixteen alone one day when Luna was spending time with her old schoolmates. She had invited Aurin to meet them, but he declined. It was only after that he realised it was quite rude of him to do so. The line moved forward at a decent pace and the three tamers eventually made it inside. They each went through their verification and assessments. Aurin summoned his Minakai one by one, then returned them to the ranch; Shamtile remained by his side. He looked around the assessment hall to see if he could spot an unmasked Leo lurking around. It didn¡¯t feel that long since he stood here before and the Zodiac member introduced himself to Aurin as Frederick. In hindsight, it was a bold move, but Aurin didn¡¯t realise until later. ¡°Shall we?¡± asked Gardner as he and Hunter walked over with Desparee and Flambot by their respective sides. The three tamers walked outside and into the box set aside for competitors. Aurin looked into the stands and was able to spot Luna sitting with his parents. She was talking with his mum, and they were giggling away about something. Whatever it was, it had better not have been about him. ¡°I¡¯m hyped to see what Minakai they use for the ceremony this year,¡± said Gardner, sounding as excited as he claimed. ¡°Let¡¯s hope it isn¡¯t a recycled performance then,¡± remarked Hunter. Even the thought of that made Gardner¡¯s smile waver. Fifteen minutes later, the stadium was filled with the sound of drums and trumpets as the marching band entered. Gardner¡¯s fear of a repeat show was squashed as a pair of blade-armed Chopchop duelled. The two insectoid Minakai slashed and blocked, ducked and dived, parried and countered. It was a wild battle with the crowd holding their breath throughout. Aurin was impressed, but cynically thought that it was a scripted duel, until one of the Chopchop delivered a deep cut into the other¡¯s arm. Everyone was on the edge of their seat, and the battle got bloodier and more brutal. It wasn¡¯t long before a tournament official ran onto the field with two Frogre that he used to pull the two duellists apart. ¡°Is this part of the show or did things get out of hand?¡± asked Gardner. ¡°I¡¯m¡­not sure,¡± said Aurin. Next, the light show began. A team of Thundarun burst onto the field and galloped in formation, shooting lightning into the sky in various arcs and forks. A golden bird flew overheard dodging the attacks and shooting its own lightning to the ground. The bird, a Wunder, then soared high into the sky and rained lightning down upon the unicorns, who absorbed it with their horns and let it build up more energy. Suddenly, they released it into the sky where it illuminated the entire stadium before disappearing into the atmosphere. Everyone applauded, Gardner was notably on his feet. Once the noise had subsided, Mayor Boren emerged and walked towards a podium that had been placed especially for him. He waved to the crowd, who were all eager to see what he had to say. The crowd were murmuring as a pedestal was placed beside him, covered by a red sheet. Mayor Boren cleared his throat. ¡°Fine people of Hazelton and all of our treasured and esteemed guests. Allow me to have the honour of welcoming you all to the second ever Hazelton qualifying tournament organised by the Bretonian Tournament League.¡± Everyone clapped, caught up in the thrill of the whole spectacle. The mayor continued. ¡°Tamers from all over the country have gathered here in our quaint, but wonderful, town. Each of them shares a common aim, to reach the top four to qualify for the national championships, and to achieve total victory so they can get their hands on¡­this.¡± The mayor pulled the sheet away from the pedestal, revealing an egg. All eyes focused on the egg, each person in the crowd wondering what this year¡¯s prize would be. How rare of a creature was kept within? ¡°Last year, we had¡­well, a little incident. The prized egg was stolen by heinous criminals. It was recovered by the efforts of one of our competitors at the time who is competing here again this year. Please give a hand for Aurin.¡± Aurin¡¯s face appeared on the large stadium screen as the crowd praised him, while his face turned red with embarrassment. He waved to the crowd as Gardner elbowed him in the ribs encouragingly. Shamtile hopped on top of Aurin¡¯s lap, waving his arms and making the crowd burst into laughter with one of his erratic dances. ¡°I would like to assure you all that both the Hazelton Police Department and the Bretonian Tournament League are doubling up on our security so that no further incidents will occur. As exciting as it was, we would prefer to keep things under tighter control. ¡°Lastly, I would like to encourage you all to get involved. Our town has much to offer, from the beautiful outlying scenery to many local businesses, and let¡¯s not forget our wondrous monster tower. And with that, I will see you all tomorrow for the first of our many matches. Let the tournament begin!¡± The crowd dispersed, all excited for what was to come. The tamers in their seats all leapt to their feet faster than anyone and rushed to check their matchups so they could start preparing. Aurin pushed his way to the front of the crowd to see the screen where the two hundred and fifty six names were listed. He ran his eyes up and down, trying to see his name and picture. ¡°There,¡± he muttered. He saw a tamer who looked about the same age as he did named Conrad. He glanced around, spotting Conrad in the crowd. The young tamer looked nervous, presumably his first tournament. ¡°If we win each of our matches,¡± said Hunter to Aurin, ¡°we¡¯ll have to wait until the semi-finals to battle.¡± ¡°So we both have a shot at the national championships even if one of us knocks the other out,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Where are you Gardner?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± he exclaimed, finding his listing. ¡°I¡¯m at the other side of the bracket. All three of us can go to Ludonia if we do well enough.¡± Aurin laughed. ¡°Let¡¯s be realistic, Hunter will make it and we¡¯ll have to fight much harder for it.¡± ¡°Expect the unexpected,¡± said Hunter, being modest. Shortly after, Aurin said farewell to his two friends and left to find Luna and his parents. He hoisted Shamtile onto his shoulders so we could see over the crowds of people swarming the courtyard. There they were, standing by the riverside. ¡°Confident?¡± asked Luna with a wink. Aurin said nothing, he simply smiled. ¡°You¡¯re just trying to be like Hunter,¡± laughed Luna. ¡°You should give it up; he plays it cool so much better than you do.¡± Luna took Aurin¡¯s parents to get a late breakfast, and Innogon his favourite milkshake, while Aurin headed back to the ranch with a jealous Shamtile. There was no time to waste, he had to train his three combatants for tomorrow¡¯s match. This time, he was determined the prized egg would be his without charity. Chapter 50 Hazelton was packed as Aurin and Luna walked through the bustling streets on the way to his first tournament match. He was supposed to meet his parents first, but he hadn¡¯t a hope of finding them in the chaos. He would have to find them after his battle with Conrad. ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered me,¡± said Luna. Aurin had no idea what she was talking about. ¡°What was the question?¡± ¡°Do you think this match will be easy or not?¡± ¡°When did you ask that?¡± ¡°Yesterday.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I think he looked nervous, but that doesn¡¯t mean much. He could have years of experience, but this could also be his first professional battle for all I know.¡± ¡°Is that a yes?¡± asked Luna. ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait and see,¡± said Aurin while Luna groaned at him dodging the question. The two arrived at the stadium and Luna wished Aurin luck as he headed to the waiting room where he would await the end of the match before his. He was looking forward to some quiet time alone with his thoughts. ¡°Hello,¡± came a voice. It was Conrad. ¡°Conrad?¡± asked Aurin, wanting to be polite. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡± ¡°What are you doing here? You should be at the other side of the stadium.¡± Conrad bounced onto his feet. ¡°Oh no!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°You must be Aurin. I should have recognised you from being on the giant screen yesterday. Sorry to have intruded.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± laughed Aurin. ¡°You have plenty of time to get to your room. How are you feeling about the match?¡± ¡°Oh, umm¡­to be honest¡­not great.¡± ¡°Why? Am I that scary?¡± ¡°No, no. It¡¯s not that. I¡¯ve just never battled against another tamer before. I don¡¯t know what to expect.¡± Aurin was taken aback. ¡°Not even on the tower? I run into people there all the time, usually at least one or two per run.¡± Conrad shook his head. ¡°I always avoid other tamers and fight the wild Minakai. I should never have signed up for the tournament without pushing myself more. It was stupid of me to think I could handle it.¡± ¡°You have at least three Minakai, right?¡± asked Aurin. He must have or he wouldn¡¯t have qualified to enter. ¡°Three and only three,¡± he said. ¡°They carried me up to the ninth floor, but I think we got very lucky with the monster and item spawns. I¡¯ve heard floor nine was the minimum this year so I only just made the cut.¡± Aurin knew that he would be able to wipe the floor with the inexperienced tamer, but he didn¡¯t want to seem too presumptuous. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to say this, but I think my team has a strong advantage going into the battle¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do me any favours,¡± said Conrad sternly. ¡°I want you to give me your all. Throw me in at the deep end, alright?¡± ¡°Alright, I will,¡± said Aurin. ¡°You¡¯d better get moving in case the match finishes early. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± Conrad ran off so Aurin sat down and waited alone. He struggled to remember how he felt before his first tournament match. Having lost so badly to Hunter in a friendly battle in town made him feel out of his depth, but surely he wasn¡¯t that bad? However, he had felt, he didn¡¯t want to disrespect Conrad and go easy on him. He would begin the match at full throttle and give his opponent exactly what he had asked for. Floor nine was a respectable level so Conrad probably had a hidden spark just waiting to blow up. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The intercom buzzed. ¡°Will both tamers enter the tunnel and prepare for battle.¡± Aurin stood up and opened the door, walking down the dark tunnel towards the tournament official who stood in wait. Aurin was sure he recognised him. ¡°I remember you from last year,¡± he said. He had met the official here a couple of times, one of which was before his first match. ¡°So we don¡¯t all look the same?¡± laughed the official. ¡°Not at all. I actually have a question for you, if you don¡¯t mind?¡± ¡°Go for it.¡± ¡°Was I a nervous wreck the first time we met?¡± ¡°I see a lot of tamers,¡± said the official. ¡°I remember you were nervous, but not any more or less than anybody else. That friend of yours, Luna, she was shaking like a leaf from start to finish. How come?¡± Aurin wasn¡¯t sure why he cared so much. ¡°I think I just wanted to remember how it was to start fresh. It¡¯s been a little over a year, but it feels like a lifetime ago already.¡± The two talked while Aurin awaited the call. Once it came through, the official wished him good luck. Aurin walked out of the tunnel and remembered to wave to the cheering crowd. ¡°Yes, folks. That¡¯s the same Aurin who recovered the prized egg,¡± said the announcer. ¡°I have it on good authority that he was given it by last year¡¯s winner as a thank you. Perhaps it¡¯s on his team today?¡± Aurin and Conrad stood at opposite sides of the grassy field. Conrad was shaking, but he was otherwise holding strong. If you had only seen his face, you would think that he had all the confidence in the world. ¡°Let¡¯s battle!¡± called the announcer. Both tamers raised their gloves into the air and summoned their first Minakai. The announcer had guessed right, Steambot was ready to blast his enemies away. Conrad¡¯s first monster was a cobalt blue lion, Cubtem. ¡°Steambot, pressure cannon!¡± ordered Aurin. ¡°Cubtem, make sure¡ª¡± It was too late. Cubtem was struck by a pressurised water blast and tossed across the field. ¡°Ouch!¡± cried the announcer. ¡°Conrad¡¯s Cubtem has been dealt an early defeat by Aurin¡¯s Steambot. Last year¡¯s tournament prize is serving him well. How will Conrad retaliate?¡± Conrad, still shaking, summoned a Hornber to the field. Aurin remembered when his Spikruption was a Hornber, two evolutions prior. The small red dinosaur breathed in and spat a large fireball at Steambot who shot a weak jet at it, pitting it out. ¡°We don¡¯t go easy, Steambot,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Give it a pressure cannon too.¡± Hornber was knocked straight past his tamer and into the stadium wall that surrounded the arena. ¡°That¡¯s two down in under a minute!¡± shouted the announcer. ¡°Aurin isn¡¯t holding back. Conrad has got to pull something out of the bag or it¡¯s game over before it¡¯s even begun.¡± ¡°Hap-happynut,¡± stammered Conrad. It was not lost on Aurin that all three of Conrad¡¯s Minakai were also on his team, albeit at different evolutionary stages. It was with a heavy heart that he ordered Steambot to finish the job. Steambot charged forwards, picked up the Happynut and slammed it into the ground, finishing the match. ¡°A complete wipe-out!¡± cried the announcer while the audience gave a half-hearted applause. Some tamers were even booing Aurin. ¡°With that, Aurin moves onto the second round and Conrad is sadly eliminated.¡± Aurin walked toward to shake Conrad¡¯s hand, but his opponent walked back inside his own tunnel. Aurin understood why the audience weren¡¯t pleased, they didn¡¯t know what Conrad had asked, but why was Conrad so annoyed about it? In the stands, Aurin¡¯s mother looked at her husband. ¡°He was a bit rough, wasn¡¯t he?¡± Edwin shook his head. ¡°The other kid shouldn¡¯t have been there. He didn''t have a chance and Aurin finished it nice and quickly for him.¡± Luna agreed. ¡°Some tamers are sneaky and hit you hardest when you let your guard time. I don¡¯t see the problem.¡± The three stood up from their seats and searched the stadium for Aurin, who himself was looking for Conrad. He eventually found him sitting by the river outside. ¡°So it looks like I¡¯m the villain for today,¡± lamented Aurin. ¡°You could have at least shaken my hand. I did exactly what you asked.¡± ¡°Fighting isn¡¯t for me,¡± said Conrad, looking downcast. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have what it takes to be a good tamer. Aurin was confused. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry about how I reacted in there. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m even doing here. I think it¡¯s time to pack it in and stick to the tower.¡± ¡°Conrad, it was your first ever fight against another tamer, and you jumped into it at a ranked tournament. Of course it was going to be a trainwreck, what else would you expect? You didn¡¯t prepare yourself at all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not holding back, are you?¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m not going to join you in your pity party. If you want to be a good fighter then you need to train, and you need to train against other people. That¡¯s how you¡¯ll get better and be able to stand on your own.¡± The weak tamer looked Aurin in the eye. ¡°You can train me,¡± he said. Aurin initially thought he misheard Conrad. ¡°Train you? I¡¯m alright, but I¡¯m not that strong. Why come to me?¡± ¡°You know what you¡¯re doing. Did you see how powerful your Steambot was? He crushed my Minakai without even breaking a sweat. I mean¡­it was instant! Please, train me.¡± Aurin sighed, but he was sympathetic. ¡°Fine, you can help me prepare for a few matches and maybe you¡¯ll pick up a few things. We¡¯ll start after the second round once I¡¯ve got a foothold on things. We train out at Kyle¡¯s ranch, are you familiar?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s where my three Minakai are kept.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be in touch soon.¡± Aurin took his leave, leaving Conrad alone by the riverside. Conrad was quietly satisfied to have Aurin train him, but a devious smile crept over his face as someone else approached him from behind. ¡°He agreed?¡± said the figure. ¡°He agreed.¡± ¡°Excellent. We¡¯re one step closer to finding Ethruki.¡± Chapter 51 It was a rainy morning in Hazelton, but that didn¡¯t deter Aurin. He was up and ready to go, but the previous night he had agreed to meet up with his next opponent for breakfast in town before they had their match. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± asked Kyle as Aurin walked down the path away from the ranch. Shamtile was with him, crawling on all fours to try and catch a butterfly. ¡°I¡¯m going to be late for my match,¡± said Aurin, breaking into a run. ¡°Your match is three hours away and you¡¯re on dung duty today. Get back here and start shovelling.¡± Aurin pretended he couldn¡¯t hear Kyle. He and Shamtile got as far away as they could, fearing his wrath should he try to catch them. ¡°We¡¯ll make it up to him after our battle,¡± Aurin said to Shamtile who screeched in agreement, conjuring himself a stone hat to keep himself dry from the rain. The two walked into town and shook themselves dry when they reached the caf¨¦. Aurin ordered a full Bretonian breakfast of sausages, eggs, bacon and toast, while Shamtile tugged on his arm. ¡°Yes, yes,¡± he said. ¡°One peanut butter and banana milkshake for my Minakai too.¡± A blonde girl of around eighteen walked in and shook her umbrella dry, hanging it by the door. She waved over at Aurin who waved back, then walked to the table and sat down. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Eclare said to him. ¡°Can¡¯t believe what?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I told you in the tower that I hoped we wouldn¡¯t battle in the first three matches, right?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± laughed Aurin. ¡°That was how long ago now? Over half a year at least. To be honest, I was surprised when you called the ranch.¡± A waitress came over and Eclare ordered a coffee. ¡°What¡¯s so surprising about it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just strange, that¡¯s all. We¡¯re about to have a high stakes battle and we¡¯re just sitting here talking.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t get why it¡¯s surprising or weird,¡± giggled Eclare. ¡°I suppose¡­I¡¯m not sure either,¡± said Aurin awkwardly while Shamtile poked him impatiently in the side. ¡°Your milkshake will be here soon, relax.¡± The food arrived and the two started eating while Shamtile greedily threw half the milkshake into his mouth at once. He was pleased Innogon wasn¡¯t here to try and steal it from him. He was close to the final straw with that little drake when it came to milkshakes. ¡°Are you and your girlfriend still together?¡± asked Eclare. ¡°I don¡¯t have a girlfriend,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. When did you two break up?¡± ¡°Wait a second, do you mean Luna?¡± ¡°I think so? The cute girl with the brown hair that¡¯s always smiling. I¡¯ve seen her around with that little blue thing that always sits on her shoulders or grabs onto her back like a backpack.¡± ¡°Why does everyone always think she¡¯s my girlfriend?¡± asked Aurin, not sure why it mattered. ¡°We¡¯ve only ever been friends.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s good. She won¡¯t be jealous that we¡¯re on a date then,¡± said Eclare with a wink. She stuck her tongue out after and laughed. Aurin¡¯s face turned red, not sure if she was serious or not. She was two years older than him for a start. ¡°I¡­um¡­¡± was all he could say. He started eating his breakfast much more quickly. Shamtile started rummaging in Aurin¡¯s bag and walked up to the counter with a few silver pieces. He massively overpaid for a second milkshake while the waitress was thrilled at such a large tip. ¡°Have you been preparing for our battle?¡± asked Eclare. ¡°I¡¯ve made a lot of progress since we last spoke, so it won¡¯t be so easy this time.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it was easy last time,¡± said Aurin. ¡°If I remember right, you didn¡¯t want to risk being kicked out of the tower so we ended the battle early.¡± ¡°I still count that as a win for you,¡± said Eclare. ¡°We¡¯ll really see who¡¯s the better tamer this time. How about a little bet?¡± Aurin grinned. ¡°I¡¯m in. How much?¡± Eclare shook her head and a sly smile crept onto her face. ¡°If I win, we go out again tomorrow and I get to pick the date. If you win, we go out again tomorrow and you get to pick the date. You can pick anything you want, even if that means you¡¯re dragging me into the tower all day.¡± She was serious, and Aurin turned redder than ever. ¡°Sure,¡± he said without thinking. She was a nice girl, she was beautiful, but he wasn¡¯t interested and didn¡¯t know how to say it. ¡°Perfect,¡± she said, smiling brightly as Aurin looked for his wallet to pay for their food. ¡°I will see you at the match then. Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll make it easy for you just because you¡¯re cute.¡± Eclare stood up and left while Aurin snatched his wallet back from Shamtile. He paid for the food and dragged his Minakai outside, annoyed that half of his silver was missing. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the only thing making him snappier than usual. ¡°How did I get myself into this?¡± Aurin asked Shamtile, who responded with only a grunt after being scolded about the money. ¡°I know I¡¯m smart, charming, handsome and a fantastic tamer, but does that make me such a catch?¡± he asked, jokingly. Shamtile warbled and gargled, waving his arms wildly. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s skip town before the match starts. I¡¯ll enter a tournament in another town under a fake name. Hmm¡­but then if I make it to the nationals, I¡¯ll be identified. Perhaps I need to get one of those Zodiac masks?¡± Shamtile, not understanding the joke, screeched horrifically. He started punching his tamer on the leg and Aurin was very lucky that the magic lizard wasn¡¯t using his stone fists. * ¡°An unbelievable hit!¡± cried the announcer. ¡°Aurin¡¯s Dolissile has just put an end to Eclare¡¯s Totempo. That leaves each tamer with two Minakai remaining.¡± Aurin and Eclare¡¯s battle was well underway, with Eclare¡¯s Totempo stampeding straight through Desparee before Dolissile avenged his teammate. Luna was biting her nails in the stands along with Kyle. ¡°I hope he loses,¡± said Kyle, still bitter about this morning. ¡°The nerve of him to make me shovel dung for him.¡± ¡°If he loses, he¡¯ll never move out of your ranch,¡± said Luna. ¡°Go Aurin!¡± yelled Kyle while Luna laughed. Innogon didn¡¯t understand and stared at her. With her early lead gone, Eclare summoned a Titanitoise. ¡°Just like we practised,¡± she said as the metal-shelled tortoise stomped forwards, shaking the ground with each step. ¡°Shatter that shell,¡± ordered Aurin, pointing at Eclare¡¯s Minakai. ¡°It¡¯ll be vulnerable without it.¡± Dolissile burst forwards at lightning speed, aiming to smash Titanitoise¡¯s shell. Suddenly, the Titanitoise ground to a halt and focused. Its shell glowed a mysterious grey and Dolissile collided with it, sending him spiralling off course and crashing into the ground. ¡°With an unexpected titanium shield technique, Aurin¡¯s Dolissile is don¡­wait just a minute!¡± cried the announcer. To everyone¡¯s surprise, even Aurin¡¯s, his Minakai floated up. His blue metallic plates were cracked, but he was still standing, figuratively at least. He was wobbling somewhat, but he wasn¡¯t out just yet. ¡°Unbelievable! The aquatic cyborg is still going after charging head on into his heavily defended opponent. Aurin¡¯s team is full of surprises this year.¡± ¡°New tactic,¡± shouted Aurin. ¡°Disorient and hit him where he¡¯s slowest.¡± Dolissile charged again as Titanitoise focused, making steel spikes erupt from the ground, but Dolissile¡¯s wobbling helped him steer clear of the attacks. When he got close to the giant tortoise, he sent out a pulse that confused the Titanitoise. He couldn¡¯t focus and Dolissile used the opportunity to spin around. The dolphin¡¯s fins started to glow and he charged past Titanitoise¡¯s two front legs, slicing them with his fusion fin attack. The tortoise collapsed to the ground, unable to support his enormous weight on such heavily injured legs. Dolissile backed off and gathered his strength for one more burst of energy. He finished him off Titanitoise with a head-on charge, knocking Eclare¡¯s second Minakai out and giving Aurin the lead for the first time. Eclare gave a small smirk. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you handle this one,¡± she said. She summoned her final Minakai. It was a large green reptile with a spiked tail and four spikes erupting from its head. Adorning its face was a wooden mask with green markings. It was a Shamasaur, an evolved form of Shamtile. It was an unexpected move, Aurin had to hand it to her, but he was confident that he could take down the masked monster. He ordered Dolissile to send out a pulse, but Shamasaur stomped his feed and a rock wall sprunt up from the ground and blocked the attack. The Shamasaur ran behind it and smashed it to pieces with his club-like hands and began to wave his arms. The rocks floated in mid-air, and with a single stomp, Dolissile was barraged with the heavy stones. Already weakened by his fight with Titanitoise, Dolissile was finally finished. ¡°Dolissile is out!¡± cried the announcement. ¡°What a fight Aurin¡¯s Minakai put up, but that was a fearsome attack from Eclare¡¯s Shamasaur.¡± ¡°Shamtile!¡± called Aurin, summoning his unevolved Minakai to the field. The crowd were murmuring. ¡°It¡¯s Aurin¡¯s Shamtile,¡± said the announcer. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a tough match for the little guy, but can he pull it out of the bag? The odds are stacked against him.¡± The Shamasaur bolted forwards and Shamtile scurried out of the way. He conjured his rock armour and held his ground while the Shamasaur summoned a large stalagmite. The large reptile pulled it from the ground and swung it around like a bat, while Shamtile ducked and dived, narrowly avoiding each attack. The rock armour made it hard to manoeuvre. ¡°Ditch the armour,¡± ordered Aurin. ¡°It¡¯s only going to slow you down and you¡¯ll need your speed to win this one.¡± Shamtile cast off his armour and flung the remnants at his opponent who batted them away, knocking them out of the stadium. Large sections of the audience ducked, fearing that one of the rocks would be the end of them. Eclare¡¯s Shamasaur hurled his stone spike at Shamtile who took a hit to the arm. He was knocked down by the blow, but quickly opened up a hole in the ground. He plummeted inside so he could hide, but the Shamasaur opened a bigger hole and dug his way towards Aurin¡¯s Minakai. ¡°Where did they go?¡± called the announcer. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to give any commentary on this part, folks.¡± Shamtile was thrown out of the ground by the Shamasaur, who leapt on top of the small Minakai. Shamtile scurried between his evolved form¡¯s legs and towards Aurin. He was panting heavily, exhausted from the intense fight. ¡°What¡¯s one way to anger a Shamasaur?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to do something you don¡¯t like to win this one.¡± Shamtile grunted in reluctant agreement and darted forwards on all fours. He summoned a pillar from the ground which threw him into the air. He hurtled towards the Shamasaur who made to grab the small Minakai but missed. Shamtile slipped through his arms and clung onto his neck. Aurin¡¯s Minakai grabbed onto Shamasaur¡¯s mask and pulled, sending the large beast into a berserker rage. If there was one thing his species hated, it was having its face revealed. Even Aurin didn¡¯t know what Shamtile looked like under the mask. Shamasaur wildly tried to grab at Shamasaur, but wasn¡¯t nimble enough to catch him as the small lizard moved around the surface of the larger lizard¡¯s body. Shamtile opened another hole in the ground and Shamasaur dropped into it. No sooner had he fallen in than Shamtile closed it, trapping the beast¡¯s lower half in the earth. The Shamasaur was far too frenzied to focus and started punching the air, trying to hit Shamtile. The small lizard backed off and did a dance. He danced with all his might, then threw his arms upwards. The earth opened and Shamasaur was launched upwards by a pillar of stone. The audience all looked upwards as Shamasaur shot straight towards the sky, then began to slow. He started to fall back to the ground, but brought up his own pillar to catch himself. Shamtile waved his arms once more and moved the pillar aside. Eclare¡¯s Shamasaur crashed into the ground with a heavy thud and lay motionless. ¡°Unbelievable!¡± shouted the announcer as the crowd went wild with applause. Luna rose to her feet and clapped wildly, while even Kyle looked impressed with Aurin and Shamtile¡¯s performance against the stronger foe. Aurin and Eclare walked to the centre of the battlefield. ¡°We¡¯re not going on that date, are we?¡± asked Eclare. ¡°You¡¯re a great girl, but¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to say it,¡± she said, looking up into the crowd. ¡°I have an idea that may help push you along a little bit." She leaned in and kissed Aurin on the cheek, which was shown to the whole stadium on the large screen. The crowd whooped and wooed, while Luna¡¯s face turned red. She sat down and folded her arms with a sour frown on her face. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± asked Kyle trying to hold back laughter. ¡°Nothing,¡± said Luna grumpily. Aurin¡¯s face was as red as Luna¡¯s but for different reasons. ¡°That was¡­something,¡± he said. Eclare looked towards a spot in the crowd again. ¡°She was watching,¡± she giggled. ¡°Good luck with that and with the rest of the tournament. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll see you around Hazelton.¡± Aurin thanked her and said goodbye, then left the battlefield with Shamtile by his side. The pair were elated, having survived the first two rounds, and making it into the top sixty-four. Five more wins and they would make it into the finals, a challenge which both the tamer and his Minakai were determined to conquer. Chapter 101 Aurin, Luna, Kyle and Garnder sat in the carriage of the private train. The boys were dressed in their finest suits¡ªAurin wearing the blue suit Luna had given him for his birthday¡ªwhile Luna wore a shining purple dress and long white gloves. The group of four wouldn¡¯t have looked out of place at a ballgown. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see what Lord Kensington¡¯s up to,¡± said Gardner, for once not looking like he¡¯d spent the entire day in a greenhouse. ¡°The man wasted no time,¡± said Kyle, gazing out the window at the mountain, ¡°he had the invites ready delivered the day after Tamer Day. That must have been the final criteria for this event.¡± ¡°I wonder if he¡¯s putting on a show for us?¡± asked Luna. ¡°Why would he ask us to bring three summoning stones then?¡± asked Aurin, pulling out the identical letter that each of them had received.
Greetings Esteemed Tamer, You have hereby been invited to attend a special event at the Kensington Estate. Please dress in your finest formalwear for the occasion and do not concern yourself with food and drink as all will be provided free of charge. It is also requested that you bring three summoning stones attuned to whichever Minakai you choose. A private train has been arranged to collect you from Hazelton Station at 11 o¡¯clock on Saturday morning. Please be aware that no Minakai are to be brought onto the train or summoned to the estate without permission to do so. Sincerely, Lord Theodore Kensington
¡°He¡¯s going to make us battle,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure,¡± said Gardner, ¡°it could be like something he did at Tamer Day where different Minakai are suited to different roles.¡± Kyle shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m telling you he¡¯s going to make us battle.¡± ¡°In formalwear?¡± asked Luna. ¡°The Minakai aren¡¯t dressed up for the occasion,¡± replied Kyle. Aurin stayed silent as he reread the letter for the fiftieth time this week. Once he had finished, he stuck his head out the window to try and take a peek at the other carriages. He didn¡¯t have the chance to see who else was invited as they were running late thanks to Luna. The train soon started to come to a halt. It had been a short journey lasting no more than fifteen minutes, but it felt longer to Aurin as he had been eagerly anticipating arriving having the mystery answered. As the four tamers stepped onto the platform, Aurin glanced around. He spotted Percival from the most recent Hazelton tournament and the national championship. There were a few people he had seen more recently at Tamer Day, including Jimmy, Eclare and even the pageant queen, Abby, who served as a judge for one of the Tamer Day contests. There was even¡­ ¡°Aurin,¡± said Frederick, giving Aurin a smirk and a nod as he walked past. ¡°Leo,¡± muttered Aurin, ¡°I should have known he would be here.¡± ¡°He¡¯s in civilian mode today, mate, don¡¯t worry about him,¡± said Gardner while watching Frederick like a hawk. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be like a Zodiac Squad member to cause trouble now, would it?¡± came a familiar voice from behind the group. ¡°Hunter!¡± called Luna excitedly, turning around. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if you would get invited or not,¡± said Aurin, shaking his friend¡¯s hand. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Hunter asked. ¡°You¡¯re too big league for us Hazelton folks these days.¡± Hunter laughed and looked around. ¡°It does seem to be people either from Hazelton or those who¡¯ve competed in Hazelton events, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Seems that way,¡± agreed Kyle. ¡°How rich is Lord Kensington if he has his own train platform and pays for us all to be brought here?¡± asked Luna. ¡°He comes from old money from what I¡¯ve heard,¡± replied Kyle. ¡°You take everything each of us has ever earned at the tower, add it all together and times it by a hundred and we¡¯re probably getting close.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get moving,¡± said Aurin as the crowd started to thin out, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be the last ones there.¡± The group of five followed the crowd. The path to the estate was paved with pale bricks and surrounded by large hedges and trees. Everyone was funnelled through an entranceway where the large metallic gates twisted and swirled with the words ¡®Kensington Estate¡¯ forged in cursive within them while a coat of arms bearing a badger and crossed spears rested beneath the lettering. ¡°It¡¯s chilly,¡± muttered Luna, rubbing her arms so Aurin took off his jacket and place it over her shoulders. Luna turned red, but she was smiling. As they walked up the path, the residence itself came into view. To call it a manor was doing it an injustice, it was most certainly a palace. The walls were made from limestone bricks reaching multiple at four storeys high at the highest points, while there were nearly fifty windows on the front of the building alone. The fountain in the garden caught Aurin¡¯s eye as everyone made their way up the staircase and towards the door where a carriage and its two horses stood in wait. The front door was already open and a pair of guardsmen were ushering people inside. Aurin couldn¡¯t help but laugh when he saw the chessboard-like pattern of the tiles on the floor as it reminded him of the floor of the monster towers. As everyone moved through the entrance hall towards another set of double doors, Aurin tried to see what else was in the hall. It was filled with paintings, old suits of armour and vases aplenty, but he was being moved along too quickly to take it in as well as he would have liked. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Your name, please,¡± said a man at the door. ¡°Aurin,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Aurin who?¡± asked the man. ¡°It¡¯s not a very common name,¡± remarked Aurin more rudely than he intended, ¡°there should only be one.¡± The man scowled at Aurin but, sure enough, there was only one on his list. ¡°You¡¯re at Table One by the front.¡± Aurin didn¡¯t even notice where he was at first, but it became clear now that it was a large dining hall. There were eight round tables along, each of them sitting eight people, with a larger rectangular table at the front of the room. Aurin took a reasonable guess that there were sixty-four people invited to this event other than Lord Kensington, staff and whatever special guests he may have invited. Aurin walked towards his table and spotted Frederick who laughed that he was sitting at the same table as Aurin. Alongside Frederick was Abby, Percival, Bentley¡ªwho Aurin had knocked out of this year¡¯s Hazelton tournament¡ªand another man who he didn¡¯t recognise. Shortly afterwards, Hunter and Gardner approached the table too. ¡°It looks like we¡¯re the table of elites,¡± joked Bentley once everyone had settled down. ¡°Yes,¡± said Frederick taking the comment seriously. ¡°I recognise you from Tamer Day,¡± said Abby, smiling at Aurin, ¡°weren¡¯t you there with the girl who was runner-up in the pageant?¡± ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Tamer Day?¡± said the man who Aurin didn¡¯t know. ¡°Nah, this kid got all the way to the nationals with these other three. Aurin, right.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Aurin. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Clarke,¡± said the man. He was a black-haired man, a little older than Kyle by the look of him. ¡°Me and Hunter go way back to other national competitions, but I haven¡¯t competed in Hazelton in a few years.¡± ¡°How¡¯ve you been, Clarke?¡± asked Hunter. Everyone engaged in small talk except for Frederick who sat there looking bored. Aurin glanced over at Luna who was sat at Table Two with Jimmy. Kyle, meanwhile, was sat behind Aurin at Table Four with Eclare. If they truly were sitting in order of rank, Aurin was going to tease Kyle about being ranked much lower than him later. It wasn¡¯t long before Lord Kensington arrived. He walked to the front of the room and stood behind the chair at the centre of the table. He picked up a glass and clinked it with his spoon causing everyone to fall silent. ¡°Welcome, welcome,¡± said Lord Kensington to the intrigued crowd. ¡°I am thrilled that every single one of you has made it here to take part in this grand event. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all most curious about what the day has in store and, rest assured, I will answer that in due time. Before any of that, however, please enjoy a fine lunch courtesy of my fine team of chefs.¡± Lord Kensington sat down and immediately a stream of servers appeared from a door in the corner of the room and began serving food to the guests. Aurin had skipped breakfast today, so he was thrilled to see a roast duck set down before him along with a helping of vegetables and plum sauce. He grabbed an additional serving of mashed potatoes from a bowl in the centre of the table and wolfed down his food faster than any of his tablemates. Once everyone had finished eating, Lord Kensington stood up once again. ¡°I trust that you are all well fed and watered. I certainly hope so because you are going to need that energy, tamers, for now it is time to inform you of the reason that you are here. You are all participants in the first ever Palace Royale!¡± The crowd murmured amongst themselves, unsure of what to make of that statement. Lord Kensington chuckled to himself, no doubt expecting this sort of reaction. He continued. ¡°The Palace Royale is a Minakai battle tournament that will take place across the entirety of my estate, but it is much more than a tournament. You may also think of it as a game of elimination. Each of you has brought three summoning stones that will allow you to call upon your Minakai, but once all of your Minakai is defeated you are out. That is standard, yes, but you will not be separated into brackets for one-on-one fights, no, you are all competing against each other at all times.¡± Aurin looked over at Kyle who gave him a knowing smile. He had been right about making the tamers battle. Aurin looked down at the tamer glove he was wearing where a brown and two grey crystals resided. He suddenly regretted his choice of what Minakai to bring along. ¡°If you will all make your way into the entrance hall, I shall explain the rules to you,¡± said Lord Kensington, walking around his table and leading the way to the doors. Everyone followed and Aurin caught up with Luna and Kyle. ¡°What do you reckon?¡± he asked them. ¡°It sounds fun,¡± said Luna with a giddy smile, ¡°I just wish I hadn¡¯t picked a dress like this to wear.¡± ¡°I¡¯m wondering what the catch is going to be,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I suspect we won¡¯t simply start brawling like what happened on Tamer Day.¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s set up arenas throughout the grounds?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Possibly,¡± said Kyle, but he didn¡¯t sound convinced. When everyone had gathered in the entrance hall, Lord Kensington stood by the front door to the palace. ¡°I shall now explain the rules and we will begin momentarily. The first rule is that you must summon all three of your Minakai once you leave through these front doors. When a Minakai falls unconscious or is banished, it cannot be used again. This will be monitored closely, as will everything else that happens in the Palace Royale. To break a rule is to be disqualified immediately. ¡°The second rule is that you must not attack other tamers. The third rule is that you are not allowed to enter this palace while you are in play, but you must return here immediately once you have been defeated. It will be announced across the state when that happens, so there can be pretending you are still a contender. ¡°The fourth rule is that there are items scattered throughout the estate and, should you find one, you are free to use it at your leisure. What are the items? Well, that is a secret for you to discover. Search high and low, for they may give you the edge you need. The last rule is that you must be the last tamer standing to win the prize.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the prize?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°Ah, Master Kyle,¡± said Lord Kensington with a sly grin¡ªAurin half expected him to start stroking his goatee like a villain from a spy film. ¡°The prize is a secret, but I assure you that it is something that every single one of you will find valuable. It is something that I must admit will be hard for me to part with. Does that answer satisfy you?¡± ¡°Consider me intrigued, Lord Kensington,¡± said Kyle with a nod. Lord Kensington pushed open the doors. ¡°Each of you has been assigned an identification number in line with the rank you have been given. When your number is called, you have thirty seconds to leave the palace. Make use of that thirty seconds wisely and do not loiter too close by, that is all I will say.¡± A steward approached Lord Kensington and held up a sheet of parchment. ¡°I will now call out your numbers and your thirty seconds will begin. Summon your Minakai as soon as you are clear of the entrance. Tamer number sixty-four, Lady Lavender.¡± A brunette girl that Aurin didn¡¯t recognise stepped forward, looking panicked. She hurriedly threw on her tamer glove and ran through the door¡ªsomething made difficult by the high heels she was wearing¡ªand out of sight. ¡°Tamer number sixty-three, Master Morris.¡± Lord Kensington continued to call out names and the tamers all made their way into the grounds. As the numbers moved along, Aurin noticed the pattern. Everyone was indeed being called out based on the tables they were sat at; Frederick was right to take Bentley¡¯s joke seriously. ¡°Tamer number thirty-two, Master Kyle,¡± called Lord Kensington. ¡°Good luck,¡± said Kyle to his friends as the rancher ran out the door with his gloved hand clenched. Luna was assigned number fourteen and she had the sense to kick off her heels so she could run more easily. She smiled and winked at Aurin before departing. There were suddenly only eight tamers remaining. Abby departed, leaving seven. Frederick departed, leaving six. Bentley departed, leaving five. Clarke departed, leaving four. Percival departed, leaving three. ¡°Tamer number three, Master Gardner,¡± said Lord Kensington, taking Aurin and Gardner by surprise. They did not say anything to each other, but it was obvious to the two that they both expected Gardner to have a better rank than Aurin. Gardner departed, leaving Aurin and Hunter as the last two tamers standing in the entrance hall. ¡°Tamer number two, Master Aurin,¡± said Lord Kensington. Aurin immediately ran through the door and turned left, leaping down the stairs as he summoned his Minakai. Shamtile, Gorunze and Snippet all appeared in bursts of light. Nobody else was nearby, but Aurin could see a few tamers running off into the distance. ¡°Follow me,¡± Aurin said to his three Minakai and they all made their way towards the fountain. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to play this smart if we want to say in the game until the end.¡± Chapter 102 Aurin stopped by the fountain and looked around to make sure the coast was clear and see the lay of the land. Nearby there was the entrance of a vineyard that filled the air with a sweet earthy smell. In the distance there were mountains past the woodland that surely fell out of the boundaries of the estate, yet there was a windmill just above the treeline. Perhaps the grounds were a lot bigger than Aurin had first realised. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± came Luna¡¯s voice from behind the fountain. She stepped out with her Tadpool as Innogon and Splashard leapt from the water. ¡°Want to fight already?¡± asked Aurin as his Minakai stood at the ready. ¡°Nah,¡± giggled Luna. ¡°If we¡¯re going to fight, it¡¯s going to be at the end to see who¡¯s the ultimate victor.¡± Luna sat down at the edge of the fountain and set her shoes on the bricks. Aurin moved over to join her as Shamtile and Gorunze stood on alert. Snippet on the other hand moved towards a bush and started to trim it. ¡°How do you feel about this whole tournament?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I¡¯ve got Inno and Splashard so I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll have much trouble,¡± said Luna with her head resting on her hand. ¡°Tadpool hasn¡¯t had much opportunity to train lately so I thought I would bring him here for fun, but I suppose it¡¯ll be a good way to get him up to speed. How about you?¡± Aurin laughed. ¡°If I had listened to Kyle about this event being about battling, I would have brought Spikruption and Steambot instead.¡± ¡°You know what that means Kyle¡¯s team is, right?¡± ¡°His Wingbloom, Hogannon and Snowlem,¡± nodded Aurin, knowing what Kyle considered his strongest Minakai. ¡°Almost certainly.¡± ¡°If Hunter brought his strongest he¡¯ll have his Flambot, Steambot and Treebot. Gardner, probably his Desparee, Angree and Vinewolf.¡± ¡°And Leo?¡± ¡°Leonite.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°And another two of them.¡± Aurin and Luna laughed at how predictable they thought everyone was, but Aurin was concerned that they were wrong. After all, he miscalculated at the national championships when he thought Gardner would bring his Desparee and used a Snowlem of his own instead. That error may have cost him the match so he resolved in his mind to not expect anything from the tamers he knew. ¡°Should we warm up?¡± asked Luna. ¡°What do you think, lads?¡± Aurin asked his Minakai. Shamtile screeched and waved his arms, Gorunze groaned and clanked, and Snippet stopped trimming the foliage and wandered back over towards the fountain. Aurin and Luna¡¯s Minakai began to spar, albeit a lot more cautiously than usual. Shamtile hopped atop the fountain and threw rocks at Innogon who blasted them out of the way with his water jet. Gorunze fired his topaz laser beams at Splashard who slickly weaved out of the way. Snippet chased Tadpool around and the icy frog dove into the bushes. Aurin¡¯s armoured insect started to trim them once more, forgetting about the battle, then Tadpool crept out from behind and head butted him and knocked him headfirst into the bush. ¡°Tamer number fifty-nine, Master Gareth, has been eliminated by tamer number seven, Master Frederick,¡± came Lord Kensington¡¯s voice from a loudspeaker hidden somewhere nearby. ¡°That was fast,¡± remarked Aurin. ¡°Leo¡¯s wasting no time in thinning the herd,¡± said Luna looking anxious. ¡°I think we should head out separate ways for now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± ¡°Yes, the larger a group we¡¯re in, the easier we are to spot from a distance. If someone has a Minakai like your Gorunze, they can start shooting beams right at us.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Good call,¡± said Aurin, turning to his Minakai. ¡°Alright, team. We¡¯re going to the windmill to see if we can find any items. Gorunze, you¡¯re our ride.¡± Aurin hopped onto Gorunze¡¯s back and pulled Shamtile and Snippet up with him. ¡°Don¡¯t get eliminated, alright?¡± said Luna with a giggle. ¡°Me? I¡¯ll be the last one standing,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Be careful, alright?¡± Luna smiled and nodded as Aurin rode off. She quickly gathered her team and ran across the grass to find shelter in the trees much closer to her. She was determined to see this tournament through and prove herself, just as she had done at Tamer Day. * ¡°Keep moving,¡± said Kyle to his Hogannon as the hefty pig started to fall behind. ¡°We¡¯re almost in the woods and we can slow it down once we¡¯re out of view.¡± The rancher suspected that the items would be a game changer in this tournament so he elected to find as many as he could while the other players eliminated each other. That meant less competition and the victors would be tired. Once he had built up his stock, he would deal with the remaining players. He, Wingbloom, Hogannon and Snowlem reached the woods and disappeared inside. He had Wingbloom take to the skies to spot any landmarks and the bird-like plant had informed him there was something not too far away, as for what it was, he couldn¡¯t quite understand his monsters that well. ¡°Which way?¡± Kyle asked his Wingbloom. The Minakai cooed softly and whipped the leaf on his head straight ahead. The group of four proceeded deeper into the woods, following Wingbloom¡¯s directions. There was not a tamer in sight, which made Kyle feel uneasy. It was only a matter of time before he crossed the path of a coward waiting to ambush him. Perhaps it would be someone who thought rank thirty-two would make him an easy target, but he was confident that he could defeat anyone in this tournament in a fair fight except perhaps Hunter. ¡°Hey!¡± yelled a young man from the side. Kyle stopped moving. ¡°Yes?¡± he asked without looking at the tamer. ¡°You looking for a battle, Kyle?¡± asked the young man. ¡°I¡¯m ready to take you on.¡± ¡°Chance, right?¡± asked Kyle, turning to face the tamer. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± replied Chance. Kyle could see that his team consisted of an Electrout, a Gorungol and a Peekawe. ¡°You¡¯ve left your Minakai at my ranch before, I recognise you and your team. I¡¯m willing to battle you if you want because I respect that you didn¡¯t attack me without warning, but just know that you don¡¯t have much of a shot.¡± Chance looked offended. ¡°Not much of a shot? You¡¯re the retired tamer, no? What are you even doing in this tournament?¡± ¡°I suppose my reputation still holds some weight to this day.¡± ¡°How do you want to do this then?¡± said Chance, nodding towards the Minakai. ¡°I¡¯m fine with an all-out brawl or a tournament style one versus one until we¡¯re out of Minakai. You¡¯re the one that wants the battle so it¡¯s your choice.¡± ¡°One versus one,¡± said Chance, starting to look nervous. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back, you hear?¡± ¡°Suit yourself,¡± shrugged Kyle, sending Wingbloom forward to start the battle as Chance¡¯s Electrout bounced forward, the electric fish not looking too comfortable out of the water. ¡°Make it quick, Wingbloom.¡± Wingbloom sped forwards and whipped his leaf wing at the Electrout before it had the chance to react. The sharp edge of Wingbloom¡¯s wing sliced straight across the fish, whose expression quickly switched from happy to pain. Chance¡¯s eyes widened in horror, realising the mistake he made in picking this fight. ¡°Gorungol, bring it down!¡± he ordered. Gorungol shot topaz crystals from its body at Wingbloom who dodged handily, even with his movements hampered by the trees. He shot above the canopy and disappeared from view. Gorungol and its tamer looked around, trying to spot Kyle¡¯s Minakai only for it to swoop down rapidly and pick up the stone golem in its talons. Wingbloom flew up into the air and threw Gorungol up high and then perched himself on a branch waiting for the Minakai to hit the ground. ¡°Peekawe!¡± called Chance before Gorungol even returned. The large turquoise bird charged towards the perched Wingbloom and beat its wings, sending a gust of razor sharp wind at him. Wingbloom dropped from the branch right before the branch was severed by the mighty gust from the Peekawe. The two birds clashed in the air, pecking at each other and swiping their mighty talons, but Chance¡¯s Minakai could not keep up with the vastly more experienced Wingbloom. With a sharp peck to the neck, Peekawe let out a cry as it dropped to the forest floor where its comrades, Electrout and Gorungol, already lay unconscious. ¡°Tamer forty-four, Master Chance, eliminated by tamer thirty-two, Master Kyle,¡± came Lord Kensington¡¯s voice over a speaker. ¡°Agh, I can¡¯t believe it!¡± cried Chance, dropping to his knees. ¡°Why?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°I did try to warn you.¡± ¡°I thought you would be rusty.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get to be rusty when you¡¯re a rancher. Do you know how much work it takes keeping all of those Minakai in line without their tamers around? They¡¯re not all docile and fights break out all the time.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t consider that,¡± admitted Chance. ¡°I admire how bold you were in challenging me,¡± said Kyle, ¡°but you need to know when to reel in that confidence before it becomes cockiness. If you had found a couple of good items or waited for my Minakai to take a few knocks from other battles, maybe you would have stood a chance.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, you¡¯re right,¡± mumbled Chance, climbing back to his feet and starting to make his way back towards the palace. ¡°I¡¯ll see you when this thing is over.¡± Kyle let out a small laugh to himself. Aurin had a similar air of cockiness to him when he first started out, but Chance didn¡¯t have the excuse of inexperience that Aurin did back then. It had surely been long enough now that all of the tamers were out of the palace, which meant that Aurin could have been engaging in a battle of his own. Chapter 103 Gorunze proceeded through the small section of woodland with Aurin, Shamtile and Snippet riding on his back. The large bronze golem kept his focus forward while his riders watched the sides and rear, fearful that an enemy would be lurking in the shadows ready to strike. ¡°Anything?¡± Aurin asked his team. Shamtile responded with a hushed growl, Gorunze groaned in a low mechanical tone, and Snippet clicked his pincers. To Aurin, that was a resounding no and he himself hadn¡¯t seen anything either. ¡°Full alertness at all times,¡± said Aurin, ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be some hapless fool who dares to sucker punch us. They¡¯ve got another thing coming though, am I right?¡± Gorunze and Snippet responded while Shamtile poked Aurin in the ribs. ¡°What was that for?¡± he asked. ¡°Gaaargh!¡± yelped Shamtile. ¡°Alright, fair enough,¡± replied his tamer, rubbing his side. ¡°Less talking from me and more watching, I get it.¡± Gorunze carried his team through the woods and onto a path that brought them to a hill. The metal Minakai bounded up with little effort, the weight of the group on his back little more than a backpack would be to a human. The windmill they sought was in clear view now, spinning very slowly at the top of the hill in a large clearing with the mountain serving as a backdrop behind it. ¡°Steady, Gorunze,¡± said Aurin, tapping his Minakai on the side. He felt silly treating him like a horse, but he was not used to riding around on his teammates so he could not think of anything better to say. Aurin, Shamtile and Snippet hopped down and the group proceeded towards the windmill where there was a small door in the stone tower, so Aurin headed inside while his Minakai kept watch outside. The millstone inside turned but there was nothing to grind. Aurin considered it may no longer be in use, but it still moved smoothly so it had been maintained for something. He rid the thoughts from his mind not wanting to get distracted and started searching a large crate to the side, he even climbed up a ladder to check the tops of the rafters, but there was nothing. If there had been an item here, someone must have taken it already. As he climbed down, a glint caught his eye. There, rotating on top of a gear, was an object not dissimilar to a magnifying glass. ¡°Shamtile,¡± he called out to his friend, who came running in enthusiastically. ¡°Climb up there and knock that down for me, would you?¡± Not understanding why his tamer couldn¡¯t do it himself, Shamtile hopped with great agility and little effort onto the gear and picked up the glass. He threw it to Aurin who caught it and examined it. It was an Identifying Glass, that was for certain, but what was most curious to him was that it seemed to be specifically for eggs. ¡°You know what this means, Shammy?¡± he asked the Minakai who did not know. ¡°This means that there are eggs hidden throughout the estate. We might be able to add to our merry little team of three before the day is done.¡± Shamtile did a silly dance at the prospect as Aurin hopped off the ladder and headed back outside to Gorunze and Snippet with Shamtile bouncing along behind him. As soon as Aurin appeared, Gorunze groaned and jerked his head towards the path up the hill. Aurin squinted and could see a figure wandering towards the windmill with his Minakai. ¡°I wonder who that could be?¡± asked Aurin of his own Minakai. As the bespectacled tamer approached with his Minakai¡ªa Metortoise, a Volcarrow and a Minasma¡ªhe pointed towards Aurin and shouted out. ¡°You¡­you¡¯re¡­Aurin, right?¡± The tamer stopped at the top of the hill and bent over, clutching his thighs as he tried to catch his breath. Aurin didn¡¯t recognise him, but at this point Aurin¡¯s reputation in Hazelton meant that a lot of people knew him that he could not return the favour to. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± Aurin confirmed, ¡°who are you?¡± ¡°My¡­name¡­is Morris,¡± said the tamer, making his way towards Aurin once more. ¡°Have we met before?¡± ¡°No¡­we¡­haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, I was worried I wou¡ª" ¡°I¡¯m here¡­to battle you,¡± grunted Morris. ¡°Battle me?¡± asked Aurin with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Yes, isn¡¯t that what this tournament is all about?¡± ¡°It is,¡± said Aurin. He thought it wasn¡¯t a winning tactic for a tamer ranked somewhere considerably lower than him to just wander up and demand a battle, but he didn¡¯t want to be rude. ¡°I accept your challenge, Morris.¡± ¡°Good,¡± said Morris, finally having caught his breath. ¡°Send out your first Minakai.¡± ¡°You first,¡± said Aurin. ¡°So be it!¡± yelled Morris, turning towards his Metortoise. ¡°You¡¯re up, my shelled friend.¡± Aurin tapped his Snippet on the head. ¡°Make quick work of him, he¡¯s a lot more cumbersome than you which should give you the chance to attack his legs or head without issue.¡± Snippet started cutting the air as he crept forward. Morris¡¯s Metortoise ran forward and roared with every intention of flattening the purple soldier ant, but Snippet stepped out of the way and jammed his scissor claw into the back of the metal-elemental¡¯s leg. The iron-spiked Minakai stumbled and cried out in pain. Snippet delivered a series of piercing jabs with his claws, tearing into the Metortoise¡¯s flesh and rendering it unable to walk. Morris had no choice but to recall his Minakai and send out his next contender. ¡°Volcarrow, avenge your fallen comrade!¡± he ordered. ¡°Gorunze, shoot it down,¡± said Aurin nonchalantly. The metal golem¡¯s eyes glowed a deep yellow and a laser beam shot from it directly at the flaming bird and sent it careening off course where it ended it¡¯s time at the tournament flat on the grass. Morris looked distraught at being beaten so easily. Aurin thought that if this was the sort of tamer that had ranked anywhere but near the bottom, Lord Kensington¡¯s ranking system was not fit for purpose, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel pity for Morris at being dropped into this tournament. ¡°I¡¯m going to spare your Minasma and the pair of you can walk away to regroup, gather some items and see how long you can last.¡± Morris looked relieved. ¡°You mean it?¡± he asked. ¡°I mean it,¡± said Aurin, ¡°I think you should think about your approach more carefully next time.¡± ¡°I just thought that if I could eliminate number two right off the bat, I could make more of a name for myself.¡± ¡°I can see why that may seem appealing, but you need to know your limitations. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re a good tamer, but I train every single day either in the tower or against other tamers. This is a battle royale, don¡¯t treat it like we¡¯re forced to fight in a tournament matchup.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± agreed Morris, looking towards his Minasma. Aurin and his team walked across the grass and past Morris, who had rushed over to his Volcarrow who lay unconscious on the ground. Once Aurin¡¯s team started moving down the hill, Shamtile spun around and stomped on the ground, erecting a large wall of stone. Aurin felt the spritz of water droplets escaping over the top of the wall. Once the water stopped, Shamtile returned the wall into the ground and Morris stood there with his Minasma looking petrified. He stammered something incomprehensible while Aurin turned to Shamtile and gave his masked Minakai a nod. ¡°You had your chance, Morris,¡± said Aurin. Shamtile waved his arms and did a front flip onto the grass. When his feet hit the ground, a thick patch of dirt quickly sprung up at an angle, launching Morris¡¯s Minasma into the air. It slammed into the side of the windmill tower and was knocked out. ¡°Tamer sixty-three, Master Morris, eliminated by tamer two, Master Aurin,¡± came Lord Kensington¡¯s voice. Aurin knew it was arrogant, but he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. The second tamer from the bottom attacking the second tamer from the top without even waiting for him to lose a couple of his Minakai through the tournament. No matter, the weaker tamers were being taken out early leaving the strongest to fight it out. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Aurin to his team and they all marched down the hill and towards the woodland once more. Morris was a weak tamer, that much was obvious, but why had stronger tamers like Pisces and Taurus not been invited? Granted, Taurus would be hard to identify. Pisces on the other hand had entered a Tamer Day event under her real name, Lorraine. Perhaps it was too risky to have multiple Zodiac Squad members here at once and Leo was the lucky one permitted to enter. ¡°I wonder how Luna is doing?¡± he asked Shamtile, his thoughts now wandering away from Zodiac. ¡°Waargh,¡± replied the masked lizard, which Aurin couldn¡¯t hope to decipher. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s doing well too,¡± he replied, taking a guess at what Shamtile had meant. ¡°She¡¯s got Innogon, Splashard and Tadpool by her side so she¡¯s a force to be reckoned with. Maybe if we¡¯re lucky, we¡¯ll get to watch her have a rematch with Hunter?¡± Shamtile growled at Aurin and pumped his fist in the air, making his tamer laugh. ¡°I know,¡± chuckled Aurin, ¡°I would like to have a rematch against him myself.¡± Chapter 104 As Aurin wandered through the woods, he saw a shadow flying overhead. He could have sworn it was a large green bird of some kind and immediately suspected it to be Kyle¡¯s Wingbloom. ¡°Did you see that?¡± he asked Shamtile, Gorunze and Snippet. Shamtile shrugged while Snippet shook his head and Gorunze gave a loud groan. ¡°Shamtile, raise yourself above the trees and check,¡± said his tamer. The masked lizard hopped onto the ground and raised a narrow pillar of earth from beneath him. He slowly ascended past Aurin and his teammates then over the tops of the trees. Shamtile could indeed see Wingbloom and he was carrying Kyle and Hogannon on his back while Snowlem clung to his feet. Shamtile hopped to the ground and nodded at Aurin, giving a warbled yell of confirmation to reinforce his point. ¡°I wonder how he¡¯s doing?¡± asked Aurin. * Snowlem released his grip on Wingbloom¡¯s legs and dropped onto the top of the tower. Wingbloom landed carefully and bent down to let Kyle and Hogannon slide off. ¡°Thanks, Wing,¡± said Kyle, patting his Minakai¡¯s smooth green beak. ¡°If we¡¯re lucky there¡¯ll be another item in this tower too.¡± Kyle looked around the roof of the tower, but there was nothing to be found. He even checked between the battlements and over the edge for anything perhaps tied up. Even if he didn¡¯t want whatever was to be found, he certainly didn¡¯t want his opponents to get it first. ¡°I think we¡¯re clear, gents,¡± he said to his Minakai. ¡°Let¡¯s head down and look around on foot.¡± Kyle led his team down the winding staircase. Wingbloom found this particularly difficult with his spindlier legs and the low ceiling, so he resorted to taking small hops down each of the stairs. Along the way, Kyle continued his search only to find nothing. He walked outside right as two identical female tamers with long brown hair tied in braids approached the doorway, each still armed with three Minakai of their own. ¡°It¡¯s empty,¡± said Kyle nodding towards the tower, ¡°but be my guest to search it.¡± The two girls looked at each other and smiled deviously before turning back to Kyle. He knew exactly what they wanted and they had him outnumbered six to three. He would have to play this carefully. ¡°My name is Harley,¡± said one of the twins. ¡°And my name is Marley,¡± said the other. ¡°You¡¯re not going to start finishing each other¡¯s sentences are you?¡± joked Kyle. ¡°No, Kyle, but we¡¯re going to take you out good and early,¡± said Harley. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Marley. ¡°You¡¯re ranked much lower than you ought to be, but we¡¯re wondering if maybe your skills have slipped over the years of working on that ranch of yours?¡± ¡°Alright,¡± said Kyle, tapping his Hogannon on the shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s put that theory to the test, shall we? How do you want to do this? Two of yours against one of mine each time or an all-out brawl?¡± ¡°Brawl,¡± said the twins in unison and their Minakai moved in front of them. The twins had identical teams, each consisting of a Thundarun, a Pillaberg and a Tuskade. Kyle didn¡¯t see Tuskade around Hazelton all that often, the purplish-grey elephant¡¯s long ears were tipped with hard brown stone that ended in a point, while its tusks were made of similar stone and its heavy tale was more like a wrecking ball than anything else. It was a bulky creature and the one he expected to give him the most trouble. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Team, you know what to do!¡± called Kyle as his Minakai lined up in front of him to face their opponents. The Thundarun charged for Wingbloom, who soared up and out of reach only to be targeted by twin lightning strikes. The flying plant flicked its wings and twirled around to avoid the attacks, then burst towards one of the Thundarun. Wingbloom¡¯s beak flashed with its electrically charged horn. Distracting it with the clash, Wingbloom whipped its wing and cut into the Thundarun¡¯s side. The second Thundarun rammed into Wingbloom with its own horn, forcing Kyle¡¯s Minakai to back away. One Pillaberg shot icicles at Snowlem, while the other raised icy walls to block the hefty snowballs that Snowlem flung at the two Minakai. ¡°Relentless, Snowlem!¡± ordered Kyle. Snowlem summoned a large snowball into his hands. In a glow of soft blue light, it suddenly was encased in ice. Snowlem drew his hands over his head and then tossed the huge icy ball at his opponents. The icy wall shattered and one of the Pillaberg was knocked over like a skittle in a bowling alley. Snowlem ran forwards, dodging the rapidly spawning icicles and grabbed the toppled Pillaberg and swung it round, smashing it into its teammate. While the other battles raged on, Hogannon fired mighty fireballs at the enraged Tuskade who whipped their wrecking ball-like tails around, batting the fireballs away as they forced their towards Hogannon. Hogannon unleashed a mighty fire blast from his cannon arms, but the Tuskade powered on through and simultaneously slammed into the cannoneer pig, knocking him back and into Snowlem, who accidentally whacked him with the Pillaberg he was swinging wildly. ¡°Careful!¡± demanded Kyle as Harley and Marley giggled at Snowlem¡¯s mishap. ¡°Switch opponents.¡± Wingbloom moved away from the two Tundarun and stuck his talons in one of the Tuskade¡¯s eyes, blinding it as he beat his wings and unleashed a sharp wind that sliced into its thick hide. The two earthen elephants flung rocks at the bird-like plant¡ªone considerably more accurately than the other¡ªbut Wingbloom was too quick for them. Snowlem, flipped the struggling Pillaberg round and hurled it at one of the Thundarun. Its spiked tip pierced the flesh of the unicorn. It unleashed a burst of electrical energy, zapping the Pillaberg that was half-stuck in its side. It succumbed to its injuries just as Pillaberg fell unconscious from the electric running through it. It was now three against four and the battle was looking much more in favour of Kyle and his team. Hogannon blasted away an icy wall from the remaining Pillaberg, who shot an icicle that caught inside one of the pig¡¯s cannons. Hogannon tried to shoot the icicle out, but the icicle was wedged in tight. It shot out weakly, but the explosive force injured Hogannon¡¯s own arm and the Minakai squealed in pain. Suddenly, an off-target rock struck the large pig on the forehead. The blinded Tuskade had missed his target but taken out another opponent in the process. ¡°Wingbloom, spinning razor!¡± ordered Kyle. Wingbloom squawked in compliance, then spun head over heels rapidly. His long plume whipped out behind him and as his speed increased became as sharp as a circular saw turned up to the highest speed. The large bird threw itself forward and charged into the blinded Tuskade, tearing its up and knocking it out cold. In a show of exquisite control, Wingbloom redirected himself and cut the top half of the remaining Pillaberg off. It groaned an echoey groan, unable to battle through the pain. Wingbloom, now incredibly dizzy, ceased spinning to recover. Snowlem took the lead and ran towards the remaining Thundarun, throwing icicles at its lightning blasts to block them. The ice shattered into many pieces, exactly as the sentient snowman intended. He raised his hands, causing the floating shards to hover in the air. He smiled a smile of coal and threw his hands aside, sending a wave of icy shrapnel at the Thundarun, who was unable to zap all of the projectiles in time. The fragments wedged itself into its skin and it keeled over in defeat. ¡°No!¡± cried out Harley, her last Minakai defeated. ¡°Tamer nineteen, Lady Harley, eliminated by tamer thirty-two, Master Kyle,¡± came Lord Kensington¡¯s voice. ¡°I give up!¡± called Marley as her Tuskade came to a stop. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± said Kyle with a sly grin. Snowlem flung a sharp icicle at Tuskade, and Wingbloom cast a mighty wind behind it, propelling it even fast. Tuskade put its ears together, the rocky ends forming a shield, but the icicle burst on threw and smashed into its head. Stunned, it didn¡¯t have time to react as Wingbloom rammed into it, knocking it to the ground. Kyle had won. ¡°Tamer twenty, Lady Marley, eliminated by tamer thirty-two, Master Kyle,¡± came Lord Kensington¡¯s voice. ¡°I don¡¯t believe this,¡± cried Marley, stomping her feet in a tantrum as her sister patted her on the back. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Marls,¡± said Harley, her own eyes filled with tears. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you took out even one of my Minakai,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Congrats on that. I think I¡¯m a bit rusty when it comes to tournaments.¡± ¡°Thanks, I suppose,¡± said Marley, calming down. ¡°We did outnumber you,¡± said Harley. Kyle nodded. ¡°A good strategy considering the nature of this tournament. Maybe I should do the same with my friends.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you at the start?¡± asked Marley. ¡°I thought it would be more fun to steamroll through my opponents,¡± admitted Kyle with a laugh. ¡°In hindsight, that may not have been the best move seeing as I¡¯m down to two team members remaining.¡± ¡°Best of luck,¡± said Harley as she and Marley dismissed their Minakai, who vanished in flashes of light. ¡°We hope you win.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± said Kyle as the two girls headed back to the palace. Chapter 105 ¡°Can you believe that?¡± Luna muttered to her team as Lord Kensington finished his announcement. ¡°Kyle took out two tamers at once. I bet he didn¡¯t even lose a single Minakai in that battle.¡± Innogon yapped in agreement and Tadpool let out a low croak as Splashard clapped her gelatinous hands in celebration of Kyle¡¯s announced wins. Luna and her team were roaming the forest in search of items that may give them an edge. It had been quiet so far, both in terms of items and opponents. In truth, she had no idea where to look or how concealed the boons were, but she and her Minakai kept as close of an eye out as they could without staying in one place for too long. The last thing she wanted was to get sniped from a distance when standing still. Suddenly, Splashard tapped her on the shoulder and let out an echoed call. Luna turned to look at her Minakai who put her fingerless hand to her ear and then pointed it further ahead. Luna listened carefully and could hear a faint gushing up ahead. It sounded like a river. ¡°Perfect,¡± she said to her team with a bright smile and giving Splashard a high five. ¡°Let¡¯s try and follow the river and see if it leads to anything.¡± Luna led her team further into the woods, each of them keeping watch in a different direction. The foliage was thick, but it was clearly well cared for. There were numerous small paths carved out and the fallen Autumnal leaves had been swept aside, making it easy to walk along. The barefooted Luna was particularly grateful for this and was mildly irked that Lord Kensington had asked them to come in formalwear knowing that the girls wouldn¡¯t be able to traipse around to easily in heels. ¡°At least you can all walk¡­or float,¡± Luna said to her Minakai, who were confused as to why she had said this out of the blue. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just thinking out loud. I wonder how Aurin¡¯s doing? He hasn¡¯t been knocked out and the last I heard he defeated tamer sixty-three.¡± Innogon yapped in response, saying nothing in particular. He was, however, excited by Luna¡¯s promise of a milkshake every day for a week if they made it into the final eight of the tournament. Luna and her Minakai continued through the forest and it wasn¡¯t long before the rushing river was before them. There was no one in sight and the river flowed to the north, so they decided to follow in that same direction. They were far from the ocean, so perhaps it led to a lake? ¡°In you go,¡± said Luna to Splashard, pointing into the river. The slick Minakai dove into the river. She was the only Minakai Luna had that did not need to breath and the perfect candidate for searching for underwater treasure. They continued walking and a few minutes later, the forest started to open up and the river spread wider and flowed into a lake, exactly as Luna had expected. ¡°No items,¡± Luna grumbled, frustrated that she had achieved zero this entire tournament while most her friends had already achieved victories. ¡°All the same, this is a beautiful spot.¡± The lake was crystal clear and surrounded by thick grass that reached towards the surrounding forest. The river itself continued out the other side and back into the trees, but it was too distant to see clearly. Luna suddenly spotted something that made her jump. There was a tamer lying on the grass by a large stone and he had two Minakai with him, an Anacondice that was curled around the base of the stone and a Cryoth who was sitting atop it. He did not have any others in sight, so he must have lost one team member already. ¡°Alright, team,¡± said Luna, pumping her fist. ¡°Now it¡¯s our time to leave our first mark on this tournament.¡± Luna strolled forward confidently towards the man, who sat up when he noticed her approaching. ¡°A challenger approaches!¡± he called excitedly, but his face dropped a little when he noticed she had three Minakai. ¡°I remember you, you¡¯re Luna, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Luna, also recognising the young man with the tufty brown hair and a freckled face. ¡°And you¡¯re Albert. I¡¯ve seen you leaving Minakai at Kyle¡¯s ranch before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s where I recognise you from,¡± he said, snapping his fingers. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re travelling alone when Kyle himself is in the tournament.¡± ¡°I can get by just fine by myself,¡± said Luna, mildly annoyed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to insinuate that you can¡¯t,¡± said Albert quickly, holding up his hands. ¡°I only meant that it¡¯s a good strategy to stick with friends to survive. I¡¯ve seen others do the same already.¡± ¡°Is that how you lost one of your Minakai?¡± Albert nodded. ¡°Yes, we had to make a run for it because three tamers jumped us at the same time. My Sanguice made a good show of it, taking out two of them before he was knocked out.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Are you ready for another battle then?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t suppose I have much of a choice,¡± shrugged Albert, climbing to his feet and patting his Anacondice¡¯s icy helmet. The large snake slithered upright, posing tall and looking at Innogon hungrily with its tongue flicking fast. Innogon hopped forward, ready for the fight. ¡°No, Inno,¡± said Luna. ¡°Splashard¡¯s taking this one. I¡¯m saving you for later.¡± Splashard flew up front as Innogon slumped sadly backwards, itching for a good fight. Anacondice moved in front of its tamer as Albert¡¯s other Minakai, the small blue moth that was Cryoth, flew from the rock and sat upon its tamer¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Do you want to count us in?¡± asked Albert. ¡°Three, two, one¡­fight!¡± called Luna. Splashard soared forwards, twirling through the air and dodging the icicles spat by Anacondice. Splashard delivered a mighty punch to the snake¡¯s face, only to be slice in two by its sharp tail. For a moment, Albert looked confident, but Splashard¡¯s two halves melded back together. The water elemental grabbed the snake by the head and swung it around, releasing it and sending it flying across the lake. The snake breathed an icy beam, freezing the surface of the water and landing on it, sliding a little before coming to a stop. It charged back towards the grass, creating an icy path as it moved. Splashard threw her fists forward and unleashed twin water jets that knocked the Anacondice backwards. ¡°Take the fight to it,¡± ordered Luna. Splashard flew across the lake and blasted apart the icy path as she went. Anacondice unleashed an icy beam from its mouth that collided with one of Splashard¡¯s arms, freezing it. Not to be deterred, Splashard burst forwards and used its newly formed icy mace to beat the Anacondice across the face, knocking it into the water. Splashard dove underneath and pulled the snake up, slamming it into the icy platform that floated on the surface of the lake. The slithering reptile lay limp on the ice, unmoving in defeat. Albert was down to his last Minakai. ¡°Oh no,¡± he muttered, dragging his palm across his face. ¡°I had to pick a fight with water Minakai at a lake. Stupid, stupid error.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± said Luna. ¡°Let¡¯s make this next one on dry land.¡± ¡°You want to play fair rather than tactically?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Luna. ¡°My Tadpool against your Cryoth. If you win, the battle ends here and we each leave with at least one Minakai remaining. If I win, then¡­well, you¡¯re out.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± said Albert with renewed vigour. ¡°Cryoth, let¡¯s win this.¡± Splashard returned to the sidelines as Tadpool leapt forward to fight. Albert¡¯s Cryoth flew from his shoulder and into the air. This would be a test for Luna as her Tadpool was not fully evolved while Cryoth was in its final form. ¡°Go!¡± called Luna. Tadpool darted forward and sprung into the air, flipping forward and whipping his tail at Cryoth who nimbly avoided the attack. It spun around as Tadpool landed and breathed out frosty wave. Tadpool rolled backwards clumsily to get out of the way and retaliated by shooting an icicle from its back at the blue moth. ¡°It won¡¯t be that easy,¡± warned Albert as his Cryoth fluttered aside. ¡°Avalanche!¡± Cryoth¡¯s wings flapped rapidly and emitted a loud buzz. The wings were moving so fast it looked as though they weren¡¯t even there. Cryoth flipped over in midair and a large barrage of snowy boulders fell from thin air and buried Tadpool on the grass. ¡°Oh no!¡± called Luna. ¡°Sorry, Luna,¡± said Albert. ¡°I¡¯ll see you¡ª¡± Albert was cut off as a sudden spear of ice burst from within the pile of snow and smashed into his Cryoth¡¯s chest. The little moth fell to the ground and lay on the grass. From the hole in the ice where the icicle had shot from, Tadpool appeared. He looked battered and weak, but he was still conscious. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± laughed Albert. ¡°I thought I had you there.¡± ¡°So did I,¡± murmured Luna as she rushed over to her Tadpool to make sure that he was okay. Lord Kensington¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Tamer twenty-six, Master Albert eliminated by tamer fourteen, Lady Luna.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my cue,¡± said Albert, not looking too dejected. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the end. I hope you win, Luna.¡± He dismissed his Minakai and departed from the lake, leaving Luna alone. Innogon was jumping excitedly as Luna inspected Tadpool¡¯s injuries. He seemed to be alright until he tried to walk, which was more of a limp than anything. ¡°You did very well,¡± Luna told him as Splashard picked her teammate up without even being asked. ¡°Inno, dive into the water and see if you can find anything. I want to find something, anything, that can heal up Tadpool. We¡¯re not being one monster down this early.¡± Innogon let out a small roar and ran towards the water. He leapt into the air and dove in and out of sight as Luna, Splashard and Tadpool kept a watch on their surroundings. * ¡°It looks like Luna won her first match,¡± Aurin said to Shamtile, who let out a warbled yell. ¡°Fine, fine. She eliminated an opponent, isn¡¯t it just semantics really?¡± Aurin and his three Minakai plodded through the forest. They could hear a river flowing nearby and thought that if they followed it, perhaps it would lead to a lake where they might find an item or an opponent they could take out. Snippet started clicking his pincers excitedly and jumped up and down to get Aurin¡¯s attention. ¡°What is it, Snip?¡± his tamer asked the little insect. Snippet pointed towards a small clearing in the forest where a large fairy ring of mushrooms sat. Resting on the grass in the centre of the fungal ring was an egg. Aurin hurried forward excitedly and lifted it, looking around to make sure nobody else was nearby. It couldn¡¯t be a trap, could it? It didn¡¯t seem to be as nobody jumped from the trees to ambush him. ¡°Good find!¡± said Aurin, rubbing Snippet¡¯s head, who twitched in irritation, hating the feeling of Aurin¡¯s hand clumsily knocking his antenna. ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s inside, shall we?¡± Aurin asked his Minakai, pulling out the Identifying Glass he had found earlier. Shamtile suddenly growled and stood frozen in place. Somebody must have been approaching and Shamtile had felt the vibrations in the soil. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± asked Aurin. A moment later, a shadow surrounded by three Minakai appeared in the clearing as Aurin and his own monsters braced themselves for a battle. Chapter 106 ¡°Easy there, Aurin,¡± said Clarke as the older man stepped into the clearing where Aurin and his Minakai were braced in the middle of the fairy ring. ¡°I¡¯m not some trickster who jumps youngsters and beats them to a pulp, alright?¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± said Aurin as he and his team relaxed. Clarke was accompanied by his three Minakai. The first was the purple and blue avian that was Rainbird. Second was the pale white bat, Sanguice. Lastly was a long golden serpent with sharp fangs, pale feathery wings and a tuft of feathers sprouting from its tale. Atop its head were slicked back red feathers. It bore three red rings around its tail and another red ring around its neck. Aurin had never seen this Minakai before, but he deduced that it was an evolved Quetzel. ¡°Quetzalia,¡± said Clarke, noticing Aurin¡¯s gaze lingering upon his sky serpent far longer than it did on the others. ¡°Ah,¡± said Aurin, committing the name to memory. ¡°How¡¯s the tournament been going for you, Clarke?¡± ¡°Eh, so so,¡± shrugged Clarke. ¡°I¡¯ve defeated one tamer so far and found a couple of items here and there, but nothing useful. Quetzalia spied this egg from the sky, but you got here barely a minute before me. I should have ordered her to retrieve rather than come here myself so I¡¯m the fool for that.¡± ¡°Do you want to know what¡¯s inside?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Nah, I¡¯d rather not know what I missed out on,¡± laughed Clarke, straightening his tie. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m glad to have run into you so early. I¡¯ve heard a fair bit about you from my friend Tobias. He speaks quite highly of you.¡± ¡°Tobias?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°The Tobias?¡± ¡°Do you know any other people called Tobias?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then it is indeed the Tobias,¡± said Clarke. ¡°We¡¯ve been friends for many years, even though I¡¯ve got at least ten years on him. I suppose it¡¯s like you and that rancher, but he¡¯s got a good twenty years on you. It¡¯s nice to have friends from different generations of taming, you can learn a lot from each other.¡± ¡°It is,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be half the tamer if it weren¡¯t for Kyle. He¡¯s guided me from start to finish and still helps me to this day.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± said Clarke. ¡°It doesn¡¯t detract from your own efforts, but it¡¯s good that you appreciate those who help you along the way. That¡¯s to be respected.¡± ¡°What did Tobias say about me?¡± asked Aurin, curious as to why the most renowned tamer in all of Bretonia was speaking about him. He had a lot of respect for the national champion. ¡°He said you¡¯re a young tamer with a lot of potential. He¡¯s got good judgement, so I trust that, but I¡¯m curious about your strength myself. If you¡¯re up for it, I would like a one on one battle.¡± ¡°Only one on one?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no sense in us eliminating each other this early on, but it would be good to pit two Minakai against each other before they¡¯re fatigued from too many battles. What do you say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m all for it,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Shamtile, are you?¡± Shamtile waved his arms in the air and emitted a warbled growl. ¡°I take it that that¡¯s a yes?¡± asked Clarke. ¡°That¡¯s a yes alright.¡± ¡°Excellent,¡± said Clarke, looking at Quetzalia and nodding his head. Aurin, Gorunze and Snippet stepped back from the fairy ring as Quetzalia moved forwards to meet Shamtile, who leapt back to the edge of the ring. The two were no more than fifteen feet apart. If Quetzalia was anything like its previous evolution, it would be quick off the mark. Shamtile would have to act quickly in case of a pre-emptive strike. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Fight!¡± barked Clarke. ¡°Wall!¡± ordered Aurin. Quetzalia burst forward and had to veer out of the way as Shamtile¡¯s rocky wall erupted from the ground. Aurin had guessed right and Clarke was going for a swift finish if he could manage it, but Aurin would not allow that. The sky serpent moved around the rock wall and Shamtile erupted more and more until Quetzalia was forced to attack from above. As Clarke¡¯s Minakai charged inside the column, Shamtile shot out from the top, having thrown himself upwards with a pillar. His fists were coated in stone and he smashed straight into Quetzalia¡¯s jaw. ¡°That is impressive,¡± said Clarke with a satisfied smile. ¡°Quetzalia, don¡¯t let him get back to the ground.¡± Shamtile was suddenly wrapped up tightly in Quetzalia¡¯s tail as the serpent flapped its wings and soared higher and higher into the sky. Shamtile forced one of his hands free and started beating his opponent¡¯s tail with his rock-encrusted hands. With each punch, more of the stone broke off and left him with a weaker punch. ¡°He doesn¡¯t need the ground,¡± said Aurin. ¡°He¡¯s a magic class Minakai.¡± As Shamtile realised his punches were getting less and less effective, he raised his free hand and summoned a large stone spear. Rather than aim for his opponent, he grabbed hold of it and used its reach to clobber Quetzalia on the back of the head as though it was a club. The serpent turned around angrily and made to bite the lizard on the arm, only to find herself biting into the club that Shamtile shoved in her mouth. Shamtile waved his arm and summoned a barrage of town that pummelled his opponent¡¯s wings, making her lose balance. She plummeted downwards, releasing Shamtile in order to right herself. Not wanting to slam into the ground, Shamtile conjured up and earth pillar for himself to land on. He lowered it more slowly to the ground, where the tamers and their other Minakai stood. ¡°He¡¯s very resourceful, isn¡¯t he?¡± asked Clarke. ¡°Incredibly,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Quetzalia!¡± called Clarke as his Minakai flew down. ¡°Nightmare wing attack.¡± Quetzalia¡¯s wings suddenly turned black and became engulfed in a wispy smoke, as did her eyes. She spun around as she hurtled towards Shamtile who tried to leap out of the way, but had tired himself during the aerial battle. Quetzalia collided with him and sent him flying through the air and into the trees. Aurin had never seen that air attack before and was stunned that it had thrown Shamtile backwards so easily. Aurin turned to try and find his Minakai, but Shamtile must have been thrown back so far that he was lost amongst the leaves. As Quetzalia flew forwards, a rocky bullet in a wooden mask shot through the air and knocked the serpent to the ground. It was Shamtile encased in his stone armour. Clarke¡¯s mouth hung open for a second. ¡°Quetzalia, up,¡± he said, but his Minakai didn¡¯t move. ¡°Come on now.¡± ¡°It looks like we win,¡± said Aurin as Shamtile threw off his jagged armour and started poking the unconscious Quetzalia. She spasmed and Shamtile leapt out of the way in shock, but she remained on the ground. ¡°Well how about that,¡± chuckled Clarke. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone stand up to Quetzalia¡¯s nightmare wing like that. Your Shamtile seems a little bruised, but that¡¯s about it. Very impressive.¡± ¡°It was a powerful move,¡± said Aurin as Shamtile climbed up him and sat atop his tamer¡¯s head as Snippet danced around and cut at the air. Gorunze, meanwhile, remained stoic. ¡°Where did you learn that one?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a world of great tamers out there, all with secrets of Minakai to share if you only ask them to. Competitions are only scratching the surface.¡± ¡°How can I find these tamers?¡± asked Aurin, curious about how they could help him become a stronger tamer. ¡°When you¡¯re ready to venture beyond the monster towers, you¡¯ll find a way,¡± said Clarke, making little sense to Aurin. ¡°In the meantime, I think you have a good chance to win this entire battle royale if your Minakai continue to fight like that.¡± ¡°They¡¯re a good team,¡± said Aurin, tapping his fist on Gorunze¡¯s metal frame. ¡°I¡¯m proud of them.¡± ¡°If these other two fight half as well as Shamtile, you shouldn¡¯t have a problem. That said, there are a few here who should not be underestimated.¡± Suddenly Lord Kensington¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Tamer forty-nine, Master Benjamin, eliminated by tamer seven, Master Frederick.¡± Aurin laughed dryly. ¡°That¡¯s one of them,¡± he said. ¡°He can be a nasty piece of work if you make him angry and even nastier if you catch him when he¡¯s calm and calculated.¡± ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll see if I can find him next,¡± said Clarke, turning to leave. ¡°Clarke,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Do you still compete competitively?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said, ¡°but I made an exception for an oddity like this. I spend most of my time seeking out the hidden secrets of Minakai. There are thousands of these creatures out there and I still don¡¯t know everything there is to know about the ones found in Bretonian towers.¡± ¡°What about the cosmic elementals, have you ever seen them?¡± ¡°All three of the local ones, yes,¡± said Clarke, continuing to walk away. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll see you again soon, Aurin. Good luck.¡± ¡°You too, Clarke,¡± said Aurin as Clarke and his remaining two Minakai departed from the clearing. Shamtile jumped off Aurin¡¯s head and snatched the egg from his tamer, giving it a little shake. ¡°Careful with that!¡± scolded Aurin, taking it back from the rambunctious little Minakai. ¡°Shall we find out what¡¯s inside?¡± His three Minakai all made varied noises of agreement as Aurin pulled out the Identifying Glass. He held it up to the egg and looked at it, seeing an image of a small, green wolf in his mind. Suddenly, the lens shattered, leaving the Identifying Glass useless. It didn¡¯t matter, it had done what it needed to do. ¡°If we can find an incubator, we¡¯ll have ourselves a Petalcub on the team,¡± he told his Minakai. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving again, shall we?¡± Chapter 107 Aurin wandered along the river, following the flow towards a lake. He could see a red-haired girl in a purple dress standing at the edge with a Splashard, a Tadpool and a soaking wet Innogon who was shaking the water from himself. ¡°Luna!¡± called Aurin as he approached, startling her. She turned around and beamed a wide smile at him then ran towards him. She hugged Aurin tightly and gave him a small kiss before releasing him. She pointed at each of his Minakai multiple times, wanting to be certain she hadn¡¯t miscounted all the way to three. ¡°They¡¯re all still here,¡± said Aurin, laughing. ¡°Good,¡± said Luna. ¡°Mine are too, but Tadpool took a bit of a beating a little while ago. He¡¯ll be okay though, we just need to be more careful in the next battle.¡± ¡°Was Innogon swimming?¡± Aurin asked, nodding towards the little drake who was shaking off the final droplets of water from his sleek blue scales. ¡°Item hunting,¡± said Luna. ¡°I haven¡¯t found anything yet! Everything is so well hidden, I¡¯m starting to wonder if anybody has anything.¡± ¡°Snippet,¡± said Aurin, beckoning forward his armoured purple insect. Snippet wandered forward and held up the egg Aurin had found mere minutes ago. Luna stared at it in awe. ¡°Where did you find that?¡± ¡°Back there,¡± said Aurin, pointing up the river path. ¡°I came from there earlier and didn¡¯t find a single thing.¡± ¡°I guess you weren¡¯t looking hard enough,¡± shrugged Aurin. ¡°It was just off to the side in a clearing sitting on the grass in a circle of mushrooms.¡± ¡°I wonder what¡¯s inside,¡± muttered Luna, bending down to look at the egg Snippet was holding. The soldier ant was under strict orders to not crush the egg with his pincers. ¡°It¡¯s a Petalcub,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I found an Identifying Glass at the windmill a while ago.¡± Luna¡¯s head drooped down. ¡°Am I the only one who can¡¯t find anything?¡± she asked with a sigh before standing up again. Aurin couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°My items are useless to me if I can¡¯t find a way to hatch this egg.¡± ¡°At least you¡¯ll be able to keep the egg even if you get knocked out of the tournament.¡± ¡°True,¡± admitted Aurin, then turning to Tadpool. ¡°How are you holding up?¡± he asked the icy frog. Tadpool croaked, not sounding too much worse for the wear as Splashard carried him around in her arms. ¡°His legs took the hit worst,¡± said Luna. ¡°All I need is a Healing Herb or an Orna Berry and I can treat him easily. It¡¯s just a matter of finding one.¡± ¡°If I had one, I¡¯d give it to you,¡± said Aurin. ¡°No injuries?¡± Luna asked. ¡°Shamtile is a little bruised from a battle with Clarke just now, but he¡¯ll be alright.¡± ¡°Clarke? I didn¡¯t hear him get eliminated.¡± ¡°We agreed to each put one Minakai on the line.¡± ¡°You won?¡± asked Luna, lifting up Shamtile and throwing him into the air. ¡°Good job,¡± she said as Shamtile curled himself into a ball, allowing himself to be tossed around. It entertained him endlessly and Steambot was constantly playing catch with him back at the ranch. ¡°Seeing as we¡¯re both here and strong, shall we stick together for a little while?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± said Luna with a nod. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°We¡¯ve been downstream, so let¡¯s see where upstream takes us.¡± The tamers and their Minakai wandered back into the forest and kept close to the river. They talked about everything they had seen and done so far as well as all of the tamers they¡¯d heard be eliminated. ¡°Tamer forty, Master Arnold, eliminated by tamer three, Master Gardner,¡± came Lord Kensington¡¯s voice from one of his many hidden speakers. ¡°Is that Gardner¡¯s first elimination?¡± asked Luna, thinking back over the announcements. ¡°It is,¡± said Aurin with certainty. ¡°How many tamers do we have left?¡± ¡°Including us, I think there are just under fifty of us left. There¡¯s still plenty in the game, but it¡¯s nice to hear that some of them are being taken out while we¡¯re safe for the time being.¡± ¡°It is, but I want to get stuck into more battles too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unavoidable,¡± said Aurin, ¡°and I¡¯d expect a lot of the best tamers will be left standing a couple of hours from now.¡± ¡°Or they¡¯ll be overly eager and tire themselves out.¡± ¡°Tamer forty-seven, Master Kevin, eliminated by tamer seven, Master Frederick,¡± came Lord Kensington¡¯s voice once again. ¡°Another one?¡± asked Luna. ¡°That¡¯s three for Leo, right?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± confirmed Luna. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s being overly eager or do you think he¡¯ll be left standing?¡± Aurin thought about his answer for a moment. ¡°Based on the tamer numbers he¡¯s been defeating, he¡¯s removing some of the weaker tamers in the competition. I would be surprised if he¡¯s lost a single Minakai. He¡¯s always been a sly one, so I doubt he¡¯d risk the competition to show off too much.¡± Aurin, Luna and their Minakai continued to follow the river and the rushing of the water was now joined by a crashing. When the trees parted, they found themselves before a cliff from where a waterfall poured into a pool that flowed as the river. ¡°I like this place,¡± said Luna, walking over to the edge of the pool and sitting on the grass. Aurin walked over and joined her, glad to have some time to relax before the next battle. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± he said. ¡°Hmm,¡± said Luna, staring at the pool. ¡°Inno!¡± she called and the blue dragon ran forwards and hopped into the water. A few seconds later, he blasted out and into the air on a stream of water before plopping onto the grass. He wandered over to Luna and dropped an Astral Shard at her feet. ¡°Oh no,¡± sighed Luna, picking it up. ¡°I can¡¯t use this for anything!¡± Innogon yapped and bounced around. ¡°Of course,¡± said Luna, stroking his head fin. ¡°You did great, thank you for going down and retrieving that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just the luck of the draw sometimes,¡± laughed Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m glad you think this is so funny,¡± frowned Luna. ¡°You aren¡¯t going anywhere anytime soon. There are lots of other items up for grabs, but even then you don¡¯t need to fixate on them. They might not make or break the tournament.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± lamented Luna. ¡°An egg like yours means an extra team member.¡± ¡°An untrained team member who needs to get good very quickly,¡± Aurin reminded her. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got plenty of time left in the tournament. If you don¡¯t find anything else, trade it to another tamer for something you can use. If you get really stuck then just lob it at one of your opponents.¡± ¡°I hope you won¡¯t be throwing it at me,¡± giggled a woman¡¯s voice from behind. Aurin and Luna stood up and looked over at Abby who was standing beside the river with her Guilgon by her side. She had no other Minakai with her, so she her Guilgon must have been her last monster standing. ¡°What are you doing here, Abby?¡± asked Luna, more rudely than she intended. ¡°I mean, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± Abby laughed. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I knew what you meant,¡± she said. ¡°You need to speak more confidently, Luna. No need to second guess your words.¡± Abby walked towards them so effortlessly it was as though she was floating while her sleek black hair flowed behind her. This in wild contrast to her Guilgon who stomped along behind her with a cunning smirk on its face. ¡°This place is nice,¡± she said, glancing at the waterfall. ¡°I¡¯ll have to mention it to one of the photographers for the Spring season photoshoots.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a model?¡± asked Aurn. ¡°When I¡¯m not competing in pageants, yes,¡± said Abby. ¡°How about you both, what do you do?¡± ¡°We¡­well, I suppose we¡¯re full-time tamers,¡± said Luna, holding a finger to her chin. ¡°I compete professionally,¡± said Aurin much more assuredly. ¡°I was in the national championships last year.¡± ¡°Oh yes!¡± exclaimed Abby. ¡°I remembered you from Tamer Day before, but Clarke mentioned that you were at the nationals earlier too. You got beaten by that other boy from Hazelton, right?¡± Aurin scowled. ¡°I had a bad day,¡± he said, at which Abby giggled. ¡°Next time, I¡¯m going to make a comeback and rise to the top.¡± ¡°You know I tried my hand at competitions a few years ago,¡± said Abby. ¡°My father said, ¡®Abigail, you need to focus and not stretch yourself too thin,¡¯ and I think he was right. I¡¯m down to just my Guilgon. She¡¯s the only one keeping me in this tournament.¡± ¡°Did you do any damage on the way out?¡± ¡°Plenty, sweetie,¡± she said, winking at Aurin which elicited a briefly annoyed look from Luna. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realise,¡± she added apologetically to Luna. ¡°Do you want to see if you can do any more damage?¡± asked Luna, now sounding fired up. ¡°Tell me more,¡± said Abby, sounding intrigued. ¡°We¡¯ll have a battle right here,¡± said Luna. ¡°You think I have a chance of winning?¡± laughed Abby, knowing the odds were heavily against her. ¡°No,¡± said Luna, ¡°but if you can take out any of my team then you go out with a much bigger bang, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That is true,¡± said Abby, folding her arms and leaning against her Guilgon. Aurin only noticed now that she was still wearing her heels, even on the grass. ¡°Alright, Luna. We¡¯ll battle right now and see how things play out, shall we?¡± Chapter 108 ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± asked Aurin as Luna and Abby positioned themselves at opposite ends of the rippling pool as the waterfall ceaselessly crashed down into it. ¡°I¡¯m positive,¡± said Luna. ¡°She¡¯s a dark horse,¡± said Aurin. ¡°She was sitting at the top table with the rest of us. I think she¡¯s downplaying her skills.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯ll feel that much better defeating her, won¡¯t it?¡± said Luna undeterred. ¡°Alright,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Make quick work of her. I know you can.¡± Luna looked at her team. Tadpool was still injured and Innogon would be going up against his evolved form, that meant that Splashard was probably her best bet. ¡°Are you ready for this?¡± Splashard nodded and took her position at the edge of the pool eagerly. ¡°Aurin, you can be the referee and count us down, yes?¡± called Abby from across the pool as her Guilgon warmed up by swiping at the air with her sharp claws. ¡°Are you both ready?¡± ¡°Ready!¡± replied Abby. ¡°Ready,¡± said Luna. ¡°Three. Two. One. Battle!¡± called Aurin. Splashard and Guilgon wasted no time in unleashing water jets at each other, the two streams meeting at the centre of the pond and exploding into a wave of water that crashed all the way to the edges of the pool. The two water elementals charged towards each other as their rain poured down. Splashard punched with her amorphous fists while Guilgon batted the punches away and retaliated with ferocious swipes, cutting into Splashard who repaired her injuries almost instantly. Splashard flipped around and smacked Guilgon in the face, only for the enraged blue dragon sink her teeth into Splashard¡¯s neck, tearing a chunk from it and sending parts of Splashard¡¯s gelatinous body flying across the pond. Aurin watched from the sidelines and could see that he was right. Abby shouldn¡¯t be underestimated for a second and Lord Kensington was right to put her at the top table. He suspected that she had gotten in over her head and charged head first into her competition only to be whittled down little by little by tamers that she herself had underestimated. ¡°Take the fight into the water,¡± ordered Luna as Splashard backed off to recover from Guilgon¡¯s heavy assault. Splashard flew around Guilgon rapidly, trying to find an opening to grab hold of the dragon¡¯s wings and bring her down, only to be struck by her whipping tail and knocked back repeatedly. The water demon was growing frustrated and desperately tried to lunge towards Guilgon¡¯s left wing. Guilgon spun around and grabbed Splashard by the head. She spun around and around, picking up speed as Splashard tried to wrestle free only to find the dragon¡¯s grip was too strong. Suddenly, Guilgon released Splashard and the gelatinous Minakai crashed into the cliff face and broke into a dozen pieces. As her parts landed, Splashard pulled herself back together and reformed, but reforming from such a split state was exhausting. As soon as she had restored her physical form, the blue dragon rammed her into the cliff face once more and broke her in two. Splashard reformed once more, but found herself unable to float up off the ground. She lost consciousness and was out of the battle and out of the tournament. ¡°Oh no!¡± cried Luna, distraught at Splashard¡¯s defeat. She looked at her two remaining Minakai and knew there was only one viable option. ¡°Inno, your turn.¡± Innogon ran onto the surface of the water and summoned a wave that carried him across the surface to the cliff where Guilgon stood. Knowing her advantage, the dragon took to the skies where Innogon could not easily reach her. ¡°You¡¯ve defeated aerial opponents before,¡± Luna told her Minakai. ¡°You can do this.¡± Innogon threw himself into the waterfall and used his powers to swim up it as Guilgon swiped at him. He let himself drop to avoid the attack, then resumed his climb. With each swipe, he dropped and climbed up and Luna watched Guilgon carefully as the swipes grew slower. Defeating Splashard had fatigued the dragon and Innogon was spending more of her energy before striking back. ¡°It¡¯s a trick!¡± called Abby, realising what was happening. ¡°Don¡¯t fall for it.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Guilgon backed away and Innogon burst from the waterfall, thrown by a water spout he summoned. He spun rapidly with his head fin glowing and slammed into Guilgon¡¯s back, knocking the dragon from the sky and into the water. Innogon spat a water jet downwards and sent himself shooting into the air as Guilgon righted herself and flew upwards to reach her mark. Innogon breathed in deep and spat an even mightier jet that struck Guilgon and knocked her back into the water. Each time Guilgon tried to escape, Innogon beat her back into the water with an intense watery blast. The little drake finally allowed himself to fall back down into the water where Guilgon was trying to fly free from. He dove underneath and sank his teeth into Guilgon¡¯s tail. Abby¡¯s Minakai whipped its tail wildly, trying to shake off the little drake, but Innogon kept a tight clamp on the scaly tale, determined to avenge Splashard for Luna. Guilgon finally flew up out of the water, and weakly beat her wings to soar higher. Innogon lifted his hands up and used his small but sharp nails to tear into Guilgon¡¯s tail. She roared in anger and reached down to grab Innogon, pulling him off. He released his grip and smiled at Guilgon for a split second before spitting another jet into her face. Guilgon dropped Innogon and plummeted into the water once more, but this time she did not resurface, and Abby was forced to banish her with a summoning stone. It had cost her Splashard, but Luna had won the battle against the renowned pageant queen. ¡°Tamer eight, Lady Abigail, eliminated by tamer fourteen, Lady Luna,¡± came Lord Kensington¡¯s voice from a speaker. Abby walked around the pond to Luna with a big smile on her face. ¡°You were right about going out with a bang, that was a great battle,¡± she said. ¡°For your Innogon to defeat his evolved form like that¡­he¡¯s really something.¡± ¡°He¡¯s great,¡± said Luna as Innogon bounced out of the water and bounded over to his allies. Shamtile and Snippet danced in celebration along with the little drake. ¡°How did you lose your first two Minakai?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I thought I would show off a little and take on three tamers at once,¡± said Abby, closing her eyes and shaking her head. ¡°Arrogance got the better of me, it seems.¡± Aurin¡¯s theory was confirmed. He could only imagine what Abby could have pulled off if she was at full strength. It just further proved to him that playing the tournament with strategy rather than brute strength was the way forward. ¡°I¡¯d better get back to the palace before Lord Kensington scolds me,¡± she said, waving goodbye. ¡°Best of luck, you two.¡± ¡°Thanks for the battle, Abby,¡± said Luna. ¡°We¡¯ll see you soon.¡± Aurin and Luna stood by the pool with their Minakai watching the waterfall crash down. They didn¡¯t say anything, trying to think of the best way forward. ¡°Should we head back towards the palace and see if there are any items people might have missed?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I think we should go our separate ways for now,¡± said Luna, looking at Tadpool who was bathing his feet in the water. ¡°We¡¯ll only slow you down.¡± ¡°Gorunze won¡¯t mind carrying him for a while, will you Gorunze?¡± Aurin asked his metallic golem who groaned in agreement. ¡°I love you for offering,¡± smiled Luna, ¡°but we¡¯ll find a way. I should have listened to you earlier and my mistake lost me Splashard. You keep going and we¡¯ll meet up again later if I can find a way to heal Tadpool.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m positive,¡± said Luna with certainty. ¡°We¡¯ll be alright, won¡¯t we boys?¡± Innogon yapped happily and Tadpool croaked as enthusiastically as he could muster. Shamtile walked over to his draconic friend and patted him awkwardly on the head before hopping onto Gorunze¡¯s back. ¡°We¡¯re going all the way, you hear?¡± said Aurin, picking up Snippet and also climbing onto Gorunze. ¡°We are,¡± said Luna with a big smile and a nod. Aurin and his Minakai rode into the trees and away from the pool where Luna and her two remaining Minakai still stood. He was going to hunt for items while the remaining competitors eliminated each other. Once he had built up an arsenal, he would aim for the strongest opponents and rise all the way to the top. * ¡°Well, well, well, if it isn¡¯t big red,¡± said Frederick, stepping around the corner of the palace. ¡°Big red?¡± asked Gardner, stopping dead in his tracks as the Zodiac member approached him with two Leonite following him. ¡°I always forget your name and mnemonics don¡¯t seem to do any good,¡± replied Frederick. ¡°You¡¯re just that unremarkable compared to actual good tamer like Aurin and Hunter.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got some nerve, Leo,¡± said Gardner, shaking in anger with his Desparee, Angree and Vinewolf stepping in front of him. ¡°After everything you¡¯ve pulled in Hazelton, you think it¡¯s smart to show up here in front of me? I¡¯m going to make you pay.¡± ¡°A full team, I see,¡± said a bemused Frederick. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you haven¡¯t been eliminated yet.¡± ¡°And what happened to your third Minakai?¡± asked Gardner. ¡°I¡¯m sure your overconfidence was the end of it.¡± Frederick clicked his fingers and a large cat with two long fangs and a red mane that shone in the afternoon sun emerged from behind the palace. It walked over to its tamer proudly with even the black stripes on its fur showing off a sheen. It looked far more wild and vicious than his two Leonite, who it resembled somewhat in appearance. Gardner¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Is that¡­is that?¡± ¡°It is,¡± smirked Frederick. ¡°But¡­how?¡± ¡°While you¡¯ve been playfighting, I¡¯ve been doing some very important work and picked up my new warrior here along the way. I¡¯ve been itching to test out his full potential, but a weakling like you will have to do. I¡¯ll treat you as a warmup before I take on the better tamers.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to pay for your arrogance,¡± said Gardner. ¡°I thought I was going to pay for what I did in Hazelton?¡± remarked Frederick with a smug grin on his face. ¡°This number three is going to wipe the floor with a lowly number seven like you.¡± For the first time, Frederick looked angered by something Gardner had said. To be regarded as an inferior tamer when he knew he was stronger was a great insult. ¡°You will not walk away from this fight,¡± spat Frederick, stepping behind his Minakai. ¡°Attack!¡± called Gardner, sending his entire team charging towards Frederick¡¯s trio of lions. ¡°No mercy,¡± said Frederick, as his team leapt into battle against Gardner¡¯s. Chapter 109 ¡°Tamer three, Master Gardner, eliminated by tamer seven, Master Frederick,¡± announced Lord Kensington. Aurin stopped walking through the woods, stunned by what he had heard. ¡°Already?¡± he asked his team, none of whom had any answer. ¡°Gardner¡¯s the highest-ranking competitor to be taken out so far. That¡¯s two from the top table eliminated.¡± Shamtile looked to Snipper and to Gorunze, then back to Snippet and said something to him in a warbled growl. Snipped made a clicking sound with his mouth and held the egg up into the air before bringing it back down. Aurin had no clue what the Minakai were talking about. ¡°What¡¯s the supposed to mean?¡± asked Aurin, scratching his head in frustration. Shamtile conjured four rocks from the air and started juggling them. He caught them and held them out to Aurin, who understood. ¡°You mean, you¡¯re a strong team of four Minakai and Gardner may have lost a couple of his team before the battle.¡± Shamtile screeched and nodded as Snippet clicked away excitedly. ¡°That¡¯s true. At least, it will be once I hatch this Petalcub,¡± he said, pushing his way past the last of the trees and stepping out into the western side of the grasslands that surrounded the palace. In the distance ahead was the palace itself. Abby had probably reached it not too long ago after her battle with Luna. Gardner would have been on his way there too. Shamtile suddenly yelped loudly as a crackling lightning bolt struck the ground near his feet. Aurin looked to where it had come from and saw one of the many watchtowers across the grass with another lightning bolt speeding towards them. ¡°Shamtile!¡± called Aurin and the masked lizard slammed his foot on the ground and summoned a rock wall to take the hit. Aurin grabbed Snippet and leapt atop Gorunze. Shamtile followed close by, summoning another rock wall to take another of the lightning strikes. ¡°Whoever that is, we¡¯ve got to take them out,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡± Gorunze leapt over the ruins of Shamtile¡¯s walls and charged across the grass with his tamer and teammates riding on his back. With each lightning strike that approached, Shamtile summoned rocks to block them. A couple of strikes found their way through and zapped Gorunze on his bronze body, but he powered ahead and charged to the tower. Snippet started clicking and held the Petalcub egg out for Aurin to take it from him. Aurin did so and the little insect held onto Gorunze with one hand and kept one of his pincers pointed forwards, aimed at the top of the tower. Aurin strained his eyes and spied a Gittup and Thunding taking it in turns to strike. Once they were close, Snippet¡¯s hand exploded, shooting a burst of shrapnel towards the tower. One of the pieces struck the Thunding, who screeched as it was knocked back. It did not get up by the time Gorunze reached the base of the tower. ¡°Shamtile,¡± said Aurin, ¡°take us up the quick way.¡± Shamtile waved his hands wildly and the earth beneath Gorunze sprung up as a pillar and lifted Aurin¡¯s team to the roof of the tower. Gorunze jumped over the battlements and Aurin saw his opponent. ¡°Hello, Aurin,¡± said a blonde girl whose hair was cut to shoulder length. She wore sparkling blue dress and stood beside her Gittup. ¡°Do I know you?¡± asked Aurin he, Shamtile and Snippet dismounted Gorunze. ¡°Only from a distance,¡± smiled the girl, nodding to her Gittup. The tufty blue beast flicked its pointed yellow tail at Gorunze, shooting him with a mighty blast of lightning. Shamtile tried to block the attack, but was too slow, a lot of his energy drained on the way to the tower. Gorunze was knocked over the battlements and passed the pillar of earth, falling at least sixty feet to the ground. Aurin rushed to the edge and looked over at his motionless Minakai on the ground. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Finish them!¡± he yelled at Shamtile and Snippet. Snippet charged forward with Shamtile defending him with a rocky barrier that slid along in front of him. Even with the lightning strikes, Shamtile kept the barrier strong, angered by the defeat of his teammate. The barrier slammed into Gittup, distracting him while Snippet hopped over it and delivered two sharp cuts across Gittup¡¯s back. Gittup unleashed a burst of electrical energy as it howled in pain. Snippet ran across its back and cut its tail with his pincer hands while Shamtile bashed it unconscious with his rocky fists. Shannon watched in horror as her Minakai was beaten savagely by the two little Minakai. ¡°Tamer ten, Lady Shannon, eliminated by tamer two, Master Aurin,¡± came Lord Kensington¡¯s voice from a speaker somewhere on the tower wall. ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± stammered Shannon. ¡°That was dirty,¡± said Aurin coldly, his blood was boiling at how she conducted herself. ¡°You got exactly what you deserved, and you should be grateful I didn¡¯t take it any further.¡± Shannon didn¡¯t say a word as she walked towards the stairs. She disappeared from sight, leaving Aurin, Shamtile and Snippet atop the tower. ¡°Losing Gorunze is going to set us back,¡± Aurin told his two small Minakai, ¡°but we¡¯re not to be deterred. We continue with our plan and we hunt for items that will give us the edge. The only boon of losing our metal friend is that it¡¯ll be easier for us to keep out of sight. I would be surprised if there aren¡¯t others dealing low blows. We won¡¯t stoop to their level, but we will still win. Right?¡± Shamtile waved his arms and screeched while Snippet cut the air and nodded his insectoid head. The three scoured the rooftop and inside the tower for anything they could use, but it had no doubt been looted ages ago. They would have to go outside of the nearby grounds if they were to find anything, but that was no surprise. Aurin had intended to head north towards the cliffs where he thought they may get lucky. Snippet started jumping up and down and pointing one of his pincers towards the sky behind Aurin. Aurin turned around and saw a Wingbloom flying through the air with a man on his back and a Snowlem clinging onto his feet. It was Kyle and his team, but they didn¡¯t seem to have seen him. ¡°Signal him,¡± Aurin told Shamtile. Shamtile looked around, not sure how to and had a sudden idea. He raised his arms and raised them while spinning around and the entire tower began to shake as the earth beneath it raised it up. Aurin clung onto a battlement tightly with one hand and the Minakai egg with the other. It had worked, Wingbloom had glanced over and was flying towards them now. ¡°Kyle!¡± called Aurin, waving as Shamtile lowered the tower back down to its normal height. ¡°That¡¯s one way to get attention,¡± chuckled Kyle as Snowlem dropped onto the tower roof and Wingbloom landed. Kyle dismounted and patted his favourite Minakai on the chest lightly. The rancher then walked over to Shamtile and squatted down. ¡°How are you not tired after that?¡± Shamtile looked at Aurin and then back at Kyle and gave a small screech. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a mighty impressive move,¡± said Kyle, standing up again. ¡°What happened to your Gorunze?¡± he asked Aurin. ¡°I sent him back to the ranch a few minutes ago,¡± said Aurin, shaking his head slowly. ¡°I was sniped by a girl called Shannon.¡± ¡°Blonde girl with shoulder-length hair?¡± ¡°You know her?¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s from Hazelton but has always competed in other towns because we didn¡¯t have tournaments until recently.¡± ¡°How about you?¡± asked Aurin, looking towards Kyle¡¯s two Minakai. ¡°I got jumped by two tamers for a three versus six battle,¡± said Kyle with a shrug. ¡°I came out on top, but Hogannon was overwhelmed. It¡¯ll be alright, I¡¯ve still got Wing and Snowlem to keep me going. Have you seen anyone else we know?¡± ¡°I was with Luna for a while,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Her Tadpool is injured, but hanging on, and she lost her Splashard in a fight with Abby.¡± ¡°She won the fight though, right? I heard it on the speaker.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± confirmed Aurin. ¡°Not too long before Leo defeated Gardner.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit of an upset for him, no doubt,¡± said Kyle. ¡°He¡¯s wanted to get revenge on Leo for everything that happened at the first Hazelton tournament a year and a half ago. He hasn¡¯t been able to let it go.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t say much about it to me.¡± ¡°Did you ask him about it?¡± ¡°Well¡­no, I suppose not.¡± ¡°I did and he¡¯s still seething about it. I can¡¯t say I blame him, I¡¯d like to see that entire organisation wiped out after what they did to my ranch, but there¡¯s not much we can do about them for the time being.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll deal with them after the tournament,¡± said Aurin. ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± said Kyle quietly. As much as he hated the Zodiac Squad, he knew they were outnumbered by the goons, never mind the twelve elites they had in their ranks. With the group seemingly growing stronger and a cosmic elemental on their side, it would be an uphill battle. ¡°I¡¯m heading towards the cliffs if you want to stick together for a while?¡± asked Aurin, pointing towards the north. ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I get the first item we find.¡± ¡°Not if it¡¯s an incubator,¡± said Aurin, holding up the egg. ¡°You¡¯ll have to fight me for it then,¡± joked Kyle as they headed towards the stairs. Chapter 110 Frederick walked along the grass with his two remaining Minakai following him. Much to his disgrace, one of his Leonite had fallen in his battle with Gardner. He had to use an Orna Berry he found to fully restore the other¡ªhis favourite Leonite¡ªbut at least he could brush that off as a near defeated Minakai rather than a defeated one. With all that said, his ¡°Come, Leofang,¡± said Frederick as the larger of his two lion Minakai spied a Wingbloom drifting into the forest. ¡°We will deal with them later. Aurin will still be standing at the end, but he¡¯ll be a much easier target then. If we take on both him and his friend Kyle together then it¡¯ll be us that suffers.¡± The once thought lost evolution of Cubtem obeyed and followed its tamer. The Zodiac member and his Minakai continued to patrol the grasslands around the castle, hoping to find some more weaklings to test his strength against. Every victory was esteem for him and he would now be ranked a lowly seven ever again. ¡°There,¡± muttered Frederick, spotting a young man with a Zenoman up ahead. Frederick hopped onto Leonite¡¯s back and charged ahead with Leofang sticking close to them. Jimmy spotted the two charging lions and turned to face his next opponent. ¡°Zenoman, it¡¯s him!¡± he called, upon seeing who it was. ¡°I was just waiting for you to show up.¡± ¡°Should I know you?¡± asked Frederick, dismounting from his lion. He was curious and would hold his attack for now. The tamer looked weak. ¡°You should know both of us,¡± said Jimmy angrily. ¡°It was you and your group who abducted Zenoman here back when he was an Arium. Surely you haven¡¯t forgotten the Hazelton tournament a year and a half ago, have you?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± said Frederick with a small smile. ¡°I should really apologise for that, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Apologise?¡± spat Jimmy. ¡°After what you did, you should be in jail¡­yet here you are having the time of your life in a tournament!¡± ¡°If it makes you feel any better, it wasn¡¯t anything personal. It was about gathering resources to help us with our endeavours. Strictly business, you understand.¡± ¡°Oh, I understand,¡± said Jimmy quietly, looking at Zenoman. ¡°Attack!¡± he ordered. ¡°Suit yourself,¡± shrugged Frederick, nodding at Leofang. ¡°You¡¯re up, boy.¡± The sabre-toothed lion sped towards Zenoman who unleashed a flurry of rapid punches with his four detached fists. Leofang dodged half of the attacks and took the full brunt of the others, yet he still pushed ahead strongly. He leapt into the air and swiped at Zenoman¡¯s torso, tearing a large gash into the alien. Zenoman squealed in pain, but he was not done for yet. He surrounded Leofang with his four fists and brought them together, each of the hands grabbing a limb to restrain the lion. ¡°Break out of this,¡± said Jimmy, pointing to the sky. Zenoman raised his hands, lifting Leofang into the air, but Frederick did not look phased. Zenoman released the lion who was about to fall, but he swiped a claw and sank his nails into one of the disembodied hands. He bit it and the Zenoman on the ground felt the full force of the bite. The remaining three fists soared through the air and started pummelling Leofang, but he clamped his jaw down even harder and sank his two large fangs deeper. ¡°You¡¯re twisted!¡± cried Jimmy as the fangs pierced through the bottom of Zenoman¡¯s hand. The hand fell to the ground and Leofang finally pulled himself free and dropped to the ground, rolling out of the fall. The three remaining hands rained down from the sky, knuckles-first and continued to try and beat the Leofang, but they were dodged, blocked and weathered. He was not as fast as a Leonite, but Leofang could take a hard hit and barely feel a thing. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Give him a taste of his own medicine,¡± said Frederick, leaning against his Leonite and stroking its mane. Leofang stood on his hind legs and grabbed one of the fists with his two front paws. He swung it around and threw it at Zenoman, who brought it to a dead spot just before it hit his face. Leofang leapt over the fist and grabbed Zenoman¡¯s elongated head in his mouth and bit down. He flicked his head and tossed the golden Minakai aside and the remaining three fists all dropped to the ground as Zenoman lost consciousness. A loudspeaker crackled nearby. ¡°Tamer sixteen, Master James, eliminated by tamer seven, Master Frederick,¡± came Lord Kensington¡¯s voice. Jimmy watched in shock as Leofang returned to his master, looking as though it hadn¡¯t battled at all during this entire tournament. ¡°Good boy,¡± said Frederick, scratching the large lion¡¯s chin before turning to Jimmy. ¡°This wasn¡¯t personal either,¡± he told his defeated opponent. ¡°I¡¯ll get you back for this,¡± replied Jimmy. ¡°Once day, I¡¯ll get you back.¡± ¡°Good luck with that,¡± said Frederick. ¡°You couldn¡¯t battle your way out of a bush, James.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t win, you know that? Aurin, Kyle or Hunter will make sure of that.¡± ¡°If the prize for this tournament is what I believe it to be,¡± said Frederick, ¡°then I will win no matter the cost.¡± With that, Frederick hopped on Leonite and departed, leaving Jimmy to return to the palace in defeat. * ¡°What use is a Lunar Shard to you?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I found it, therefore it is mine,¡± replied Kyle. ¡°I¡¯m not just giving it to you for trade. You can evolve your Snippet another way.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not for Snippet, it¡¯s for Tadpool.¡± ¡°Luna¡¯s Tadpool?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Aurin. ¡°If he evolves, his injury is taken care of, right?¡± ¡°I suppose so, but do you even know where she is right now?¡± ¡°No,¡± admitted Aurin. ¡°I doubt she¡¯s still hanging around the waterfall. If you can find her, she would happily trade an Astral Shard for it.¡± ¡°Unbelievable¡­¡± muttered Kyle, looking towards the cliffs. Aurin turned his gaze to the cliff and spied a cave entrance. ¡°Alright, so we¡¯re going inside.¡± ¡°Look up a little.¡± Aurin did just that and started to laugh. Wedged into the rockface just above the entrance was a crystalline stone in the shape of a moon. It was another Lunar Shard. ¡°I¡¯ll take this one for Luna,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Shamtile, bring it down.¡± Shamtile waved his arms and the tiny gap the shard was wedged into widened and the crystal fell to the ground. Shamtile scurried forward and picked it up, throwing it to Aurin. ¡°Good thing you didn¡¯t make Snippet do it or he might have accidentally evolved,¡± chuckled Kyle. ¡°I didn¡¯t even consider that. I suppose I¡¯ll have to be more careful.¡± ¡°Here,¡± said Kyle, tossing Aurin the other Lunar Shard. ¡°If you find her, give her this one. You two are like magnets so you¡¯ll probably run into her before I do.¡± ¡°Thanks, Kyle,¡± said Aurin excitedly. ¡°Snippet, I think you¡¯re ready for the next level.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wasting no time, are you?¡± ¡°Kyle, Kyle, Kyle,¡± said Aurin. ¡°We¡¯re at war in this tournament. It¡¯s adapt or be defeated. I¡¯m going to adapt.¡± ¡°Do what you want,¡± said Kyle with a shrug. Snippet ran up to Aurin eagerly and help up his hands as though to cut the Lunar Shard. Aurin leaned down and pressed it against him and the soldier ant began to glow a steely grey. Snippet grew much taller, surpassing Aurin in height while his arms transformed from scissor-like pincers to long and razor sharp cleavers. His armour grew along with him and a helmet formed on his head while his antennas grew out of it and stood up rigidly. The glow faded and he screeched and clicked. ¡°Do you feel stronger, Chopchop?¡± Aurin asked him. The newly evolved Minakai swung his new bladed arms around like a knight dual-wielding swords. He nodded and wandered over to a nearby tree. He held one of his arms back and then threw it forward, cutting halfway into the trunk. ¡°You¡¯ll get there,¡± said Aurin. ¡°You don¡¯t think cutting halfway through a tree trunk is enough?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°You can never be powerful enough,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Once we¡¯re out of here, I¡¯ll have him slicing boulders in half with a single slash.¡± Shamtile ran up to his much taller friend and looked up at him, then slumped over sadly. He was content to not evolve, preferring to keep his speed at the cost of strength, but he liked having another shorter Minakai on the team. ¡°Cheer up, Shamtile,¡± said his tamer. ¡°Arium, Sunny and Microbot are back at the ranch and they¡¯re fine as they are for now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe Sunny evolves at all,¡± added Kyle. ¡°See? You¡¯ll always be taller than somebody on the team.¡± ¡°Should we get out of here before somebody spots us and attacks us from behind?¡± asked Kyle, looking around. ¡°That would probably be for the best, yes,¡± said Aurin. The two humans and the four Minakai walked towards the dark cave entrance, curious as to what was inside. If there was a Lunar Shard at the entrance, there would undoubtedly be something useful in here. All they had to do was keep a close eye out for other tamers who may be lurking in the shadows. Chapter 111 Luna emerged from the forest with Innogon and Tadpool following her. She saw the palace waiting for her ahead, but she had no intention of going inside any time soon. She simply wanted to get to grips with her bearings before deciding on her next destination. She heard a sudden crackle of electricity and a yelp of pain as a young man with dark red hair and a scruffy beard who dismissed his Skrow as she watched on, leaving only a large electric blue beetle by his side. His name was Rhys and she recognised from her dinner table. ¡°You can walk away if you want,¡± said Hunter, standing beside his Flambot, Treebot and a Minakai that Luna didn¡¯t recognise. It was white-bodied with black, rubbery arms and legs that ended without fingers or toes. It had a tail that ended in a golden prong that fizzled with electrical energy and there were four more prongs sprouting from its back that glowed equally intensely from the current running through the Minakai. Near the top of its body was a small screen with a long blue diamond that stared directly at Rhys. ¡°You!¡± called Rhys, spotting Luna by the trees. ¡°I¡¯ll battle you instead.¡± ¡°Do you have any honour at all?¡± Hunter asked the young tamer, sounding uncharacteristically angry. ¡°I show you mercy and your first instinct is to attack someone else?¡± Luna walked over with Innogon as Tadpool limped along behind them. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Hunter, I¡¯ll battle him,¡± said Luna, walking barefoot over the grass. ¡°But first, Rhys, what items do you have?¡± ¡°Items?¡± asked the tamer. ¡°I¡¯ve got a Healing Herb and an Earth Crystal, but that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make the battle more interesting,¡± said Luna. ¡°If you win, you can have my Astral Shard. If I win, I want that Herb.¡± Rhys thought about it for a second. ¡°Done,¡± he said, ¡°but it¡¯s a one-on-one fight. You can only use one of your two Minakai because I only have my Beetabolt left.¡± The blue beetle¡¯s eyes glowed with the same electrical energy as Minakai¡¯s prongs. Its long horn was sharp and an effective melee weapon that Luna would need to watch out for if the battle came to close quarters combat. ¡°Would you like me to count you in?¡± Hunter asked. ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind, that would be lovely,¡± said Luna merrily. She was excited to finally have a chance to heal her Tadpool who had bravely pushed through the journey out of the forest. ¡°I¡¯m ready when you are.¡± ¡°Anytime,¡± said Rhys, walking backwards as his Beetabolt stepped forwards. ¡°Alright,¡± said Hunter. ¡°Three. Two. One. Begin!¡± Innogon stood and waited patiently for the Beetabolt to strike, but the strike didn¡¯t come. The Beetabolt was waiting for Innogon to make the first move. Its eyes crackled with lightning and its horn was fizzling with an attack waiting. Innogon twitched, eager to attack, but he knew Luna wanted him to wait so he held back the impulse. ¡°Strike!¡± called Rhys, losing patience first. Beetabolt unleashed a lightning strike that zapped the ground where Innogon had less than a second before. The little drake flew into the air, shooting himself upwards with a water jet. He spun around rapidly and his fin struck the Beetabolt as he landed, knocking it onto its back. As the beetle tried to flip himself over, Innogon summoned a wave of water that swept Beetabolt away across the grass, leaving his tamer aghast. ¡°Get back here, Beetabolt!¡± demanded Rhys. Rhys¡¯s Beetabolt burst upwards in an explosion of lightning and beat its wings. He sent strike after strike through the air, aiming straight for Innogon. Luna¡¯s Minakai leapt across the grass, trying to dodge the lightning bolts, but a single slow hop let the Beetabolt land a hit. Innogon rolled over, Luna looked devastated. Rhys cheered and his Beetabolt spun around in the air in celebration. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Innogon suddenly hopped back to his feet and unleashed a pressure cannon to rival Steambot¡¯s and it collided with Beetabolt. The blue beetle was sent soaring through the air before it crashed to the ground, no longer able to continue the fight. Innogon had won. ¡°No!¡± cried Rhys, dropping to his knees and thumping the ground. ¡°Tamer thirteen, Master Rhys, eliminated by tamer fourteen, Lady Luna,¡± announced Lord Kensington as Hunter clapped politely. Luna walked over to him and held out her hand. ¡°The Healing Herb, please, Rhys,¡± said Luna, smiling. Rhys stood up and shook his head. ¡°Nah, that¡¯s not happening.¡± As Rhys walked away, Hunter stormed up beside him and grabbed him by the back of his jacket. ¡°Hand it over, you spoiled little punk,¡± Hunter demanded. ¡°Let go of me!¡± ¡°You made a deal and Luna asked for the herb. You had better honour it or we¡¯ll be having another battle right this second.¡± ¡°But¡­I¡¯m out of Minakai,¡± said Rhys. ¡°I know,¡± said Hunter with a menacing smile, ¡°but I¡¯m not. Do you understand what I¡¯m trying to tell you, Rhys?¡± ¡°Yes! Yes, of course,¡± said Rhys, reaching into his jacket and pulling out the herb. He held it out for Luna to take. Luna took the herb and Hunter released Rhys, who ran across the grass towards the palace. He continually checked over his shoulder to make sure Hunter hadn¡¯t sent one of his robots after him. Luna and Hunter laughed at the pathetic sight. ¡°Thank you, Hunter,¡± said Luna, beckoning over her Tadpool. ¡°I hate people who don¡¯t keep their word,¡± said Hunter as Luna fed Tadpool the herb. ¡°There are few things that make me angrier.¡± ¡°He was a bit of a brat, wasn¡¯t he?¡± giggled Luna, looking towards Hunter¡¯s Shockbot. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this Microbot evolution, is it the latest addition to your team?¡± ¡°Yes, a Shockbot,¡± said Hunter. ¡°A good luck of the draw with my Lunar Shard, I have to say. He only evolved last week so this is a great way to test out his powers.¡± ¡°Aurin has another Microbot now too, I wonder what his will evolve into?¡± ¡°Another one? Where did he get it?¡± ¡°At Tamer Day in Hazelton. I¡¯m surprised that you weren¡¯t in attendance.¡± ¡°I was invited, but I had prior plans. Family has to come before Minakai sometimes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s understandable,¡± said Luna. Hunter looked towards the palace. ¡°I¡¯m going to search around here for any items people may have missed,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll catch up with you later.¡± ¡°Thanks again, Hunter.¡± ¡°Anytime,¡± he said as he gathered his three Minakai and walked the same direction Rhys had run. * Aurin and Kyle walked through the dark tunnel of the cave with the only light coming from the afternoon sun shining through the entrance behind them. ¡°What do we do when we run out of light?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Hogannon would have been handy to have,¡± said Kyle. ¡°He could have summoned a flame for us.¡± Aurin stopped and looked up at the rocky ceiling. ¡°Shamtile, can you create a skylight for us?¡± Shamtile did a little dance and held his arms up high, then pulled them apart. A small hole formed in the ceiling and pulled apart all of the stone above it, letting a small beam of light shine down from thirty feet above. ¡°As good a solution as any,¡± said Kyle looking up at the newly formed hole. ¡°I wonder if Lord Kensington had this cave made especially for the tournament.¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± shrugged Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m more curious about how big it is. Shamtile?¡± Shamtile squatted down on all four and felt the earth. He focused, using his elemental magic to sense the cave and the tunnels throughout. Even with his mask on, he looked uncertain, but he stood up and held his arms out wide. ¡°It¡¯s big,¡± said Aurin, ¡°got it.¡± The group headed forwards with Shamtile stopping every now and then to open a small skylight for them. It wasn¡¯t long before they reached a fork in the road and had to choose between the left tunnel and the right tunnel. Frankly, they didn¡¯t look much different so Aurin didn¡¯t care which one they should take. ¡°Any thoughts?¡± Kyle asked him. ¡°Nope,¡± said Aurin, strolling down the right tunnel without hesitation and Shamtile and Chopchop came along with him, trusting that Aurin would bring them where they would want to go. ¡°Yes, I can see that,¡± muttered Kyle, following behind with Wingbloom and Snowlem. The tunnels in the cave grew increasingly more winding, but every time a tunnel crossed back on itself, they knew which way they had been thanks to Shamtile¡¯s skylights. It made things a lot easier, but after a while the group found themselves crossing back on their old paths less often. ¡°We¡¯ve been here before,¡± said Aurin. ¡°There¡¯s no skylight,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I know, but I remember this rock. Remember how I said it looked a bit like a crooked nose?¡± Kyle looked at the rock Aurin was talking about. ¡°It does look similar, I¡¯ll give you that, but that would mean that somebody has been closing the holes in the ceiling after we already passed through.¡± Aurin nodded. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what it would mean.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not alone in here, are we Shamtile?¡± Kyle asked the masked lizard. Shamtile felt the earth once more and shook his head. He screeched to confirm what Kyle had asked him. They were most certainly not alone in these tunnels. ¡°Tamer thirteen, Master Rhys, eliminated by tamer fourteen, Lady Luna,¡± came Lord Kensington¡¯s voice. Chapter 112 ¡°Tamer thirteen, Master Rhys, eliminated by tamer fourteen, Lady Luna,¡± came Lord Kensington¡¯s voice, echoing throughout the vast network of tunnels built into the cliffside. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± said Aurin, smiling at the announcement. ¡°Luna¡¯s still hanging in there even with an injured Minakai.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be just fine,¡± said Kyle. ¡°If anything it will do her good having to fend for herself without you there. She relies on you a lot in the tower so it¡¯ll be a good chance for her to prove herself not just to the rest of the competitors, but to herself too.¡± There was suddenly a loud crashing as something very heavy charged down the tunnel towards them. Shamtile threw up a rock wall as everyone moved aside, but a powerful Gorungra burst through it as though the stone was foam. It ran on down the tunnel and out of sight. ¡°What was that?¡± asked Aurin, looking through the jagged gap in Shamtile¡¯s wall. ¡°That Gorungra probably belongs to another tamer who¡¯s in here with us,¡± said Kyle. ¡°He¡¯s lost the element of surprise with that failed attack, but we should be cautious nonetheless.¡± ¡°Another earth elemental,¡± said Aurin, looking to Shamtile¡¯s most recent skylight. ¡°Now we know who has been throwing us off course. Who do you think it belongs to?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who, all that matters is that we stop it next time we see it. Get that tamer wiped out good and fast.¡± The loud crashing started up again and Aurin looked to where the Gorungra had come from while Kyle looked at where it had run. The two glanced at each other in confusion. ¡°This way,¡± said Aurin. ¡°No, it was this way.¡± Chopchop and Snowlem dragged their tamers out of the way hurriedly as both a Gorungra and Gorunze charged down the corridor from opposite ends. Shamtile hurled a large rock at the Gorungra¡¯s head while Wingbloom cast a razor wind at the Gorunze, but both of the charging Minakai were unphased. They narrowly missed Shamtile and Wingbloom as they charged and disappeared once more. ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡± ordered Aurin, running down the tunnel after the Gorunze. ¡°Good idea,¡± said Kyle, nodding to his two Minakai. He, Kyle and their Minakai sprinted down the tunnel as though they were running from wild Minakai in a monster tower. They turned and twisted through the corridors with Shamtile taking the lead. He found it hard to sense where his foes were while he was focused on running, but he was doing his best to give their enemies the slip. ¡°They¡¯re still coming!¡± called Kyle. ¡°I think I saw something in an alcove!¡± yelled Aurin. ¡°Shamtile, circle us back around.¡± Shamtile scurried on all fours down a tunnel to the left and everyone followed. The crashing grew louder as their foes were gaining on them. As they passed by the tunnel Aurin had wanted to return to, he reached into an alcove and pulled something out of it. ¡°What is it?¡± asked Kyle, not wanting to look around. ¡°Incubator,¡± said Aurin, clutching both it and his egg tightly. ¡°Shamtile, bring up more and more walls.¡± Shamtile slowed down his running and returned to two legs, waving his arms wildly. One wall after another sprung up behind them and the two chasing Minakai were heard crashing through them in close succession. ¡°Do we need to stay here any longer?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°No,¡± said Aurin, realising what Kyle had meant. ¡°Shamtile, open up the ceiling and take us up top.¡± Shamtile focused and pulled apart the ceiling with his magic and Wingbloom soared up to the surface as Aurin¡¯s lizard raised the earth and carried the rest of the group out on a stone pillar. They ran aside and slumped down onto the grass. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°If they chase us down¡­we¡¯re no longer¡­in their territory,¡± said Kyle through pants. ¡°We could have taken them down there,¡± said Aurin, ashamed of his cowardice. ¡°Yes, but would it have cost us any team members?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, you¡¯re right.¡± Suddenly the ground opened up once again and another pillar of earth raised up. Both the Gorungra and Gorunze from before stood before Aurin, Kyle and their Minakai. Alongside the stone and metal golem was a tamer they recognised, Bentley. ¡°Gentlemen,¡± he said with a sly smile. ¡°I should have known it was you with Minakai like that,¡± said Aurin. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty crafty strategy you¡¯ve got there.¡± ¡°Why thank you,¡± he said. ¡°It only came to me after I lost my Titanitoise while fighting out in the open.¡± ¡°And you still followed us up here?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°You know you¡¯re outnumbered right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± said Bentley, ¡°but I also know you both wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to go back into the tunnels. It¡¯s better I try and end it now.¡± With that, his Gorunze shot a topaz laser beam from its eyes straight at Shamtile, but Chopchop leapt in front of it and deflected the attack with his metal blades. ¡°You think we¡¯d let you get the jump on us again?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Not happening,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Attack!¡± All six Minakai charged into the centre of the grassy battlefield and began their battle. Shamtile and Snowlem aimed for Gorunze while Chopchop and Wingbloom took on Gorungra. Gorunze shot laser beam after laser beam, which Shamtile used his stone armour to block. Snowlem countered by conjuring a blizzard to obscure the metal golem¡¯s vision. The attacks slowed and became less and less accurate with each subsequent attack. Shamtile stomped his feet on the ground and it flipped from beneath Gorunze who was thrown across the battlefield, colliding with Gorungra. Chopchop leapt forward at the two Minakai that had collapsed in a heap and swung his mighty blades. He smashed chunks from Gorungra¡¯s yellow crystals and the golem let out a deep groan of pain. Wingbloom meanwhile summoned a swirling gust of wind that swept the grass and leaves from nearby up and blocked his opponents from seeing where they were. Shamtile leapt across and pummelled the Gorunze with his stone fists and Snowlem encased his own fists in thick ice and beat against the Gorunze. After a while, it stopped trying to get up and lay defeated while Gorungra tried to fight on against the combined power of Chopchop and Wingbloom. Try as it might, the battle was ended with a swift strike from one of Chopchop¡¯s blades that smashed the crystal on Gorungra¡¯s back to pieces. ¡°Ah dear,¡± said Bentley with a shrug. ¡°I knew it was a long shot when I came up here to fight you, but I didn¡¯t have much choice.¡± Lord Kensington¡¯s voice called out from a loudspeaker. ¡°Tamer six, Master Bentley, eliminated by tamer two, Master Aurin.¡± ¡°No credit for me then,¡± chuckled Kyle. ¡°It must be whoever dealt the final blow,¡± said Aurin, looking to his now battletested Chopchop. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll give you half a point for your contribution.¡± ¡°Only half?¡± scoffed Kyle. ¡°How do I get down from here?¡± asked Bentley, looking over his shoulder at the palace which sat in the centre of the grassland that lay below the cliff. ¡°Wingbloom, give him a ride,¡± said Kyle to his flying plant. Wingbloom obliged and Bentley grabbed onto his legs to be carried down. Wingbloom returned moments later. Aurin and Kyle headed over to the cliffside and watched as Bentley walked across the grass towards the palace. ¡°What¡¯s the plan now?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°This,¡± said Aurin, placing his incubator on the ground and setting the Petalcub egg inside it. ¡°Of course,¡± chuckled Kyle. Aurin pressed the button on the incubator which sent a forcefield around the egg. The egg started to glow a green light and a small wolf cub appeared as the shell vanished. The glow started to fade and revealed Aurin¡¯s latest Minakai, the Petalcub he had been carrying around for the past couple of hours. Shamtile immediately wandered over and started poking the Petalcub which looked confused for a moment before tyring to bite the lizard¡¯s arm. Chopchop greeted his new teammate more cordially by tapping the flat of his blade gently on the Petalcub¡¯s head, careful not to nick it with the sharp edge. ¡°How many tamers are left?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I think we¡¯re down to just below half,¡± said Kyle, watching over the serene castle grounds. ¡°I would say tamers will start dropping like flies now that most people¡¯s teams have taken a few hits and are starting to tire out.¡± ¡°Petalcub, are you up for a few tests of your capabilities?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I need to make sure we can count on you in case things take a turn for the worse.¡± Petalcub barked excitedly and leapt onto Aurin. The little wolf licked his master¡¯s face as Shamtile held his head in his hands in second-hand embarrassment. What a disgusting thing to do was all that was going through his little Minakai head. ¡°Do you think he stands much of a chance against the rest of the Minakai in the competition?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°Probably not, but that doesn¡¯t mean he can¡¯t be useful.¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°I¡¯m more curious as to whether anyone else has been fortunate enough to find any eggs.¡± ¡°Even if they have, they¡¯ll have to find an incubator like you did. It¡¯s a strong possibility that you have the only one.¡± Aurin looked at the incubator that sat on the grass. He was in two minds as to whether to leave it hidden up here where nobody else would find it or to bring it with him, but he had to consider that carrying it around may make him a target for any others who may have been fortunate enough to find a Minakai egg. Chapter 113 ¡°Yes, we finally found one!¡± cheered Luna as she grabbed the Lunar Shard from the ruined watchtower. ¡°I guess that Healing Herb we took from Rhys is going to be wasted.¡± Tadpool hopped forward excitedly as Luna held the shard up to the sky. The sun was starting to set and there couldn¡¯t be much more than an hour or two of daylight left and she couldn¡¯t risk being caught out in the open at dark without a strong team around her. ¡°Alright, are you ready?¡± Luna asked Tadpool while Innogon bounced around in anticipation. Tadpool let out a happy croak and Luna held the shard to his body. He glowed an icy blue and his form started to shift. He started to swell up considerably larger and a pair of front legs grew from his torso as the icicles protruding from his back retracted only to be replaced by three that spread horizontally across his neck. His tail lengthened and now ended in a sharp blade of ice. Large frozen boils grew across his body and shoulders just before the glow started to fade. Where Tadpool once stood, there was now a Frocean. The grumpy looking pale blue frog let out loud croak and his black eyes looked down at his master who was now much shorter than he was. Innogon looked a bit intimidated by his now enormous friend who had grown to be as big as Aurin¡¯s Gorunze, but Frocean stretched out one of his webbed arms and prodded the little drake playfully who roared happily. ¡°You look so powerful!¡± squealed Luna with glee. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see what you can do. I bet you can flatten most Minakai just by jumping on them.¡± Luna ran around the wall with her two team members following her. Innogon pitter patted across the grass while Frocean hopped with each bounce ending with a thunderous landing. There would be no subtlety anymore, but Luna was confident that Frocean was now a true force to be reckoned with so that wouldn¡¯t matter. ¡°Having a good time?¡± asked Eclare who was leaning against the opposite side of the wall. Luna stopped running and turned around to face her. ¡°What do you want, Eclare?¡± asked Luna, seeing that she was down to only a Shamasaur remaining, but he looked to be in good condition. ¡°I think it¡¯s time that we had a battle away from the crowds, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Why?¡± asked Luna nervously. She was confident she could beat Eclare but was suddenly very much aware that Frocean wasn¡¯t battle tested at all and may lose one of her Minakai. ¡°You thought it would be a good idea to attack me unprovoked at Tamer Day, so I want to show you that you aren¡¯t better than me.¡± ¡°Unprovoked?¡± ¡°Yes. Aurin had already turned me down months ago and I thought it would be fun to mess with you. You took it too far and got really petty about it all.¡± ¡°Well¡­I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Luna. ¡°That won¡¯t get you out of this fight,¡± said Eclare with a look of contempt. ¡°I don¡¯t take humiliation lightly. Shamasaur!¡± The huge, masked lizard encased its fist in stone and charged towards Luna and her Minakai. Frocean leapt to the forefront and erected an ice wall. Shamasaur punched through the wall with a heavy swing, but it killed its momentum. Frocean inhaled, swelling his already large stomach up and breathed out a cone of frosty air that forced Shamasaur to retreat lest he become an icicle. Once the frost had dissipated, Shamasaur maintained his distance. He waved his arms in the air and stomped around, shaking the earth with each footstep. ¡°Get back!¡± Luna warned Frocean. The large frog looked up as a rocky stalactite appeared above him and plummeted down. He narrowly avoided the attack, but then another appeared at his new location and fell, striking him hard in the back. He croaked loudly and recoiled, but yet another stalactite appeared as Shamasaur continued his dance. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Keep moving!¡± Luna warned as Frocean was hit by the falling stone spear. Frocean bounded around the grass, being followed by a continued assault of falling stalactite. Eclare looked satisfied as her Shamasaur continued the relentless assault. It was clear that Frocean was tiring, not used to his new and heavier form, but Luna could see that Shamasaur couldn¡¯t keep up the sustained magical attack for much longer. It would need a moment to rest any second now. ¡°Go on the offensive now!¡± Luna ordered. Another stalactite fell, but this one was notably smaller and weaker than those from the start of the fight. It bounced off Frocean¡¯s back and fell to the grass as the large frog leapt into the air towards Shamasaur. He flipped over and the three large icicles on the back of his neck slammed straight into Eclare¡¯s Minakai. It roared as it was both pierced and crushed by Frocean at the same time. ¡°Icicle spear from the top!¡± called Luna. Frocean watched as his own icicle spear appeared above him much like Shamasaur¡¯s stalactites. He rolled aside as it plummeted and wedged itself into Shamasaur¡¯s gut. He writhed in pain before Frocean dissipated the spear, then curled into a ball unable to battle any longer. Eclare breathed in and looked up to the sky, her eyes starting to water a little. She brought her gaze back down to meet Luna¡¯s and forced a smile onto her face. ¡°Good win,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Luna. ¡°Tamer twenty-nine, Lady Eclare, eliminated by tamer fourteen, Lady Luna,¡± said Lord Kensington over a speaker attached to the top of the ruined wall. Eclare raised her tamer glove with a pensive look on her face and sent her Shamasaur away. She walked past Luna and headed for the palace, but Luna grabbed her arm to stop her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Luna. ¡°I mean it. I overreacted and it wasn¡¯t fair.¡± ¡°I accept your apology,¡± said Eclare. ¡°Maybe we can battle on better terms next time.¡± ¡°With full teams too,¡± added Luna. Eclare nodded and smiled, no longer having to force it, and departed leaving Luna, Innogon and Frocean behind. ¡°What now, you two?¡± Luna asked her Minakai. Innogon pointed towards a crumbling tower a little way past the ruined wall. It had no doubt been connected at one point in time, but it was now just a dangerous relic. ¡°You think so?¡± Innogon ran up ahead leaving Luna and Frocean to chase after him. He was clearly excited about something, but Luna couldn¡¯t think what it could possibly be. Much to her surprise, he ran right past the tower and towards an old well that lay behind it. He hopped up and down excitedly, pointing at it. Luna leaned over and looked inside the well. ¡°How did you know?¡± she asked Innogon as her eyes widened with excitement. * ¡°Luna claims another victim,¡± joked Kyle as he looked over the cliff. ¡°Looks that way,¡± said Aurin, keeping careful watch as Shamtile and Petalcub sparred. Both Minakai were under strict orders to not take things too far and injure each other. ¡°I bet that was a bitter fight.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Your girlfriend and a scorned lover battling it out over you?¡± ¡°Scorned lover?¡± said Aurin in confusion. ¡°It was one date and I didn¡¯t even know it was one at the start.¡± ¡°Lighten up,¡± laughed Kyle. ¡°I¡¯m just pulling your leg.¡± Aurin¡¯s face was contorted into a frown as he watched his two Minakai hop around and attack each other. It was clear that Shamtile was putting in minimal effort to avoid the little wolf¡¯s attacks while Petalcub was pushing hard. If he kept this up, he would tire out and not be able to fight afterwards. ¡°Alright, you two,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I think we¡¯re done.¡± Shamtile stopped and Petalcub seized the opportunity to headbutt him in the stomach. Shamtile shook his fist angrily and encased it in stone, ready to smack the cub on the top of his head but Aurin ordered him to control himself. Chopchop pushed himself between the pair and forced them to keep their distance. ¡°He¡¯s immature and undisciplined,¡± said his tamer. ¡°You¡¯ll get your chance to beat each other about properly once we¡¯re back at the ranch.¡± ¡°Shall we move along?¡± asked Kyle, surveying the castle grounds once more. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s time.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve found our next destination,¡± said Kyle, pointing towards a hedge maze to the north. ¡°I flew over it before and gave it a miss because there were a few tamers lurking around, but I¡¯ve not seen anybody go into it since I started watching from up here.¡± ¡°You think there are items left?¡± ¡°Somebody would have solved the maze or forced their way through by now. I would say it¡¯s more likely there are tamers waiting there to ambush someone.¡± ¡°And you still want to go?¡± ¡°My thinking is that most of the items will be gone now, but the tamers can be negotiated with. Everyone is hurting a little, whether that¡¯s being down team members, suffering from fatigue or lacking the items they need in order to improve their circumstances.¡± ¡°Betting over the battle outcome, got it,¡± said Aurin nodding his head. ¡°Exactly. I¡¯ve got a couple of things that are useless to me and you¡¯ve got an incubator you can put on the line. I have no doubt that would be coveted.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to sell it to my further,¡± said Aurin, stepping up to the edge of the cliff. ¡°Shamtile, make us an elevator, will you?¡± Chapter 114 Wingbloom fluttered down from the cliff as Aurin, Kyle and their other Minakai rode down the column of earth that Shamtile had summoned for them. As the column descended back into the ground and everyone was now comfortably away from the steep drop, it occurred to Aurin that asking Shamtile to do things like this was probably more draining than the masked lizard let on. It had already been a long day and it was only just becoming evening. ¡°Tamer forty-two, Master Esmond, eliminated by tamer five, Master Clarke,¡± announced Lord Kensington. ¡°Another one bites the dust,¡± muttered Kyle, keeping an eye on their surroundings. ¡°What¡¯s your count on the number of tamers remaining?¡± Aurin asked Kyle. ¡°There couldn¡¯t be more than twenty of us left at this point.¡± ¡°There¡¯s me and you right here. Hunter, Luna and Leo are still hanging in there. Clarke has just secured another win and knocked someone out.¡± The speaker crackled again. ¡°Tamer thirty-four, Lady Catriona, eliminated by tamer four, Master Percival,¡± called Lord Kensington. ¡°And evidently Percival is still here,¡± remarked Aurin. ¡°Is he now?¡± asked Kyle with a mocking look of surprise. ¡°Yeah, yeah, enough of your snarkiness. Let¡¯s get to that hedge maze and see what we can find.¡± Aurin, Kyle and his Minakai moved quickly across the grass. Since Shannon¡¯s sniping attempts a short while ago, he was keen to not stay out in the open if he could help it. Kyle likewise agreed it was a good idea to keep to the shadows where possible. ¡°You can fly ahead if you want,¡± Aurin told the rancher. ¡°We¡¯re slowing you down here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I¡¯m not just going to abandon you here.¡± The group continued to move and as they did so, Lord Kensington announce another elimination. Competitors were being weeded out faster than ever before and it seemed as though very few were hiding on the outskirts now where they could wait in peace. Some of the best tamers were left standing and they wanted to fight. ¡°It¡¯s just over that hill,¡± said Kyle as he ran to the top. Aurin stayed back to let Chopchop catch up while his other two Minakai ran forward. The heavy armour and large metal blades that formed his lower arms were not easy to haul around and he couldn¡¯t put them down. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Aurin asked the soldier ant. ¡°Chik¡­chik¡­¡± clicked the Minakai, clearly tired. ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± said Aurin, putting his arm around his Minakai and helping him to the top of the hill. When they reached the peak, they spied the rest of their group already at the entrance of the maze. They hobbled over and Chopchop sat on the grass, propped against the hedge to let himself rest for a while. Kyle looked towards Aurin. ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready, we¡¯ll scout from abo¡ª¡± A large cleaver swung through the hedge, smashing into Aurin¡¯s Chopchop¡¯s side. Petalcub hurriedly sprouted a large vine and wrapped it around Chopchop¡¯s leg, then pulled him away from the hedge where another Chopchop burst from seconds later. ¡°There¡¯s the ambush,¡± said Aurin. ¡°This is where we part ways for the time being,¡± said Kyle, sending his Snowlem forward to battle the Chopchop. ¡°Get yourselves out of here and we¡¯ll see each other at the finish line. I can¡¯t spend the whole battle defending your team.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Kyle, we can¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be fine,¡± said Kyle, his Wingbloom soaring up into the sky to see who was attacking from within the maze. Aurin helped Chopchop to his feet and he ran towards the palace where he hoped he could find somewhere quiet to let Chopchop gather his strength. ¡°Shamtile, keep an eye on our surroundings and throw up any rock walls you need. Petalcub, if you smell anyone that isn¡¯t us, growl and let me know.¡± As Aurin made his escape, Snowlem was going toe to toe with the Chopchop. It slashed and thrust, trying to take off Snowlem¡¯s wooden arms, but Snowlem had conjured an ice shield to defend himself with. Each time a shard broke off, he flicked it back up and reattached it to the shield. ¡°Wing!¡± called Kyle. Wingbloom flew down and grabbed the distracted Chopchop with his talons. Rather than take to the skies, he flipped in midair and flung the Chopchop over his head. Snowlem ran forward and hurled an icicle spear with each of his hands. As Chopchop landed, he was hit in the chest Snowlem¡¯s projectiles and was knocked back and to the ground. The front of the hedge maze was torn apart as a large boulder ripped through and collided with Wingbloom. He was pinned underneath until Snowlem rushed over and pushed it away, sending it rolling down the hill. ¡°Wing, can you fly?¡± asked Kyle. Wingbloom fluttered up unsteadily but stabled himself. He swerved out of the way as another boulder was tossed through the hedge. ¡°Aerial assault combo, quick!¡± Wingbloom flew over to Snowlem and clung onto his snowy torso, leaving the living snowman with two free hands. He conjured more icicles spears as Wingbloom carried him upwards and over the maze. A boulder was flung at them and Wingbloom moved aside as Snowlem retaliated against their aggressor; it was a Cephelarock. ¡°I know these Minakai,¡± called Kyle loudly as he looked through the remnants of the hedge maze and also spied the stone octopus. ¡°Percival, stop being a coward and show yourself.¡± Percival¡ªthe fourth Hazelton competitor in the national championship this year¡ªstepped out from the maze. ¡°Sorry about this, Kyle, but I¡¯ve taken a few knocks and I¡¯ve got to stay in the game somehow.¡± Kyle looked at him with a look of derision on his face. ¡°I¡¯ve taken a few knocks too and you don¡¯t see me launching sneak attacks. It¡¯s a scummy move from someone as talented as you.¡± ¡°You can call it scummy, but I call it a winning strategy.¡± ¡°Do you now? Is that how you eliminated Catriona earlier?¡± ¡°She had two Minakai remaining and I¡¯ve still got two of my own,¡± said Percival looking smug. ¡°I¡¯m still standing and I¡¯m seeing this tournament through right to the end. Mark my words.¡± ¡°Tamer four, Master Percival, eliminated by tamer two, Master Aurin,¡± announced Lord Kensington. ¡°No!¡± yelled Percival, looking over his shoulder and seeing his Cephelarock buried under snow within the hedge maze. ¡°Chopchop?¡± he called out, turning to see where his armoured insect was. Sitting on a large rock, not too far away, was Shamtile who was waving his arms in victory. Underneath the rock was a blade sticking out belonging to Percival¡¯s Chopchop. The bug was thoroughly crushed by the tiny lizard¡¯s powerful attack. ¡°I don¡¯t believe this,¡± said Percival, slumping over and holding his head in his hands. ¡°Maybe you would have stood a better chance in an honourable battle,¡± said Kyle. ¡°but I suppose we¡¯ll never find out now, will we?¡± Percival groaned and wandered off the towards the palace. He held up his tamer glove and banished his two Minakai back to Kyle¡¯s ranch. As he passed by Shamtile, he saw Aurin leaning against a small wall where his Chopchop was resting. Petalcub growled at Percival as he passed. Aurin was sure that Percival¡¯s expression was that of shame more than disappointment. ¡°You couldn¡¯t just listen to me, could you?¡± asked Kyle as Wingbloom and Snowlem landed beside him. ¡°Nope,¡± called Aurin, ¡°but you can do your thing for now. We¡¯ll be fine by ourselves. Make sure you don¡¯t lose any more Minakai before we have the chance to battle, you hear me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the one in danger of losing any,¡± said Kyle, nodding towards Chopchop. ¡°Chopchop? Nah, he¡¯ll be alright. He just needs to sit down for a few minutes and he¡¯ll be right as rain. Worry about Wingbloom, he took quite the hit.¡± ¡°And he can take a dozen more and still keep going,¡± said Kyle as he moved into the hedge maze. ¡°Strongest Minakai in this whole competition, bar none.¡± Aurin laughed as Kyle vanished from sight. He watched Shamtile hop down from the rock and land on the grass. The masked lizard scurried over to his team and danced around excitedly, glad to be defeating other Minakai left, right and centre. ¡°You¡¯re doing great, Shammy,¡± said Aurin. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be many of us left. If we¡¯re lucky, we¡¯ll be finished by nightfall and claiming our prize.¡± Petalcub bounced around and let out a few barks. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re certainly one of the prizes, Petalcub, but I think we¡¯ll come away with the top one. I bet it¡¯s something good.¡± ¡°Tamer thirty-seven, Lady Robyn, eliminated by tamer one, Master Hunter,¡± announced Lord Kensington. ¡°It¡¯s been relentless the last twenty minutes,¡± muttered Aurin before turning to his team. ¡°Petalcub, bring up some thicker grass and hide us from sight. We¡¯ll give Chopchop another couple of minutes and move along. I¡¯m sure if Leo is lurking around he¡¯ll be able to sniff us out, but Shamtile will let us know if anyone is approaching.¡± Chapter 115 The sky was a deep red as the sun fell further behind the mountains. The air was chilly, as it had been all day, but Luna was only now starting to notice it with things being quiet. Most of the tamers had been eliminated and the constant adrenaline flowing throughout the day had subsided. ¡°This fountain is so pretty, isn¡¯t it?¡± Luna asked Innogon and Frocean, remembering how she and Aurin had sparred here right as the tournament began. Luna looked at the Minakai egg she held in her hands. She didn¡¯t have much hope of finding an incubator this late in the game, but perhaps she would have one last stroke of good luck before the end. Whatever lay inside would be hers to raise no matter whether it was hatched here or hatched back home. She turned her gaze towards the vineyards, one of the few stones left unturned for her. It was going to be dark soon and venturing towards the cliffs or the surrounding forest would be foolish. There were plenty of Minakai who had a much easier time seeing in the dark than her own so staying close to the palace was her intent. ¡°Tamer fifty-two, Master Oswald, eliminated by tamer one, Master Hunter,¡± announced Lord Kensington from a speaker attached to the palace. ¡°There are so few of us left now,¡± Luna said to her Minakai. ¡°We just need to push a little bit further and we¡¯ll be in sight of the finish line. We can do this, can¡¯t we?¡± Innogon yapped and roared happily while Frocean gave a deep and resounding croak. Her monsters had faith in her and she had faith in them. With a big smile, she beckoned them to follow her and they headed towards the vineyard entrance. Luna unlatched the gate and walked through with Innogon following her. Frocean was too big and was forced to leap over the stone wall, but he had little trouble doing so. Luna took in the scent of the growing grapes and relaxed as the sweet smell floated around her. She could have happily pulled up a deckchair and spent the day here. The vineyard wasn¡¯t especially large, but the rows of vines adorned with their purple grapes was a beautiful sight to see. She was almost troubled by the fact that a battle here would risk destroying some of them, but it mustn¡¯t have bothered Lord Kensington that much. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see another soul in here,¡± said a voice, making Luna jump a mile. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± she asked as Clarke appeared from behind a shed. He was accompanied by a Rainbird and Sanguice, both of which were looking a little worse for the wear. ¡°No need to be startled,¡± said Clarke, calmly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to attack without warning.¡± ¡°Are you going to attack?¡± ¡°Maybe. I haven¡¯t decided yet.¡± Luna stood there quietly and still tense, not reassured by Clarke¡¯s word in the slightest. ¡°You¡¯re Clarke, aren¡¯t you?¡± she said eventually. ¡°I am, yes,¡± he replied. ¡°Forgive me, but I don¡¯t recall your name. Have we met before?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Luna, ¡°but I recognise you from Aurin¡¯s table. He said that you two battled in the forest a while ago. My name¡¯s Luna.¡± ¡°Ah, you know Aurin?¡± ¡°I do. He said you¡¯re one of the most interesting competitors in this entire competition.¡± ¡°Did he now?¡± chuckled Clarke. ¡°Well, I would say the same thing about him. There are a small handful that I¡¯ve met and observed who seem to be a cut above the rest. Tamers that understand Minakai and truly want to see them grow and want to get to know them at a much deeper level. He is one of those tamers, there¡¯s no doubt in my mind¡­are you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Luna. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I¡¯m more passionate about than my Minakai.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all well and good being able to say that, but being able to demonstrate that is another matter entirely.¡± ¡°Are you proposing we battle?¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°Your Minakai look more exhausted than mine,¡± remarked Luna, ¡°are you sure that¡¯s fair?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that¡¯s important, Luna, but I appreciate your consideration. It¡¯s already clear that you¡¯re an honourable competitor, but I would suspect that my Minakai are more powerful than yours so them being tired may balance the scales somewhat.¡± Luna was not sure whether to be offended or not, but Clarke certainly had an air of experience about him. It wasn¡¯t just his age, there was something that Luna couldn¡¯t put her finger on. It was as though he had seen things that others could only imagine and he had no desire to win battles, he only desired to know more about both Minakai and his opponents. ¡°You seem hesitant,¡± said Clarke. ¡°If it makes you feel better, Aurin defeated my Quetzalia. I¡¯m down my ace.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hesitant about battling, I¡¯m just trying to understand your motive in being here.¡± Clarke laughed again. ¡°If you can defeat me, I¡¯ll tell you why I¡¯m here. I think Lord Kensington himself was surprised when I showed up.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s battle,¡± said Luna, looking to Innogon and Frocean who were itching to show what they were made of. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Let¡¯s make it one on one battles until we¡¯re out of monsters, shall we?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready when you are,¡± said Luna. ¡°Frocean, you¡¯re up.¡± ¡°Rainbird,¡± said Clarke, nodding to the blue and purple bird perched on the shed roof. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± called Luna, beginning the battle. Frocean hopped across the grass towards his foe, but was immediately blasted by a powerful water jet and thrown backwards. Rainbird spun around in circles and conjured up a small storm over the battlefield. ¡°Don¡¯t let him gather the water!¡± Luna warned Frocean. Rainbird¡¯s body was being slowly covered by water, giving it a rippling coating that encompassed its entire body. It beat its wings and the water cast itself off from Rainbird¡¯s body and was rushed towards Frocean. The frog hopped out of the way, but the watery clone of Rainbird circled around and struck Frocean in the back before breaking apart and splashing onto the grass. ¡°Hailstorm!¡± ordered Luna. Frocean focused and summoned a barrage of hail that replaced the rain. Rainbird was being beaten by the pellets of ice, but a second later it had summoned a bubble around itself to protect it. It charged at Frocean who erected an ice wall, forcing Rainbird to fly higher into the sky. It was smart enough to not go beyond the wall as Frocean had an ice spear ready to launch at the sight of his opponent. ¡°That won¡¯t work so easily on me,¡± laughed Clarke. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± said Luna. ¡°Break it!¡± Frocean slammed his hands into the ice wall which shattered into dozens of shards. He stamped his webbed feet on the ground and the shards raised into the air. One by one he sent them flying at Rainbird, who weaved in and out. At full speed, it wouldn¡¯t have had much trouble, but its tiredness worked against it. It took three hits to the body and was knocked out of the air. ¡°Well played,¡± said Clarke. ¡°Sanguice. Let¡¯s show them what the true power of the ice element is.¡± The pale bat flew into the air and sped around at lightning speed. Luna was having a hard time keeping up with it. When she finally got a clear focus on it, Sanguice covered its wings in ice and charged towards her Frocean who could not bring up a barrier in time. Its frozen wings cut into Frocean¡¯s body as it flew around and around. Frocean dropped to the ground, unable to fight on. Luna¡¯s mouth hung open in shock. ¡°So¡­so fast,¡± she said. Innogon leapt into the fight without an order and shot a strong water jet at Sanguice, who was knocked back and into the shed. It was vulnerable after exerting itself with its attack. Innogon burst forward and flipped around, trying to cut into Sanguice with his fin, but the icy bat recovered in time and avoided the attack, taking off into the air once more. ¡°A taste of their own medicine,¡± said Clarke. Sanguice summoned a hailstorm and Innogon was struck by the icy rocks that fell much more forcefully than Frocean¡¯s. He collected himself and then summoned his own bubble shield to defend against the hail. Clarke smirked upon seeing Luna counter the same way he did. ¡°That won¡¯t stop us,¡± he said. ¡°Finish them with an ice bomb!¡± Sanguice flew high into the air and focussed its energy. A large ball of ice appeared before him and he launched it towards the ground. Innogon knew that if that hit him, it would explode and freeze him solid. He harnessed all of his might and spouted off a pressure cannon to rival Steambot¡¯s and blasted the bomb to pieces in the sky. ¡°That took a lot out of him,¡± said Luna. Innogon knew what to do and waited for Sanguice to fly down and close the gap. He conjured a large tidal wave and rode it straight towards the icy bat. As Sanguice tried to move out of the way, Innogon spat streams of water all over the sky. The bat thought the drake was aiming for it, but Innogon had something else in mind. He continued to shoot water, forcing Sanguice to dodge. Once the bat was thoroughly distracted, he spun around and shot the ground, blasting himself backwards and to his foe. He spun around rapidly and slammed into Sanguice with his head fin. The rapidly spinning fin was like a razor blade and cut into the bat, making him drop to the ground. He tried to fly up again, but Innogon ended the battle with another water jet that blasted him straight through the grapevines. ¡°Very impressive,¡± said Clarke with a smile. He looked satisfied, even in defeat. ¡°Although Lord Kensington might not be happy with the state of this waterlogged vineyard.¡± ¡°Tamer five, Master Clarke, eliminated by tamer fourteen, Lady Luna,¡± announced Lord Kensington. ¡°So why are you here?¡± Luna asked. Clarke looked to the setting sun. ¡°I¡¯m a traveller, Luna. I go from tower to tower, anomaly to anomaly, from Minakai to Minakai. I¡¯m always looking to learn something new and I¡¯ve got many friends and acquaintances who know things about Minakai that you could only imagine. The magic they possess is nothing short of astounding, and I mean the people not the Minakai, but there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve missed in all that.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The thrill of competition. The thrill of seeing what¡¯s going on in my opponent¡¯s head when they¡¯re fighting for survival. I have no desire to battle in front of crowds anymore, that period of my life is done and I don¡¯t intend to ever make a comeback in a major tournament. ¡°I know what Kensington is like. He throws spectacles like this for his own entertainment and love of battling. When I got my invite for this, I knew it would be a big affair, but a quiet one. I would be able to see the youthful exuberance of young tamers like yourselves who are itching to prove themselves. Some are not so good at it, but others like you and Aurin¡­you¡¯ve got something special. It just needs to be focussed in the right direction.¡± Luna was puzzled. ¡°What direction is that?¡± Clarke smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll let you figure that out for yourself in time,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe if we run into each other again in the future, you can tell me if you¡¯ve got an answer for that. I had better go before Kensington sends his heavies to throw me out of the castle grounds for not returning to the palace quick enough. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Clarke,¡± said Luna as he departed. Luna stood holding her egg while Innogon looked up at her. He seemed to be less chipper than usual as though it had donned on him that he was now Luna¡¯s last chance at staying in the tournament. ¡°We¡¯ll be alright, Inno,¡± said Luna with a big smile. ¡°No matter what, we¡¯re in it together until the end.¡± * Aurin walked towards the vineyard and spied Clarke emerging from the gate. He had heard Lord Kensington¡¯s announcement no more than a minute ago, so he knew that Luna must be somewhere inside. ¡°Sorry, Aurin,¡± said Clarke. ¡°I¡¯ve been eliminated by a friend of yours.¡± ¡°So it seems,¡± replied Aurin. ¡°She¡¯s very talented, you know. Tobias said she was.¡± ¡°Tobias mentioned Luna too?¡± ¡°Yes, but I didn¡¯t tell her that. I let on that I didn¡¯t know who she was. I suspect that if I had mentioned that, she would have felt more pressure to do well and it would have held her back.¡± ¡°That sounds about right,¡± said Aurin before laughing. ¡°Her biggest weakness is that she panics when a spotlight is shone on her, but she¡¯s very strong.¡± ¡°Tamer twenty-three, Master Remy, eliminated by tamer one, Master Hunter,¡± announced Lord Kensington. ¡°I¡¯ll see you when this is all over,¡± said Clarke. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll get the chance to battle another time.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± said Aurin. With that, Clarke departed for the palace and Aurin walked over to the vineyard gate with Shamtile, Chopchop and Petalcub by his side. He wanted to find Luna and give her the Lunar Shard he had been saving for her. Chapter 116 ¡°Tamer twenty-two, Master Rodrick, eliminated by tamer thirty-two, Master Kyle,¡± announced Lord Kensington. ¡°We are left with eight tamers remaining. All tamers are no longer allowed beyond the grasslands. You have ten minutes to exit the forest, the caves, the hills or wherever you might be. Waiting out the competition is no longer an option for you.¡± ¡°Top eight, Inno,¡± said Luna excitedly. ¡°All we need to do is hang on a little longer.¡± The blue drake started yapping and hopping up and down erratically. ¡°Yes, that means we¡¯ll probably have to fight our friends soon. If we run into Aurin, Kyle or Hunter, we might not have much choice but to battle. Can you imagine if we have to battle Leo? I would love to eliminate him and wipe that eternally smug look off his face.¡± Luna exited the vineyard at the far side and wandered around the outside of it with Innogon. It had already been looted for all items, at least as far as she could tell. She had spotted a hedge maze nearby and thought she would investigate that too, but she had little hope of finding anything. It was a better option than to sit and wait idly for another tamer to happen upon her. As Luna walked across the grass and towards the maze, she saw a Wingbloom fly out from within the hedge maze. She squinted and could make out a man and a large snowman walking from the entrance. Curiously, there was a large hole in the side of the maze that didn¡¯t look to be carefully trimmed like the rest of the hedges. Kyle waved to her as he walked across the grass. Luna picked up Innogon and ran towards him, excited to see a friendly face. The two met in the middle with the palace looming not too far away. ¡°Two Minakai left?¡± asked Luna with a smile, glad to see Kyle still going so strongly. ¡°Innogon and an eg¡ª¡± ¡°Tamer twelve, Master Ciaran, eliminated by tamer seven, Master Frederick,¡± announced Lord Kensington. ¡°Ah, seven tamers to go then,¡± said Kyle, ¡°and we know for certain who five of them are.¡± ¡°Leo has been on the rampage this entire tournament,¡± remarked Luna. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone has eliminated as many other tamers as he has. It¡¯s impressive, really.¡± ¡°Yes, I believe he¡¯s the top scorer. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s even being counter, but no doubt it¡¯s doing wonders for his already ballooned ego. Frankly, I¡¯m surprised he hasn¡¯t ambushed any of us so far. Maybe he¡¯s saving us for last.¡± ¡°Perhaps we shouldn¡¯t give him the satisfaction of beating us?¡± ¡°You think he would beat me?¡± asked Kyle with a sly grin. ¡°Um¡­probably not.¡± ¡°Probably?¡± ¡°Definitely?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s better.¡± Luna looked at her egg. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have the chance to hatch this before the tournament is over, will I?¡± Kyle shrugged. ¡°If you had found Aurin, you would have. He¡¯s been carrying around an incubator for a while. He¡¯s even got a Lunar Shard he wanted to hand over to you.¡± ¡°Oh! So he¡¯s hatched his Petalcub egg?¡± ¡°Last time I saw him was maybe ten minutes ago. He still has Shamtile and Petalcub going strong, but Chopchop is getting tired.¡± ¡°Chopchop?¡± ¡°Ah yes, and he evolved his Snippet too.¡± ¡°I was lucky enough to find my own Lunar Shard so everything worked out¡­well, except for Frocean falling in battle against Clarke.¡± ¡°Yes, I heard the announcement. He¡¯s a tough one, so it¡¯s impressive that you defeated him.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°You know what will be even more impressive?¡± asked Luna. ¡°Defeating me?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°Defeating you,¡± said Luna with a nod. ¡°How about it?¡± ¡°Well, you won¡¯t defeat me, but I accept your challenge,¡± said Kyle confidently. ¡°Inno is a lot stronger than I think you realise.¡± ¡°Oh, I know he¡¯s strong. I just believe my team is stronger still.¡± ¡°I want to fight both Wingbloom and Snowlem together.¡± ¡°You what?¡± asked Kyle, taken aback. ¡°You heard me.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Innogon bounded forwards, positioned for battle and eager to show Kyle just how strong he really was. Kyle nodded slowly and held up his hand, beckoning both Wingbloom and Snowlem forwards. ¡°Three. Two. One,¡± said Luna. ¡°Go!¡± Wingbloom took to the sky while Snowlem conjured a hailstorm. Innogon knew exactly what to do from his last fight and covered himself in a bubble shield to block the icy rocks before they had the chance to start beating him. He roared loudly and summoned a great wave that Snowlem broke with an ice wall, separating it into two waves that sailed on past him. Innogon leapt out of the way as Wingbloom charged down, beak first. The winged plant grabbed with his talons and swept with his sharp leafy wings, but Innogon ducked and rolled out of the way of each attack, his small size making him a much more difficult target to attack. An icicle spear struck him, courtesy of Snowlem, as he was busy avoiding Wingbloom¡¯s attacks. He was knocked down and Wingbloom seized the opportunity to sink his talons into the little drake and take to the skies with him. Wingbloom soared up high and performed a somersault. He released Innogon who was flung down to the ground, but he was not prepared to lose so quickly. He shot out a water jet at the ground, the force of it slowed him down just enough to land unscathed. ¡°He¡¯s quite the resourceful little Minakai isn¡¯t he?¡± asked Kyle. Luna didn¡¯t answer and focussed on the battle. Innogon ran forward and leapt at Snowlem, who brought up another ice wall in order to make Innogon crash, but the dragon flipped and cut through the wall with his fin. He pushed through to the other side and rammed into Snowlem, knocking the sentient snowman to the ground. Innogon unleashed a point blank water jet and Snowlem was forced back along the grass, but the jet was cut short as a gust of wind from Wingbloom blew Innogon right after him. The two sliding Minakai hopped back to their feet and Snowlem made to grab Innogon, who spat small spurts of water into Snowlem¡¯s coal eyes. He leapt into the air and headbutted the snowy golem, knocking him down once again. Wingbloom descended upon him, but Innogon shot a jet of water into the ground and threw himself out of the way. From the air, he breathed deep once more and fired a pressure cannon into Snowlem, sending him skidding down a hill. ¡°Get up!¡± Kyle ordered Snowlem, but the force of the cannon had defeated the exhausted Minakai. ¡°Yes,¡± Luna said quietly to herself, just about restraining herself from giving a fist pump. This was going to be closer than Kyle had expected. ¡°Wingbloom, do not let up your attacks!¡± Wingbloom swooped down, but Innogon rolled aside and shot water jet after water jet, trying to knock the flying plant out of the sky. Wingbloom proved to be too fast, swirling, ducking and diving out of the way. Not a single attack landed, but he was having to push himself to make sure that it remained that way. ¡°It¡¯s time to bring back an old favourite,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Supersonic beak!¡± Wingbloom harnessed the power of the wind element and burst towards Innogon with incredible speed. He rammed his fibrous beak into Innogon¡¯s chest, flinging the blue drake across the grass. Knowing he could not give Innogon the chance to recover, Wingbloom soared after him and picked him up once more. He took to the skies and tossed him downwards. Luna¡¯s Minakai hit the ground hard and lay motionless, defeated at last. Luna closed her eyes and breathed deep. She had lost, but she couldn¡¯t help but smile. She walked over to Innogon and picked him up, cradling him in her arms. ¡°Tamer fourteen, Lady Luna, eliminated by tamer thirty-two, Master Kyle,¡± announced Lord Kensington. ¡°Why are you so happy?¡± asked Kyle with a small laugh upon seeing Luna¡¯s smile. ¡°He put up a great fight, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°He did,¡± admitted Kyle. ¡°I¡¯m impressed, I have to say. ¡°Good luck with the rest of the tournament,¡± said Luna, using a summoning stone to send Innogon back to the ranch. ¡°I hope it¡¯s you and Aurin in the final.¡± ¡°Thank you, Luna,¡± said Kyle. With that, Luna walked across the grass with her unidentified egg in one hand and her high heels in the other. She didn¡¯t even notice as Aurin approached from the vineyard, where he had sat quietly watching his two best friends battling. He looked over to Luna who walked past the fountain and ascended the palace steps without looking back once. ¡°Did you see everything?¡± Kyle asked him as he approached. ¡°I did,¡± confirmed Aurin. ¡°She really gave it her all. I¡¯m very proud of her.¡± ¡°Frankly, I¡¯m surprised she was able to take out Snowlem with both him and Wingbloom battling together. I would say it¡¯s because they¡¯re spent, but that would probably be my own ego talking. Rather, I think Innogon is just¡­well, he¡¯s powerful.¡± ¡°Yup,¡± said Aurin. ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± ¡°What more is there to say?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to challenge me yet?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°I¡¯m down to only Wingbloom and he¡¯s just finished a battle. Now would be the time to strike for an easy victory.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want an easy victory. I¡¯m saving you for last.¡± ¡°If we make it that far.¡± ¡°Well, if we don¡¯t, we¡¯ll have a proper battle back at the ranch at full strength.¡± ¡°You and your fairness,¡± said Kyle with a laugh as Aurin walked away with his team. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to find Hunter or Leo,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I doubt either of them are too far away.¡± Chapter 117 Kyle walked across the grass with Wingbloom gliding along behind him. He was now among the final five in the Palace Royale with only Aurin, Hunter, Frederick and another unknown tamer remaining. Each of them was fighting for the top spot and the unknown prize. ¡°Tamer sixty, Master Bertram, eliminated by tamer two, Master Frederick,¡± announced Lord Kensington over a speaker. ¡°The final four,¡± muttered Kyle, looking towards the darkening night sky. ¡°Tamer sixty you sly dog, you must have been hiding somewhere in the forest until Kensington¡¯s announcement. A good plan, but you had to have known it wouldn¡¯t cut it towards the end.¡± Wingbloom squawked at something approaching and Kyle looked over. There was a red glow moving across the grass while a blue glow crackled beside it. It was Hunter with his Flambot and Shockbot. He hailed Kyle, who gave him a nod. ¡°Semi-finalists, Kyle,¡± called Frederick as he drew closer. ¡°How about that?¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s what you could call it,¡± replied Kyle. ¡°There¡¯s nothing stopping us from all meeting in one place and brawling, is there.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t suspect Frederick would allow that. He knows we¡¯ll all attack him.¡± ¡°Would we?¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain of it.¡± Kyle laughed. ¡°Yes, I think you¡¯re right about that. Although, all is fair in a competition like this. There¡¯s nothing stopping us from going for each other. It¡¯s just a game at the end of the day.¡± ¡°It is, yes,¡± said Hunter. ¡°How¡¯s your wife and son?¡± Kyle asked. ¡°You¡¯re making small talk?¡± Kyle looked around. ¡°We¡¯re not going to be jumped by the looks of things. We might as well be civil before we turn into bitter enemies for the duration of our battle.¡± ¡°Ah, so we¡¯re going to battle then?¡± ¡°Is that not why you approached me?¡± Hunter nodded slowly. ¡°The thought didn¡¯t cross my mind, but I suppose subconsciously that must have been my intent. It is late after all and I would very much like to sit down and have dinner before midnight.¡± ¡°With four of us left, I doubt it will take,¡± Kyle glanced at his watch which was hard to read in the darkness, ¡°another six hours.¡± ¡°Who knows? Aurin is a stubborn battler.¡± ¡°Stubborn is the best word to describe him when it comes to his desire to win. Most of the time he¡¯s pretty agreeable.¡± ¡°That determination he has when it comes to Minakai is why I¡¯ve taken such an interest in him. After being defeated so thoroughly the first time we met in Hazelton, he¡¯s pushed himself harder and harder to be a better tamer. Many others would have taken that public defeat badly and seen it as humiliating rather than encouraging. I have no doubt that he will one day surpass my abilities, but I will enjoy the battles no matter what the outcome.¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll find all of the Microbot evolutions before you do?¡± Hunter laughed. ¡°That¡¯s one goal I¡¯m confident he won¡¯t achieve before I do.¡± Kyle and Hunter stood without speaking for a while with only the sound of Wingbloom¡¯s beating wings and the two robots¡¯ fiery and electrical cracklings filling the night. They knew it was time to battle and Kyle couldn¡¯t help but notice he was in the unfortunate position Luna was in earlier with his one Minakai against his opponent¡¯s two. Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Two monsters at once?¡± Hunter asked Kyle as though offering to fight with one at a time. ¡°Make it a challenge,¡± said Kyle, confirming his intent to take on both Flambot and Shockbot simultaneously. He and Hunter gave each other a nod and their Minakai began. Flambot wasted no time in shooting jets of flame at Wingbloom who took to the skies to evade, but he was chased further by lightning bolts that burst from Shockbot. The two robots chased Wingbloom across the sky with their elemental powers. ¡°We can¡¯t play defensive the entire battle,¡± Kyle told his Minakai. ¡°You know which one we want rid of first, make it happen.¡± Wingbloom flipped over in the air and charged towards the ground. He pulled up out of his dive and barrelled into Shockbot, knocking the robot down while taking a nasty jolt from the contact and a singed tail courtesy of Flambot. Wingbloom flew up again and then swiftly darted downwards but was forced to roll out of his assault on Shockbot by the Minakai who erupted in an explosion of lightning that Wingbloom only narrowly avoided. Flambot¡¯s flames roared, and the construct threw his arms into the air. From the sky, dozens of hot embers rained down. Wingbloom swooped out of the way, but he was tiring from the constant dodging. He knew it was risky, yet he had to brave the attack. He smacked the embers from the sky, burning his wing, but redirecting them to Shockbot who had just sprung to hit feet and was swiftly knocked back down. Wingbloom kicked up a tailwind and aimed for Shockbot once more, pushing himself along with the force of the wind. He soared past Flambot, who was shooting more jets of fire at his opponent, and straight at Shockbot. The lightning robot threw a bolt of energy at the plan, but Wingbloom changed course. The bolt rushed past Wingbloom and straight towards Flambot, who dove out of the way. In the distraction, Wingbloom spun around and slammed into Flambot and sent him rolling across the grass. He chased the fiery robot and grabbed him in his talons and launched him into the sky, taking a couple of burns in the process. ¡°Air cutter!¡± called Kyle. Wingbloom beat his wings and swept a razor wind towards Flambot, cutting into his metallic body as he fell to the ground. Flambot crashed in a heap and the blue light on his screen faded as he powered down, defeated. Hunter was nodding slowly, realising that Kyle had never intended to eliminate Shockbot first. In any case, it was evident that Wingbloom was low on energy now. ¡°Finish him,¡± ordered Hunter. Wingbloom sped into the sky, but Shockbot shot lightning bolt and lightning bolt at him. He could not duck or roll as quickly as he could a minute ago, and his wings were clipped by a couple of strikes and he could no longer support himself in the air. Wingbloom crashed down and landed right beside where Flambot lay. He tried to push himself off the ground, but he had run out of energy and slumped over. ¡°Not a bad effort,¡± shrugged Kyle. ¡°A very good effort, I would say,¡± said Hunter. ¡°Wingbloom hasn¡¯t lost any of his talent. In a one on one fight with either of my Minakai, he would have won without question.¡± ¡°Tamer thirty-two, Master Kyle, eliminated by tamer one, Master Hunter,¡± announced Lord Kensington. ¡°And now it¡¯s the final three,¡± said Kyle, smiling. ¡°All the same, it¡¯s been fun. I¡¯m glad I decided to participate.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad too,¡± said Hunter. ¡°You ought to make a true comeback one of these days. Your talent is there just as much as your Wingbloom¡¯s is.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure I¡¯ve got it in me anymore.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t feel right without my other Wingbloom there. I don¡¯t know how Wing would feel fighting in the big leagues again without his sister around.¡± ¡°Perhaps it would be the best way to honour her after the last few years,¡± said Hunter. ¡°I¡¯ll think about¡ª" ¡°Kyle!¡± called Aurin, running across the grass with his Shamtile, Chopchop and Petalcub following him. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I missed the battle.¡± ¡°I thought you were looking for Hunter and Leo?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°I was,¡± said Aurin, nodding towards Hunter. ¡°I heard the commotion and saw the flashing lights in the sky and knew that Flambot was close by along with some species of lightning elemental. I didn¡¯t expect to see¡­this one.¡± ¡°Shockbot,¡± said Hunter, smiling at the awestruck Aurin. ¡°A new evolution for your team?¡± asked Aurin, unable to contain the excitement in his voice. ¡°The lightning elemental, yes,¡± said Hunter. ¡°I suppose I had better get a move on then,¡± said Kyle, looking to the palace. ¡°A shame we won¡¯t get to fight here, Aurin, but we¡¯ll be back at the ranch in a few hours I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll give ourselves a day to rest our team first,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I think so,¡± said Kyle with a smile. ¡°We¡¯ve got plenty of chores to catch up on too. My Frogre have probably overfed the Minakai again. They¡¯re not so great with estimations.¡± Aurin and Hunter bid Kyle farewell and the rancher departed towards the castle. He looked pleased with himself as he walked away, having been out of the competitive game again. Aurin could see that the spark in him had been reignited and thought perhaps he could prod him subtly into competing in next year¡¯s Hazelton tournament. ¡°And then there were three,¡± said Hunter. ¡°How about it, Aurin?¡± Aurin locked eyes with Hunter. ¡°I¡¯m all for it. The winner faces off against Frederick for the grand prize.¡± The two men stood facing each other. There was no doubt that Aurin had the numbers advantage, but Hunter was never to be underestimated. He always found a way to come out on top. Chapter 118 ¡°You¡¯ve done well to hang onto three Minakai for the entire tournament,¡± said Hunter, looking impressed as he surveyed Aurin¡¯s team. ¡°I had my Gorunze with me,¡± said Aurin, his expression turning into a frown, ¡°but he was defeated by a cheap trickster using dirty tactics. I found Petalcub¡¯s egg in the forest and was lucky enough to find an incubator in the tunnels.¡± Hunter laughed and shook his head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call that luck.¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°You were searching for it, right? I heard the announcements. You eliminated your fair share of tamers along the way, so you weren¡¯t hiding while you looked for the items. You had to fight your way through and this was your reward for your repeated victories, is that not the case?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± He was right, of course. Aurin hadn¡¯t been playing it safe this entire time. He had battled many other tamers while playing the game and hunting for items. He had been successful and it had paid off for him. To have strolled around the palace in a constant loop, inviting tamer and after to challenge him would have simply been foolish. He knew that. Hunter nodded knowingly. ¡°Selling yourself short by calling it luck isn¡¯t acceptable to me. You underplay your achievements as much as Luna does hers.¡± ¡°Am I that bad?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Sometimes,¡± laughed Hunter. ¡°You just disguise it better. I think the national championships knocked you back a bit, if anything.¡± ¡°When I first arrived in Hazelton, I was an unfortunate mix of confident and na?ve even though I had very little experience with Minakai. I thought I knew a lot more than I did and when push came to shove, I fell short. It was thanks to people like Luna, Kyle and yourself that I was able to learn quickly and push myself to reach the point that I¡¯m at today.¡± ¡°There you go, you¡¯re doing it again. You may have had people help you and push you, but you¡¯re ultimately the one that put in the work and did the training. You¡¯ve been in the tower fighting endlessly, you¡¯ve faced countless tamers and defeated most of them. Even the ones you haven¡¯t defeated or you¡¯ve struggled against? You¡¯ve learned something from. Every action you¡¯ve taken has led you up to this point and to continue doing so will be what takes you to the next level.¡± ¡°You do the same, don¡¯t you?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I¡¯ve been in the game a lot longer than you have and the speed at which you¡¯ve caught up to me has been nothing short of astounding. You possess an affinity for Minakai that¡¯s very rare and you bring out the best in each of your monsters. I have no doubt that in five years from now, you¡¯ll be in a different league than the rest of us.¡± Aurin¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°This isn¡¯t you bigging me up just so I get overconfident in our battle, is it?¡± Hunter laughed. ¡°No,¡± he said, ¡°but that would have been a smooth little trick, wouldn¡¯t it? I mean what I¡¯m saying, as I always do.¡± ¡°Thank you, Hunter,¡± said Aurin, ¡°I appreciate it a lot.¡± ¡°You¡¯re most welcome. I only ask that when you¡¯re fighting amongst the best of them, that you stop by for a battle every once in a while. Don¡¯t let me get complacent.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to hold you to that.¡± The two stood quietly as tensioned filled the air around them. Neither wanted to fight, yet they wanted it more than anything. Aurin saw Hunter as a tamer to aspire to reach, whereas Hunter saw Aurin as someone constantly snapping at his heels. He knew it was only a matter of time before the young man took an entire leg. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Shall we get on with it then?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Yes, I think we should,¡± said Hunter, looking around the grasslands. ¡°There¡¯s another player out there who I¡¯m sure isn¡¯t too far away. If he¡¯s riding one of his Leonite, he¡¯ll be here in no more than a minute or two. With only three of us left, I can¡¯t see him waiting to let us enjoy our battle peacefully.¡± ¡°Likewise,¡± said Aurin, looking around to see if there was any sign of Frederick. ¡°Then, let us begin.¡± ¡°Shamtile, you¡¯re up.¡± Shamtile began to step forwards, but Chopchop put a blade out to stop him. The armoured insect shook his head and turned to his tamer with a look of determination on his face. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Shamtile¡¯s in better shape than you are right now.¡± Chopchop clicked and nodded, certain that he wanted to fight. It may have been that he wanted to prove how useful he was or perhaps he wanted to test his might now that he had evolved, but the soldier ant looked confident. ¡°Alright,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Your call.¡± ¡°A one-on-one fight it is then,¡± said Hunter. ¡°I doubt your Chopchop will accept any of his teammates stepping in to help him.¡± ¡°It seems that way,¡± said Aurin, giving a nod to Shamtile and Petalcub, who both moved behind their tamer to stay out of the way. ¡°Ready?¡± asked Hunter. ¡°Ready,¡± confirmed Aurin. ¡°Begin!¡± Shockbot waited patiently in a readied stance as Chopchop ran forwards with his blades swept out behind him. Once Chopchop was close, Shockbot let loose a lightning bolt, but the armoured insect leapt over it and rolled forward, swinging his two blades together like a pair of guillotines. The lightning robot jumped to avoid the attack and delivering a kick from his rubbery foot to Chopchop¡¯s head, but Chopchop¡¯s helmet took the brunt of the kick and it merely knocked him back. Chopchop moved forwards and swung his arms precisely, while Shockbot nimbly avoided each of the swings with his surprisingly quick movements. Compared to his bulkier counterparts like Flambot and Steambot, he was agile. As Chopchop¡¯s movements slowed from the strain of his relentless assault, Shockbot punched him in the face once more and knocked him to the ground. Shockbot whipped his tail around and zapped the prone Chopchop with it as though it was a cattle prod. The bladed insect writhed in pain, but found the strength to throw himself further along the grass. He climbed to his feet and turned to face Shockbot once more, his blades raised and ready. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back,¡± said Aurin, knowing that Hunter had a lot more in him. ¡°Likewise,¡± said Hunter. Shockbot burst forward in a flash of lightning, but Chopchop blocked him with one of his arms. He swung with his other and it collided with Shockbot¡¯s metal body. Chopchop felt a surge of electricity run through him and recoiled backwards. ¡°Go for the arms and the legs,¡± ordered Aurin. Shockbot shot lightning strike after lightning strike as Chopchop who weaved out of the way. He was forced to block a couple with his arms, taking some pain as he did so, but he powered through. Once the robot was forced to gather his energy again, Chopchop¡¯s arms swung wildly as he forced Shockbot backwards. He attacked and attacked until Shockbot moved just a little too slowly and Chopchop cut into the robot¡¯s rubbery leg, making it drop into a kneel. Chopchop raised his blade to make a final strike, but Shockbot grabbed onto Chopchop¡¯s legs and sent a wave of electricity through the insect. Shockbot stood up, ignoring the pain in his leg and flung Chopchop aside. The lightning elemental gathered his remaining strength and summoned a mighty lightning strike from the sky that struck Chopchop. The insect spasmed violently, collapsed to the ground and then stopped moving. He had given it is all, but he was defeated by Hunter¡¯s powerful Minakai. ¡°That was a valiant effort, Chopchop,¡± said Aurin, raising his glove and banishing his Minakai back to the ranch. ¡°Sunny will take care of you until we¡¯re home.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± asked Hunter, looking very proud of his Shockbot. ¡°We¡¯ve still got some left in the tank.¡± ¡°Shamt¡ª¡± Shockbot was suddenly pounced upon from the side by a dark lion, masked by the cloak of night. The Leonite sank his teeth deep inside Shockbot¡¯s metal body and tore chunks of his plating up. It was over in seconds, but the damage was immense and Shockbot wouldn¡¯t be able to continue. ¡°Tamer one, Master Hunter, eliminated by tamer seven, Master Frederick,¡± announced Lord Kensington. ¡°Whoops,¡± said Frederick, approaching the other two tamers. ¡°Where you in the middle of something?¡± ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± asked Aurin, furiously. ¡°It¡¯s a battle royale, Aurin,¡± said Frederick. ¡°You may not like it, but this is perfectly within the rules. Now that leaves me with two mighty Minakai and you with one Minakai and a weak little hatchling. I like my chances, I have to say.¡± ¡°Two Minakai?¡± asked Hunter, the anger in his voice barely controlled. ¡°Two Minakai,¡± said Frederick. He gave a whistle. ¡°Leofang!¡± A lion, notably larger than his Leonite emerged. The red-maned Leofang with its sharp teeth and burly body approached. Aurin and Hunter¡¯s jaws dropped as the mighty lion approached them. The mighty lion that was thought to have gone extinct a long time ago. Chapter 119 ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± asked Hunter, still reeling from his Shockbot¡¯s sudden defeat. ¡°Yes,¡± said Frederick, looking rather pleased with himself, ¡°but that¡¯s not a story for you, Hunter. Shouldn¡¯t you be leaving now that you¡¯ve been eliminated?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this,¡± Aurin told Hunter without taking his eyes off of Frederick. ¡°I know,¡± said Hunter, putting his hand on Aurin¡¯s shoulder before walking away. ¡°I thought this Cubtem branch was supposed to be extinct?¡± asked Aurin, remembering the fang that Hunter had shown him in the museum in Ludonia. ¡°How did you manage to obtain one?¡± ¡°I have my ways,¡± said Frederick smugly, ¡°and those ways have given me the greatest team imaginable. I have my Leonite for speed and my Leofang for power, they¡¯re an unstoppable duo. Neither of them is lacking in either strength or speed, but should I ever find myself outclassed in either department, it¡¯s simple to substitute one in for the other.¡± ¡°How did you obtain one?¡± asked Aurin again. ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± asked Frederick. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll give you a small hint then. It involved a lot of experimentation, a little bit of luck and perhaps some divine intervention from the cosmos.¡± ¡°Is that why you vanished for the better part of a year?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Were you seeking a way to obtain a Leofang or was it because you were seeking something else?¡± Frederick shrugged. ¡°Who¡¯s to say?¡± ¡°Enough with being cryptic,¡± said Aurin, ¡°give me a straight answer. Why did you vanish? I know it was something to do with Zodiac. Is Leofang a cosmic elemental?¡± Frederick let out a single guttural laugh of derision. ¡°No, you fool,¡± he said and holding up his tamer glove to reveal three faint cream-coloured summoning stones. ¡°Much like Leonite, Leofang is elementally neutral. You think I would be stupid enough to bring a cosmic elemental here and draw attention to myself? Of course not.¡± Aurin couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that meant Frederick had succeeded in also obtaining a cosmic Minakai, but he knew it would be pointless to ask. If he had, he would have handed it over to Taurus by now. ¡°Are you finished asking me tedious questions?¡± Frederick asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Leonite and Leofang leapt into battle. Shamtile would not let them get the jump on him and threw up a rock wall to block the two lions from getting too close to him and Petalcub. Leofang charged straight through the wall, bringing it tumbling down and Leonite made a beeline straight for Petalcub. The young wolf summoned a vine to whip his foe, but the lion sank his teeth into him before he had the chance to strike. Leonite clamped down hard and threw Petalcub aside, where he lay still on the grass much to Aurin¡¯s dismay. Shamtile meanwhile was scurrying around, trying to avoid Leofang¡¯s sharp claws. He summoned stalactites in the air and dropped them on Leofang, but the wolf either batted them away or crushed them in his powerful jaw. It had been a long day for Shamtile and his strength wasn¡¯t what it was at the start of the day. ¡°This is pathetic,¡± said Frederick. ¡°I was hoping that if anyone was going to give me a challenge today, it would be you. You¡¯ve defeated half the tamers I¡¯ve had and there¡¯s no good reason for your Minakai to be so weak right now.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Aurin didn¡¯t respond and focussed on watching Shamtile¡¯s back as Leonite joined Leofang¡¯s assault on the masked lizard. The speedier Leonite had a much easier time catching Shamtile, but as the lion tried to bite him, Shamtile encased his fist in stone and delivered a bone-shattering punch to Leonite¡¯s jaw, casting the lion aside. ¡°He¡¯s not done yet, Shamtile,¡± warned Aurin as Leonite stirred on the ground. Shamtile didn¡¯t have time to check on Leonite and Leofang was on him quickly. The lizard raised himself up on a pillar and Leofang quickly smashed it to pieces. Shamtile leapt from it and raised another. Leofang smashed this one too and Shamtile summoned a third. This continued until there was a large pile of rubble on the ground and Shamtile finally allowed himself to land back on the grass after over a dozen pillars were broken. ¡°Now!¡± called Aurin, taking Frederick by surprise. Shamtile waved his arms in the air and the rocks glowed as, one by one, they were thrown threw the air at Leofang who smashed the first few to pieces before taking a flying rock to the nose. Dazed from the impact, the rest of the rocks struck him and beat the huge lion repeatedly. ¡°Behind you,¡± warned Aurin as Leonite finally rejoined the battle. Shamtile used one hand to control the rocks attacking Leofang and the other to throw more at Leonite, but the split attention gave the two enough openings to avoid taking any more hits before Shamtile was out of rocks. Both of the lions were battered and bruised, but they were still more than willing to keep fighting. Shamtile stood there panting, looking as though he was about to keel over at any second. Leonite and Leofang both leapt at him simultaneously, but Shamtile still had some fight left of his own. He stomped one foot on the ground and a large stalagmite burst up, smashing into the bottom of Leonite¡¯s jaw and flipping him over. Leofang narrowly missed Shamtile who rolled out of the way and delivered a stony punch to the stunned Leonite, knocking him out and eliminating him from the competition. ¡°No!¡± yelled Frederick. ¡°You¡¯re going to pay for that.¡± Frederick reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a Healing Herb. He threw it towards his Leofang who opened his mouth to grab it, but the large lion was suddenly pulled back by a large vine that had wrapped itself around his leg. The ancient cat turned to see a small green wolf restraining him. He wrenched his leg free from the vine and charged at Petalcub. He headbutted him so hard that the little wolf was thrown high into the air and then crashed to the ground with a much louder thud than you would expect from a monster of his weight. This time, Petalcub was truly out of the fight. Leofang turned and ran for the herb only to find it was missing. Where it had fallen on the ground there was only a green lizard, who¡¯s jaw was visibly moving behind his mask. Leofang roared so loudly in anger that the ground shook so vigorously that you could have mistaken him for an earth elemental. ¡°Too slow,¡± said Aurin with a sly grin. ¡°That was a cheap trick,¡± said Frederick, his voice filled with rage. ¡°You may not like it, but this is perfectly within the rules,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Now that leaves me with one strong Minakai and you with one tired kitten.¡± Leofang pounced on Shamtile, who encased his body in armour and his fists in stone. Shamtile delivered a mighty uppercut to Leofang¡¯s jaw and then jabbed him in the neck a few times before casting off the stone fists and summoning a boulder that came crashing down on the lion¡¯s head. Leofang swiped at Shamtile and shattered his armour, but Shamtile waved his arms and brought the sharp stones into the air and hurled them at Leofang. They wedged themselves into his front legs and he fell down flat onto his stomach. Shamtile tossed himself into the air with a pillar that shot up from the ground and then conjured two rocky spears, one for each hand. He threw them downwards and Leofang rolled aside to avoid them, but Shamtile covered his fists in rock once again and plummeted towards the lion, fists-first. Frederick¡¯s Minakai let out an immense roar as Shamtile slammed into his back. With a final wave of his arms, Shamtile summoned a huge boulder and dropped it onto Leofang¡¯s head, knocking him out and eliminating both Leofang and Frederick from the competition. ¡°Agh!¡± yelled Frederick in frustration. ¡°You lose, Leo,¡± said Aurin as Shamtile did an enthusiastic victory dance while standing atop the unconscious Leofang¡¯s back. Frederick reached into his jacket and pulled out a summoning stone. He looked down at it with a look of pure malice in his face. The swirling turquoise was unlike most other stones and he clutched it tight, ready to summon a fourth Minakai into battle. ¡°Abysarex,¡± Frederick whispered so quietly that only he could hear it, ¡°you will bring us victory, won¡¯t you?¡± Shamtile stopped dancing and both he and his tamer watched Frederick carefully, wary of what he was about to do. The Zodiac elite¡¯s hand was shaking; he was about to summon something that he knew Aurin wouldn¡¯t be able to handle without backup and he would claim the Palace Royale prize for himself. Chapter 120 ¡°Tamer seven, Master Frederick, eliminated by tamer two, Master Aurin,¡± announced Lord Kensington. ¡°As he is the last tamer standing, I hereby declare Master Aurin the winner. All tamers are to gather in front of the palace.¡± Frederick held his summoning stone tightly. He didn¡¯t take his eyes off it as he contemplated what he should do. ¡°What will it be then, Frederick?¡± Aurin asked him, not noticing the swirling turquoise of the summoning stone. Frederick looked up and smiled at Aurin. ¡°Congratulations, Aurin. You¡¯ve won this round. I suppose I¡¯ll let you have it and we¡¯ll see each other again very soon.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± said Aurin, still keeping a careful watch on the Zodiac elite. Frederick walked towards the path that led to the gate rather than towards the palace as Lord Kensington had requested. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Aurin asked. ¡°Home,¡± said Frederick without looking back. ¡°I¡¯ve had precious little time in Hazelton after being away for so long and I have no desire to stay here much longer. Enjoy your prize, Aurin. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find it most useful if it is what I suspect it to be.¡± Aurin and Shamtile stood on the grass with stars twinkling overhead. They had done it, they had conquered the Palace Royale. The tamer and his Minakai wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the ground and rest, but everyone would be waiting for them. The lights of the palace were shining brightly, a beacon in the grounds that they had explored almost every inch of throughout the day. ¡°Shall we?¡± Aurin asked Shamtile as he bent down to pick up the unconscious Petalcub from the ground. The little green wolf had yet to be attuned to a summoning stone, so he was coming along for the ride whether he was awake or asleep. Shamtile waved his arms and let out a warbled yell before snatching Petalcub from Aurin and putting his teammate over his shoulder. Aurin smiled as he and Shamtile walked towards the faint outline of the fountain ahead, the same fountain where he and Luna had sparred just before the tournament began. It hadn¡¯t been much more than six hours, yet it felt as though they had been here for days. Aurin walked past the fountain and onto the path that led to the stairs. He started to climb and as he reached the top, he could see dozens of his competitors standing before him. They parted ways as he approached and revealed a red carpet leading up to the doors of the palace, where Lord Kensington himself was waiting for Aurin with a shining chest of dark wood and gold adornments. Aurin stepped onto the carpet and glimpsed many familiar faces in the crowd. Eclare gave him a smile and a wink. Hunter was nodding proudly as though he knew this would be the outcome. Gardner had a goofy grin on his face, pleased to see his friend knock out the tamer who had eliminated him. Luna was shaking with excitement beside Abby and Kyle was standing beside Clarke, the two men having clearly been talking about something before Aurin arrived. Very much aware of everyone¡¯s gaze being upon him, Aurin walked towards Lord Kensington who had a satisfied look upon his face. Aurin stopped walking a few feet from him and the lord began to speak. ¡°Tamers, it has been an absolute pleasure to have welcomed you all here to the Palace Royale. You have each contributed to this fantastic event in your own way and I hope that you have all learned something today that you will take with you, forever bettered by whatever challenges you have faced. It has been my honour to host you and bear witness to many spectacular battles and, I must say, I have a few of you that I will keep my eye on well into the future. No doubt your days of taming are only beginning and your potential will be unlocked in unimaginable ways. ¡°Master Aurin, you have not shied away from the hardships of this tournament. You played the game well, taking on tamer after tamer while hunting for whatever would give you an advantage, all the while refusing to play a dishonourable game, even though a dishonourable game is the way many got as far as they did. That is most commendable, and I would ask everyone to give you a hand.¡± The tamers all burst into applause and Aurin heard Gardner¡¯s unmistakable whistle reaching over the noise. Lord Kensington waited patiently for it to fade out and held the wooden box towards Aurin. The dark oak was smooth and varnished and the gold trim around the edges shined from the lights that shone out of the palace. Where there was the golden lock, there was also a golden key inserted with the base shaped into a pair of wings, encircled by three rings. ¡°Master Aurin,¡± said Lord Kensington, ¡°may I present you with your prize. If you would be so kind as to open the box and reveal it to the competitors. It may be bold, but I would like everyone to see what they were fighting for today.¡± Aurin turned the key and lifted the lid, then stepped aside for everyone else to see. There was a large pink and peach-like berry sitting inside. Most stared at it without batting an eyelid, but Luna let out an audible gasp which immediately told Aurin what this was. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Do you know what this is, Aurin?¡± asked Lord Kensington. ¡°It¡¯s a Roche Berry, isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Aurin, it suddenly making sense as to why Frederick was about to attack him again. ¡°Very good, very good,¡± said Lord Kensington, almost sounding surprised that Aurin knew. ¡°My friends, for those of you who don¡¯t know, this Roche Berry can be used to turn a fully-grown Minakai into an egg. It reincarnates them in a fresh form and it can be used on any Minakai. It will work on a Peekan the same way as it will work on a Grakadon. These are among the rarest prizes of the towers and this is what you were fighting for today. Aurin, it is yours. Use it wisely.¡± Aurin closed the box and locked it once more then took it from Lord Kensington, bowing his head as he did so. Lord Kensington started to clap and his fellow competitors cheered for Aurin once more. ¡°Excellent,¡± said Lord Kensington enthusiastically once the applause subsided again, ¡°I¡¯m sure you are all very hungry. Let us enter the hall once more and celebrate with a wonderful dinner prepared by my chefs. Aurin, you are free to keep your Shamtile here and I will see to it that your Petalcub is taken care of until you are ready to leave.¡± One of Lord Kensington¡¯s servants took Petalcub from Shamtile, who was rather reluctant to hand over his teammate, but relented upon Aurin giving him a prod. After that, everyone returned to the great hall where it all began and sat at their tables to eat their dinner, which was served almost immediately upon them taking their seats. Aurin immediately drank his entire bowl of potato and leek soup, ignoring the burning in his mouth and throat as he downed it. He then chomped away at his bread rolls without even bothering to cut them open and spread butter. Hunter and Gardner caught each other¡¯s eyes and tried not to laugh while Abby watched with a raised eyebrow. Shamtile meanwhile was sat on Frederick¡¯s unoccupied seat and shoving food underneath his mask, careful not to let anyone see even a hint of his face. ¡°So, Aurin,¡± said Clarke, ¡°do you have a particular Minakai in mind that you would like to use that berry on?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± said Aurin, looking around to see if his main dish was on its way. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t use it on any of mine, eh?¡± joked Gardner, nudging Aurin in the ribs. ¡°Does it work on other tamers¡¯ Minakai?¡± asked Aurin. Gardner looked uncertain. ¡°Come to think of it, I don¡¯t know. That said, I wouldn¡¯t like to test it and find out.¡± ¡°It would be a powerful weapon if it could be,¡± remarked Abby. ¡°It¡¯s far too rare to rely on for most occasions,¡± said Hunter. ¡°I think it would be more appropriate to use it on a Minakai as rare as the berry itself¡­or at least as close to that level of rarity as you can feasibly get.¡± ¡°And what Minakai would that be?¡± asked Bentley. ¡°You¡¯ve seen Tobias¡¯s Arusom at the National Championships, haven¡¯t you?¡± asked Hunter. Bentley nodded, as did most of the others. ¡°It is one of the rarest Minakai that can be found in Bretonia and there are many theories about how to not only find it, but to obtain one of its eggs. Not only that, but it is also a wind elemental, and it has an earth elemental counterpart that it¡¯s said to share a rivalry with.¡± ¡°Zeera,¡± said Clarke, his face serious. ¡°Yes,¡± said Hunter. ¡°They¡¯re said to be more rare than even cosmic elemental Minakai. Their powers are certainly different, but from what I understand, they¡¯re hard to match in terms of raw powerful.¡± ¡°Hard to match and hard to control,¡± said Clarke. ¡°I have had the pleasure of seeing Tobias¡¯s Arusom up close. It is a sight to behold, and you can feel the power it possesses by simply being in its presence.¡± ¡°How did he come to own it?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°That¡¯s a story he can tell you himself if he desires,¡± said Clarke. ¡°As with every epic Minakai, it was not without great struggle. I will leave it at that.¡± Everyone continued to eat and once the main course arrived, Aurin devoured his before anyone else was even halfway through theirs. He didn¡¯t know why he was so hungry, but he could barely control himself. Once everyone had finished their desserts, the tables started intermingling. Luna immediately approached Aurin and threw her arms around him. ¡°I knew you could do it,¡± she said, proud of him and his victory. ¡°Thanks, Luna,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I have something for you.¡± ¡°Is this the Lunar Shard?¡± Luna asked as Aurin reached inside his jacket pocked. ¡°Kyle and his big mouth,¡± chuckled Aurin as the rancher also approached. ¡°Was it supposed to be a secret?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°No¡­no, I guess it wasn¡¯t,¡± said Aurin. Kyle sat down at Percival¡¯s now-empty spot. ¡°Did everyone have a nice day?¡± he asked. Hunter was the first to answer. ¡°It was an interesting day,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m curious as to how a tournament like this compared to a more structured event in showing everyone¡¯s true strengths.¡± ¡°I like it,¡± said Abby. ¡°You get to meet a lot more people and you aren¡¯t waiting for days between battles.¡± ¡°You¡¯re also not battling at full strength the whole time,¡± added Aurin. ¡°But you got a Minakai out of it,¡± said Gardner. ¡°There are pluses and minuses for the format,¡± said Kyle, ¡°but it¡¯s a day away from the ranch I can spare. I wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to battle half the people I battled today without Kensington putting this together.¡± ¡°I just want to know what¡¯s in this egg,¡± said Luna, holding up her prize. ¡°I have an incubator,¡± said Aurin, lifting up the circular disk that he had set atop his Roche Fruit box. ¡°You can hatch it now if you want?¡± Luna shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to cross any lies here. I¡¯ll hatch it tomorrow at the ranch and introduce him or her to the rest of my team at the same time.¡± The celebration continued on for several hours afterwards and eventually Lord Kensington invited everyone to make their way to the train station where their train was awaiting them to take them back to Hazelton. When Aurin was sat in his carriage, he and Shamtile stared out the window at the castle grounds. It had been quite the day for them and as the train started to move, he was excited for what the future held for him and his Minakai. Chapter 121 Aurin stared at the ceiling of his room. He must have slept for only five hours, but the sun was rising and the Minakai of the ranch weren¡¯t going to take care of themselves. He forced himself to sit up and held his head in his hands for a moment before climbing out of bed and then heading to the bathroom to wash his face. ¡°I just want to sleep,¡± he laughed to himself when he returned to his room. The smell of bacon and eggs was wafting through the house which meant that Kyle was already awake and cooking breakfast. Aurin got dressed and headed downstairs to the kitchen where Kyle was sitting at the table and wolfing down his food. ¡°Morning,¡± said Kyle, only pausing his eating briefly. ¡°Morning,¡± replied Aurin, grabbing a plate for himself and eating up. The two ate in silence, both exhausted from returning home so late from the Palace Royale. They had walked Luna home first before returning to the ranch and then spent another hour marvelling over the Roche Fruit that Aurin had won. If they were more sensible, they would have gone straight to bed and discussed it this morning, but they were too caught up in the lingering thrill of the tournament. ¡°You do the shovelling, I¡¯ll do the feeds,¡± said Kyle, finishing his breakfast and pouring tea for both him and Aurin. ¡°No problem,¡± said Aurin. ¡°No complaints about shovelling dung? You must still be riding high from yesterday.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not one to complain about petty details,¡± said Aurin, making Kyle laugh. ¡°Alright,¡± said the rancher with a shrug. ¡°Drink up and we¡¯ll get to work. It would be good to finish up before Luna shows up.¡± ¡°True. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be running for the incubator to see what¡¯s in that egg of hers.¡± The two finished their tea and headed out to the ranch for their respective chores. Aurin worked his way around the different pens and enclosures and by seven o¡¯clock, he reached the one where his own Minakai were kept. They were all very enthusiastic about seeing him, but most of them were also confused as to why a Petalcub had been dropped into their pen in the middle of the night and Snippet had about tripled in size. ¡°Team,¡± said Aurin, addressing them. ¡°I¡¯d like you to meet the latest addition to our gang, Petalcub. Shamtile and Chopchop, you both have met him already, so you¡¯re in charge of getting him properly acquainted with everyone else.¡± Spikruption immediately walked up to him and sniffed the little wolf cub before snorting and blowing a small puff of smoke out of his nostrils. The smaller Minakai of the team¡ªArium, Sunny and Microbot¡ªall bounced around enthusiastically, glad to have another monster of their own size to replace the recently evolved Snippet. They would outnumber the large Minakai one day, they were sure of it. Desparee meanwhile stood with his hand on Chopchop¡¯s shoulder and wept loudly. He was lamenting the loss of his tiny friend Snippet, not taking into account that he had simply changed forms. ¡°Pull yourself together, Desparee,¡± said Aurin before turning to Sunny. ¡°Thank you for taking care of all the Minakai when they arrived back here, Sunny. Everyone is looking fit and healthy again.¡± The egg-like Minakai squealed with excitement and flipped over in the air with a big smile on her face. Shamtile ran over to her and threw her into the air in celebration and she then slowly drifted back down to the ground and hopped around while making a giggling noise. All of the Minakai were in good spirits except for a rather grumpy Spikruption. Aurin had deduced that he was irked to have been left behind while Shamtile, Chopchop and Gorunze had all got to enjoy themselves battling all day yesterday. ¡°If there¡¯s another one, I¡¯ll bring you,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯ll take you into the tower on my next run, alright? There¡¯s only seven months to go until the next Hazelton tournament and we¡¯re going to come out on top this time. Each and every one of you will receive dedicated training to build on your strengths and get rid of all your weaknesses. We¡¯re going to rise to the top.¡± Aurin returned to cleaning up the pens and before he knew it, it was nine o¡¯clock. He was sure it didn¡¯t used to take him this long before he considered how the ranch had grown since he arrived. There had been a small scaling back of the number of Minakai kept here after Sagittarius and Libra had burned it down, but everything had picked up since and there were more Minakai here than ever. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± called Luna loudly as she wandered down the ranch path with Innogon clinging to her back and her monster egg in her arms. Aurin was certain that he had seen Innogon earlier while cleaning up, so Luna must have summoned him to her home only to carry him all the way back here. It seemed strange, but perhaps with Zodiac being around again she didn¡¯t want to risk walking here alone even in daylight. ¡°The usual spot,¡± called Kyle, nodding towards his house. Luna left the egg with Innogon and dashed into the house to retrieve the incubator. Innogon could not carry the egg easily with his stubby arms, so he rolled it on its side all the way to the entrance to the enclosures. Aurin and Kyle walked over to the little drake who greeted them with a big smile. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°I¡¯ve got it, I¡¯ve got it,¡± said Luna, almost tripping down the wooden steps before righting herself and running towards the group. ¡°Bets?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m going with¡­water elemental.¡± ¡°Earth elemental,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Lightning elemental,¡± said Luna as she pressed the button and activated the incubator. The familiar forcefield spread across the egg and within seconds, a brown glow encompassed it too. Once the egg had vanished, the silhouette of a small reptile remained. For a brief second, Aurin thought it was going to be a Shamtile, but it was stockier than the masked reptile. The brown glow faded and a brown dragon with amber eyes was left behind. It had sharp claws and a short tail. On hits head was a large spike that swept over its head and two smaller spikes beside it. ¡°Kyle was right,¡± said Aurin, looking at the dragon. Much like Innogon, it was wingless. ¡°Is it a Bakugon?¡± ¡°He is,¡± said Kyle. ¡°He can evolve into a Grakadon just like Tobias¡¯s.¡± Luna squealed with excitement and tried to pick up the little dragon, but he was much heavier than she expected. She glanced at Innogon, who was staring curiously at his earth elemental counterpart. He approached cautiously and held out a hand to Bakugon. ¡°How¡¯s he going to react?¡± Luna muttered to Aurin. Bakugon wandered forward and held out a hand to Innogon too with a big smile on his face. The pair hit each other¡¯s hands playfully and started hopping around on the grass. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good,¡± said Luna sounding relieved. ¡°Did you think they would become rivals?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Wait until they both evolve and can really tear each other apart,¡± said Kyle, leaving Luna uncertain if he was joking or not. Shamtile wandered over to see what all the commotion was about and saw Innogon playing with another earth elemental. He waved his arms furiously, jealous at his friend having seemingly replaced him. He hung his head in despair and wandered back into his enclosure. ¡°What next?¡± Aurin asked Kyle. ¡°That¡¯s it for now, we can finally relax,¡± replied the rancher. ¡°Good,¡± said Aurin, falling back onto the ground and closing his eyes. No more than five seconds had passed before there was a loud beating in the sky and Aurin bolted upright. He feared they were about to be attacked by Zodiac, so paranoid he was at this point. He saw a large brown dragon descending towards them and on its back was a man. ¡°Is that¡­Tobias?¡± Luna asked. Aurin climbed to his feet to get a clearer look as the large Grakadon landed close by. It was indeed Tobias. The Bretonian national champion jumped off his dragon¡¯s back and wandered over to them, giving a courteous nod as he did so. ¡°Hello, all,¡± said Tobias merrily. Everyone greeted him back, but it was evident by the look on their faces that they had no idea why he was here. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Tobias,¡± said Kyle, shaking the reigning champion¡¯s hand. ¡°You never mentioned that you two knew each other,¡± remarked Luna. ¡°We battled once many years ago when I was still a rookie tamer,¡± said Tobias. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you even remember,¡± chuckled Kyle. ¡°I was just a rookie myself back then.¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Aurin blurted out, making Kyle shoot him a dirty look. Tobias laughed. ¡°I¡¯m here because of you, would you believe? A little dragonling told me you won Lord Kensington¡¯s battle royale that he hosted at his palace.¡± ¡°Who told you that?¡± ¡°Lord Kensington did,¡± said Tobias. ¡°He told me before that he was planning on hosting it and I asked him to keep me posted on how everything played out. I wasn¡¯t too surprised to hear you did well, but to win? That was quite the achievement. Congratulations, Aurin.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± said Aurin, humbled by the praise of the national champion. ¡°I thought maybe Clarke mentioned it to you.¡± ¡°Clarke didn¡¯t even tell me he was going to participate. To hear that it was the pair of you that took out each of his Minakai shouldn¡¯t have been as surprising as it was. After meeting in the Battle Underground, I knew you both had potential, but Clarke is incredibly battle-hardened. Did he use his Arusom?¡± ¡°He has an Arusom too?¡± asked Luna in surprise. ¡°That answers that,¡± said Tobias. ¡°He was holding back?¡± asked Luna. ¡°I suspect it was less about holding back, more about wanting to play on a more level playing field.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that holding back?¡± asked Aurin. Tobias hesitated before answering. ¡°Yes, I suppose it is,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°Anyway, you asked why I came here today.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I came to ask you if you would like to spend a month training with me in the mountains. I¡¯m in need of a training partner and I like to work with people who I haven¡¯t trained with before and have a lot of potential.¡± Aurin, Luna and Kyle¡¯s jaws all dropped. Luna gave Aurin a nudge in the ribs while nodding her head. ¡°I would like that very much,¡± said Aurin, suddenly starstruck. ¡°You¡¯re sure you want me to come and train with you?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have flown all this way if I wasn¡¯t,¡± said Tobias. ¡°I would suggest that you bring the summoning stones for all of your Minakai. How many do you have?¡± ¡°Thirteen,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Ah, very good,¡± said Tobias. ¡°That¡¯s five more than what you showed at the national championships over the summer.¡± ¡°When do we leave?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°In half an hour,¡± said Tobias. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance to pack and say your goodbyes. I would suggest flying on the back of your Skrow because you¡¯ll have a hard time keeping up with my Grakadon on the ground.¡± Aurin stood there stunned by how fast everything was happening. ¡°Hurry up,¡± said Luna, giving him a push towards Kyle¡¯s house. ¡°Right,¡± said Aurin. He ran into the house and started to throw a bunch of clothes together. He wasn¡¯t sure how much he would be able to wash when he was there so he packed more than he probably needed. He looked down at the wooden box containing the Roche Fruit that was barely visible under his bed. He summoned Shamtile to his side and gave the small Minakai careful instructions. Within a few minutes he ran outside to where Luna, Kyle and Tobias were standing talking. ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± said Aurin, holding out his hand and using Skrow¡¯s yellow summoning stone to draw the black bird from his enclosure. ¡°Don¡¯t let your Minakai get hammered too hard,¡± said Kyle, shaking Aurin¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll make Tobias work hard for a win,¡± said Aurin with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll have plenty of chores lined up for you when you get back.¡± Luna threw her arms around Aurin and hugged him tightly. ¡°What am I supposed to do for a month?¡± she asked, her voice quivering as reality started to set in for her. Aurin kissed her on the cheek. ¡°It¡¯ll be alright,¡± he said. ¡°If I can¡¯t get to a phone, I¡¯ll send messages through my Minakai, alright?¡± ¡°Alright,¡± she said, squeezing hard. Luna released him and Aurin climbed atop Skrow¡¯s back, who wobbled slightly and let out a squawk upon realising that he had to play vehicle for the journey. Tobias climbed onto his Grakadon¡¯s back and took to the skies. With a last wave at Luna and Kyle, Aurin and Skrow followed. He was not sure what was in store for him, but he was going to give it his all and come back stronger than ever before. Chapter 122 The journey across Bretonia was long and cold as Aurin and Skrow flew through the skies behind Tobias and his Grakadon. The black bird¡¯s size and strength could not compare to that of the brown dragon, yet he forced himself to keep up as they flew over the plains, forests, towns and even the smaller mountains that dotted Bretonia¡¯s vast and varied landscape. ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Tobias called from up ahead, pointing towards a large snow-capped mountain. Aurin willed Skrow to catch up to the Bretonian national champion. ¡°Are we going to be living out in the wilderness?¡± Aurin asked Tobias. Tobias chuckled and shook his head. ¡°No, not at all. Not unless you want to?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m good.¡± It wasn¡¯t long before a small cluster of houses made from red wood and grey stone. They were situated amongst the pine trees of the mountain and nestled just comfortably away from any steep drops. Aurin¡¯s eyes ran from the town down to the base of the mountain and he could see the thin road that could take the villagers to and from their isolated homes. Tobias and Aurin descended upon their Minakai and Aurin took more and more of the town in as they approached. There couldn¡¯t have been more than three dozen buildings here in total. Aurin¡¯s hometown of Greystone was a small place, much smaller than Harmony, but this town was as quiet as could be. Grakadon landed on the snow-sprinkled cobblestones with a thud and Tobias hopped off. Skrow landed more gracefully and lowered himself onto the ground too, but he had to be careful not to lose his balance on the black ice. ¡°Welcome to Briarwood,¡± said Tobias, stretching out his arms and surveying the small town. ¡°It¡¯s nice,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Cozy.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s your home for the next month. We¡¯re going to be working hard and you¡¯re going to fill your brain with things that you didn¡¯t even think you needed to know. Are you ready for that?¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± said Aurin, the nerves he had on the journey dissipating and being replaced by excitement. ¡°Excellent,¡± said Tobias, beckoning Aurin forward. ¡°Grakadon will show your Skrow where he can get some rest while you and I get settled in. You don¡¯t need to send him back to Kyle¡¯s ranch. In fact, you¡¯ll probably summon the rest of your team here soon and we¡¯ll keep them here unless we¡¯ve got a good reason to send them away.¡± Grakadon and Skrow took to the skies and flew past the trees as Tobias led Aurin to the back of the town where a small house sat. The path up to the front door was laden with snow, something it did not share with the other houses which had all been cleared as recently as this morning. Tobias pulled a small Fire Crystal out and held it tightly in his hand. He harnessed its energy and blasted the snow away from the path, giving the two a much easier route to the front door. He did this twice more until the entire walkway was clear and the snow piled in front of the door was gone. Tobias pulled out a key from his jacket and turned it in the lock, then opened the door and gestured for Aurin to go inside. Aurin wasn¡¯t sure what he expected, but it wasn¡¯t this. The house was filled to the brim with filled bookshelves, paintings of Minakai and towers, and there were artifacts aplenty in various cases and cabinets. The furnishings and decorations were almost museum-like, but it was clear to Aurin that this was no museum. ¡°Sorry about the mess,¡± said Tobias, ¡°I spend most of my time in Ludonia.¡± ¡°This is amazing,¡± said Aurin, walking up to a map of Bretonia lain out on the table with various red and green pins piercing it. ¡°Are these the current open and closed towers across the country?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± said Tobias, ¡°or rather it was a couple of months ago. It¡¯s like I said, I¡¯m not here often enough to keep it current. The burdens of being the national champion, I suppose, but it¡¯s nice to have some free time now until after Christmas. Late spring and early summer is always the busiest period for me with the different tournaments and national championships occurring.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± asked Aurin, rushing over to a sparkling shard of a pearlescent stone. ¡°Take a guess.¡± ¡°It looks like an evolution shard, but it isn¡¯t any of the ones I¡¯m familiar with.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so close.¡± ¡°Is it¡­does this¡­evolve cosmic Minakai?¡± ¡°Nail on the head,¡± said Tobias with a laugh. ¡°It¡¯s a Cosmic Shard and they¡¯re among the rarest items in the tower. So rare in fact that very few people even know of their existence.¡± ¡°Can this evolve a Microbot into its cosmic evolution?¡± ¡°Microbot and other Minakai, yes. I¡¯ve never used one, it feels too precious to use on anything but the strongest of Minakai. I could end up going to my grave saying that, never daring to take the leap. Funny how the mind works sometimes, not wanting to risk wasting something so incredibly rare even for its intended purpose.¡± Aurin marvelled at a few other items that Tobias had stashed here as Tobias watched the young man examining them in awe. After a while Tobias cleared his throat. ¡°Oh yes,¡± said Aurin, pulling himself away from a bookshelf filled with books talking about various myths and legends. ¡°You said we were going to talk about the game plan.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± said Tobias. ¡°We¡¯re going to train you up and educate you more about Minakai. So where should we start with that?¡± ¡°My team?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Is that a question?¡± ¡°My team,¡± said Aurin more defiantly. ¡°Precisely,¡± said Tobias. Tobias walked to the back door and opened it up, accidentally bringing a pile of snow down onto his floor. He kicked it aside and walked outside with Aurin following him. They stopped in the middle of the back yard and Tobias held out his hand. ¡°Summon them,¡± he said. ¡°All of them?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°All of them.¡± Aurin held out his tamer glove and summoned Shamtile, who leapt up and down excitedly until he realised how cold it was. He conjured stone armour that he fitted extra tight to keep himself covered. Spikruption appeared and stood proudly, puffing smoke from his nostrils. Dolissile meanwhile floated with his usual blank expression. Next up, was Desparee who broke into tears upon feeling the cold. Upon seeing his breath, he was on the verge of curling up on the ground before realising that it would have been even colder. Steambot huffed and puffed, his metal body barely phased by the cold while Skrow came flying past him from where Grakadon had perched. Gorunze was as unphased as Steambot, but he stood much more still. Chopchop looked ready for a fight, slashing his blades through the air while Arium sat upon his own floating hands to keep his tiny feet from touching the snow. Sunny floated around with her usual smile while Microbot clung to her with his tail cord. Lastly, there was Aurin¡¯s latest addition to his team, his Petalcub who bounced around excitedly. Tobias walked up and down Aurin¡¯s line-up, looking at each of his Minakai intensely for a few seconds before moving onto the next. Aurin wasn¡¯t sure what the esteemed tamer was looking for, but he had no doubt that he was seeing plenty. ¡°What do you notice about your coverage?¡± Tobias asked Aurin. Aurin looked across his team of Minakai. ¡°I¡¯m missing three elements,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t have an ice elemental, a lightning elemental or a cosmic elemental.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the cosmic elemental. That¡¯s a long shot at the best of times, but you¡¯re right about the other two. I¡¯m not going to give you any new Minakai, but it¡¯s something you need to keep in mind going forward. There¡¯s a gap that you may want to fill rather than loading up on more of the same elemental types. I know that¡¯s easier said than done with the luck of the draw in the tower, but you can¡¯t forget about buying eggs or split evolutions should you need them.¡± Tobias continued to walk up and down, stopping before Shamtile. ¡°He can be faster.¡± Before Spikruption. ¡°Overconfident.¡± Dolissile. ¡°His left fin is a half inch short. It¡¯ll affect his turning.¡± Leonite. ¡°Short for his species. He needs to work on his speed to compensate.¡± Desparee. ¡°He needs to focus. The nature of your species can only be excused so much.¡± Steambot. ¡°He¡¯s too stiff. His joints need to be more flexible.¡± Skrow. ¡°He should have been able to keep up with Grakadon more easily. Work on that stamina.¡± Gorunze. ¡°Those nails need sharpened.¡± Chopchop. ¡°Hasn¡¯t settled into his evolution yet.¡± Arium. ¡°Worse emotional control than Desparee.¡± Sunny. ¡°She looks like she¡¯s barely been tested.¡± Microbot. ¡°Same as your Sunny.¡± Petalcub. ¡°This one, we¡¯ll see his flaws soon enough. Evidently a hatchling.¡± Tobias finally stopped examining the Minakai and turned to Aurin. ¡°Have you got any questions about anything I just said?¡± he asked. ¡°No,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Actually, just one. How could you tell which Minakai had been used more than others?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t have the look.¡± ¡°The look?¡± ¡°The look of a monster who has been in the thrill of battle. The look of a monster who has taken beating after beating and had to get up and keep going. The look of a monster who has had a taste of victory. It¡¯s an instinct I have and one day you¡¯ll have it too.¡± Aurin could hear the passion in Tobias¡¯s voice. This was truly a man who loved to fight. He needed to take this opportunity and be a sponge; absorb everything that he was shown and told. ¡°When do we start?¡± asked Aurin. Tobias looked at his watch. ¡°It¡¯s about five o¡¯clock right now so we¡¯ll be losing light soon. That¡¯s all well and good a week or two from now, but we¡¯ll give ourselves a chance to rest for now. It¡¯s been a long journey. Fancy some shepherd¡¯s pie and a hot chocolate?¡± Shamtile jumped up and down excitedly upon hearing this. ¡°Sounds good,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Where can we get that here?¡± ¡°I know a place,¡± said Tobias slyly. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get to know it all too well by the time we¡¯re done.¡± Chapter 123 ¡°Tobias!¡± cheered the Briarwood townsfolk as the adored champion walked into the pub with Aurin and Shamtile. ¡°Evening, folks,¡± said Tobias before turning to the barmaid. ¡°Two shepherd¡¯s pies, please Leanne, and three hot chocolates with it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were back in town, hun,¡± said Leanne cheerily. She was a tall woman with curly red hair and a bright smile. She must have been in her early twenties, likely no more than five years older than Aurin. ¡°Got some training to do,¡± replied Tobias, slapping Aurin on the back. ¡°This is Aurin. He¡¯s a tamer too.¡± ¡°He any good?¡± asked Leanne, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Good enough that I know I won¡¯t be wasting my time.¡± ¡°You must be good then,¡± said Leanne, holding out her hand to Aurin. ¡°Welcome to Briarwood, Aurin.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± said Aurin, shaking her hand. Shamtile started tugging on his master¡¯s sleeve, getting impatient at the lack of hot chocolate. He began grunting and groaning, causing a few of the townsfolk to turn and stare. ¡°Calm yourself down,¡± Aurin warned him. ¡°We¡¯re guests here and you¡¯re not going to make a scene over a drink.¡± Tobias laughed. ¡°For your ace Minakai, he¡¯s sure got a sweet tooth. I wonder how strong he would be if he cut the sugar out.¡± ¡°He¡¯d probably be too low on energy to fight,¡± remarked Aurin as Shamtile sighed and slumped his shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s one way to look at it,¡± said Tobias mildly amused as he glanced around the pub and spotted an empty booth to the side. ¡°Come on and sit down.¡± The two walked over to the booth and sat down while Shamtile slowly dragged himself along to join them, his head hung in shame. ¡°This is a good spot,¡± said Tobais. ¡°I don¡¯t even bother to buy food when I¡¯m in town. They do everything from fried breakfasts to late night oats. Leanne¡¯s family have run this place since I was Shamtile¡¯s height.¡± ¡°Is this your hometown?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Nah,¡± said Tobias, ¡°I was born and raised in Ludonia. Briarwood was my grandmother¡¯s hometown and that house we were in used to belong to both of them, God rest their souls. When they passed away, I decided this would be my retreat. If I ever wanted to go somewhere quiet, it would be here. I could train in peace and quiet out in the mountains without a care in the world.¡± ¡°Is it true that you don¡¯t like the spotlight?¡± Aurin asked. ¡°It depends on my mood. I don¡¯t like to do advertisements because I believe that I shouldn¡¯t be used to sell products to people who look up to me. I like to focus on battling and being a good representative of our nation. If I can give a good battle or give a good show, I¡¯m happy with that. Whenever I¡¯m not needed, it¡¯s nice to have alone time to train and study.¡± ¡°Is that the only reason we¡¯re out here?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°The quiet?¡± Tobias smiled. ¡°There¡¯s more to this place than meets the eye, Aurin. All in due time.¡± At that moment, Leanne brought over the hot chocolates and Shamtile jumped up for joy. * It was the crack of dawn and the temperature in Briarwood was below freezing. Aurin stood shivering in the pine forest along with his team, most of whom shivered along with him, as they awaited Tobias. Spikruption tried to ease the cold by blowing small puffs of flame around, but stopped when he accidentally set Desparee¡¯s tail on fire prompting the nature elemental to burst into more tears than usual. Tobias finally arrived without any Minakai of his own. ¡°Ready to start?¡± he asked Aurin. ¡°S-start w-what?¡± replied Aurin, still freezing. ¡°Training.¡± ¡°I k-know you m-mean training, but w-what training are w-we doing?¡± ¡°To start with, a run through the snow to get you all warmed up. Those who can¡¯t run, can fly or float. Let¡¯s get moving.¡± Tobias started to jog along the snow-covered road with his boots crunching against the white powder. Aurin looked around at his team and started jogging after Tobias, his team followed obediently. Shamtile thought he would be clever and try to cling to Leonite¡¯s side, but Aurin yanked him away and through him up in front so that he could keep an eye on his sneaky companion. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. They ran and they ran with the cold biting Aurin so hard that his ears and teeth ached, but Tobias kept going and so did he. Even though some of the Minakai fell behind, Aurin dropped back to help them forwards. Arium and Microbot had a particularly tough time of it, but Aurin ordered the golden alien to use his fists to carry him along and told Microbot to run after Spikruption who was heating the path with his feet and melting away parts of the snow. The run continued for over an hour and without even realising it, Aurin had stopped feeling the cold. He was so busy trying to keep up with the Bretonian champion while keeping his Minakai together that he didn¡¯t have time to think about the weather. At last, Tobias came to a stop once they looped back to his house. ¡°Very good,¡± said Tobias, counting Aurin¡¯s Minakai. ¡°You kept everyone in line. Not a single Minakai left behind, even the small ones are all here.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Aurin, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t just leave my team members floundering.¡± Tobias smiled. ¡°That¡¯s what you were testing, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°A good leader has to be able to cover all bases, Aurin. Your Minakai are different sizes, elements, types, and so many other things. You would be surprised how many tamers would abandon their smallest and weakest Minakai.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I would do.¡± ¡°And this proves that, but it also shows that there are a few of your team members who need to get up to scratch. We¡¯re going to start with the four that I noted to be struggling the most. Can you guess which?¡± Aurin felt bad admitting it, but he knew right off the bat who was lagging behind the rest of the team in almost all areas. ¡°Arium, Sunny, Microbot, and Petalcub.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± agreed Tobias. ¡°That¡¯s why your other Minakai can do another loop while you and these four train against me.¡± ¡°Against you.¡± ¡°Against me,¡± said Tobias, holding out a clear summoning stone. He focused on it and it began to glow, sending a flash of light before the masterful tamer and bringing forth one of his Minakai; a Zenoman. The four-handed golden alien¡ªand the evolved form of Arium¡ªstood there impressively, its four large fists floating around it while coated in a hue of telekinetic energy. The Minakai looked formidable and Aurin knew that this one Minakai could take out the four of his that had been selected for training with ease. ¡°Back to running, hovering and flying, you lot,¡± said Aurin to Shamtile, Spikruption, Dolissile, Leonite, Desparee Steambot, Skrow, Gorunze and Chopchop. Shamtile threw his hands up in the air in frustration, but ran off first to lead the rest of the group. ¡°All four of you will battle my Zenoman,¡± said Tobias to Aurin¡¯s four remaining Minakai. ¡°You battle together, Zenoman battles alone. Understood?¡± The four yapped and buzzed in agreement, while Aurin kept a careful eye on Zenoman. He had fought the species before and owning an Arium gave him insight into its powers, but no doubt Tobias¡¯s specific Zenoman was a level beyond what Aurin had seen to date. ¡°Aurin, are you ready?¡± ¡°Ready,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Then let¡¯s begin,¡± said Tobias. He walked backwards and giving his Zenoman plenty of space to battle. ¡°There are four of you, take a hand each,¡± ordered Aurin, sending his Minakai into battle. The four Minakai spread out and Zenoman hurled his fists at them, keeping his body well out of their reach. Arium tried to block heft punches with his own two hands and kept up well for a short while before the Zenoman¡¯s punches made contact over and over, exhausting him. Petalcub used his vines to restrain the fist and throw it aside, but Zenoman¡¯s control was so strong that any attempts to divert attacks were immediately turned back. Microbot used his tail to prod and shock Zenoman, but it was more of an annoyance than anything else. Sunny on the other hand fared the worst as she was not a Minakai suited for combat. She desperately weaved past attacks and tumbled through the air, but it was fruitless as a single attack knocked her to the ground. Tobias stared at Aurin, waiting for him to do something, but Aurin was still trying to work out a new strategy to fight back. To do more of the same was to lose and no doubt fail Tobias¡¯s test. He watched as his Minakai took more and more attacks, getting beaten up badly. They would be in no condition to fight if this continued for another minute. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± muttered Aurin. ¡°Sunny, hang back, everyone else form a wall and defend her.¡± Tobias gave a small involuntary nod of approval, but managed to otherwise remain stoic. Zenoman¡¯s fists converged and the three Minakai blocked as best they could, keeping the attacks away from Sunny. When Zenoman tried to swerve past them with his fists, Petalcub and Arium used their own powers to pull them away. ¡°Sunny, heal everyone now!¡± Sunny squealed excitedly and glowed warmly as she unleashed her magic. Arium, Microbot and Petalcub¡¯s cuts, bruises and scratches all mended on the spot. With renewed energy, the three battling Minakai banded together and beat back Zenoman¡¯s attacks while Sunny took the time to heal herself. ¡°Arium and Petalcub, hold back Zenoman! Microbot, get up close.¡± Arium threw out his hands and grabbed the thumbs of two of Zenoman¡¯s hands, twisting them to distract him. Petalcub restrained the other two hands with his vines, holding as tight as he could while Microbot dashed forward to Zenoman¡¯s body. Tobias¡¯s golden alien sidestepped and dodged, playing with the tiny construct, but a lucky whip from Microbot¡¯s tail struck him on the leg and jolted him. Angered, Zenoman summoned his strength and his hands broke free of the restraints. He sent them soaring through the sky, each fist striking one of Aurin¡¯s Minakai and knocking them out almost instantly. Aurin was flabbergasted, not quite realising just how much Tobias had been holding back. ¡°That was something else,¡± he said, marvelled. ¡°He can have a bit of a temper,¡± chuckled Tobias. ¡°Your Minakai will be fine.¡± ¡°I just wish I could have done more damage before losing.¡± ¡°I wanted to see you think strategically against an opponent with an ability outside of the standard elemental conventions. Neutral Minakai can be the most dangerous because you don¡¯t know what to expect. Many think they rely solely on melee combat, but Arium, Zenoman and Sunny are all prime examples of them being more capable than that.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve taken Sunny for granted,¡± said Aurin, a little embarrassed to admit it. ¡°I know healing is a great power, but I haven¡¯t given her proper attention otherwise.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve proven you can work in synergy. Now it¡¯s just a matter of harnessing the full potential of each of your monsters. I would say you¡¯re well on your way.¡± Aurin thanked Tobias, but being here also showed Aurin how much he still had to learn. Chapter 124 Aurin woke up at the crack of dawn, cold as could be and sore all over after the previous day¡¯s training. Upon finishing the battle against Tobias¡¯s Zenoman, the expert tamer put Aurin and his team to work carrying heavy logs and tree stumps across the snowy mountain. Aurin held up Shamtile¡¯s summoning stone and called the Minakai in from outside. The small lizard appeared, but lay sprawled out on the floor as though he had been hit on the head with one of his own boulders. ¡°Can¡¯t¡­move¡­¡± Aurin groaned to his Minakai. ¡°Ruuuuggggh,¡± agreed Shamtile, not bothering to lift his head up. ¡°This is far tougher than any training we did with Kyle, and he wasn¡¯t one to go easy on us. We¡¯ve only been here two days, mate.¡± ¡°Errgh,¡± squeaked Shamtile, unable to let out his usual warbling screeches. The door swung open and in strode Tobias. ¡°What time do you call this?¡± asked the Bretonian champion. ¡°Up and at ¡®em, Aurin. Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Yes, boss.¡± ¡°Everyone is to warm up with five laps of the mountain and then get back to moving logs. The only ones spared are your Steambot, Microbot, Petalcub and Desparee. You¡¯ve got five minutes to get yourself together and get outside.¡± Tobias didn¡¯t wait for a response and left the room. Aurin heard the backdoor close behind him. ¡°Shamtile, help me up.¡± Shamtile lifted his arms up and moved them back and forth half-heartedly, but they flopped down before any of his magic was activated. Aurin banished his unhelpful Minakai back outside with the summoning stone and forced himself to his feet. He got dressed sluggishly, washed his face and headed outside. ¡°Alright,¡± said Tobias before Aurin had even closed the door, ¡°I¡¯ve sent your Minakai on their way already. Let¡¯s get started.¡± True enough, only Steambot, Microbot, Petalcub and Desparee were left in the frozen back garden. The two robots looked eager, but the two nature elementals weren¡¯t finding the cold all too pleasant and without Spikruption to breathe enough flames to keep them warm, it was even worse. ¡°Do you know why I selected these Minakai for you?¡± asked Tobias. Aurin looked closely at his Minakai. ¡°It¡¯s because Microbot is weak and Steambot was once a Microbot.¡± ¡°Good,¡± remarked Tobias. ¡°And Petalcub?¡± ¡°My best guess is that they¡¯re both nature elementals, even though they¡¯re not of the same evolutionary family.¡± ¡°Precisely. Let¡¯s try Microbot and Steambot first, shall we?¡± ¡°You heard him, metal boys,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Steambot, make Microbot work for a hit, but don¡¯t blow him to pieces, alright?¡± Steambot beat his stomach with thunderous clanks and puffed out hot steam from his pipes. Microbot looked intimidated at the prospect of having to fight his much larger and more formidable teammate, but he stood as tall as he could on his tiny legs. ¡°Go!¡± ordered Aurin. Steambot shot out a small water jet, which hit an unprepared Microbot in the screen. He flipped over backwards and landed in a heap in the snow. He kicked and swooshed his tail, forcing himself back onto his feet. He shook off the remaining snow and charged forward, this team dodging an incoming jet. As he threw out his tail to jam his prongs into Steambot, the large blue hunk of metal casually jumped over the tiny robot and out of the way. Microbot wasn¡¯t as slow as he would have you believe and whipped himself round. He harnessed his metal elemental powers to magnetise himself and fly towards Steambot. Upon clamping himself to his opponent, he jammed his tail into the top of Steambot¡¯s leg and zapped him. The irritated Steambot switched his polarity, grabbed Microbot and pulled him away. Holding him high, Steambot lobbed Microbot across the garden where he landed deep in another pile of snow, which collapsed and buried him underneath. Steambot hurried over to the pile of snow and uncovered Microbot. He picked him up delicately and set him down on stable ground, apologising profusely with various beeps and groans. Microbot looked a little dazed, but didn¡¯t take the attack to heart. ¡°A valiant effort,¡± said Tobias. ¡°Next.¡± Desparee strode onto the battle field, holding back his tears, while Petalcub bounded forwards enthusiastically. The two stood facing each other, until Aurin called the beginning of their battle. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Petalcub dashed back and forth, trying to use his speed to his advantage, but Desparee knew the perfect counter. He conjured wild vines that whipped back and forth, limiting where Petalcub could stand. He conjured more and more, funnelling the small Minakai away from him. The little green wolf summoned vines of his own and used them to launch himself into the sky. He yapped furiously as he threw razor sharp petals straight at Desparee, but he didn¡¯t see the wooden Minakai¡¯s nature beam coming. The solar-powered energy blast, tore apart the petals before striking Petalcub in mid-air and knocking him to the ground, where he too landed in a pile of snow. Desparee fell to his knees and cried out in anguish at the thought of hurting his little friend. Once he had freed himself, Petalcub rushed over to him and placed a paw upon his back to comfort him. ¡°At least he¡¯s still standing,¡± said Tobias. ¡°He¡¯s tougher than he looks,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have won the Palace Royale without him.¡± Tobias held out a summoning stone and brought his Grakadon to the garden in a flash of light. The brown dragon stood proudly, eager to see what his master had in store for him, all the while eying up Steambot and Desparee with excitement. ¡°Grakadon,¡± said his mater, ¡°you¡¯re not facing them. It¡¯s the little ones.¡± Microbot and Petalcub booped and howled upon seeing their next opponent, but Aurin was much less surprised. After all, who better to train against than a Minakai who had full control of his own strength. So much so that he was one of the strongest in the entire nation. ¡°Begin!¡± called Tobias, giving the smaller Minakai no time to prepare themselves. Grakadon held out his clawed hands and conjured rocks into his palms. He threw one each at Microbot and Petalcub, both who deftly dodged the attacks. Aurin suspected it wasn¡¯t intended to hit, but was rather Grakadon trying to get a feel for how quick his opponents were. Petalcub threw out his vines, whipping at Grakadon, who swapped the striking whips away as though they were pesky flies hovering nearby. Microbot used the distraction to try and jolt the dragon in the leg, but a split second before the little Minakai made contact, the dragon coated his leg in stone armour. Petalcub threw out a barrage of cherry blossom petals and flung them like razor blades through the air, but Grakadon swept them away with his wings. Microbot launched himself like a cannonball, but was beat aside by a large swing of a tail. The battle continued on and on, the two little Minakai determined to do the smallest mark of damage, but Grakadon blocked and deflected at every turn, his offensive retaliation being light strikes at best. It seemed as though the two tiring Minakai were gaining no ground against their opponent, but Aurin was watching Grakadon rather than his own Minakai. Compared to the beginning of the battle, he was exerting a little more effort to combat Aurin¡¯s Minakai. It was not a big difference, but the intensity had picked up. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± said Tobias, and his Grakadon immediately stopped fighting. ¡°Stop,¡± Aurin told his exhausted Minakai. ¡°You both did well.¡± Microbot and Petalcub both fell down, Microbot beeping rapidly while Petalcub took deep inhalations and exhalations. The poor Minakai were spent, but they¡¯d put up a good fight. ¡°There is a lot of potential there,¡± said Tobias, looking upon the two Minakai. ¡°More training, more sparring and more real battles will show you what they¡¯re truly made of. The fact that they could adapt so well to a tough opponent like Grakadon tells me they¡¯ve got a bright future with you.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Even with Grakadon taking it easy on them, they impressed me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good thing. You should continue to be impressed by your team and they should continue to be impressed by them. It shows that you¡¯re growing. Even after so long, me and Grakadon keep trying to one up the other. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Tobias¡¯s Grakadon let out a loud roar that shook the snow from the tree tops. ¡°See what I mean?¡± chuckled Tobias. ¡°He¡¯s trying to show off.¡± Aurin¡¯s stomach suddenly growled loudly. ¡°Excuse me,¡± he said, embarrassed. Tobias laughed some more. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll go put an order in with Leanne. You wait here until your team are finished and them come meet me. We¡¯ll eat and then hit the training much harder.¡± ¡°Can I use your phone?¡± asked Aurin, suddenly having an idea. He was waiting anyway, so why not? ¡°Be my guest,¡± said Tobias as he walked over to the small fence and hopped over it. ¡°It¡¯s inside.¡± Aurin headed in through the back door, leaving his Minakai to recover outside. He looked around, spotting the phone in the kitchen, picked it up and dialled Kyle¡¯s number. It rang for almost a full minute before someone picked up the phone. ¡°Hello,¡± said a familiar voice. ¡°This is Kyle¡¯s Ranch in Hazelton and my name is Luna. Kyle¡¯s a little preoccupied at the moment, can I help in any way?¡± ¡°You have a great phone voice,¡± joked Aurin. ¡°Aurin!¡± screamed Luna down the phone, nearly deafening him. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only been a couple of days,¡± chortled Aurin. ¡°You haven¡¯t missed me back then?¡± Luna teased back. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m calling?¡± ¡°You called the ranch.¡± ¡°I knew you would be there, and if you weren¡¯t, I would have called your house.¡± ¡°Mmhmm, yes, yes,¡± said Luna trying to hide her laughter. ¡°How¡¯s your training with Tobias going?¡± ¡°It¡¯s tough, but I feel like I¡¯m learning a lot. It¡¯s freezing where we are and the Minakai are having a hard time of it. Hazelton will feel like a tropical paradise in comparison when we finally get back. With that said, I reckon we¡¯re going to come back stronger than ever.¡± ¡°Good,¡± said Luna. ¡°That¡¯s the whole point, right? If anyone is going to take you to the next level, it¡¯ll be Tobias. He didn¡¯t get where he is by accident, that¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°You know me, I¡¯m not one to complain. Innogon has been enjoying not having to fight over milkshakes, but I think he¡¯ll soon realises it¡¯s tastier if he steals it from Shamtile.¡± ¡°No trouble from the Zodiac Squad then?¡± ¡°No trouble,¡± said Luna. ¡°I¡¯ve spending time with Emily and Hannah during the day and coming here in the evening rather than going to the tower, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll see much of them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be glad to see the back of me for a while.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be gladder you¡¯re gone than you will to not have to see them.¡± Aurin laughed. ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± he said. ¡°So what exactly is this incident at the ranch you were talking about?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡­¡± muttered Luna. ¡°A tamer with a rather excitable Flaround checked his Minakai in here. A few fences have gone up in flames and Kyle¡¯s having to put them out and see if the nature elementals can mend them.¡± ¡°Tell me everything from start to finish,¡± said Aurin. Luna giggled and then launched into the story from the beginning while Aurin listened to her voice, taking it in more than the story itself. Chapter 125 Aurin followed Tobias to the top of the snow-covered ridge. He was exhausted from the trek and they were without Minakai to aid them, but Tobias promised him that it was worth the tiring climb and he would want to preserve his team¡¯s strength for later. Looking over the edge of the ridge, Aurin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°A monster tower?¡± he asked. Tobias nodded. ¡°Snowpeak Tower,¡± he said. ¡°Hidden behind the peaks and ridges where nobody from the outside can easily see it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see it and I¡¯ve been staying here for a week,¡± said Aurin incredulously. Tobias laughed. ¡°Indeed. That¡¯s exactly why it¡¯s the tower with the fewest number of visitors of all the open towers in Bretonia. It opened nearly fifty years ago and I would surmise that it has seen less than a thousand tamers, while Ludonia Tower can see that many in a single day.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so special about this one?¡± ¡°There¡¯s not really anything special about it, it¡¯s just a nice peaceful place to train. It doesn¡¯t hurt that it¡¯s quite the sight to behold with all of the snow surrounding it. The champion guided Aurin carefully along the edge of the ridge and to a small ice-coated path, where they held onto the cliff face to keep themselves balanced on their descent. ¡°Watch yourself,¡± said Tobias, holding up an arm to prevent Aurin slipping. Aurin thanked him and the pair continued until they reached the bottom, where the snow grew thick once again. They trudged on until they reached the doors of the tower, which loomed over them. There was something different about the aura of this tower, especially compared to Harmony Tower. It almost felt threatening. ¡°Did you bring your three summoning stones?¡± asked Tobias. ¡°I did,¡± said Aurin, holding up his gloved hand and revealing his stones; one clear, one yellow and one green. ¡°How many did you bring?¡± asked Aurin. Tobias held up his glove and showed off a single clear stone. ¡°I brought it as a formality as I can¡¯t enter without one. This is your tower run, not mine. I want to see what you can do without any assistance from me.¡± With that, Tobias walked up the doors and pulled out a key. He opened them and the familiar swirling void pulled both Aurin and him inside, drawing them away from the cold and into the haunting corridors of Snowpeak Tower. The pair landed on the first floor, neither phased by the teleportation. Both Aurin and Tobias had been into various towers more than enough times¡ªTobias especially so. ¡°Lead the way,¡± said Tobias, gesturing down the lone path ahead. Aurin held out his glove and summoned Leonite using the clear stone. The dark-furred, cobalt-blue lion appeared in a burst of grey light and roared enthusiastically. He had been itching to battle against a Minakai that was not one of his own teammates. No sooner had the three started moving down the corridor, did an Eyegloo slide along with its single large eye staring from its snowy domed body. Leonite pounced immediately and swept a sharp claw across his foe. The Eyegloo smacked against the wall and vanished in a flash of pale blue. ¡°He¡¯s keen, isn¡¯t he?¡± asked Tobias. ¡°Very much so,¡± agreed Aurin. Leonite guided the two humans effortlessly through foe after foe, the swift lion exerting himself very little throughout the first seven floors. Along the way, Aurin picked up plenty of silver and several random items, including Metal Crystal, an Antidote Herb and a Healing Herb; the latter two reminding him of Luna. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Upon ascending to the sixth floor, Aurin chose to give Leonite a short break and give Petalcub the chance to warm up. After all of the small wolf¡¯s training, he had proven himself more than competent. Starting him in the tower at the sixth floor seemed an appropriate way to challenge him without putting him against foes he could not hope to defeat. He howled in excitement as he laid eyes upon the floor and walls of the tower. He relished the chance to show his tamer how tough he was, but Aurin knew he had to keep the little Minakai¡¯s expectations in check. ¡°Don¡¯t get too gung-ho, Petalcub,¡± Aurin told his Minakai, while Tobias watched silently. He had said very little this entire trip, even when Aurin addressed him directly. He clearly wanted to be a silent observer and little else for now. As the eager wolf rounded a corner, he hurriedly leapt out of the way as an explosion echoed out and a fireball soared past, fizzling out as it hit the wall. Aurin and Tobias rushed to see what had attacked Petalcub, while the Minakai charged at his foe. Standing at the end of the corridor, was a small orange pig; a Piggun. It had dark, sunken eyes and its tail was lit up like the fuse of a cannon. It snorted out another explosive fireball form its snout and Petalcub sidestepped it again, but did not expect a second to follow-up so quickly and took this one to the ear. The wolf howled out and angrily grew out his vines. They wrapped themselves around the Piggun and swung wildly, slamming the Minakai against the walls repeatedly. After a dozen solid bashes, Petalcub flicked his finds and discarded Piggun, who vanished in orange light. ¡°Good job, bud,¡± said Aurin, proud that his Minakai had passed his first real test against a hostile opponent. ¡°You need to expect the unexpected here. The battlefield is narrower and the wild Minakai won¡¯t play fairly.¡± Petalcub growled in agreement and used his vines to scratch his itchy, burned ear. ¡°That¡¯ll heal up with some food and some rest,¡± said Aurin, before remembering the Healing Herb he had. ¡°In fact, let¡¯s take care of that now.¡± He squatted beside his Minakai and fed Petalcub the herb. Almost instantly, Petalcub¡¯s wound healed and his ear was as good as new. ¡°I¡¯m curious,¡± said Tobias. ¡°Why did you choose to use that now rather than when he¡¯s more injured?¡± ¡°Normally, I would hold off,¡± said Aurin, knowing where Tobias was going with this, ¡°but because this is his first run in any tower, I wanted to give him a do-over for his first mistake.¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t think you should have let him feel the lesson of mistakes?¡± ¡°He did feel the lesson. His ear was injured and uncomfortable, so he knows that he needs to be more careful. On top of that, an itch that he can¡¯t scratch away could cost him his focus against any other enemies we come across.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Tobias, not giving away what he thought on the matter, but Aurin was too curious not to ask. ¡°Do you think I made the wrong decision?¡± asked the younger tamer. ¡°That¡¯s for you to decide later. Let¡¯s keep going.¡± Petalcub took Aurin and Tobias through the rest of the floor, fighting another half dozen Minakai along the way. Petalcub was indeed more careful than before, taking no major injuries and just a few scratches and knocks. It was not long before they all ascended to the seventh floor. The next couple of floors passed without much incident, but on floor ten, Petalcub was starting to tire and take more serious injuries. A Tadpool struck him in the side with one of its icicles, but Petalcub managed to cut across the icy frog with his razor petals. A Litehorn zapped him on the tail, leaving it numb, but Petalcub retaliated with a strong bite and defeated it. Once they had cleared the tenth floor and landed on the eleventh, Aurin banished Petalcub and gave his final Minakai a chance to practice before the real challenge of the tower began. Skrow appeared in a burst of yellow light and cawed loudly, flapping his wings and charging back and forth to keep himself nimble. ¡°You ready, Skrow?¡± asked Aurin, getting a friendly nip on the shoulder from his skull-headed bird. ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me.¡± Skrow flapped along beside his tamer, taking the tower more cautiously than Leonite and Petalcub¡ªand with good reason, considering they were on a higher floor. ¡°What difficult rating is this tower?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°What do you think?¡± Tobias replied. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been any more difficult than Harmony Tower and is definitely less challenging than Ludonia Tower.¡± ¡°If you can tell that, does the rating itself matter?¡± ¡°I suppose it doesn¡¯t.¡± Click. Aurin and Tobias froze, while Skrow sprang into action at the appearance of a dozen wild Minakai in the room; Aurin had been so focused on talking that he had triggered a monster den trap. ¡°Take them all out, Skrow!¡± he called. Chapter 126 Skrow charged straight at the wild Melansprout before it had the chance to throw out vines. He knocked it out and sent it packing from the tower then weaving stylishly through the fireballs being hurled at him by a pair of Hornber. ¡°Sweep them away!¡± Aurin ordered his Minakai. Skrow beat his wings wildly, conjuring up a strong gust that threw half a dozen Minakai¡ªincluding the Hornber¡ªacross the room and slamming them into the wall. As Skrow turned to aim for another foe, he was smacked to the tiles by the sharp edge of a Slithice¡¯s frozen tail. As Skrow tried to recover, he was being surrounded by the monster den Minakai. Aurin held out his tamer glove and summoned Leonite to back him up. The ferocious lion dug his sharp claws into the Slithice and threw it aside, banishing it before it had the chance to hit the ground. His bearings back again, Skrow propelled himself forward, beak first, and knocked out a Funglie who was rearing up to unleash toxic pollen. No longer able to fight, it was cast out of the tower. Skrow soared around the room, picking off foes one by one, while Leonite was embroiled in a savage scrap as many monsters teamed up on him. It was for naught, as Aurin¡¯s two Minakai caused devastation to their foes, making quick work of them and leaving the room enemy-free once again. ¡°Good job, you two,¡± said Aurin, patting both of his Minakai on the back upon approaching him. ¡°Any major injuries?¡± Leonite stood proudly, with only a couple of minor cuts and scratches. Skrow looked physically unhurt, but he started cawing much hoarser than usual and suddenly winced. ¡°Let me see you,¡± said Aurin, approaching the bird. He looked at Skrow closely and the bird continued to shudder every so often. ¡°The Funglie must have just got you with a few spores before you sent it packing,¡± said Aurin. He reached into his bag and pulled out an Antidote Herb, then feeding it to Skrow. ¡°Very good,¡± said Tobias, nodding approvingly. ¡°You would be surprised how many tamers miss something so obvious. Even some of the more experienced ones don¡¯t always catch poisonings before its too late to heal up.¡± ¡°To tell you the truth,¡± said Aurin, ¡°it¡¯s Luna who has always kept me right with that.¡± ¡°And you¡¯ve learned the lesson, haven¡¯t you? As good of a tamer as she is, she isn¡¯t here right now. That said, I appreciate that you haven¡¯t forgotten those that have helped you become the tamer you are today.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s because I was so na?ve when I first set out. I had big dreams of being the first tamer to conquer a monster tower on my first ever run.¡± Tobias laughed heartily. ¡°You¡¯re far from the first to have had dreams as lofty as that. I once thought the exact same thing. How far did you get?¡± ¡°I was booted out on the first floor.¡± ¡°Did you at least win your first battle?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Aurin, thinking back. ¡°I remember it clearly. Shamtile defeated a Flowl, but we were taken out by a tamer shortly after.¡± ¡°I lost my first ever battle in the tower,¡± said Tobias, shaking his head. ¡°It was me and my Cryopillar. We came across a Dripper and thought we would freeze all of its water attacks. You know what happens when you freeze a water jet being shot towards you?¡± ¡°You make an icicle,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Indeed. And that icicle was all it took to end the run.¡± ¡°Lesson learned though, right?¡± ¡°Very much so.¡± Aurin and Tobias pushed on through the rest of the floor, with Skrow taking the lead once again while Leonite was banished to conserve his strength. The next few floors passed without issue, although Aurin found no additional healing items along the way. The most valuable item he found was a Lunar Shard, which was still appreciated. On floor sixteen, Skrow was knocked from the air and banished by a roaming Shamtile. Aurin thought it would have been fun to have his own Shamtile crush it, but without his summoning stone here, Leonite and Petalcub were the only two options. He opted for the latter, wanting to give the young wolf a chance to battle before the difficulty of the floors became too much for him to handle. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Stop it from waving its arms!¡± Aurin called. Petalcub conjured vines that wrapped themselves around the Shamtile¡¯s wrists, right as it tried to use them to rumble the ground. The Shamtile instead stomped its feet and kicked two large rocks at Petalcub, bashing him across the head. Unwilling to settle for defeat, Petalcub yanked his vines and threw the Shamtile into the ceiling, releasing him to fall back to the tiles with a hard thud. The young wolf burst forward and headbutted the Shamtile right as it stood up. He then sank his teeth deep into its leg, until the Shamtile gave up. With a final headbutt, the Shamtile was defeated and ejected from the tower. ¡°Good job,¡± said Aurin to his Minakai. He reached into his bag and pulled out the Lunar Shard. ¡°What do you think?¡± Petalcub yapped excitedly and bounced around the room, eager to evolve and take his strength to the next level. Tobias simply smiled and said nothing, even when Aurin glanced at him to see what he thought. ¡°I believe he¡¯s ready,¡± said Aurin, unphased by the champion¡¯s lack of reaction. The tamer bent down and held the Lunar Shard against Petalcub and the small wolf cub began to glow green. His limbs and tail started to lengthen, his torso thickened and his ears stood up much more rigidly than before. Upon his neck, a ring of small buds sprouted, revealing themselves more clearly as the glowing green light faded. ¡°Ready to keep fighting, Budescent?¡± Aurin asked the newly evolved Minakai. Budescent barked much more harshly than he would have as a Petalcub, and the look of excitement was replaced with a look of determination. Now that he had this new and enhanced power, he wanted to prove that he could use it effectively. The nature elemental led the two tamers through the floor, crushing all of his foes and outwitting them at every turn. Budescent whipped his vines with newfound strength and cast out sharp petals with greater speed than ever before. He entangled his foes and he sapped their strength, showing off how much he had learned since coming to Briarwood and how his evolution had cemented it. Aurin couldn¡¯t help but be impressed as they arrived on the twenty-first floor. As they rounded a corner, Budescent charged headfirst into a room to tackle a Rabbafat, but a sudden click and he was ignited in flame. Aurin rushed to try and put the fire out, but Budescent dropped low and tried to roll out of it, batting the flames with his own vines. Looking through his bag for healing items, Aurin remembered that he was tapped out, and was stomping towards them. ¡°Leonite!¡± called Aurin, summoning his lion to aid his wolf. The still rambunctious Budescent threw himself at the Rabbacat, flailing his vines weekly. He wanted to show that a few burns were not enough to slow him down, but a heavy thrust of the Rabbacat¡¯s formidable belly threw him across the room and ended his run. Aurin let out a heavy sigh as he watched Budescent disappear in a flash of green. Leonite skirted around the Rabbafat, who was not one for turning quickly, and struck at its back. Having had trouble with this species before, Aurin had trained extensively against Luna¡¯s Rabbafat at the ranch. The Rabbafat tried to get one over on Leonite and threw itself back to crush him, but the lion rolled aside and leapt onto the huge rabbit¡¯s head, clawing viciously at its face. It wasn¡¯t long before Leonite¡¯s speed and strength took out his foe without giving it the chance to land a single hit on him. ¡°A trap,¡± sighed Aurin again. ¡°It had to be a trap. Such a rookie mistake.¡± ¡°It happens,¡± said Tobias. ¡°Do you still set them off?¡± ¡°Not often,¡± Tobias admitted, ¡°but I can spend days in the tower on a single run. I can be cautious to an extreme extent, which may not be suitable for everyone.¡± Leonite was now Aurin¡¯s last remaining Minakai and he guided them through the twenty-first floor. He them tackled the twenty-second, then the twenty-third. The twenty-fourth gave him some trouble, but he came out swinging and he brought Aurin and Tobias successfully to the twenty-fifth. As they pushed through the challenging floor, Leonite took a beating, but Aurin spotted the elevator in a side room and brought everyone up to it. Right as he made to place his hands on it, Tobias caught his wrist. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough for today,¡± said Tobias.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Certain,¡± said Tobias. ¡°You¡¯ve shown me what you can do and it will be late evening. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re hungry and there¡¯s no point pushing Leonite to exhaustion when you already have two Minakai that need to recover. We¡¯re calling it here.¡± Aurin brought out an Orb of Return that he had found on the thirteenth floor. He harnessed its energy and he, Tobias and Leonite vanished from the tower. Seconds later, they were standing on the snowy ground outside with the moon hanging in the sky above. Aurin shuddered from the cold, being caught off guard. He was to used to leaving a tower and appearing in the much more moderate climate of Hazelton. ¡°It was a good run,¡± said Tobias. ¡°I have to say, I¡¯m impressed. I expected Skrow and Leonite to carry you most of the way, but Petalcub proved himself in his base form and even more so as a Budescent. I¡¯m curious to see just how far you could get if you used your three strongest Minakai.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Who would you say my strongest team for a tower run would be?¡± ¡°At this moment? I believe it would be Shamtile, Spikruption and Steambot. Your Triple S team.¡± Aurin laughed while Leonite scowled. ¡°I think you¡¯re probably right, but I wouldn¡¯t rule out Dolissile and Leonite here.¡± ¡°They would probably do almost as well,¡± said Tobias, stroking the growling Leonite¡¯s mane. This seemed to placate the Minakai for a short while, but upon Tobias stopping, Leonite began growing angrily again. Chapter 127 Dolissile rammed into trees, snapping them in half as Desparee weaved his nature magic to fix them. Every now and then, Spikruption would uproot one with his tail and catch the nature Minakai off-guard, prompting him to turn and hurriedly right it as Shamtile reburied the roots. It was an unorthodox method of training, Aurin had to admit, but Tobias thought it would be a good way to have the Minakai train with their own abilities without having them beat each other to a pulp again. ¡°Have you done something like this before?¡± Aurin asked him. ¡°This specifically?¡± replied Tobias. ¡°No. But I like to be creative with my training. I think it brings out the best in my Minakai and makes them adaptable. It¡¯s great to work out hard with running, lifting and combat, but sometimes you need to mix it up and try something new. Who knows when it could come in useful?¡± ¡°Do you think your approach to training is one of the key elements that led you to becoming the national champion?¡± asked Aurin. Upon saying this, he felt as though he was interviewing Tobias for a job. Tobias took it well and laughed it off. ¡°One of them, I¡¯m sure. I try to train hard and train smart, but training creatively means your Minakai can expect the unexpected.¡± After a while, Aurin let Dolissile take a break and substituted him with Chopchop, who was much more efficient in his destruction of the trees. So much so that Aurin ordered Budescent to aid Desparee in the repairs and together they were able to keep the forest from being desecrated while Shamtile continued to keep a watchful eye on Spikruption from behind his mask. ¡°Here¡¯s a question for you, Aurin,¡± said Tobias. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it,¡± the young tamer replied. ¡°What made you want to become a tamer in the first place?¡± ¡°In the first place? I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ve got a great answer for you.¡± ¡°See what you can put together. I¡¯m curious.¡± Aurin thought back to various events throughout his life for a moment before answering. ¡°My parents were never all that interested in Minakai,¡± he said eventually, ¡°but my brother was¡­well, he still is. He¡¯s a great tamer in his own right and he¡¯s been off exploring the world, travelling from country to country and learning everything he can. I think that because of him, Minakai has always been a part of my life. My mum didn¡¯t want us both to be so heavily involved with raising monsters, so it took a lot of persuasion from my dad to convince her to let me travel to Hazelton alone. I wanted to prove to her that I was dedicated and could rise to the top and, along the way, I think she started to believe that I could too.¡± ¡°Your family are the ones who push you on then?¡± asked Tobias, looking intrigued. ¡°In a sense,¡± replied Aurin before letting out a chuckle. ¡°I think my brother could even stand up to you. Maybe not defeat you, but it wouldn¡¯t be a clean sweep for you this time Tobias. I want to be as great as he is one day and have the chance to battle him as equals rather than as his little brother.¡± ¡°If you can beat him, do you think you¡¯ve got a shot against me?¡± said Tobias, nudging Aurin in the ribs. ¡°We¡¯ll have to see about that,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him in years, so maybe he¡¯s better than you already.¡± Tobias laughed loudly. ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to battling him some day. Does he ever participate in tournaments?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not really his style. He likes to battle people without the spectacle of it all. He¡¯s one of those tamers who tried tournaments and found that it wasn¡¯t for him. I didn¡¯t understand that mindset until recently, if I¡¯m honest.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Sometimes I wish I could avoid the spectacle,¡± said Tobias, ¡°but there are other times that I believe it¡¯s a good motivator for other tamers.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen you in action, don¡¯t forget. You can be quite the showman when you want to be.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­yeah, I can,¡± said Tobias slyly. ¡°I¡¯ve got a love hate relationship with being the national champion. When I get in the zone, I¡¯m all in. Other times, like right now, I like to get away from it all and train out here in the wilderness. There¡¯s nothing else like it. There¡¯s zero pressure out here, except for what you impose upon yourself.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve got a solution to that.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that then?¡± ¡°Train a young up and comer and have him crush you in front of the country.¡± Tobias laughed uproariously. ¡°Are you insinuating what I think you¡¯re insinuating?¡± ¡°Nah,¡± chuckled Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know that I would have come for you whether we trained out here or not¡­perhaps just a little slower.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± ¡°I mean it though,¡± said Aurin. ¡°One day I will defeat you and it¡¯ll be the best battle that either of us ever has. Mark my words, Tobias.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to do everything I can to make sure that you don¡¯t defeat me.¡± ¡°And I would expect nothing less.¡± Suddenly Desparee leapt in front of Aurin and Tobias with his arms raised up, weeping profusely and holding up a tree with his magic. It seemed as though Spikruption had gotten a little too wild and almost flattened his own tamer and the national champion. ¡°What a way to bring my reign as champion to an end,¡± remarked Tobias. ¡°Spikruption!¡± barked Aurin. ¡°Sit the next hour out.¡± Spikruption looked furious and stormed off, shaking the snow from the bushes as he huffed and puffed all the way back to Tobias¡¯s house. The rest of the Minakai continued training until sunset, when Aurin and Tobias decided to call it a day and grab dinner. They walked through the warm light of the village under the dark sky and headed into Leanne¡¯s pub to order food. The rest of the patrons greeted them warmly as Aurin and Tobias made their orders and took their seats at an empty booth. ¡°How about you?¡± Aurin asked him. ¡°What made you want to become a tamer?¡± ¡°My dad was a tamer,¡± said Tobias. ¡°So was my grandfather, my great-grandfather and so on, and so on. Minakai taming runs in my family for many generations so it was only right that I continue the legacy.¡± ¡°Do you ever have any regrets about choosing this path in life?¡± ¡°Not once,¡± said Tobias so resolutely that a few of the townsfolk turned to look at them. ¡°How about you?¡± ¡°Not once,¡± said Aurin, ¡°and I don¡¯t see that ever changing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the mystery of what these mysterious creatures are that keeps me so invested all these years later. I¡¯m still learning new things and I have no doubt I will for the rest of my life. Do you know what one of the most mysterious things about Minakai is?¡± ¡°Cosmic elementals?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Tobias. ¡°It¡¯s the legendary Minakai.¡± ¡°The legendary Minakai?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Don¡¯t you mean the epic Minakai? Like your Arusom?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Tobias, looking very serious. ¡°Epic Minakai are wonders in their own right, but there are Minakai more rare and powerful than even those. Their powers and abilities can make mincemeat out of regular cosmic Minakai, so just imagine what an epic or a legendary cosmic elemental can do. They could potentially unravel reality as we know it.¡± ¡°Do you know of any legendary cosmic elementals?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°No,¡± said Tobias, ¡°but I have no doubt that they exist. Whether they¡¯re lost to time or they¡¯ve yet to surface, they exist. That¡¯s something I would like to do before I¡¯m too old to keep all this up. I would like to come face to face with a cosmic legendary.¡± ¡°Where can you find legendary Minakai?¡± asked an incredibly intrigued Aurin. ¡°That¡¯s something for you to discover on your own,¡± said Tobias, ¡°and I have no doubt in my mind that you will. Perhaps once you do, you can help me find more of them.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Should we make a pact then?¡± asked Tobias. ¡°Whoever finds one first, we tell the other everything. If we¡¯re exceptionally lucky and obtain one for ourselves, then we let the other fight against it to see just how capable we are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± said Aurin, holding out his hand for Tobias to shake. ¡°Pleased to hear it,¡± said Tobias, shaking Aurin¡¯s outstretched hand. ¡°Food¡¯s ready, boys,¡± said Leanne, approaching with plates stacked in her arms. ¡°You two must be hungry today, what have you been doing?¡± ¡°Training,¡± said Aurin and Tobias in unison. Leanne laughed as she set the plates on the table and started arranging them. ¡°It looks like Tobias is turning you into a carbon copy of himself, Aurin,¡± she said. ¡°He should be so lucky,¡± jabbed Tobias with a chuckle. The two tamers wolfed down their food and continued talking about the mysteries of Minakai, from Tobias¡¯s theories about how the towers came to be and where Minakai came from¡ªwhich did not match what Virgo had told Aurin¡ªall the while Aurin could only offer outlandish guesses in response. Truly, the mystery of what these interdimensional beings were, would not be solved anytime soon. Chapter 128 ¡°Tell Emily and Hannah I said hello,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Make sure to tell both of them or Hannah will think I hate her again. ¡°Again?¡± said Luna down the receive. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who thought she hate you?¡± ¡°Never mind that,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Tobias wants me ready to train, so I¡¯ll talk to you later.¡± ¡°Stay safe, alright? Don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡± ¡°You too,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Keep a watch for any Zodiac members.¡± Luna hung up and put her phone in her purse and hurried along the chilly streets of Hazelton with Innogon by her side. As cold as it was, she was grateful that it wasn¡¯t covered in snow like Briarwood. She was very much a summer girl and the cold dark winters were only pleasant until Christmas and then miserable until spring rolled around the days lengthened once again. ¡°Late again!¡± called Hannah as Luna approached the fountain. ¡°At least I¡¯m not last,¡± giggled Luna as Innogon bounced into the fountain and splashed the pair. ¡°It¡¯s just going to be us today, Emily has food poisoning,¡± sighed Hannah. ¡°Oh no! Where did she get it from?¡± ¡°O¡¯Malley¡¯s,¡± said Hannah. ¡°I¡¯ve tried to warn her about that place so many times, but she insists that it¡¯s fine. If she doesn¡¯t learn her lesson this time, I don¡¯t know what to do with her.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t learn her lesson,¡± said Luna. ¡°No matter how many times you tell her, she¡¯ll nod and agree then go right back to eating there.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same as you with being late?¡± ¡°Shush,¡± said Luna with a smile. ¡°Aurin said to tell you hello, by the way.¡± ¡°Tell him I said hello next time you¡¯re speaking to him. How¡¯s his training with the oh-so-great Tobias going?¡± ¡°Is the sarcasm necessary?¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± said Hannah, feeling embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s a great opportunity for him, I know, but he¡¯s kinda left you in the lurch here. Disappearing for an entire month is a bit much, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I miss him, of course, but when else is he going to have the chance to train with the best tamer in the entire country? I would feel far worse if he stayed and missed out on that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­if my husband¡ª¡± ¡°Husband?¡± ¡°¡ªwas away on a work trip for a month without me and didn¡¯t even think to invite me too, I wouldn¡¯t be happy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being ridiculous,¡± said Luna. ¡°And where did husband come from?¡± ¡°I know he¡¯s not your husband, but you two are tied at the hip. If he asked you to marry him, you would do it.¡± ¡°Not right now. We¡¯re seventeen!¡± ¡°If he does, I¡¯m going to be a bridesmaid, right?¡± asked Hannah, looking anxious. ¡°Of course, you are¡­stop that!¡± ¡°Stop what?¡± ¡°Making things weird.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± said Hannah with a frown, ¡°let¡¯s go shopping.¡± The two girls walked down the street and Innogon leapt from the fountain, bounding after them. Conversation took a lighter turn as they went about their morning, each girl trying to decide what to add to their wardrobe for the fast-approaching winter. In the space of three hours, Luna managed to spend a week¡¯s worth silver from the tower. Hannah, however, spent most of her time observing to see what ideas she could use for her own clothing designs. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. As the morning moved along and Innogon grew impatient, his hunger got the better of him and he started tugging on the hem of Luna¡¯s jacket. She ignored him until he tugged so hard that he pulled her to the ground in the middle of a shop. She stood up and dusted herself off, embarrassed. ¡°Fine, Inno,¡± she said, finally relenting. ¡°We¡¯ll go get lunch now.¡± ¡°Where to?¡± asked Hannah. ¡°We¡¯ll find somewhere close by.¡± Innogon led the two girls from the shop, but Luna grabbed him by the tail before he could get too far ahead. ¡°Don¡¯t forget who¡¯s the boss here, mister,¡± his tamer told him, before placing the little blue drake on her shoulders. ¡°Well, well,¡± came a snide voice from behind Luna. ¡°If it isn¡¯t little red from Tamer Day.¡± Luna and Hannah whirled around and saw a young man, only a year or two older than they were, standing there and looking smug. He brushed his black hair away from his face. ¡°What do you want, Damien?¡± asked Luna. ¡°Where¡¯s your boyfriend today?¡± asked Damien, looking around to see if Aurin was nearby. ¡°He¡¯s busy,¡± replied Luna. ¡°Training with the national champion,¡± added Hannah. ¡°He¡¯s what?¡± exclaimed Damien, looking enraged. ¡°Who does he think he is?¡± ¡°He thinks he¡¯s stronger than you,¡± said Luna, ¡°and he¡¯s right about that. Are you still bitter that he beat you?¡± Damien was shaking with anger, but he forced himself to calm down. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he said. ¡°How about you then?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Luna as Hannah shook her head quickly and quietly, prompting a raised eyebrow from Damien. ¡°I beat you at Tamer Day,¡± said Damien, turning his attention back to Luna. ¡°I¡¯m sure your Innogon remembers that very well. Innogon opened his mouth and spat water at Damien, who was more furious than ever now. He coughed and spluttered as he dried his face with his sleeve. ¡°That does it!¡± he yelled. ¡°We¡¯re battling here and now.¡± ¡°No thanks,¡± said Luna. ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice,¡± said Damien, walking backwards and holding up his gloved hand, where an embedded red stone began to glow. He threw forward his hand and his Hoofreeti spawned in the middle of the street. Many of the passersby suddenly stopped and watched, curious as to why the giant, bipedal goat monster had appeared. ¡°A one-on-one battle and we¡¯re done,¡± said Luna. ¡°Fine by me,¡± said Damien. ¡°One is all I need. ¡°Innogon. Make short work of him.¡± Innogon hopped from Luna¡¯s shoulders and immediately shot a jet of water at Hoofreeti, who casually moved aside and breathed deep before exhaling a large wave of flame at Innogon and Luna. The tiny drake conjured a wave of water to douse the demon¡¯s fiery breath before it could hit his tamer. ¡°Are you insane?¡± asked Hannah incredulously, moving towards Damien. The crowd were murmuring uneasily. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with him,¡± said Luna, holding Hannah back. ¡°Rainfall!¡± she called out. Innogon leapt into the air and stretched out his arms, summoning dark clouds that burst out a downpour of rain. As he fell back to the ground, Hoofreeti swiped at him, but Innogon shot a jet of water at the ground, propelling himself backwards and out of reach. ¡°Clever,¡± said Damien, ¡°but that won¡¯t be enough. Scorch!¡± Hoofreeti grunted and bleated loudly. It started emanating an orange glow as it drew in fire elemental energy and unleashed it upon the street, diminishing the clouds and heating everything up so much that it became as though a hot summer day. Innogon looked around, confused, as the large goat charged at him, ramming him with its horns and knocking him into a nearby shop. As he climbed back to his feet, the Hoofreeti grabbed him with its arm and started beating him with its blunt hooves. ¡°You can break out!¡± called Luna. Innogon focused as he took the beating, then opened his mouth and unleashed a mighty jet of water at the Hoofreeti¡¯s chin. Its head jerked back and its grip relaxed, giving Innogon the chance to wriggle free. He summoned a spout of water, launching himself high once again, then came spinning down with his bladed head, whirring like a razor. He struck the Hoofreeti on the forehead and knocked the demonic Minakai out with a mighty strike. ¡°Yes!¡± called Luna. Damien, however, looked affronted. ¡°Unacceptable,¡± he muttered, holding up his tamer glove and summoning a Hornferno and Flaround to the street. ¡°You want to play dirty?¡± asked Luna, raising her own tamer glove. She summoned her Splashard, Frocean, Angree and Rabbafat to the battle. Frocean summoned a large icicle spear and threw it at Damien¡¯s Hornferno while Splashard propelled it forward with a blast of water, defeating the dinosaur in a single strike. Angree lifted Rabbafat over his head and threw him like a boulder at Flaround, yelling loudly, as Flaround was bowled over. Not satisfied, Angree ran forward and started beating the dog until Rabbafat finished it off with a body slam. Damien stood there, humiliated to have been beaten so badly in front of the crowd. ¡°I¡¯ll get you back for this, Luna,¡± he said, before looking past her. ¡°See you around, Hannah.¡± With that, he stormed off, and the crowd started moving along now that the battle was over. ¡°You know him?¡± asked Luna. ¡°Not well,¡± said Hannah. ¡°He¡¯s a friend of my dad¡¯s, I think they work together or something. He¡¯s a real nasty piece of work.¡± ¡°A spiteful little brat that can¡¯t take a loss. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he was part of the Zodiac Squad. He would fit right in with them.¡± ¡°Who knows,¡± muttered Hannah. ¡°Anyway, shall we go get lunch? I¡¯m as hungry as Innogon now.¡± Innogon jumped up and down excitedly while the rest of Luna¡¯s Minakai rushed over at the mention of food. ¡°I can¡¯t bring all of you!¡± moaned Luna, but the sad looks from her team¡ªand the disgruntled look from Angree¡ªmade her feel bad. ¡°Fine,¡± she said, ¡°but we¡¯ll have to get a table outside otherwise nowhere will have room for you all.¡± Her team all burst with excitement and stampeded down the street, not sure where they were going as Luna and Hannah ran after them. Chapter 129 Gorunze fired a series of rapid laser beams at the snowballs being lobbed his way by Steambot. He zapped each and every one of them out of the sky and Aurin congratulated him on his improved accuracy. ¡°If you can¡¯t close a gap and use your strength,¡± said Aurin, ¡°then you need to have precision.¡± Gorunze groaned mechanically in approval as Steambot started juggling snowballs off to the side. The large robot playfully tossed a few at Aurin, knocking his tamer to the ground with the amount of force he put into them. Steambot hurried over to his master and picked him up, dusting the snow from him apologetically. ¡°Please¡­don¡¯t,¡± said Aurin in huge discomfort. Steambot¡¯s idea of dusting off was more akin to a beating. Steambot backed away and flopped down on the snow, puffing hot steam out from his pipes and melting it away. Shamtile hopped over to him and patted him on the shoulder, knowing that he had no ill-intent. ¡°Having a snowball fight?¡± asked Tobias, walking out from his house. ¡°Something like that,¡± said Aurin, massaging the spots where Steambot had dusted him off. ¡°What¡¯s in store for us today, Tobias?¡± ¡°A field trip,¡± said the champion. ¡°Are we going to the tower again?¡± ¡°Not this time, no.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realise there were that many places to go around here.¡± ¡°Briarwood is beautiful in its own right and the wilderness around here is nothing short of spectacular. The tower is the icing on top, but where we¡¯re going today is a second dessert.¡± ¡°A second dessert?¡± ¡°You heard me,¡± said Tobias slyly. ¡°Who should I bring with me?¡± ¡°Whatever summoning stones you want, but I would recommend Shamtile coming along for the trek, seeing as you don¡¯t have any ice elementals to help deal with the snow. At the very least, he can move the earth and we¡¯ll need that later.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m sold,¡± said Aurin before turning to Shamtile. ¡°You ready to go?¡± Shamtile stopped patting Steambot and clambered over his teammate without a second thought, while Steambot groaned in despair. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± chuckled Aurin. ¡°Just work on controlling your strength, Steambot.¡± Tobias led Aurin and Shamtile through the town and along the same mountain path they¡¯ve used many times over as a running route. Halfway along the path, they took a right turn and began hiking through thick snow and further up the mountain. After an hour of climbing, Tobias brought them to a ridge and they hopped down, with the snow coming up their waists¡ªAurin had to fish Shamtile out from underneath. ¡°Conjure some pillars for yourself to walk on,¡± his tamer told him. Shamtile did as told and summoned columns of earth from within the snow and hopped alongside the two humans. With each hop, he sent the previous pillar back down again. As they walked, more snow started to fall and, before long, it turned into a blizzard. ¡°Should we turn back?¡± Aurin called out amongst the whirling winds and flurry of snow. ¡°No,¡± Tobias shouted over his shoulder, ¡°we¡¯re nearly there.¡± Shamtile was shivering and encased himself in rock armour to try and protect himself, but it didn¡¯t do much good. Even as he hopped from pillar to pillar, he started to lose his footing as they became covered with snow before he even landed. ¡°See that?¡± called Tobias, pointing to a cave entrance up ahead. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Barely,¡± said Aurin, struggling to see through the snow. The three pushed ahead, scrambling through the snow that was desperately trying to keep them away from whatever lay inside the cave but, eventually, they made it. Aurin and Tobias brushed the snow off themselves, soaked through, and Shamtile shook cast off his stone armour and rolled around on the ground, pleased to be on solid earth again. ¡°Spikruption,¡± called Aurin, summoning the red dinosaur. ¡°A little heat would be good, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Spikruption was irked to have been summoned for such a trivial reason, but he obliged and warmed everyone up before being sent back to the ranch. He puffed smoke from his nostrils in protest as Aurin banished him. ¡°Did Shamtile have to come?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°No, but if we died along the way then he could have fished us out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a cheerful thought.¡± ¡°It was a very real possibility,¡± said Tobias. ¡°I consider that a tame trek to this cave.¡± ¡°Tame?¡± ¡°Tame,¡± repeated the champion. ¡°In any case, what I wanted Shamtile here for lies further ahead. Shall we?¡± Tobias pulled out a torch and pointed it deeper into the shadows of the cave. He continued walking, with Aurin and Shamtile following along close behind. After a short while, Shamtile started looking around anxiously. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Aurin asked him. ¡°He feels it,¡± said Tobias without looking back. ¡°What it is that we¡¯re here for.¡± Aurin knew better than to ask what that was. If he did, he had no doubt he would have been told to wait and see. Tobias liked to keep an air of mystery around things, even what the training plan was for the next day. The three kept walking until they reached a large wall of ice that was wedged inside the wall, rendering it impossible to pass. Wherever this wall had come from, it most certainly was not here naturally, and Aurin had endless questions about it, but Tobias spoke before he could ask. ¡°We can¡¯t go through this ice without an ice elemental Minakai, but we can go under it thanks to Shamtile.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you summon one of your ice elementals?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± chuckled Tobias. Shamtile scurried on all fours towards the wall of ice and started tapping his fist on the ground. He them stretched his arms apart, opening a tunnel in the stone underneath him. He dropped inside, then Aurin and Tobias followed him. Shamtile kept the tunnel from collapsing in on itself while opening it further up ahead. They were only underground for about thirty seconds, but that was more than enough time for Aurin. Shamtile opened another hole above them and they all climbed out as the tunnel closed behind them. Tobias turned off the torch and Aurin realised why instantly. It wasn¡¯t needed anymore. Aurin looked around in amazement at the open cavern before him. There were small beams of light creeping in from tiny holes in the cavern walls and roof, while many different types of plants and fungus grew throughout, many of which glowed in various colours to further illuminate the area. What was most curious to Aurin was that they were not alone here. There was a large pool of water in the centre and there were Minakai both inside it and surrounding it. A small group of Dripper splashed at the edge of the water, while a Spaqua rolled around in its bubble on the surface of the water. There were fish Minakai swimming around underneath and, dozens of Shroomlie playing in amongst the mushrooms as a Tormech playfully hunted them. ¡°There aren¡¯t¡­are they wild Minakai?¡± asked Aurin, awestruck. ¡°They are,¡± said Tobias. ¡°And they¡¯re outside the tower.¡± ¡°They are.¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°Remember our talk the other day about the mysteries of Minakai?¡± asked Tobias. ¡°I remember it well.¡± ¡°I refrained from mentioning one of those mysteries because I knew we¡¯d be coming here very soon. This is a Minakai den. Do you see that pool of water? At the bottom of it is a portal that opens and closes sporadically. Think of it as the same sort of portal that lets you into a monster tower, but it isn¡¯t guarded by locked doors.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­how can this be?¡± ¡°That¡¯s something I can¡¯t answer for you because I don¡¯t truly know. What I do know, however, is that these Minakai shouldn¡¯t be hostile. They were at one time, but I¡¯ve come here often enough that they know I¡¯m not a threat to them. It helps that I usually bring Grakadon who can crush them if they put a toe out of line.¡± ¡°What was Shamtile sensing? The portal?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Tobias as Shamtile let out a grunt of agreement. ¡°Unlike the portal to the towers, this one is uncontained so it calls out to Minakai. What it says to them, I don¡¯t know, but even my own Minakai react oddly to it¡­except for one.¡± ¡°Except for one?¡± Tobias reached inside his jacket and pulled out a turquoise summoning stone. Aurin had seen a summoning stone of this colour only once before and it was embedded in the glove of Taurus, the leader of the Zodiac Squad. ¡°A cosmic Minakai?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Tobias, willing the summoning stone to activate. ¡°Come forth, Mindadam.¡± The stone glowed brightly and a burst of turquoise light appeared before Tobias, within it, the shape of a large horse. The light faded, and the Minakai was revealed. It was indeed a horse, but it was made entirely of an untarnished bronze metal, that was segmented where the major joints. It had a teal mane of hair that ran down its back and teal eyes that glowed in the dim light of the cave. Its tail was a metallic and curled around, ending in a pointed arrow. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this Minakai before,¡± said Aurin, marvelling at it. ¡°Kyle told me about it once, but¡­seeing it for myself is something else entirely. I can feel its power already.¡± Mindadam let out a mechanical whinny, then walked over beside its tamer. ¡°How would you like to battle against a cosmic Minakai, Aurin?¡± Tobias asked. Chapter 130 Aurin was dumbfounded. Tobias had asked him to battle against a cosmic Minakai and there was no way he could pass up the opportunity. So stricken was he that all he could do was nod. ¡°Good,¡± said Tobias, stroking his Mindadam¡¯s mane as the mechanical horse whinnied. ¡°He doesn¡¯t get much opportunity to battle, so it will be good training for both of you.¡± ¡°I fought against a cosmic elemental once before and lost¡­badly. It was an Ethruki and I¡¯d never seen abilities quite like those it possessed.¡± ¡°Then all the more reason to pay close attention to the powers my Mindadam utilises so that you can learn how to confront a cosmic elemental again in the future.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± said Aurin. Tobias nodded. ¡°I am. There will be no limits to this battle and you¡¯re free to use all of your Minakai until you run out. I expect you will run out, but perhaps by the end, you will at least be able to truly fight against Mindadam and the mysterious cosmic element.¡± ¡°Shamtile,¡± said Aurin, turning towards his masked lizard, ¡°you¡¯re up first. Do you think you can handle it?¡± Shamtile shook his head and screeched in protest, but a look from Aurin silenced him. The little Minakai knew he didn¡¯t have a choice in the matter. Tobias and Aurin separated, giving their Minakai plenty of space to begin their battle. Tobias muttered something to his Mindadam that Aurin couldn¡¯t hear, but he suspected that it was something to do with going easy on him to start with. That would be to the champion¡¯s detriment. Aurin pulled out each of his summoning stones in turn and summoned his twelve other Minakai into the cavern. They were going to watch everything. ¡°You ready, Shamtile?¡± he asked, turning to Shamtile. Shamtile grunted half-heartedly, as Mindadam repeatedly brushed his front left hoof across the stone. ¡°Begin,¡± said Tobias, throwing a hand forward. Mindadam continued to paw the ground as Shamtile scurried forward. The masked lizard leapt into the air and threw up his hands, dragging them down in an arc and unleashing a cascade of stones at the metallic horse. As soon as they came within an inch of Mindadam, they stones froze in mid-air. With a snort, Mindadam flung them back towards Shamtile, as though he had reversed time. The reptilian Minakai weaved and dodged his own rebounding attack, then burrowed underground. Mindadam reared up as Shamtile flew, fist-first through the air with his entire body encased in stone. Shamtile was not content with missing and cast off his armour, then swung for the cosmic elemental. Looking hopeful that his attack was going to land, he squealed loudly upon Mindadam vanishing in a flash of light and reappearing a few feet away. Mindadam reared up once again, letting out a screeching neigh before kicking Shamtile across the room with impressive force. As Shamtile flew through the air, he suddenly came to a stop. He then reversed his trajectory, once again as though Tobias¡¯s Minakai had reversed time. Mindadam moved out of the way and let Shamtile slam into the cavern wall, knocking the lizard out. Aurin knew now that he was wrong, Tobias hadn¡¯t asked his Minakai to go easy on him at all. If anything, he was being ruthless. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°It¡¯s thirteen against one and I¡¯m only one down. Chopchop!¡± The armoured purple insect appeared in a burst of grey. He rubbed his bladed arms against each other and then assumed a fighting stance. Mindadam stomped his feet and sent a concussive blast through the air, but Chopchop steeled himself and held strong, merely being pushed back rather than knocked over. ¡°Now!¡± called Aurin. Chopchop sprinted forwards, his arms both to his left side. He spun around, twisting his arms out as though he was a living buzzsaw. Surely his momentum has to be enough to push through whatever forcefield Mindadam was using. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± said Aurin, his mouth hanging open. Chopchop had frozen and Mindadam was casually trotting over to him. He put his two front hooves on the insect and pushed him backwards, knocking him onto the stone floor. Angered, Chopchop leapt at him, but was flung against the wall as Shamtile had been. ¡°Spikruption!¡± The large dinosaur rolled forward, trying to plough Mindadam over, but the cosmic elemental toyed with him and teleported out of the way each time Spikruption drew close. After he had his fun, Spikruption was sent rolling into the pool of water in the middle of the cavern. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Budescent!¡± The wolf¡¯s petals were reversed, cutting across him and injuring him badly. ¡°Leonite!¡± Speedy as the lion was, Mindadam slowed him down with his elemental magic, making him easy to pick off. ¡°Gorunze!¡± The two mighty constructs faced off against each other, but even Gorunze¡¯s improved accuracy was not enough to land a hit on his teleporting foe. ¡°Arium!¡± Mindadam held the golden alien¡¯s fists in place, rendering him useless. ¡°Desparee!¡± The nature elemental fired a nature only for Mindadam to conjure two portals. The nature beam went in one and came out the other, which was conveniently placed behind Desparee, who unwittingly defeated himself. ¡°Sunny!¡± The floating egg was not one for fighting, but she gave it her best shot and was tossed aside before getting anywhere near Mindadam, perhaps in a display of mercy. ¡°Microbot!¡± The tiny robot bounded forward, determined to impress his master, but was trampled on by the galloping Mindadam who did not even bother to use his cosmic powers. ¡°Skrow!¡± Skrow soared through the air, propelling himself faster using the power of the wind. He whipped and twirled avoiding concussive blasts, dodging the portals Mindadam conjured, but Mindadam eventually got a lock on him and froze the undead bird in place. He was out of the battle seconds later. ¡°Agh,¡± grunted Aurin, his frustration immeasurable. ¡°Steamboat, you¡¯re up!¡± The titanic robotic appeared, puffing steam and raring to go. He had been pushed hard during his time in Briarwood, but he had been itching to fight against an opponent much tougher than himself to see how he could measure up. This was his time to shine. Steamboat shot a water jet straight at Mindadam, who opened a portal behind the water elemental. Steamboat spun around and dove through the portal, weathering his own attack and unleashing a pressure cannon at point blank range. Mindadam was struck and knocked to the ground, skidding along the cavern floor. Steamboat ran with thunderous stomps towards the bronze horse and dove at him, grabbing onto him. He raised a powerful fist and threw it down at the Mindadam, leaving a dent in his side. He drew back to punch again, but the cosmic elemental had gathered himself and knocked Steamboat away with a concussive burst. Tobias¡¯s Minakai galloped towards him, as Steamboat climbed to his feet, bracing himself to catch his opponent. Mindadam suddenly vanished and reappeared behind Aurin¡¯s Minakai, ramming into him and slamming his hooves down upon the ground Minakai. With a metallic neigh, he flung Steambot up high in the air and watched as the titan fell to the ground, no longer able to fight. ¡°We were so close,¡± sighed Aurin, turning towards his final Minakai. ¡°Dolissile!¡± The expressionless cybernetic dolphin exploded forwards immediately, hoping to catch Mindadam off guard, but the horse whirled around and froze Dolissile in place. It was over before it had begun and Aurin had resigned himself to defeat as Mindadam started to turn Dolissile. ¡°No way¡­¡± muttered the young tamer, watching as Dolissile started to shake vigorously, then slowly turning back towards Mindadam, whose eyes were glowing brightly as he focused all of his strength on redirecting Dolissile. ¡°Come on, come on,¡± whispered Aurin. ¡°He¡¯s tired, you¡¯re not. You can do this.¡± Mindadam was straining so hard to steer Dolissile out of the way that he was unable to use any other abilities, lest he break his concentration. Dolissile¡¯s vigorous shaking turned violent as he rumbled in place, desperately trying to break through the cosmic energy holding him in place. ¡°Full power!¡± called Aurin. ¡°Defeat him!¡± Suddenly, Dolissile shot forwards as Mindadam tried to teleport away, but he was not quick enough. Dolissile rammed into him, forcing him across the cavern with such force that the horse soared over the pool and hit the other side as Dolissile tried to slow himself down to avoid a similar fate. Mindadam tried to stand up, but he was completely spent. Aurin had won. ¡°Yes!¡± called Aurin. Even his Minakai, injured as most of them were, celebrated excitedly. It had taken the efforts of the entire team, but they had exhausted the cosmic elemental enough that they were able to bring him down. Tobias was clapping, unable to be heard from the cacophony from Aurin¡¯s monsters. Once the noise died down, he approached Aurin. ¡°Well done,¡± he said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if you would be able to pull it off, but you did it. Very impressive.¡± ¡°Thank you, Tobias,¡± replied Aurin, wiping the sweat from his brow. Even standing on the sidelines, he was tired, although the trek here probably contributed somewhat. ¡°Do you see now how you can overcome a cosmic Minakai? Even one as heavily trained as my own?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Aurin. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have won if we hadn¡¯t tired him out.¡± ¡°And studied his techniques throughout the battle. The way your Steamboat countered by using Mindadam¡¯s own portal ability against him was a fantastic play. He¡¯s one to watch.¡± ¡°He¡¯s been with me since the end of the first Hazelton tournament,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I still remember training him back when he was a cowardly Microbot. He¡¯s come a long way.¡± Tobias nodded approvingly. ¡°And your Dolissile is remarkably strong, much stronger than the average of his species despite being a tad shorter. He packs a punch.¡± ¡°If he was a bigger eater, I would give him an extra helping of dinner, but he wouldn¡¯t touch it and Gorunze would just eat it instead.¡± Tobias chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve got some homework for you tonight. There were other things that you missed during the battle, but I won¡¯t tell you what they were. I want you to think about them for yourself.¡± At that moment, Dolissile floated over unsteadily and Tobias went to check on his Mindadam who was twitching at the other side of the pool where the wild Minakai of the cavern were watching him. ¡°You were great, Dolissile,¡± Aurin said, rapping his knuckles on his Minakai¡¯s metal casing. Dolissile hovered in place with no discernible expression, but Aurin knew him well enough to know that he was proud of his efforts. ¡°Now that we know we can defeat a cosmic elemental, we just need to find a way to take down Taurus¡¯s Ethruki. If we can defeat him, we can continue to thwart the Zodiac Squad¡¯s plans.¡± Chapter 131 Aurin lay in the guest room staring at the ceiling. He still couldn¡¯t believe that Dolissile had pushed through the cosmic powers of Mindadam. After all of his Minakai before the cybernetic dolphin had fallen, he had started to give up hope, but it had happened. His mind was reeling and he couldn¡¯t sleep as he played the events over and over in his mind. Deciding that he was wasting his time lying in bed, he got up, threw on his clothes, and headed outside. He wandered over to the makeshift shed where his Minakai were sleeping. Aurin sat down beside Dolissile who was sleeping on the ground motionless with his eyes open. ¡°Are you awake?¡± he asked the dolphin. Dolissile careened his body slightly to confirm to his tamer that he was. ¡°Good,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I think I know what it is that we missed in the battle.¡± Dolissile let out a low, mechanical groan, careful not to awaken the other Minakai sleeping. ¡°Alright,¡± he said. ¡°The first thing is the ability to teleport. We¡¯ve seen it with Minakai like Panchi and its ability to whirl warp, haven¡¯t we? It¡¯s just a matter of trying to pre-empt where the next attack will come from. The second a cosmic elemental begins to teleport it¡¯s made itself vulnerable if we know its destination.¡± Dolissile made no noise, simply staring unblinkingly at Aurin. ¡°The other thing I¡¯ve considered is that when Mindadam froze objects in place, it tended to do it in one direction. If a cosmic elemental can be bombarded from multiple sides at multiple times, then it has to split its concentration, and concentration seems to be the key to its power.¡± Shamtile stirred, slumped over to Aurin and slapped him on the back of the head. He shook his fist and then wandered back over to his spot, curling up and going back to sleep. ¡°Sorry, Dolissile, I¡¯ll let you get some rest too. Great job today, you made me proud to be your tamer.¡± Dolissile emitted an uncharacteristically enthusiastic groan, but he kept it quiet to avoid waking his teammates. Aurin wandered to the back door, brushed the snow off himself and head back inside. To his surprise, Tobias was sitting in the corner, reading a book. ¡°Can¡¯t sleep either?¡± asked Aurin. Tobias closed his book over, keeping one finger inside to track his page. ¡°I heard you go outside so I thought there was no point sitting in my room alone. I often have trouble sleeping, so it¡¯s nothing unusual for me. I think it¡¯s because my mind is always going a thousand miles per second. Almost as fast as your Dolissile, eh?¡± ¡°What are you reading?¡± asked Aurin, pointing to Tobias¡¯s book. Tobias turned it around and showed Aurin the front cover. On Evolution and Lost Minakai. ¡°It¡¯s a good read,¡± he said. ¡°It was written by a Minakai scholar called Dr Frank Howard. He dedicated his life to studying evolution and this is the first of five books he wrote on the matter, most of the time in between books was spent studying further.¡± ¡°Have you met him?¡± ¡°No, no,¡± said Tobias, shaking his head. ¡°He died nearly ten years before I was born, but I bet there was more knowledge in his head than he could ever have put in his books. I¡¯ve heard from a reliable source that he was working on a sixth book before he died, but it was incomplete.¡± Aurin walked over and sat down in the chair beside Tobias. ¡°Do you know about the lost evolution of Cubtem?¡± he asked. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Leofang, yes,¡± he said. ¡°One of its fangs is in a museum in Ludonia. It¡¯s been studied more than you can imagine, yet still the secret to Cubtem¡¯s lost evolution couldn¡¯t be cracked¡­¡± ¡°Until Frederick.¡± ¡°Until Frederick,¡± nodded Tobias. ¡°When Lord Kensington first told me, I couldn¡¯t believe it. I spoke to my friend Clarke, who I believe you met, and he was able to confirm it to me. I wanted to ask you directly about the Leofang, but I was waiting for you to bring it up.¡± Tobias leaned forwards. ¡°What was it like to fight an extinct Minakai?¡± ¡°Strange,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I was caught a bit off guard, if I¡¯m honest. It didn¡¯t help that its owner, Frederick, has been a thorn in my side since I arrived in Hazelton nearly two years ago. Knowing that he found a way to unlock a lost evolution is almost¡­insulting? I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s the right word, but perhaps it is. In any case, it''s an impressive species.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°It packs more of a punch than Leonite, who is already a strong Minakai, but it is without a doubt slower. That¡¯s not to say Leofang is slow, but it¡¯s certainly slower than the Leonite branch of the family.¡± ¡°Curious,¡± muttered Tobias. ¡°What I find most interesting about a lost evolution being brought back is that it¡¯s now no longer a lost evolution. It simply joins the pack of rare evolutions, even though the evolution method is unknown.¡± ¡°There are other unknown evolution methods?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that there are hundreds of them.¡± ¡°What about other rare methods?¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s something I¡¯m much more qualified to speak on. If we take Microbot as an example, you can evolve it in two common ways. A Solar Shard will unlock four elemental evolutions, yes? Flambot, Steambot, Aerobot and Golebot. How about a Lunar Shard?¡± ¡°Treebot, Shockbot, Glacibot and Macrobot, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That covers eight of the elements, so how about the Astral Shard? Well, that gives us the neutral elemental evolution, Savabot. None of these three shards are exceptionally rare, you find them often enough in monster towers, but you can buy them on the open market without hassle too.¡± ¡°Now we come to the rare one, the Cosmic Shard, right?¡± asked Aurin, nodding towards the pearlescent shard that Tobias had stored in a glass display cabinet a few feet away. ¡°Indeed. A Cosmic Shard is a very rare find in the tower, so rare that they can go for thousands of ounces of silver, depending on the supply available, of course. If you give a Cosmic Shard to a Microbot, it becomes Etherbot. This is one of those rare forms, it¡¯s one that¡¯s known to exist, but the method of obtaining it is difficult because of the rarity of the item required.¡± ¡°But are there items other than shards that can trigger an evolution?¡± ¡°There are,¡± said Tobias. ¡°This is where things get interesting because this is often where the lost or undiscovered species typically end up being found. These items possess similar traits to shards, but you may never realise what they¡¯re intended for. The key here is that they must be used alongside an evolutionary shard.¡± ¡°And you think one of these items is what is needed to evolve Cubtem into Leofang instead of Leonite?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m certain of it. Perhaps it¡¯s how the species has bred that¡¯s made it lose Leofang as a default evolution and this item performs¡­how would you put it, a course correction? Unlocks a latent genetic memory?¡± Aurin sat pondering this for a moment while Tobias leaned back in his chair, staring into space. It was clear that he was also deep in thought, perhaps going over the same thoughts that were constantly circling around in his head. Aurin finally dared to speak. ¡°If you ask Frederick how he obtained a Leofang, he will no doubt keep it secret. He would certainly never tell me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not expecting you to find out,¡± said Tobias, shaking his head. ¡°Do not misconstrue my intentions for bringing you here and training you. It¡¯s not because I want you to do this legwork for me. If it was, I would have asked directly.¡± ¡°But, if I had a way of finding out, I would. It¡¯s the least I could do considering how helpful you¡¯ve been to me. You don¡¯t owe me anything, but I certainly owe you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t owe me. If I can¡¯t pass my knowledge down to someone from the next generation, what¡¯s the point of having that knowledge?¡± Tobias looked at the clock that ticked away in the background. ¡°We should probably both get some sleep, it¡¯s another day of hard training tomorrow and you¡¯ll be heading home at the end of the week. Let¡¯s make the best of these opportunities while we¡¯ve got them.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sleep if you do,¡± joked Aurin. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best,¡± laughed Tobias, standing up. ¡°I mean it, Aurin. You don¡¯t owe me anything. Don¡¯t go putting yourself in harm¡¯s way just to find out about Leofang.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± said Aurin, ¡°but if I do find out, then you¡¯ll be the first to know.¡± ¡°I appreciate that,¡± said Tobias before slinking off to his room. Aurin pushed himself from the chair and wandered back into the guest room, where he flopped onto the bed fully clothed. How could be possibly sleep knowing that there were many more Minakai possessing rare evolutions? He was determined now that he would learn more about them and unlock their powers for himself. Chapter 132 ¡°Microbot, dodge!¡± called Aurin as Steambot fired off a pressure cannon. Microbot scurried out of the way on his spindly legs, narrowly avoiding the attack. Desparee put his hands together, powering up nature energy to unleash next, but Microbot could see it coming. He moved back and forth along the snow, forcing Desparee to reposition and break his focus slightly. Once the nature beam was unloaded, Microbot threw himself backwards, avoiding the powerful attack. ¡°Excellent,¡± said Aurin, slowly clapping for the tiny Minakai. ¡°I think you¡¯re ready to see what you can do when we take you to the next level.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± asked Tobias with a grin. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re not evolving Arium first.¡± ¡°I had considered it,¡± said Aurin as the golden alien glanced over, hearing his name, ¡°but without an Astral Shard there¡¯s not much I can do. I do, however, have a Lunar Shard that I¡¯ve been itching to use.¡± ¡°Roulette is a weakness of mine. I wonder which element he¡¯ll become.¡± ¡°Whatever the outcome, he¡¯ll be a new species for me seeing as Steambot is tied to the Solar Shard.¡± ¡°True enough,¡± said Tobias, nodding along. Aurin reached into his jacket pocket where he was keeping his Lunar Shard readied for the right moment. He walked up to Microbot who hopped excitedly upon the snow. Aurin leaned down and placed the shard against his Minakai, who began to glow steely grey. Microbot¡¯s body lengthened and grew long arms that he plunged into the snow, his torso grew long and sharp as a spike burst from his back. As his form changed, so too did the colour of the glow. The grey turned to icy white and Aurin knew now which form he was taking. The glow faded and his new Glacibot stood before him. His arms and legs were a deep grey and his body was made of sharp ice. Within a flat surface at the front of his pointed body was the familiar black screen where the blue eye moved about, taking in his surroundings. Glacibot reared up on his hind legs and let out a beeping cheer before placing his hands on the snowy ground again. ¡°Very nice,¡± said Tobias clapping. ¡°He looks strong. I would say he¡¯s about the average size of a Glacibot, but that may work to your advantage as far as speed is concerned. Glacibot tends to be slow.¡± ¡°Feeling strong, Glacibot?¡± Aurin asked his newly evolved Minakai. He was glad to finally have an ice elemental on his team. Now that only elemental type he lacked was a cosmic, but he was not so worried about that. Glacibot beeped and booped in confirmation as Steambot bounced over excitedly, shaking the snow from the treetops with his thunderous steps. Steambot patted his friend on the back, careful to avoid the large spike. He puffed his steam as a show of admiration and stepped back in a panic, terrified the heat may melt his friend¡¯s body. ¡°What do you reckon, you two?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°How about a battle?¡± Glacibot held his hands up and shook his head as Steambot clasped his own hands together excitedly. ¡°You have the territorial advantage, Glacibot,¡± said Tobias. ¡°Look at all of this snow. You can use that to your advantage once your instincts take over and you realise just what you can do.¡± ¡°Steambot can fly solo and I¡¯ll be on your side,¡± chuckled Aurin. Glacibot started to calm down and nodded. Steamboat bounded across the clearing excitedly and took his place, puffing steam the whole way. Glacibot moved his limbs around in circles, trying to get used to his new form. He quickly realised he couldn¡¯t stand upright for an extended period of time and was forced to walk like a gorilla. Stolen story; please report. ¡°At least you have more than two limbs now,¡± said Aurin to Glacibot. ¡°Are you ready to begin?¡± Glacibot booped in agreement and Steambot let out a whistling jet to show that he was raring to go. ¡°Fight!¡± called Tobias. Steambot stood still as Glacibot lumbered forwards. He drew back an arm and threw it forwards, materialising an icicle in mid-air that flew across the clearing towards Steambot. The large water elemental leaned forwards and shot a mighty jet from his pips that blasted the icicle out of the sky. Steambot stood up again and beckoned Glacibot to try again, taunting the newly evolved Minakai. ¡°He¡¯s cocky,¡± said Aurin quietly, ¡°don¡¯t let that get to you. When he¡¯s playing around like this, that¡¯s when he makes a mistake. Do the same again, but follow up with a second then charge in.¡± Glacibot stood up on his two legs and drew both arms back. He unleashed one icicle, which Steambot blasted away, then hurled a second, which Steambot also blasted away. As Steambot righted himself again, he was tackled by the gorilla-like ice golem and taken to the ground. Glacibot tried to hold Steambot down, but was struck by a powerful fist to the side that broke his grip. Steambot pushed his heavy opponent off him and unleashed a torrential blast of water that rolled Glacibot across the clearing and back towards Aurin. ¡°You got a good strike in there, mate,¡± the tamer told his Minakai, ¡°but we aren¡¯t through yet. He¡¯s got the experience advantage, there¡¯s no question, but his weakness in this battlefield is the ice. If you can get your hands on him again, freeze his pipes and he¡¯s disabled.¡± Glacibot let out a chilly, metallic grunt of agreement. He held back one hand as though to summon another icicle, but this time he thrust his fist forward and conjured a snowstorm that blasted straight in Steambot¡¯s direction. The snow was blinding his one eye, leaving him open. As Steambot tried to summon the rain to replace the snow, Glacibot launched an icicle that struck him, throwing him to the ground once more. The large ice elemental leapt on top of his foe and grabbed onto his pipes for dear life. As Steambot tried to shoot a pressure cannon, Glacibot froze the tops of the pipes, blocking them. ¡°Finish him off!¡± called Aurin. Glacibot summoned an icicle into his hand and aimed to impale Steambot with it, but Steambot was too enraged to simply accept defeat. He was vibrating vigorously and, with renewed strength, caught the icicle, snapping it in half, leaving the remaining part in Glacibot¡¯s hand as a mere blunt instrument. Steambot brought his feet to his chest and delivered a heavy kick to the Glacibot¡¯s screen, dazing him. Steambot climbed back to his feet and then leaned forward, firing a pressure cannon that shot the ice coverings from his pipes. They soared towards Glacibot, smacking him in the torso. As the ice elemental tried to recover, he was hit by a full-strength pressure cannon that flung him back into Tobias¡¯s fence, smashing a large chunk of it to pieces. ¡°Steamboat is the winner!¡± called Tobias. ¡°And he owes me a new fence. Desparee rushed over and picked up the wood, falling to his knees and weeping. He started mending the fence with his nature magic, but it was not as effective on dead wood as it was on a still-living tree. Steambot meanwhile helped the stunned Glacibot back onto his feet and patted him on the back again, congratulating his fellow construct on a good first battle as his new evolution. ¡°It was a good battle,¡± Aurin agreed. ¡°Glacibot, we need to work on teaching you some new techniques and adapting to your new body. Steambot¡­what can I say? Good job, but don¡¯t let yourself get overconfident like you did near the start. In a real battle, that could cost you.¡± Steambot thumped his chest and stood upright, then ran over to where Spikruption was training to fight some more. ¡°Now you have all eight main elemental types and a couple of neutral elementals,¡± said Tobias. ¡°Are you feeling well-covered now?¡± ¡°I will once I learn how to use them all to be most effective,¡± said Aurin. ¡°If I want to face you at the next national championship, it¡¯s going to take playing my elemental types correctly as well as having a versatile pool of moves for each of my Minakai.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got over half a year to work on that. I have no doubt you¡¯ll manage it. You¡¯ve already improved since we first began. Your Minakai are much more hardened and they¡¯ve embraced training in the freezing weather conditions of Briarwood.¡± ¡°You know what would help me train even better?¡± asked Aurin with a smirk. ¡°Tell me,¡± said Tobias with a chuckle. ¡°Training against your Grakadon. That¡¯s a sparring partner that would give any of my Minakai a run for their money.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s your wish,¡± said Tobias with a shrug and then holding out a summoning stone. Grakadon appeared in a flash of brown light. He roared ferociously, drawing the attention of all of Aurin¡¯s Minakai. ¡°Show them how the mighty earth dragon of the national spars, Grakadon,¡± said Tobias. Chapter 133 Aurin walked outside on a typically frosty morning, prepared for another day of training before he departed from Briarwood the following day. It was bittersweet to be saying goodbye to the quiet mountain town, but he was longing to see his friends and get back to the more moderate cold of late Autumn in Hazelton. ¡°Team,¡± called Aurin to the Minakai, most of whom were already playfighting in Tobias¡¯s back yard. ¡°This is our final day so we¡¯re going to make it count. I¡¯m going to push you harder than ever and we will be sure¡ª¡± ¡°Hold that thought,¡± said Tobias, stepping out from his house. ¡°I¡¯ve got something else in mind for your grand finale, Aurin.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± asked Aurin, his interest piqued. ¡°The time has come for us to put all of our training over the last month to the test. Are you prepared to fight against me in a five-on-five battle?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Aurin immediately. He was certain that he didn¡¯t stand a chance, but he wanted to show Tobias just what he was capable of. ¡°That was a much faster response than I expected. Not even a second thought?¡± ¡°Not a second thought.¡± ¡°Good. Use that fire and that drive. I want to see you fighting at your best today.¡± ¡°Likewise, Tobias,¡± said Aurin with a grin. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to hold back one bit.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning to,¡± said Tobias, placing his tamer glove upon his hand. It was embedded with five summoning stones and Aurin deliberately avoided looking at it so he could go into the battle blind. ¡°One Minakai after the other?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Tournament rules,¡± confirmed Tobias. Aurin turned to his Minakai. ¡°Change of plan, team. Are we ready?¡± The Minakai exploded with agreement and excitement, except for Desparee who wept tears of anxiety. ¡°Let¡¯s show him what we¡¯ve got.¡± Aurin took his place at one end of the yard with his Minakai all lined up behind him, while Tobias stood at the far side alone. The Bretonian champion usually looked happy, but he now bore a very serious face that he didn¡¯t wear very often. He meant business. ¡°On your count,¡± he called. ¡°Three, two, one¡­fight!¡± Both tamers threw their hands forward with their tamer gloves glowing; Aurin¡¯s red, Tobias¡¯s blue. Spikruption warped onto the battlefield from the sidelines, only to be faced with a Guilgon summoned by Tobias. ¡°Watch out if it takes to the skies,¡± Aurin said to Spikruption as the large red dinosaur charged straight in. Tobias¡¯s blue dragon bore a look of determined smugness, then breathed in and spat out a jet of water. Immediately, Spikruption rolled into a ball and charged straight through the water, which failed to hold him back. As he drew near Guilgon, he unfurled himself and spun through the air, slamming his tail downwards. Guilgon leapt aside as Spikruption¡¯s tail compacted the snow. The dragon took a swipe at the dinosaur, but Spikruption threw himself backwards and fireball that struck Guilgon on the arm. Aurin clenched his fist, glad to have landed the first hit, but Guilgon did not look to be angered. Tobias¡¯s dragon maintained its cool and ran backwards, flapping its wings and raising itself off the ground. It soared high into the air and Spikruption roared mightily, conjuring a rain of embers from the sky that Guilgon was forced to weave between to avoid being hit. The dragon tipped itself shot a burst of water from its feet and propelled itself at Spikruption. The dinosaur spun, ready to thump the dragon with its tail, but Guilgon spun in mid-air and its head-fin glowed brightly. Spikruption had too much momentum to abandon his attack and Guilgon was whirling around like a razorblade. It collided with Spikruption¡¯s tail, cutting a large gash into it that made Aurin¡¯s Minakai recoil and the embers ceased their rain. As Guilgon aimed to follow up with a point-blank water jet, Spikruption thrust his head forward and jabbed Guilgon in the nose with his horns, breaking the skin and making the dragon bleed. Guilgon roared in pain and Spikruption breathed out a wave of flame, burning Guilgon¡¯s face. The dragon threw itself backwards, rolling into the snow to cool itself down before standing up, now visibly angered. Spikruption charged forward, sidestepping the water jets spat out by Guilgon. As he was on the verge of striking the dragon, Guilgon summoned a bubble shield to take the attack. He harnessed all of his elemental might and unleashed a pressure cannon to rival that of even Steambot. Spikruption was thrown across the yard, but Guilgon was not prepared to let up. The dragon flew towards the tumbling Spikruption and tore into him with his claws. The assault was relentless, Spikruption being too disoriented to fight back, and it wasn¡¯t long before he fell limp and he was done for. ¡°Sunny, go to the barn and tend to him,¡± Aurin ordered his smallest Minakai. She sped away and Aurin used his summoning stone to banish Spikruption from the battlefield. ¡°Desparee, it¡¯s tired. Finish the job!¡± The tree-like Minakai ran onto the field as Guilgon was heaving up and down, exhausted and bloody from the fight with Spikruption. Desparee drew his hands back, generating a small amount of energy for a nature beam. Guilgon saw what was happening and charged at the Minakai, wanting to end their fight quickly. Suddenly, vines burst from the ground and wrapped themselves around Guilgon¡¯s feet, holding it back. Desparee unleashed a small nature beam that struck the dragon, but it was only enough to daze it. He summoned more vines to hold Guilgon in place, then conjured a cage of brambles around the dragon, trapping it inside. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Guilgon fought against the vines and cage, cutting them with his sharp claws one by one, but Desparee had moved in on him. The dragon spat a desperate water jet as Desparee fired a more powerful nature beam. The green blast of energy powered through the jet, striking Guilgon and pushing it into the brambles encircling it. Tobias summoned his Titamet, a burly humanoid Minakai of swirling purple gas with metal gloves and boots, along with a metal mask with a pointed nose that rested upon its face. Aurin wondered what Tobais was thinking sending out a metal elemental that would be weak to a nature elemental like Desparee. ¡°Armour up!¡± called the champion and Titamet let out a fuzzy shout, its body now covered in metal plates. Desparee ran forward, his fists glowing green and ready to destroy the armour. He reached his opponent, who stood still and, as his Minakai swung, Aurin realised the trap they had fallen for. ¡°It¡¯s not in there!¡± called Aurin, as the undead Minakai appeared behind Desparee. Titamet grabbed Desparee, held him high over its head, and then slammed him forcefully into the snow. It raised its fists and unleashed a flurry of punches against Aurin¡¯s writhing Minakai until he fell unconscious. Aurin threw back his head in frustration. He was annoyed he had thought of Titamet as purely a metal elemental rather than considering its properties as a gaseous undead; a sloppy error on his part. ¡°Arium!¡± called Aurin, banishing Desparee and summoning his golden alien. Tobias raised his eyebrows for a second before returning to his serious face. Arium ran straight into the battle, his fists spinning around and ready to be launched at the huge Minakai before him. Titamet almost laughed as the neutral elemental ran at it. It swung its fist and Arium moved aside, throwing his own. It whacked Titamet¡¯s mask, surprising the large undead. As Arium threw another fist, Titamet phased behind him, but Arium¡¯s other fist jabbed Titamet in the mask once again. Frustrated by the slippery little Minakai, Titamet teleported out of range and roared loudly. Large chunks of shrapnel erupted from its body and, as they neared Arium, the shards of metal before the little alien stopped in place. Arium focused his telekinetic energy and threw them back at Titamet, who phased out of the way of its own attack. As Titamet reappeared, the golden alien sent his fists soaring through the air and delivered a series of punches to Titamet¡¯s face. The large undead was not especially hurt, but he was growing angrier by the second. ¡°Do not let him throw you off balance,¡± urged Tobias, but Titamet could not hide its anger. As Arium¡¯s fists retracted, Titamet teleported behind Arium. He picked up the little Minakai and threw him towards the ground, where he crunched against the snow. Titamet raised its fists to deliver the finishing blow, but Arium threw the snow at it, blinding and distracting it. ¡°Full power!¡± called Aurin. Arium harnessed his telekinetic energy. So much so that his fists fell to the ground as he focused on Titamet. He raised Titamet up, sending him high into the sky; for such a large Minakai, his gaseous form made him deceptively light. With a loud screech, Arium slammed the huge Minakai into the ground, knocking him out of the battle. Tobias laughed and clapped slowly. ¡°That was unexpected,¡± he said, then raised his tamer glove again. From a brown gem, he summoned his Grakadon, who slammed onto the battlefield; this opponent would not be so light. As Arium threw his fists, Grakadon raised a wall of rock and the alien¡¯s fists stopped dead, badly bruised from punching into the solid stone. As Arium brought his fists back to him, the rock wall split apart and Grakadon flew through it at shocking speed. He slammed into Arium, knocking him back towards the fence, where Arium crashed into it, breaking a couple of planks. The alien tried to stand up again, but he fell back, too spent to continue. ¡°Chopchop!¡± ordered Aurin, bringing his armoured insect in from the sidelines. The metal elemental spawned in a flash of steely grey light, swinging his blade arms and assuming a defensive stance. Grakadon charged at him, throwing his own burly arms out. Chopchop swung, colliding with Grakadon¡¯s arms, but found them suddenly coated in stone armour. Chopchop tried to drive on through, but Grakadon headbutted him, knocking his helmet askew. The brown dragon kicked the insectoid swordsman back and summoned a rock cage. As Chopchop cut through the stone, Grakadon summoned a stalactite. Upon the cage shattering, the stalactite fell and smashed into the top of Chopchop¡¯s helmet, knocking him out before he even had the chance to get started. ¡°He¡¯s so powerful,¡± muttered Aurin, hurriedly debating which of his Minakai to use next. Dolissile wasn¡¯t versatile enough, Shamtile wasn¡¯t as powerful of an earth elemental, Glacibot was untested. He was going to get hit, so he needed a Minakai that could take it. ¡°Gorunze!¡± he called. Gorunze slammed onto the battlefield and immediately shot a topaz laser beam from his gemstone eyes. Grakadon hadn¡¯t expected the rapid attack and took the blast straight to the chest, throwing him back. The bronze golem charged forwards on all fours, shaking the snow from the trees and the rooftop. He leapt and threw himself onto the earth dragon, who let out a roar of pain upon being crushed by Aurin¡¯s Minakai. Grakadon grabbed into Gorunze and pushed hard, straining himself intensely. He forced Gorunze aside and then climbed back to his feet. He flew to the sky as Gorunze fired laser beam after laser beam at him. He clipped Grakadon¡¯s wing, sending the dragon spiralling back to the ground. As Gorunze moved in to attack, a pit opened up beneath him, trapping him down low. Grakadon hit the ground and let out a roar, swinging his arms down. A pile of boulders appeared over the pit, then fell upon Gorunze, who tried to hurriedly break them with his laser blasts and claw swipes. Grakadon stood up, shaking vigorously as Gorunze desperately sank his nails into the side of the pit and climbed. A boulder, larger than Grakadon himself appeared above the chasm and plummeted in, knocking Gorunze back down in and flattening him. Aurin let out a long-held breath and sighed, knowing that the battle was over. He raised his tamer glove and banished Gorunze to the barn as the rock faded from sight and the base of the pit raised back to ground level. Tobias was clapping as he approached Aurin. ¡°It was a good match,¡± he said jovially. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be able to get past Titamet¡­and with Arium no less!¡± ¡°He was the best counter I could come up with,¡± laughed Aurin, rubbing his neck. ¡°It¡¯s just a shame you sent out Grakadon afterwards¡­he didn¡¯t stand a chance against him.¡± Grakadon let out a proud roar and threw his arms into the air. ¡°It was a good showing by all of your Minakai,¡± said Tobias, ¡°but I think your Chopchop was a misstep.¡± ¡°In hindsight, I agree,¡± admitted Aurin. ¡°I should have gone straight in with Gorunze and, once Grakadon had tired himself, I could have followed up with Steambot.¡± ¡°All in all, it was a good battle. You did very well and have gotten notably better since we began.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°And with that,¡± said Tobias, drawing in a deep breath before exhaling, ¡°our training together is complete.¡± ¡°Just like that?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Just like that.¡± Aurin held out his hand and Tobias took it and shook it. ¡°Thank you, Tobias. I¡¯ve learned a lot from you in so many ways¡­I¡¯m not sure how to repay you other than finding out how Frederick evolved a Cubtem into a Leofang.¡± ¡°No repayment necessary! Just make sure that when we have another battle in the future that it¡¯s one that we¡¯ll remember for the rest of our lives. I¡¯m expecting you to reach the finals of the tournament at a bare minimum, alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be the national champion after our next battle.¡± ¡°Maybe so,¡± chuckled Tobias, reaching into his jacket pocket. He pulled out an obsidian gem that bore a glowing off-white orb in the middle then tossed it to Aurin. ¡°A final gift for you.¡± Aurin caught it and looked at it closely. He had never seen this before. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. ¡°That, my friend, is called a Full Moon Gem. It¡¯s a very rare item to unlock a rare form of a Minakai. Can you guess who in your team it¡¯s for?¡± Aurin looked across the snow-covered yard at his team. His eyes wandered over each of his Minakai until they settled on his green wolf. He looked at the Full Moon Gem and then back to Budescent before smiling. Chapter 134 Skrow flew across the sky carrying Aurin on his back with the sun high overhead. The fields and hills of Bretonia were spread out below them as they crossed the county, making their way back to Hazelton. It had been a tiring journey, having set out at the crack of dawn, but it was almost over; they were almost home. ¡°There¡¯s Harmony Tower,¡± said Aurin, pointing downwards. ¡°That¡¯s Hazelton below and¡­there¡¯s the ranch. We¡¯re almost home.¡± Skrow began his descent and Aurin clung to the undead bird tightly. The ranch grew closer and closer with each of the individual Minakai¡¯s shapes becoming clearer as they flew downwards. A man was walking along the river that flowed through the ranch, throwing something into it that the aquatic Minakai leapt at to gobble up; it was Kyle. He was not the only one at the ranch today. There was a girl with fiery red hair standing in the field that Kyle used as a makeshift battlefield. She was pitting two little drakes¡ªone blue and one brown¡ªagainst each other. The blue one spat water jets from his mouth while the brown one hurled hefty rocks; it was Innogon and Bakugon. Innogon suddenly ceased spitting water and looked up to the sky, only to be smacked in the face by one of Bakugon¡¯s rocks. Luna rushed over to him to make sure he was alright, then looked to see what had distracted him. Upon seeing Aurin and Skrow almost upon her she squealed in excitement and started hopping on the spot. Skrow landed on the grass and Aurin hopped off as Luna ran towards him. She reached out her arms and jumped on him, wrapping herself tightly around him, still squealing something hard to decipher. She calmed down and kissed him a half dozen times before hugging him again. ¡°I thought you would be back later this evening,¡± she said as she released him. ¡°It was a much quicker journey back,¡± said Aurin, nodding towards Skrow. ¡°He¡¯s built up his speed and stamina a lot since we¡¯ve been away.¡± ¡°I missed you,¡± said Luna, unable to wipe the wide grin from her face. ¡°I missed you too,¡± said Aurin as Innogon jumped onto his back. ¡°And you, of course,¡± Aurin told the water elemental. Bakugon wandered over and looked at Aurin in confusion. Aurin didn¡¯t have the chance to see Luna¡¯s newest Minakai much before he left for his training with Tobias. ¡°Baku,¡± said Luna. ¡°You remember Aurin, right? You have to be extra nice to him.¡± Baku looked at Aurin, then to his tamer and started frowning. ¡°Is he alright?¡± Aurin asked. ¡°He can be a little possessive,¡± Luna said. ¡°He tried to bite Emily and Hannah when they came here last week. I think he thought they were going to kidnap me.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°No!¡± screeched Luna before pausing to think. ¡°Well, maybe they were¡­but I convinced them to spend time here instead.¡± ¡°The apprentice returns,¡± called Kyle, walking through the gate. ¡°How was the training with Tobias?¡± ¡°Exhausting, but rewarding,¡± said Aurin. ¡°That¡¯s not the detailed explanation I hoped for,¡± said Kyle with a raised eyebrow before laughing, ¡°but I understand. It¡¯s been a long journey, so I¡¯ll let it slide. How about your team?¡± Aurin reached into his bag and pulled out all of his summoning stones that weren¡¯t already fixed to his glove. He summoned the rest of his team to join Skrow: Shamtile, Spikruption, Dolissile, Leonite, Desparee, Steambot, Gorunze, Chopchop, Arium, Sunny, Glacibot and Budescent. They emitted a cacophony of calls, roars, beeps and grunts, all very excited to finally have returned home from Briarwood. Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Something is different,¡± said Luna, looking across the thirteen Minakai and trying to figure out what it is. Glacibot reared himself up and punched the air before dropping his fists back onto the grass. ¡°Oh!¡± called Luna. ¡°You evolved your Microbot.¡± ¡°And Petalcub,¡± said Kyle, pointing at Budescent who howled proudly upon being noticed. ¡°Don¡¯t let me forget to reattune their summoning stones to the ranch,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I think they¡¯ll be a little disappointed to be sent back to the snow if I banish them.¡± Kyle walked up and down Aurin¡¯s lineup of Minakai, pausing to admire each of them at least once. ¡°They all look stronger,¡± he said to Aurin. ¡°They are,¡± said Aurin. ¡°We¡¯re going to be a real force to be reckoned with next tournament.¡± Luna and Kyle exchanged a glance. ¡°What?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°You may be testing that strength before long,¡± said Luna. ¡°Zodiac?¡± ¡°Leo is back in town, or Frederick? I saw him walking through the town square a couple of days ago. I think he¡¯s back for good after Lord Kensington¡¯s battle royale.¡± ¡°I thought that might be a possibility,¡± muttered Aurin. ¡°What about Taurus? Virgo? Pisces?¡± Kyle shook his head. ¡°Neither of us have seen head or tail of any of the other elites, but Luna has run into a few grunts in the tower.¡± Aurin watched as Shamtile and Innogon started wrestling on the grass. It must have been their way of greeting each other seeing as they didn¡¯t have any milkshakes to fight over at the moment. ¡°I wonder,¡± he said, ¡°if Frederick being back means that all of the elites are in town.¡± ¡°Do you think Sagittarius is back too?¡± asked Luna. ¡°Libra couldn¡¯t be, seeing as she¡¯s still in prison. I spoke to Knot last week and he confirmed that for me.¡± ¡°Those are titles that can be passed on. Just because the old Sagittarius and Libra aren¡¯t here doesn¡¯t mean that there aren¡¯t new ones to take their places.¡± ¡°Do you reckon they¡¯re close to exacting their plan to unleash wild Minakai upon the world?¡± ¡°Could be,¡± shrugged Aurin. ¡°And how would we go about stopping them?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°By defeating them each time we meet them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a smart guy, Aurin, so you know why that plan makes no sense. We can¡¯t keep watch over them all day and night. We don¡¯t have the resources and we don¡¯t know the identities of most of them.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll just have to pray that Taurus doesn¡¯t learn how to control Ethruki.¡± Aurin suddenly started walking towards Kyle¡¯s house. ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°I need to make a phone call,¡± said Aurin. He stepped inside and headed towards the phone. He picked up a small notepad beside it and flicked back a few pages until he found the number he was looking for. He dialled it into the phone and listened to the tone as he waited for an answer. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hello, Conrad.¡± ¡°Aurin?¡± asked the Minakai Guardian. ¡°I need to check with you about cosmic elementals in Hazelton,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Have there been more identified since we last spoke?¡± ¡°That depends.¡± ¡°Depends on what?¡± ¡°On whether Frederick Acton is in town.¡± ¡°He is¡­¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s better that we talk in person. I¡¯ll take a train to Hazelton tomorrow and I¡¯ll fill you in on what we know. I¡¯ll meet you for lunch at Benedict¡¯s. I should be able to make it for noon.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you then.¡± Aurin hung up and stood still for a few moments. Had Frederick really acquired a cosmic Minakai of his own? If he had, then it must have taken him some restraint to not use it against Aurin during the Palace Royale. He dragged his hand across his face and shook his head. He would worry about this tomorrow after Conrad explained what he knew. Aurin headed back outside to find Luna and Kyle who were talking as they inspected Aurin¡¯s Minakai, most of whom were trying to show off their new strength by throwing sneaky attacks at each other. Spikruption was less subtle than the others, launching entire waves of flame at his teammates while Steambot doused the flames to protect the others. ¡°Calm down, the lot of you,¡± Aurin scolded them. ¡°Everything alright?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°Yeah¡­yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You look worried,¡± remarked Luna. ¡°We¡¯ll see tomorrow if I have reason to be,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Shall we go get something to eat in town? I haven¡¯t had anything since last night.¡± ¡°Not even breakfast?¡± asked Luna. ¡°Nah, I wanted to get back here as quick as I could.¡± ¡°You really did miss me, didn¡¯t you?¡± said Luna with a wink as she nudged her boyfriend with her elbow. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll sit this one out,¡± said Kyle, rolling his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure you two lovebirds will be just fine without me.¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± said Aurin, ¡°you¡¯re coming too. We haven¡¯t had a proper chance to catch up yet.¡± ¡°You¡¯re stuck with us, Kyle,¡± agreed Luna, grabbing the rancher¡¯s arm and pulling him along. ¡°Shamtile?¡± Aurin called back as Luna waved at Innogon. Shamtile bounded over with the blue drake chasing after him. The three tamers and the two Minakai walked down the ranch path towards town, all of them reunited after a month apart. Aurin knew that no matter what Zodiac tried, they would find a way to stop them together. Chapter 135 Aurin stood outside Benedict¡¯s Caf¨¦ with Shamtile waiting for Conrad. It was an especially chilly day as Christmas drew ever nearer, and he had wrapped his scarf tightly around himself. He checked his watch, seeing that it was still two minutes to midday, but his impatience was growing knowing that Frederick seemingly had a cosmic elemental Minakai on his team now. ¡°If he has one, it¡¯ll be a disaster,¡± Aurin said aloud to Shamtile who looked up at his tamer in confusion. ¡°If Leo has a cosmic Minakai.¡± Shamtile nodded half-heartedly. Having battled against Tobias¡¯s Mindadam, the masked lizard thought he may have been able to overcome the element that controlled space and time. ¡°It won¡¯t be half as easy as you think,¡± said Aurin. ¡°A single battle against Mindadam, which you lost very quickly, isn¡¯t enough to prepare you. It took the combined efforts of the entire team to tire him out enough for Dolissile to deliver the final blow. If we have to¡ª¡± ¡°Aurin!¡± called Conrad, rushing up the street. ¡°I¡¯m not late am I?¡± Aurin checked his watch again. ¡°No, it just turned twelve noon.¡± ¡°How have you been?¡± Conrad asked, reaching out a hand for Aurin to shake. Aurin looked at him for a moment before accepting the handshake. If ever there was a time to let bygones be bygones, now was probably it. Besides, being standoffish when Conrad came all this way to speak with him wouldn¡¯t have made him overly eager to share what he knew. ¡°I¡¯ve been well,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Winning tournaments, I hear?¡± ¡°How did you know that?¡± ¡°We had someone participating to keep an eye on Frederick to see whether he would¡­well, we¡¯ll get to that. Shall we order?¡± Aurin, Conrad, and Shamtile headed inside and spoke to Benedict at the counter¡ªAurin ordered a cheeseburger, Conrad the shepherd¡¯s pie and Shamtile a chocolate milkshake; something he had badly missed while staying in Briarwood. After taking their seats, they final had a chance to talk properly. ¡°I want to hear everything,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Fair enough,¡± said Conrad, nodding slowly. ¡°We received word of a cosmic Minakai being seen in a town to the north called Merridale, so naturally, we were tasked with investigating to see if the user would cause any trouble with it. ¡°We sent a team out to the town and found a young blonde man, only a couple of years older than either of us, trying to make it follow his will. Needless to say, I was surprised that it was someone who was already on our radar thanks to what we learned last time in Hazelton.¡± ¡°Frederick,¡± muttered Aurin as Shamtile slurped his milkshake noisily. ¡°Frederick Alton, also known as Leo of the Zodiac Squad,¡± said Conrad. ¡°The Minakai, Abysarex, was proving to be difficult for him to control, but he refused to hand it over to us. He summoned his own team to fight us and, much to our surprise, he also had command of a Minakai thought extinct; a Leofang.¡± ¡°He¡¯s full of surprises, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Our hands were largely tied because our men overstepped the mark, legally speaking, and we had very little concrete evidence to identify him as the criminal known as Leo, so we were forced to let him go with Abysarex in tow.¡± ¡°If Abysarex was difficult to control, how did he manage to bring it back to Hazelton?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Surely, he has to be keeping the Minakai somewhere rather than having it follow him the whole way?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t say for certain, but I would suspect he wore it down and hid it somewhere out in the countryside where nobody was likely to stumble across it, then summoned it here when he finally made it home. Wherever the Zodiac Squad are holed up these days, I would suspect that¡¯s where Abysarex is¡­along with the Ethruki controlled by Taurus.¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Just then, the two meals arrived and, to Aurin¡¯s surprise, a second milkshake for Shamtile that he didn¡¯t remember ordering. Shamtile snatched it away before his tamer could question anything. ¡°This Abysarex¡­how does it differ from Ethruki or Mindadam?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Their elemental powers are largely the same, but their temperament is quite different. Mindadam is more docile unless provoked, Ethruki is a wildcard, especially if angered, and Abysarex is a powerful brawler that loves to fight. It resembles a lion¡ª¡± ¡°Of course it does,¡± said Aurin. ¡°That¡¯s three cosmic Minakai to represent three of the Zodiac elites. A bull for Taurus, a lion for Leo and a horse for whoever may be the new Sagittarius. I take it there¡¯s been no word on a Mindadam sighting?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± said Conrad as he took a bite of his pie. ¡°What are we supposed to do now?¡± ¡°Klaus has given me permission to stay in town and monitor things for the time being. Having two members of a criminal organisation with cosmic Minakai is something worth keeping an eye on. I¡¯ll check in with Detective Knot this afternoon.¡± The two finished their meal and Conrad paid the bill for them. They talked very little the rest of the time, Aurin being too deep in thought and wild theories to give more than one-word answers to anything Conrad asked him. Truth be told, he was still sore about the Minakai Guardian¡¯s deception. ¡°Thanks,¡± said Aurin upon Conrad paying. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± said Conrad. ¡°If you find out anything else, give me a shout. I take it I¡¯ll still be able to find you at the ranch?¡± ¡°Yeah, not much has changed there.¡± ¡°Fair,¡± laughed Conrad as he walked away. ¡°I¡¯ll see you around.¡± Aurin and a very full Shamtile headed the opposite way down the street, making their way back home. He had a lot to fill Luna and Kyle in on. The Zodiac Squad were now more dangerous than ever with their two cosmic Minakai. Aurin could only surmise that they wanted a third so that three of them could storm the tower at once with their powerful monsters. ¡°We¡¯re in a world of trouble, Shamtile,¡± said Aurin, shaking his head. ¡°The most we can do right now is keep training hard.¡± Shamtile let out a warbled grunt, then patted Aurin on the lower back; he was unable to reach higher. They walked out of town and along the forest path. As they neared the junction leading towards the tower, a fireball suddenly smacked Shamtile on the back of the head. ¡°Whoops,¡± came Damien¡¯s voice. Aurin and Shamtile spun around and laid eyes on the pest of a tamer with his Hoofreeti standing beside him. Luna had told Aurin all about her battle with Damien a couple of weeks ago. ¡°Apologise to Shamtile,¡± barked Aurin. ¡°Was whoops not enough?¡± shrugged Damien with a vile smirk on his face. ¡°What do you want?¡± Aurin demanded. ¡°A rematch,¡± said Damien. ¡°After how you embarrassed me at Tamer Day, I think it¡¯s only fair.¡± ¡°Embarrassed you? You lost a battle, Damien. Get over it.¡± ¡°I was cheated out of a victory and I simply want to even up the scales.¡± ¡°You want a battle? Fine. Let¡¯s go!¡± Shamtile charged forwards, dodging fireballs from Hoofreeti. He encased his fists with stone and launched himself towards the demonic goat, who blocked with his tough hoof. Hoofreeti retaliated with a kick, but Shamtile dove underneath the ground and out of sight. Hoofreeti held a cloven hoof to the hole in the ground and unleashed a jet of flame, trying to smoke Shamtile out. The little Minakai burst out a few feet away, disoriented by his sudden forced exit. Hoofreeti swung himself around and slammed a hoof into the side of Shamtile¡¯s head, knocking him across the grass. From the edge of the path burst a small black ghost with a pumpkin for a head and a flickering flame atop a wick. It smiled meaningly as it grabbed Shamtile and threw him into the air and roasting him with an eruption of fire. The Scarelit danced around excitedly, very pleased with itself. ¡°Dolissile!¡± called Aurin, throwing out his fist. Dolissile charged forwards, colliding with Hoofreeti¡¯s back as he aimed for the falling Shamtile. The demonic Minakai collapsed unable to fight, leaving Aurin¡¯s Minakai outnumbering Damien¡¯s. ¡°You dirty little¡­¡± ¡°You started this,¡± warned Aurin. Damien summoned three more Minakai; a Fyrvern, a Hogannon, and a Volcarrow. Aurin in-turn summoned Desparee, Gorunze and Chopchop. The two tamers stared each other down as their Minakai all waited to be called to action. Finally, Damien laughed and banished his entire team. ¡°It was fun playing with you, Aurin,¡± he said, turning around to walk away. ¡°Perhaps next time we¡¯ll battle in the tower. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be you and the girl, whereas I like to travel in a group of three. We¡¯ll see how you fare when it¡¯s nine of our Minakai against your six.¡± ¡°And who are these friends of yours you¡¯ll be bringing along?¡± ¡°You already know them well, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°So¡­you¡¯re a member of the Zodiac Squad too then, Damien?¡± ¡°I would prefer that you call me Capricorn,¡± said Damien, reaching into his jacket and placing a goat-patterned mask upon his face. He pointed his fingers at Aurin like a gun and pretended to fire and blow away the imaginary smoke. He then laughed, removed his mask and walked away as Aurin and his Minakai watched him. Once he was out of sight, Aurin headed over to Shamtile to make sure he was alright. ¡°That guy is rotten to the core,¡± said Aurin. Shamtile grunted and screeched, angry to have been hit twice by sucker punches. ¡°We¡¯re all going to need to be extra vigilant,¡± Aurin said, turning to Dolissile, Desparee, Gorunze and Chopchop. ¡°I know he threatened jumping us in the tower, but he reminds me of Sagittarius. Even at the ranch, we can¡¯t afford to let our guard down.¡± The Minakai all expressed their agreement, knowing that their biggest battles were coming closer and closer. Chapter 136 Aurin shoved the shovel underneath the pile of Spikruption dung with tremendous force. He lifted it up and tipped it into the wheelbarrow, shaking his head at that large red dinosaur of his. ¡°I know you need to eat lots to stay in shape, but¡­this is something else,¡± he said. Spikruption roared proudly, very pleased to have out-dunged the rest of the Minakai. ¡°Are you almost finished?¡± asked Luna, walking over to the fence and leaning on it with a big smile on her face. ¡°Almost,¡± he said, flicking the pebbles that were Shamtile¡¯s droppings into the wheelbarrow. ¡°I just need to get rid of this. Luna put her index finger to her bottom lip. ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered why you don¡¯t get Shamtile to open up a pit, bury it, then close it back up again?¡± ¡°Sometimes if Kyle isn¡¯t looking, that¡¯s exactly what I do,¡± chuckled Aurin, looking around to see where Kyle was. ¡°Over there,¡± said Luna, nodding towards the river where Kyle had just finished feeding a school of Dopefish, including Luna¡¯s. ¡°If you¡¯re worried that he¡¯ll look around, I know the perfect way to distract him.¡± Luna pulled out a brown summoning stone and summoned her Stopod. The sleepy-looking grey octopus scuttled around on his stubby tentacles, unsure as to why he had been called. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Aurin asked, poking Shamtile to alert him. ¡°On my signal,¡± said Luna, trying to hold back her giggling. ¡°Stopod, drop a boulder into the water.¡± Stopod sucked in air and then spat a large boulder over the fence and across the enclosures. It fell into the river, creating a wave that soaked Kyle. He turned back to the river, not having seen the flying boulder. He leaned over, thinking there must have been a Minakai getting rowdy somewhere underwater. By the time he had given up and headed inside to dry off, the dung had mysteriously vanished. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± said Luna excitedly. ¡°Where?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Somewhere that isn¡¯t here, the tower or the town. Something tells me that in any one of those three places you¡¯ll have Zodiac brain again.¡± ¡°Zodiac brain?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± nodded Luna enthusiastically. ¡°It¡¯s a severe mental condition that results in one dwelling on a nefarious criminal organisation for an unhealthy amount of time when one is unable to do anything about them.¡± Aurin laughed. ¡°Then I must indeed have a case of Zodiac brain,¡± he said before pointing towards the mountain that loomed over the ranch. ¡°Fancy a hike?¡± Luna looked at her attire¡ªa pale red coat over a white dress with thick boots and socks almost up to her knees, the ensemble completed by a scarf wrapped around her neck¡ªthen nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not remotely dressed for the occasion, and it¡¯s a particularly chilly November this year, but let¡¯s live a little.¡± ¡°Shall we bring the Minakai?¡± Aurin asked. ¡°Which ones?¡± ¡°All of them.¡± ¡°All of them?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± said Aurin, looking around at his team who were relaxing in the pen with him. Luna shrugged and summoned the rest of her team of ten to join Aurin¡¯s team of thirteen; Innogon immediately hopped onto her shoulders, almost knocking her off balance. With the wild blend of monsters in tow, the twenty-five of them set off. ¡°Have I missed something?¡± asked Kyle, opening his window while drying his hair with a towel. ¡°We¡¯re going for a walk,¡± said Aurin. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°With enough Minakai to overtake a small country?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did you finish cleaning the filth?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Alright, have fun.¡± With that, the abnormally large group headed towards the forest across the fields and to the west. At the lowest part of the forest, it was filled with ash trees and alders, but as the party climbed, they were slowly replaced by intoxicating pines. ¡°Inno,¡± said Luna, loosening her scarf as she started to overheat from the tough climb, ¡°time for you to walk.¡± Innogon grumpily jumped onto the forest path and walked alongside Bakugon. Shamtile poked him in the back of the head and screeched in such a way that it sounded like laughter, but was swiftly met with a jet of water that knocked him into Gorunze, who nearly treaded on him. ¡°It¡¯s like having a giant, mismatched family, isn¡¯t it?¡± joked Aurin. ¡°Would you change a thing?¡± asked Luna. ¡°No,¡± said Aurin, taking her hand and smiling. ¡°Well, except for Zodiac.¡± ¡°Naturally.¡± ¡°I think what irritates me most about them is that many of them are excellent tamers and can battle with the best. To squander that potential for their false higher ideals is¡­well, it¡¯s just sad to me. Leo, scumbag as he is, is someone I enjoy fighting against and he has the talent to obtain both a cosmic Minakai and unlock the method of reviving an extinct evolution.¡± ¡°He¡¯s brilliant in that sense, yes,¡± said Luna. ¡°He¡¯s certainly no Sagittarius or Libra who were happy enough to burn down Kyle¡¯s ranch.¡± ¡°And happy enough to try to kill us.¡± ¡°That too, yes.¡± ¡°Think how far we¡¯ve come since that time last year,¡± said Aurin, looking at the team surrounding him. ¡°Five new Minakai and a bunch of evolutions.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only hatched three since then,¡± said Luna, looking towards Feathrus, Stopod and Bakugon, ¡°but it¡¯s quality over quantity as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got both,¡± said Aurin with a sly grin. ¡°I mean, your team is pretty good¡­but we¡¯ll see in a few months who is going all the way to the top in the next tournament.¡± ¡°Does that mean what I think it means?¡± asked Aurin with a hint of excitement in his voice. ¡°Yes,¡± said Luna, with a small skip, ¡°I¡¯ve decided to enter the Hazelton tournament again this year, and afterwards, we¡¯ll both be going to the national championships as competitors.¡± ¡°I love that enthusiasm.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just me, right team?¡± Luna¡¯s Minakai roared, screeched and barked, all eager to get thrown into the depths of battle. Angree yelled and beat his chest so violently, Luna was worried he was going to crack the wood. The group pushed on, tried from the long climb, but Aurin found it to be much easier this time than the last time he had made the climb. He put it down to training with Tobias and snowy mountains being a part of everyday life during his time in Briarwood¡ªLuna was finding it more of a struggle. ¡°Here we are,¡± said Aurin, climbing over the last major ridge before the mountain became untraversable. ¡°Al¡­right,¡± panted Luna, dragging her burning legs up the slope. ¡°We¡­did it!¡± ¡°Look at that view,¡± said Aurin, walking over to a large, flat rock and sitting down. ¡°Mag¡­nificent,¡± said Luna, sitting down beside him. ¡°Look at the tower,¡± said Aurin, pointing to the wondrous structure erupting out from the forest. ¡°It makes you wonder, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°About everything. It¡¯s a place of endless possibilities. To think that all you need is a single key and you go into a world of dreams, wandering somewhere between dimensions. If it wasn¡¯t for Harmony Tower, we would never have even met.¡± Aurin smiled as he stared into the distance. ¡°I would like to think that we would have still met somewhere, somehow. It feels like we were meant to, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Maybe we would have,¡± said Luna, turning to look at him. ¡°I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter, does it? Things played out the way they did and we did meet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still something to think about. My life has changed beyond measure since I arrived here in Hazelton.¡± ¡°For the better?¡± ¡°Absolutely for the better.¡± ¡°My life is better for you being here.¡± Aurin and Luna sat in silence as the sun started to set. The Minakai had taken to playing or sparring with each other. Glacibot and Frocean were seeing who could gather the most snow. Desparee and Angree were trying to see if the latter could punch through a nature beam. Shamtile and Bakugon were hurling rocks at Innogon as he blasted them away with water jets. It was truly a pleasant day and nice to get away from the looming threat of Zodiac, but Aurin knew he had to address it. ¡°We can¡¯t keep running from them or simply delaying them constantly,¡± he said. Luna knew who he meant. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°We need to go on the offensive, and sooner rather than later.¡± ¡°Right again.¡± ¡°I know my team are strong, so are yours, but that strength may not be enough. Fighting cosmic Minakai is no easy feat.¡± ¡°But you have strategies in mind now, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Strategies only go so far, but yes. I have something else in mind that we can try.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± asked Luna, her curiosity piqued. ¡°We do exactly what we did a year and a half ago during the first Hazelton tournament,¡± said Aurin. ¡°We find a member of the Zodiac Squad and tail them until we find their base. If we can find the headquarters, we can find their cosmic summoning stones. They won¡¯t be our Minakai, so we won¡¯t be able to control them effectively, but removing them from the Zodiac means that they can¡¯t execute their plan.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good idea in theory, but I would bet anything that they¡¯ve got ways of avoiding being followed after what we did to them last time.¡± ¡°I have no doubt you¡¯re right about that,¡± said Aurin, nodding slowly, ¡°but I also believe that they have a weak link. Someone in their ranks who is too arrogant for his own good, someone that we can dupe much more easily than the rest of them.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean that we find them through Damian.¡± Chapter 137 ¡°Blast him apart!¡± Luna called, and Splashard obeyed. The gelatinous water demon unloaded a water jet so forceful that it threw the wild Innogon down the corridor, where it crashed into the wall and was banished in a flash of blue light before it could even hit the floor. ¡°I feel bad attacking an Innogon,¡± muttered Luna. ¡°I don¡¯t feel bad attacking Minakai I own the species of,¡± shrugged Aurin, patting Sunny who squeaked with joy. They were on the nineteenth floor of the tower and they¡¯d had a run of terrible item luck. They had come in hoping to find a Solar Shard for Luna, but they would have been better buying one in Hazelton; they¡¯d certainly found enough silver today to do so. On the plus side, they were both on their second Minakai and had plenty of steam left in the tank. ¡°We would normally have found one by now,¡± said Luna. ¡°Then ignored it or took it to flip it for a small profit,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s certainly where we fell down. From now on, if I find a shard, I¡¯m evolving a Minakai with it.¡± ¡°Our luck will turn around,¡± said Aurin, leading the way through with his cloud-like egg floating merrily alongside him. Sunny was especially giddy today, having had very little opportunity to be let loose in the tower, but today, she was serving as Luna¡¯s medic. After Rabbafat and Arium had fallen to a series of unfortunate events, from traps to unexpectedly tough Minakai, Sunny had been kept close by. ¡°And look at that,¡± said Aurin, spying a shard in one of the rooms nearby, ¡°our luck has turned around.¡± Luna excitedly rushed into the room, but stopped upon seeing the shard. ¡°It¡¯s an Astral Shard,¡± she sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a good find though, right?¡± asked Aurin, looking out for traps as he approached it. ¡°For you! I can¡¯t use it for any of my Minakai.¡± Aurin didn¡¯t say anything, not wanting to irritate her further. He put the shard quietly into his bag and moved along as Sunny spun around, making herself dizzy. Splashard put one of her hands on Sunny to stop her, then made a warbled glooping noise as though to tell her to take being in the tower more seriously. The group moved along with Splashard handling all of the foes while Sunny used a mixture of magical barriers and healing powers to keep Splashard in top shape, but it was getting clear that Sunny couldn¡¯t keep this up for too long. She was starting to lag behind the others as they ascended to the twentieth floor. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Aurin asked her once the group landed. Sunny squealed as jovially as ever, but her lip quivered slightly. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll give you a break for a while. Hold off on casting barriers and only heal Splashard when it¡¯s absolutely necessary, alright? I¡¯ve probably pushed you too hard when you aren¡¯t used to being in the tower.¡± Aurin hated to admit it, but Sunny was the Minakai he had deliberately trained the least, even while training alongside Tobias. She was an excellent asset in the tower, but he had spent most of his time in tournament-mode, and she was not the sort of Minakai to be entered into a tournament on account of her lacklustre offensive techniques. He was starting to feel regretful at not having pushed her more when he had the chance as she was suffering for it now that she had to keep up with Splashard on a considerably higher level of Harmony Tower. ¡°Watch out!¡± called Luna, pointing towards a charging Peekawe. The turquoise bird soared through the air, its sharp beak aiming straight for Sunny. Aurin raised a Lightning Crystal and unleashed the spell within, sending a crackling bolt down the corridor where it struck the flying Minakai. It was knocked off course, dazed by the unexpected attack. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Push it back, Splashard,¡± ordered Luna, and the water demon conjured forth a huge tidal wave that swept away the Peekawe. Aurin sprinted down the corridor as the Peekawe shook itself off, then used an Ice Crystal to impale the large bird with a glistening icicle, defeating it and banishing it from the tower. The crystal broke in Aurin¡¯s hand, having run out of energy, and its fragments dissipated. ¡°Hey look!¡± Aurin called over his shoulder. ¡°What is it?¡± asked Luna, rushing over to him with the two Minakai following her. ¡°A Solar Shard,¡± said Aurin with a smile. Luna walked into the room to retrieve it with a smile on her face, but the smile vanished almost instantly upon hearing a faint click. ¡°Oh no,¡± muttered Aurin as Luna froze in place, unable to move; she had triggered a Paralysis Trap. Aurin proceeded more carefully and picked up the Solar Shard, then retrieved his Orb of Return from his bag. He activated it and the entire group, including the frozen Luna, were banished from the tower and reappeared outside seconds later. Luna looked around, now free from the entrapping magic. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Paralysis,¡± said Aurin, trying to stifle his laughter. ¡°Ugh, not again,¡± said Luna, shaking her head. ¡°Did you get the Solar Shard?¡± ¡°Here,¡± said Aurin, taking it from his bag and tossing it to her. ¡°Yay!¡± she said, catching it. ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡± Aurin, Luna, Sunny and Splashard walked¡ªand floated¡ªback to the ranch as the sun was setting. Both of the humans were starving, having missed lunch to go hunting in the tower, but they had more pressing matters to tend to; evolutionary matters. ¡°What took you so long?¡± called Kyle from one of the enclosures, upon seeing them wandering up the path. ¡°It took us much longer than we planned,¡± shrugged Luna with the sun-shaped Solar Shard in her hand. ¡°Well, yes. That was obvious. That¡¯s why I asked what took you so long.¡± ¡°Bad spawns,¡± said Aurin, pulling out his Astral Shard. ¡°Two evolutions today?¡± asked Kyle, folding his arms. ¡°This will be good.¡± ¡°Arium!¡± called Aurin and the golden alien flung himself over the fences, rushing to his tamer. ¡°Are you ready to unlock powers beyond your wildest imagination?¡± ¡°Wildest imagination?¡± chuckled Kyle. ¡°He¡¯s going to get two more hands.¡± ¡°Shush, don¡¯t ruin it,¡± said Aurin as Arium bounced around excitedly with Sunny. Aurin bent down and placed the Astral Shard upon Arium¡¯s skin and watched as the Minakai glowed an off-white colour. He was bathed in light as he grew taller, his protruding head lengthened and, true to what Kyle had said, his two floating hands doubled so that he now had four large fists floating around him. The glow faded and Zenoman was now standing before Aurin. Zenoman¡¯s four fists were surrounded in a powerful blue aura and he threw them around, seemingly wildly, but they did not collide with any of the humans or Minakai nearby, although there were a few close calls. ¡°Showing off, are you?¡± Aurin asked with a grin. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky, my friend, but we¡¯re going to make sure you really are in full control of your fists. It¡¯ll make all the difference in the challenges ahead.¡± Zenoman squealed excitedly, his voice now more otherworldly than before as it echoed around the ranch. ¡°My turn,¡± said Luna, holding up her shard. ¡°You have five different Minakai this can be used on,¡± said Kyle, thinking aloud. ¡°Dogember, Stopod, Bakugon, Dopefish and Feathrus¡­have you decided which of them gets to evolve today?¡± ¡°I have,¡± said Luna, pushing open the gate and walking into the enclosures to where her own Minakai awaited her. Moments later, she returned with a greyish-blue blob; his eyes were wide and his round mouth agape, looking as silly as ever. ¡°It¡¯s about time,¡± said Kyle, watching her place Dopefish on the ground. ¡°Yes,¡± said Luna. ¡°Yes, it is.¡± She patted him and he blobbed up and down like a bouncy ball, staring at her vacantly. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you as a Dopefish,¡± she said, slowly moving the Solar Shard to him. Upon placing the shard on Dopefish, he glowed blue and his form shifted. His small round body grew long and large like a shark. On each of his sides, his fins grew sharp and he sprouted two new blade-like fins to join the first. His round eyes lengthened and narrowed while his circular mouth became thin, wide and packed with jagged teeth. The light faded and he hovered above the ground as a Doripper, ready to ferociously tear apart his enemies. ¡°Now you¡¯re ready to rival Pisces and her two Doripper,¡± said Luna proudly. Doripper let out a watery growl and spun in a circle, whipping his tail around. ¡°Menacing,¡± said Aurin, clenching his fists. ¡°We¡¯ll have the edge over Zodiac very soon. Once Damien leads us to their base, we¡¯ll be ready.¡± ¡°Whatever help you need from me, I¡¯m ready,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Me and my team are all prepared to back you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m jus¡ª¡± Aurin stopped and looked towards Kyle¡¯s house. ¡°Is that the phone?¡± asked Luna. ¡°Just as I¡¯m getting started,¡± sighed Aurin, as Kyle headed off to answer it. Aurin and Luna waited for him to return, all the while admiring their newly evolved Minakai. Zenoman and Doripper were powerful in their own right, but combined with the rest of their teammates, they would be the greatest shield against the Zodiac Squad that Hazelton had. ¡°I¡¯m itching to put my plan into action,¡± said Aurin, shadowboxing the air. ¡°Are you planning to beat them all up?¡± giggled Luna. ¡°If I have to.¡± ¡°You two!¡± called Kyle, walking back towards them. ¡°That was Conrad, he said we¡¯ve got a visitor on the way with some information that we need to hear.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the visitor?¡± asked Aurin, stopping his boxing. ¡°Detective Knot.¡± Chapter 138 Aurin, Luna and Kyle waited by the gates of the enclosures as the evening turned to night. It had been a chilly day, but every breath now turned to steam. It wasn¡¯t long before a fiery orange Flaround walked up the path with his owner beside him; Detective Knot. ¡°Detective,¡± said Kyle, nodding in greeting. ¡°How have you been?¡± Luna asked. ¡°Busy,¡± said Knot, shaking each of their hands in turn. ¡°I¡¯ve met with your friend Conrad of the Minakai Guardians that I thought he might be able to help me verify, but he wasn¡¯t. He did, however, say that you were helping him¡­because of course you are.¡± ¡°We like to meddle,¡± shrugged Aurin. ¡°And don¡¯t I know it.¡± ¡°Conrad said it was important,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Yes,¡± said Knot. ¡°It¡¯s probably the most important turn the Zodiac investigation has taken since your confrontation with Sagittarius and Libra.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t leave us hanging,¡± said Aurin. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Ever impatient, Aurin,¡± remarked Knot. ¡°Do you remember our discussion about Mayor Boren back at the height of Zodiac activity?¡± ¡°Where you said that you think he¡¯s probably been paid off to look the other way?¡± asked Luna. ¡°I now believe I was mistaken,¡± said Knot, nodding his head. ¡°I believe that Mayor Boren is Taurus. I believe he¡¯s the leader of the Zodiac Squad.¡± Aurin, Luna and Kyle all looked at each other, their eyes wide with shock. ¡°Do you have proof?¡± Kyle asked Knot. ¡°No,¡± said Knot, ¡°but there¡¯s a lot of circumstantial evidence that leads me to this theory. Are you prepared to listen even if I can¡¯t prove it?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Aurin, eager to hear what Knot had to say. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought all that highly of the mayor, as you know, but I thought that perhaps I could identify who from Zodiac was paying him off. I decided that I would take it upon myself to do some surveillance.¡± ¡°Legally?¡± asked Luna, but Aurin shot her a look that made her shy away. Knot continued. ¡°I saw very little outside of frequent visits to Harmony Tower in the dead of the night, which seemed odd to me. He never talked about Minakai of his own to the point where I was wondering if he even had any, but I waited outside of the tower one night for him to reappear¡­but he didn¡¯t. ¡°Many tamers came and went, even a couple of members of the Zodiac Squad, but Mayor Boren didn¡¯t appear again. It made no sense to me and I had waited until eight in the morning. Do you know who did arrive after being banished from the tower?¡± ¡°Taurus,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Taurus,¡± confirmed Knot. ¡°I wanted to apprehend him then and there, but he was with a few of his goons and I knew they would be able to get the better of me, especially if they were still armed with magical crystals. No¡­if I had made a move, I¡¯m sure I would not be alive today. ¡°Then I noticed something else that I had thought nothing of before. The mayor wore a string hanging around his neck, so I decided to speak to him a week after following him to the tower¡ªjust to let the heat die down in case I had been spotted. I managed to catch a small glimpse of what it was that he wore around his neck. Can you guess?¡± ¡°A summoning stone?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Indeed. It took a few visits, but one time I managed to trip over him and make it look like an accident, but in doing so, I grabbed onto his collar and spied the summoning stone for a brief second. It was turquoise. The colour of a summoning stone attuned to a cosmic Minakai. It all finally made sense to me. Mayor Boren is Taurus. Or rather, Taurus is Mayor Boren.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Aurin, Luna and Kyle stood in silence, each of them staring at the detective with their thoughts and memories whizzing around their heads at a thousand miles per second. ¡°Well?¡± asked Knot. ¡°I¡­I believe you,¡± said Aurin. ¡°How about the rest of you?¡± asked Knot, looking to Luna and Kyle. ¡°If Aurin believes you, I believe you,¡± said Kyle. ¡°He¡¯s the only one of us who has spoken to Taurus directly. If he¡¯s convinced that they¡¯re the same person, they¡¯re the same person.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me too,¡± said Luna looking torn. ¡°I wish it was easily disproven, but¡­it makes sense. Especially thinking back to everything that happened around the first Hazelton tournament with the abductions and Zodiac attacks. Who better to sweep that away than the mayor himself?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± said Knot, looking believed. ¡°At first, I was wondering if I was crazy, but everything slotted so perfectly into place.¡± ¡°Now we have two methods of attack,¡± said Aurin. ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Knot. ¡°We¡¯ve been planning to track down the Zodiac Squad¡¯s new headquarters using one of their weak links, a guy called Damien.¡± ¡°Damien Leclare?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know his last name,¡± said Aurin. ¡°It is Leclare,¡± said Luna. ¡°He¡¯s only a couple of years older than me, so I checked my school yearbook on the off chance we both went to Hazelton Academy. He did. He was two years ahead of me.¡± ¡°In any case, we¡¯re planning to set up a trap for him that will lure him into leading us to the Zodiac Squad base,¡± said Aurin. ¡°If we can weaken Zodiac by destroying their base again, then that should make Taurus much easier to unmask and apprehend.¡± ¡°Unmask and apprehend?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°Let¡¯s make it much simpler. We¡¯re going to take that summoning stone away from him so that he can¡¯t use the power of Ethruki to unleash wild Minakai upon the world.¡± ¡°Tell me your plan,¡± said Knot. ¡°I will help however I can.¡± Aurin smiled menacingly. ¡°Damien is an arrogant fellow and there are two people in this town I¡¯m confident in saying he wants revenge against above any others.¡± Aurin and Luna looked at each other and nodded. * ¡°Are you sure he¡¯ll be here?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I¡¯ve told fifty times already that it¡¯s an educated guess,¡± said Luna. ¡°Hannah said that Damien works with her dad.¡± Aurin, Luna, Shamtile and Innogon were standing in an alleyway in Hazelton near the garage where Hannah¡¯s dad worked for the third afternoon in a row. They were all impatient, but could not rush their plan or it would be ruined. Shamtile stood still with his hand on the ground, trying to see if someone would depart from the building. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s been fired,¡± suggested Aurin ¡°You said that already too. We just need take out time with th¡ª¡± Shamtile stood up alert and everyone hid behind the dumpster. ¡°Is it him?¡± Aurin whispered to his Minakai. Shamtile threw up his arms silently. ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Shush,¡± said Luna, peering out from behind the dumpster. ¡°Yes¡­yes, it¡¯s him! There he goes!¡± ¡°Good,¡± said Aurin, turning to Shamtile. ¡°Now remember, you tail him as best as you can. If you can do it underground, do it. If you can¡¯t, just sense his trail from a distance, alright?¡± Shamtile tapped Aurin on the lower back. ¡°Alright,¡± Aurin said to Luna. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Aurin, Luna and Innogon walked from the alley and kept at a distance behind Damien. Every corner he rounded, they remained behind until they were sure the coast was clear. Each time he was lost in the crowd, they scrambled to catch up. He was taking a strange route, looping back on himself a few times over, but Knot said that the Zodiac Squad members all did this to make themselves harder to follow. With good reason, considering what Aurin and Luna were up to. ¡°Enough?¡± asked Luna. ¡°Yes,¡± said Aurin, rushing ahead to Damien. ¡°Damien!¡± he called out. Damien turned around with an unpleasant smirk on his face. ¡°Well, well¡­to what do I owe the pleasure?¡± he asked slyly as people stopped to watch, thinking a fight was about to break out. ¡°I want a rematch,¡± said Aurin. ¡°A rematch?¡± ¡°A rematch.¡± ¡°Good,¡± said Damien, reaching into his bag, pulling out his tamer glove and placing it upon his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to this.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s a condition,¡± said Aurin, raising his own gloved hand. ¡°What¡¯s that then?¡± ¡°If you win, I want you to tell me everything you know about the cosmic.¡± ¡°The cosmic?¡± ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about,¡± said Aurin, ¡°don¡¯t play dumb.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a very one-sided deal,¡± said Damien. ¡°I¡¯ve got a condition that I would like to impose upon the rematch too.¡± ¡°Go for it.¡± ¡°If I defeat you,¡± he said, his eyes wandering over to Luna, ¡°then I get to battle her too. No interference from you.¡± Aurin looked at Luna who gave him a small nod. ¡°Done,¡± he said. ¡°Hoofreeti!¡± called Damien, sending out his demonic bipedal goat. It stomped on the cobblestones, scaring the onlookers who all moved back. ¡°Gorunze, you¡¯re up,¡± said Aurin, summoning the bronze golem to the battle. ¡°Three Minakai each, are we clear? No cheating.¡± ¡°Works for me,¡± said Damien. ¡°Count us in, Luna,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Three, two, one,¡± said Luna. ¡°Fight!¡± ¡°Attack!¡± Gorunze was ready with a laser blast as Hoofreeti raised its hand to hurl a fireball, and the battle began. Aurin clenched his fists, knowing that he had to be very careful with each move he made. He had to make this battle look convincing. Chapter 139 ¡°Hailstorm, Frocean!¡± ordered Luna as she battled against Damien¡¯s Gittup. The hail rained down almost instantly, beating the blue beast. It retaliated by flicking its pointed yellow tail, sending out a lightning bolt that struck Frocean as he tried to hop out of the way. He was thrown across the street before he bounced back onto his feet again. With a furious croak, he threw three icicles in quick succession that Gittup nimbly dodged, before slamming its electrically-charged body into the large blue frog. Frocean collapsed, writhing in pain as the electricity spread throughout him before he eventually fell unconscious. Luna slowly raised her hand and banished Frocean back to the ranch. ¡°Ha!¡± yelled Damien. ¡°I knew the pair of you had gotten lucky before. You both lost. You call yourselves Minakai tamers¡­pathetic.¡± Aurin and Luna looked at each other, keeping their heads down. ¡°Go!¡± called Damien as the onlookers all muttered. ¡°Go run back to that ranch with your tails between your legs. I don¡¯t want to see either of you round here ever again.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll battle again,¡± said Aurin as he walked past Damien. ¡°And you will lose again,¡± said Damien, bumping Aurin with his shoulder. ¡°A pair of weaklings.¡± Aurin and Luna walked down the street and through the town square, not daring to say a word to each other. They considered it to be very possible that a member of the Zodiac Squad was following them and Shamtile wasn¡¯t there to sense if that was the case. Once they had reached the path out of town towards both the tower and the ranch, they relaxed a little. ¡°Do you think he bought it?¡± asked Luna, looking over her shoulder to the lights of the town against the night sky; the sun had set as they walked. ¡°Hook, line and sinker,¡± said Aurin with a small smile. ¡°He¡¯s going to be bathing in that victory all week, I would bet you anything.¡± ¡°And it only took Gorunze, Desparee, Glacibot, Innogon, Rabbafat and Frocean each receiving a beating.¡± ¡°They understand why and they all agreed to it,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Sunny will take care of them and we¡¯ll make sure they¡¯re well fed tonight as a thank you for their sacrifice.¡± ¡°You make it sound like they died!¡± ¡°By saying they¡¯ll be well fed?¡± ¡°No, but thanking them for their sacrifice.¡± ¡°What would you call it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but not that.¡± The two bickered about nothing as they walked towards the ranch where Kyle, Detective Knot and Conrad awaited them. Upon seeing the pair walking into the ranch, the three stood much more alert. ¡°Well?¡± asked Knot. ¡°We think he was convinced that he won the battle legitimately,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Awfully bold of you to think that¡¯ll make him sloppy,¡± said Conrad. ¡°It was bold of you to think you could convince me you were a rank amateur when we first met.¡± ¡°I did convince you,¡± said Conrad, folding his arms. ¡°You beat me in the¡­tournament¡­alright, I take your point.¡± ¡°See? We have nothing to worry about. The hard part is over as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡± ¡°That was the easy part,¡± said Knot with a frown. ¡°You have your Minakai in place?¡± asked Kyle. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°He¡¯s going to be sloppy and they¡¯re going to find him,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°If he does find them, he¡¯ll probably kill them,¡± said Kyle. ¡°He strikes me as a Sagittarius type. More on the unhinged side, but a capable battler.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just an arrogant tool, which is why this plan is going to work,¡± said Aurin. ¡°As long as your Minakai don¡¯t lose his trail,¡± said Knot. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯ve got more than just one following him,¡± said Aurin. ¡°It¡¯s on Shamtile and the others now to handle things. We just have to wait until he comes back.¡± * Shamtile could feel Aurin and Luna¡¯s footsteps vibrating as they walked. It was unmistakably theirs, which meant that it was showtime for him. He scurried along the cobblestones and towards Damien, being sure to stay well out of sight; the setting sun made this much easier. As he walked along, he glanced towards the clocktower to make sure that his backup was keeping watch. Perched on a ledge was Skrow, keeping a careful eye on Damien while he was outside. If Shamtile were to lose him above ground, Skrow was there to follow through, but he would not lose him. He wasn¡¯t about to let that happen. Damien took a right turn around a corner and Shamtile climbed up the bricks of the nearest building and kept himself low on the roof tiles. He gazed over the ridge and saw the Zodiac elite walking along an alleyway. Shamtile followed, but Damien headed through the backdoor of a nearby house. Could this be it? No, he was moving straight through the house. Shamtile leapt across the alley and onto the roof, keeping his touch as light as he could. He peered through his wooden mask and watched Damien exit into the small front garden, head down the path and back onto the street. This was a strange route, even for the oddest human to take. Perhaps his master was right, this man would try and make himself difficult to follow. Yet, he walked with a confident stride and he had a smile upon his face. Why was he so happy? Damien walked into the town square as the light faded and Shamtile found a wall of people in his way. He upended a couple of bricks and separated the earth with his magic, making a tunnel appear. As he walked, the tunnel opened up before him and the tunnel behind him closed. It was a very nice tunnel, he thought to himself. If he could, he would curl up and take a nap here¡­no, he had to remain vigilant. He could faintly pick out Damien¡¯s steps above him and he had to keep going after him. Damien eventually led Shamtile to where there were fewer people stomping around above and Shamtile hung back so that he could emerge from the tunnel undetected. He parted the earth, moved a few cobblestones and then hurriedly reset them. He had to restrain himself not to screech and dance about, something that was very difficult to do. He looked around and spotted Damien ahead. Shamtile hurried along, catching up as Damien passed underneath a bridge. The Zodiac elite opened a metal door in the side of the bridge, looked around and headed inside. Shamtile remained undetected, keeping himself to the side of the bridge. Damien¡¯s footsteps were moving downwards¡­concrete steps perhaps? That¡¯s the feeling Shamtile¡¯s tremorsense was giving him. The magical lizard waited, trying to work out whether or not he needed to go underground again or whether he could follow from above. Damien¡¯s footsteps stopped descending and they were now moving along a straight path somewhere below. Keeping above ground, Shamtile ran through the street trying to keep Damien underneath him at all times. A couple of people looked at the little Minakai, wondering why this lone Shamtile was walking around so erratically, but it did not matter to him. The humans were far more unusual than he could ever be. Clothes? Ridiculous notions. If anything, he had some empathy for the Zodiac members when they wore their masks. The mask is the mark of a truly powerful creature. Damien¡¯s footsteps suddenly started climbing upwards again. Shamtile looked around for cover and then dove inside a bush at the edge of the road. He glanced towards the river nearby and could see the head fin of Splashard poking out. He tossed a rock and Splashard sank beneath the surface properly. What a fool! Almost giving away the entire game. A manhole cover opened up in the alley beside Shamtile and Damien climbed out. He placed the cover back on and casually strolled towards the water. He walked down a small bank and followed the river along with only the street lights to guide him. Truly a strange route to go when he could have simply walked in a basic zig-zag pattern. Shamtile could not understand what was going on. There had better be a milkshake in this for him after he reported back to his master. Damien stopped by a small section of the bank. Something was unusual about it. Shamtile could feel that it was follow inside. Damien tapped on it with his foot a couple of times. ¡°Capricorn,¡± he said. What did that mean? Corn? Did it mean food? The grass began to move and a small opening appeared. There was an earth elemental moving the ground to make way for the Zodiac elite. Once he had vanished from sight, the soil moved back in place and the ruined grass regrew almost instantly; there was a nature elemental working its magic too. Conscious that going too close might alert the Minakai inside to his presence, Shamtile climbed the bank in quick leaps, arriving at the top. He followed Damien¡¯s continued underground footsteps, even as they descended further and further down. Shamtile was paying such close attention to the footsteps that he smacked the top of his head against a wall. He fell on his backside and rubbed his head irritably, but he suddenly realised where he was. He was at the same building that his master had brought him to in order to fight other Minakai. He was at Hazelton Stadium and Damien¡¯s footsteps had finally stopped somewhere underneath. Chapter 140 ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it,¡± said Aurin, tussling his mousy brown hair. ¡°Underneath our noses this entire time.¡± ¡°Pretty much everything Zodiac has done has been underneath our noses the entire town,¡± remarked Kyle. ¡°Yes, but this one feels personal. Hazelton Stadium is my turf!¡± ¡°Mayor Boren was the one who had it built, right?¡± asked Luna. ¡°Yes,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Maybe he always planned to move the Zodiac headquarters to underneath the stadium and you two stormed their old base before they had the chance to move.¡± ¡°You two?¡± said Luna. ¡°You were watching from the skies above on the back of Wingbloom. You were just as involved.¡± Kyle looked confused. ¡°I never said I wasn¡¯t¡­what¡¯s your point?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Luna, sighing and fixing her blue hairband so that it swept her ginger hair away from her face properly. ¡°I¡¯m frustrated, that¡¯s all.¡± Aurin tapped his knuckles on the fence as he leaned against it. ¡°What¡¯s taking them so long? I told them all to be here at ten o¡¯clock and not a second later. What time is it?¡± ¡°Eleven fifty-eight,¡± said Kyle, checking his watch and then looking towards the path into Hazelton. ¡°There¡¯s Gardner and Jimmy now.¡± ¡°Morning all!¡± called Gardner brightly, giving a pleasant wave, but his smile faded upon seeing how serious their faces were. ¡°Jim, it looks like we¡¯ve been drafted.¡± ¡°Drafted?¡± asked Jimmy. ¡°Astute as always,¡± said Aurin nodding. ¡°We¡¯ve got a plan to finish off the Zodiac Squad once and for all. Are you in?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± said Jimmy with immediate certainty. ¡°They need stomping out.¡± ¡°How about you, Gardner?¡± asked Luna. ¡°Am I in?¡± asked Gardner. ¡°Of course, I am. Am I happy about it? Absolutely not. These guys could kill us and I like being alive!¡± ¡°Glad to have you both on board,¡± said Aurin, ignoring Gardner¡¯s woes. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± asked Jimmy. ¡°We¡¯re still waiting on two more,¡± said Luna, looking towards the forest. ¡°There!¡± ¡°Hello!¡± called Emily waving enthusiastically as she and Hannah walked down the path. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Hannah, looking confused at so many people being at the ranch together. ¡°Welcome, everyone,¡± said Aurin, ¡°to Operation Infiltration!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± asked Emily, cocking her head to the side. Hannah looked uneasy. ¡°Infiltration of¡­please don¡¯t tell me¡­not the Zodiac Squad, right? You have to be joking.¡± ¡°We¡¯re very serious,¡± said Kyle. ¡°You¡¯re going along with this too, Kyle?¡± asked Hannah. ¡°You should be the one talking Aurin and Luna out of doing something like this again. It¡¯s incredibly dangerous!¡± ¡°Yes, it is,¡± said Aurin, ¡°so if anybody wants to back out, that¡¯s fine. All of you have been gathered because you¡¯re trusted and having more trusted people on board makes the plan easier. We¡¯ve already got Conrad of the Minakai Guardians and Detective Knot on board and briefed.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± said Gardner. ¡°Conrad? The same joker who suspected you of being a Zodiac member and infiltrated the previous Hazelton tournament to investigate you undercover?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Alright,¡± shrugged Gardner, holding his arms up. ¡°If you say you¡¯ve thought this through, I¡¯ll trust you. Just tell us the plan.¡± ¡°Are you two on board?¡± Luna asked her friends. ¡°Sure,¡± said Emily looking uncertain. Hannah sighed. ¡°Only because I don¡¯t want you getting hurt.¡± ¡°Good,¡± said Luna, bouncing and clapping her hands together. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Plan time,¡± said Aurin enthusiastically. ¡°Hannah, you¡¯re the first person we need working on this. You¡¯re good with your fashion, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about good, but¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s very good,¡± said Emily while Luna nodded. ¡°Fantastic. You¡¯ve seen the Zodiac Squad members up close before, right? I think we all have at one time or another.¡± ¡°Sort of, but not for some time¡­why?¡± Aurin pulled out photographs of a couple of Zodiac members in their uniforms that Knot had given him and handed them over to Hannah. ¡°Can you recreate these outfits?¡± ¡°I¡­think so,¡± said Hannah, looking through the photographs. ¡°Didn¡¯t you mug Zodiac members for them last time?¡± ¡°Yes, but we don¡¯t want to do that again in case things go wrong.¡± ¡°How many costumes to do you need and when do you need them by?¡± ¡°One for me, one for Luna. How quickly can you make them?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll measure you up before I leave. It might take me five days to make them if I start tonight.¡± ¡°Five days works fine,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Getting the uniforms is phase one, then we move onto phase two and that involves the rest of you.¡± ¡°How much do you all like battling?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°Who are we fighting?¡± asked Gardner. ¡°Each other.¡± Gardner, Jimmy, Emily and Hannah all looked at each other in confusion, then Kyle explained the plan. * ¡°How many people have you enlisted for the rumble?¡± Aurin asked Conrad. ¡°About four,¡± he said. ¡°Four?¡± asked Aurin incredulously. ¡°I don¡¯t know enough people in town,¡± he shrugged. ¡°Ask Gardner.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve roped in about twelve,¡± said Gardner. ¡°I think Jimmy said he¡¯s got five or six people interested.¡± ¡°Good,¡± said Aurin. ¡°With the ones that Emily and Hannah have spoken to, we should have a good number then. It¡¯ll be a big enough distraction that the Zodiac Squad will be drawn to it. They can¡¯t resist a battle.¡± ¡°Especially if it¡¯s right by their front door,¡± said Luna, looking at Hazelton Stadium in the distance. ¡°At twelve o¡¯clock sharp, we begin,¡± said Conrad. ¡°How long are you two going to wait before heading inside?¡± ¡°Fifteen minutes should be long enough to see if any of them take the bait,¡± said Luna. ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Aurin. ¡°And Knot is posted by the stadium to see if anybody comes out to the square from inside.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t the square outside the stadium where you fought Leo once before?¡± asked Gardner. ¡°Yes, over a year and a half ago now,¡± said Aurin, thinking back. ¡°Alright,¡± said Luna. ¡°We can reminisce later; we should split up and we¡¯ll reconvene. The less we¡¯re seen together the better in case there are any spies around town.¡± ¡°Good luck,¡± said Conrad and Gardner un unison. ¡°Likewise,¡± said Aurin as Luna smiled and nodded. Aurin and Luna headed towards the river walk where Shamtile had identified the entrance to the Zodiac Squad headquarters. There were a few folks walking their dogs and others walking their canine-like Minakai, but the entrance to the base was far enough ahead that the walkers shouldn¡¯t be much of a concern. ¡°I hope this fits,¡± said Aurin, walking along the river with Luna, carrying the bag of Zodiac uniforms over his shoulder. ¡°You tried it on last night,¡± said Luna, rolling her eyes. ¡°Yes, but I had a big breakfast this morning,¡± shrugged Aurin. ¡°I have to say, Hannah did a great job. They look exactly like the real thing.¡± ¡°She¡¯s very talented, yes.¡± The two looked around to make sure that they were alone as they approached the entrance to the underground tunnel. Once they were satisfied that they were, Aurin summoned Shamtile to his side. Shamtile began to squeal and wave his arms, but he caught himself and waved his arms silently. ¡°Good,¡± said Aurin, scowling at him. ¡°Can you tell if there is anyone walking around inside?¡± Shamtile stood and concentrated, but he could not detect anything. He placed the palm of his hand on the stone path to get a better feel for things, but still, he felt nothing. He stood up straight and shook his head. ¡°Excellent,¡± said Aurin, raising his glove and sending Shamtile away. ¡°We¡¯ll need to lay low for another twenty minutes,¡± said Luna, checking her watch. The battle should be kicking off nearby very soon, we¡¯ll hear it from here.¡± Aurin summoned Budescent and Desparee and walked over to the bank. He sat down on the grass then patted the spot beside him for Luna to sit on too. Once she sat down, Budescent and Desparee weaved their magic to sprout a bush that wrapped around them, leaving them almost impossible to see from the path. ¡°Thanks,¡± said Aurin. ¡°You two are to head up top and keep an eye on the battle, but I want you both in range in case this bush despawns, alright? I¡¯ll summon you back if I need you.¡± Budescent bowed his head while Desparee silently wept and rubbed the tears from his eyes. They both ascended the bank and headed closer to the stadium, where the crowd was starting to gather outside. ¡°What now?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Luna. ¡°I know the plan, but we¡¯re going to be sitting here bored for twenty minutes.¡± ¡°We could always kiss under the bush,¡± joked Luna. ¡°If anyone spies us, we¡¯re just teenage lovers finding somewhere private.¡± ¡°As much as I would like that, it would draw more attention,¡± chuckled Aurin. ¡°Most of the town knows my face because of the tournaments.¡± ¡°Reel in that ego, mister,¡± giggled Luna. The two waited quietly. Luna continually checked her watch, but it felt as though time was passing slowly. Even hearing the furore of the rumble going on up in the square above wasn¡¯t helping. It felt like the two were missing out on having good battles, but they knew they had to be patient. Minakai battling could wait. ¡°A quarter past twelve,¡± said Luna as the minute hand of her watch pointed to three. Aurin focused on his summoning stone and Shamtile appeared. He stood on the path, looking around in confusion before realising that his master was hiding in a bush. ¡°Anything in the tunnel, bud?¡± asked Aurin. Shamtile used his tremor sense to check and shrugged. It seemed clear. He looked up and down the path, there was nobody walking anywhere nearby. They were as alone as they could be. ¡°Good,¡± said Aurin, summoning Budescent and Desparee back to him. The two nature elementals dissipated the bush and Aurin and Luna stood up. ¡°Can you uncover the entrance?¡± Luna asked Shamtile. The masked lizard did as he was told, uncovering the stone tunnel built underneath the bank. Aurin and Luna stepped inside and Shamtile closed it behind them while Budescent and Desparee fixed the grass so that everything looked undisturbed. Aurin and Luna stood in the tunnel, both taking a deep breath, and then getting ready to change. Chapter 141 ¡°Can I uncover my eyes now?¡± Aurin asked upon hearing a zip being pulled up; his hands firmly placed upon his face and Luna had sternly told him there was to be no peeking. ¡°Yes,¡± said Luna, sliding her arms into the sleeves of the white leather jacket. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°Good,¡± said Aurin. They both placed the Zodiac masks upon their faces. It was remarkable how good of a job Hannah had done making these. They felt just like the real outfits they had stolen previously, except these ones were a better fit. Aurin and Luna held up their tamer gloves and summoned Shamtile, Dolissile, Splashard and Feathrus to their sides; they wanted Shamtile to check for anyone nearby and the other three Minakai because they floated rather than walked, making it easier to remain undetected. ¡°All clear, Sham?¡± Aurin asked. Shamtile checked and gave a nod of approval. ¡°Ready?¡± Luna asked her two Minakai. Feathrus squealed quietly and flapped his wings, spinning around in mid-air while Splashard punched her club-like fist in the air. Aurin knew better than to ask Dolissile for a reaction and took the cybernetic dolphin¡¯s usual silence to mean that he was good to go. The group headed down the tunnel cautiously. Shamtile checked for anyone walking around nearby while Dolissile used his sonar ability to see if there was anything airborne up ahead, much like he and Luna¡¯s Minakai were. Everything was quiet and it made Aurin feel uneasy, especially as the tunnel sloped downwards and they descended deeper underneath the stadium. ¡°What is going on?¡± he whispered to Luna. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, ¡°but something isn¡¯t right. Where are they?¡± ¡°Surely not all of the Zodiac Squad joined the rumble outside?¡± ¡°I would have thought not, but maybe¡­¡± As the slope levelled off, the group came to a metal door built in the stone wall. Beside it was a number pad where a red light sat to the left of a small screen. ¡°Anything on the other side, Shamtile?¡± asked Aurin, but Shamtile shook his head. ¡°Alright, Dolissile, lift that door.¡± Dolissile floated upwards and used his metal elemental powers to activate his magnetism. He pulled the door upwards, letting Aurin, Luna and the other Minakai slide through. Once they were in, he followed and reversed his polarity, sending the door back down again as though nothing had happened. The group found themselves in a large chamber where various doors and corridors splintered off. This chamber too was empty with not as much as a chair for a guard to wait upon. The entire base was seemingly deserted. ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± said Luna. ¡°I think we should turn back.¡± Aurin shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re inside the base, there must be something here, even if the Zodiac members aren¡¯t.¡± Suddenly Shamtile screeched and tugged on Aurin¡¯s sleeve. He started pointing furiously towards the central door, which opened slowly and revealed Virgo. ¡°Are you not fighting outside?¡± he asked. ¡°No, Master Virgo,¡± said Aurin. Virgo smirked. ¡°Master Virgo? You think I don¡¯t see through your disguise, Aurin? Convincing as it may be.¡± ¡°It was worth a try,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Where are the rest of your group?¡± ¡°You were warned not to interfere further,¡± said Virgo sternly. ¡°Yet you continue to meddle in our affairs.¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Did you think I would stop?¡± ¡°No. Not for a second, but I hoped that perhaps you might see sense. In any case, you¡¯re much too late now.¡± ¡°Too late for what?¡± asked Luna. Virgo smiled faintly. ¡°You will find not a trace of any members of the Zodiac Squad here. You thought that Damien did not know he was being followed? You thought that you would be able to waltz in here after what you did last time? Think again, my friend. We are much more resourceful than you give us credit. I thought you would have realised that.¡± ¡°Where are the cosmic summoning stones?¡± asked Aurin, raising his voice. ¡°They are with their owners. Our hands have been forced by your actions and our grand plan has already begun. There is nothing you can do now, you¡¯re much too late. I urge you not to be stupid enough to try and stop us. I will not kill you; I have a misplaced fondness for you, but I cannot say the same for the others.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± demanded Aurin. ¡°If your plan is underway then why are you here?¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be,¡± said Virgo. ¡°I stayed behind to give you this warning. No doubt, against my better judgement.¡± Virgo walked towards Aurin, Luna and their Minakai, but they all readied themselves. ¡°You want to fight me?¡± he asked, continuing to walk towards them. ¡°You will be forced to kill me, for I plan to walk through that door.¡± Virgo raised his tamer glove which was embedded with three brown summoning stones. He focused upon them and three Minakai appeared before him. The first was a small fawn with bright orange eyes. The front half of its body was covered in tan fur, but the back half was covered in dark brown fur. Standing beside it was a larger deer¡ªdoe¡ªwith a small pair of antlers made of stone. Her body was patterned with fur similar to the fawn, her tail was thick like dried mud and she bore a look of sorrow. The third Minakai was a large stag. His horns were much larger and his three-pronged tail was pointed and sharp. Upon his chest and running up his neck was a diamond-shaped stone that served as a shield to him. ¡°Do you like these Minakai?¡± asked Virgo. ¡°Terrafawn, Terradoe and Terrastag. An unusual type of monster as Terrafawn will evolve into either of its adult forms based on whether it is male or female. This little family is precious to me, but they¡¯re quite formidable in battle.¡± ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like using Minakai,¡± remarked Aurin. ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± replied Virgo. ¡°I am merely showing you the family you will be hurting should you choose to not let me pass. I am their guardian, their protector. They are not my Minakai, but they need me around.¡± ¡°Is that supposed to make us feel guilty?¡± asked Luna. Virgo simply smiled and continued walking with the three deer following closely behind him. He passed between Aurin, Luna and their Minakai, and pressed a sequence on the keypad. The door opened and he stepped though with the deer, the door then closed behind him. ¡°Agh!¡± yelled Aurin, kicking the ground. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we let him walk out of here.¡± ¡°What are we supposed to do?¡± asked Luna. ¡°Murder him? You know we can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°I know¡­I know¡­¡± muttered Aurin, turning to Shamtile. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t detected when you followed Damien.¡± Shamtile waved his hands in the air furiously and made erratic warbled screeches of denial. ¡°You¡¯re that certain you weren¡¯t seen?¡± Shamtile nodded. ¡°Something stinks about this entire ordeal,¡± said Aurin. ¡°We should get out of here.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s check out the rest of the base,¡± said Luna, climbing onto Splashard¡¯s back. ¡°We¡¯ll make it quick and then we can leave.¡± Aurin climbed on Dolissile¡¯s back and held onto back fin. The two Minakai sped around the base, moving from room to room. They passed through the dormitory, storage rooms, offices and meeting rooms, but every single one of them was empty. Virgo hadn¡¯t lied, there wasn¡¯t a trace left of the Zodiac Squad in the base. ¡°Satisfied?¡± Aurin asked Luna. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say satisfied,¡± she replied. ¡°We need to get out of here and head to the tower. It¡¯s our only chance at heading off the Zodiac Squad if they¡¯re making a break for the top of the tower with the cosmic Minakai.¡± ¡°How can we hope to stop them if we¡¯re limited to three Minakai each?¡± asked Luna, despairingly. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we have to try.¡± Aurin picked up Shamtile and placed the little reptile in front of him on Dolissile. Aurin copied the number Virgo had used on the door, letting himself and Luna through. They sped ahead towards the exit, but Virgo was already gone by the time they reached the top. They hopped off their Minakai and Shamtile opened the tunnel entrance for them, then they stepped outside into the light once again. ¡°We should probably change out of these,¡± Luna said, taking off her Zodiac mask. ¡°Yes, we should,¡± said Aurin, taking off his too. ¡°We should get¡­to¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Luna asked as Aurin trailed off. He looked closely at the Zodiac mask, then took off the white hat and jacket. He examined them too with his brow furrowed, thinking he must be crazy. ¡°Aurin?¡± asked Luna. ¡°These are a perfect match,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Yes, that was the whole point. Not that it matters much anymore.¡± ¡°No,¡± said Aurin, ¡°you don¡¯t understand. These are a perfect match.¡± Luna looked uncomfortable. ¡°What are you implying?¡± ¡°We need to find the others immediately,¡± said Aurin, his voice panicked. ¡°Damien didn¡¯t spot Shamtile following him, we were ratted out.¡± ¡°You¡¯re scaring me.¡± ¡°It should scare you, because it was Hannah that ratted us out. These aren¡¯t just a perfect match. She¡¯s the one that designed the Zodiac uniforms in the first place.¡± ¡°No,¡± said Luna, shaking her head furiously. ¡°I know you too haven¡¯t always gotten along the best, but¡­¡± ¡°Now we know why she¡¯s always had a problem with me,¡± said Aurin. ¡°She¡¯s a member of the Zodiac Squad.¡± Chapter 142 ¡°That can¡¯t be right,¡± said Luna as she and Aurin ran up the bank, now back in their regular clothes. ¡°Hannah couldn¡¯t possibly be a member of the Zodiac Squad. That¡¯s¡­that¡¯s crazy. I don¡¯t believe it!¡± There must have been nearly two hundred spectators in the crowd watching the dozens of monster tamers taking turns to battle. There were cheers and jeers mixed with the cries and calls of the battling Minakai. As Aurin and Luna ran towards the crowd to find their friends, they heard Knot¡¯s voice. ¡°That was fast,¡± said the detective, running over to them with his Flaround beside him. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It was empty,¡± said Aurin, shaking his head despondently. ¡°I think it¡¯s been empty for at least a couple of days. There¡¯s no sign of the Zodiac Squad except for Virgo who was waiting for us the whole time. He knew we were coming.¡± ¡°It was a set up?¡± asked Knot, running his hand through his greying brown hair. ¡°This is unbelievable. Tell me everything.¡± ¡°We need to get everyone together and then I¡¯ll explain everything,¡± said Aurin, looking into the crowd to try and pick out his friends, but to no avail. ¡°Shamtile, fetch everyone.¡± Shamtile scurried into the crowd, weaving in and out while on the lookout for Aurin¡¯s friends. He narrowly avoided being stepped on a couple of times and was almost thrown into the battle, but eventually he returned and was followed by Kyle, Gardner, Jimmy, Conrad and Emily. ¡°What happened?¡± asked Kyle as his Wingbloom flew over the crowd and landed on the square beside the group. ¡°We¡¯re missing someone,¡± said Jimmy, looking around. ¡°Hannah¡¯s not here,¡± said Emily, sounding worried. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Check again, Shamtile,¡± said Aurin, desperately hoping his theory was incorrect. ¡°Look from above, Wing,¡± said Kyle. Aurin glanced at Luna, who had a look of fear upon her face. Aurin couldn¡¯t possibly have been right, there was no way that one of her best friends was part of the Zodiac Squad this entire time. It couldn¡¯t be true. She had known Hannah for most of her life, after all. There would be a reasonable explanation for it and everything would be cleared up. Her fear would be quashed in a matter of minutes. ¡°No sign of her?¡± asked Kyle upon the two Minakai returning. Both Minakai shook their heads. ¡°Agh,¡± said Aurin, rubbing his forehead. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m about to say this, but I think she ratted us out to the Zodiac Squad. The base was empty.¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Emily, her jaw dropping. ¡°No, Hannah wouldn¡¯t do something like that. Did you take a knock to the head, Aurin? Why would she do anything of the sort?¡± ¡°The uniforms,¡± said Kyle quietly. ¡°They were awfully close, weren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°An exact match,¡± said Aurin, nodding along. ¡°No way,¡± said Gardner, throwing his hands up and shaking his head fervently. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. We can¡¯t say she ratted us out just because she¡¯s missing and the uniforms were a match.¡± ¡°One time, when Hannah came to speak to me, she showed up right as Virgo vanished,¡± said Aurin. ¡°She hasn¡¯t liked me from the start, but suddenly on that day a couple of months ago she decided to try and play nice with me. I think she was under orders to keep tabs on me and she can¡¯t do that if she makes it obvious that she doesn¡¯t like me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that she doesn¡¯t like you,¡± said Emily, ¡°it¡¯s just that¡­I¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°More importantly, where are the Zodiac Squad now?¡± asked Conrad. ¡°They¡¯re already at Harmony Tower,¡± answered Aurin. ¡°Virgo said their plan is underway as we speak.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Then what are we waiting for?¡± asked Jimmy, giving his Zenoman a nod. Zenoman started rubbing his knuckles with his other hands. ¡°We can worry about that Hannah girl later,¡± agreed Knot. ¡°We need make our way to the tower at once.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Aurin. He banished all of his Minakai except for Dolissile, and Luna banished Feathrus. Everyone hopped on a Minakai they could ride and they sped past the rumble in the square, making their way through the streets of Hazelton as fast as they could. They dodged groups of people, they leapt and flew over cars, desperately trying to reach the path out of town to catch up with Zodiac. Aurin half expected to see Virgo walking somewhere along the way, but he was nowhere to be found. He no doubt had his own way of reaching the tower quickly. All the while they were speeding along, Aurin racked his brain for all of his memories of Hannah. As certain as he was that he was right, for Luna¡¯s sake, he hoped he was wrong. Much to his displeasure, everything seemed to fit in place from her attitude towards him to the unforms to the fact that Virgo knew they were coming. The group reached the path out of town and hopped off their Minakai, running along the fork that took them towards the tower, but it was clear immediately that they were not alone. Surrounding the tower and blocking the way ahead was the Zodiac Squad, and not just a couple of members, but at least a hundred of them. Many of them bore masks that were not simply patterned with stars, but marked with their zodiac symbols. Standing front and centre was Virgo and his Terrastag, flanked by Pisces and her two Doripper, and Capricorn with his Hoofreeti. ¡°No one is permitted to pass,¡± said Virgo upon seeing the tamers and their Minakai. ¡°I cannot say I¡¯m surprised that you didn¡¯t listen, but you were warned to stay away, Aurin.¡± ¡°If you feel like challenging yourselves, you can always try taking on all of us at once,¡± said Pisces, smiling devilishly. ¡°I¡¯d love to see them try,¡± said Capricorn with a cocky grin. ¡°This lot couldn¡¯t battle their way out of a paper bag.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Taurus?¡± demanded Aurin, ignoring the insult. He wasn¡¯t going to let Capricorn waste his time. ¡°He¡¯s occupied,¡± said Virgo. ¡°Forget Taurus,¡± said Luna angrily. ¡°Where¡¯s Hannah?¡± Virgo¡¯s face contorted in anger. ¡°Who?¡± he asked, but it was obvious that he was lying. The utterance of her name rattled him. ¡°Do not take the bait, Virgo,¡± said Pisces, stepping forwards. ¡°Everyone, summon your Minakai.¡± The hundred plus members of the Zodiac Squad summoned Minakai to their sides. It was an army that could destroy the entire town if it so wished. There were small Minakai, large Minakai and Minakai of every element save for cosmics. There was no way of defeating every single one of them and reaching the tower door. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Kyle, grabbing Aurin¡¯s arm. ¡°No,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Trust me,¡± urged Kyle, lowering his voice. ¡°We need to regroup.¡± ¡°Do not force our hand again!¡± yelled Virgo. ¡°Hannah?¡± called Emily upon seeing a Chlost floating nearby. ¡°Come on,¡± said Luna, pulling Emily¡¯s hand. ¡°That¡¯s her Minakai. She¡¯s there somewhere!¡± ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time.¡± The tamers and their Minakai walked away from the army of Zodiac members and their horde of monsters, leaving Harmony Tower behind them. They headed in the direction of Kyle¡¯s ranch, nobody saying a word, all looking over their shoulders as they moved along. ¡°This is bad,¡± said Gardner, looking petrified as his Vinewolf placed a paw upon his master¡¯s shoulder to comfort him. ¡°Should we just sit here and hope their plan fails?¡± ¡°That would be foolish,¡± said Conrad. ¡°They have at least two cosmic elementals on their side. That gives them power. If they fail, who¡¯s to say they won¡¯t use that power for further nefarious reasons?¡± ¡°And if they succeed,¡± said Aurin, ¡°then they could wreak havoc across the entire world. Do you think they would stop at Harmony Tower and leave everywhere else alone? No, they would move from tower to tower unleashing Minakai everywhere. They need to be stopped and we need to get the cosmic summoning stones away from them.¡± ¡°Then lock Taurus up and throw away the key,¡± said Luna. ¡°Along with the rest of them,¡± added Knot. ¡°I recognised that man talking to us,¡± said Emily quietly. ¡°You did?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Yes,¡± said Emily. ¡°That¡¯s Hannah¡¯s father.¡± ¡°No¡­no, it couldn¡¯t be,¡± said Luna. ¡°I would have recognised him. Virgo¡­oh no¡­¡± ¡°Hannah¡¯s father works with Damien,¡± said Aurin, dragging his hand across his face. ¡°Of course, Virgo is Hannah¡¯s father.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so stupid!¡± said Luna, slapping herself on the forehead. ¡°I¡¯ve met him as Mr Williams and as Virgo, I should have pieced it together.¡± ¡°Stop beating yourself up,¡± said Kyle. ¡°What matters now is that we do something to stop the Zodiac Squad.¡± ¡°How?¡± asked Gardner. ¡°We¡¯re massively outnumbered.¡± ¡°Then we need to shift the odds in our favour,¡± said Kyle. ¡°We shift the odds in our favour, we storm the tower and we banish Taurus and whoever he¡¯s with outside where they¡¯re vulnerable again. That¡¯s how we stop this.¡± Conrad looked irked. ¡°It¡¯s all well and good saying that¡¯s how we do it, but we have precious little time. I could call in dozens of men for backup, but they wouldn¡¯t be here quick enough. How exactly are we supposed to get a large group of tamers to shift the odds in our favour.¡± ¡°We already did,¡± said Aurin, his eyes moving across everyone. ¡°There¡¯s a large group of tamers already assembled and many of whom have been wronged by Zodiac at least once.¡± ¡°The rumble?¡± asked Jimmy. ¡°The rumble,¡± said Aurin. Chapter 143 ¡°This is going to be our toughest battle yet, team,¡± said Aurin to his Minakai, ¡°and I¡¯m sorry that I won¡¯t be there to help most of you fight, but this is the way it has to be. Gardner and the others will steer you right while Shamtile, Steambot, Sunny and I are in the tower. Not that I even need to tell you that, you¡¯re all plenty capable on your own.¡± Aurin¡¯s team stood together as he loaded up his tamer glove with the three summoning stones he needed for what would no doubt be his most challenging tower run to date. Even still, he felt better knowing that his team would be dealing with the Zodiac Squad members outside along with half of the strongest tamers in Hazelton¡ªat least, if Gardner and Jimmy could convince the tamers to join the fight. Emily sat on the grass nearby, looking worried while not was pacing back and forth with his hands in his pockets. Meanwhile, Conrad was slotting summoning stones into his tamer glove. From the sound of the clinking in his pocket, he had at least another half dozen ready to go. ¡°Who¡¯s coming with you?¡± Aurin asked Luna as she approached. She held up her tamer glove to show a deep blue, an icy white and a leaf green summoning stone embedded within it. ¡°Innogon, Frocean and Angree?¡± asked Aurin without hesitation. ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°I was torn as to whether I should bring Splashard or not, but you already have Steambot and I have Innogon. We can¡¯t be overly reliant on water Minakai or we could run into trouble if we¡¯re up against a lot of air elementals.¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± said Aurin, looking at his own glove. ¡°It¡¯s never been a problem picking three Minakai, but this time feels different. Who knows how far we¡¯re going to have to go to catch Taurus?¡± ¡°Maybe to the very top,¡± said Luna, half-jokingly. ¡°How about you, Kyle?¡± called Aurin as Kyle emerged from his house, donning his own tamer glove that was already fitted with three summoning stones. ¡°Wingbloom, Snowlem and Hogannon?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Kyle with a grin. ¡°In a twisted way, I¡¯m looking forward to the challenge. It¡¯s been some time since I¡¯ve faced a cosmic Minakai, but we need to make sure the result is better than last time.¡± ¡°You lost?¡± ¡°Badly, but I have a couple of strategies in mind.¡± ¡°There¡¯s Gardner and Jimmy!¡± squealed Emily, pointing towards the path into the ranch. ¡°Well?¡± asked Knot, stepping forwards. ¡°Most of them have Minakai left that are up for the challenge,¡± said Gardner. ¡°I think we¡¯ll have enough of a force to break through to the tower doors.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to war with Zodiac,¡± said Jimmy, punching his fist into his palm. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment for some time now.¡± ¡°Have you got enough items to keep you going?¡± asked Conrad. ¡°Yes,¡± said Luna. ¡°I¡¯ve got a bunch of salves and antidotes.¡± Aurin tapped his satchel. ¡°Orbs aplenty,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m going for utility over healing.¡± Kyle nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve got a secret weapon that I¡¯ve been saving for whenever I made a real return to the tower, but now¡¯s as good a time as any to use it.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°That¡¯s top secret.¡± ¡°Agh, why be like that now?¡± Knot shook his head. ¡°The bickering can wait until you¡¯re out of my sight,¡± he said. ¡°Are we all agreed to move on the signal flare from Flaround?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I told them,¡± said Gardner. ¡°We¡¯ve given them a few minutes to heal up as best they can and then we all storm the warzone in sync,¡± said Jimmy, holding out his tamer glove and summoning his Zenoman and eight other Minakai from the nearby. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°You all ready?¡± Aurin asked his team, who agreed in unison. ¡°Shamtile, Steambot and Sunny, you¡¯re all to wait here until summoned.¡± ¡°Likewise for you three,¡± said Luna to Innogon, Frocean and Angree as they marched through the gate along with the rest of her team. Aurin looked around at his friends, allies and Minakai. He was strangely at peace, even with the odds stacked against them, even with the high stakes on the line. He knew that he had many that he could count on, both in the tower and out of the tower; he was truly blessed. Gardner checked his watch. ¡°Everyone ready?¡± ¡°Ready,¡± said Emily with her sole Minakai by her side; her Petalcub. Everyone else agreed and they all made their way down the path with their army of Minakai beside them. There was dead silence amongst the tamers, but the Minakai made quite the racket as they stomped, hopped and thudded along. Zodiac would hear them coming if they moved too far, but no doubt they would not budge from their guard position outside the tower. ¡°Wait,¡± said Gardner, as they reached the fork that divided the path between the tower and Hazelton. ¡°They should be here any second.¡± Aurin watched the path, and true enough, a large group of tamers marched up. Some continued towards them, others spread themselves into the forest to attack the Zodiac Squad from other angles. There were many tamers here to help that he recognised from past tournaments and even the Palace Royale that now felt like a lifetime away when it had barely been two months. He spotted Eclare, who winked at him much to Luna¡¯s usual chagrin. Bentley stood proudly with his team. The twins, Harley and Marley, looked ready to go. Everyone had a look of determination upon their faces, knowing that they were no longer fighting for fun, but for the protection of their town and the world beyond. Knot kept an eye on his watch for a moment and held a hand up to tell is Flaround to wait. ¡°Three,¡± he said at last, once the tamers were all ready. ¡°Two. One.¡± ¡°Here we go,¡± said Kyle as Knot¡¯s Flaround spat roaring fireball into the sky. The tamers charged in with their Minakai leading the way. Aurin, Luna and Kyle hung back with Dolissile as they had planned, wanting to avoid the brunt of the attack so that they could storm past the Zodiac Squad while they were distracted. The cacophony of the huge battle reached their ears immediately. The Zodiac Squad barked orders at their Minakai as the tamers of Hazelton and their teams rushed out to meet them. After a few seconds, Aurin knew it was time. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± he called to Luna, Kyle and Dolissile. Aurin grabbed onto Dolissile¡¯s top fin, Luna to his left and Kyle to his right. Everyone held tight as Dolissile sped forwards, pulling them with him. He tore through the crowd, forcing Virgo to leap out of the way as the cybernetic dolphin charged. ¡°Stop them!¡± called Damien, sending his Hoofreeti towards them, but the goat demon was clobbered by the raging fists of both Aurin and Jimmy¡¯s Zenoman. ¡°Doripper!¡± ordered Pisces, but Luna¡¯s team rushed to meet the two large fish, led by Luna¡¯s own Doripper. Aurin caught a glimpse of Emily and her Petalcub fighting against a girl in a Zodiac uniform and her Chlost. He knew immediately that it was Hannah. Emily had a look of fury in her face, a look that Aurin had never seen on her face before. Dolissile stopped abruptly by the door to the tower as Aurin¡¯s team rushed over to form a wall. Aurin retrieved his key and released the doors to Harmony Tower, which opened and revealed the swirling vortex that sought to pull them in. ¡°No, you don¡¯t!¡± yelled Virgo, leaping past Aurin¡¯s Minakai with a lightning crystal in his hand. As he unleashed the spell, a shockwave from Dolissile flung him backwards, sending the spell careening off into the sky. Aurin, Luna and Kyle took a final look at the Hazelton tamers defending them before they were sucked through the portal and onto the first floor of the tower. They all landed firmly on their feet, the jolt from being transported into the tower having not affected them for some time. Now was the time to prove themselves and how much they had learned about tackling the challenges of the tower. It would be a difficult run, but they knew how important it was to reach Taurus. They could not let their town down. ¡°That¡¯s the easy part over,¡± said Aurin, summoning Shamtile. ¡°Now to find Taurus.¡± Luna and Kyle holding off on summoning their own Minakai for the time being. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste time,¡± said Kyle. Aurin and Shamtile led the way across the white and black chessboard-patterned tiles, seeking the elevator to the first floor as quickly as possible. There would no doubt be Zodiac members coming to stop them soon but, if they were lucky, they would not be in the same instance on this first floor. Small, weak Minakai spawned as the quartet rushed through the floor, but Shamtile knocked each of them away with a single thrown rock. The less energy he had to spend early on, the better. The group only slowed down upon reaching the various rooms, terrified of setting off traps; that would be devastating this early into the run. It was a mere two minutes before they found the elevator to the second floor. Aurin, Luna and Kyle placed their hands upon the blue orb and felt themselves being dragged upwards through the dimensional magic of the elevator. They appeared on the second floor, the minor nuisance of the first floor now behind them. ¡°Well, well,¡± came a man¡¯s voice. ¡°Look who¡¯s come to visit us,¡± said a woman. The two stood before the party, decked out in full Zodiac gear with menacing smirks on their faces. With them, stood a Vinewolf and a Flaround, both Minakai looking like they wanted revenge. Aurin and Luna recognised the Zodiac members as the same tamers they had faced when they first entered the tower together. Chapter 144 ¡°No mercy!¡± Aurin ordered Shamtile. Before the two Zodiac Minakai could react, Shamtile slammed each of them against the wall with a boulder. He conjured a rock cage around the Vinewolf and Flaround, then pelted them with more rocks until they were out cold. They were banished from the tower a second later, leaving the two Zodiac members dumbstruck. ¡°One day, Aurin,¡± spat the man. ¡°You¡¯ll be sorry,¡± muttered the woman, her lip curled into a frown. With that, they disappeared from the tower in a flash of light. ¡°Those two are constant pests,¡± tutted Luna. ¡°And still a pair of weaklings even with fully evolved Minakai,¡± added Aurin. ¡°You would think they would have thrown in the towel with monster taming at this point.¡± Kyle nodded, but he looked pensive. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°We know now that the Zodiac Squad have guardians posted in the tower in case anybody does enter to try and stop Taurus. This won¡¯t be your average tower run.¡± ¡°Taurus saw this coming,¡± said Luna, summoning Innogon to her side. ¡°I think we should all keep a Minakai out in case we¡¯re forced to battle three on three.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± said Kyle, summoning Hogannon. ¡°Shamtile carrying us through the early floors sounded good in theory, but we sometimes forget that the higher ups of the Zodiac Squad are much better planned than the grunts.¡± ¡°Like how they outmanoeuvred our infiltration and blocked off the tower?¡± ¡°Yes¡­yes, perhaps we should have seen something like this coming after all of that.¡± Aurin stepped forward. ¡°In any case, let¡¯s start climbing. We¡¯re very far behind as it is.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Luna and Kyle in unison. The three tamers and their Minakai charged through the first floor. They avoided whatever roaming Minakai they could and stayed out of the rooms as much as possible, fearing whatever traps may be hidden in the floor tiles that could end their run early. They aimed straight for the elevators, not caring for riches, eggs or anything that would aid their tamer goals, all they cared about right now was making a break for Taurus. They conquered the first ten floors with ease and in record time, but they knew that the effortlessness of their climb so far would not last. Now that they were on double digit floors, the wandering Minakai were already proving to be tough and there were a few close misses with traps. ¡°Eee!¡± squealed Luna, pulling Innogon out of the way of a jet of flame that erupted from the floor tile he had wandered onto. The little blue drake looked up at her innocently and smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Inno,¡± she said to her Minakai, shaking her head. ¡°We need to be extra careful this time. We aren¡¯t playing a game; we aren¡¯t training and we aren¡¯t having fun today.¡± Innogon cocked his head to the side and smiled. Shamtile ran up to him upon Luna setting him down and rapped his knuckles on his friend¡¯s head, squealing and growling at him. Innogon opened his mouth in shock and recoiled before turning to his tamer and nodding his head while roaring furiously. ¡°You get it now, right?¡± Innogon nodded even more vigorously, ran around her feet and leapt onto her back. Upon landing on the thirteenth floor, the three tamers found themselves face to face with a group of three Zodiac Squad members. Two of them wore the standard uniform and stood beside a Windjinn and a Minasma, but the third member was different. His mask bore the image of a vase from which water flowed, spreading to the left and right of his mask. Coiled around him like a snake was an unusually long-tailed Splashard. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°You must be Aquarius,¡± said Aurin, eliciting a smile and a nod. ¡°And you must be Aurin,¡± said the Zodiac elite. ¡°I¡¯m surprised to see you here, I must admit. Truth be told, I thought it was just Master Taurus¡¯s flight of fancy that you would be able to make it through the barricade outside, yet¡­here you are.¡± ¡°Here we are,¡± said Luna as Innogon jumped off her back. ¡°And who are you?¡± asked Aquarius. ¡°Who am I?¡± replied Luna incredulously. ¡°What do you mean? You know perfectly well who I am.¡± ¡°He¡¯s trying to rattle you,¡± muttered Kyle, seeing Aquarius¡¯s smirk. ¡°Don¡¯t let him bait you to anger, Luna. He wants you to make mistakes.¡± ¡°So, Aquarius, are you going to move out of the way or are we going to have to send you packing?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°You already know the answer to that, Aurin,¡± said Aquarius. ¡°And, oh, what glory it will bring me to be the one who keeps you from reaching Master Taurus. I think a promotion and a pay rise will be in it for you two lads, what do you reckon?¡± The two grunts chuckled heartily, nodding in agreement. ¡°Enough stalling,¡± said Aurin, pointing towards Aquarius¡¯s Splashard. ¡°Attack!¡± Shamtile charged forward as the water demon removed itself from its tamer and conjured a wall of water to meet the dashing lizard. Shamtile burst through, encased in rock and shattered the stoney shield, sending its sharp shards straight through Splashard. The water elemental absorbed them into its body and send them down to its tail. It flicked its tail through the air, throwing the shards straight back at Shamtile who brought up a wall of his own to take his own redirected attack. As Shamtile and Splashard faced off, Innogon spat a water jet at the Minasma, who spat back a much filthier one in return. The two streams of water collided, each struggling for dominance as the users exerted more and more effort to overpower the other, neither willing to concede an inch. Hogannon raised his cannon arms and fired bursts of fireballs at the Windjinn who weaved through the air, swirling its way past the fireballs before beating its wings and conjuring a razor-sharp wind that trimmed the hair from the top of Hogannon¡¯s head as he dove out of the way of the stinging gust. ¡°No time for games,¡± said Aurin, holding up his tamer and focusing his energy into a blue summoning stone embedded within. ¡°Pressure cannon!¡± Steambot appeared in a flash of light and immediately erupted with his powerful cannon attack. The mighty burst of water, tore Aquarius¡¯s Splashard in two. Shamtile conjured air-tight stone cages around each section of the severed water elemental and hurled one towards Hogannon who blasted it to pieces. As the lower half of Splashard flew towards Innogon, the little drake dove out of the way and let Minasma¡¯s attack collide with its teammate. As the brown ooze halted its water jet, Steambot threw his entire body weight onto the Minakai and crushed it thoroughly, banishing it from the tower alongside its tamer and leaving only two Zodiac members remaining. Windjinn charged towards Shamtile who was about to throw the other trapped half of Splashard into a wall, forcing the masked lizard to duck and lose focus. Splashard broke free and sought out its lower half, recombining and becoming whole once again, but now found itself outnumbered. ¡°Panchi!¡± ordered Aquarius, summoning the blue warrior Minakai to the battlefield as Windjinn was struck by the combined water jets of both Innogon and Steambot, eliminating it from the battle and sending its tamer out of the tower along with it. Panchi summoned a small whirlpool and dropped inside it to avoid a barrage of fireballs courtesy of Hogannon. The purple-haired pugilist reappeared behind Hogannon and delivered a flurry of blows to the large, orange pig¡¯s back before Shamtile lobbed a rock at its head. Dazed, Panchi was unable to dodge a point-blank shot to the head from Hogannon. ¡°Yield!¡± demanded Aurin as the Hogannon threw Panchi into Splashard, knocking both Minakai into the wall. ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen, Aurin,¡± said Aquarius, visibly angered at what was happening to his Minakai. ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Kyle, summoning Wingbloom and Snowlem to his side. ¡°You¡¯re done,¡± added Luna, also summoning her remaining Minakai¡ªFrocean and Angee¡ªto intimidate the Zodiac elite. ¡°Dishonourable,¡± spat Aquarius. ¡°Your group started all of this,¡± said Aurin, shaking his head with contempt. ¡°We¡¯re just making sure it ends today.¡± The eight Minakai unleashed their attacks on the helpless Splashard and Panchi, who were both ejected in a flash of blue. Even with the top half of his face obscured by his mask, Aquarius¡¯s disgusted sneer was visible. ¡°You will lose,¡± he said, his voice filled with contempt. ¡°You cannot stand against Master Taurus.¡± Upon uttering his final word, he vanished from the tower, sent outside to rejoin his comrades. ¡°Any injuries?¡± asked Aurin, turning to the Minakai, all of whom shook their heads. ¡°Hogannon,¡± said Kyle, ¡°don¡¯t tough it out. You took a couple of hits.¡± Kyle¡¯s fiery pig snorted in discontent, but he nodded and tapped on his back with one of his cannons. Aurin summoned Sunny who floated over merrily and weaved one of her healing spells, which eased Hogannon¡¯s pain and brought him back to full strength. ¡°Good job, Sunny,¡± said Aurin, patting the wispy egg on the head, eliciting a squeal of glee at being praised. ¡°Let¡¯s thin the herd a little,¡± said Kyle, looking towards the army of nine Minakai. ¡°The last thing we want is a crowd stomping around and a loose trap hitting everyone at once.¡± ¡°Good idea,¡± said Luna, raising her tamer glove. ¡°See you all later,¡± said Aurin, as the tamers dismissed Steambot, Sunny, Frocean, Angree, Wingbloom and Snowlem. ¡°One elite down,¡± said Luna as the Minakai vanished. ¡°Not to mention the ones outside,¡± said Kyle. ¡°And they could be on their way up after us,¡± said Aurin, ¡°so let¡¯s keep going.¡± Chapter 145 ¡°My legs,¡± panted Aurin, flopping to the ground as a large Gorunze was banished from the tower in a flash of steely grey light. The young tamer massaged his legs and tried to catch his breath as Shamtile joined his tamer in flopping on the floor of the twenty-fifth floor. ¡°So tired,¡± muttered Luna, leaning against the wall and then sliding down it until she was flat on her backside. ¡°Take a second to catch your breath and then we¡¯re back at it,¡± said Kyle, patting Hogannon on the back as the pig shook the smoke away from his cannon arms. The journey from the thirteenth floor to the halfway point of the tower had been filled with battles. Between the occasional roaming gaggles of Zodiac guards to the wide elemental range of Minakai, there had been no shortage of work for the Minakai, but Shamtile, Innogon and Hogannon were still all here to tell the tale, however, it had taken quite a few healing items to keep everyone in shape. It hadn¡¯t helped that a wild Minakai had triggered a Poison Trap while scuffling with Shamtile and Luna had to use one of the antidotes to save him from being too injured to continue. Much to Aurin¡¯s dismay, the group had passed by two eggs. He had been half-tempted to pick one up and bring it with him temporarily, but he didn¡¯t need anything slowing him down. It was truly a fight with temptation on every floor as the piles of silver coins grew larger and the variety of items increased. The three tamers all agreed that they would only pick up what would help them reach Taurus. ¡°Alright,¡± said Aurin, standing up earlier than he would truly have liked. He walked over to Luna, held out his hand to her and then helped her back to her feet. They had thought it was better to try and run from the rather large Gorunze that decided to hunt them like prey, but he was not so easy to outrun. Had they fought immediately, they wouldn¡¯t have tired themselves out so much, but it was a lesson they would take to heart for the rest of the journey. ¡°Halfway there,¡± said Kyle, looking down the corridor, ¡°and we¡¯ve yet to stumble across any rare floors. Let¡¯s count ourselves lucky.¡± ¡°Why would you say that?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Heh?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve jinxed us!¡± Luna scolded the rancher. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± said Kyle, leading the way with his Hogannon. ¡°I¡¯m telling you,¡± said Aurin. ¡°We¡¯re going to find a weird floor now. Maybe it¡¯ll be a wide open one or one of the waterlogged ones, but it¡¯s going to happen.¡± ¡°Superstitious nonsense,¡± remarked Kyle without looking back. ¡°He doesn¡¯t get it,¡± said Luna, shaking her head. ¡°He¡¯s rusty in the tower still,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Every time we¡¯ve made a comment like that, we¡¯ve been struck by bad luck. It¡¯s like the tower is listening to us and responds.¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what¡¯s really happening.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anymore, but I wouldn¡¯t be surprised.¡± Aurin, Luna, Shamtile and Innogon followed Kyle and Hogannon through the corridors, each of them carefully keeping an eye to any rooms they passed in case the elevator was waiting for them. The wild Minakai weren¡¯t making things easy, but the group scavenged just enough healing items along the way to get themselves through the floor and to the blue orb that carried them higher. ¡°A normal floor,¡± said Kyle upon landing on floor twenty-six. ¡°See?¡± ¡°We never said it would be the very next floor,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Yes, we never said that,¡± said Luna. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± said Kyle. ¡°The odds are the odds. We¡¯ll get what we get. I haven¡¯t jinxed anything. Do you think if I said that we¡¯ll reach Taurus for sure that we¡¯ll suddenly find ourselves thrown from the tower?¡± ¡°Now who¡¯s being silly?¡± asked Luna. ¡°You just don¡¯t get it, Kyle,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Sometimes I can¡¯t deal with you two,¡± sighed Kyle, placing a palm on his forehead. ¡°I often forget that neither of you are adults yet because you¡¯re usually so mature.¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Say what you want, but you won¡¯t undo the jinx,¡± shrugged Luna, walking onwards. The group pushed their way through the floor, fighting their way past Minakai after Minakai, managing to conquer the floor by sticking together and attacking in unison where they could. They ascended to floor twenty-seven and fought on through. They ascended to floor twenty-eight and stampeded towards the elevator. They ascended to floor twenty-nine, taking quite the beating along the way, and then they ascended to floor thirty. ¡°Still no sign of them,¡± sighed Luna upon landing on the thirtieth floor. Being this high hadn¡¯t phased her, so focused she was on the goal. Aurin reached into his bag and pulled out his Orb of Tamers. ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s worth using this to check ahead,¡± he said. ¡°How many charges do you have in it?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°I think it¡¯s four.¡± ¡°Think?¡± ¡°Truth be told, it¡¯s been a while since I checked. It¡¯s either four or five, but I¡¯m going to say four to air on the side of caution.¡± ¡°What time is it?¡± asked Luna. ¡°About nine o¡¯clock,¡± said Kyle, checking his watch. ¡°We¡¯ve been here for hours, but we¡¯ve been making good time.¡± ¡°Watch out!¡± called Aurin, pulling Luna aside as a fireball was flung down the corridor. ¡°Shamtile, take it out!¡± Shamtile leapt to action, followed closely by Innogon and Hogannon. A wild Fyrvern was beating its wings down the corridor, spitting fireball after fireball. The masked lizard hurled a rock, the blue drake spat a water jet and the burly pig shot fireballs of his own at their opponent, but it swerved out of the way of all three incoming attacks. With a deep roar, the Fyrvern unleashed a powerful pillar of flame from its mouth. Shamtile stomped his feet and brought up a stone wall to block the attack, but the fire burst through and sent the rocks flying at Innogon, who was caught off guard. Fyrvern came charging down the corridor as Innogon rolled back onto his feat. The three Minakai struck the Fyrvern with more powerful attacks, banishing it from the tower. ¡°We need to be on higher alert,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I fear we¡¯ve gotten com¡ª¡± A large chunk of shrapnel crashed into Innogon, knocking the little drake against the wall and banishing from the tower. ¡°No!¡± cried Luna. ¡°Shamtile!¡± called Aurin, prompting his reptilian companion to coat himself in stone armour. Shamtile stormed down the corridor, conjuring rocks to beat flying shrapnel out of the way. Each chunk of sharp metal that he missed his armour weathered for him. He ran towards the wild Dolissile and slammed his fist into its pale blue armour, knocking the dolphin to the ground and leaving a huge dent in its side. Shamtile continued to pummel it until it was ejected from the tower and Innogon was avenged. ¡°You¡¯ll be okay,¡± said Kyle, placing his hand on Luna¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Losing our first Minakai on the thirtieth floor is more than I expected.¡± Luna sniffed, upset about Innogon falling to the sneak attack of the Dolissile, but she nodded in agreement. The trio pushed ahead, now joined by Luna¡¯s Frocean who hopped along beside them. The rest of the floor was filled with challenge, but the tamers and their Minakai conquered it and arrived on the thirty-first floor, weary but holding onto their strength. ¡°Oh no,¡± said Aurin, looking at the room surrounding him. ¡°We told you that you jinxed it,¡± whispered to Kyle, hoping not to attract any enemies too early. ¡°A coincidence,¡± said Kyle. They were stood in a huge dark room, so large that the walls were very much distant and illuminated faintly by the torches that rested upon them. The glowing orbs of light were specks and every floor tile around them was a potential trap that they couldn¡¯t see clearly enough to check for safety. ¡°I prepared for this,¡± said Aurin, pulling out an Orb of Traps from his bag and casting the spell within. Upon unleashing the magic of the orb, violet lights flashed into existence throughout the room. Aurin counted there to be seventeen of them, all traps that were primed and waiting to be sprung, but now they could see where they were. ¡°Good thinking,¡± said Kyle, clapping Aurin on the back. ¡°How many more charges?¡± ¡°Only one more,¡± said Aurin, ¡°but this one I¡¯m certain of.¡± The tamers crept into the darkness, keeping a lookout for the Minakai that spawned in the shadows. Shamtile and Frocean dealt with the majority of the enemies that reared their heads, the tamers concerned that the light from Hogannon¡¯s fireballs would alert the lurking monsters to their presence. ¡°Agh,¡± groaned Aurin, prompting Luna to slap his arm to shush him. ¡°I know,¡± he whispered, ¡°it¡¯s just that there are gold coins here.¡± ¡°Forget about them,¡± said Kyle. ¡°There¡¯ll be other opportunities.¡± ¡°Eee!¡± squealed Luna, leaping into Aurin¡¯s arms. ¡°What?¡± he asked her, looking at the ground. ¡°Something grabbed my leg! Something grabbed my leg!¡± Kyle squinted into the darkness. ¡°I don¡¯t see¡ª¡± A large vine wrapped itself around Kyle¡¯s arm and pulled him towards it as a Debigger revealed itself. It was pulling Kyle into its sack, wanting to devour him. The rancher tried to wrench his arm free, but the vines were too tight and the Debigger was too strong. Hogannon threw itself on top of the demonic plant and crushed it, before unleashing a series of fireballs into the wild Minakai¡¯s mouth that dared attack his tamer. Once Hogannon was finished with it, the Debigger was burned and crippled, unable to move. It disappeared in a flash of green light, banished from the tower, but any pretence of stealth was gone. Roars, groans, howls and screeches echoed throughout the massive room, letting the three tamers know that the hidden dwellers were coming for them. They all looked for each other and ran, careful to avoid the traps while Hogannon shot fireballs ahead to help the party see the way ahead. ¡°There!¡± called Aurin, pointing straight ahead as an Electrout threw itself at him while covered in crackling electricity. He ducked out of the way and Shamtile launched a rocky javelin at the lightning fish. The three tamers sprinted towards the golden pedestal housing the blue orb. There was a sudden snorting and a groan as Hogannon vanished in a burst of orange light. ¡°Damn!¡± called Kyle as they reached the elevator and placed their hands on it. They were pulled upwards, down another Minakai and they arrived on the thirty-second floor. Chapter 146 ¡°What took out Hogannon?¡± Aurin asked, relieved to be away from the large, open room, but dismayed to have lost another ally in the desperate chase after Taurus. ¡°I didn¡¯t see,¡± said Kyle, slamming his fist into a wall. ¡°I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter now¡­¡± ¡°Sunny,¡± said Aurin, summoning his cloud-like Minakai to his side. ¡°You¡¯re going to stick around and make sure everyone is in good shape. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise to go without you now that we¡¯re so high up.¡± ¡°Snowlem, you¡¯re up,¡± said Kyle, bringing forth his snowman golem. The trio and their Minakai made their way through the thirty-second floor, Aurin and Luna barely taking the time to consider they were higher than ever before while Kyle didn¡¯t even give a passing thought to being so close to his own personal best. The Minakai spawning at this height were tougher than the ones before and it was very noticeable. There was a Flambot appearing, a monster that Aurin had never witnessed in the tower until today, while a trio of Vambra tried to unleash their demonic hypnosis upon the tamers, only to be thwarted by Shamtile, Frocean and Snowlem. Each time the Minakai sustained an injury, Sunny was there to back them up. With healing items scarce on these floors¡ªwhether by luck or the nature of the tower, Aurin couldn¡¯t say¡ªher magic was very much appreciated by the tamers and the Minakai. As Shamtile, Frocean and Snowlem fought against a wild Totempo, Gittup, and Techwing, the tamers were forced into a room to avoid getting injured by the brutal battle. No sooner had they stepped into the room when¡­ Click. ¡°Oh no,¡± said Luna as the trio were stricken by darkness. The Blinding Trap left them unable to see a thing as they grabbed each other¡¯s hands and pressed themselves against the walls. From within the room, there was a loud bark and the crackling of fire. ¡°What is that?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°It sounds like a Flaround,¡± said Kyle, holding up his tamer glove and blindly summoning Wingbloom in desperation. The bird-like plant cawed and screeched as it fought to defend the tamers. Aurin heard the familiar warbling yell of Shamtile who had burst into the room and erected a wall in front of the tamers to protect them from the attacking Minakai. Click. ¡°Not again!¡± cried Luna, still unable to see. A cacophony of Minakai calls assaulted the ears of the humans; a Monster Den trap had been triggered. Things were going from bad to worse and Aurin summoned Steambot, while Luna summoned Angree. They weren¡¯t feeling good about their chances, but they had to stall for time until they could see again. The roar of battle spread throughout the room as the Minakai fought valiantly as the tamers stared into nothingness. At one pointed, a large rock smashed against the wall and the shattered remnants fell onto Aurin¡¯s shoulder, making him jump a mile, but he was unhurt. Suddenly, his eyes filled with light once again and he could see the blurry outline of the room as his vision adjusted. He looked to Luna who was rubbing her eyes and Kyle who was closing and opening his eyes, trying to clear them. After a couple of seconds, they could see that the Minakai were still battling wildly so the trio ran from the room. ¡°Come on,¡± said Aurin, focusing on his tamer glove and summoning Shamtile, Steambot and Sunny to him. Kyle held up his own hand and summoned Wingbloom and Snowlem from the room while Luna summoned only Angree. She gasped in shock, realising that Frocean must have fallen in the battle. The trio ran with their Minakai protecting them until they found the elevator that brought them to the thirty-third floor. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this,¡± lamented Luna, sliding to the floor. ¡°Things aren¡¯t looking so great now,¡± sighed Aurin, feeling very fortunate to have all of his Minakai left. ¡°I suppose there¡¯s nothing else for it,¡± said Kyle, reaching into his bag, pulling out an orb and handing it over to Luna. ¡°Take this and use it.¡± ¡°What does this one do?¡± asked Luna, taking the orb. ¡°It¡¯s an Orb of Recollection,¡± said Kyle. ¡°It¡¯ll allow you to bring back either Innogon or Frocean.¡± ¡°Is that the secret weapon you said you brought with you?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°No,¡± grinned Kyle, ¡°I¡¯m saving that for later too.¡± ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know who to use this on¡­¡± muttered Luna. ¡°Kyle, you should take it back and use it on Hogannon. It¡¯s wasted on me.¡± ¡°Not a chance,¡± said Kyle, holding up his hands and refusing to take the orb as Luna tried to pass it back to him. ¡°We want all three of us sticking around for as long as we can. Aurin had three Minakai, I have two and you have one. If Angree goes down, then you¡¯re out of here. Bring back one of your own and keep us together.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sure,¡± said Luna. ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± said Kyle, ¡°now make it quick before we fall behind.¡± Luna breathed deep and focused on the Orb of Recollection. It glowed brightly, the light turning blue and bringing Innogon back into the tower, looking right as rain. He looked around in confusion and then roared happily before jumping into Luna¡¯s arms as the Orb of Recollection shattered. ¡°A very touching reunion, you two,¡± said Aurin, ¡°but let¡¯s keep going.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Luna, putting Innogon back on the floor where he and Shamtile hopped up and down excitedly, glad to be fighting together again. The thirty-third floor gave them considerably less trouble than the thirty-second, but the thirty-fourth was a challenge. Not so much because of the Minakai they had to face, but because they could not find the elevator. After a while, they realised that they had missed a corridor hidden at the back corner of the first room they had landed in. Much to their surprise, they encountered a lone Zodiac Squad grunt on the thirty-fifth floor. The rest of her party had been defeated and she was left with only her Skrow remaining. It took little effort form Shamtile to defeat her, allowing the party to proceed further. ¡°So¡­tired,¡± said Luna, as the group reached the end of the thirty-sixth floor after being forced to run from a pair of Hogannon juggernauts who shot at the group relentlessly. ¡°Me too,¡± said Aurin as he placed his hands on the elevator. Upon landing, Kyle spoke up. ¡°We¡¯re so close. Floor thirty-seven¡­¡± ¡°A big moment for you,¡± said Aurin, ¡°matching your old record.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s more than just my old record,¡± said Kyle. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of significance in this number for me. It brings back a lot of memories.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± asked Aurin, walking ahead. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you another time,¡± said Kyle, ¡°but not every memory from the tower is a fun adventure, just remember that. Sometimes mistakes can be made and you can¡¯t go back from them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s rather ominous,¡± Luna whispered quietly to herself, not quite sure what Kyle had meant. The trio walked into a room after Aurin examined the first couple of tiles for traps and assured them it was safe to proceed. He was wondering if it was time to start using the remaining charges of his various orbs, it may be the only way to speed things along and the top floor of the tower was within their grasp now. ¡°I have to admit,¡± came a man¡¯s voice from the shadows, ¡°I¡¯m impressed that you made it this far. I thought I would be waiting here, bored out of my mind while swatting away the spawning Minakai.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Aurin, bracing himself. A young man in Zodiac gear stepped forward. His mask bore the starry image of a scorpion and he had a smile upon his face. Beside him was a large scorpion Minakai that Aurin did not recognise. It was the colour of sand and its tail looked to be made of sharpened stone. ¡°My name is Scorpio,¡± he said, ¡°and this is my good friend, Sandsting. I¡¯m afraid that we¡¯re the end of the line for you three.¡± ¡°You¡¯re outnumbered,¡± said Luna. ¡°Do you really think that you can take out all three of us?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a buffer,¡± said Kyle. ¡°He¡¯s only here to slow us down. You two get moving and leave him to me.¡± ¡°No!¡± said Aurin. ¡°We¡¯ll fight him together.¡± ¡°I believe you¡¯re close, Aurin,¡± said Kyle as Scorpio smirked in the background, scratching his arm. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with him and do whatever it takes to catch up to you after.¡± ¡°And if you lose?¡± asked Luna. ¡°Then I hope I slow him down enough that he¡¯s no longer going to be a threat to you.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± began Aurin. Kyle cut in. ¡°Notice how he¡¯s not attacking. He¡¯s wasting our time and you shouldn¡¯t be doing his job for him. Go!¡± ¡°Alright,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Good luck, Kyle.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± said Kyle, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a berry. He tossed it to Aurin. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Orna Berry, it¡¯ll fully heal one of your Minakai. You¡¯ll need it more than me. Get moving.¡± Aurin and Luna did as Kyle asked, but Sandsting whipped its tail, pointing it at the doorway, where a stone wall erected itself. Shamtile pierced through it with a rocky spear as Kyle and Snowlem stepped towards Scorpio and his Sandsting. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them,¡± said Kyle. ¡°It¡¯s me you¡¯re facing, and I¡¯m not going to show you an ounce of mercy.¡± Chapter 147 Kyle stood facing Scorpio with his Snowlem by his side who was, in turn, facing Sandsting. The earth elemental scorpion¡¯s fangs were as sharp as it¡¯s pointed, spear-like tail. Its six eyes were filled with malice as it stared directly at Snowlem, whose coal eyes showed little emotion. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you simply threw away an Orna Berry,¡± said Scorpio, shrugging and shaking his head with a look of bemusement on his face. ¡°It won¡¯t go to waste,¡± said Kyle calmly. ¡°Aurin will make sure that your buddies won¡¯t reach the top floor.¡± ¡°You seem awfully confident about that, Kyle. I don¡¯t think you realise just who and what it is you¡¯re dealing with.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s you who and the rest of your little troupe that don¡¯t realise who you¡¯re dealing with. Alone, we¡¯re formidable tamers, but together¡­well, we¡¯re an unstoppable force. And we have many friends and allies on the outside who will help us dismantle your entire organisation.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to have worked so far, does it?¡± asked Scorpio, his face contorted into a sneer. ¡°We frighten you,¡± said Kyle. ¡°It¡¯s why Virgo and Taurus were trying to sway Aurin, they want him on your side of things, no matter how much they deny it. It¡¯s why your former friends, Sagittarius and Libra, tried to burn down my ranch. It¡¯s why Leo always has it out for Aurin, and it¡¯s why your entire hand was forced early and you¡¯re in this tower right now.¡± ¡°It would be wrong of us not to fear our enemies somewhat. To not have a healthy dose of fear would mean we would be lulled into complacency. It happened before and it cost us our old warehouse¡­I like that warehouse. Now we¡¯ve been forced underground, but even that has been disrupted. Not that it matters anymore considering the boss man is on the way to the top.¡± ¡°So, what happens after?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°Let¡¯s say your plan succeeds. What happens next?¡± Scorpio laughed. ¡°Then our purpose has been fulfilled¡­at least, here.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Curious things, aren¡¯t they? Monster towers. Such bizarre and fascinating structures. Do you know how they came to be?¡± ¡°Your crew believes it was some old wizard¡­Dorian the Wise?¡± ¡°Doran the Reclusive,¡± said Scorpio. ¡°And no, Doran the Reclusive did not build the towers. He was the one who was forced to open the first portals to other dimensions.¡± ¡°Ah yes,¡± said Kyle, remembering what Aurin had told him. ¡°By the Rift Seekers, am I right? You¡¯re their spiritual successors, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± said Scorpio, patting his Sandsting¡¯s back. ¡°But I think I¡¯ve let you stall me for long enough.¡± ¡°Would you look at that,¡± said Kyle, shaking his head. ¡°You were meant to stall us and I ended up stalling you. Funny how our conversation just flowed so naturally.¡± Scorpio smiled. ¡°Well, I¡¯m afraid that our conversation has come to an end.¡± Sandsting scuttled forward and Snowlem hurled a large icicle at the sinister arachnid. It slammed its tail into the icicle, smashing it to pieces before lunging at Snowlem with its pincers and clipping his wooden arm. Had he been at full strength, Snowlem would have avoided the attack with ease, but he was exhausted after surviving the thirty-six previous floors. Knowing this, Kyle had to find a way to stall or Scorpio may still have time to reach Aurin. ¡°Snowlem,¡± he said, ¡°use your ice fist technique.¡± Snowlem coated his spindly hands in blocks of ice and slammed one into Sandsting¡¯s back. As the Minakai crumped, he punched it in the back with his other icy hand, making a gruesome crunch on the arachnid¡¯s sandy shell, but it was still in the fight. Sandsting flicked its tail and a stalactite appeared above Snowlem. He raised his hands and blocked it, but he left his body open. Sandsting spun around and jabbed Snowlem through the neck with its pointed tail, upon which, the snowman dropped to the ground in defeat. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°A good effort, my friend,¡± said Kyle, watching Snowlem vanish in an icy light. ¡°Wingbloom¡­¡± The tamer held out his glove and his air-elemental winged plant appeared before him. ¡°So, you¡¯ve brought your best,¡± said Scorpio. ¡°I look forward to seeing what it can do.¡± ¡°He can do a lot,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Wing, we¡¯re on that floor. Make sure you give it your all. She¡¯ll be watching.¡± Wingbloom cawed proudly and whipped up a razor-sharp wind. Sandsting encased its body in stone, weighing it down so that it wouldn¡¯t blow away and shielding itself from the cutting wind. ¡°Perfect,¡± muttered Kyle with a faint smile, as Scorpio realised his mistake. ¡°Throw off the armour!¡± he called, but it was too late. Wingbloom propelled himself forward towards the immobilised Minakai and grabbed it with his talons. He twirled in midair and released Sandsting, whose second mistake was discarding the cumbersome armour rather than continuing to use it as a shield. The scorpion slammed into the tower wall and Wingbloom soared towards it, ramming into it with his sharp beak, piercing its shell and almost breaking its back. ¡°A foolish error on my part,¡± said Scorpio, shaking his head and holding up his tamer glove as Sandsting was ejected from the tower, ¡°but I am not finished. Steelsting, you¡¯re up.¡± ¡°Another scorpion, Scorpio?¡± asked Kyle as a metallic scorpion, almost identical to Sandsting appeared. ¡°That¡¯s a little on the nose, isn¡¯t it?¡± While Sandsting looked conniving, Steelsting looked downright cold. Its red eyes shone brightly on its black metal body where a yellow line ran down the centre of its segmented back. ¡°If you can¡¯t have fun with your Zodiac theme, what¡¯s even the point?¡± shrugged Scorpio. ¡°Attack!¡± Kyle pointed straight at Steelsting. ¡°Wingbloom, finish this battle,¡± he said. Wingbloom charged towards his opponent, clawing at the metal scorpion as it parried and blocked with its knife-like tail. When Wingbloom tried to back away, Steelsting flung shrapnel at it. When Steelsting tried to retreat, Wingbloom¡¯s mighty vortex pulled it back. The two were matching each other¡¯s techniques, finding ways to keep each other locked in battle whenever it was to their advantage. Scorpio pulled out an orange crystal and unleashed the spell within, striking Wingbloom with a powerful fireball and knocking the winged plant to the ground, where Steelsting pieced him with its stinger. ¡°That was a dirty move,¡± said Kyle angrily. ¡°Whatever it takes,¡± shrugged Scorpio. ¡°If you say so,¡± said Kyle, retrieving a turquoise crystal of his own and pointing it at Steelsting as it was about to deal the finishing blow to Wingbloom. Kyle¡¯s spell was unleashed and Steelsting froze in place, unable to move a muscle. He was locked in time, completely paralysed and unaware by the spell from Kyle¡¯s cosmic crystal. ¡°Well,¡± said Scorpio, mildly amused, ¡°that¡¯s quite the trick.¡± ¡°My secret weapon,¡± said Kyle as the crystal broke down into dust and fell between his fingers. ¡°I had hoped to save it for a cosmic elemental, but this will have to do. In hindsight, perhaps I should have given it to Aurin instead of the Orna Berry, but at least it¡¯s keeping you off his back.¡± Wingbloom climbed back onto his feet, badly injured by Steelsting¡¯s stinger. He was just about holding on. He beat his wings and took to the air, where he flipped himself forward and pirouetted, drilling his beak into the frozen Steelsting¡¯s back. He grabbed it in his talons and flung the scorpion against the wall. As he charged after it, he lost consciousness, too injured to carry on, but his body collided with Steelsting as he fell. The two Minakai vanished from the tower within seconds of each other. ¡°You lose,¡± said Kyle. ¡°So do you,¡± said Scorpio. The two tamers were ejected from the tower together and the Zodiac elite could no longer hunt Aurin to delay him from reaching Taurus. Kyle landed on the grass outside the tower, pleased that he had played his part. Gardner rushed up to him as the hard-fought battle against the Zodiac members continued into the night. ¡°What happened?¡± he asked. ¡°Where are they?¡± ¡°They¡¯re still fighting,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Have you got my spare tamer glove?¡± Gardner nodded and tossed Kyle his tamer glove where he had five summoning stones set. He slid his hand into it and held it high. Even if he couldn¡¯t continue the fight in Harmony Tower, he was ready to continue the fight outside. * ¡°I hope Kyle¡¯s alright,¡± said Luna as she and Aurin landed on the thirty-eighth floor. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Just remember to tell him that we broke his highest floor record. ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking about now?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather think about that than think he¡¯s being beaten around by a Zodiac elite.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good point.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make sure his sacrifice isn¡¯t in vain,¡± said Aurin, clenching his fists. ¡°I¡¯m going to choose to believe he¡¯ll catch up to us soon.¡± The two tamers and their Minakai continued their push through the tower, unwilling to settle for any more delays. Surely there would be no more Zodiac Squad members between them and Taurus now? Scorpio was there alone and the lone grunt below was so weakened by her journey that she didn¡¯t have a chance against Shamtile. Aurin and Luna fought bravely through the thirty-eighth floor, knowing that they were giving it their all. It wasn¡¯t just their friends depending on them, it wasn¡¯t even just the town of Hazelton or the great nation of Bretonia, it was the whole world. This was not simply an isolated Minakai den like the one Tobias had shown Aurin, it was the unbounding of an entire tower. If the Zodiac Squad were to succeed in their plan, the ripples would be felt across the entire planet and they couldn¡¯t let that happen; they wouldn¡¯t let that happen. Chapter 148 ¡°Kyle¡¯s not joining us again, is he?¡± asked Luna as she and Aurin placed their hands upon the elevator to the forty-fifth floor as a horde of Minakai despawned around them, having been defeated by Steambot and Angree, both of whom were tiring. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± said Aurin, upon landing on the forty-fifth floor, ¡°but there¡¯s been no sign of Scorpio either. I don¡¯t think either of them are still in the tower.¡± ¡°How are you two doing?¡± Luna asked the two Minakai. Steambot was heaving up and down, but gave an enthusiastic thumbs up, while Angree threw his head back and stared at the ceiling with his mouth hanging open, struggling to let out his usual angry yells. ¡°Sunny?¡± asked Aurin, who squealed excitedly, still keeping her cheerful demeanour even after spending most of her time exerting herself with continued usage of healing magic. Shamtile had finally been defeated on the thirty-ninth floor by a powerful Quetzalia, whose wind was so powerful it had swept up his own rocks and bashed him into submission with them. Innogon fell for the second time this run on the fortieth floor, having been caught off-guard by a Frilleaf. ¡°We¡¯re nearly there, lads,¡± said Aurin, reaching up and patting Steambot on the back. ¡°Let¡¯s clear this floor and then there¡¯s only four more to go.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t blame them for being tired. I¡¯m exhausted too.¡± ¡°Luckily, I¡¯ve got something that will help us out,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I¡¯ve been saving these for when we reached this point.¡± He reached into his bag and pulled out an Orb of Tamers and an Orb of Monsters. He harnessed the magic of the Orb of Tamers first, but there were no spectral figures to be outlined through the walls; they were alone on this floor, at least as far as other humans went. Next, he focused on the Orb of Monsters and unleashed its magic. This time, the shadowy outlines of the wild Minakai on the floor were revealed. At this moment, there were twelve Minakai throughout the floor, but that would change shortly. ¡°What¡¯s the most dangerous thing you can see and how close is it?¡± asked Luna. ¡°I can see a Titamet, a Guilgon and a Snowlem close by,¡± said Aurin, then turning and pointing to the doorway to his left. ¡°We¡¯re going this way.¡± Aurin led the way carefully through the floor, keeping a close eye on the outlines of the Minakai that shone through the walls. As much as they tried to avoid them, as new Minakai spawned on the floor, they found themselves cornered and were forced to fight. ¡°Blast it away!¡± Aurin ordered Steambot as a Flaround leapt at the water-powered golem. Steambot fired off a pressure cannon and flung the Flaround into a wall, but it was resilient and kept on going. Angree followed up with a vicious pummelling, but took a few scratches and burns in the process. Distracted by Angree, the Flaround didn¡¯t see Steambot¡¯s mighty fist coming to crush its head. In a flash of light, it was banished from the tower and the two Minakai stood victorious. ¡°Sunny,¡± said Aurin, and the little cloud-like monster floated her way over to Angree to treat his wounds, but she was unable to heal him fully. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Luna asked. ¡°She¡¯s out of energy,¡± said Aurin, pulling out the Orna Berry that Kyle have given him. ¡°We¡¯ve got three options now.¡± ¡°Use this on Sunny to restore her healing, use it on Angree to treat him or save it for when we¡¯re really stuck later.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°I say we use it on Sunny. She¡¯s been invaluable in keeping us going and having her magic to heal us regularly is more important than any single usage of the berry.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± said Aurin, tossing the Berry to Sunny. The little fried egg opened her mouth and caught the berry, munching it down joyfully. She pirouetted and squealed in amazement, surprised to feel as reenergised as she now did. She tried to use her magic to heal Angree once again and, this time, it worked perfectly and his scratch and scorch marks disappeared entirely. The quintet pushed ahead through the floor, doing whatever they could to avoid the wild Minakai. They found mixed success, but not having the Orb of Monsters would have made things considerably more difficult for them. Upon reaching the elevator, they were all pleased to be leaving the floor behind and making their way to the forty-sixth floor. Aurin pulled out the Orb of Monsters again and activated it. ¡°This leaves us with one more charge left,¡± he said. ¡°If I had more preparation time, I would have picked up one from Cedric¡¯s shop that had more power.¡± ¡°Next time,¡± said Luna as Aurin used the Orb of Tamers. ¡°Who was that?¡± he asked in shock, upon seeing something. ¡°What?¡± ¡°There were three figures that appeared way off in the distance, but they vanished almost immediately. They had Minakai with them!¡± ¡°Zodiac?¡± ¡°It had to be. I would bet any money that it was Taurus, Leo and Sagittarius with their cosmic Minakai. I didn¡¯t get a good luck, but¡­it had to be them!¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°And now we know where the elevator is,¡± said Luna. ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of finding the correct route to get to it.¡± Spurred on by the fact that they¡¯d almost caught up to their target, the two tamers rushed on through the forty-sixth floor. So invigorated were they became careless. Upon stepping into a room, an Explosion Trap triggered underneath Steambot and blasted him across the room as the others ducked for cover. He was a tough Minakai and he stood up again to dust himself off, but another misplaced foot triggered a second explosion and he was violently ejected from the tower in blue light. ¡°No!¡± called Aurin, dropping to his knees. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s up to you now, Angree,¡± said Luna, her voice shaking. ¡°No pressure or anything, of course.¡± ¡°Sunny,¡± said Aurin, standing back up. ¡°Stay close to him and have your magic at the ready at all times.¡± ¡°What¡¯s done is done,¡± said Luna, sensing that Aurin was beating himself up. ¡°I should have used my Orb of Traps,¡± he said, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have saved the last charge.¡± ¡°How could you possibly know when was the right time to use it?¡± Luna asked. ¡°If Angree falls and you¡¯re the last one of us left, then you¡¯ll need it. Sunny doesn¡¯t stand much of a chance against the wild Minakai up here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­you¡¯re right,¡± muttered Aurin. Knowing that they were inches from their goal, but at the weakest they had been the entire run, Aurin dared looking into the rooms they passed. After ignoring piles of gold coins, an Orb of Return, and even an egg, he spotted a Water Crystal sitting in the centre of a room with no Minakai nearby. ¡°Be careful,¡± Luna said as Aurin crept into the room. He nodded and kept a close eye on the tiles, looking for even the faintest hint of a hidden trap. The sweat dripped from his brow as he moved further and further in. Every time he stepped safely onto a tile he glanced around to see if he could spy the faint outlines of monsters approaching. For now, he was safe. He reached out his hand and picked up the Water Crystal, clenching it tightly as he walked back to the exit where Luna, Sunny and Angree were waiting for him. He breathed a sigh of relief upon reaching them. ¡°It¡¯s not much,¡± said Aurin holding up the crystal, ¡°but it¡¯s something.¡± ¡°Feeling more positive?¡± asked Luna. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far, we still have to fight the cosmic Minakai without a team. We¡¯re going to need to rely on our wits.¡± ¡°The Orb of Traps and Orb of Monsters could be our best friends. If they need all three cosmic Minakai, we can lure them onto the triggers or towards the wild Minakai. I think that¡¯s our best chance right now.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± said Aurin, moving down the corridor once again. Angree beat the living daylights out of all of the Minakai that dared cross their path while Sunny healed his injuries each time. The healing made him feel physically durable, but it did not help with Angree¡¯s tiredness or recover his elemental energy fatigue. The group found the elevator and the two humans placed their hands upon the orb, which carried them to the forty-seventh floor. There were three more floors to clear until they reached the roof, but they hoped they could catch Taurus before it came to that. Aurin used the Orb of Tamers and spied the three familiar silhouettes wandering through the corridors some distance away. There was still a chance. He pulled out the Orb of Monsters, but then placed it away again. He had one usage left and he couldn¡¯t afford to waste it. He and Luna cautiously moved through the tower, poking their heads around the corners and into the rooms to check whether or not the coast was clear. Angree was under strict orders to control his temper so that he wouldn¡¯t shout while Sunny was told to control her excitement so she wouldn¡¯t squeal and giggle. ¡°Wait,¡± whispered Aurin, pulling Luna back. He tapped on his ear to signal for her to listen. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± mouthed Luna silently upon hearing a strange crackling. ¡°Beetabolt,¡± mouthed Aurin in return. Luna nodded and waved her hand at Angree who nodded, restraining himself from yelling a battlecry. The wooden Minakai ran around the corner and started flinging his fists while Sunny followed closely behind to heal him if needed. Aurin and Luna held their breaths, worried that one of them would be ejected, but the two Minakai returned looking no worse for the wear. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good,¡± sighed Luna, placing a palm on her forehead. ¡°Agh,¡± grunted Aurin, looking around and through the walls furiously. ¡°Where did the Zodiac members go?¡± ¡°They were¡­that way,¡± said Luna pointing through the wall. ¡°They couldn¡¯t have moved too much since we last saw them.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope not.¡± The group rushed through the tower, letting Angree continue to take the brunt of the damage while Sunny backed him up. So brutal were the enemy Minakai on the forty-seventh floor that Aurin could see the fatigue building up in Sunny, she was running low on stamina and wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up her healing for much longer. After reaching the elevator and landing on the forty-eighth floor, Aurin used his final charge on his Orb of Tamers, revealing the locations of Taurus, Leo and Sagittarius. As the orb shattered, Aurin debated whether or not it was worth using the Orb of Monsters once again, but decided against it for now. They were too far away, but this was the floor to gain the most ground on them. Using the Orb of Monsters on the next floor would still let him track them by following the cosmic Minakai. ¡°Watch out,¡± said Luna as Aurin shook the fragments of the Orb of Tamers from his hand. A wild Hogannon was thundering down the corridor with its cannon arms raised. Angree rushed to meet it as it unloaded fireball after fireball. Fearing that Angree wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the attack, Aurin knew he had to order Sunny to intervene. ¡°Barrier!¡± he called, pointing towards Angree. Sunny immediately cast a protective barrier on Angree, who slammed his fist into the Hogannon¡¯s jaw. Drawing it back again, he coated his hand in brambles and punched again, knocking the Hogannon out and banishing it from the tower. The four rushed through the corridor, making as straight a line for the Zodiac elites as they could. Fearing traps, they avoided the rooms, but when they couldn¡¯t, they leapt over whatever tiles they could to get through as quickly as possible. This was their best chance to catch up and being too cautious was as dangerous as being knocked out of the tower. The Zodiac Squad members disappeared only a short way away and Aurin knew his enemy was within his reach. So focused on reaching the elevator was he that he didn¡¯t notice a furious Shamasaur waiting in the corner of the corridor. Upon seeing the humans, it threw a huge rock that Angree smashed with his fists. As Sunny hurriedly cast a barrier, the Shamasaur stampeded towards Angree and coated itself in rock armour. It leapt at the wooden Minakai, breaking through the barrier almost instantly and crushing him under its immense weight. Aurin held up his Water Crystal and unleashed a water jet from it, striking the Shamasaur in the face, but it barely reacted as it started pummelling Angree. Sunny desperately tried to heal her friend, but the Shamasaur was injuring Angree far too quickly for her to keep up. As Angree struggled to fight back, Luna pulled Aurin into a kiss. ¡°Go!¡± she yelled. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do and we¡¯re too close.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t know what to do now!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! We don¡¯t have time to argue about this. Go!¡± Aurin looked into her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll see you outside.¡± Luna smiled at him as he sprinted on down the corridor with Sunny, seeking the room where the elevator sat. It was close; it was very close. There it was, just ahead. Aurin leapt over the tiles and placed his hand on the blue orb, pulling him up to the forty-ninth floor. Chapter 149 Aurin and Sunny landed on the forty-ninth floor, leaving Luna and Angree behind. He had the sneaking suspicion that they had already been ejected from the tower by the Shamasaur that was beating Angree into submission. ¡°We can do this, we can do this,¡± said Aurin as he pulled out his Orb of Monsters. He activated it and saw that there were at least seventeen Minakai on this floor, but there was a group of three clustered closely together not too far ahead. He was certain form their spectral outlines that those were the cosmic Minakai of Taurus, Leo and Sagittarius. They had to be. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Aurin said to Sunny and the two moved along. No sooner had Aurin said that than did he spy the form of a Minakai stampeding through the corridors towards him. It was closing in far quicker than he could have imagined, so he ran for it. It was long, serpentine and winged. It was either a huge Windjinn or a small Quetzalia, but he didn¡¯t fancy his chances against either species right now. Sunny floated alongside Aurin, a look of panic on her round, yellow face. No longer able to heal, she felt vulnerable. At most, she could tackle an opponent, but she doubted it would do much good considering her size. She knew that her sole purpose right now had to be keeping herself and her tamer protected. As Aurin neared a junction, he could see that there were enemy Minakai roaming in each direction. He would have to run through a nearby room to avoid them, but this meant risking traps. As he had done the floor below, he took long leaps across the room while Sunny avoided the ground entirely. Much to their relief, there wasn¡¯t a single trap triggered, but shortly after he passed through he heard an explosion coming from behind him. Whatever had followed him had certainly triggered something. ¡°No!¡± Aurin yelled upon seeing the clustered cosmic Minakai vanish. He was too late; the Zodiac members had ascended to the top floor. He couldn¡¯t let it end like this. Aurin ran as fast as his legs carried him through the floor. He knew he was running straight towards enemies to reach the elevator, but he had no choice. A wild Wingbloom spied him and soared towards him, so Aurin dove underneath it, hastily climbed back to his feet and continued running as the Wingbloom pivoted and chased him. He held his Water Crystal over his shoulder and unleashed a water jet. He heard a squawk and knew his attack had taken the Minakai by surprise. He rounded a corner and saw the elevator sitting in the room dead ahead, but there was a Titanitoise standing in his way. Aurin had no choice but to run towards it and Sunny cast a barrier on both herself and her tamer. She focused all of her effort on this as a sharp, metal spike flew towards them courtesy of the Titanitoise. It collided with Aurin, who expected to be impaled by it, but Sunny¡¯s barrier held strong and the spike careened off and collided with the wall. Aurin shot another water jet from his crystal, landing a hit in the Titanitoise¡¯s eyes, causing it to flinch. The crystal shattered and crumbled into dust as Aurin ran around the huge tortoise and placed his hands on the elevator right as the Titanitoise thrust its head into Sunny, aiming to knock her out with a single, heavy headbutt. All went dark for a moment and Aurin felt himself being pulled away, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he was going up to the room or down to the grass at the base of the tower. Had he made it? Aurin looked up at the night sky above. The wintery stars sparkled overhead, surrounding the moon that shone upon Hazelton. Aurin had only a second to gaze upwards before his eyes darted downwards to look at the fiftieth floor that lay before him; the rooftop of Harmony Tower, where he now stood with his last remaining Minakai, Sunny. The battlements surrounding the roof were low enough that simply tripping would send you falling to your death, or at least it would have done if not for the barrier. Covering the roof like a dome was a faint misty barrier that Aurin wasn¡¯t sure whether was truly there or not. From the outside, it had looked like a storm, but from here, it was incredibly faint. Sometimes it appeared to be, other times it did not, but there was a lingering ethereal presence to it. Sitting at the centre of the roof was an empty podium. It looked as though there was a slot for a Minakai egg atop the podium where it may have rested, cradled by golden stone, but it was empty. Surrounding it, was three men who stood with Minakai by their sides. A man who must have been the new Sagittarius stood beside a bronze horse with a teal mane, which Aurin immediately recognised as Mindadam. Next to them was Leo, who stood beside a burly, bipedal lion. Its fur was crimson and its mane the colour of a deep, almost purple wine. Its sharp claws and fangs were of a pale gold and it bore shell-like armour upon its stomach, forehead and knees, while the tip of its red tail was covered in the same shell-like material, but pointed like a spear; it was Abysarex. Lastly, was Taurus, who was accompanied by the turquoise bull with the purple mane and golden stomach. His Ethruki. ¡°Well, well,¡± said Leo, looking towards Aurin. ¡°Sagittarius here said it would not be possible to catch us, but I said that you would find a way. Did I not say that?¡± ¡°You said that,¡± said the new Sagittarius, his voice soft and cold. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Forever running interference,¡± sighed Taurus, before chuckling. ¡°It¡¯s too late Aurin. If that is your last Minakai, then there is absolutely nothing you can do to stop us now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± said Aurin, walking forward with Sunny floating along beside him. He did not believe his own words, but he knew there was no way he could back down now. ¡°You would be wise to not take a step further,¡± said Leo sharply. ¡°We do not like each other, but I would prefer that you not get killed.¡± ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t killers,¡± said Aurin. ¡°We are not,¡± said Taurus, reaching for the podium, ¡°but what we are about to summon is.¡± ¡°Whatever you¡¯re about to do, I beg you to stop,¡± said Aurin. Taurus hesitated. ¡°You beg me?¡± he asked while Leo laughed. ¡°Never did I think those words would come from your mouth. An ask, perhaps, a demand, no doubt, but you¡¯re begging me? You must truly be desperate, Aurin.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing,¡± said Aurin, his voice shaking. ¡°On the contrary,¡± said Taurus, ¡°I know exactly what I am doing. I have spent decades planning this down to the last detail. No matter how my plan has gone astray, no matter how much my greed got the better of me, I am here. I am here with three cosmic Minakai, exactly the sort of power I need to unleash the might of the tower upon the world.¡± ¡°You¡¯re making a mistake,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Mark my words, you¡¯re going to regret doing this. The towers of the world stand tall for a reason. The Minakai are summoned within them for a reason. To have Minakai running wild outside the walls will bring about the end of the world as we know it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the idea,¡± said Frederick smugly. ¡°Shut up, Frederick!¡± yelled Aurin, prompting a scowl from Leo. ¡°Taurus¡­Mayor Boren, please listen to me.¡± ¡°So, you know who I am,¡± said Taurus with a faint smile. ¡°All the more reason there can be no going back now.¡± Taurus placed his hand upon the podium. ¡°Witness the birth of utopia,¡± he said calmly. ¡°Ethruki.¡± ¡°Mindadam,¡± said Sagittarius. ¡°Abysarex,¡± said Leo. A glowing, golden egg-like shape appeared within the podium, resting and shimmering within its slot. The light was so majestic and radiant that it made Aurin feel at ease, but only for a second. The golden glow was dispelled by a turquoise glow as the three cosmic Minakai channelled their powers, all three sets of eyes glowing wildly as the wind started to pick up. Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck the far side of the tower and a swirling portal opened up. The portal was identical to the portals that sat behind the locked doors of each and every tower, but this one was not pulling something in, no. This one was trying to push something out, yet the three cosmic Minakai were repelling the large, shadowy figure that was trying to force its way through. It was larger than any Minakai Aurin had seen before, standing on two legs with two large, clawed hands. It looked reptilian, but Aurin could not be certain while its shadowy form rippled and distorted as it was being held back from emerging onto the rooftop. ¡°Hold strong!¡± ordered Taurus as Ethruki shook vigorously, his elemental might being pushed to its limits as it tried everything it could to manipulate the portal. The creature within the portal roared furiously, as though in immense pain. It was trapped between two worlds and the portal housing it was starting to spin violently. The ethereal barrier surrounding the tower was no longer faint, it was a billowing purple smoke that made the most dreadful storm clouds look calm. Aurin had to do something. Anything. He ran towards Taurus and threw his fist out, but he was immediately jumped on by Leo and Sagittarius, who pinned him to the ground. ¡°Sorry about this,¡± said Leo. ¡°We have come much too far, Aurin,¡± said Taurus. ¡°And now, our plan will be seen through.¡± The portal was now expanding massively, but still the shadowy Minakai within was being held back. It strained and pushed, determined to not be cast aside like a lesser monster, but it was no use. The three cosmic Minakai held strong and, suddenly, the portal vanished in a flash of turquoise light. The swirling smoke froze in place, then cracked as though it was glass. The cracks continued and extended across the whole barrier, then it broke apart into shards and faded away into nothingness. All was calm and the three cosmic Minakai collapsed, their strength spent and barely hanging onto consciousness. ¡°Did we do it, Master Taurus?¡± asked Sagittarius, finally releasing Aurin. ¡°We will see,¡± said Taurus, walking over to his Ethruki and stroking its back. ¡°You did well, my faithful servant.¡± ¡°Something is happening,¡± said Leo, standing up and reaching out a hand to help Aurin to his feet, but Aurin was too stricken to even notice his rival¡¯s extended hand. Above the tower, a tiny portal had opened in the sky. It spun slowly, and then expanded wider and wider until it was a perfect mirror in size of the rooftop. The three Zodiac members looked at each other, not sure what was about to happen, but Aurin had an overwhelming sense of fear filling him. A zap of red lightning erupted from the portal and struck the rooftop, leaving a fierce Grakadon as the lightning vanished. The brown earthy dragon roared angrily, then charged towards Mindadam who lay helpless on the ground as Sagittarius dashed out of the way. The dragon swiped in a wide arc, cutting deep into the horse¡¯s metal, taking the last of its strength and banishing it from the tower. Seconds later, Sagittarius vanished too. Taurus pulled out an Orb of Return. He looked at it as the Grakadon charged towards his Ethruki. Rather than use it, he cocked back his arm and threw it off the roof, where it passed through without a barrier to block it and fell somewhere in the forest below. ¡°I did it,¡± said Taurus, as his Ethruki was defeated by the Grakadon. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Taurus too was banished by the tower. ¡°No¡­¡± muttered Aurin despondently. ¡°You lunatics. You absolute madmen.¡± ¡°The world has been reset,¡± said Leo as the Grakadon summoned a rock spear to its hand and threw it as Abysarex. ¡°This is the way things are meant to be.¡± Abysarex was banished and Leo vanished shortly after, leaving Aurin standing atop the tower with Sunny and the Grakadon. There was nothing he could do any more, he had been defeated. He had caught up to the Zodiac elites, but it was not enough. He had failed. ¡°Might as well go out strong, Sunny,¡± said Aurin. Sunny looked terrified, but she nodded. As the little healer sped forwards, another zap of red lightning struck and a Zenoman spawned atop the tower to join the Grakadon. Sunny slammed herself into the dragon who was distracted by the sudden appearance of backup. Before the dragon had a chance to retaliate, the Zenoman sent its four golden fists towards the little fried egg-like Minakai, pummelling her into submission and banishing her from the tower. Aurin closed his eyes and sighed as he too disappeared in a flash of light, banished from the fiftieth floor; banished from the rooftop. Chapter 150 ¡°Master Taurus,¡± Aurin heard Virgo say as he fell onto the grass outside Harmony Tower, landing upon an unsuspecting Zodiac grunt. ¡°Is it done?¡± asked Virgo. ¡°It is done,¡± said Taurus to cheers from his many minions. ¡°No!¡± cried Luna who stood completely stunned as Kyle rushed over to help Aurin up. ¡°We¡­failed?¡± the rancher asked Aurin. ¡°I reached the roof¡­only Sunny left,¡± muttered Aurin, climbing off the Zodiac grunt who started laughing hysterically. ¡°I was outnumbered by the Taurus, Leo and Sagittarius along with their cosmics. There was nothing left that could be done.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°You lost!¡± called Capricorn snidely. ¡°You will always lose when you go against Zodiac.¡± ¡°They touched a podium that was meant for some sort of golden egg and a portal opened, summoning a giant Minakai¡­I don¡¯t know what it was, but it was larger than any Minakai I have ever seen. They used the power of the cosmic Minakai to stop the portal from opening and somehow that shattered the barrier shielding the top of the tower.¡± ¡°Damn!¡± called Knot, as the dozens of Minakai who had been brawling all day finally stopped fighting, knowing there was no point in continuing. It had been a hard grind to reach the top of the tower, but Aurin hadn¡¯t truly appreciated the efforts put in by those battling on the ground. They must have been fighting for almost ten hours solid. As each Minakai fell, it had a brief window to recover before being forced to battle again. It was a true testament to the strength of the tamers of Hazelton, yet¡­he had failed them. ¡°There he is,¡± said Gardner, pointing at Taurus. ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to apprehend him?¡± The eleven Zodiac elites surrounded their master: Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Gemini, and Cancer. There were elites here that Aurin had never even laid eyes on before, but each of them looked as though they still had some fight left in them after everything that had happened on this day. And what was worse was that Leo, Sagittarius and Taurus himself had a full arsenal of Minakai they could use now that they were free of the restrictions of Harmony Tower. ¡°You can try,¡± said Leo, ¡°but it¡¯ll be a wasted effort.¡± A red bolt of lightning struck the ground, almost hitting Conrad. Standing beside the Minakai Guardian, summoned by the lightning, was a Peekan. Conrad scoffed and his Titanitoise headbutted the tiny turquoise bird, knocking it out and banishing it from the world. ¡°This was your big plan?¡± asked Conrad. ¡°Low level monsters being summoned to the world? I thought with the power of the cosmics you would¡ª¡± Conrad was cut off by a loud roar as the Grakadon from the roof of the tower descended upon the huge gathering of tamers, hurling its conjured rocks through the air. It did not aim solely for the Minakai, it was aiming for the tamers too. ¡°Agh!¡± cried Emily as the Grakadon landed in front of her and drew back a claw. A flying hand from Jimmy¡¯s Zenoman shoved her out of the way in the nick of time. The furious Grakadon was set upon by the Minakai, but another strike of lightning and it was joined by a wild Frogre, who beat its chest and brought forth a hailstorm that struck human and monster alike. ¡°Zodiac Squad, we retreat,¡± announced Taurus. ¡°The world has been corrected and the natural order has been restored. The rift has been opened and the Minakai will now share our world with us, as we sought from the beginning.¡± ¡°See you later,¡± said Pisces, winking at Aurin and giving him a flippant wave. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The Zodiac Squad retreated en masse, leaving the Hazelton tamers and their Minakai behind as they hurriedly made their escape. A further zap of lightning brought forth a wild Funglie, who started unleashing toxic spores upon the tamers and their Minakai. ¡°H-help,¡± coughed Eclare, struggling to breathe after inhaling an unhealthy dose of the spores. Aurin and Luna rushed over to her, holding their breath, and pulled her back before she could take in more of the spores. ¡°I spoke too soon,¡± said Conrad, upon ordering his Titanitoise to take out the Funglie. ¡°We¡¯re going to get overwhelmed quickly if this keeps up. Not just our teams, but us too.¡± ¡°We have to control the flow of Minakai into the world until we can find a way to undo what Zodiac did,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Agreed,¡± said Luna, as Emily passed her the rest of her summoning stones. ¡°Spikruption,¡± called Aurin as Gardner passed Aurin his. The large red dinosaur ran through the crowd to his master. ¡°As soon as lightning strikes, take out the Minakai that spawns.¡± The dinosaur roared and puffed smoke, looking reinvigorated after a tiring day of battle. ¡°How many Minakai have each of you got left?¡± asked Kyle, looking at each of the tamers. ¡°Spikruption is my last one,¡± said Aurin, looking around the battlefield. ¡°I don¡¯t see any of the rest of my team.¡± ¡°Stopod and Bakugon,¡± said Luna, willing the two earth elementals to her side from where they were standing by the tower a moment earlier. ¡°I¡¯m tapped out,¡± said Gardner. ¡°Me too,¡± said Emily. ¡°I¡¯ve only got my Titanitoise left,¡± said Conrad. As more Minakai spawned, the tamers fought against them and sent them back while the injured tamers were helped into Hazelton by their friends and their Minakai. Everyone fought valiantly, but the spawning Minakai were starting to overwhelm them. ¡°So¡­tired,¡± said Eclare, her eyes starting to glaze over. ¡°Eclare?¡± asked Luna, looking worried. ¡°Mhmm¡­¡± she sighed, her eyes starting to roll. ¡°You¡¯re so lucky.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be alright,¡± said Aurin, holding her head steady and trying to get her to focus. ¡°We¡¯ll get you some help.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got to get her into town,¡± said Kyle. ¡°We can¡¯t keep going like this or we¡¯re going to start seeing deaths.¡± A lightning bolt from a flying Wunder struck Luna¡¯s Stopod, sending it spinning through the air. The Wunder followed up and dove towards Aurin, who ducked out of the way before the yellow bird¡¯s beak pierced his chest. A furious Flambot suddenly spawned nearby, immediately opening its chest grill and unleashing its fire upon the battlefield. It was aiming at nothing and no one, simply causing as much chaos as it possibly could. ¡°We¡¯re done,¡± said Kyle sternly, looking at the Flambot unleashing bursts of flame that torched the trees. A second later, it was joined by a Chopchop who swung its bladed arms wildly, cutting the trees down. ¡°We need to go recover and come back with full strength.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just leave this place to be overrun!¡± yelled Aurin. ¡°And what do you propose we do?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°We don¡¯t have the resources to keep this up. Hazelton is a small town and there are only so many tamers here. Half of us have been fighting all day and our teams are spent. The other half, who aren¡¯t Zodiac members, didn¡¯t show up to help. We need to regroup.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± said Aurin, knowing Kyle was right. ¡°Back to the ranch?¡± asked Gardner, looking on as another Debaba spawned and began bouncing towards Emily, trying to grab her with its vines to devour her. ¡°Back to the ranch,¡± said Kyle, picking up a rock and launching it at the Debaba to distract it. ¡°The rest of us will go into town,¡± said Knot, walking backwards and not taking his eyes off the encroaching monsters. ¡°Hazelton needs to be warned about the wild Minakai. It¡¯s only a matter of time before they attack the town.¡± ¡°Please take her with you,¡± said Luna, passing an unconscious Eclare to Knot, who then threw her over his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll get her seen to,¡± said the detective. ¡°Good luck to you all.¡± Knot hurriedly led the remaining tamers down the path, leaving the wild Minakai behind to continue wreaking havoc. Aurin, Luna, Kyle, Gardner, Jimmy, Conrad, and Emily ran from the small clearing in the forest where the unleashed tower continually spawned more and more Minakai. Their few remaining Minakai followed them, watching the tamers¡¯ backs as they hurried towards the ranch. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Luna asked Aurin. ¡°No,¡± he replied, feeling like an utter failure. ¡°Are you?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. We¡¯re in a bad situation right now and I¡¯m not sure what to do.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find a way,¡± said Conrad resolutely. ¡°The Guardians should be on their way and we¡¯ve had to deal with bad situations before. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s taking them so long, but they¡¯ll be here.¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯d better get a move on,¡± said Kyle as the ranch came into view. ¡°Who knows how long it will be before the entire town is in ruins.¡± ¡°Too right,¡± added Gardner while Emily nodded along. ¡°Let¡¯s get it together, team.¡± As Aurin ran towards the fence, all he could think of was his failure. Even still, he knew that he had to fix this disaster of epic proportions. He had to find a way to reseal and make things right. He didn¡¯t yet know how, but he would find a way. Chapter 151 ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± sighed Luna, her eyes filled with tears as she fed her tired and injured Minakai herbs and tonics that she had created. ¡°What are we supposed to do now?¡± Everyone was exhausted as they sat on the grass of Kyle¡¯s ranch, watching their Minakai rest. The ranch was surrounded by Kyle¡¯s small army of Frogre, as it always was, so they were safe for now, but they all knew it was only a matter of time before the wild Minakai spread out from the base of the tower. ¡°What can we do?¡± lamented Emily, feeling a lot of regret at not having her own army of Minakai to rely on. She stroked her Petalcub as she slept peacefully, her green fur highlighted by the moonlight. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet,¡± said Kyle, shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can even get back into the tower through the door anymore.¡± ¡°But we can reach the roof by flying towards it now, can¡¯t we?¡± asked Gardner. ¡°And then do what?¡± ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°We need cosmic Minakai of our own to reverse the damage,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Conrad, do the Minakai Guardians have access to them?¡± ¡°A couple of them,¡± said Conrad, ¡°but to get clearance to use them would be difficult to say the least. When we say it¡¯s to test out a theory about resealing the tower, they would tell probably just flat out refuse.¡± ¡°We could always steal the Zodiac cosmics,¡± joked Gardner, laughing a little before trailing off. ¡°I need to sleep,¡± he said, shaking his head and then staring at the sky. Aurin checked his watch and could see that it was almost two in the morning. ¡°Yesterday we thought we would finally be able to bring them to their knees,¡± he said. ¡°We were going to infiltrate their base and find a way to stop them. Now look what¡¯s happened¡­¡± ¡°We need to stop wallowing,¡± said Luna, giving her last tonic to her Doripper. ¡°It¡¯s a bad situation, I know that, but we¡¯ve been in bad situations before and came through. Remember everything that happened during the first tournament? Remember what it was like when we had the original Sagittarius and Libra breathing down our necks? We found a way.¡± Kyle nodded in agreement. ¡°And, after everything, we still managed to find out where the second Zodiac base was. We were just outwitted, that¡¯s all. There¡¯s a way to fix everything, we just need to get our hands on the cosmics.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± said Emily, standing up. ¡°There must be a way to convince someone in the Zodiac Squad that this was all a huge mistake.¡± ¡°Are you suggesting speaking to Hannah?¡± asked Gardner, without looking away from the sky. ¡°I think we have to try,¡± said Emily. ¡°I know it hurts that she betrayed us, but Luna and I have known her for far too long and been through too much together for her to cut us off so easily.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be asking her to turn on her dad,¡± said Luna. ¡°He¡¯s all that she¡¯s got left after her mum passed away.¡± Wingbloom squawked from high up in the sky, signalling that the wild Minakai were finally making their way towards the ranch. ¡°Shamtile,¡± said Aurin, ¡°you¡¯re up.¡± ¡°Baku, give him a hand,¡± said Luna. The lizard and the drake rushed from the enclosures and erected stone walls near the path to funnel the wild Minakai away as best as they could. The tamers knew this was far from a foolproof plan, particularly with the amount of Minakai that would soon have escaped from the tower, but anything they could do to buy some time and let their Minakai replenish their strength had to be done. ¡°Hold on for as long as you can,¡± said Aurin to Shamtile and Bakugon as they focused on maintaining their walls. ¡°It looks like sleep is no longer on the cards,¡± said Gardner, sitting up. ¡°Was it ever?¡± asked Jimmy. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I maintained a quiet optimism, but¡­no, probably not.¡± ¡°So, are we settled on a plan then?¡± asked Emily. ¡°We¡¯re going to go and talk to Hannah?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to give my friend, Vai, a call,¡± said Kyle, standing up and heading towards his house. ¡°If anyone would have any advice, it would be him. He¡¯s a master of the mystical elements of Minakai.¡± ¡°Mystical element?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Elements. It¡¯s not a top-secret element that the world has kept quiet from you, Aurin.¡± ¡°Bickering, even now¡­¡± muttered Luna. ¡°In any case, yes. We should speak to Hannah to try and make her see some sort of reason. If I know her at all, she¡¯s going along with all of this because she¡¯s been told to. She wouldn¡¯t truly want any of this. She doesn¡¯t even like fighting with Minakai. Any objections?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± said Gardner. ¡°Not from me,¡± said Jimmy. ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but we¡¯ll give it a try,¡± said Aurin. ¡°But what are we supposed to do about the ranch? Just leave the Minakai abandoned while we go galivanting across town searching for her?¡± ¡°We bring our own Minakai,¡± said Luna. ¡°The others will have to fend for themselves. Most of their tamers are already in town, so it¡¯s up to them to sort out their own teams. We can¡¯t be expected to sit idly here babysitting them, can we?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that kind of the whole point of this ranch?¡± asked Gardner. Luna frowned. ¡°Not when there¡¯s a crisis like this, Gardner. If the tamers don¡¯t summon or collect their Minakai, they will have to take care of themselves for a while.¡± Shamtile screeched loudly and there was an immediate crash following his call. The sound of tumbling rocks reached the group and they all sprung to attention, including Kyle who dashed form his house. A horde of Minakai had broken through the wall, sensing that it was not simply a barrier, but something trying to keep them away. The group of wild monsters was led by a Treebot who barrelled on through like a tank. ¡°Dolissile!¡± called Aurin, pointing towards the Treebot. Dolissile exploded forward, charging at unbelievable speed towards the armoured Minakai. The propelled dolphin collided with the Treebot, sending it flying over the trees, but it vanished in a flash before it could even land, so great was the damage caused by Aurin¡¯s Minakai. ¡°Follow suit!¡± called Gardner, sending his Vinewolf and Desparee charging in to help round up the rest of the Minakai and banishing them back to their own dimensions. ¡°Stopod, help rebuild the wall,¡± said Luna. The Minakai all got to work eliminating their targets and fortifying the ranch as best as they could. Wingbloom struck from the sky while both Aurin and Jimmy¡¯s Zenoman delivered an eight-fisted assault to the monsters daring to climb through the hole in the rock wall. Shamtile, Bakugon and Stopod repaired the barrier once the Minakai were cleared away, but more were bold enough to try climbing over the top of the wall. ¡°Glacibot!¡± called Aurin. ¡°Frocean!¡± called Luna. ¡°Snowlem!¡± called both Kyle and Gardner. The four icy Minakai charged towards the wall and were raised to the top by pillars of earth erected by Shamtile. All four stood tall and conjured a snowstorm upon the forest below where the Minakai were charging in from, slowing the horde down as the cold beat them back. The Minakai started to fall, each of them vanishing as the storm continued. It wasn¡¯t long before the area was cleared once again, but it had tired out the ice elementals. ¡°You all did great,¡± said Aurin as the other three tamers agreed. ¡°Go back to your rest and we¡¯ll find a way to put an end to this.¡± ¡°If the ranch falls, then retreat to the mountain,¡± said Kyle before turning to the other tamers. ¡°Has everyone got all of their summoning stones on them?¡± he asked. Everyone assured them that they had. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± said Aurin. ¡°No matter where our Minakai are forced to flee to, we can summon them back to our sides.¡± ¡°If things get too bad, we can reattune the stones to another location,¡± said Luna. ¡°Let¡¯s make sure we don¡¯t have to do that,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Agreed,¡± said Gardner. ¡°We¡¯re going to fix this. I¡¯m no longer cautiously optimistic, I¡¯m fully optimistic.¡± Jimmy raised an eyebrow. ¡°Fully optimistic?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Gardner with a wide grin. ¡°The Zodiac Squad aren¡¯t going to win. We lost the battle for the barrier, but we¡¯re going to win the war against them.¡± ¡°We are,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Now let¡¯s go get Hannah and we can¡ª¡± Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. ¡°A Cybuzz is approaching,¡± said Jimmy, looking to the sky. ¡°No, it¡¯s my phone,¡± said Luna, reaching into the pocket of her winter jacket. ¡°It¡¯s my parents.¡± ¡°They¡¯re probably wondering why you¡¯re still out at half two,¡± said Emily. ¡°Come to think of it, mine are probably worried too.¡± ¡°Hello?¡± said Luna, answering her phone. ¡°Yes, Dad, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m at the ranch. It¡¯s been one of those¡ª¡± Luna stopped abruptly and Aurin could hear her dad¡¯s voice speaking through the phone. He sounded as though he was in a panic, but he wasn¡¯t scolding his daughter for being out so late. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be there soon,¡± said Luna and then hanging up the phone. ¡°We have another problem on our hands.¡± ¡°Fantastic,¡± said Kyle as Gardner threw up his hands, no longer fully optimistic. ¡°What is it?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°The Minakai have made it into Hazelton already and they¡¯re running wild. People are scared and too many tamers and their teams were injured in the battle outside Harmony Tower.¡± ¡°Change of plan,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Hannah can wait, we need to make sure that nobody else gets hurt.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Gardner. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Still exhausted, but with their vigour running high, everyone hopped on the back of a couple of their larger Minakai and they stormed away from the ranch. They would not let their beloved town fall because of what the Zodiac Squad had done. They would defend it and the people with all of their might. Chapter 152 ¡°Faster,¡± called Aurin as he rode Leonite down the forest path and through the parade of escaped Minakai aiming for Hazelton. It was a dark, cold night and Aurin was more tired than he had ever been, but that could not stop him. Leonite sped towards the town, followed by Kyle riding his Wingbloom, Luna and Emily riding on Luna¡¯s Splashard, Garder and Jimmy riding Gardner¡¯s Vinewolf, and Conrad manning the rear on his Titanitoise. Conrad in particular was less focused on speed and put more effort into trampling the wild Minakai that got in his way, banishing them from the world. As the dirt road turned into cobblestones, the number of wild Minakai only grew. The town would usually have been very quiet so early in the morning, yet there were lights on in almost every single building and the yells and screams of the citizens filled with air. Aurin caught sight of a group of Tadpool running towards an old lady who was trying to flee in her dressing gown. She had a look of terror on her face and the Tadpool could use their magic at any time. ¡°Dolissile!¡± called Aurin, summoning his cyborg dolphin. Dolissile appeared and knew immediately what to do. He pulsed and unleashed a shockwave that knocked the ice elementals flat on their faces, then sped towards them, taking them all out with his fusion fin technique. The wild Tadpool burst into light and were pulled back through the portal at the top of Harmony Tower. ¡°Get inside!¡± Aurin called to the lady and she nodded, her face white and fixed in an expression of stunned relief. ¡°I¡¯m going to make sure my parents alright,¡± said Luna as she and Emily sped past on Splashard. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you,¡± called Aurin. ¡°No, you¡¯re needed here!¡± Luna shouted back. The remaining tamers dismounted from the Minakai and spread throughout the streets, looking for any wild Minakai that were lurking around. It was not an especially hard task as the Minakai were far from quiet and the citizens themselves continued to call for help. ¡°Take that, you rotten little beast!¡± grunted a gruff voice from down the street Aurin was on, but it was followed by the man¡¯s harsh yell of pain. Aurin rushed over and found the man being attacked by a Cephelarock that was beating his legs with its stony tentacles. Dolissile charged forward and knocked the Minakai away while Leonite finished the octopus off with a vicious swipe of his razor-sharp claws. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Aurin asked the man. ¡°Aurin, is that you?¡± It was Cedric, the owner of Taming Solutions, Luna¡¯s prime choice for Minakai shops in Hazelton. Cedric had never liked Aurin much, but was good friends with Luna¡¯s father and often gave her discounts. ¡°Cedric? What happened?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Came outside to see what in the world was going on and didn¡¯t even think to bring my tamer glove. What a foolish mistake that was.¡± Aurin reached out his hand to help Cedric to his feet. ¡°Is your leg okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been better, but I¡¯ll live,¡± said Cedric letting Aurin help him up. He hobbled over to the wall of his shop and leaned against it for support. ¡°I appreciate the help, lad. Things would be a lot worse if you hadn¡¯t shown up. I owe you one.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t owe me anything, I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°Why are all these Minakai roaming around? Are Zodiac attacking again?¡± Aurin shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s much worse than that. They used the power of cosmic Minakai to break the barrier at the top of the tower. Now the Minakai are spawning outside of the tower and running rampant.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Dear Lord¡­¡± muttered Cedric. ¡°Then we¡¯ll need to arm up and wipe each and every one of them out. Get this situation under control until we can find out how to fix things.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the plan,¡± said Aurin, ¡°but you should see to your leg before anything else.¡± ¡°No time for that, sonny. These wild Minakai aren¡¯t going to wait for me to get back to full strength now, are they? You keep fighting the good fight and I¡¯ll join you soon enough.¡± With that, Cedric limped over to the door to his shop and headed inside, leaving Aurin in the street with Leonite and Dolissile. ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Aurin told his two Minakai. ¡°We¡¯ll take care of things for now while the rest of the team recovers their strength. If things get too intense here, we¡¯ll call for backup.¡± Leonite roared in agreement while Dolissile remained stoic. Aurin knew the dolphin well enough to know that he had no objections to that plan. The three continued down the street, following the cries of the monsters. * ¡°Please be okay,¡± muttered Luna as she and Emily rushed towards her house on Splashard¡¯s back. ¡°They will be,¡± said Emily confidently. Splashard slowed her flight, bounced over the gate to Luna¡¯s house and stopped outside the front door. The two humans dismounted and Luna rushed inside her house, looking around frantically for her parents only to find them standing in the kitchen and looking out the side window onto the street. ¡°Oh, thank heavens,¡± sighed Miriam, Luna¡¯s mother. Her father, Clyde, rushed over to her and put his hands on her shoulder, looking over his daughter to see if she was injured in any way. ¡°Good,¡± he said, assured she was fine, ¡°we feared the worst.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m fine,¡± said Luna, hugging her dad. ¡°The ranch is well protected. It was the pair of you that I was worried about.¡± ¡°Emily, what about your parents?¡± asked Miriam. ¡°They¡¯re on a trip to Ludonia for the week,¡± said Emily. ¡°Perfect timing, right?¡± ¡°And Hannah?¡± asked Clyde. ¡°Why¡¯s she not with you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s¡­probably with her dad,¡± said Luna, avoiding eye contact. ¡°What about your friends?¡± asked Clyde. ¡°Aurin? Kyle?¡± ¡°They¡¯re trying to deal with the Minakai in the streets, Dad, but I¡¯m afraid that things are going to get worse before they get better.¡± ¡°The Zodiac Squad did what they said they were going to do?¡± asked Miriam, holding her hand to her mouth. Luna had already told her parents everything. After the original Sagittarius¡¯s attack on her and Aurin in the tower, her parents made her promise to tell them everything that the Zodiac Squad were up to. After some initial hesitation before Sagittarius and Libra were publicly unmasked, Luna had kept to her promise. ¡°They did,¡± said Luna. ¡°We tried to stop them, but we were too late.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing else for it than to make sure they don¡¯t get away with it,¡± said Clyde. ¡°Those pests have plagued our town for far too long now. Do whatever it takes to stop them. Is there anything we can do to help?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Luna. ¡°Stay inside and let those of us with Minakai do the fighting, alright?¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s the way it has to be,¡± said Luna as Emily nodded along. ¡°Alright,¡± said Clyde. ¡°Don¡¯t get yourself hurt, honey.¡± ¡°If you do, you¡¯ll be in serious trouble, young lady!¡± said her mother sternly before smiling at her daughter. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Luna. ¡°Right,¡± said Emily, summoning her Petalcub to her side. The two ran back outside to where Splashard was waiting for them and head off to fight. * ¡°Kyle!¡± called Knot, running through the town square with his Flaround. He waved at the rancher who was flying through Hazelton taking out the aerial Minakai while on Wingbloom¡¯s back. Kyle ordered Wingbloom to descend and the two sped towards the detective, who was looking from side to side to make sure that the coast was clear and no wild Minakai were waiting to pounce. ¡°How are things here?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°Not great, but getting better,¡± said Knot. ¡°There are more than enough townsfolk with Minakai they can use to defend themselves, but having stronger tamers like you here to keep thin the herd is exactly what we need.¡± ¡°And what about the Zodiac Squad? Any sign of them?¡± ¡°Not in their Zodiac uniforms, but there are a few that I¡¯m certain are Zodiac members that I¡¯ve seen wandering around. It¡¯s almost as though they¡¯re going for a stroll in the park, completely oblivious to the fact their town is under siege. It¡¯s a disgrace, but I would expect nothing less from those cretins.¡± ¡°And Taurus?¡± ¡°Not a word from him,¡± said Knot with a look of disdain on his face, ¡°but he¡¯s not going to get away with this. I¡¯m going to do everything in my power to bring him down, even if it costs me everything.¡± ¡°Count the rest of us in,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Once our Minakai are back to full strength, we¡¯re going to separate them from their cosmic Minakai so they can¡¯t unleash any other towers.¡± ¡°You think they would dare to do such a thing?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°A fair point,¡± said Knot with a grim chuckle and then shaking his head in frustration. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that such psychopaths exist, never mind having this many of them here in Hazelton.¡± ¡°We will fix this,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Nothing will stop us from¡ª¡± There was a sudden crash as large chunks of brick were flung across the town square. A pack of five Spikruption were rolling through the streets, smashing up buildings they crashed into and spreading debris everywhere. ¡°Back to work,¡± said Knot, pointing towards the Spikruption. Kyle jumped off Wingbloom¡¯s back and both his own Minakai and Knot¡¯s Flaround sped towards the destructive dinosaurs. Chapter 153 ¡°Quick, catch them!¡± Gardner ordered his Vinewolf as he and Jimmy rode the green wolf through the streets of Hazelton. Jimmy raised his tamer glove and summoned his Zenoman, who landed on the cobblestones and immediately threw his golden fists at the rolling Spikruption that were speeding towards the town square. The five large, red dinosaurs had wreaked havoc the second they had formed a pack. Gardner¡¯s Vinewolf threw forward his vines and the two humans leapt from his back as he constricted one of the dinosaurs. The Spikruption was desperately trying to continue rolling, but Vinewolf lifted it off the ground and then slammed it back into the cobblestones. Zenoman rushed forward, spinning his fists rapidly. He unleashed them and pummelled the dinosaur furiously until it lost consciousness and it was banished from Hazelton in a flash of light. ¡°One down, four to go,¡± said Jimmy. ¡°Make that two down,¡± said Gardner, pointing towards Kyle¡¯s Wingbloom and Knot¡¯s Flaround who were revealed by the flash of another banished Spikruption. Suddenly, a Dolissile sped past the two tamers and collided with another Spikruption that was about to smash the fountain in the town square. It was knocked onto its side and the Dolissile unleashed a burst of shrapnel that tore the dinosaur up before it disappeared. ¡°Coming through!¡± called Aurin as he sped past on Leonite¡¯s back. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there,¡± Gardner told his Vinewolf. The nature elemental howled and charged after Leonite while Aurin held on tight to his cobalt blue lion. The lion and the wolf struck one of the Spikruption, Leonite sinking his claws deep into the dinosaur while Vinewolf detached his petals and swung them through the air like sharp, pink blades. The Spikruption vanished from sight at the same time as Wingbloom and Flaround finished off the fifth and final monster. The five tamers rushed to meet each other, all looking relieved to have backup show up. ¡°How are we doing?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Nothing like a spot of Minakai hunting in the early hours of the morning,¡± said Gardner, wiping the sweat from his brow. ¡°Still could use a sleep, mind. Tiring business this.¡± ¡°Our combined efforts plus those of the other tamers in town have thinned the Minakai nicely,¡± said Knot, ¡°but there¡¯s still a lot of work to be done. If we can deal with the ones in town, then we can advance back towards the tower.¡± Kyle nodded. ¡°Dealing with the Minakai as they spawn around the tower will stop more from flooring the surrounding area while the rest of us clean things up.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need a few tamers on watch at all times,¡± said Jimmy. ¡°They¡¯re spawning erratically with no set timings between the red lightning strikes.¡± ¡°Someone else can take first watch,¡± sighed Gardner. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much longer I can go on.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve all done enough,¡± said Knot. ¡°You¡¯re not the only tamers in town and the citizens who didn¡¯t show up to fight the Zodiac Squad outside Harmony Tower need to pull their weight. I¡¯ll spread the word while you focus on the rest of the Minakai causing chaos in the streets. Take a few hours to rest up and we¡¯ll reconvene tomorrow when you¡¯re not so beaten down.¡± At that moment, Luna and Emily rushed into the town square with Splashard and Petalcub by their sides. ¡°Are your parents alright?¡± Aurin asked her. ¡°Just fine,¡± smiled Luna. ¡°They were more worried about me than anything.¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°We must heave fought a dozen Minakai on the way here,¡± said Emily, looking at her Petalcub proudly. The scrappy little wolf barked excitedly, never having had much opportunity for battle. ¡°What¡¯s the plan now?¡± Luna asked. ¡°Keep fighting, then rest up at the ranch while the rest of the town guards Harmony Tower and deals with any Minakai that make their way through,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Can they handle that?¡± asked Luna. ¡°They don¡¯t have a choice,¡± said Knot. ¡°And what if the Zodiac Squad shows up and helps let the wild Minakai loose?¡± asked Emily. ¡°Then it¡¯s time to take the gloves off,¡± said Aurin. ¡°We are no longer attacking just their Minakai.¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Luna incredulously. ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± said Kyle solemnly. ¡°We¡¯ve played nice with them for far too long. If they need to be beaten down to save the town, then so be it. They made their bed.¡± ¡°This is getting heavy,¡± sighed Gardner. ¡°How did it come to this?¡± ¡°By not being more ruthless with them from the get go,¡± said Aurin. ¡°We thought we could solve things by fighting with Minakai, disrupting their plans and trying to reason with some of them, but it didn¡¯t work because they¡¯re so intensely focused on their goals.¡± ¡°Detective?¡± asked Luna. ¡°We aren¡¯t being left with many other options,¡± said Knot. ¡°We need to get the summoning stones for the cosmic Minakai one way or another. We may not be able to control them because they¡¯re not our Minakai, but at least we can ensure that Taurus is deprived of the tools used to cause this mess in the first place.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try,¡± came a snide voice from nearby. Damien walked through town with his Hoofreeti by his side. He looked carefree as he strolled towards the group. ¡°Isn¡¯t it great to see things returned to the way they ought to be?¡± ¡°You scumbag!¡± roared Aurin, making a beeline for Damien with his fist drawn back. Damien¡¯s Hoofreeti stepped forwards and drew breath, ready to unleash a blast of fire, but Dolissile burst forward and rammed into his stomach, winding the demonic goat before we could unleash his attack. Aurin smashed his fist into the side of Damine¡¯s face, knocking the Zodiac member to the ground. Damien rubbed his jaw and spat blood onto the cobblestones. ¡°You hit like a toddler,¡± said Damien, his voice trembling. ¡°Do you psychopaths not see what you¡¯ve done?¡± yelled Aurin. ¡°The wild Minakai are attacking people in the streets and smashing the town to pieces along the way.¡± ¡°Survival of the fittest,¡± said Damien, climbing to his feet. ¡°This is the way things are meant to be.¡± Knot approached Damien, pulling a pair of handcuffs out from his trench coat. ¡°Damien Leclare, you¡¯re under arrest for¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± said Damine, holding up his tamer glove and summoning four more Minakai to his side; a Pyrofly, a Volcarrow, a Scarelit and a Fyrvern. Damine hopped on the back of his Fyrvern. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you all last in this new world,¡± he said as he rose into the sky. ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t,¡± said Kyle, climbing onto Wingbloom and chasing after Damien as he sped through the sky on the back of the red wyvern. ¡°Kyle!¡± Aurin called after the rancher. He summoned Skrow and climbed on his back, rushing into the night sky after Kyle and Damien. Skrow and Wingbloom sped after Fyrvern, swerving and diving out of the way as Fyrvern spat fireballs at the two air elementals. ¡°Knock him off his Minakai if you have to!¡± called Kyle. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± asked Aurin, terrified of what he was being driven to. ¡°Positive,¡± said Kyle confidently. Skrow charged ahead and rammed his beak into Fyrvern¡¯s back, making the Minakai wobble in the air, but was then struck by one of the wyvern¡¯s claws in retaliation. Aurin held on tightly around Skrow¡¯s neck, trying not to fall to his death while not choking his Minakai. Fyrvern twirled around and spat a wave of flame at Skrow, but Skrow beat his wings furiously and whipped up a wind that sent the fire right back at Fyrvern and Damien. With a yell, Damien tried to bat away the flames, but Fyrvern recoiled and Damien fell from his Minakai. Aurin¡¯s heart sank as he watched Capricorn fall through the air, but suddenly Wingbloom darted forward and grabbed the Zodiac elite in his talons. ¡°Get his glove!¡± Kyle called while Damien was too dazed to react. Aurin and Skrow flew towards the Zodiac member. For good measure, Aurin punched Damine in the jaw again and pulled his tamer glove from his hand. As Kyle flew back to the fountain, Aurin and Skrow finished off Fyrvern with a powerful razor wind, knocking the Minakai out and watching it fall to the ground. They would deal with it later, but without Damien to issue orders, the tamed Minakai should not cause much trouble when it awakened. Upon landing at the fountain, Aurin found that Knot had already placed Damine in handcuffs. The Zodiac Squad members was completely disoriented by his near-death experience, but was mumbling something about being set free by his comrades. ¡°That¡¯s one of them out of the way,¡± said Knot. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that¡¯s he¡¯s kept secure. The less Zodiac elites roaming free, the better.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± said Aurin, looking to the others. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work and clean up the town.¡± The tamers all nodded and headed into the streets, filled with renewed determination. Ensuring Damien was now out of the way gave them the burst of energy they needed to keep fighting. Chapter 154 ¡°Up you get,¡± said Kyle, prodding Aurin with his foot. ¡°You¡¯ve had your five hours.¡± ¡°Eurgh,¡± grunted Aurin, shimmying further along the sofa and making Luna jolt awake¡ªshe had been sleeping with her head on his shoulder. ¡°I was so comfy,¡± said Luna. ¡°Sorry,¡± said Aurin without opening his eyes. ¡°Need I remind you that we¡¯ve got wild Minakai still running wild and Zodiac members to track down?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°Just because Capricorn has been apprehended doesn¡¯t mean the Zodiac Squad aren¡¯t still a threat. If anything, they¡¯re probably more resolute than ever.¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting up, I¡¯m getting up,¡± groaned Aurin, his body aching all over. In the space of a day, he had infiltrated the Zodiac Squad¡¯s base, climbed to the top of Harmony Tower, defended the ranch from wild Minakai and helped clear out the Minakai that had wandered into Hazelton, but his job was far from done yet. He stood up and pulled Luna to her feet, holding onto her before she slumped back onto the sofa. ¡°If I¡¯m getting up, so are you,¡± he told her half-jokingly. ¡°Can¡¯t argue with that,¡± she said, running her hands through her red hair so that it sat straight, then held pulled out her headband so that it was fixed perfectly neat once again. ¡°Any word from Detective Knot?¡± Aurin asked Kyle. ¡°I¡¯m just off the phone with him,¡± said Kyle. ¡°He pulled an all-nighter to make sure everybody in town knew exactly what to do. The streets are cleared for now and there are tamers posted outside the tower, but the surrounding area is still chaotic and a lot of the Minakai have been defending the ranch while you two slept.¡± ¡°Did you sleep?¡± Luna asked. ¡°I got about three hours,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Rest for a bit and we¡¯ll keep an eye on things outside,¡± said Aurin. ¡°It¡¯s the least we can do.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°At least make yourself some breakfast.¡± Kyle nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do that.¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± said Aurin. ¡°While you¡¯re doing that, make extra for the pair of us.¡± ¡°You little punk,¡± said Kyle, digging Aurin in the arm while Aurin laughed heartily. ¡°Watch it,¡± said Aurin, rubbing his arm and still laughing. ¡°That¡¯s my tamer glove arm.¡± Kyle headed into the kitchen to make breakfast while Luna and Aurin put on their winter jackets and walked outside. Snow had fallen during the brief period they were asleep, coating the ranch in glistening white. If you hadn¡¯t known something was wrong, it would have been a very pleasant morning. ¡°Any ideas how we find Hannah?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°First things first,¡± replied Luna, ¡°we¡¯re going to try her house. Failing that, her dad¡¯s workplace. If we still have no joy, then we¡¯ll see if anyone is lurking around the Zodiac Squad base underneath Hazelton Stadium.¡± ¡°What are the chances we can make Damien talk?¡± ¡°Without torturing him, slim.¡± ¡°What if we torture him a little?¡± ¡°Aurin!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just joking,¡± said Aurin, half-heartedly. ¡°There haven¡¯t been any casualties yet, but more than enough townsfolk have been injured.¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Luna nodded solemnly. ¡°Speaking of, did Gardner mention to you that Eclare is going to be alright?¡± ¡°No, he didn¡¯t, but that¡¯s good news. She¡¯s lucky considering how dangerous those toxic spores were. At least being crushed under a giant rock or impaled by an icicle is quick.¡± ¡°Lovely¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying,¡± shrugged Aurin. ¡°No, I know. I get your point, but I¡¯d rather not think about people I know being killed by Minakai. I¡¯d rather focus on how we make the situation better.¡± ¡°Simple,¡± said Aurin, holding up his tamer glove and summoning Chopchop, Zenoman and Budescent to his side. ¡°We take out as many of the roamers as we can until we¡¯ve had breakfast, then we head into town and get back to the plan. Find Hannah and make her lead us to the cosmic Minakai or their summoning stones.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± said Luna, holding up her own tamer glove and summoning Rabbafat, Dogember and Feathrus. The two wandered the perimeter of the ranch, fighting the Minakai that dared come too close. Many of them were skulking by the treeline, some were hiding in the river and others poked their heads out from underground. While Aurin and Luna kept the surrounding grounds safe, the Minakai inside the pens were protected by Kyle¡¯s army of Frogre. ¡°Breakfast!¡± called the rancher after about half an hour¡ªmuch longer than it normally took him to cook. Aurin and Luna headed inside, leaving the Minakai to continue keeping watch. As soon as they stepped inside the house, the beautiful aroma of cooked meats and fried breads filled their nostrils. Kyle had prepared a full Bretonian breakfast of sausages, eggs, black pudding, bacon, pancakes, soda bread, grilled tomatoes and a steaming kettle of tea. ¡°You pulled out all the stops this morning,¡± said Luna, eagerly sitting down at the table. ¡°I have to admit,¡± said Aurin, ¡°it looks great, Kyle.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get used to it,¡± joked the rancher. ¡°Back to sausages, eggs and toast tomorrow. This is to get us energised for the day ahead. I don¡¯t plan on sleeping until we set things back in order.¡± ¡°Then eat up,¡± said Aurin, pouring tea for everyone. The three friends enjoyed the delicious meal together, briefly forgetting the troubles of the town. Much like the snow outside, it reminded them that even when there was no shortage of strife, there was still something to enjoy; something good. Even something as simple as a meal with friends that could keep them going through the tough times. ¡°I couldn¡¯t eat another bite,¡± said Luna, flopping her head onto the table. ¡°Alright,¡± said Aurin, grabbing her plate and dumping the rest of her breakfast onto his. He wolfed it down in seconds as Kyle looked on in disgust. ¡°You¡¯re an animal,¡± he said. ¡°Yep,¡± said Aurin proudly. After finishing the tea and quickly cleaning things up, the trio headed outside. The sun was nearing its peak and snow was falling once again, resting on everyone¡¯s faces as they looked to the sky. The top of Harmony Tower caught Aurin¡¯s eye. ¡°Kyle,¡± he said, ¡°what is meant to be at the top of the tower?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been there and I haven¡¯t,¡± said the rancher, ¡°so you tell me.¡± ¡°I did already. There was that glowing, golden light that appeared on the podium. It was the shape of an egg, but it never materialised into a physical form.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s your answer.¡± ¡°There are Minakai eggs at the top?¡± Kyle shrugged, but it was clear that he knew more than he was letting on. Aurin¡¯s gaze was still fixated on the top of the tower. ¡°Fine, don¡¯t tell me. I¡¯ll find out again before too long.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve proven how high we can climb once,¡± said Luna with a smile. ¡°Once all of this is over, we¡¯ll be able to do it again. We¡¯ll see for ourselves what the top of a monster tower is truly meant to be like without Zodiac interference.¡± There was a loud, distorted roar that rippled through the air. Aurin recognised that roar of pain, having heard it only hours ago. ¡°What was that?¡± asked Luna, looking terrified. ¡°It sounded like a Zeera,¡± said Kyle, ¡°but not any Zeera I¡¯ve ever heard. There was something...off.¡± ¡°It¡¯s breaking through,¡± said Aurin, his face now as white as the snow. ¡°It¡¯s in agony and it¡¯s angry.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mean that was the creature you heard from inside the portal?¡± asked Luna. ¡°That¡¯s it alright.¡± ¡°The tower guardian,¡± muttered Kyle. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The tower guardian is a mighty Minakai that appears at the top of a tower once you reach the top floor. It¡¯s the final challenge before you can truly have claimed to conquered a monster tower. Many of the tamers who battle their way to the top think they¡¯ve finished the job, but the tower guardian defeats them and sends them right back to square one.¡± ¡°What do we do?¡± asked Luna. Aurin shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I get the feeling that it isn¡¯t going to be too pleased with the Zodiac Squad forcing it back through the portal.¡± There was a sudden flash of red lightning, but much brighter and more powerful than any before. Towering over the trees was a giant dinosaur with grey, stone-like scales, a purple horn protruding from the top of its nose with similar purple spikes running down its back. It bore a purple diamond at the top of its chest which led to a blue, segmented underbelly that ran down its torso. Its claws were long and sharp, large enough to cleave a tree in half effortlessly. The Zeera¡¯s expression was that of pure malice. It wanted revenge for being trapped in limbo between worlds and now it was free to seek it. ¡°What in the¡­¡± muttered Luna before trailing off. She had never witnessed a Minakai this large before; it must have been at least fifty feet tall. ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± asked Aurin, running towards the trees. ¡°All hands on deck until that thing is taken out!¡± Chapter 155 ¡°I didn¡¯t know Zeera was supposed to be that huge,¡± said Aurin as he, Luna and Kyle ran through the forest and headed straight for Harmony Tower. Zeera towered over the trees, taking huge swipes at the unseeable Minakai and tamers who were standing guard. ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± said Kyle, ¡°but this is not an ordinary Zeera. It¡¯s a tower guardian and tower guardians are much larger and more powerful forms of Minakai that only appear on the fiftieth floor. The final test of strength and determination.¡± ¡°How could anyone fight this after pushing all the way through the tower?¡± asked Luna incredulously. ¡°And now you know why so few people can conquer a tower. Even the easier towers are far from easy.¡± As the three stormed towards the tower, they raised their tamer gloves. Aurin summoned Steambot, Luna summoned Splashard, and Kyle summoned his Snowlem. The half dozen tamers standing outside the tower looked petrified and there was only a Thundarun remaining to fight against the towering Zeera. ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± called Aurin. ¡°Thank goodness,¡± said Bentley in relief. ¡°This Zeera has just wasted most of us. Watch out for it.¡± At that moment a giant boulder plunged from the sky and flattened the Thundarun, defeating the tower guards¡¯ final Minakai and leaving Steambot, Splashard and Snowlem to fight the Zeera. ¡°Pressure cannon!¡± ordered Aurin. ¡°Full intensity.¡± Steambot stopped in place and then began shaking vigorously as he built up pressure as fast as he could. The Zeera roared furiously and plunged its claw into the ground and ripping out a huge chunk of earth. The monster hurled it at Steambot, whose pressure cannon erupted and blasted the soil and grass to pieces, but the water blast lost its power by the time it hit Zeera. The weak strike merely served to annoy the monster further. A flash of red lightning and a Cybuzz spawned on the grass, darting back and forth in confusion before focusing on the tamers. ¡°Ah, I forgot about the spawners,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Leave it to me,¡± said Kyle. Luna¡¯s Splashard rode a wave she conjured straight to Zeera while Snowlem changed course to get rid of the Cybuzz before it started causing problems. Splashard rose high and spat heavy water jets at Zeera, who took a heavy swipe at the gelatinous demon and tore her in four. The separate parts of Splashard recombined, but were instantly sliced up again by a swing of Zeera¡¯s other claw. Steambot and Snowlem came to her aid, launching a pressure cannon and an ice spike at Zeera, respectively. The behemoth batted the attacks away as though they were nothing and delivered a heavy kick to Steambot, flinging the robot over the trees and halfway back to the ranch. ¡°Agh!¡± called Aurin, holding up his tamer glove and summoning both Desparee and Glacibot while Kyle brought in Hogannon and Luna her Doripper. The six Minakai unleashed a slew of attacks determined to bring the escaped epic Minakai down, but Zeera brushed them all off with ease. Even the water elemental attacks did nothing to him, regardless of the elemental advantage they should have had. With a stomp of its foot, Zeera caused the entire forest to shake. A second stomp and dozens of stalagmites sprung up, wiping out Aurin, Luna and Kyle¡¯s teams instantly. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± muttered Aurin. ¡°What do we do?¡± asked Luna, frozen in terror. ¡°Keep fighting!¡± said Kyle, summoning Wingbloom and three of his Frogre. ¡°We need to bring this titan down.¡± Aurin summoned Spikruption, Dolissile and Gorunze while Luna summoned Frocean and Dogember. Zeera was no longer willing to entertain the pests and roared once more before stomping through the forest, making its way towards Hazelton. ¡°This isn¡¯t a normal level of power for a tower guardian,¡± said Kyle in disbelief. ¡°Whatever the Zodiac Squad did when they interfered has changed it somehow. It¡¯s achieved a level of power far greater than any other. We¡¯ve got our work cut out for us this time.¡± ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± asked Aurin, climbing on Dolissile¡¯s back. ¡°We need to warn the town and get them to ready their Minakai. He¡¯ll be there in minutes.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Luna. ¡°Wingbloom!¡± called Kyle and his bird-like plant sped towards him. He and Luna climbed on his back and they took off. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Dolissile and Wingbloom pushed themselves and they raced past Zeera, desperately trying to head off the gargantuan Minakai. Why it had suddenly decided to ignore them all was something Aurin couldn¡¯t say for sure, but he had a strong belief that he was looking to hunt down the Zodiac Squad who had dared to interfere with his summoning. He also had the sneaking suspicion that they wouldn¡¯t dare come and meet their hunter. Halfway to town, the trio ran into Gardner who was speeding towards the tower on his Vinewolf. ¡°What is that thing?¡± he called to his friends with his eyes stretched wide in shock. ¡°Zeera,¡± Aurin called back. ¡°It¡¯s too powerful for us alone and it¡¯s heading for town. Spread the word and get everyone ready to fight.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Gardner, turning and heading back towards town. The tamers charged into Hazelton and full speed, meeting many of their allies along the way, all showing up to defend the town. The many tamers stared at Zeera stomping down the hill from the tower, flattening the trees along the way. At Aurin, Luna, Kyle and Gardner¡¯s word, the tamers summoned their own Minakai to defend the town that was going to be crushed under the massive feet of the tower guardian. ¡°We¡¯re not stopping him reaching the town,¡± called Kyle, ¡°but we need to get him somewhere more open.¡± ¡°Town square!¡± Aurin called back, praying that Zeera would follow them. There were cries of terror as Zeera crushed the buildings and unlucky people within him without remorse. As Aurin, Luna and Kyle flew, they told the citizens to clear the streets and either get out of town or flee to the square where they would stand and fight. By the time the group reached the square, Zeera had started wandering eastward; he had no interest in following them to the square. Each straggling Minakai that tried to fight the beast in the streets met a swift end. The Zeera was more than just a wild Minakai, it was an unstoppable force of nature. ¡°It hasn¡¯t taken the bait,¡± said Aurin as Zeera continued to ignore the large gathering of tamers. Luna looked despondent. ¡°We need to get it here before the entire town is laid to waste. It¡¯s the only way to surround it from all sides.¡± ¡°Easier said than done,¡± said Kyle as he and Luna climbed off Wingbloom. Aurin used a summoning stone to bring forth Skrow, then hopped on his undead bird¡¯s back. Luna and Kyle called after him as he soared into the air, making a direct line for the terrifying titan that continued to crush the town with each step. ¡°Go higher than it,¡± Aurin told Skrow, ¡°then we aim for its eyes.¡± Skrow sped upwards and Aurin clung tightly to his Minakai¡¯s neck. Once Skrow was high enough, it flew towards Zeera at full speed. Drawing in a deep breath and batting his wings, Skrow flew true towards Zeera¡¯s eye, aiming to do as much damage as he could with his sharp, white beak. As Skrow drew close, Zeera¡¯s eye was suddenly coated in a layer of thick sand. Skrow¡¯s beak was wedged within the sand and Aurin almost lost his grip. He urged Skrow to pull away, which the black bird just managed to do just in time to dive out of the way of Zeera¡¯s massive claw. Zeera¡¯s roar shook the foundations of the town and the desperately fighting Minakai by his feet were kicked aside. As Skrow backed away, it lunged for it and Aurin knew that his plan had worked. Skrow flew back towards the town square with Zeera now running after him. In the single minute Aurin had been away, the army of tamers in the town square had almost doubled. He landed on the cobblestones, climbed off Skrow and stood back as a hundred Minakai spread across the square. Many others took to the skies and surrounded the Zeera, unwilling to surrender their town to the rampant destruction of the unyielding beast. A small Chlost suddenly flew past Aurin, who spun around to see Hannah standing amongst the tamers. ¡°Luna!¡± called Hannah, seeing her friend. She then pushed through the crowd, making her way towards the group. ¡°Hannah?¡± asked Luna. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she cried with tears running down her face. ¡°I¡¯m so, so sorry¡­¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for apologies,¡± said Luna. ¡°Where are the rest of the Zodiac Squad? We need the cosmic Minakai to fight against Zeera!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where they are. I swear, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°This has gone way too far. You need to do something.¡± ¡°I know. This was never meant to happen. It wasn¡¯t part of the plan!¡± A cacophony of screams from the Minakai attacking Zeera erupted as it summoned a barrage of rocks that burst from his body and took out half of the attacking Minakai at once. The unconscious bodies of the monsters crashed into the buildings and onto the streets. Seeing the body of a Panchi speeding towards them, Aurin dove at Luna and knocked her out of the way of the Minakai, but Hannah was stricken by the Panchi. ¡°No!¡± barked a voice as Hannah was flung across the square. Virgo watched as his daughter hit the ground with a gruesome crack, his mouth agape. He sprinted over to her and cradled her limp body in his arms. ¡°Please, no¡­no, not again¡­¡± ¡°Virgo,¡± said Aurin, helping Luna to her feet and then rushing over to the Zodiac elite. ¡°Where are the cosmic Minakai?¡± ¡°Hannah,¡± said Virgo. ¡°Hannah, please¡­¡± ¡°Virgo!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­we¡­we made a mistake. This was not supposed to happen. The guardian has grown far too powerful. If there are more of them¡­what have we done? What have I done?¡± Minutes ago, Aurin would have been relieved to hear Virgo¡¯s regret, but seeing Hannah lying motionless in her father¡¯s arms only filled him with sorrow. Horrific as the situation was, Aurin knew things would only get worse if he didn¡¯t push Virgo to help. ¡°You need to bring Taurus, Leo and Sagittarius here,¡± said Aurin bluntly. ¡°It¡¯ll take the cosmic Minakai to bring down this Zeera. I know you want to protect your daughter, but the only way to have any chance of keeping her safe is to stop this monster.¡± ¡°I¡­yes¡­yes, you¡¯re right,¡± said Virgo, wiping the tears from his eyes. ¡°Please, take care of her until I get back.¡± ¡°I will,¡± said Aurin, summoning Leonite to stand guard over the unconscious Hannah. ¡°Please, Virgo¡­hurry.¡± Virgo nodded, set Hannah gently on the ground and stood up. He adjusted his mask and made to run, but he suddenly stopped before he had the chance to take more than a couple of steps. ¡°There will be no need for that,¡± said Taurus, striding through the square with his Ethruki by his side. ¡°I am here.¡± Chapter 156 Taurus walked past the fountain with his Ethruki following him obediently. ¡°This Zeera is no longer a natural creature, no longer even a tower guardian. It¡¯s been tainted by corruption, malice and magic. I will see to it that it¡¯s cast back into the abyss, never to trouble the world again.¡± ¡°How could this be?¡± Aurin asked Taurus. ¡°I did not foresee that tampering with the interdimensional forces that brought a tower guardian into a tower would cause it to mutate in this way. I had hoped it would be sealed away¡­at worst, I expected it could manifest as a normal tower guardian.¡± ¡°You still don¡¯t get it, do you?¡± Kyle asked Taurus. ¡°You haven¡¯t reset the world to the way it was meant to be, you¡¯ve corrupted a rift in time and space. You¡¯ve completely broken things!¡± ¡°This can be fixed,¡± said Taurus, waving away Kyle¡¯s concerns. ¡°Leo! Sagittarius!¡± Leo and Sagittarius ran through the crowd of tamers and towards their leader with Abysarex and Mindadam following. The three cosmic Minakai had been assembled and their tamers were ready to fight to repel Zeera. ¡°Hold him!¡± ordered Taurus. Ethruki, Abysarex and Mindadam ran towards the Zeera, who spied the charging cosmic Minakai through the crowd. Its eyes glowed orange and it let out a roar that rumbled the air and sent a wave of terror throughout the square. Many Minakai turned and ran, but the three cosmics continued their charge. Ethruki¡¯s body became surrounded by an ethereal aura and it stopped abruptly. A rippling force was propelled through the air towards Zeera, halting its attempted swipe and freezing its arm in place. Abysarex bounded on all fours towards the epic Minakai, then leapt and threw a punch into the sky. A spectral fist appeared in the air and collided with Zeera¡¯s face, making the titan recoil. Mindadam¡¯s eyes glowed turquoise and it let out an echoing, robotic neigh. It slammed its hooves into the ground opened up a glowing portal in the square. It burst through and reappeared from a new portal that appeared atop Zeera. Mindadam headbutted Zeera in the nose. As Zeera shook it off, it fell through a new portal it conjured and reappeared on the ground uninjured. ¡°It¡¯s working,¡± said Aurin, his anxiety turning to relief. The three cosmic Minakai stood on the ground and used their elemental magic to hold Zeera¡¯s entire body in place; it was completely frozen and unable to move. The tamers all cheered at the apprehension of the mighty Minakai. ¡°Look!¡± called Gardner, pointing at Zeera. ¡°What?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°It blinked. It shouldn¡¯t be able to blink.¡± ¡°Oh no¡­¡± muttered Aurin as Zeera started to shake. Like Dolissile had done in Briarwood, it was fighting back against the cosmic elementals. Unlike during Aurin¡¯s own fight against Tobias¡¯s Mindadam, the three Zodiac cosmics had not been exhausted. Zeera violently lunged forward, slamming its fist into the ground as the Zodiac Squad¡¯s Minakai narrowly escaped being crushed. The three Minakai tried to reestablish their hold on Zeera, but it was less effective this time, merely slowing it down before it broke free of the cosmic power. ¡°Aurin!¡± called Conrad, running alongside Klaus, who had finally arrived in Hazelton. ¡°You¡¯re finally here,¡± Aurin said to Klaus, but realised that no one else had shown up with him. ¡°Where are the rest of the Minakai Guardians?¡± ¡°I was sent alone,¡± said Klaus. ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. I was told to come here and assess the situation for myself before they would send further reinforcements.¡± ¡°We¡¯re losing!¡± called Aurin. ¡°Our town is being destroyed.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I can see that,¡± said Klaus. ¡°I already made the call, but I can only guess when backup will arrive.¡± ¡°Agh!¡± yelled Aurin. ¡°How can things possibly get worse?¡± Abysarex was suddenly flung into the fountain by Zeera, smashing it to pieces. Leo watched his mighty Minakai twitching in the rubble and then turned to look at Zeera, who was now trying to trample on Mindadam who was forced to teleport through its portals. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do,¡± said Leo, dropping to his knees. ¡°This¡­this was not the way things were meant to be.¡± ¡°How can we keep fighting?¡± asked Luna, clinging to Aurin. ¡°If the cosmic Minakai can¡¯t defeat Zeera, then what hope do we have left?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too big, it¡¯s too powerful,¡± said Conrad. ¡°I told you we needed more backup than this!¡± ¡°You know it was out of my hands, Conrad,¡± said Klaus, his voice shaking with anger. ¡°If I had my way, I¡¯d have stormed the town with a hundred men, armed with as many powerful Minakai as I could get my hands on. Maybe now, our superiors will deploy our own cosmics. Three is not enough.¡± Conrad shook his head in frustration. ¡°There must be some way to trap it. Hold it somewhere it can¡¯t escape from until we can find a way to send it back where it came from.¡± An idea suddenly came to Aurin. ¡°I know what to do,¡± he said. ¡°Stall for as long as you can. I¡¯ll be back as soon.¡± Dolissile was deep in the fray, fighting alongside the other Minakai to attract attention away from the cosmic elementals, but had taken a few knocks from Zeera¡¯s earthly attacks. Aurin summoned the cybernetic dolphin to his side. ¡°Going to need you to push through the pain, mate,¡± said Aurin, climbing onto his Minakai¡¯s back and holding on tightly. ¡°Full speed ahead to the ranch.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Luna, but Aurin was already halfway across the square. Dolissile sped through Hazelton and Aurin gripped onto the dolphin as tightly as he could, trying to avoid being thrown off. He had to be quick or the rest of Hazelton would have been flattened along with everyone in town. Along the streets, through the alleyways, down the path, past the forest and into the ranch. Dolissile was almost spent, having torpedoed at such speed, but Aurin would need him again momentarily. He climbed off, his hair swept back by the intense air resistance, and then burst into Kyle¡¯s house. Aurin ran up the stairs and into his room, flipping his bed up and pulling out a wooden box made of dark oak and lined with gold metal trim. He grabbed his key, opened the lock and threw the lid of the box open. ¡°Please work,¡± said Aurin, grabbing the item he kept securely in the box and running back outside, leaping down the stairs and almost breaking his ankles. ¡°Back to the square,¡± said Aurin, throwing himself onto Dolissile¡¯s back, holding onto his Minakai with one hand and onto his Palace Royale prize with his other. Aurin could see the undeterred Zeera wreaking havoc in the town square and the dots that were flying Minakai being swatted away by flies. He prayed that his friends were safe as Zeera kicked and stamped its massive feet. Bursting into the square, he threw himself from Dolissile and summoned Skrow to his side. He was relieved to see that everyone was still safe, but there weren¡¯t many Minakai left. ¡°Aurin, why did you leave?¡± Luna asked. Aurin held up the large peach-like berry in his hand. ¡°To get this.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± called Kyle in amazement. ¡°The Roche Berry¡­that might just work.¡± ¡°Taurus,¡± Aurin called to the Zodiac leader. ¡°I need all of your men targeting Zeera. If it opens its mouth, you need to freeze him. We may only get one shot at this.¡± Taurus nodded. ¡°Zodiac Squadron!¡± he roared. At least a hundred tamers, both masked and unmasked stepped through the crowd and made their way to their leader. ¡°Now is the moment we push hard. We¡¯re going to course correct and get rid of this menace. I need you to give it your all, do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, Master Taurus!¡± the Zodiac Squad called out in unison. Aurin held up his tamer glove and summoned the rest of his team. ¡°Shamtile, you¡¯re in charge,¡± said Aurin to the masked lizard who was ready to give his fellow earth-elemental hell. ¡°Sunny, keep the cosmic Minakai healed up. Budescent and Skrow, you¡¯re with me.¡± Aurin mounted Skrow and Budescent climbed on behind him. The green wolf wrapped itself, Aurin and Skrow in vines, binding them together and letting Aurin hold the Roche Berry in two hands. ¡°Everyone ready?¡± he asked. The tamers all yelled in agreement as Zeera smashed three buildings with a single kick meant for Mindadam. ¡°Let¡¯s save our town,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Attack!¡± The remaining Minakai in the square kept low and charged on Zeera, drawing his attention away from the air as Aurin soared into the sky with Budescent and Skrow. They flew above Zeera, keeping away from his gaze as he attacked the Minakai on the ground. ¡°We need to time this just right,¡± Aurin said to Skrow. ¡°The second he opens his mouth, dive.¡± Aurin could see Ethruki fighting to hold back one of Zeera¡¯s feet while Sunny kept close to the cosmic bull. Taurus¡¯s Minakai was key right now, and Aurin knew he had to trust that the Zodiac leader would follow through. Ethruki released Zeera¡¯s foot and it slammed it into the ground, but missed its target. Angered, Zeera opened its mouth and drew breath to roar. Skrow burst forward and Aurin felt his hands shaking as he clutched his Roche Berry. He moved his hands to his side and threw the berry with all of his might, watching it fly through the air towards Zeera¡¯s open mouth. Ethruki suddenly appeared through one of Mindadam¡¯s portals and stood atop Zeera¡¯s nose. The mighty Minakai¡¯s mouth was locked in place as the berry made its mark and hit the back of Zeera¡¯s throat before disappearing from sight. Ethruki vanished from sight and Aurin backed away as Zeera was allowed to unleash its roar. Chapter 157 Zeera¡¯s roar suddenly petered out and it stood in the centre of town, stunned. Its furiously glowing eyes returned to normal and, instead, its entire body glowed an orangey-brown. The epic Minakai shined brightly, its light spreading throughout the entire town and to the countryside beyond. Before the eyes of everyone gathered in the town square, it started to shrink. Everyone stood in awe as the mighty Zeera, the corrupted tower guardian that had torn Hazelton apart, was reduced to the size and shape of a watermelon. The glow faded and, left in Zeera¡¯s place, was an egg. It was stone-grey and patterned purple and blue, resembling Zeera¡¯s spikes and segmented underbelly. Aurin flew back down to the ground and climbed off of Skrow¡¯s back with Budescent. ¡°You both did great,¡± said Aurin, patting Skrow and Budescent¡¯s heads before walking over to the egg. ¡°You¡¯re not going to trouble anyone ever again. I¡¯m going to make sure of that.¡± He picked up Zeera¡¯s egg, amazed to have witnessed the power of the Roche Fruit for himself. It was finally over and Zeera had been contained, but there was still the threat of the Minakai spawning outside the tower; now it was made worse by the fact that most of the Minakai in town were no longer in a fit state to battle. ¡°Aurin!¡± called Luna, running towards him and throwing her arms around him. ¡°You did it! I can¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°That was a good move,¡± said Kyle, clapping Aurin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You may have just saved the town.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not done yet,¡± said Aurin, clutching Zeera¡¯s egg tightly and then looking towards the eleven Zodiac Squad elites gathered. ¡°We need to seal the tower.¡± Aurin walked towards them, all of whom looked defeated except for Taurus who still stood firm. Even Leo, who never failed to maintain a veneer of arrogance couldn¡¯t bring himself to make eye contact with Aurin. They were all too ashamed at the death and destruction they had unleashed. ¡°I need your help,¡± said Aurin to Taurus. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who can make this end.¡± ¡°I miscalculated,¡± said Taurus, nodding. ¡°The fight against the Minakai was contained and controlled, as I had intended, but this Zeera¡­well, thank you for stopping it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want your thanks, Boren, I want your help to reseal the tower.¡± ¡°Things are now back on course,¡± said Taurus, waving his hand dismissively. ¡°The tower remains open.¡± ¡°No!¡± roared Aurin. ¡°You have no idea what else may come through the portal. What if the tower needs another guardian and summons one? What if it too ends up corrupted and mutated like this Zeera? How about an Arusom that spreads its toxins through the air and poisons everyone? What if we can¡¯t put it away and another appears? Not only will Hazelton be overwhelmed, but the entire of Bretonia will be brought to its knees. Beyond that¡­who knows?¡± Taurus stared at Aurin silently. After a few seconds, he moved his mouth to speak, but could only sigh. ¡°Yes,¡± he said firmly. ¡°Yes, there are no guarantees. I will agree to a temporary truce until I have had time to reassess.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll reseal the tower barrier?¡± ¡°If I can,¡± said Taurus, turning to his comrades. ¡°Leo. Sagittarius. We have work to do. The three of us will go to the top of the tower and restore the barrier.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Taurus,¡± said Leo. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said Sagittarius. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°No,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m going with you. I¡¯m going to make sure that you stick to your word.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± said Taurus. ¡°Can all three of you enter the tower?¡± asked Luna. ¡°There is no need to worry about the rules of the tower,¡± said Taurus. ¡°We use Mindadam¡¯s portals to enter from above. With no barrier in place to keep us out, we can do as we please.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m coming too.¡± ¡°No,¡± said Aurin, turning to look at Luna. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. If things go badly, everyone else needs to be ready so that things don¡¯t get out of control again.¡± ¡°Yes¡­I understand,¡± said Luna. ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± asked Klaus. ¡°Nothing,¡± said Conrad. ¡°The quicker we deal with this, the better.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Gardner. ¡°I¡¯ve still got two Minakai left. Post me outside the tower.¡± Luna walked over to Virgo who was sitting behind Aurin¡¯s Leonite, holding Hannah. She was still breathing, much to Luna¡¯s relief, but she was unconscious and her arm looked to be broken. ¡°Are you alright, Mr Williams?¡± Luna asked Virgo. ¡°Yes,¡± said Virgo. ¡°I feel like an utter fool, but knowing that my Hannah is safe is enough for now. I should never have drafted her into this¡­not after what happened to her mother. I thought we were prepared, but I never saw something like this coming¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s strong,¡± said Luna, putting her hand on Virgo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Take care of her and we¡¯ll make things right.¡± ¡°Yes¡­I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry for everything.¡± ¡°Luna,¡± called Kyle. ¡°We don¡¯t want to waste any more time.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Luna, turning her back on Virgo and Hannah. The tamers marched through the ruined streets of Hazelton where the snow had once again started falling. It was a sombre walk, with very few people uttering as much as a single word. It did not help matters that among the tamers were members of the Zodiac Squad who had only ever caused trouble wherever they went. Now, they were even responsible for the deaths of many citizens of Hazelton as well as many tamers¡¯ Minakai. Aurin counted himself lucky that his friends and team had all survived the battle with Zeera. As the tamers walked, the red lightning strikes continued and wild Minakai happened upon them. They were dealt with swiftly with Shamtile taking responsibility for banishing them quickly. The wild Minakai could not be allowed to overwhelm the area again, not when the town had suffered so greatly over the past day. Harmony Tower stood tall and strong in its clearing, but the clearing itself was barely recognisable. Large chunks of earth were missing and many trees had been snapped or upended, but there was the tower in the middle of it all. It had stood for centuries and, if Aurin had anything to say about it, would continue to. It was a pillar of protection from the destruction of indiscriminate Minakai being brought into the world by the ancient magic holding open the gaps between realities. ¡°Leo,¡± said Aurin, ¡°summon your Abysarex.¡± Leo did as Aurin asked and used his summoning stone to call Abysarex, who appeared on the ground, still badly injured from the battle in the town square. Sunny floated up to him and weaved her magic, giddily squealing as she restored the cosmic Minakai to power. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Leo, avoiding eye contact; his shame was apparent to all. Aurin ignored him and walked up to Kyle. He held out Zeera¡¯s egg and handed it to the rancher who accepted it carefully. ¡°Kyle, I trust you not to let anyone take this egg. I¡¯ll deal with it later.¡± ¡°We will take care of it,¡± said Klaus, but nobody paid him any attention. ¡°Not the time,¡± muttered Conrad. ¡°It¡¯s safe with me,¡± Kyle said to Aurin. ¡°I promise you that nobody will lay a finger on it.¡± ¡°Catch,¡± said Gardner, tossing an Orb of Return to Aurin, who caught it. ¡°Who knows what will happen if you get the barrier back, so maybe this will help you get out of there unscathed.¡± ¡°Thanks, Gardner,¡± said Aurin, giving his friend a nod of respect. ¡°Good luck,¡± said Luna, hugging Aurin tightly. ¡°Come back safe, alright?¡± There was a flash of red lightning and a Cryocoon appeared on the grass. The icy blue chrysalis sat on the grass, unmoving, but Shamtile was not willing to let it remain. He jumped in the air, flipped over and kicked his feet out, conjuring up a rock that smashed into it, cracking its body and banishing it. ¡°No tolerance for wild Minakai, eh?¡± asked Kyle. Shamtile shook his head and then hopped onto Aurin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You ready, mate?¡± Aurin asked him. Shamtile let out a warbling screech of determination. He was upset that he couldn¡¯t out-earth elemental Zeera, but he would make up for it by sealing the tower. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work,¡± said Taurus. ¡°Sagittarius, if you would.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± replied Sagittarius. The horse-masked Zodiac member stepped forward with his Mindadam and ordered it to open up a portal from the ground to the top of the tower. With a whinny and a slam of its hooves on the grass, the portal appeared. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Aurin, waiting Taurus and Leo to enter first. Once they had walked through the portal, he followed with Sagittarius tailing him. Chapter 158 Aurin and Shamtile emerged at the top of Harmony Tower with Taurus, Leo, Sagittarius and their three cosmic Minakai, but they were not alone here. Standing on the tower with them was a dozen wild Minakai who had not made their way to the ground below. ¡°Leave this to us,¡± said Aurin, walking past Taurus and Leo as Mindadam¡¯s portal that brought them to the top of the tower vanished. Shamtile hopped onto the bricks and waved his arms excitedly, itching to wipe the floor with the plague of Minakai who were eager to fight. ¡°Be my guest,¡± said Taurus. ¡°Cosmics, harness your strength for when the rooftop is clear and we will begin the restoration ritual.¡± The wild Minakai charged forward, but Shamtile was ready. He encased his fists in stone and conjured a pillar that thrust him towards his foes fist-first. He smashed his mace-like hand into the face of a furious Angree as it prepared to strike. Before it had the chance to swing, the wooden Minakai vanished. Shamtile rolled across the ground and into the centre of the crowd. He leapt out of the way of a swooping Volcarrow, which spun around the spat fireballs from its beak. Shamtile punched them and they fizzled out before ducking low to avoid a pouncing Leonite. He cast off his stone fists and hurled the remnant rocks at the lion, knocking it on the back of the head. The little lizard scurried between the legs of a Hornferno and delivered a series of kicks, before biting the dinosaur¡¯s stomach. It roared in pain and Shamtile conjured a boulder in mid-air, then dropped it on the Hornferno¡¯s head, knocking it out cold. A large Titanitoise barrelled through and grabbed Shamtile in its mouth, but Shamtile summoned his stone armour around himself. As the Titanitoise took a bite, its teeth cracked on the stone and it recoiled. It spit out the little lizard who waved his arms and materialised two stone spears. The Volcarrow from before came back for another round and Shamtile hurled the spear, which pierced the flaming bird¡¯s body, causing it to be banished back to its own dimension. As Shamtile cheered for himself, a crackling Thunding threw its own spear of lightning at the little lizard who dropped to the ground to avoid being skewered by the golden-armoured warrior¡¯s attack. Shamtile leapt back onto his feet and unleashed his second spear, which collided in mid-air with the Thunding¡¯s own second spear. The resulting explosion sent waves of electricity and stone across the rooftop and Aurin dove behind the golden podium while the cosmic Minakai protected the Zodiac elites. The Thunding was too dazed to notice the vengeful Titanitoise stampeding towards Shamtile and was trampled by the raging metal elemental. Shamtile yelped and conjured a pillar from the bricks to raise himself out of the way of the enraged tortoise. The Titanitoise smashed the pillar to pieces and Shamtile jumped to safety, landing on its back between the spikes. He conjured a stone club into his hand and slammed it onto the Titanitoise¡¯s head, knocking it out cold. As the tortoise vanished the Leonite pounced on Shamtile, tackling him across the ground. As it tried to take a bite out of the magical lizard, he scurried free and coated his fist in stone once again. He thumped the Leonite in the eye and then followed up with an uppercut to the jaw. Shamtile waged war with the wild monsters, parrying blows, dodging attacks and retaliating with earthen fury. As the many Minakai fell, Shamtile was left as the last one standing while his tamer, the Zodiac Squad members and their Minakai watched on. The little lizard was panting, exhausted by his victory, but very proud of himself. He waved his arms in the air, spinning around in a celebration dance before running back over to Aurin excitedly. ¡°You did great, bud,¡± said Aurin, giving his Minakai a fist bump. ¡°Most impressive,¡± said Taurus, ¡°but now it is our turn to show our power. Back away from the podium and let us work.¡± Aurin did as Taurus said and moved away with Shamtile while the Taurus, Leo and Sagittarius surrounded the podium with their Minakai. ¡°Ready when you are, Master Taurus,¡± said Leo. ¡°As am I,¡± said Sagittarius. ¡°Then we begin,¡± said Taurus. ¡°Ethruki, Abysarex and Mindadam, it is up to you.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The three tamers took a step back as their cosmic Minakai began glowing bright turquoise as they harnessed their powerful magic. There was a faint hum in the air as the sky around the tower began to darken and red streaks of electricity flashed around the tower as though being kept out by an invisible dome. ¡°Are you sure this will work?¡± Aurin asked Taurus. ¡°I am reasonably confident,¡± said Taurus. ¡°That¡¯s the least confident you¡¯ve ever sounded.¡± ¡°That is because I am only reasonably confident that this will work. It took a lot out of our Minakai to be able to break down the barrier, but it will take even more to rebuild it.¡± A lightning strike made it through and left a Slithice in its wake. Shamtile sprung back into action and crushed the icy snake with one of his heavy boulders. The Minakai was banished and the cosmics continued their ritual. The faint hum turned into a rumble and a swirling aura began spinning around the rooftop as though the invisible dome was starting to materialise. Another lightning strike broke through and a Pillaberg appeared. It immediately summoned an icy hailstorm that beat the cosmic Minakai, but Shamtile conjured a wall to shield them. The little lizard leapt over his own wall and dove at the Pillaberg, coating his fists in more stone as he sped through the air. He smashed into the living icicle¡¯s single, large eye and knocked it across the tower roof. It slid until it hit the battlements, then toppled over the edge. ¡°It¡¯s working,¡± said Leo as the barrier rose and curved, forming the full dome. ¡°Something is wrong,¡± said Sagittarius, looking past Shamtile¡¯s wall. As Shamtile¡¯s wall retreated into the ground, Aurin could see what it was that Sagittarius was staring at. There was a swirling vortex, similar to the one that the guardian Zeera had first tried to emerge from, but this time, it was expanding and contracting at an alarming speed as though it was much more unstable. What was worse was that a shadowy figure was starting to emerge. ¡°Control the portal!¡± ordered Taurus. ¡°We can¡¯t let it disrupt the ritual.¡± ¡°Forcing the portal to close was what caused the Zeera to break through last time,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Don¡¯t make the same mistake twice!¡± ¡°I am not making the same mistake twice,¡± said Taurus, walking towards the vortex by himself and drawing two turquoise crystals from within his jacket. ¡°The portal will not be closed, but we cannot have a creature like the Zeera from before escaping before the barrier is in place. We must repel it temporarily.¡± As the roaring of another Zeera escaped, its shadowy figure appeared within the portal, being distorted by the shifting form of the unstable rift. Taurus raised his Cosmic Crystals and unleashed the magic within, sending out a force that held the portal still for a brief moment before the swirling resumed. ¡°There is not enough power in these,¡± said Taurus, lamenting the ineffectiveness of his crystals. He used their magic again, a third time, a fourth time and then both crystals shattered on the fifth usage, leaving the unstable portal as wild and chaotic as before. The Zodiac Squad leader grunted in frustration and then turned to his Ethruki. ¡°Have you finished?¡± he barked at his Minakai, but Ethruki continued to glow and focus on his ritual. At that moment, the Zeera¡¯s form became more apparent as it reached the edge of the portal. ¡°Move!¡± roared Aurin as Shamtile conjured a huge spike of earth and hurled it at the portal. Taurus leapt out of the way as Shamtile¡¯s attack flew into the portal and collided with the Zeera, pushing it back. Shamtile fired another, but this time it smashed to pieces on impact with the portal. ¡°Almost there, Master Taurus!¡± called Leo as the rumbling turned into a crashing of thunder. A flash of red lightning struck the portal and it expanded, revealing the clear image of Zeera as it raised a leg to step through. ¡°Ethruki!¡± called Taurus, calling his cosmic Minakai to his aid while the other two Minakai continued to focus on the barrier. Ethruki sped to its master¡¯s side, using its magic to push the Zeera back inside before it could attack the other two cosmic Minakai. ¡°Send it back,¡± ordered Taurus, pulling out another Cosmic Crystal. The Zodiac leader and his Ethruki used their cosmic magic on the portal together and, in a flash of the red lighting, the portal was torn to smithereens. Aurin, Leo and Sagittarius shielded their eyes as the blinding light of the destroyed portal filled the area under the dome. Blinking wildly to try and shake off his momentary blindness, Aurin called out to Shamtile, who responded with a screech. As his vision returned, Aurin could see the faint ethereal dome surrounding the tower, completed, but something was amiss. There was no sign of the Zeera, nor was there any sign of Taurus and his Ethruki. ¡°Frederick, what happened?¡± Aurin asked. ¡°I¡­I do not know,¡± muttered Leo. ¡°Boss!¡± called Sagittarius, looking around the rooftop, but he could not see a thing. ¡°What could have happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± said Aurin, ¡°but the ritual seems to have worked. Shamtile, throw a stone.¡± Shamtile conjured a small stone in his hand and threw it across the rooftop, where it then collided with the faint barrier and bounced backwards as though it had hit a wall. ¡°We did it,¡± said Leo, his head hanging low. ¡°We fixed it.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t leave without Master Taurus,¡± said Sagittarius. ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­we¡¯ll be seeing him again,¡± said Leo, shaking his head slowly. ¡°Aurin, can you get us out of here?¡± Aurin nodded and pulled out the Orb of Return that Gardner had given him. He harnessed its power and he, Shamtile, Leo, Abysarex, Sagittarius, and Mindadam vanished in a flash of light from the tower roof. Chapter 159 ¡°Aurin!¡± cried Luna, rushing over to him and jumping into his arms. ¡°I was so worried that you wouldn¡¯t come back¡­I was so scared when the rumbling started and the roof flashed red. I thought you had all died.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Luna,¡± said Aurin, holding her tightly. ¡°We did it, it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Thank God, you¡¯re alright, bud,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I feared the worst.¡± ¡°Gardner¡¯s orb came in useful,¡± said Aurin, releasing Luna and throwing the Orb of Return back to Gardner. ¡°Ha!¡± chuckled Gardner. ¡°Thought it might, mate. Glad to have been of service. You know, I wasn¡¯t expecting you to return it¡­¡± Aurin looked to the top of Harmony Tower, relieved to see the swirling clouds that had long-covered it were back in place. The barrier truly had been restored and Hazelton could now be rebuilt. All that was left was to deal with the lingering wild Minakai that had spread out and into the wilderness. ¡°Master Taurus?¡± asked Pisces, walking up to Leo. ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± said Leo, shaking his head, ¡°and I don¡¯t believe he¡¯s coming back. He sacrificed himself to atone for his mistake.¡± ¡°What¡­what do we do now?¡± asked Pisces. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else to do, Lorrane,¡± said Leo, taking off his Zodiac mask and throwing it onto the ground, ¡°except face the music.¡± Pisces looked at Leo with her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. She couldn¡¯t believe that Taurus was gone. ¡°Zodiac Squad,¡± Frederick called out to his comrades. ¡°We¡¯re done here. The Zodiac Squad is no more.¡± Upon hearing this, many of the Zodiac Squad members also threw their masks on the ground, but others sprinted away. They were fearful of the consequences of their actions, especially now that they no longer had the protection of their leader, Mayor Boren. ¡°You can run, but I will track you down!¡± barked Detective Knot. ¡°You will all pay for your sins, I assure you.¡± Knot¡¯s Flaround barked loudly too and the detective patted his faithful canine¡¯s head. Frederick walked up to Knot. ¡°I¡¯ll come quietly,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m glad that at least one of you has some remorse,¡± spat Knot. ¡°The damage you caused¡­the destruction¡­the lives lost. Was it worth it? Was it worth it at all?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Frederick, his voice trembling. ¡°No, it was not. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Sorry isn¡¯t going to cut it, Leo.¡± ¡°Frederick. My name is Frederick. Leo is dead.¡± Conrad and Klaus walked through the group of tamers and over to Aurin. ¡°Well¡­that¡¯s that, I suppose,¡± said Conrad. ¡°Thanks for everything, Aurin.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you came back to town,¡± said Aurin, reaching out to shake Conrad¡¯s hand. ¡°Everything that happened with us over the summer. That¡¯s in the past. You came through.¡± Conrad smiled and shook Aurin¡¯s hand. ¡°There is just the matter of the Zeera egg,¡± said Klaus slyly. ¡°I would appreciate if you handed it over swiftly. We have no idea what will happen should that egg hatch. It¡¯s safest with the Minakai Guardians.¡± ¡°No,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I said that I¡¯m not handing it over.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand, young man,¡± said Klaus, his tone growing darker. ¡°Zeera is a species that is difficult to control at the best of times, but if this egg retains the corruption from its previous life, then it will be a danger to us all. If you do not hand it over, I¡¯ll be forced to take other measures.¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± said Aurin as Kyle passed him back the egg. ¡°See what happens if you try it.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Aurin, you do not know who you¡¯re dealing with. Do not test me.¡± ¡°No, Klaus,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I don¡¯t think you know who you¡¯re dealing with. You¡¯ve seen what Aurin is capable of and you know how strong his Minakai are. He¡¯s been personally trained by Tobias, who is a much better judge than you are. If he says he¡¯s keeping the egg and that he can handle the responsibility, then that should be good enough for you.¡± ¡°There is no way in¡ª¡± ¡°Klaus,¡± said Conrad firmly. ¡°You¡¯re not going to win this one. If you try and take the egg from Aurin, you¡¯re doing it alone. I¡¯m not going to help you.¡± ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s insubordination, is it?¡± asked Klaus. ¡°No, it¡¯s preventing you from breaking the law and stealing someone else¡¯s property.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ll see about that,¡± muttered Klaus, turning his back on everyone and walking away. ¡°I¡¯m probably going to pay for that,¡± said Conrad with a shrug, ¡°but at least it¡¯ll buy you some time.¡± ¡°Thanks, Conrad,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± said Conrad, walking after Klaus. ¡°Keep in touch, everyone.¡± The crowd slowly started to disperse with Knot enlisting a few volunteers to escort the Zodiac members who were willingly going to turn themselves in to the police station. Before long, the only ones remaining outside the tower were Aurin, Luna, Kyle, Gardner, Jimmy and Emily. Aurin stared at the tower before him, still awestruck by the magnificent structure in the same way that he was when he first laid eyes on it. The day that he and Shamtile first arrived in Hazelton, he saw Harmony Tower as something to be conquered, but now, almost two years later, he knew that it was something to be respected. It held riches, it held wonders, but most importantly, it stood as a guardian to the world, holding back the flow of wild Minakai that brought so much danger. ¡°What¡¯s running through your mind?¡± Luna asked him, taking his hand and putting her head on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m just hoping that one day I¡¯ll be worthy of climbing to the top and fighting a tower guardian fairly,¡± said Aurin. ¡°You¡¯ve got the best shot of anyone here,¡± said Gardner. ¡°You still beat me in Ludonia over the summer,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Eh, we¡¯ll see how things play out next time,¡± shrugged Gardner. ¡°My training since then has been basic while you¡¯ve gone above and beyond to hone your skills. I¡¯m not so sure we¡¯d have the same outcome this time around.¡± ¡°Well, then we¡¯ll see at the next Hazelton tournament, won¡¯t we?¡± ¡°We will,¡± said Aurin excitedly. ¡°It¡¯ll be nice to get back to normality.¡± ¡°Normality?¡± asked Jimmy with a chuckle. ¡°Has there been any of that for you since you first got here?¡± ¡°There was that brief period between exposing the original Sagittarius and Libra and the second Hazelton tournament. That was a nice couple of months of peace.¡± ¡°Speaking of the tournament,¡± said Emily. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen now that Mayor Boren is gone?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­a very good question,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll run for mayor and make sure they put the tournament on. I¡¯ll quit right after the tournament is over.¡± ¡°You think you would get elected?¡± laughed Luna. ¡°He¡¯s the town hero now,¡± said Kyle, nudging Aurin. ¡°You made a name for yourself with your battling prowess and now you¡¯ve made a name for yourself as the saviour of Hazelton.¡± ¡°Saviour of Hazelton,¡± said Aurin, putting his left index finger to his chin. ¡°You know, I quite like that.¡± ¡°Great, there¡¯s another unneeded ego boost for you.¡± ¡°You said it, not me.¡± ¡°I can see your head swelling already.¡± Shamtile leapt onto Aurin¡¯s shoulders, knocking Luna out of the way. He placed his hands on the side of Aurin¡¯s head and squeezed, trying to prevent his master¡¯s head from getting any larger. ¡°Knock it off, Shamtile!¡± Aurin scolded him. ¡°He¡¯s joking. You¡¯ve made this same mistake before.¡± Everyone laughed as Shamtile hopped back onto the grass and curled up in a ball, embarrassed. ¡°Right, all,¡± said Gardner, stretching his arms into the air. ¡°I need to get a proper sleep before I do anything else. I¡¯m wrecked.¡± Jimmy furrowed his brow. ¡°Didn¡¯t Detective Knot ask us to give him a few hours and then go give official statements at the station?¡± ¡°Agh! I forgot!¡± ¡°Luna, should we go check on Hannah?¡± asked Emily. ¡°I¡¯m sure that Mr Williams has taken her to the hospital by now.¡± ¡°To be honest,¡± said Luna quietly. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure that I want to see her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so keen on the idea either, but we¡¯ve known her for so long and she¡¯s hurt. We can cut ties with her after we know for sure she¡¯s going to be alright.¡± ¡°Maybe go easy on her,¡± said Aurin. ¡°You of all people are saying this?¡± asked Luna. ¡°I don¡¯t think she betrayed us because she wanted to, but out of loyalty to her dad. As despicable as most of the Zodiac Squad were, Virgo¡­erm, Mr William was one of the ones that wasn¡¯t so bad.¡± Everyone stared at Aurin in confusion. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make anything that happened right, don¡¯t get me wrong,¡± he said, ¡°but I truly believe that they didn¡¯t mean for things to get so out of hand. Let me ask you all this¡­do you really think Hannah, the same girl who hates battling with her Chlost, wanted wild Minakai running rampant around the world?¡± ¡°No¡­no, I suppose not,¡± said Luna as the others agreed. ¡°Then give her a break,¡± said Aurin. ¡°If she proves me wrong and shows no remorse for the events of the last couple of days then throw her under the bus and drive over her a few times.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± said Luna nodding slowly. ¡°I think we can do that.¡± ¡°Yes, we can,¡± said Emily. Gardner rubbed his eyes violently. ¡°Alright, enough yapping. Let¡¯s get into town and give those statement so I can hit the hay.¡± ¡°You lot go on ahead,¡± said Kyle, walking over to the trees. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you there later once I¡¯ve made sure that the ranch is alright.¡± ¡°How come he gets out of it so easily?¡± muttered Gardner. Everyone except for Aurin made their way out of the clearing leaving him and Shamtile standing alone. They looked at the doors of Harmony Tower once again, both of tamer and monster silently taking it in. One day, they would challenge the tower again. One day, they would reach the top by themselves. One day, they would defeat it. Chapter 160 Aurin, Luna and Kyle dragged their feet up the path to the ranch. It was not because of the thick frost of early December that made the path slippery, it was from sheer exhaustion. They had spent most of the evening giving Detective Knot statements about the events of the last few days. ¡°Must¡­sleep,¡± sighed Luna. ¡°Then you should have gone home,¡± remarked Kyle. ¡°Why did you follow us back to the ranch?¡± ¡°I wanted to see the Minakai before turning in.¡± ¡°You were going to sleep on my sofa again, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No¡­maybe.¡± ¡°Can you pair not be apart for a few hours?¡± ¡°Why are you dragging me into this?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I had nothing to do with it.¡± Shamtile and Innogon hurried up the path towards their tamers; Shamtile scurrying on all fours while Innogon slid on his belly across the ice. The two little Minakai hopped up and down excitedly when they reached the trio of humans. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± asked Luna as Innogon yapped and Shamtile screeched. ¡°Tobias?¡± asked Aurin. Luna looked at her boyfriend and raised an eyebrow. ¡°I know you can understand them quite well, but how did you come to the conclusion that they were talking about Tobias?¡± Aurin nodded towards Kyle¡¯s porch, where the Bretonian Champion sat on the stairs waving over at them. ¡°Oh,¡± muttered Luna, her cheeks turning as red as her hair. ¡°To what do we owe the pleasure?¡± asked Kyle as everyone made their way to the porch. Tobias stood up and shook all of their hands in turn. ¡°Well, I got word about what was happening in town and flew in to see if there was any way I could help, but it looks like the crisis has been squashed already.¡± Aurin rubbed his neck. ¡°I wish I could say it was skill, but if I didn¡¯t have that Roche Fruit, things may have been much worse.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t discredit yourself,¡± said Tobias. ¡°You dealt with the disaster swiftly and minimalised casualties. From what I¡¯ve heard, you did everything in your power to prevent the cosmic Minakai being used to break down the tower barrier.¡± ¡°I suppose so.¡± ¡°In any case, things have been dealt with,¡± said Tobias, waving away Aurin¡¯s pessimism. ¡°That said, it isn¡¯t the first time in history that a few maniacs have tried to disrupt the magic of the towers and it won¡¯t be the last. It never ends well.¡± ¡°Something like this has happened before?¡± asked Luna, surprised by what Tobias had just said. ¡°Many times,¡± said Tobias, nodding slowly. ¡°Thankfully it isn¡¯t usually as catastrophic as the Harmony Tower disaster, but there have been many problems throughout Bretonian history of these sorts of things. If you expand it to the whole world, it happens every couple of years.¡± ¡°And people never learn?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Sadly not, but that¡¯s why people like you exist, right? People who will do whatever it takes to right the wrongs of the wicked.¡± Aurin didn¡¯t say anything. He was thinking about the lives lost to the Zodiac Squad¡¯s actions, both human and Minakai. Knowing that the troublesome group were now disbanded didn¡¯t give him as much peace as he would have liked. ¡°So, what of Zeera?¡± asked Tobias. ¡°I almost forgot,¡± said Aurin, snapping back to attention. Aurin summoned Shamtile who he had ordered to hide the egg while he was in Hazelton earlier. ¡°Where did you put the egg, mate?¡± Shamtile looked around and shrugged his shoulders. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Don¡¯t toy with me, this is important.¡± Shamtile waved his arms and screeched like a maniac, desperately trying to convince Aurin that it wasn¡¯t a ruse. ¡°After that big scene I made with Klaus¡­and the egg is gone!¡± Shamtile punched Aurin in the shin and then rolled around on the floor, making his tamer scowl. ¡°You¡¯re a going to be the death of me,¡± sighed Aurin as Shamtile ran towards Kyle¡¯s house and then dove underground. Seconds later, he reemerged with the distinct Zeera egg in his hand. ¡°Ah, this takes me back,¡± said Tobias. ¡°It¡¯s rare to see a unique-looking egg amidst the slew of grey, undeterminable eggs.¡± ¡°Was your Arusom¡¯s egg patterned as well?¡± asked Luna. ¡°It was, yes,¡± said Tobias. ¡°That¡¯s the thing about epic and legendary-tier Minakai. Their eggs stand out, so you¡¯ll never miss one. That said, finding a legendary egg is a very specific process so you¡¯ll know it before you see it.¡± ¡°Why are they patterned while the others aren¡¯t?¡± ¡°Here¡¯s the strange thing,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Outside the tower, Minakai eggs are patterned. If your Splashard laid an egg right, it would resemble her species. In the tower, it would be stripped of colour and be completely nondescript.¡± ¡°Another strange phenomenon of the tower that we simply can¡¯t explain,¡± said Tobias. ¡°I doubt we¡¯ll discover the answer in my lifetime.¡± ¡°Tobias, would you mind waiting around while I hatch this egg?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Alright, but how come?¡± ¡°On the off chance the Zeera goes out of control, I want to make sure that there¡¯s someone here who can handle it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine.¡± Aurin ran off to fetch the incubator that he brought back from the Palace Royale. He returned moments later and laid it at the foot of Kyle¡¯s porch, placing his Zeera egg within it. With a deep breath, he pressed the button to activate it and the familiar forcefield surrounded the egg. The egg started to glow an orangey-brown, but for once Aurin knew what the element of the monster within was before beginning the hatching process. As the glow grew brighter, the incubator began shaking vigorously. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± said Aurin, moving in front of Luna in case Zeera broke free and attacked. With a loud crack, the incubator shattered and the glow vanished, leaving the egg as it was before Aurin had tried to hatch it. ¡°My incubator!¡± yelled Aurin. Tobias chuckled. ¡°I thought as much.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Do you want to explain this one or should I?¡± the champion asked Kyle. Kyle nodded with a smug grin on his face. ¡°If the appearance of the egg didn¡¯t give it away, then let me be the one to tell you that this isn¡¯t a normal egg.¡± ¡°So, I can¡¯t hatch it?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°You can hatch it alright, you just can¡¯t hatch it with an incubator.¡± ¡°Great,¡± said Aurin, sitting down on the wooden bench underneath the front window. ¡°You both knew this would happen. You owe me an incubator!¡± ¡°Relax,¡± said Kyle. ¡°You can just keep using mine.¡± ¡°How do you hatch an egg without an incubator?¡± asked Luna, having only ever used the powerful device to hatch her own Minakai. ¡°Did Aurin tell you about the Minakai den that I brought him to?¡± asked Tobias. ¡°The one inside the cave where he fought your Mindadam?¡± ¡°Yes, that one,¡± said Tobias with a nod. ¡°It¡¯s a bizarre anomaly in this world that links back to Minakai, but it¡¯s far from the only one. There are places of great power that hold significance to these mysterious beings, but they don¡¯t always have Minakai there. They have other magical properties that are of incredible value to tamers like us.¡± ¡°There¡¯s somewhere I can go to hatch this egg?¡± asked Aurin, standing up again. ¡°There is, and perhaps you will find it for yourself one day. I had to go to an air shrine to hatch my Arusom, so you¡¯ll need to find an earth shrine for your Zeera.¡± ¡°And where can I find that?¡± ¡°Truth be told, I don¡¯t know,¡± said Tobias. ¡°You would think that people would tell me these things, but I always need to put the work in myself.¡± ¡°Is that you saying that you do know, but won¡¯t tell me?¡± asked Aurin, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. ¡°No, I promise,¡± laughed Tobias. ¡°But if I do find out, I¡¯ll put you through hell before I tell you. Got to earn it, my friend.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect anything less,¡± said Aurin with a laugh. ¡°I wonder who would know?¡± asked Luna, tapping a finger on her forehead. ¡°Maybe Hunter? He¡¯s a smart man.¡± ¡°I would bet any money that Taurus knew,¡± said Aurin. ¡°If he was able to orchestrate gathering the three cosmic Minakai native to Bretonia, then there¡¯s probably a lot more that he knows. He was probably the one that told Frederick how to unlock the lost secret of Leofang¡¯s evolution.¡± ¡°Such a shame to see such an amazing mind go to waste,¡± said Tobias despondently. ¡°With all of the good he could have done with his knowledge¡­it saddens me.¡± ¡°Do you reckon we¡¯ll ever see him again?¡± asked Luna. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine,¡± said Tobias. ¡°From what I was told, he vanished when the tower was resealed, right?¡± ¡°Yes, while he was trying to fight another tower guardian from emerging through a portal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very possible that he¡¯s left this world entirely.¡± ¡°You think he¡¯s dead?¡± ¡°He could be, but that¡¯s not what I meant. He may have been pulled into another dimension.¡± Aurin felt a small hand tugging on the hem of his coat. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked Shamtile. The masked lizard rubbed his belly and groaned. ¡°We really should feed the Minakai,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Their schedules have been erratic, so it would be good to get them back to a proper routine.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a hand,¡± said Tobias. ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°Of course, Kyle. I can¡¯t sit around and be lazy just because I¡¯m the national champ, can I?¡± ¡°Do you want to hang around for dinner before you head back to Ludonia?¡± Aurin asked. ¡°I could do that. Sounds nice, my friend.¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± said Aurin before smiling sinisterly. ¡°Now I can prod you to see what you¡¯re not telling me about my Zeera egg.¡± Chapter 161 The snow was starting to fade from Hazelton on the early January morning and the town was filled with people putting in their all to clean up the town after Zeera¡¯s rampage. The mood was far from upbeat, but the people of Hazelton had had their mourning period for those lost and were trying to put things back to as normal as they could. Aurin wheelbarrowed a pile of broken cobblestones from the town square over to Shamtile, who was being put to work more than most of the other Minakai. The little lizard screeched as Aurin put the wheelbarrow down. ¡°I know you¡¯re tired,¡± said Aurin, ¡°but we all are. We¡¯ve been at this for days, I get it. We¡¯re on the home stretch, mate.¡± Shamtile sighed and waved his arms, using his magic to take each cobblestone and slot it back into the proper place. He repaired the cracks by merging the broken pieces of stone back together, then slumped to the ground once the wheelbarrow was empty. ¡°You¡¯re doing good, mate. You¡¯ve earned at least four or five milkshakes after all of this.¡± Shamtile sat up and wailed angrily. ¡°Alright, alright. You¡¯ve earned a dozen, but I¡¯m spacing those out so you don¡¯t let it all go to your gut.¡± Innogon yapped loudly at Luna¡¯s feet, then started bouncing up and down. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you have a dozen milkshakes!¡± she told him, but he didn¡¯t relent. ¡°I don¡¯t care how many Shamtile drinks, you¡¯re limited to only a couple per week.¡± After arguing back and forth for a while, Innogon slumped off and lay beside the empty fountain. He had a sour look on his face, but Luna knew he was exaggerating to try and gain sympathy and refused to let herself be drawn in. Suddenly, Wingbloom appeared overhead and then descended into the square with Kyle on his back. The rancher climbed off and tossed a couple of wrapped up foil packets to Aurin and Luna. ¡°Lunch is here, my friends,¡± he said, pulling out one for himself and unwrapping it to reveal a hotdog. ¡°Good, I¡¯m starving,¡± said Aurin, getting a raised eyebrow in response. ¡°I mean, thank you.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± said Luna, unwrapping hers. She tore a piece of the bread and sausage off and threw it to Innogon who leapt into the air, caught it in his mouth and then swallowed it whole. ¡°Town is looking good,¡± said Kyle, looking around the square. ¡°Did you fly over the forest by the tower?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I did,¡± said Kyle, looking impressed. ¡°Was that Gardner¡¯s handiwork?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Luna. ¡°Aurin lent him Desparee and Budescent. I thought it best to not have Angree help¡­you know, just in case.¡± ¡°He does have a temper,¡± said Kyle, nodding understandingly. ¡°Good to see all three of you here at once,¡± came Knot¡¯s voice from across the square. The detective marched towards the trio, looking very pleased with himself; he was usually more sullen. ¡°What brings the great detective into our midst?¡± joked Aurin. ¡°He brings good news to the Saviour of Hazelton.¡± Aurin frowned. Kyle had joked about that nickname for him, but it had caught on around town. He was never not being thanked by the townsfolk as he tried to go about his business. Most of that business was helping with the cleanup, which didn¡¯t exactly deter people from using that name. ¡°What¡¯s the news?¡± asked Luna. ¡°The members of the Zodiac Squad who turned themselves have had their trials accelerated,¡± said Knot happily. ¡°Most of them will be seeing justice before too long.¡± ¡°And you think they¡¯ll all get sentenced?¡± ¡°Not a chance, but most of them will. The ones who confessed to their crimes will probably get more lenient sentences, especially considering they tried to help in the end, but it still keeps them off the streets lest they be tempted by madness again.¡± ¡°I would call that bittersweet news,¡± said Aurin, shaking his head. ¡°Take a win when you get it,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I doubt whether the ones who get set free would dare show their faces around town. Look at the original Sagittarius. We haven¡¯t heard as much as a whisper about him since he disappeared.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Speaking of disappearances,¡± said Luna. ¡°I take it there¡¯s been no word of Mayor Boren?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± said Knot, ¡°but that¡¯s ex-mayor now. He was stripped of his title, not that it matters much with him being missing. He¡¯s officially been counted among the dead of the Zeera Crisis. That¡¯s what they¡¯re calling it now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s apt,¡± shrugged Kyle. Knot looked around the square as Kyle had done. ¡°Things are looking much better these days,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve all put in some great work the last week.¡± ¡°It helps when the national champion donates a heap of gold to aid the restoration effort,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Tobias really put his money where his mouth is.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t fault that,¡± said Knot, ¡°but perhaps he¡¯ll not be the champion for that much longer. I¡¯ve heard whispers that all three of you are entering the tournament in a few months? That¡¯s going to be tough competition for whenever you all make it to Ludonia.¡± ¡°You heard those whispers from me,¡± said Aurin, laughing, ¡°but you¡¯re right. We¡¯ve got the rest of winter and early spring to prepare. That¡¯s enough time for me to figure out how to hatch that Zeera egg.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sure you can handle it?¡± ¡°Positive.¡± Knot held out his hand to Aurin. ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me, lad.¡± Aurin shook it. ¡°Thanks, Detective Knot.¡± ¡°Chief Knot.¡± ¡°Congratulations, Chief Knot,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Well, I¡¯d better get back to work,¡± said Knot, checking his watch. ¡°Have a good day, all.¡± The three tamers bid Knot farewell and finished eating their lunch while Shamtile continued working nearby. He paused every now and then to look longingly at the food. So much so that Kyle took pity on the small Minakai and headed off to grab him a milkshake. ¡°What do you think about what Knot said?¡± asked Luna. ¡°Which part?¡± ¡°About all three of us making it to Ludonia.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± ¡°But, what if we don¡¯t?¡± asked Luna, looking uncertain. ¡°We¡¯re some of the best tamers in town.¡± ¡°I know that, but what if we end up fighting each other too early.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± said Aurin, his smile fading. ¡°I hadn¡¯t considered that¡­maybe¡­¡± ¡°Maybe what?¡± Aurin¡¯s smile returned, but was much more devious this time. ¡°We do know someone who¡¯s been involved with rigging the initial lineup for the tournament.¡± Luna laughed. ¡°Do you really think Klaus would do that to help you after you refused to give him Zeera¡¯s egg?¡± ¡°Nah,¡± said Aurin, ¡°I¡¯m just trying to lighten the mood.¡± As the two had a good laugh about ways they could try and rig the tournament themselves, someone walking towards them caught their eye. Luna¡¯s jaw dropped when she saw it was Hannah, and Aurin whispered to her to not fly off the handle. ¡°Hello,¡± said Hannah meekly. As wrapped up as she was, the sling holding up her arm was visible underneath her coat. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would dare approach us,¡± said Luna coldly. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t even let me into the hospital to visit you.¡± ¡°I was too ashamed,¡± said Hannah, looking at her feet. ¡°Now that everything has calmed down, I wanted to tell you that I¡¯m sorry for my involvement with the Zodiac Squad. I¡¯m not going to offer any excuses about my dad. He didn¡¯t force me, he simply asked and I said I would do whatever he asked.¡± ¡°You owe more than just me an apology,¡± said Luna. ¡°What about Aurin? Emily? Those who lost people after what Zeera did?¡± Hannah looked up at Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aurin. Please believe me when I say that I had no idea things would go this far.¡± ¡°I do believe you,¡± said Aurin, ¡°but that doesn¡¯t make it right.¡± ¡°I know,¡± said Hannah softly, her eyes filling with tears. ¡°I can forgive you, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re off the hook. You need to do whatever it takes to atone for your involvement. It may not be as severe as most of the other members, but if you hadn¡¯t tipped off your dad that we were going to infiltrate the Zodiac headquarters then Taurus wouldn¡¯t have given the order to rush the plan.¡± Hannah nodded. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. It was inexcusable,¡± she said before looking at Luna who was staring at her with daggers in her eyes. ¡°Can you ever forgive me, Luna?¡± ¡°Maybe one day,¡± said Luna, her voice trembling, ¡°but not now. I think it¡¯s going to take some time.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± said Hannah, before turning away. Aurin and Luna watched as she walked sadly through the square. Many of the people nearby didn¡¯t give her a second thought, completely unaware of who she was and her involvement in what happened to their town. Aurin was pleased that she hadn¡¯t fled town, but with Virgo in jail, she was probably stuck here. It wasn¡¯t long before Kyle returned with two milkshakes¡ªa banana one for Shamtile and a chocolate one for Innogon. The two small Minakai bounced over to him in excitement, grabbed the cups from him and started drinking immediately. Within ten seconds, they had both drained their drinks. Innogon was especially thorough, having used his water affinity to gather up every drop of the shake. ¡°Ten minutes to pick it up and ten seconds to drink it,¡± said Kyle as Luna giggled. ¡°Absolutely astounding.¡± ¡°Ten second is nothing,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I¡¯d do it in nine.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Kyle, ¡°but you¡¯re more of an animal than they are.¡± Innogon leapt at Shamtile trying to wrestle the cup from him, hoping to steal the drops of his milkshake that the little lizard couldn¡¯t catch with his straw. Shamtile wasn¡¯t going to simply let him have it and threw the tiny drake into the fountain. ¡°Break it up, you two,¡± said Luna. ¡°Or¡­¡± said Aurin. ¡°Or what?¡± ¡°We could all use a break, couldn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t we just having a break?¡± ¡°Like I said, we could all use a break. How about a battle seeing as those two are fired up?¡± ¡°Why not make it more interesting?¡± asked Kyle, patting Wingbloom¡¯s side. ¡°How about a three-way battle? Winner cleans up the Minakai dung around the ranch at the end of the day.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± said Aurin as Shamtile rushed over to him and handed his master his cup. ¡°I agree to these terms.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t both team up on me,¡± said Luna. ¡°I¡¯ll make you regret it.¡± ¡°No need to worry about that,¡± said Kyle with a hearty chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m going straight for Aurin.¡± ¡°Try it and see,¡± said Aurin with a smirk. Shamtile, Innogon and Wingbloom launched themselves into battle, as a crowd quickly gathered to see the emerging spectacle. The three tamers were pleased to have the chance to blow off steam after the intensity of the last few weeks, but they all were going to take the battle seriously. The battle would determine who needed the most training ahead of the upcoming tournament. Chapter 162 Aurin walked up and down his lineup of Minakai as though the general of an army. The monsters all paid him attention, especially Steambot and Sunny who had been publicly reprimanded before all of their comrades for playing around moments prior. Today was a day to be serious. ¡°My friends,¡± said Aurin. ¡°We are on the precipice of a new paradigm. We sit upon the eve of the third ever Hazelton Tournament. Now, we have shown what we can do in the past, but now we are much better and more numerous. Chopchop, Zenoman, Sunny, Glacibot, Budescent and Quetz. This will be your first ever organised tournament before a crowd, so you need to be prepared.¡± Aurin¡¯s latest Minakai, the winged yellow serpent, Quetz, hissed excitedly. She threw back her head so that her red hair feathers flowed back elegantly. Aurin had ventured into the tower solo in February¡ªhis first trip inside since sealing the roof of the tower¡ªand found her egg on the twenty-second floor. ¡°Our registration day is tomorrow and, sadly, we have still not added Zeera to the team, but we don¡¯t need an epic Minakai to be victorious, do we?¡± Aurin¡¯s Minakai screeched, roared, beeped and clicked in agreement. Every single one of them had been training hard through the winter and early spring to prepare for the tournament, Aurin included. ¡°There is one last order of business we need to attend to,¡± he said quietly. ¡°One of you has been waiting for many months to be allowed to evolve. I believe that now is the time for that. Budescent, step forward.¡± The green wolf bounded towards his tamer excitedly as Aurin pulled out a Lunar Shard along with the Full Moon Gem he had been gifted by Tobias. He knelt beside Budescent and held the gem to his Minakai, followed by the shard. Both Budescent and the evolutionary items began to glow green as the metamorphosis began. Budescent grew larger and leaned back on his hind legs as his front legs became more arm-like. His tail lengthened and sprouted a flower, while the hair on his chest grew thick and two of his buds sprouted as thick vines with sharp petals at their tips. As the light faded, the pink flowers were revealed and Budescent¡¯s proud eyes were now a dark and fierce black with long red pupils. ¡°Welcome to the team, Lycavine,¡± said Aurin, admiring Budescent¡¯s werewolf-like evolution. ¡°Feeling strong?¡± Lycavine howled loudly, making the birds in the nearby trees scatter. He swung his long claws through the air to test his speed and then did a black flip, landing adeptly on his feet without as much as a teeter. ¡°Fantastic,¡± said Aurin. He looked towards the Minakai pens to see if all of Luna¡¯s Minakai were still there¡ªthey were, save for Innogon. ¡°Late again,¡± muttered Aurin, looking back to his team. ¡°No matter, we¡¯ll march down there ourselves.¡± ¡°You¡¯re bringing all of them at once?¡± asked Kyle, wandering over from his house. ¡°Yes,¡± said Aurin. ¡°The team have earned the chance to show off a little.¡± ¡°You must be crazy, Aurin,¡± said Kyle, shaking his head. ¡°How many do you have now? Thirteen Minakai? ¡°Fourteen,¡± said Aurin, pointing at Sunny who had been thrown across the yard by Steambot and was gleefully floating back to her teammates. ¡°There¡¯s showing off and making an absolute spectacle. I refuse to be seen with you if you take up half the line by yourself.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I¡¯ll bring three. That¡¯s the best I can do.¡± The Minakai all stood at attention, each of them wanting to be picked, but none more so than Spikruption who held back his usual puffs of smoke. ¡°Alright, Spike,¡± said Aurin, relenting to the red dinosaur who seemed so keen. ¡°It¡¯ll be you, Chopchop and¡­hmm¡­Lycavine. We¡¯re going for maximum intimidation points, my friends. Psyche out our opponents before we even set foot on the battlefield.¡± Shamtile threw up his hands in despair and ran round in circle, screeching wildly. Ignoring the green lizard¡¯s tantrum, Aurin turned to Kyle. ¡°Are you bringing any of your monsters with you?¡± he asked. ¡°Nope,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I¡¯ll summon them when I need them and that¡¯ll do.¡± ¡°Alright, shall we get going?¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Aurin walked down the path with three of his larger, more violent-looking Minakai following. Spikruption stomped along, Chopchop swung his arm-blades and Lycavine¡¯s sharp petals hovered on their vines menacingly. ¡°Have you even seen a Lycavine?¡± asked Aurin, smugly. ¡°Once,¡± said Kyle, ¡°but that was when I was in a tower in Eiranth. It¡¯s native to some of the towers over there.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Aurin, disappointed. He had half-hoped to show off.¡± ¡°If it makes you feel any better, it defeated my pair of Sproufloat with ease.¡± ¡°That does make me feel better,¡± said Aurin before what Kyle had said registered with him. ¡°Wait, pair of Sproufloat?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I said.¡± ¡°Presuming that Wingbloom is one of them, where¡¯s your other one?¡± ¡°She was my Wingbloom¡¯s sister and was a Wingbloom herself. They were hatched together and evolved together, but let¡¯s not talk about this. She¡¯s long gone and we¡¯re going to defeat our opponents in her memory.¡± Aurin wasn¡¯t sure what to say, but things started lining up for him now. Kyle had long-retired from being a competitive Minakai tamer, but had never mentioned why. He hadn¡¯t progressed past the thirty-seventh floor of Harmony Tower, despite being more than capable of doing so. Had it been because his second Wingbloom had died that he chose to be a rancher instead of an active tamer? As the tamers walked through Hazelton, neither of them said much, but eventually came across Luna and Innogon running towards them as though they were heading to the ranch. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m so later, I¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s expected at this point,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Eugh,¡± sighed Luna, furrowing her brow. ¡°Well, Luna, you wouldn¡¯t have that reputation if you were on time, would you? Did you sleep in again?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that!¡± she cried. ¡°I ran into Gardner and he said that Hunter isn¡¯t going to be competing in Hazelton this year.¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Aurin while Kyle looked confused. ¡°Where¡¯s he competing then?¡± asked the rancher. ¡°Ludonia,¡± said Luna. ¡°He¡¯s going all-in and shooting for the toughest qualifier in the country to test himself.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± said Aurin, slightly disappointed. ¡°I was looking forward to having the chance to fight him again. I guess that will have to wait until the national championships.¡± ¡°If you get that far,¡± joked Kyle. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll knock you out in the very first round.¡± The trio and the Minakai continued through the town, which was abuzz with tamers excitedly making their way to the newly revamped Hazelton Stadium. Over the last few months, the Zodiac Squad¡¯s base that had been built underneath was repurposed as an intensive training dojo for tamers, but Aurin had never bothered to make use of it, preferring to train at the ranch with friends. He was curious, however, at how this had benefitted the tamers in town. Before the Zeera Crisis, a lot of them were complacent, but things had taken a radically different turn in the days since. Tamers had doubled, tripled and quadrupled their efforts to get strong, fearing that disaster would strike again. The trio joined the long queue outside Hazelton Stadium as the tamers awaited their registration. Aurin had hoped that he would have found a way to hatch Zeera¡¯s egg before the tournament, but he was satisfied that his team were ready even without the aid of an epic Minakai. Taking the lessons he had learned from Kyle, Hunter and Tobias, he had upped the intensity of both the Minakai¡¯s training as well as his own, both physically and mentally. ¡°Gentlemen. Lady,¡± came Gardner¡¯s voice as he walked over with his Vinewolf beside him, but Lycavine caught his eye. ¡°Aurin, you sneaky little¡­¡± Aurin couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°You thought I would go against you with a Vinewolf of my own, did you? Not happening, my friend.¡± ¡°Where did you get a Full Moon Gem to evolve your Budescent along this path? You have to tell me!¡± Aurin grinned smugly. ¡°It was a present from a friend of mine. His name is Tobias Hawthorne, you may have heard of him.¡± Gardner frowned and shook his head. ¡°How in the world am I supposed to compete with connections like that?¡± ¡°Tell you what,¡± said Aurin, ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you when we get to Ludonia. I¡¯ll have knocked you out of the tournament by that point, but it¡¯ll set you up for next year.¡± Luna and Kyle laughed at Gardner as he threw his arms up in exaggerated despair. He made a goofy face like a Desparee and imitated its cry before laughing himself. The morning rolled past quickly and, by ten o¡¯clock, everyone was inside and registered. It took more time than ever with such a large team of monsters to be inspected and signed up, but things went smoothly. Aurin was itching to begin the fight, but there was still the opening ceremony to go and the brackets would be announced shortly after that. ¡°Ugh,¡± he groaned as he, Luna, Kyle and Gardner sat by the river outside the stadium. ¡°I want to start the fighting now!¡± ¡°Have some patience,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I¡¯ve been patient since the last tournament!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve fought in Ludonia and the Palace Royale since then,¡± said Kyle, ¡°don¡¯t be such a spoiled punk.¡± ¡°Won the Palace Royale, Kyle. Won it. I didn¡¯t just fight in it.¡± Luna looked around to make sure Shamtile wasn¡¯t nearby. ¡°Your head is getting big again.¡± Aurin looked around, also fearing that Shamtile was beside him, but was relieved to see that none of the other Minakai had squeezed his head to try and keep it at a regular size. ¡°I¡¯m with you, Aurin,¡± said Gardner. ¡°After everything we¡¯ve gone through between the different tournaments, the Zodiac Squad, the Zeera attack¡­it¡¯s been a long year. I¡¯m looking forward to having some back-to-basics fights in the early days of the tournament before things get too wild.¡± ¡°See?¡± said Aurin to the others. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I meant.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you meant, then why didn¡¯t you say that?¡± remarked Kyle. ¡°Good morning,¡± came a familiar voice from behind them all. All four tamers turned around quickly and their jaws hit the floor upon seeing who was addressing them. ¡°Frederick?¡± asked Aurin, the first one to compose himself enough to speak. Standing before them was the former Zodiac Squad elite with his favourite Leonite accompanying him. He did not look his usual smug self, rather he was stoic. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a nice day to enjoy the sunshine?¡± he asked. Chapter 163 Aurin, Luna, Kyle and Gardner were stunned to see Frederick standing before them. He stared at them, waiting for one of them to say something, but none of the four tamers knew what to say. The last they had heard, he was in jail awaiting trial for his role as part of the Zodiac Squad. ¡°Cubtem got your tongue?¡± he asked, his expression neutral despite his joke. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± asked Aurin, still in shock at the former Zodiac elite¡¯s appearance. ¡°Not competing, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering,¡± said Frederick. ¡°I thought it best for me to keep myself out of the tournament. I would prefer not to be jeered at as I fought straight to the top.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t disqualified from entering?¡± asked Luna. ¡°That would require a criminal conviction and a ruling from the committee. I haven¡¯t had the former, therefore the latter won¡¯t even get off the ground.¡± ¡°I hope you aren¡¯t saying that I think you¡¯re saying, Leo,¡± said Gardner, standing up and clenching his fists in rage. ¡°The next words out of your mouth had better not be that you were cleared of all charges against you, especially not after willingly turning yourself in.¡± Frederick smiled, unable to resist taunting Gardner. ¡°Then I won¡¯t say it. I¡¯ll let it stew in your mind for a little while what could possibly have let me walk around Hazelton so freely.¡± ¡°You approached us for a reason,¡± said Aurin, eyeing Frederick suspiciously. ¡°Care to tell us what that reason is?¡± ¡°I merely desired to wish you best of luck in the tournament, Aurin. I would very much like to fight you in Ludonia when the time comes. The rest of you, I¡¯m not too concerned about, but we are owed a proper rematch. Our battle in the Palace Royale was only won by you because I was not at my strongest, due to the limitations of Kensington¡¯s format. In the national championship, however, I suspect we will truly be able to show each other a good battle.¡± ¡°What makes you so confident that you¡¯ll be making your way to Ludonia?¡± asked Luna. ¡°He¡¯s already qualified,¡± muttered Kyle. ¡°Very astute,¡± said Frederick. ¡°I qualified in the Yorkgate tournament that finished yesterday. I only arrived back in town this morning.¡± ¡°Unbelievable,¡± said Gardner, furiously. ¡°How could they let someone like you continue battling in official competitions?¡± ¡°I already answered that question and I am not here to talk in circles,¡± said Frederick flippantly. ¡°I will keep an eye on things from the stands, Aurin. Good luck to you.¡± With that, Frederick walked away from the river bank and back through the square. A couple of people recognised him and gasped as he passed by, but it seemed as though many others were too caught up in their own worlds to pay him the slightest fraction of attention. ¡°How¡­why¡­how?¡± asked Gardner. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Aurin, ¡°but I suspect Knot could tell us.¡± Luna pulled out her phone and dialled the detective¡¯s number immediately. After a couple of rings, he answered and Luna put him on loudspeaker. ¡°I¡¯m a little tied up right now, Luna,¡± he said. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Hello,¡± said Aurin. ¡°How many of you are there?¡± ¡°Four of us,¡± said Gardner. ¡°Kyle¡¯s here too.¡± ¡°Ah¡­I suppose you¡¯ve heard the news then?¡± ¡°Frederick,¡± said Aurin bluntly. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Yes, that news.¡± ¡°He blindsided us today at the tournament registration. How could you not warn us that he was released?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve been incredibly busy,¡± said Knot grumpily. ¡°I suppose you want to know how he managed to wriggle his way out of even going to trial?¡± ¡°That would be a good start, yes.¡± ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, he didn¡¯t try to cut a deal. He simply talked, talked and then talked some more. Every Zodiac member that fled, he named. Every former Zodiac member that we¡¯ve been trying to track down for an age, he named. Everything from how the organisation was set up to who knew the ins and outs of the plan to unlock the barrier protecting the tower¡­he told us everything. I still wanted him locked up, but even with my promotion¡­well, there¡¯s always someone above you in a job like this. Everything he told us about checked out and he was deemed crucial, therefore an exception was made.¡± Aurin, Luna, Kyle and Gardner stood by the phone in silence, mulling over what they had heard. ¡°Does that answer your question?¡± asked Knot. ¡°Can I get back to work?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Bye, Detective Knot,¡± said Luna before hanging up. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that something?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°He turned himself in, confessed to everything, threw everyone else under the bus and he still managed to walk free. Only someone like Leo could manage to pull that off.¡± ¡°He did confess,¡± said Aurin. ¡°No,¡± said Gardner, pointing at Aurin. ¡°Don¡¯t you let him get in your head. You know everything he¡¯s done. Just because you want to kick him around the battlefield doesn¡¯t mean you should be fine with him getting to walk away.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong! I¡¯m not fine with it,¡± said Aurin. ¡°But what¡¯s he supposed to do, lock himself up?¡± ¡°It would be a start.¡± ¡°You really want revenge on him? Then we need to be the ones to get all the way to Ludonia and one of us has to defeat him there. If you don¡¯t want him to have a shot at the top, then knock him out of the tournament.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the best we can do, isn¡¯t it?¡± sighed Luna. ¡°We can rise to the top and then smack him across St Michael¡¯s Stadium, can¡¯t we?¡± Aurin asked his team. Spikruption roared impressively and shot a jet of fire into the sky, Chopchop clicked his feelers and slashed his blades through the air, and Lycavine howled loudly, whipping his petal-bladed vines through the air. They were ready to win. ¡°Bring on the first battle!¡± Aurin called out. * The opening ceremony was winding down and the brass band¡¯s music faded out. The juggling Cephelarock¡¯s dragged themselves by their rocky tentacles to the sidelines, clearing the grass as a stocky gentlemen in a top hat appeared. ¡°Lord Kensington?¡± asked Aurin, looking to Kyle. ¡°I suppose with Boren gone, they needed somebody with prestige to take over,¡± replied the rancher. ¡°Better someone from the area rather than a random representative from the league that nobody has heard of.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t argue with that,¡± said Aurin as the lord stepped onto the stage and adjusted his microphone. ¡°Without the Roche Berry from his battle royale, Zeera would have caused even more trouble. ¡°Greetings, people of Hazelton, one and all,¡± boomed Lord Kensington. ¡°It is a great privilege to be here today to welcome you all to the third Hazelton qualifying tournament organised by the Bretonian Tournament League. I was invited to speak to you on their behalf on account of the mayor¡¯s office currently being vacant, and I knew that I must accept after meeting so many young and outstanding tamers at Tamer Day in the latter half of last year. ¡°This wonderful town has been through so much the past couple of years and I believe that it has only made each and every one of you stronger, tamer or not. I know that this grand event will show the world that Hazelton is a force to be reckoned with. We will all be united in the sport of battle, united by the mighty Minakai that will collide with tooth, nail and element. ¡°Tamers, I trust that you are all well prepared. I recognise most of you from my many ventures, but it excites me even more to see some of the top competitors of my own Palace Royale tournament ready to compete here. This will be a tournament for the ages and I cannot wait to see you fight. Give each other hell, tamers. Battle on!¡± Everyone cheered for Lord Kensington who took a deep bow and then walked off the stage. The tamers could not contain themselves and were on their feet the second he disappeared. They rushed as a herd to the main lobby to check the brackets and see who would be standing in their way on the way to the final round. Aurin scanned the bracket for his face and found himself near the top left, placed to fight against a tamer named Atticus. He spied Luna and Kyle on the right, nicely separated from each other, however, he couldn¡¯t see Gardner anywhere. ¡°Oh no,¡± gasped Luna, spotting Gardner¡¯s name and picture. ¡°What?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Ah,¡± said Gardner, following Luna¡¯s eyeline and finding himself. He clapped Aurin on the shoulder. ¡°It looks like it¡¯ll just be one of us going to Ludonia, mate.¡± Aurin found where they were staring at and followed the brackets all the way to the quarter-finals, where he and Gardner would face if they weren¡¯t knocked out beforehand; only semi-finalists would be qualifying for Ludonia. ¡°If three of us can make it, consider it a win,¡± said Kyle. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who it is. Cheer up, the pair of you.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t say that if you were in this situation,¡± said Aurin with a frown. ¡°I know,¡± grinned Kyle, nudging both Aurin and Gardner in the ribs with his elbows, ¡°but it¡¯s not me, is it?¡± Chapter 164 Aurin stood in the tunnel at the edge of the arena, waiting to be called. The tournament official beside him had his hand to his ear to cancel out the chatter of the crowd, who were eagerly standing by, while listening to his instructions. He turned to Aurin and held up a single finger. ¡°One minute and you¡¯re good to go,¡± said the official. ¡°Feeling the pressure, Aurin?¡± ¡°After making it to the nationals last time and saving the town?¡± asked Aurin jokingly. ¡°Just a little, I can¡¯t lie.¡± The official laughed. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, mate. I¡¯ve seen you in action more than enough times to know you¡¯ll breeze through this.¡± ¡°That makes me feel worse!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think ab¡ª¡± began the official before putting his finger to his earpiece. ¡°Out you go, bud. Time to shine.¡± Aurin took a deep breath and walked out onto the field to the cheers of the crowd and the announcer booming over the speakers, his voice echoing throughout the entire stadium. ¡°He needs no introduction after everything we¡¯ve seen from him over the last few years. Give it up for the Saviour of Hazelton, Aurin!¡± Aurin¡¯s face turned red as he waved to the crowd. He didn¡¯t mind having all eyes on him; he relished it, in fact. To be called the Saviour of Hazelton to publicly and unironically, however, made him uncomfortable. He had spoken many times with his friends about the efforts of everyone involved in stopping the Zodiac Squad and putting an end to Zeera¡¯s rampage, so it did not feel right to be the one taking the entirety of the credit solely because he was the one with the Roche Berry. ¡°And his opponent,¡± said the announcer, ¡°is an up-and-coming star. He¡¯s said to be one of the best the Hazelton Underground Dojo has to offer¡­it¡¯s Atticus!¡± Atticus waved to the crowd as he emerged. He was a tall and well-build young man, perhaps a year or two older than Aurin, with blonde hair that was swept back and a dusting of stubble on his chin. His face bore a look of sheer determination. Atticus was ready to fight and eager to prove himself, especially against an opponent like Aurin. The two met at the centre of the field and shook hands. ¡°I hope it¡¯s a good fight,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I assure you, Mr Saviour, that it will be,¡± said Atticus with a smug grin. ¡°No parlour tricks this time.¡± Aurin and Atticus walked back to the edge of the field, turning to face each other. Aurin¡¯s nervousness was now replaced with a desire to see that smug punk be crushed, and he would be the one to deliver the beatdown. His team was ready and the crowd were about to see quite the show. ¡°The tamers have both taken their positions, and are ready to fight,¡± called the announcer. ¡°Ready folks? Three, two, one¡­and fight!¡± Aurin raised his tamer glove, where a steely-grey gem glowed brightly. He threw the ball of light forward, summoning Chopchop to the field. A red light shone at the far side of the field and Atticus¡¯s Volcarrow emerged and immediately charged forward while Chopchop swung his bladed arms and assumed a defensive stance, waiting for his opponent to draw close. Volcarrow was burning brightly as it flew towards Chopchop, but before it came within arm¡¯s reach, it pulled upwards and hovered in the air, spitting a rain of fire at the armoured insect, who pulled his blades together and blocked the fiery barrage. ¡°We¡¯ve prepared for this,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Metal wave attack!¡± As the last of the fire struck his blades, Chopchop held his arms out and swung one forcefully towards his opponent. A wave of metal-elemental energy rippled through the air, colliding with Volcarrow as it tried to fly away. It wobbled in mid-air and Chopchop followed with another sweeping strike that sent the flame bird plummeting to the ground. Volcarrow was not finished yet, but neither was Chopchop. The purple ant ran across the grass and leapt high, bringing both of his blades overhead. With a mighty sweep, he brought his arms down in a vertical arc, cleaving deep into Volcarrow¡¯s flame-covered body. With a pained squawk, the fire-elemental fell unconscious, its time in the battle ending much more quickly than its tamer would have liked. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Agh!¡± grunted Atticus loudly before muttering something under his breath. He threw his arm forward and summoned his next Minakai to the field; a Debigger. The ravenous carnivorous plant stared menacingly at Chopchop, ready to devour him whole, but it would take him in pieces if he had to. Debigger scurried across the grass as roots erupted from underneath the ground, trying to tangle up Chopchop, but he swung his arms and cut them all down to size, keeping himself free and mobile. ¡°Look out!¡± called Aurin upon seeing Debigger¡¯s snapping arms come flying through the air as the plant stretched further than Aurin had thought possible. Chopchop looked up and shield himself just in time to block one of the attacks, but the second bit into his exposed upper arm and clamped hard. He clicked in pain as he tried to pull his arm free, but the Debigger seized its chance and snapped itself onto Chopchop¡¯s other arm. ¡°You¡¯re not so tough,¡± laughed Atticus from across the battlefield as Debigger tugged and pulled Chopchop across the grass. It opened the top of its head, ready to throw the armoured insect inside and enjoy a tasty meal. ¡°And you¡¯re too arrogant for your own good,¡± said Aurin with a sly smile. ¡°Did you honestly think closing the gap was a smart move? You¡¯re an amateur.¡± As Debigger lifted Chopchop into the air, the mustered his strength and swung, slicing both of Debigger¡¯s arms off, leaving Atticus frozen open-mouthed while the plant squealed and screeched from the pain. ¡°My goodness, folks!¡± called the announcer. ¡°That was a brutal retaliation from Aurin. Good thing Debigger¡¯s arms will grow back after a while¡­probably, right?¡± Chopchop landed on the grass and with another heavy cleave, slammed the flat of his blade into Debigger like a baseball bat and flinging Atticus¡¯s Minakai across the battlefield, where it crashed in a heap and rolled along. When it stopped rolling, it had stopped moving and was unable to continue the battle. ¡°Trump card time,¡± muttered Atticus, casting out an orangey-brown light from his tamer glove. ¡°Haniwizard, you¡¯re up.¡± A curious Minakai appeared on the battlefield before its tamer. It had a proportionally long body, considering its relatively small size, and was made of terracotta. It had two thin arms and legs, bent in awkward angles, while a pointed, brimmed hat was atop its head; in fact, the hat may have been a part of its head. Its large, ovular eyes and mouth were fixed wide, making the little creature appear in a constant state of shock. ¡°Now you don¡¯t see that every day,¡± said the announcer. ¡°Haniwizard is one of the rarest Minakai in Bretonian towers. Let¡¯s see if its power matches its rarity, folks.¡± ¡°Be relentless!¡± called Atticus. Haniwizard did an awkward dance while balancing on one of its short legs. It conjured dozens of large stones in front of itself and with a spin of its body, the stones all flew through the air, aiming straight for Chopchop. Aurin¡¯s Minakai swung its arms rapidly, cutting through each of the stones with ease, but as the barrage thinned, Haniwizard conjured dozens more. It threw them too, much faster than before and Chopchop swung more wildly to keep up, letting a couple of the stones beat him through the gaps in his defence. ¡°Keep going!¡± called Atticus, his grin stretched across his whole face. ¡°Full power!¡± Haniwizard summoned even larger rocks and threw them faster than ever before. After the first five or six, Chopchop was unable to keep up. He was hit by the hefty stones, which knocked him backwards and pinned him down as the rest piled on top of him. He tried to throw them aside, but they were too heavy to move and he fell limp as the last of the stones fell upon the pile. ¡°That was a powerful assault from Atticus, but Aurin has two Minakai remaining,¡± remarked the announcer. ¡°Can Atticus keep up the pace?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Aurin quietly, ¡°he can¡¯t. Shamtile!¡± In a flash of light, Shamtile appeared on the field and scurried past the large pile of stones, making straight for Haniwizard. Unwilling to change tactics and thinking he could overpower Shamtile, Atticus ordered his Minakai to use the same technique he had used on Chopchop. Shamtile stopped as the rocks flew towards him, waving his arms and forcing them to stop in mid-air. Atticus¡¯s expression changed from smugness to anger, while his Haniwizard spun round and round, trying to make the stationary rocks move once more, but Shamtile would not budge. ¡°Finish this,¡± Aurin ordered and Shamtile nodded. With a warbling screech, Shamtile threw his arms forward and sent all of Haniwizard¡¯s rocks back towards their summoner. Desperate to block them, Haniwizard threw more rocks as a shield, but Shamtile followed up with a conjuration of his own. The masked lizard brought forth a large earthy spear and shot it through the air so fast that anyone in the crowd blinking missed it. Haniwizard was struck, sending the magical Minakai into the stadium wall, hitting it with a thunderous crash as the spear broke to pieces. Its body was cracked and its shocked expression was wider than ever as it fell onto the grass and flopped over in defeat. ¡°And there you have it, folks!¡± called the announcer as the crowd went wild. ¡°Aurin is proving once again that he is every bit the tamer we know him to be.¡± Aurin walked towards the centre of the battlefield and Shamtile hopped onto his shoulder as he met Atticus in the middle where they shook hands once again. ¡°That¡­yeah,¡± said Atticus, unable to muster anything more coherent. Aurin laughed. ¡°Your Haniwizard is powerful,¡± he said, ¡°but you need to be more adaptable.¡± ¡°Back to training,¡± said Atticus with a nod. ¡°Next time though, I¡¯m coming for you again.¡± With that, the two tamers separated and headed back inside. The tournament official gave Aurin a thumbs up and a smile on the way past. This was the tamer¡¯s third tournament in Hazelton and Aurin was playing to win. He was going all the way to the top and nobody would stand in his way. Chapter 165 ¡°Feeling good, Kyle?¡± asked Aurin as Kyle sat on his porch. It was the dawn of his first competitive Minakai battle in years and Aurin had been the one to do the early morning cleaning and feeding of the Minakai at the ranch, something he was happy to do. ¡°I¡¯m all good,¡± said Kyle. ¡°It¡¯ll be strange being back in front of a crowd, but I¡¯m ready for it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll do well,¡± said Aurin. ¡°After how strong you were in the Palace Royale, I know you¡¯ll smash your competition. Come to think of it¡­who¡¯s your opponent?¡± ¡°That old girlfriend of yours, Eclare,¡± said Kyle with a smug grin. ¡°She was never my girlfriend!¡± yelled Aurin. ¡°But I¡¯m glad she¡¯s fully recovered after what happened to her during the Zeera Crisis. I didn¡¯t realise how badly those Funglie spores could hurt you.¡± ¡°As dangerous as the burning fires of a Volcarrow. That said, I¡¯m still not going to go easy on her. If she¡¯s fighting in the tournament, there¡¯ll be no holding back on my end.¡± Aurin laughed. ¡°I would expect nothing less.¡± * ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, let¡¯s hear it for your favourite local rancher, Kyle!¡± called the announcer. Kyle walked out onto the battlefield and gave a small wave to the crowd. He met Eclare in the centre, who gave him a big smile. ¡°I suppose you¡¯ll know all of my Minakai already,¡± she said. ¡°They live at your ranch after all.¡± Kyle let out a dry laugh. ¡°It doesn¡¯t help as much as you would think,¡± he said. ¡°Good luck.¡± ¡°Likewise.¡± The two walked back across the grass and stood in their positions, waiting to be counted in. As he had expected, it was indeed strange to be back on an official battlefield, but he was excited. Eclare was not a weak tamer, but she was far from the strongest tamer in town. He knew that she was the perfect opponent to test himself against. ¡°Three¡­two¡­one¡­begin!¡± called the announcer. The two tamers drew their summoning stones like gunslingers and sent out their first monsters; Kyle summoned his Snowlem and Eclare summoned her Spikruption. The icy snowman and the fiery dinosaur stared at each other for a moment before making their moves. Spikruption curled its long neck downwards and tucked its head between its front legs while throwing itself forward and rolling along the battlefield towards Snowlem. Having sparred with Aurin enough times, Kyle had already devised the perfect counter for this attack and Snowlem was the Minakai for it. ¡°Divert,¡± ordered Kyle. Snowlem unleashed his magic and paved the grass with frost, making Spikruption wobbled as it rolled. With a wave of its branching arms, Snowlem summoned an ice wall either side of the slippery terrain and then redirected Spikruption towards the wall of the battlefield, but before crashing, Spikruption engulfed itself in flames and melted the eyes, giving it the chance to slow down. It unfurled itself and opted for a charging attack instead, but Snowlem had another counter prepared. He hurled an icy spear at Spikruption, who shattered it with a heavy fireball, but a follow-up icicle struck the dinosaur in the neck, making it gasp and unable to exhale fire. ¡°Avalanche!¡± called Kyle. Snowlem raised his arms high and then swung them low, summoning a pile of snow that fell upon Spikruption, burying the dinosaur out of sight. As the slow slowly began to melt from the heat of the dinosaur¡¯s body, Snowlem ran towards his opponent and coated one of his fists in ice. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Upon Spikruption¡¯s reemergence, he leapt up and smashed his frozen knuckles into Spikruption¡¯s jaw, toppling the dinosaur who could not even call out; it had lost consciousness before it hit the ground. It lay limply on the grass as the last of the snow faded away, giving Kyle an early lead. ¡°A great first showing by Kyle!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Spikruption has been snuffed out, but what will Eclare do next?¡± To answer the announcer, Eclare summoned her Shamasaur. The large masked reptile stomped on the ground and did a clumsy dance, waving its arms in the air, but this was not to celebrate its appearance, it was a making an attack. It conjured a boulder and flung it at Snowlem, who smashed it to pieces with his icy fist. Kyle¡¯s Minakai couldn¡¯t sustain the ice around its hand after such a forceful attack and went on the defensive. Shamasaur launched a relentless barrage of rocks as Snowlem summoned ice wall after ice wall to defend itself. As each one was shattered, another took its place, but the walls were too thick for Snowlem and Kyle to see past. To both of their surprise, the ground opened up and Snowlem fell into a pit, which closed and left only his head resting above ground level. The final ice wall shattered as Shamasaur burst through and delivered a powerful kick to Snowlem¡¯s head, knocking him out and evening up the numbers between the two tamers. ¡°And Eclare makes a fantastic comeback!¡± cried the announcer as the crowd went wild. ¡°She¡¯s improved a lot,¡± muttered Kyle, ¡°I suppose it¡¯s time to go all in.¡± He threw out his hand and a burst of blue light appeared before him. As it faded, his Minasma was revealed. The sludgy mess of a Minakai rippled her filthy, watery body and smiled widely at Shamasaur. With a flick of the horn that sat upon her forehead, a tidal wave appeared and knocked Shamasaur back, sliding it across the battlefield. Not one to be left behind, Minasma rode her own wave of filth water and launched herself at the green dinosaur, piercing its chest with her horn. Shamasaur grabbed Minasma and threw her aside, but Minasma simply rolled along with her smile as wide as ever. Eclare looked unsettled as she watched Kyle¡¯s Minakai grinning. Minasma opened her mouth and unleashed a water jet, striking the hole she had made in Shamasaur¡¯s chest right as it stood up, knocking it straight back down again. Once the water jet had subsided and Shamasaur tried to climb to its feet again, Minasma did the same again, and then again. After exhausting itself from the constant beatings and attempts to right itself, Shamasaur collapsed and was unable to continue. ¡°Kyle pulls back ahead. That was a brutal assault, folks,¡± said the announcer. ¡°Eclare¡¯s down to her final Minakai and it going to need to make this one count.¡± ¡°And count, it will,¡± said Eclare, holding up her tamer glove and summoning her favourite Minakai, her Titanitoise to the field. ¡°No, it won¡¯t!¡± retorted Kyle. ¡°Tsunami!¡± Minasma drew in a deep breath and glowed blue as she focused all of her elemental power into one attack. A tidal wave encompassed the entire battlefield, sweeping Titanitoise away before the spiked tortoise even had the chance to move. It was slammed into the wall by the wave, but the intensity of the water did not let up as the tortoise struggled to breath. Once its eyes rolled back in its head, did Kyle finally order Minasma to relax. He had won. ¡°Did I call that last attack brutal?¡± asked the announcer as the crowd cheered for Kyle. ¡°This one really takes the cake! Titanitoise is out for the count.¡± Kyle and Eclare walked into the centre of the battlefield and shook hands once again. ¡°How do I always manage to draw the most difficult opponents so early?¡± she laughed. ¡°Bad luck, I suppose,¡± chuckled Kyle. ¡°I have to say though, you caught my completely off guard with that Shamasaur of yours. Took out my Snowlem nicely and he was with me in the national championships back in the day.¡± ¡°I hoped he would be a little rusty, but it seems like I misjudged. Tell Aurin I said hello, will you?¡± ¡°You do it and tell him in front of Luna. That¡¯s always good for a laugh.¡± Eclare smiled and nodded as she and Kyle separated, making their way back to the tunnels while the crowd continued to cheer. In the tamer box, Aurin and Luna were clapping and shouting the loudest of all, thrilled to see Kyle storm through the first battle of his comeback. ¡°He¡¯s back,¡± said Aurin, being forced to slow his clapping by his pained hands. ¡°That was great to witness.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very glad my first chance to battle him will be in the semi-finals,¡± said Luna, looking relieved. ¡°If I had to battle him before that, I think he would eliminate me.¡± ¡°Speaking of,¡± said Aurin, checking his watch, ¡°what time is your first match?¡± ¡°Three more battles and them I¡¯m up.¡± ¡°Wetting yourself?¡± ¡°Could you ask that in a nicer way?¡± asked Luna, sticking her tongue out. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, I¡¯m feeling just fine. I thought I would be more nervous than I am. Maybe I¡¯ve gotten over my fear of being watched by large crowds?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± muttered Aurin, trying not to laugh. ¡°I give about twenty minutes before the panic sets in.¡± ¡°No, my dearest,¡± said Luna, poking him in the arm. ¡°You will see.¡± Chapter 166 ¡°I can¡¯t do this, I can¡¯t do this,¡± panted Luna, looking nervously out onto the battlefield. She was less than a minute away from being called to walk in front of the huge crowd filling Hazelton Stadium and fight her opponent, Harley. Feeling bad about teasing her about her lack of nervousness, Aurin stood by and comforted her. ¡°You¡¯ll be alright,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about the crowd. You focus on the battle, the battle and nothing but the battle, alright?¡± Innogon yapped in agreement, patting his tamer on the back of her thigh, which was the highest part of her he could reach without jumping. It didn¡¯t help Luna¡¯s nerves that he hit rather forcefully and she took an accidental step outside of the tunnel before scurrying back out of sight. ¡°That was so embarrassing!¡± she squealed as the tournament official standing by tried to hide his laughter. ¡°Look at that, you went in front of the crowd and it wasn¡¯t the end of the world,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Now you just need to do it for longer than half a second.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t helping!¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Then what are you doing?¡± ¡°Distracting you until time¡¯s up.¡± The official gave Luna a nod and then the announcer¡¯s voice boomed across the stadium. ¡°Returning after sitting out the last tournament, we have Luna!¡± ¡°Go,¡± said Aurin, giving Luna a gentle push in the back. Luna walked out, holding her breath the entire time. She held up a hand to the crowd, but kept her focus on the far side of the battlefield where Harley was walking towards her from. ¡°Facing her today,¡± said the announcer, ¡°is Harley! Fun fact for you, folks, it was her twin sister Marley who fought only a few battles ago. Spitting image, aren¡¯t they?¡± Harley looked notably more comfortable than Luna and was holding her hands up to the crowd, getting them to cheer even louder. As well-liked as Luna was around Hazelton, she was doing herself no favours with the rest of the spectators. ¡°You look like you¡¯re going to wet yourself,¡± giggled Harley as she shook Luna¡¯s hand. ¡°Why do people keep saying that?¡± barked Luna. ¡°Maybe because it¡¯s true.¡± The two tamers walked back to their opposing posts at the edge of the battlefield and awaited the start of the match. Luna was breathing heavily and staring at her tamer glove where a green, yellow and red were fixed. She still hadn¡¯t decided which of the three Minakai she was going to call first. ¡°And begin!¡± roared the announcer, making Luna panic further. The two tamers summoned their first Minakai to the battlefield. Luna¡¯s Angree appeared in a flash of green light, while Harley¡¯s Thundarun appeared in purple. Angree, not one for waiting around, immediately charged towards the dark unicorn, beating his chest as he ran. Thundarun reared up and unleashed a lightning bolt from its horn, but Angree dove forward and rolled back onto his feet, continuing his sprint. As Thundarun reared up once more, Angree summoned a vine from his hand and cast it out, wrapping it around Thundarun¡¯s horn and pulling the unicorn face-first into the grass. He grabbed hold of the vine with his other hand and flung Thundarun up into the air before discarding the vine. The lightning elemental landed awkwardly on the ground with a heavy thud. As it looked up to get its bearings, it saw Angree flying through the air towards it, his elbows held up. As he dropped, he thrust his elbows downwards, ramming them into Thundarun¡¯s neck. He then drew back his fists, coated them in sharp thorns and delivered a flurry of blows to the already disoriented beast until he had knocked it out. After a few extra punches for good measure, he backed away and let out a victorious yell. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Luna is not pulling punches today, folks, let me tell you that!¡± called the announcer. ¡°That Angree is one mean competitor, I have to say. What¡¯s Harley going to do?¡± Harley looked irked and summoned her next Minakai, the large one-eyed icicle that was Pillaberg. He slammed its two small arms on the ground and slid itself towards Angree with its eye glowing a menacing blue. Luna¡¯s Minakai was not intimidated in the least and rushed to meet his opponent. Pillaberg raised a hand as Angree raised a fist and the two collided with both Minakai being forced backwards. As Angree closed the gap, Pillaberg tipped itself forward and lunged, jabbing Angree in the chest. It was a shockingly forceful hit for such a legless Minakai, cracking Angree¡¯s chest plate. Enraged, the nature elemental backed away and summoned two vines. He threw them over the top of Pillaberg and tugged, but this time, it did not go as planned. A split second before Angree attacked, Pillaberg had subtly coated the grass in ice and Angree slipped upon pulling his vines. The large icicle spun around, swinging Angree across the grass until he released the vines, sending him sliding away. As the incapacitated Angree tried to climb up, Pillaberg shot a burst of icicles towards him, piercing his wooden body and each of his limbs. Angree let out an uncharacteristic whimper and passed out. Luna was now so lost in the battle that she no longer felt nervous. All she could feel was anger that her Minakai had been hurt. She was going to get revenge and she knew exactly which of her Minakai was right for the job. Upon her command, her Windjinn appeared; she had recently evolved it from her Feathrus in preparation for the tournament. The cloudy serpent flew quickly through the air with its feathery wings, aiming for Pillaberg. As Harley¡¯s Minakai geared up to attack, Windjinn swerved out of the way and Pillaberg¡¯s icicle spear missed its target. Windjinn circles around from behind and dove at Pillaberg, whipping it with his tail and knocking it to the ground. ¡°It¡¯s an aerial monster,¡± called Harley. ¡°Hailstorm!¡± Luna wasn¡¯t going to let that happen. ¡°Finish this quickly!¡± As Pillaberg began to weave its magic, Windjinn grabbed the icicle with its tail and flung it high into the air, much to Harley¡¯s shock. It soared high into the sky and then slowed before beginning its descent. It flailed its arms, unable to do anything to stop the inevitable crash. It smashed into the ground and the top foot of its body snapped off, leaving it dazed and useless. ¡°And the ice has melted!¡± cried the announcer. ¡°Last Minakai Harley. Can you turn this around? Show the people of Hazelton what you¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°Tuskade!¡± screeched Harley, feeling frazzled by Luna¡¯s onslaught. The large, purplish-grey elephant appeared on the field, its stone tusks and wrecking ball tail ready to devastate Windjinn and whatever Luna¡¯s final Minakai was. It bore a look of ferocity that was meant to scare its opponents, but Luna was not phased. After the Minakai she had fought, this was nothing to her. ¡°Bring it home,¡± Luna told Windjinn. As Tuskade stampeded towards Windjinn, the air elemental flew up high and whipped around, beat its wings, sending two discs of razor-sharp air towards Tuskade. The earth elemental erected a stone wall to block the attack, which cut straight through it. Tuskade, however, was sturdy enough to withstand the weakened air razors, but it did not see Windjinn speeding down from above. ¡°Move!¡± cried Harley, but it was too late. Windjinn propelled himself faster and rammed into Tuskade¡¯s thick back so hard that the elephant buckled. It trumpeted in agony, but Windjinn was unhurt. It curled itself around Tuskade¡¯s tail and strained itself, pulling the elephant into the air with it. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡± roared the announcer. ¡°Look at that strength. Can anyone tell me how much that elephant weighs?¡± At thirty feet in the air, Windjinn dropped the pained Tuskade, letting it fall and hit the ground. It did not move as it lay sprawled across the grass and the battle was over. Luna was through to the next round. ¡°And there it is, everyone,¡± said the announcer. ¡°Unfortunately for Harley, she will not be advancing, unlike her sister. Give her a hand folks¡­and let¡¯s hear it for our winner too. Luna!¡± Aurin clapped wildly from the sidelines as Innogon jumped for joy beside him. He picked up the tiny drake and hugged him tightly, making Innogon gasp and spit a tiny jet of water in his face, but Aurin didn¡¯t care. He was too thrilled about Luna¡¯s victory and continued squeezing Innogon. After Harley congratulated her, Luna walked back across the battlefield and into the tunnel with Windjinn. She had a look of glee upon her face and Windjinn had a calm satisfaction on his. It was his first real battle in this form and he had proven himself to both his tamer and himself. ¡°Great job!¡± said Aurin, hugging Luna tightly. ¡°It was nothing,¡± said Luna, hugging him back. ¡°I wasn¡¯t nervous at all. That was just for show so that you would be more impressed when I won.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± laughed Aurin, releasing her. ¡°I¡¯m coming for you next, my love,¡± she said, poking him in the chest and smiling. ¡°You think you¡¯re going to win this whole tournament, do you? Well, not if I have anything to say about it. Both you and Kyle will be going down, mark my words.¡± ¡°Bring it on,¡± he said, holding his arm out to her. She took it and the two walked through the tunnel with Innogon and Windjinn following, excited for how the tournament was going to unfold. Once the first round was over at the end of the day, half of the competitors would be eliminated, leaving the strongest tamers to fight their way to the top. Chapter 167 ¡°And Aurin has just won his second match!¡± called the announcer as Quetz knocked out the much larger Doripper with powerful tornado. Aurin relished the victory, knowing that each step forward he took brought him closer to the top. Two hundred and fifty-six had been whittles down to one hundred and twenty-eight, but now Aurin had secured himself a spot in the top sixty-four. A few hours later, Gardner¡¯s Desparee had claimed him his spot too. Two days later, it was Kyle¡¯s turn for his second match. His Wingbloom made a great showing and tore through his entire opponent¡¯s team, winning him the match and the impressed cheers of the audience. Two matches later and Luna was fighting again with Innogon and Stopod cinching her another victory. As quickly as the second round finished, the third was even quicker. Aurin, Gardner, Kyle and Luna each won their matches and had made it into the top thirty-two. Much to their relief, the tournament was on a day¡¯s break and Aurin decided to let his team take the day off to recuperate after their strong showings and intense training regime. ¡°Where are you off to?¡± Kyle asked as Aurin walked down the ranch path. ¡°The tower,¡± said Aurin over his shoulder. ¡°Oh? You¡¯re going on a run today?¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just going to look at it.¡± ¡°You going to be long?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, why?¡± ¡°Just because the Minakai are taking the day off doesn¡¯t mean you get to. I need you to dredge the river for animal carcasses that the aquatics and water elementals won¡¯t touch. A few of the others will appreciate some bones to gnaw on.¡± Aurin hurried down the path, pretending he didn¡¯t hear Kyle, irritating the rancher. Aurin laughed to himself, knowing that he would come back to help, but making Kyle seethe was one of life¡¯s pleasures so he couldn¡¯t not take that opportunity to drive him just a little bit crazy. The young tamer strolled through the forest until he reached the familiar fork, then took a left towards the Harmony Tower. He walked into the clearing where it stood majestically watching over the entirety of Hazelton. The doors were firmly closed, but Aurin knew there were tamers inside. Some would be combatants preparing for their next match, some would be tourists who had come to visit the town and watch the tournament. ¡°A thing of beauty, isn¡¯t it?¡± came a voice from behind Aurin. ¡°It certainly is,¡± he agreed. A blonde man, only a few years older than Aurin, walked up and stood beside him. He was vaguely familiar to Aurin, but he couldn¡¯t put his finger on where he recognised him from. ¡°Do I know you?¡± Aurin asked. ¡°You do,¡± replied the man, holding out his hand and shaking it. ¡°Name¡¯s Evan. We battled almost two years ago in this very forest.¡± It finally clicked with Aurin who the man was. ¡°You had a Volcarrow, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± chuckled Evan. ¡°And your Spikruption thoroughly pulverised him.¡± ¡°Sorry about that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be. Taught me a lesson about hubris, didn¡¯t it? In saying that, it was reassuring upon coming back to Hazelton that I found out what you¡¯ve accomplished since we last met, Aurin.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I had a lot of help.¡± ¡°Nah, you¡¯re talented. I saw you in the national championships last year. Watched it in the bar back home with half the town. I kept telling everyone that I fought you, but nobody believed me. I thought I would take a chance and see if you were battling in the qualifier here this year.¡± ¡°Are you competing?¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not a competitive battler. I¡¯m a rancher back home and my sister¡¯s minding the place while I¡¯m away. It¡¯s nice to get away for a bit, you know?¡± Aurin nodded and looked back towards the tower. Even after everything that had happened here between the Zodiac Squad and Zeera, he felt a sense of calmness when he gazed upon it. Most of what was important to him in his life, he owed to the tower. Outside of Shamtile and Snippet, all of his eggs originated here. It was outside of the tower that he met Luna; granted he was unconscious at the time. If he hadn¡¯t been trying to climb the tower, she never would have taken to meet Kyle. ¡°Do you feel like a battle?¡± Aurin asked Evan. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind a short one, if you¡¯re up for it,¡± said Evan. ¡°I hatched a new Minakai recently. Picked it¡¯s egg up in a tower in Eiranth if you wouldn¡¯t mind using one of your less experienced monsters.¡± ¡°Works for me,¡± said Aurin, taking a few steps back while Evan did the same. ¡°Quetz, you¡¯re up.¡± ¡°Saskid, time to prove yourself.¡± The two monsters appeared¡ªQuetz in a flash of yellow and Saskid in an icy blue¡ªand rested upon the grass, staring at each other. Aurin had never seen a Saskid before. It was small, round and covered in tufty white fur so thick that the only skin that could be seen was that of its feet. Its face was completely obscured, so much so that that the narrow gap in the fur looked like a black void with two red eyes glowing from within. ¡°Ready?¡± Aurin asked. ¡°Ready,¡± said Evan. ¡°Saskid, go wild!¡± Saskid let out a loud wail and threw its fists in the air as it ran towards Quetz. The yellow serpent slithered along the grass and out of the way of the charging ice elemental. Saskid lunged as Quetz made her way past, but she was slick enough to avoid its grasp. With another yell, Saskid conjured up a snowball in its hand and launched it as Quetz who screeched and beat it away with her tail. She flapped her cream feathery wings and flew up a dozen feet where the hovered, waiting for Saskid to dare attack her again. However, Evan¡¯s foreign Minakai was not so easily baited. It beckoned Quetz forward and then punched its fuzzy fists together. Quetz spun around and whipped up a gust that forced Saskid to brace itself. Aurin expected the little fluffball to roll away, but it was sturdier than it looked. It dug its feet into the grassy soil and then burst forward, leaping into the air and coating its fist with ice. It swung for Quetz, who screeched as she dove out of the way. Saskid landed and looked around, but Quetz was too quick. The winged serpent coiled her tail around Saskid¡¯s arm and spun around, flinging him towards Harmony Tower. He collided with the wall and came crashing back down in a heap, unable stand. ¡°Well,¡± sighed Evan, ¡°that¡¯s that.¡± ¡°For a recent hatch, it¡¯s quite strong,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s alright. Need to work on his speed a little, but I¡¯m sure with some training and a couple of evolutions, he¡¯ll be ready to really bring the pain. Thanks for the battle, Aurin.¡± ¡°Likewise. It¡¯s nice to have a fight where nothing¡¯s on the line if you lose.¡± ¡°Just some pride, eh?¡± said Evan with a laugh. ¡°Well, there is that,¡± agreed Aurin, grinning. ¡°You sticking around Hazelton for long?¡± ¡°Just until the end of the tournament and them I¡¯m heading back to Maplewood. I would love to go see the national championships, but¡­duty calls.¡± Aurin bid Evan farewell as the rancher made his way inside the tower. Quetz slithered along the grass and curled around her tamer¡¯s leg as he continued to stare at the giant stone structure before him. The young tamer¡¯s eyes were drawn to the top of the tower where the ethereal barrier faded in and out over and over again, keeping the planar magic strong and the monsters locked away. ¡°Would you like to see the top one day, Quetz?¡± Aurin asked the serpent who was flicking the red feathers atop her head. Upon hearing him, she slithered along the grass and then took to the skies, shooting straight for the top, but Aurin leapt up and caught her by the tail to pull her back. She screeched as Aurin spun her around and looked her in the eyes. ¡°That¡¯s not that I meant!¡± he scolded her. ¡°What I¡¯m talking about is the journey from the bottom to the top. I know you¡¯ve only seen the inside of the tower twice, but I would like every one of my Minakai to see the top floor one day. It¡¯s just a matter of wanting it enough and working hard.¡± Quetz stopped struggling and hovered beside Aurin. She let out a low hissing sound and then fell silent. ¡°We¡¯ll get there,¡± said Aurin. ¡°We¡¯ve seen it once before and, soon, I think we¡¯ll see the top again and the golden egg will be ours. Let¡¯s get back to the others.¡± Aurin and Quetz left the clearing behind and walked back towards the ranch along the shadow of the tower that the sun cast upon the forest. He was filled with a sense of optimism and knew that no matter how the tournament turned out, he was never going to stop pushing forward. Chapter 168 Elephrock stood on the battlefield with its little legs trembling. Its purple-grey snout waved back and forward nervously upon seeing how ineffective its earthen attack was against the Rabbafat which casually strolled towards it. ¡°Don¡¯t make it too painful,¡± said Luna sympathetically as Drea, her opponent, looked on helplessly. Rabbafat stopped beside Elephrock and pushed the small elephant over. Too terrified to fight back, Elephrock just let it happen. Rabbafat jumped and bellyflopped onto the stunned earth-elemental, flattening it and ending the battle rather clumsily. ¡°And that¡¯s that!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Luna advanced to the next round. Commiserations to Drea who gave a strong performance, but today was not her day.¡± Luna and Drea shook hands in the centre of the battlefield. Luna congratulated her on making it this far, but it was clear that Drea was battling well out of her league and her string of unchallenging opponents had lulled her into a false sense of security. Drea walked away silently, feeling embarrassed. * It was a beautiful spring day and Aurin, Luna, Gardner, Jimmy and Emily were all drinking milkshakes by the river path outside the stadium where another battle was underway. Luna, fresh off her win, had bought everyone a drink, including Shamtile and Innogon who had already finished two shakes each and were stretched out on the brick paving, relaxing. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re halfway through the tournament,¡± said Gardner, looking to the grassy bank at the far side of the river. ¡°Is it just me or is the competition not as strong this year?¡± ¡°It looks about the same to me,¡± said Emily, cocking her head to the side. ¡°Are you sure it isn¡¯t just because you¡¯re all much stronger than you were last year?¡± ¡°I mean¡­I didn¡¯t want to be the one to say it,¡± laughed Jimmy, ¡°but I think you¡¯re right. After the Palace Royale and the Zodiac trial by fire over the winter¡­not to mention Zeera, I think we¡¯re at our peak.¡± ¡°Nah, I haven¡¯t come close to peaking yet,¡± said Aurin. ¡°When I find a way to hatch Zeera¡¯s egg, only then will I be really starting my ascent.¡± ¡°Big head,¡± said Luna, pointedly, waiting for Shamtile to jump on Aurin to try and contain his tamer¡¯s head from swelling, but Shamtile was snoring and didn¡¯t stir. ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Nice try,¡± remarked Aurin, grinning at her. ¡°I mean it though. Sure, we¡¯re tough tamers, but I honestly believe we¡¯re still only scratching the surface. Just think of how many tamers are out in the world and the fact that some of the best don¡¯t even enter tournaments. In five years from now, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll even need to enter tournaments like this to prove we¡¯re good.¡± ¡°Fair,¡± shrugged Gardner. ¡°Anytime I¡¯ve travelled abroad, I¡¯ve seen new Minakai that you just can¡¯t find here. Battling them always leaves you realising that there¡¯s something to learn. Different Minakai of the same element don¡¯t fight the same way and aren¡¯t always capable of the same techniques, so you can always be caught off guard.¡± ¡°And on top of that, there are so many more epic Minakai beyond Arusom and Zeera. I wonder how they compare in terms of power?¡± ¡°Your guess is as good as mine,¡± said Luna, ¡°but I would expect them to be as tough, if not more so.¡± ¡°Imagine if we show up to Ludonia and someone pulls out a legendary Minakai,¡± said Gardner, shaking his head. ¡°How can we possibly battle against one of those effectively when we¡¯ve never even seen one in action?¡± ¡°Just go all out and flatten it,¡± shrugged Aurin, knowing rightly that it was much more complicated than that. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Emily got up from the bench and walked over to the grass, falling back onto it. ¡°Sometimes I think it would be fun to battle with Minakai, and other times I¡¯m glad I don¡¯t have a thousand thoughts running through my head at all times.¡± Everyone laughed at her and she realised what she had implied. ¡°Very funny, yes, I¡¯m a big dumb dumb,¡± she giggled. ¡°What I mean is that you¡¯re all thinking tactically at all times. It¡¯s nice to have Minakai and just enjoy having them around because you enjoy their company rather than constantly preparing them for the next battle.¡± ¡°I enjoy my Minakai being around,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I know that,¡± said Emily, ¡°and I¡¯m not trying to suggest otherwise. My point is more that sometimes there¡¯s beauty in simplicity.¡± After a moment¡¯s silence, Gardner chirped up. ¡°So, the next battle, eh?¡± ¡°One step closer to the national championships!¡± yelled Luna excitedly, making Innogon jump and Shamtile jolt away. The little lizard shook his fist angrily and walked further away, lying back down on the path. He waved a single arm and rocks fell on top of him, burying him underneath and dampening all sound. ¡°He¡¯s taking his rest day seriously,¡± said Jimmy. ¡°He¡¯s under orders to,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I told him to sleep at the ranch, but he knew we were going to get milkshakes so he insisted on following. I didn¡¯t mean for him to have two though¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realise you had already bought one for him and Inno,¡± said Luna. ¡°Yes, and there was no way they were going to do themselves out of a second.¡± Innogon yapped merrily at hearing this and wandered over to Luna, climbing onto the bench and nestling his head into her lap. His tamer laughed and stroked his head fin as the crowd erupted with applause from the stadium. ¡°Who¡¯s battling now?¡± asked Gardner. ¡°Beats me,¡± said Aurin with a shrug. ¡°But I know who¡¯s battling next,¡± said Luna slyly. ¡°Yep,¡± sighed Jimmy, looking at Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m going to crush you, Jim,¡± said Aurin, beating a palm with his fist. ¡°There won¡¯t be anything left, my friend.¡± ¡°Not happening this time, my friend,¡± said Jimmy standing up. ¡°I¡¯ve been training specifically to beat you, wouldn¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s on your team then, eh?¡± asked Gardner with a smirk. ¡°Go on¡­tell us!¡± ¡°I¡¯m keeping things hushed,¡± said Jimmy, folding his arms. ¡°I¡¯m not giving away even the smallest advantage to my toughest competition.¡± ¡°This is what I mean,¡± laughed Emily. ¡°You can¡¯t even talk freely around each other in case you say something that¡¯ll be used against you.¡± ¡°Alright, now I see your point,¡± said Aurin, nodding slowly. ¡°In any case, my team is being kept quiet too. Going to keep all of you guessing.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t even tell me?¡± asked Luna, feigning being hurt and tugging on his arm. ¡°Please?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± said Aurin. ¡°It¡¯s strictly confidential.¡± Emily sat up and whispered into Luna¡¯s ear. ¡°I would bet anything that they¡¯ll both be using a Zenoman to see which one is stronger.¡± Luna grinned, confident that Emily was correct. ¡°Alright,¡± said Aurin, standing up. ¡°Relaxation time is over and I¡¯ve got more training to do. I¡¯ll see you all bright and early.¡± ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to march over to the stadium and withdraw?¡± asked Jimmy. ¡°Tough talk, Jimmy,¡± said Aurin with a chuckle, ¡°but you¡¯re going to need more than that. Bring your best tomorrow, bud.¡± Aurin walked over to the pile of rocks and uncovered Shamtile, slinging the little masked lizard over his shoulder before bidding everyone farewell and walking back to the ranch as the chatter of his friends resumed behind him. ¡°You awake, mate?¡± Aurin asked Shamtile, who slapped him on the back of the head. ¡°Fine, but you¡¯re not fighting tomorrow anyway. We¡¯ll flaunt the rules just this once, alright?¡± Shamtile crawled down Aurin¡¯s back, rolled onto the ground and then stood up to walk alongside his tamer. ¡°When we get back to the ranch, you¡¯re going to be making sure that tomorrow¡¯s candidates are ready for war, alright? I¡¯ll have Sunny on standby to administer any healing that we need, so don¡¯t worry about pulling punches.¡± Shamtile let out a tiny roar of agreement. ¡°This is just the start. We¡¯ve had a good run of things so far, but we cannot lower our guard for a second. We¡¯ve defeated Jimmy before, but he¡¯s been training hard too. As much as he and I joke, I think he¡¯s going to be much tougher than before. You and I have both seen how he handled things a few months back. Don¡¯t let the fact that we¡¯re all friends hold you back.¡± Shamtile nodded and pumped his fists in the air. ¡°Good. And the same goes for when we inevitably have to fight against Luna, Kyle and their teams, alright?¡± Shamtile¡¯s fist pumping stopped and his pace slowed. ¡°It¡¯s not going to be fun, my friend, but you will have to fight against their teams. Innogon, Wingbloom, Splashard, Hogannon¡­any of them, alright?¡± Shamtile let out a reluctant growl and then hurried up again. He and Aurin strolled through the streets of Hazelton, aiming for the ranch. As much as the reptilian Minakai did not relish the idea of fighting his friends outside of sparring, he knew that he must. Rather than wallow about it, he was filled with determination to win and prove that he was the strongest. Chapter 169 ¡°How are you feeling about this one?¡± asked Luna as she walked into the waiting room where Aurin was sitting. His battle with Jimmy was the first match of the day and he had gotten here extra early, terrified that he would sleep in and be automatically disqualified. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know,¡± replied Aurin. ¡°On the one hand, I¡¯ve beaten Jimmy before, but on the other hand, he¡¯s come a long way.¡± ¡°And so have you.¡± ¡°Yes, I have, but that doesn¡¯t guarantee anything. It¡¯s a battle I want to take seriously. Not just out of respect for Jimmy, but out of respect for the tournament itself. We¡¯re inches away from qualifying and every single match counts until we reach the top four.¡± Luna nodded in agreement. ¡°And each of the matches on the way will be tougher than the last. The weakest tamers are long gone.¡± Aurin checked his watch. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time,¡± he said. Luna gave him a peck on the cheek and hurried off to take her spot in the tamer booth. Aurin stood up and walked through the door and down the tunnel where he could hear the murmurings of the crowd who were taking their seats, eager to witness another day of excitement. Aurin took a deep breath as he stood waiting beside the tournament official. ¡°How long?¡± he asked. ¡°About ninety seconds,¡± said the official. ¡°Ready for this one, Aurin?¡± ¡°If I said no, would you believe me?¡± ¡°No,¡± chuckled the official. ¡°I think you¡¯re hiding your confidence today.¡± Aurin stood quietly by waiting for the signal. He could see the faint silhouette of Jimmy waiting at the far tunnel, as keen for the battle to begin as he was. Once the official gave Aurin the nod, he walked onto the battlefield as the announcer introduced both of the tamers. He and Jimmy met in the centre and shook hands. ¡°Let¡¯s give them a show, eh?¡± said Jimmy. ¡°How could we not?¡± grinned Aurin. The two separated and took their places. ¡°I¡¯m not going to keep you waiting any longer, folks,¡± called the announcer. ¡°Three. Two. One. Begin!¡± Aurin and Jimmy summoned their first Minakai to the field. Desparee appeared before Aurin, weeping manically while Jimmy¡¯s Frocean thudded onto the ground, the large icy frog looking determined. Aurin knew he was at an elemental disadvantage here so he would have to be careful. He wasn¡¯t going to switch Minakai, knowing that his other Minakai would be needed later. ¡°Trap him!¡± ordered Aurin. Desparee summoned mighty roots that sprung forth from the ground, but Frocean hopped across the grass. With each new root that sprung up to entangle him, he hopped again. When Desparee pre-empted Frocean¡¯s landing spot, the ice elemental froze the roots, halting their growth and rendering them useless. ¡°We¡¯re going to need to hit him faster,¡± Aurin told his Minakai. Desparee wailed loudly and threw forward his hands, shooting hundreds of sharp pine needles from his palms. Frocean¡¯s icy boils expanded to cover his entire body, shielding him from the brunt of the attack. Once Desparee was out of steam, the ice retracted and he leapt towards Desparee, looking to flatten the tree-like Minakai. The nature elemental was quick off the mark and rolled aside, drawing his hands back and quickly channelling his energy. He unleashed a nature beam at Frocean, who took the attack to the gut and rolled over, but he was not out of the battle just yet. As Desparee took a second to recover, Frocean spat a long, sharp icicle from his mouth that struck Desparee in the shoulder as he ducked and knocked him to the ground. Frocean leapt into the air once again and slammed down hard on Desparee, crushing Aurin¡¯s Minakai. He wriggled and struggled, desperately wanting to escape, but Frocean was too heavy for him to move. Frocean coated himself in ice once again, making himself even heavier and Desparee finally fell limp in defeat. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Jimmy has pulled ahead,¡± said the announcer, ¡°but Aurin always has a trick up his sleeve. What¡¯s the Saviour of Hazelton going to do next?¡± Aurin winced at the nickname, but he knew exactly what his next move was going to be. He banished Desparee to the ranch and summoned Leonite, who immediately ran forward and sank his nails deep into Frocean¡¯s back, drawing his paw across and creating a big gash. Frocean hopped away, but Leonite was hot on his tail and considerably faster. Even upon covering himself with yet another icy shield, Leonite¡¯s claws were too sharp and he shattered the ice. He clamped his mighty jaw down on the giant frog¡¯s stomach and clawed repeatedly across his chest. Jimmy¡¯s Minakai croaked loudly in agony before falling down, unable to continue the fight. ¡°And Aurin has quickly evened up the playing field!¡± called the announcer. Jimmy had a look of resolve on his face. He was playing to win and threw his hand out, summoning his Flaround in a burst of red light. It dashed towards Leonite, spitting fireballs as it ran and forcing Leonite to dodge. It headbutted the lion in the side of the head, sending him tumbling across the grass, but Leonite was back on his feet the next second and delivered a series of jabs to the fiery hound. Flaround forced Leonite to back away by emitting a wave of heat from its body, giving it a chance to gather itself. It breathed deeply and shot an intense jet of fire from its mouth. Leonite moved out of the way, but Flaround kept on breathing and turned around, following the lion as the flaming beam continued to flow. Leonite ducked, rolled and weaved, determined not to come into contact with the jet, but Flaround could tilt its head quickly and Leonite was finally struck by the attack. ¡°He¡¯s tired!¡± called Aurin, watching Flaround pant heavily after exerting so much energy with that continuous attack. Leonite forced himself to his feet and tightened his muscles. He charged towards Flaround who charged right back. The two clashed, striking wildly and biting deeply into each other¡¯s flesh. Amidst a cacophony of grunts, barks and roars, there was a sizzling that grew louder and louder. ¡°His tail,¡± warned Aurin, seeing what Jimmy¡¯s Minakai was up to. Flaround spun around and whipped his flaming tail at Leonite, striking him in the face hard, but not before Leonite sank a claw into Flaround¡¯s throat. As the hound had spun, it tore a large gash into itself with Leonite¡¯s nails and both Minakai fell to the ground, too weak to continue fighting. ¡°We have our first double knockout of the tournament!¡± roared the announcer. ¡°That was quite something, wasn¡¯t it? Seeing the cat and dog battle it out for superiority. It doesn¡¯t look like that debate has been settled. Each tamer is now down to their last Minakai.¡± Aurin and Jimmy smiled at each other from across the battlefield. They both knew what monster the other was about to use next. ¡°Zenoman!¡± they called in unison, calling their four-handed golden aliens into battle. The two aliens stood opposing each other, their disembodied fists floating beside them, surrounded in a blue glow. The aliens did not even need to move a single foot as their fists burst forward, trying to strike the other Zenoman. The flying fists punched, spun and slapped at each other, trying to break through a gap in the other¡¯s defences. Each time a fist from one of the Zenoman escaped, the other grabbed it and pulled it back. So focused were the two Minakai that the only muscles of their bodies that moved was their wrinkling foreheads. ¡°Zenoman, let the fists through,¡± said Aurin quietly, ¡°and guard yourself with a barrier.¡± Zenoman slowed his defence and Jimmy¡¯s Zenoman¡¯s four fists came hurtling towards him. At the last second, Zenoman brace himself and protected himself with an invisible barrier. Jimmy¡¯s Minakai felt the pain of the strike and wince, giving Aurin the opening he needed. His Zenoman¡¯s four fists flew towards their target and grabbed his head, body and two legs. Jimmy¡¯s Minakai was lifted up high and then thrown to the ground. The four fists pummelled the incapacitated Minakai as his own fists hurried to return to it. Two of Aurin¡¯s Zenoman¡¯s fists rushed to block while the remaining two continued their assault. As Jimmy¡¯s Zenoman¡¯s fists broke through to come to the Minakai¡¯s rescue, Aurin¡¯s Zenoman raised one final fist into the air and slammed it down upon Jimmy¡¯s Zenoman¡¯s jaw, knocking the Minakai out and causing his four fists to fall to the ground, opening their palms and lying still upon the grass. ¡°It¡¯s over!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Jimmy is unfortunately out of the tournament and Aurin has won, but what a showing that was. A telekinetic battle that you certainly don¡¯t see often.¡± Aurin and Jimmy walked over to each other. Jimmy was rubbing his neck, looking a little embarrassed, but he was in good spirits. The two pretended to throw punches at each other to the laughter of the crowd before shaking hands. ¡°I should have seen that coming,¡± said Jimmy, shaking his head. ¡°They were too evenly matched,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I couldn¡¯t overpower you so I had to do something. I think I got lucky.¡± ¡°I was too focused on making sure Zenoman could land a hit that I didn¡¯t even consider it could be a ploy. Well played, my friend.¡± ¡°It was a battle, Jimmy. Grab a milkshake after we make our exit?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re buying,¡± he laughed and Aurin agreed. The two parted way and waved to the crowd. Aurin walked back towards the tunnel, now one step closer to his match with Gardner which would decide his fate for the national championships this summer. Chapter 170 ¡°I hope we have a good battle, Dove,¡± said Luna, reaching out her hand to her next opponent. ¡°Whatever,¡± muttered the young woman, ignoring Luna¡¯s offer of a handshake and walking on down the corridor of the stadium. ¡°W-what¡­what was that?¡± spluttered Luna, seething with rage. ¡°How can someone be so rude?¡± Aurin had never seen Luna¡¯s face so red and placed his hands on her shoulders. ¡°Relax,¡± he said. ¡°She probably wants this reaction from you to throw you off your game. Keep a lid on it for now and channel it when you take to the battlefield, alright?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± screeched Luna. ¡°She¡¯s one of those Underground Dojo tamers, isn¡¯t she? They think they¡¯re all so tough when we¡¯ve been wiping the floor with them. Agh!¡± Aurin took a step backwards, pulling Shamtile and Innogon along with him, terrified that Luna may actually explode. ¡°We¡­we¡¯ll just go wait in the stands, alright?¡± He and the two Minakai started to walk away, but when Aurin looked down Innogon was walking in place while Luna was squatting down and holding onto his tail. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going, mister? There¡¯s been a change of plan.¡± Innogon let out a nervous roar. * Luna¡¯s chest heaved up and down as she tried to control her temper. It was obvious to Aurin as she walked across the battlefield that she was still enraged. Suddenly, the camera focused on her face and he could clearly see how puffed out her cheeks were and her nose was scrunched up as she marched towards Dove. ¡°Is she alright?¡± Gardner asked Aurin. ¡°She¡¯s absolutely peachy,¡± said Aurin dismissively. ¡°She doesn¡¯t look it, mate.¡± Dove held out her hand for Luna to shake, smiling politely and contrasting with her much colder attitude earlier. Luna knew it was a fa?ade and she was going to wipe that smile off Dove¡¯s face, but she shook her hand and said nothing. ¡°I hope we have a good battle, Luna,¡± muttered Dove sarcastically. She had an unbecoming smirk on her face. Luna wanted to slap her there and then but she refrained. She walked back to her side of the battlefield angrily, but holding her rage back with all of her might. She had been wanting to save Innogon for her quarterfinals match, but she needed to pull out the big guns for this one. She knew she was being spiteful, but she did not care even a little bit. ¡°Ready?¡± she said to her little drake as he waited by the tunnel, sitting on his rear and scratching the wall. He gave a positive yap, but he suddenly looked frightened upon seeing the look on Luna¡¯s face and jumped to attention. ¡°Fight!¡± called the announcer, Luna having missed the full countdown. She used her tame glove to teleport Innogon twenty feet ahead, while Dove summoned her own Minakai; Wunder. The yellow bird crackled with electricity as it took to the skies, wanting to keep as far out of reach as it could manage, but Luna had chosen Innogon for this very purpose. ¡°Up you go,¡± she told him. Innogon summoned a small wave that carried him along the grass. As lightning strikes shot down at him, he surfed out of the way until he was close enough to launch himself upwards with a jet of water and reach Wunder. The bird squawked, surprised the smiling blue reptile had propelled himself so high up. With a yap, Innogon unleashed a pressure cannon that he had perfected by studying Aurin¡¯s Steambot, blasting Wunder over the stands and past the boundaries of the stadium. Innogon tilted his head downwards and shot a jet of water at the ground, slowing his descent and landing merrily on the grass while Dove looked on in shock. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The announcer laughed loudly. ¡°That¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve seen a Minakai launched out of the stadium this tournament, folks. Dove, how are you going to respond?¡± Wiping the stunned look from her face and furrowed her brow angrily. ¡°Skrow!¡± she called, summoning her black-feathered undead bird. No sooner had Skrow appeared than Innogon was sailing towards it. Even as it tried to fly out of reach, Innogon leapt and spun rapidly with his fin glowing blue. He whirled around and around like a razorblade, colliding with the Skrow and flinging it back again the stadium wall and ending its time in the battle before it had made a single attack. ¡°Luna is not messing around today, is she?¡± asked the announcer as the crowd cheered. Aurin and Gardner were laughing hysterically in the tamer box. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into her?¡± asked Gardner. ¡°Dove was rude to her in the hallway,¡± replied Aurin, wiping the tears of mirth from his eyes. ¡°And she flipped her lid?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Note to self, don¡¯t tease Luna if I ever have to fight her,¡± chuckled Gardner. ¡°My days¡­I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± Dove summoned her final monster to the field, a particularly large Peekawe which stared at Innogon menacingly. It sped towards the little drake, but Innogon slid underneath it and playfully spat water on its stomach. Peekawe called out furiously, not wanting to be mocked by its much smaller opponent. It whipped up a razor wind and Innogon created a shockingly tough bubble shield around himself and let himself be rolled around the grass while laughing and throwing his arms up in excitement. Dove was mortified at being humiliated in such a way. ¡°No mercy!¡± she called, but Innogon had already made his move. As the drake bumped into the wall right beneath Aurin and Gardner, he waved to them and spat a water jet into the wall, propelling himself across the battlefield in a bubble. When he reached the far wall, he did the same. He picked up more and more speed, looking like a pinball in a giant table, while Peekawe struggled to follow him. Innogon conserved most of his energy, letting the momentum carry him, but Peekawe was tiring as it chased him. Once Peekawe was noticeably dishevelled and slowed down, Innogon sprung free from the bubble beside the bird and roared loudly. There was a sudden rumbling underneath the ground and everyone in the stadium held their breaths, especially Peekawe who had a look of terror upon its face. In a sudden flash, a geyser that sprung up underneath Peekawe, shooting Dove¡¯s Minakai high into the sky and scalding it with the hot water. Almost a full minute later, Peekawe spiralled back down to the battlefield and crashed in a heap with its wings twitching weakly and its beak hanging open. ¡°Luna has steamrolled through Dove¡¯s entire team with just her Innogon!¡± cried the announcer. ¡°What a showing that was from her, folks. Can you believe that?¡± Dove was hunched over, her mouth hanging open like her Peekawe¡¯s, but she was very much alert. She had thought that Luna would have been an easy opponent to roll through, but she had been left dumbfounded. Luna walked to the centre of the battlefield and waited for Dove, who dragged her heels forwards. ¡°It was a good battle, Dove,¡± said Luna with a sly wink. ¡°I¡­I¡­I¡­¡± stammered Dove while Luna smiled, no longer angry, but very much satisfied. She weakly shook Luna¡¯s hand and slumped away while Luna waved to the roaring crowd. Aurin caught her eye and he gave her a thumbs up while she blew him a kiss. A far cry from her nervousness at the start of the tournament, Luna was starting to revel in the attention of the crowd. They were cheering for her. They loved watching her succeed. She knew she could use this energy to carry her through the rest of the tournament and to more victories. Gardner turned to Aurin. ¡°How would you feel if you had to battle her in the next match?¡± ¡°Utterly terrified,¡± Aurin replied Aurin. ¡°How about you?¡± ¡°Terrified doesn¡¯t even cover it. Innogon is really something when he¡¯s motivated, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Just bring him a chocolate milkshake and he¡¯ll be too busy slurping it down to fight. That¡¯s my strategy if I have to battle against him.¡± ¡°And what about the rest of her Minakai?¡± ¡°Yes¡­they might be a much bigger problem because they can¡¯t be so easily distracted.¡± ¡°I weep for my team,¡± chortled Gardner. ¡°In any case, I¡¯ll have to get through you first.¡± ¡°One more opponent each and we¡¯re in the quarterfinals, my friend. Then it¡¯ll be showtime.¡± ¡°Too right.¡± ¡°Shall we go greet Luna and then grab lunch?¡± asked Aurin. Aurin and Gardner stood up and walked away, not too fussed about watching the next match as their stomachs rumbled. They walked out to meet Luna at the front of the stadium where she was throwing Innogon in the air and catching him¡ªno easy feat because he was deceptively heavy. ¡°You wrecked her,¡± laughed Aurin. ¡°That will hopefully humble her,¡± said Luna, wagging her finger as Innogon bounced around her in circles. ¡°Or give her an appetite for vengeance,¡± remarked Gardner. ¡°Well¡­yes,¡± muttered Luna before smiling. Aurin summoned Shamtile to his side. ¡°Milkshakes anyone?¡± he asked. The two little Minakai immediately started hopping up and down in excitement and then sped off through the square, heading straight for the caf¨¦ as the three tamers rushed to keep up. Chapter 171 Aurin led Shamtile, Spikruption, Dolissile, Leonite, and Desparee out the back of Kyle¡¯s vast expanse of land and into the forest that crept up into the mountains. It had rained through the night and been a dull, drizzly morning, but the rain had finally subsided and the afternoon was looking better and brighter as the sun crept from behind the grey clouds. While the rest of the Minakai were resting after a gruelling morning training session in the miserable conditions, Aurin wanted to bring his five veterans from the first Hazelton tournament out and give them special attention. The Minakai were thrilled at the prospect, even Desparee, who cried tears of joy¡ªat least, Aurin chose to believe they were of joy. Shamtile was sitting on Spikruption¡¯s back and, try as he might, the long-necked dinosaur could not make his fellow reptile stop pestering him. Dolissile hovered alongside Desparee, who was enjoying the feeling of the damp soil and eager to soak up its nutrients. Leonite meanwhile was not too pleased about his lovely cobalt-blue fur getting covered in mud. ¡°Come on, lads,¡± said Aurin, looking over his shoulder, ¡°we¡¯re almost there.¡± The tamer and his quintet of monsters emerged into a clearing as the sun revealed its entirety and shone down upon them. Aurin lined his Minakai up and looked proudly at his longest-serving team members. ¡°You five have proven yourselves to me time and time again, and I couldn¡¯t be happier with your performance so far,¡± he said as the Minakai¡ªexcept Dolissile¡ªall looked rather pleased with themselves. ¡°With everything that¡¯s been going on lately outside of our control, you¡¯ve done everything I¡¯ve asked of you and much more. Your loyalty is unquestionable and your skill is immense, so you deserve all the commendations I can give.¡± Spikruption roared with pride, shooting a jet of flame into the air and scaring all of the birds from the trees. They scattered, flapping wildly as Leonite licked his fangs, wanting to eat the regular animals for his lunch. Desparee wiped tears of joy from his eyes. ¡°The reason I¡¯ve brought you all out here today isn¡¯t to spar, but to give you a change of scenery. It feels like you¡¯ve all been cooped up at the ranch for far too long. Outside of Shamtile, none of you really have much chance to leave. So¡­go ahead, roam free for a while. Do whatever you feel like.¡± The Minakai all looked at each other and didn¡¯t move. None of them particularly wanted to roam free and Aurin hadn¡¯t really considered that. ¡°Alright, so what do you want to do?¡± he asked them, feeling rather silly. Shamtile immediately conjured a rock in his hand and lobbed it at Dolissile, hitting the metal-plated dolphin with a clank. He pivoted towards Shamtile and charged forward, knocking the little lizard in the stomach and winding him while Spikruption snorted in amusement. ¡°You want to keep sparring?¡± chortled Aurin. ¡°Fine by me. Go wild.¡± Needing no further instruction, Aurin¡¯s Minakai all turned on each other. Desparee immediately fired off a nature beam and shot it at Spikruption¡¯s side, who retaliated by scorching the tree-like Minakai with his fiery breath. Leonite pounced upon the still winded Shamtile and scratched the mask lizard who coated himself in armour to defend himself. He was only stopped when Dolissile unleashed a pulse and sent the lion rolling across the dirt. Shamtile launched himself into the air on a pillar of earth and rained boulders down upon his teammates, who burned, cut and blasted them to pieces as the magical Minakai fell back down to the ground. All four launched attacks at him, but he ducked. Leonite and Dolissile collided with each other while Spikruption¡¯s fire blast exploded against Desparee¡¯s beam. Shamtile landed and let out a warbled chuckle before freezing and putting his hand on the ground. Aurin knew what that meant. Someone was nearby. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Well,¡± came Frederick¡¯s voice from the treeline. ¡°We just keep running into each other, my friend, don¡¯t we?¡± Aurin and his team all turned to look at the former Zodiac Squad member, standing by with his favourite Leonite. ¡°Make no mistake, Frederick,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m glad you admitted your crimes, but we are not and will never be friends.¡± ¡°It was a figure of speech, Aurin,¡± said Frederick, walking into the clearing with his Leonite following him closely. The greyish-blue lion stared intently at Aurin¡¯s Leonite, who bore his fangs at the sight of his old rival. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Aurin asked. ¡°I was going to train, but it seems as though you¡¯ve claimed this spot. I would offer to battle you for it, but I don¡¯t think you would stand much of a chance against my Abysarex.¡± ¡°Frankly, I¡¯m amazed that he wasn¡¯t forcibly taken from you after what happened at the tower.¡± ¡°You think I would simply let one of my Minakai be taken away? I would die before I let that happen. I earned Abysarex¡¯s egg, I was the one who spent countless days getting him in line and I earned his loyalty. Even if someone were to try and take him away, he would simply return to me. To a tamer he knows he can trust to lead him to victory.¡± ¡°We will face each other in Ludonia,¡± said Aurin, his seriousness firmly on his face. ¡°You¡¯ll see that just because you have a cosmic Minakai does not mean that you¡¯re unbeatable.¡± ¡°No,¡± said Frederick, ¡°but I will be able to defeat you. At the Palace Royale, I was not at my full strength and was unable to use Abysarex. You got lucky and I¡¯m going to ensure that, next time, you will see exactly how capable I am. I presume you haven¡¯t learned how to hatch your Zeera yet?¡± Aurin didn¡¯t answer and simply stared at Frederick. ¡°I thought not,¡± said Frederick with a sneering. ¡°Even if you could hatch it in time, I doubt you will be able to use him to his full potential.¡± ¡°I want to ask you something,¡± said Aurin. ¡°And I would like you to be truthful with me.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± scoffed Frederick. ¡°Are you still loyal to Taurus?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Frederick. ¡°We have had more than a few disagreements, but Taurus was the one who taught me almost everything I know. Missteps aside, he is an incredibly wise man and knows things about Minakai that would put you in an asylum, they are that staggering. The Zodiac Squad may be finished, but I believe that one day humans and Minakai will live side by side and the balance of power will need constantly maintained.¡± ¡°Do you believe he¡¯s alive?¡± ¡°I do. He¡¯s out there, somewhere. He may not be in our dimension, but he has his Ethruki by his side. He will find a way to survive and, one day, he will return to our world. I have no doubt he will be a stronger and wiser man for it.¡± Aurin nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯ll see you around, Frederick,¡± he said, walking away and beckoning his team to follow him. ¡°Good luck with your training.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get knocked out of the Hazelton tournament before the quarterfinals. You owe me an official match and Ludonia is the stage.¡± Aurin and his Minakai walked away from Frederick and his Leonite, making their way back through the forest to return to the ranch. When they arrived, Kyle was hosing off his boots outside his house. ¡°You don¡¯t look so happy,¡± said the rancher, kicking the water from his feet. ¡°Fredrick showed up,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Of course he did,¡± sighed Kyle. ¡°It¡¯s like he follows you, isn¡¯t it? Has he been humbled by the Zeera Crisis or is he still his usual smug self?¡± ¡°The latter.¡± ¡°I figured. He seemed uncharacteristically pleasant when we met him outside the stadium. What did he want?¡± ¡°He said he was there to train, but I suspect he was there to motivate me.¡± ¡°Motivate you?¡± Aurin nodded. ¡°He desperately wants to beat me in front of the world, especially after losing in the Palace Royale. I think it was his poor attempt at lighting a fire under me to make sure I make it to Ludonia.¡± ¡°And did it light a fire under you?¡± ¡°I was already fired up. I¡¯m getting to Ludonia no matter what. This is just another piece of coal thrown on top.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s your plan to deal with his Abysarex? I know you had a chance to test yourself against Tobias¡¯s Mindadam, but not all cosmics are the same and you haven¡¯t had much opportunity since to practise.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to beat him, Kyle,¡± said Aurin, clenching his fists tightly. ¡°Mark my words. Frederick and his entire team are going down.¡± ¡°I believe you,¡± said Kyle, patting Aurin on the shoulder, ¡°but saying it is one thing and making sure it happens in another. Let¡¯s say you qualify for Ludonia, what will you do to make sure you¡¯re trained up enough?¡± ¡°Do you remember that friend of yours you mentioned. Vai, was it?¡± asked Aurin. Kyle smiled. ¡°I was hoping you would ask about him. I think he¡¯s the perfect person to help you train once the Hazelton tournament is finished. I¡¯ll give him a call.¡± Chapter 172 ¡°And Bentley is finished!¡± called the announcer as Bentley¡¯s Gorunze fell to a well-placed laser blast from Aurin¡¯s own Gorunze. ¡°Agh!¡± grunted Bentley, dropping to his knees. He reached out with his tamer glove and banished his unconscious Gorunze. ¡°With that, Aurin has reached the quarterfinals. The top eight, folks. One more win and he has earned himself a place in Ludonia two years in a row.¡± Aurin and Bentley walked to the centre of the battlefield while Gorunze stood on his hind legs and stretched his metallic joints like an aerobics instructor to much laughter from the crowd. He paused and looked around in confusion and then continued his stretching, prompting more laughter. ¡°I almost had you,¡± said Bentley, shaking Aurin¡¯s hand. ¡°I still had Lycavine ready and waiting,¡± chuckled Aurin. Bentley thought back over the battle and then realised he had misremembered how many of Aurin¡¯s Minakai he had defeat. It was only Leonite that had fallen. ¡°Well, that takes the wind out of my sails a little more¡­¡± ¡°At least it was a fun match.¡± ¡°Easy for the winner to say! In any case, best of luck for the rest of the tournament. I hope you win so that way it helps me ego a little. To be honest, you deserve the win after everything that¡¯s happened in town over the last few months.¡± ¡°Thank, Bentley.¡± ¡°That said, I¡¯m coming for you next yeah. Watch out for me.¡± The two parted ways and returned to their tunnels, waving to the crowd as they walked. The tournament official that Aurin was friendly with gave him a subtle fist bump as he passed. He was meant to be impartial, but he liked seeing Aurin do well. Upon arriving in the waiting room, he spotted Gardner sitting back on the sofa. ¡°Winner! Winner! Winner!¡± he chanted, pumping his fist in the air. ¡°Well done, mate.¡± ¡°Thanks, Gardner,¡± said Aurin. ¡°You ready for your battle then?¡± ¡°Oh yes, my friend. Now that I know you¡¯re through to the next round, nothing is going to stop me. We need to have our rematch.¡± ¡°In that case,¡± said Aurin, heading for the door. ¡°I¡¯ll see you bright and early tomorrow for our battle.¡± ¡°Yes, you will,¡± said Gardner, giving Aurin five as he walked past. ¡°Get a good night¡¯s sleep, alright? I want you at full strength.¡± * Aurin and Luna sat in the tamer box, watching as Kyle and Bruce finished greeting each other and walked across the grass to take their starting positions. The gruff Kyle and the bald-headed Bruce were both well-built enough that they could have fought instead of their Minakai and it would have been equally as exciting. ¡°Kyle¡¯s going to win, right?¡± Luna asked Aurin. ¡°Of course!¡± Aurin replied. ¡°That Bruce guy doesn¡¯t look like a pushover.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s a bodybuilder or if he doesn¡¯t have limbs, it¡¯s the Minakai and how well he¡¯s trained them that matters.¡± The static of the speaker crackled for a split second. ¡°It¡¯s time to begin, folks,¡± called the announcer. ¡°Three. Two. One. Battle!¡± Kyle summoned Wingbloom to the battlefield while Bruce summoned an Anacondice. Bruce looked very confident with his chances, his face bearing a smug grin, but it was quickly wiped away when a gust from Wingbloom threw his Anacondice past him. Kyle returned the grin, ready to show his competitor just what he was capable of. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Wingbloom!¡± he called. ¡°We go all out today.¡± Wingbloom charged towards Anacondice at a remarkable speed and picked up the icy snake in his talons. Anacondice brace itself to be carried up high, but that was not Wingbloom¡¯s plan. He spun around and around, whipping Anacondice¡¯s head repeatedly against the stadium wall before somersaulting and throwing the snake into the ground. A dazed Anacondice tried to slither away, but wound up moving in an uneven circle. Wingbloom picked up the snake in his mouth and tossed it upwards, shooting it across the battlefield with another gust where it fell in front of Kyle, unconscious. ¡°And it¡¯s a quick lead for Kyle!¡± called the announcer. ¡°What¡¯s Bruce going to do?¡± Bruce¡¯s confidence was shaken as he watched Kyle. His hand was shaking as he raised his tamer glove and summoned his next Minakai to the field; his Fyrvern. The red wyvern immediately took to the skies and Wingbloom chased after him, dodging fireball after fireball with ease. Wyvern managed to pull ahead and spun around, taking a deep breath and spitting out a wave of fire. Kyle¡¯s air elemental breathed in deeper still, puffed out his chest and unleashed a gale-force wind that turned the fire around and scorched its caster¡¯s face and shook it off balance. No sooner had Fyrvern¡¯s vision cleared, than was Wingbloom upon him. Kyle¡¯s mighty Minakai struck the draconic monster with his beak and sent him careening back down to the ground where he tumbled over. Wingbloom, however, did not let up. He charged through the air towards his opponent, ramming it with his beak once again. The Fyrvern let out an immense roar before falling limp. ¡°Kyle deals Bruce a second blow, taking out his Fyrvern,¡± said the announcer. ¡°It¡¯s not looking good for Bruce, so he had better have something good waiting in the wings.¡± Bruce looked utterly defeated already and raised his hand, half-heartedly summoning his final Minakai. His abnormally depressed looking Tadpool appeared before him and hurled a series of icicles at Wingbloom, who smashed them to pieces with his beating wings and charged towards the two-legged frog. The battle was over seconds later with Wingbloom standing atop Tadpool proudly, who had lost all will to fight. Bruce put his head in his hands and shook it profusely. It was one thing to lose, but to be so devastatingly trounced by his opponent was the ultimate humiliation. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± he muttered over and over again, turning and walking away without bothering to shake Kyle¡¯s hand. ¡°That¡¯s not very sportsmanlike, Bruce,¡± called the announcer as the crowd jeered at the man slinking down the tunnel. ¡°Ah well. Let¡¯s give a big hand for Kyle who moves into the quarterfinals! What a strong comeback from the rancher after so many years away from the scene.¡± * ¡°What a baby,¡± laughed Luna as she, Aurin and Kyle drank milkshakes outside the caf¨¦. Shamtile and Innogon, of course, had milkshakes of their own until moments ago and were fighting on the floor to determine who got to lick the glasses. ¡°Not everyone is going to take a loss well,¡± shrugged Kyle. ¡°All the same, he was shockingly easy to defeat. Wing barely broke a sweat.¡± ¡°Forget about that Bruce guy,¡± said Aurin, finishing his milkshake. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about how you train Wingbloom when we¡¯re not around.¡± Kyle ignored him. ¡°Can you believe we¡¯ve all made it to the quarterfinals? We¡¯ve done well, my friends.¡± Luna had her match right after Kyle¡¯s and had won, but Kyle¡¯s match had fascinated her and Aurin more. They knew Kyle was downplaying things, but Wingbloom¡¯s abilities were more impressive than ever and he was one of the strongest Minakai in the entire competition. ¡°Can Wing and Skrow train together this evening?¡± Aurin asked. ¡°Are you using Skrow in tomorrow¡¯s battle with Gardner?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°Does my answer determine whether or not you¡¯ll let Skrow and Wingbloom train together?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m not answering. It¡¯s confidential.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s top secret. You¡¯re a smart guy, you try and work it out and you¡¯ll see if you¡¯re right when the battle gets underway.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll tell me later, right?¡± asked Luna, nudging Aurin in the ribs. ¡°Strictly confidential. The only ones who know are the ones fighting,¡± said Aurin. As Luna was about to speak, he cut her off. ¡°And no, you cannot get Innogon to ask because the Minakai themselves know the punishment they receive if they break their imposed silence.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the punishment?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°They¡¯re banned from the rest of the tournament.¡± ¡°Does that include the national championships?¡± Aurin raised an eyebrow as he thought his answer. ¡°Yes, it does now.¡± ¡°Shamtile,¡± said Luna, sticking her head under the table. The little lizard stopped wrestling with Innogon and crawled out to look at Luna. He cocked his head to the side, curious about what the human had to say as he was not listening to any of the conversation. ¡°You would tell me if Aurin had you lined up for the next battle, wouldn¡¯t you? There¡¯s a milkshake in it for you if you do.¡± Shamtile screeched loudly and nipped Luna¡¯s bare calf. She yelped and rubbed the back of her leg, trying to massage the pain away while Kyle chuckled. ¡°See?¡± said Aurin. ¡°This is what happens when you try and test my Minakai¡¯s loyalty. It¡¯s like I said, they¡¯re under strict orders and they know the consequences.¡± Luna frowned and stuck out her tongue as she continued rubbing her leg while Shamtile snatched the milkshake glasses from Innogon who used the distraction to take both and lick them clean. Chapter 173 Quetz weaved through the air as Stopod spat rocks from his mouth, trying to knock the sky serpent from the sky. Aurin wanted her to work on her agility and Luna knew that Stopod needed to improve his accuracy to make up for his poor mobility, so it was the perfect training partnership. ¡°You¡¯re shooting too quickly,¡± Luna told him. ¡°Take an extra second and predict her next location before you fire.¡± ¡°If you see him slow down, make a rapid move in a random direction,¡± said Aurin. ¡°You¡¯re doing well, Quetz.¡± While the two Minakai continued to train, Aurin and Luna over Shamtile and Bakugon who were competing to see how could create the strongest stone cage. They would take it in turns to encase each other in stone and hold it tightly with their magic while the trapped one would try to break free. Needless to say, Shamtile was proving to be the best of the two and Bakugon was not taking it well. The brown drake roared and wailed in fury while trapped inside one of Shamtile¡¯s toughest cages yet. ¡°Calm yourself,¡± said Luna. ¡°Save your rage for an attack. You need full focus to be able to break free, especially against an earth elemental as tough as Shamtile, alright?¡± Suddenly Bakugon broke free while Shamtile pointed towards the ranch path, distracted by something. Luna¡¯s Minakai picked up a rock and threw it at Shamtile¡¯s head, who stamped his feet on the ground and conjured an earth pillar that flung Bakugon halfway across the ranch in retaliation. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± asked Aurin, holding his hand to his forehead and squinting to see who had arrived at the ranch. ¡°It looks like¡­Hannah,¡± muttered Luna, dreading seeing her former friend. Hannah held up a hand and gave a nervous wave. Aurin hadn¡¯t seen her for months her arm was now cast-free after her injury courtesy of Zeera. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say,¡± Luna whispered. ¡°Just be honest,¡± said Aurin, slinking off to deal with the rest of the Minakai who were training nearby. ¡°Good luck.¡± Hannah approached Luna, avoiding eye contact even when they were mere feet apart. ¡°Hello,¡± she said as she stared at Luna¡¯s feet. ¡°Hello,¡± replied Luna. The two stood awkwardly for a moment. It was clear Hannah wanted to say something else, she wouldn¡¯t have come otherwise, but Luna intended to listen and give very little in return. ¡°You¡¯re doing well at the tournament,¡± said Hannah, finally looking up. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Luna. ¡°I wanted to say the same to Aurin, but he ran off when I came close.¡± ¡°He¡¯s focused on his training.¡± ¡°I can see that,¡± said Hannah, looking over to Aurin who was trying to roll Luna¡¯s Rabbafat off of Sunny who was squealing in pain. ¡°Why did you come here, Hannah?¡± ¡°I know that after everything I did, we won¡¯t be friends¡­at least, not in the way that we used to, but I was hoping that we could at least try? I¡¯m sorry for everything and I really want you to know that.¡± ¡°You said that the last time we spoke. In the town square, remember?¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Yes, but it hasn¡¯t stopped being true. I just thought it would be nice if we could get along before I left town considering we may never see each other again.¡± Luna was shocked. ¡°You¡¯re leaving? Why?¡± ¡°My dad was released a couple of days ago and we can¡¯t afford to stay here anymore, not after his business was shut down. I asked him if he would go into the monster tower to earn money, but he said he couldn¡¯t bare to set foot inside it after everything he¡¯s responsible for.¡± ¡°Your dad was released?¡± ¡°Yes, but he¡¯s one of the lucky ones. It¡¯s only because he told the officers everything they wanted to know. He and Frederick are the only two of the former elites that turned themselves in or were caught that are free.¡± ¡°None of you should be free,¡± said Luna, staring coldly at Hannah. Hannah let out a dry laugh. ¡°You¡¯re probably right, but we aren¡¯t going to turn away that gift and lock ourselves up.¡± ¡°No¡­I suppose not.¡± Just then, Aurin walked over with Sunny in his arms. ¡°Hi Hannah.¡± ¡°Hello, Aurin,¡± she said, smiling faintly at him. ¡°Is your training going well?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said while massaging Sunny¡¯s bruised head, ¡°and this is the big one. As much as I would love to win, my quarterfinals match against Gardner determines whether or not I get to go to the national championships.¡± ¡°I hope you do. If anyone deserves it, it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°I appreciate that. How¡¯s your dad doing?¡± ¡°Not well. He¡¯s racked with guilt after the Zeera Crisis. We¡¯re leaving town.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a shame. Of all the Zodiac members, he was the only one that I actually liked. For what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯ll be sorry to see you go.¡± ¡°Thank you, that means a lot¡­¡± ¡°Oh no,¡± sighed Aurin upon hearing a commotion nearby. He ran back over to the Minakai to deal with the latest disaster¡ªDoripper had swallowed one of Zenoman¡¯s fists and was refusing to let it go, but Zenoman was beating him up from the inside as revenge. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, Luna,¡± said Hannah, turning to walk away. ¡°Wait,¡± said Luna, putting her hand on Hannah¡¯s arm. ¡°You¡¯re going to come and watch my quarterfinals match, right?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t miss it,¡± said Hannah, smiling sincerely for the first time in a long time. ¡°I hope you win.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. I will.¡± Hannah walked back towards the path and followed it to the trees, disappearing from sight. Luna continued to watch, feeling a weight falling from her shoulders. She knew as well as Hannah did that things could never be like they once were between them, but she was glad that she could let go of her anger and move on. She truly wished the best for her former friend and perhaps forgiveness for her mistakes was the way ahead. ¡°Come on, you,¡± yelled Aurin, his voice echoing. Luna turned and saw him half-inside Doripper¡¯s jaw, rummaging around for something. A few seconds later, he pulled Zenoman¡¯s fist out and threw it back to the golden alien who sat grumpily on the ground. He hadn¡¯t an expression like that on his face since he was a little Arium and Luna couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Is he bullying you?¡± she asked Zenoman as she walked over to him. She crouched down and rubbed his back and he started smiling again. ¡°He¡¯s gotten a real attitude since he evolved from a Dopefish into a Doripper, hasn¡¯t he?¡± Doripper grunted and gnashed his teeth now that Aurin was free. He floated over towards the river and dove in, flopping around in the water and enjoying the fact that his stomach was not being ravaged by an angry fist. ¡°Honestly, they¡¯re like children sometimes,¡± said Aurin, wiping Doripper¡¯s drool from his face with his sleeve. Luna laughed. ¡°It¡¯s good preparation for the future, isn¡¯t it?¡± Aurin was stunned and Luna suddenly realised what she had said. ¡°Um¡­I mean¡­well, forget I said anything.¡± Aurin took her hands. ¡°It¡¯s great preparation for the future,¡± he said, ¡°but let¡¯s worry about that another time. Half a decade at least.¡± ¡°Right,¡± giggled Luna. Kyle wandered across the yard with a sack of feed slung over his shoulder. ¡°Oi, Aurin!¡± he called. ¡°What?¡± replied Aurin. ¡°Vai finally got back to me.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°He said that once the tournament is finished, win or lose, he¡¯s going to train you. He doesn¡¯t exactly travel conventionally and, knowing him, he¡¯ll be well away from civilisation. You¡¯ll probably need to take a flying Minakai with you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll take Skrow,¡± said Aurin, looking up to the sky where Skrow was skirmishing with Windjinn and Wingbloom. ¡°There was something else,¡± said Kyle with a big grin. ¡°I was hoping he would say it once I told him what you had¡­I thought he would.¡± ¡°What is it? Why do you look so smug?¡± ¡°He said to bring your Zeera egg with you. He says he may be able to help you.¡± Aurin and Luna exchanged shocked glanced and then Aurin grinned widely. Once the tournament was over, he may finally be able to unlock his secret weapon. He may finally be able to hatch Zeera and have an epic-level Minakai of his own. Chapter 174 ¡°Everyone give a big hand for Aurin!¡± called the announcer as Aurin and Gardner walked onto the grass. ¡°Facing him is another veteran of last year¡¯s national champion and one of the strongest contenders for this year¡¯s qualifier¡­Gardner!¡± The two friends watched each other intently as they walked to the centre of the battlefield. They had both been preparing hard for this battle, knowing it was going to be the biggest challenge of the tournament so far. Aurin had won against Gardner more times than he had lost, but the last battle they had showed him just how much he had underestimated his friend. Not anymore. ¡°Ready for this?¡± Gardner asked as he shook Aurin¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ve been ready since last year,¡± said Aurin, giving him a sly grin. ¡°Good luck, mate.¡± ¡°Likewise.¡± The two took their spots as the crowd cheered. This was a match everyone had been looking forward to after the pair had built up such strong reputations as competitors. Luna and Kyle sat in the tamer box with Jimmy, all three of them wanting support both of their friends, but trying hard not to show each of their favouritisms. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can watch,¡± said Luna, squeezing Innogon tightly. ¡°Want me to commentate?¡± joked Jimmy. ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I don¡¯t want any distractions. This is going to be a good watch.¡± ¡°Any idea who Aurin is using today?¡± asked Jimmy, no longer afraid to ask with Gardner not present. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t even tell me,¡± sighed Luna. ¡°He tells me everything!¡± Kyle shook his head. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t need to tell you. He¡¯s going to have prepared a team specifically catered to Gardner¡¯s Minakai. Last year, he wasn¡¯t so worried as he didn¡¯t expect Gardner to use anything other than plant-class monsters and nature elementals, but he won¡¯t be making that mistake again.¡± ¡°But we also know Gardner is savvy enough to predict what Aurin might do,¡± said Jimmy. ¡°Yes, so I think it may come down to who calls the other¡¯s bluff. I¡¯m certain Aurin¡¯s team is¡ª¡± The announcer suddenly cut Kyle off. ¡°Tamers ready? Three. Two. One. Fight!¡± Aurin and Gardner held up their tamer gloves and summoned their first Minakai to the field. Aurin¡¯s Spikruption slammed himself down and puffed smoke from his nostrils, eager to blast through Gardner¡¯s entire team. Gardner, on the other hand, summoned a reptile of his own. A waist-high magenta dinosaur appeared before him. It had a slight hunch and its short arms ended in sharp claws. Around its neck was a mane of seven long leave and, instead of a tail, it had another handful of leaves protruding from its rear. The dinosaur, a Frilleaf, growled loudly, unintimidated by the much larger Spikruption he was facing. With no hesitation, Spikruption stormed across the battlefield, drawing in a deep breath. As he grew close to the Frilleaf, he unleashed a fiery wave that desecrated the grass, but Frilleaf was not so easily defeated. It spat a small nature beam from its mouth directly downward and threw itself over the fire. From midair, it spat a barrage of heavy seeds at Spikruption who burned them to cinders before they came close, but it was only a distraction. A cluster of thick roots shot up from the ground and grabbed the dinosaur¡¯s tail and legs, giving Frilleaf a chance to strike harder. The leaves on Gardner¡¯s Minakai started rotating. Slowly at first, then speeding up until they were a blur, they became like a razorblade around its neck. Frilleaf charged into the turned around Spikruption, cutting deeply into his tail as he tried to free himself from the roots. Spikruption was in agony, but he mustered the strength to turn his neck and spit a blast of fire at Frilleaf, who was stricken and forced to retreat. Aurin¡¯s Minakai pulled itself free as Frilleaf was unable to sustain the roots and rolled into a ball, propelling himself at the magenta lizard who spun his frill even faster. Before they collided, Spikruption came to an abrupt halt, unfurled himself and whipped his tail low, whacking Frilleaf¡¯s legs and making it trip. With the top of his head exposed, Spikruption shot another flaming burst at the lizard, whose leaves ceased their whirring. As Frilleaf tried to right itself, Spikruption grabbed his fellow reptile by the scruff of the neck using his sharp teeth and flung him upwards. As Frilleaf rose and then fell, a swing of Spikruption¡¯s tail batted him into the wall of the stadium, knocking him out cold. ¡°And Aurin takes an early lead!¡± cried the announcer as the crowd cheered. ¡°I¡¯ve seen his Spikruption before many times, folks, but he¡¯s on top form today. Gardner had better be careful, but he¡¯s no slouch himself so perhaps he has something in the bag.¡± ¡°Desparee, you¡¯re up,¡± said Gardner, dismissing his Frilleaf and summoning his Desparee. Aurin¡¯s first thought was that Gardner was going to mix up his elements again, but two nature elementals in a row indicated that he was playing with what he knew best. Perhaps he had indeed expected Aurin to try and outwit him after using an ice elemental in Ludonia. Aurin¡¯s plan this time was to simply use various elemental types and then overpower him as best he could. Desparee clasped his hands together and drew them back; Aurin knew exactly what the Minakai was about to do. He suddenly threw a single one of his hands forward and Spikruption dodged the nature beam, but Desparee followed up with his second hand and launched a second nature beam, that struck Spikruption in the leg, the red dinosaur having been caught off guard by the follow up attack. ¡°Agh,¡± grunted Aurin, knowing he should have expected a twist. ¡°He¡¯s got a beam attack, show him your own!¡± Spikruption breathed in and held his breath for a second before firing a thin red beam of concentrated heat from his mouth. It was sharper and faster than a fiery blast at the cost of power. It hit Desparee in the chest and the Minakai staggered, but remained on his feet. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Gardner¡¯s Minakai waved his hands around and summoned a swirling vortex of leaves that stormed across the battlefield and delivered hundreds of micro cuts into Spikruption¡¯s thick scaly hide. The fiery dinosaur tried to remain standing, but the pain was too much and he buckled at the knees. A few seconds later and another three dozen cuts and he was done for. ¡°And Gardner ties it up,¡± said the announcer. ¡°This is shaping up to be an exciting battle!¡± Aurin recalled Spikruption, sending him to the ranch. He focused his energy on his summoning stone and cast out a burst of icy blue light, from which his Glacibot appeared. ¡°You don¡¯t see that Minakai every day!¡± called the announcer. ¡°A Glacibot is a rare specimen folks, so you¡¯re in for a treat.¡± Not wanting to give Gardner the chance to pull any further fly moves, Aurin ordered Glacibot to summon a hailstorm. The icy titan let out a robotic screech, conjuring the storm and forcing Desparee to cover its face to avoid the beating. ¡°Bramble cage!¡± called Gardner. The cage of brambles sprunt forth from the ground, but it was not aimed at Aurin¡¯s Glacibot. It was largely to cover Desparee and protect him from the icy storm. Aurin noted the large hole in the centre of the cage and saw a faint green light appear from within. ¡°He¡¯s about to use a nature beam,¡± he told his Glacibot. ¡°Move!¡± Glacibot was a slow Minakai, but he and Aurin had prepared for this. He shot a blast of ice upon the ground and threw himself onto it, sliding across the battlefield and adding more to his path as he soared along on his icy body. Desparee launched his beam and it narrowly missed Glacibot as he passed by the tree-like Minakai. The iceberg-like robot stood back up and stampeded toward his opponent, who had broken away most of his cage with his beam attack. Knowing he would not be able to avoid him, Desparee raised his hands and grabbed onto Glacibot¡¯s underside as he was barrelled over. Aurin¡¯s Minakai started to slow, looking weaker and weaker by the second. Something was wrong. What was Desparee doing? Aurin kneeled and saw Gardner¡¯s Minakai¡¯s hands glowing. He was draining Glacibot¡¯s energy to replenish his own and Glacibot had no comeback for this unless¡­ ¡°Jump!¡± ordered Aurin. His Minakai complied, jumping six feet into the air and stretching out his arms. He dropped to the ground, crushing Desparee underneath him. Glacibot lay motionless as most of his energy had been taken from him and the jump was all he had left to muster, but Desparee made no attempt to escape. ¡°A double knockout!¡± cried the announcer. ¡°Great moves by both tamers, but that now leaves them with a single monster each.¡± Aurin and Gardner both banished their Minakai and watched each other from across the field. With a nod to each other, they simultaneously summoned their final Minakai. Two branching evolutions of the same family appeared in flashes of green; Aurin¡¯s Lycavine and Gardner¡¯s Vinewolf. ¡°Gardner has summoned his Vinewolf and Aurin has summoned his¡­¡± said the announcer before trailing off to a whisper. ¡°Can I get a name check on this one, Paul?¡± Seconds later he came back with an answer. ¡°Aurin has summoned his Lycavine! His Glacibot is a rarity enough, but pulling out something I haven¡¯t seen before is quite the feat, folks.¡± The two green wolves charged to meet each other with Vinewolf being notably faster than Lycavine. Before getting too close, the pair stopped and swung out their petal-ended vines and swiped at each other, trying to cut into each other with their pink daggers. The battle had immediately turned into a swordfight rather than one of tooth and nail as the vines whipped around, each trying to block the other while still aiming for the jugular. The crowd watched with bated breath as neither Minakai seemed to be gaining ground on the other, but Aurin¡¯s Lycavine had been quietly creeping closer to Vinewolf. The werewolf knew he had to take a hit to pull off what he wanted to do, but it would be worth it. He suddenly reeled in his vines and sprinted forward, taking two nasty cuts to the side form Vinewolf¡¯s petals. The gap was now closed and he swiped across Vinewolf¡¯s face as Gardner¡¯s Minakai tried to bite him, but it was no use. While Vinewolf was faster on land, Lycavine was faster still in paw-to-paw combat. Vinewolf recoiled as one of Lycavine¡¯s nails scratched his eye, giving Aurin¡¯s Minakai a chance to sink his teeth into his neck. Vinewolf howled in pain and swung his claws in turn, leaving another deep gash in Lycavine¡¯s side, but Aurin¡¯s Minakai could handle the pain. He unclenched his jaw and took another deep bite, tearing a large hole in Vinewolf¡¯s neck, making the Minakai stagger backwards as it bled. ¡°That¡¯s gotta hurt!¡± cried the announcer as Vinewolf fell to one knee. ¡°But he¡¯s not out yet.¡± Vinewolf¡¯s vines shot forward again, delivering another series of cuts to Lycavine as he bounded and flipped while trying to avoid the barrage of attacks. ¡°Grab him!¡± ordered Aurin. Lycavine did as ordered and grabbed two of the vines. He wrapped them around his forearms and tugged, pulling Vinewolf off his feet and making him eat the previously scorched grass. With a final leap and a swing of his mighty claw, Lycavine finished the battle. Vinewolf let out a whimper and did not get up again. ¡°And Aurin is the winner!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Having previously been knocked out of the national championships by Gardner, he came back with a vengeance today!¡± Gardner looked devastated, but he put on a brave face and started clapping along with the audience as he and Aurin walked to meet each other in the middle of the battlefield. ¡°No hard feelings, eh?¡± he said, holding out a hand. ¡°Never,¡± said Aurin, smiling and accepting the hand shake. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten more cunning.¡± ¡°Likewise,¡± chuckled Gardner. ¡°Where did you get a Full Moon Gem to evolve your Budescent?¡± ¡°Some national champion gave it to me,¡± shrugged Aurin. ¡°Tobias?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°How am I supposed to compete with that?¡± gasped Gardner before chuckling. ¡°All the same, you¡¯ve trained him well, mate. Milkshakes are on you later, alright?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll meet you there in an hour,¡± said Aurin as the two parted ways to thunderous applause from the crowd. * Aurin sat with Shamtile and Lycavine by the riverside, staring at the opposite bank. He had done it again; he had qualified for the national championships. It was bittersweet to him. He did not enjoy the fact that Gardner was now out of the running, but he truly felt as though he had earned his place. ¡°What do you reckon, you two?¡± Aurin said to his Minakai. ¡°If I had lost, would Tobias have disowned the lot of us?¡± Shamtile waved his arms and let out a screech while Lycavine gave a low bark as his vines danced in the spring breeze. ¡°Yes, I think he wouldn¡¯t have been too impressed. Especially considering he was the one who gave me the Full Moon Gem to evolve you into a Lycavine, my friend.¡± Lycavine let out a short howl and then licked Aurin¡¯s face. ¡°Lovely,¡± he said, wiping away the lupine saliva. ¡°Whether we¡¯re through to Ludonia or not, we aren¡¯t backing down. We¡¯re still in this tournament to win and we¡¯re going for that gold. We¡¯re going to wipe the floor with our next opponent and then either Luna or Kyle is going down.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± asked Luna, sliding down the grass with Innogon clinging to her back. ¡°Yep,¡± chortled Aurin. ¡°Nothing is standing in my way, not even you.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that, my dear,¡± she said, lightly slapping Aurin¡¯s cheek and then laughing. ¡°Let¡¯s not get too ahead of ourselves, shall we?¡± ¡°How¡¯s Gardner doing?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. He¡¯s happy for you, but he¡¯s obviously disappointed. I think he just wishes that his battle with you was in the semifinals.¡± ¡°Understandable,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I wished that were the case too.¡± Innogon dived into the water and started splashing Shamtile and Lycavine, who started hurling rocks and spitting sap at the little drake who yapped and laughed hysterically as he swam around. ¡°And how about you?¡± Aurin asked Luna. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°One more match to go before you reach the semifinals. Are you nervous?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Luna, shaking her head. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s the thing, isn¡¯t it? Even if I lose, it¡¯s been a good tournament and I¡¯m proud of my performance.¡± ¡°Now give me the honest answer.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m nervous!¡± she yelled. ¡°I don¡¯t want to miss out on Ludonia by an inch.¡± Aurin laughed as hard as Innogon. Chapter 175 ¡°And a beautiful display from Kyle¡¯s Totempo!¡± called the announcer as Totempo stood atop his opponent¡ªa Windjinn¡ªwho was then banished by its tamer. ¡°Kyle has two Minakai left while Lloyde is down to his final one. What¡¯s he got in store for everyone¡¯s favourite rancher?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve saved the best for last, Kyle,¡± shouted Lloyde from across the battlefield. As much a she tried to put on a brave front, he was visibly shaken. ¡°Bansheet, you¡¯re up!¡± In a flash of cream-coloured light, appeared a ghost-like figure that was draped in a sheet. It held its two arms out and its sleeves drooped, but there were no hands within them. Within two dark eyeholes in its head sat glowing purple pupils while the cloth at the back of its head was swept back and lumpy as though it had hair underneath. ¡°Is that what Chlost evolves into?¡± Luna asked Aurin in the tamer box. ¡°Yep,¡± he said, looking over at her. ¡°Your match starts after this one. Shouldn¡¯t you be in the waiting room already?¡± ¡°Ah! You¡¯re right!¡± she squealed before rushing off. Kyle¡¯s Totempo dragged its foot along the ground like a menacing bull as the ghostly Bansheet gave it a wicked smile. The armless stone dinosaur roared and charged forward, but before he was halfway across the battlefield his foe vanished into thin air. Lloyde has a smarmy look on his face while Kyle remained cool. His Totempo continued his stampede even though it was now toward nothing. Aurin wandered what Kyle was up to in not changing his head-on strategy. As Totempo ran through the empty space, he abruptly stopped. Bansheet faded in behind him, ready to strike, but a huge earthen spike erupted from Kyle¡¯s Minakai¡¯s back, piercing the sheet and impaling the ghostly Minakai underneath. Totempo looked over his shoulder and gave a smug roar as he retracted the spike, leaving the sheet to fall to the ground. ¡°And Kyle¡¯s outwitting of his opponent has just cost Lloyde a spot at the national championships!¡± cried the announcer. ¡°Congratulations, Kyle. You¡¯re the third contender to advance to the Bretonian tournament.¡± Rather than walk across the battlefield to shake Kyle¡¯s hand, Lloyde banished his Bansheet and strode through the tunnel and out of sight. He wasn¡¯t going to stand there and force a smile against the man who had taken something he had wanted so badly from him. Kyle waved to the cheering half of the crowd while the others booed Lloyde for his bad sportsmanship. The boos soon turned to further applause for Kyle and he walked back through his own tunnel and towards the waiting room where he found Luna sitting on the sofa, clutching her knees and rocking back and forth. ¡°Do I need call therapist?¡± Kyle joked, making Luna jump a mile; she hadn¡¯t noticed him appear. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± she said in a much higher pitch than her normal voice. ¡°You don¡¯t look fine,¡± said Kyle with a raised eyebrow. ¡°The pressure getting to you?¡± ¡°Nope. I¡¯m fine.¡± Kyle shrugged. ¡°Alright, suit yourself. Where¡¯s Aurin anyway? Normally he¡¯s here to talk you off the cliff edge.¡± Luna shook her head rapidly. ¡°I made him promise not to come this time and to wait in the stands. I need to learn how to calm myself down.¡± ¡°Well, I won¡¯t offer any support then,¡± joked Kyle, heading for the door. ¡°I¡¯ll go join young blondie in the stands. Good luck, Luna.¡± ¡°Thank, Kyle,¡± she said as he left. Luna suddenly rushed over to the door and called after him. ¡°Congratulations!¡± She then returned to sitting on the sofa, taking slow deep breaths, trying to keep her mind clear. It wasn¡¯t helping much so Luna dropped onto her knees and clasped her hands, saying a prayer. Once she was finished she stood up and walked over to the door. She knew she wasn¡¯t meant to be waiting in the tunnel, but the waiting room felt stuffy to her so she had to at least breathe in some fresh air, whether it was filtered through a dusty tunnel of bricks and concrete or not. Luna paused halfway down the corridor, but no more than five seconds later, she was called to take her position at the end of the tunnel to await her introduction. She walked towards the edge and waited at the yellow line, just out of sight of the crowd while the ringside official stood with his hand to his earpiece. ¡°Two minutes to go,¡± he said. ¡°How¡¯re you doing, Luna?¡± ¡°Nervous,¡± she said. ¡°This is the match that will determine whether I make the national championships or not.¡± ¡°What is it that Aurin always says to you? Just imagine your opponent in her underwear.¡± ¡°I¡­don¡¯t think he¡¯s ever said that.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± laughed the official. ¡°I could have sworn it was something like that. Well, you can always give that a try and see if it works.¡± ¡°Mhmm, maybe.¡± ¡°Just a suggestion,¡± shrugged the official before putting his hand up to his earpiece. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re going a little early. You¡¯ll be going on in about ten seconds.¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Ah!¡± squealed Luna with no time to ready herself. ¡°What do I do? What do I do?¡± The announcer boomed out over the microphone. ¡°Everyone, give it up for Hazelton¡¯s own, Luna!¡± Luna took a final deep breath and walked out onto the field alone, waving to the crowd who were applauding enthusiastically for her. ¡°And today, her opponent is none other than Verity!¡± A tall girl with a long brown ponytail walked out onto the field from the far tunnel. She had a confident smile and an athletic physique that she showed off with her tank top and shorts. She looked more like someone who was going to do a one hundred metre race in the stadium rather than battle using Minakai. Although, thinking about it, Luna supposed attire didn¡¯t matter. She herself was wearing jean shorts and a purple t-shirt. Luna and Verity met in the middle of the battlefield and shook hands. ¡°Good luck,¡± said Luna. ¡°Likewise,¡± replied Verity with a smile. Luna had wished Verity was ruder to her, that would have given her an excuse to get more fired up; the fury would have replaced her anxiety. The two tamers walked back to their sides of the battlefield and Luna glanced over at Aurin in the stands who gave her a smile and thumbs up while Shamtile danced what he thought was an encouraging dance. ¡°Ready tamers?¡± called the announcer. ¡°Three. Two. One. Battle!¡± Luna summoned her Dogember to the battlefield while Verity summoned a Cybuzz. Dogember wasted no time in sprinting across the battlefield while the winged, metallic bee shot metal spikes towards the fiery canine as he ran. Having trained against Shamtile who delighted in throwing rock spears, Dogember knew the perfect way to weave, dodge and leap while maintaining as much of his momentum as he could. Before Cybuzz knew what was happening, Dogember had covered himself in a fiery aura and headbutted Verity¡¯s monster in the chest. It buzzed loudly as it rolled across the grass, but Dogember was not yet finished. He inhaled and unleashed a powerful fireball that followed the rolling insect before colliding with it. Cybuzz flapped its wings rapidly to take to the sky, but it was too disoriented to fly up in a straight line, leaving itself open for a follow-up fireball from Dogember that knocked it out of the battle, leaving Verity looking shaken. ¡°And Luna comes out hitting hard!¡± called the announcer. ¡°I thought she looked nervous walking out, folks, but that must have been a cunning ruse to ensure Verity lowered her guard.¡± Content with having the cheering crowd believe that, Luna smiled and waved to them while Verity summoned her next Minakai. It was the shake of a scrawny man, but it was anything but. It was made up of a purple gas that swirled and flowed, while it had a metallic mask with a pointed nose that rested upon its face. Around its wrists and ankles were silvery metallic bands, but Luna had no idea what they were for. ¡°Mummet, hit that Dogember hard!¡± called Verity. Her undead metal elemental ran across the grass with its arms dangling behind it. It swung for Dogember who leapt out of the way, but Mummet then jumped and emitted a Dolissile-like pulse that knocked Dogember off his feet. He then began beating the pup with his fists. Upon bracing himself, Dogember bit into Mummet¡¯s arm, but his teeth passed right through. Luna realised that its being a ghostly undead, allowed it to make itself incorporeal. She knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to rely solely on physical attacks to fight back. Dogember backed away hurriedly, forcing Mummet to chase him. With a spare moment to concentrate, Luna¡¯s Minakai unleashed a powerful fireball that passed right through Mummet. Luna had expected this, but needed to see it to be sure. ¡°It may be able to phase through you and your attacks, but it still occupies space!¡± Luna called to Dogember. The orange dog backed away again as Mummet unleashed another pulse, hoping to knock Dogember down, but he braced himself. He focused all of his elemental energy on heating up the air itself. As Mummet closed in on him, its movement slowed and its gaseous form started to ripple and streak. ¡°What did Luna and her Dogember do?¡± asked the announcer, as the crowd watched the air warp. Mummet¡¯s mask and its four metal bands started to glow red hot as they heated up at an alarming pace. Luna knew that now was the chance to deliver the final strike and Dogember could sense that. He ceased heating up the air and bounded forwards, headbutting Mummet square in the chest and sending it flying across the grass where it rolled and then lay motionless. ¡°Luna is storming ahead today, folks,¡± said the announcer. ¡°It¡¯s not often we see such a lead at such a late stage in the tournament. Verity has her work cut out for her if she wants to make a comeback.¡± Rattled as she may have been, Verity calmed herself and threw forward her gloved hand. From a green summoning stone, shot a burst of light and, once it faded, stood a brown metal-plated Minakai with green legs and a thick bush on its top. Resting in the middle of its black-screen face was a blue eye. ¡°Treebot, that Dogember has exerted itself! Strike!¡± The nature elemental construct let out a metallic groan as it whipped up a storm of leaves that soared through the air towards Dogember. He burned the first wave to cinders, but the leaves kept coming. Verity was right, he was tried. The second wave of leaves struck him, cutting into him and the third wave finished the job, ending his strong quarterfinal performance. ¡°And Verity is making her comeback!¡± called the announcer. ¡°But wait¡­is Luna¡­smiling?¡± It was true. Luna had a confident grin on her face as she hurled a burst of icy white light onto the field, summoning Frocean to the battlefield. ¡°Treebot is no pushover, but neither are you. You¡¯ve got the elemental advantage, Frocean. Make it quick.¡± With a rumbling croak, Frocean countered the leafy storm with a hailstorm. The leaves were tossed aside by the icy stones that were cast across the battlefield. Frocean crouched low and leapt through the air, clearing half the field in a single jump and landing before Treebot. The Microbot evolution headbutted Frocean¡¯s large stomach, but he exhaled, using his large belly as a cushion and suddenly inhaled, swelling up and bouncing Treebot away. With Treebot caught off guard, Frocean whipped out his long tongue and wrapped it around Treebot¡¯s front legs. He retracted his tongue at lightning speed and whipped Treebot over his shoulder, releasing its legs and sending it crashing into the wall of the stadium, sending a large crack through the stone. Treebot was not done yet and stood up, only to be met by a barrage of icicles being flung its way. A dozen of them collided with him, half of them striking him in the screen and he fell down once more. As his screen flickered, he tried to stand up but collapsed as his blue eye disappeared. ¡°And it¡¯s a resounding victory for Luna!¡± called the announcer as the entire stadium leapt to its feet. ¡°She¡¯s all the way through to the semifinals, securing her place in the national championships and putting her up against our earlier victor, Kyle.¡± ¡°I knew she could do it!¡± yelled Aurin as Shamtile jumped for joy. Luna beamed with pride as she walked over to meet Verity who looked slightly embarrassed. ¡°You really whooped me,¡± said the athletic tamer. ¡°All that time in the underground gym didn¡¯t pay off, did it?¡± ¡°It was a good match,¡± said Luna with a smile, shaking Verity¡¯s hand. The two parted ways and Luna walked back through her tunnel, thrilled that her Minakai had performed so strongly against tough opponents. Even though she knew she was up against Kyle next, she was not afraid. No matter the outcome, it would be a good battle. Chapter 176 Aurin¡¯s Chopchop twirled his bladed arms around and assumed a defensive stance as Kenny¡¯s own Chopchop collapsed, its helmet cut in half and a large gash across the side of its head. The announcer¡¯s voice boomed across the stadium. ¡°And Kenny is down to his final Minakai while Aurin remains on his first. What a strong performance for our local hero, folks.¡± Aurin no longer winced at hearing that, choosing to embrace the term. He let the cheers of the crowd fuel him further, pushing towards the victory that was within his grasp. As he watched Kenny¡¯s fearful look from across the battlefield, he knew that this match was in the bag. ¡°Grakadon!¡± called the red-haired tamer, pulling his sunglasses that sat atop his head down and over his eyes. ¡°Now we¡¯re talking,¡± muttered Aurin, excited to face off against the Minakai that Kenny had used to steamroll his competition. The brown dragon appeared in a flash of orange, roaring ferociously as Chopchop tensed himself, waiting to be struck. Grakadon swung his arm, materialising a boulder within his palm and hurled it at Chopchop who cut through it and letting the two halves pass him by. Grakadon, upon witnessing the strength of his foe stomped his feet, sending a quake across the entire battlefield. It was so intense that Aurin and Kenny both had to cling to the walls, yet Chopchop remained standing, fully braced for the attack. As the quaking subsided, he stormed towards his foe who took to the skies to avoid the sharp blades of the armoured insect. ¡°That won¡¯t save you,¡± said Aurin with a smile. ¡°Chopchop, use your metal wave!¡± Aurin¡¯s Minakai swung his arms, sending a shockwave of metal elemental energy through the air and cutting a deep gash into Grakadon¡¯s tail, forcing it to drop to the ground. It may have been tough, but Aurin and Chopchop had trained with Tobias¡¯s Grakadon which was on another level entirely. Upon Grakadon landing, it noticed that Chopchop was already there to meet it with his blades raised. Grakadon raised his own arms, coasting them in stone armour that Chopchop swiftly cut through and took a large chunk from the dragon¡¯s arm. It roared in pain as Chopchop¡¯s other arm swung for its neck, stopping upon first contact. A single move and Grakadon was done for. With eyes of malice, Grakadon sneered and foolishly chose to lean out of the way. Chopchop pulled his arm back and slashed across the earthen dragon¡¯s chest, sending a splattering of blood across the grass as the dragon collapsed in defeat. ¡°And Aurin has eliminated Kenny with a single Minakai!¡± called the announcer, barely audible through the cheers of the crowd. ¡°What a performance that was, folks. I can¡¯t believe I just witnessed it. If he brings this level of finesse to the national champions, we could be looking at our next national champion right here.¡± Kenny let out a dry laugh and shook his head in exasperation as he walked to meet Aurin in the middle of the battlefield. Aurin himself was smiling and waving to the crowd who were clapping and cheering as loud as ever. Luna put her fingers in her mouth and tried to whistle loudly, but it was a resounding failure and she was glad nobody had noticed except Innogon. ¡°Good match,¡± said Aurin, shaking Kenny¡¯s hand. ¡°Yeah, but not for me,¡± chuckled the defeated tamer. ¡°I hope I don¡¯t draw you early in the national championships, mate.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a good tamer, Kenny. You should study up on how Tobias handles his Grakadon to take skills up a notch. I¡¯ve no doubt you can pull it off.¡± ¡°How long is there left until the championships?¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. There¡¯s always time to train,¡± shrugged Aurin as he moved to walk away. ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty of it left to do myself once my next battle is over. Can¡¯t let myself slip by taking a month off now, can I?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not free to train me then, eh?¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. The two tamers laughed as they walked away from the centre of the battlefield and back to their own tunnels.¡± * ¡°Here¡¯s to the first confirmed finalist of the third Hazelton Tournament,¡± said Gardner, holding up a milkshake and clinking glasses with Aurin and Luna. Shamtile and Innogon had milkshakes of their own and, of course, were already almost finished before the tamers had even taken a sip. ¡°How does it feel knowing that you¡¯ll be fighting either Kyle or myself next?¡± asked Luna with a nudge and a wink. Aurin shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve fought you both so many times now that even with the higher stakes, I¡¯m still desensitised.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make you regret those words once I kick Kyle out of the tournament and back to the ranch.¡± ¡°Oh, we¡¯re getting to the tough talk now,¡± said Gardner, leaning in and watching intently. ¡°How long before fists are thrown?¡± ¡°The only fists being thrown will be Zenoman¡¯s as he single-handedly defeats Luna¡¯s entire team,¡± said Aurin. ¡°So¡­you think it¡¯ll be Luna in the final?¡± asked Gardner, raising an eyebrow. ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯re getting me to answer that,¡± chuckled Aurin. ¡°Does that mean you think it¡¯ll be Kyle?¡± asked Luna. ¡°I¡¯m not answering that either. I¡¯m not taking sides in this and will be cheering both of you on.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you take your girlfriend¡¯s side over anybody else¡¯s?¡± ¡°Normally, you would think so,¡± said Aurin, nodding along, ¡°but my girlfriend doesn¡¯t put a roof over my head.¡± ¡°Well, there is that,¡± muttered Luna as Gardner cackled wildly. ¡°At least all three of you will be going to the national championships with Kenny,¡± said the nature elemental specialist. ¡°Some smooth operator knocked me out of the tournament already.¡± ¡°No regrets,¡± said Aurin, leaning back in his chair and grinning. ¡°Not until I come back for vengeance, mate. Not until I come back for vengeance.¡± Gardner shook his fist, feigning anger before grinning. ¡°Oh no,¡± sighed Luna, staring up the street. Aurin and Gardner turned in their chairs and spotted Fredrick walking along the sunny streets of Hazelton and making his way straight for them. Suddenly Gardner¡¯s fist started shaking in earnest upon seeing Frederick¡¯s smarmy sneer. ¡°Aurin, Luna¡­whatever your name was,¡± said Frederick, making Gardner¡¯s face turn red with fury. ¡°You rotten scumbag. I¡¯m going to¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take his bait,¡± said Aurin, trying to calm Gardner down. ¡°You¡¯re giving him exactly the reaction he wants. What do you want, Fredrick?¡± ¡°I just wanted to congratulate you on qualifying for the national championships, Aurin. I¡¯m looking forward to having a true battle against you again and seeing who is the better tamer.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very much looking forward to defeating you,¡± replied Aurin. Frederick laughed. ¡°Do not get overconfident. Still haven¡¯t hatched that Zeera, have you?¡± Aurin said nothing. ¡°I thought as much. Even if you hatch him this evening, there¡¯s no possibility of you getting him to bow to your will in time. It took a lot of effort to get a Minakai like Abysarex under control and Zeera should, in theory, be more powerful at his full strength.¡± ¡°Aurin doesn¡¯t need Zeera to defeat you,¡± said Luna. ¡°Even I could wipe the floor with your team, Frederick.¡± Fredrick leaned back and let out a single loud laugh. ¡°You¡¯re serious, are you? Luna, you may be strong enough to beat losers like Damien, but not someone on my level. Not all Zodiac elites were equal in strength, as I¡¯m sure you aware. The only one stronger than me was our dear leader.¡± ¡°Funny that you still call him your leader,¡± said Gardner. ¡°You haven¡¯t changed at all, have you?¡± Fredrick pretended to be thinking. ¡°What was your name again? Giles?¡± Gardner stood up and lunged for Fredrick who took a swift step back to avoid Gardner¡¯s grasp. ¡°Temper, temper. Is it any wonder that you lack the emotional control needed to make it to the national championships, Gary?¡± ¡°Is there anything else, Frederick?¡± asked Aurin, holding Gardner back. ¡°No,¡± said the former Zodiac elite. ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty of training to do. I¡¯ll see you in Ludonia, Aurin. And I¡¯ll be stronger than you¡¯ve ever seen me.¡± With that, Fredrick stuck his hands in his pockets and strolled away while Gardner continued to stare after him, seething. ¡°You had better wipe the floor with him if you get the chance, you hear?¡± he said to Aurin and then sat down, taking a sip of his milkshake. ¡°In fact, if you don¡¯t get the chance, I¡¯ll help you jump him outside the stadium.¡± ¡°I will face him and I will win,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Fredrick is going to be humbled and, this time, it will stick.¡± There was the sudden breaking of glass underneath and table seconds before Shamtile and Innogon rolled out from underneath in a heap, punching each other. Their two tamers grabbed them and tore them away from each other as the two little reptiles screeched and yapped at each other. ¡°What is it this time?¡± asked Aurin, looking underneath the table as the broken remains of the two milkshake glasses. With a sigh and a shake of their heads, Aurin and Luna reached into their pockets and each grabbed a piece of silver to pay for the broken glasses while Shamtile and Innogon continued to glare at each other. ¡°Ah, to be so carefree that your biggest problem is fighting over milkshakes,¡± said Gardner, looking from Shamtile to Innogon and then back again. ¡°What I would give to lead such a simple life.¡± ¡°Do you fancy stepping onto the stadium and brawling against Kyle¡¯s Wingbloom tomorrow?¡± asked Luna. ¡°You know what, forget I said that.¡± Chapter 177 Luna waited patiently near the edge of the tunnel for her name to be called. She knew that at the far side of the stadium, Kyle was doing the same. She didn¡¯t feel nervous even though she probably ought to. Perhaps it was because she had already qualified for the national championships or perhaps because she knew Kyle so well and had trained with him regularly that it felt like a friendly match rather than a competitive one. Whatever the reason, she was calm. She leaned to the side and could just about make out Aurin sitting in the tamer box with Shamtile and Innogon; both Minakai were bouncing up and down, drawing plenty of attention to themselves. ¡°You¡¯ll be up in a few seconds,¡± said the tournament official. ¡°Feeling alright?¡± ¡°Surprisingly, yes,¡± said Luna with a small laugh. ¡°Glad to hear it.¡± There was the crackling of static and the announcer¡¯s voice came through the speakers across the stadium. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, it¡¯s now time for the second of our semifinals. Please welcome to the battlefield, Luna!¡± Luna walked out confidently, waving to the crowd. She caught Aurin¡¯s eye and saw him give her a particularly loud cheer. She winked at him and blew a kiss, making the crowd laugh. The cameras had settled on the red-faced Aurin who was not displayed on the overhead monitor. ¡°Ain¡¯t that lovely, folks?¡± chuckled the announcer. ¡°Her opponent today is none other than your hometown rancher, Kyle!¡± Kyle stepped out from the tunnel with a much more serious face than Luna. As they both approached the middle of the field, Luna started to suspect that Kyle was more nervous to battle than she was. He¡¯d been wisecracking about their match-up ever since they both qualified for the semifinals, but there was something different about him now that she was facing him in a truly serious match. ¡°Good luck,¡± said Kyle bluntly. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Luna asked him. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°No holding back, alright?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Especially not today.¡± The two parted ways and walked back towards their starting positions while Aurin sat in the crowd, feeling confused. He turned to Shamtile and Innogon who hadn¡¯t noticed a thing. ¡°Why does Kyle look so rattled?¡± he asked the pair, who stopped jumping and looked at Kyle¡¯s face on the stadium screen. Shamtile shrugged while Innogon let out a confused roar. ¡°He couldn¡¯t possibly be afraid that he¡¯s going to lose, could he?¡± asked Aurin, furrowing his brow. Luna and Kyle stood with their tamer gloves at the ready. Luna threw force an orb of light, conjuring forth her Splashard while Kyle summoned his Gorungra. The slick water demon stared intently at the rocky golem with the topaz crystals. ¡°You know the drill,¡± said Kyle to his Minakai. ¡°Don¡¯t let him do his drill!¡± called Luna. Splashard split herself in two, sending her separated left and right sides in opposing directions before pivoting towards Gorungra to flank him. As the water demon drew close, two large stone walls were erected by Kyle¡¯s Minakai to block her. Splashard was not to be deterred and shot blasts of water from her hands, blasting both walls down before continuing the charge towards Gorungra. Suddenly, two rock cages sprung up and captured the two halves of Splashard, trapping her within. As she broke free from each, Gorungra sent another cage to replace the broken one. Then another, and then another again. Gorungra himself had barely moved the entire time, only turning his head to observe his opponent. ¡°What¡¯s Kyle up to?¡± mumbled Aurin, understanding Luna¡¯s plan, but Kyle¡¯s Minakai was just standing and stalling. ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Splashard unleashed two water jets, both much weaker than they should have been. Even though he should have been weak to the water, the earth elemental Gorungra took the attack with ease. Luna suddenly realised why Kyle was stalling. ¡°Recombine!¡± she ordered Splashard, but Gorungra encapsulated the left half of her Minakai in a topaz prison. As Splashard beat her one fist against the inside of the gemstone, Gorungra finally moved and stampeded towards Splashard¡¯s right half. Splashard had sapped most of her own strength early by splitting in two and sustaining the split for so long, while draining herself further by using her magic to blast through so much stone. Splashard¡¯s latest water jet was barely a spritz as and Gorungra headbutted her, sending her flying across the stadium and into the wall. He stood on his hind legs and hurled a crystalline spear at her, impaling her against the wall and watching her wither away. Gorungra released her other half from his prison and it weakly slithered across the grass and recombined into one Minakai. Upon becoming one, Splashard fainted. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Would you look at that!¡± called the announcer. ¡°An absolutely brutal first round, folks.¡± ¡°Kyle¡¯s going full throttle,¡± Aurin said to Shamtile and Innogon. ¡°He¡¯s probably got a plan for every contingency.¡± Luna clenched her fists, deciding which of her two selected Minakai might give her a chance at victory. She had mere seconds to make her decision as the crowd watched and waited. With a flick of her wrists, she sent out Rabbafat. A neutral elemental was exactly what she needed so that she couldn¡¯t slip by using an elemental power that Kyle would have a counter for. Rabbafat appeared in a cream-coloured light and the rotund rabbit punched her fists together as she let out a low, purring growl. Kyle¡¯s Gorungra wasted no time in scattering sharp stones all over the battlefield, making it difficult to navigate the terrain. ¡°You¡¯re fat enough to get through that,¡± Luna said. ¡°Charge!¡± Rabbafat skipped between a few of the stones and threw herself forwards, tucking into a ball and rolling over the stones which had no effect on her. Gorungra hurled a crystalline spear, but Rabbafat bounced out of the way and continued to pick up speed. The earth elemental brought up another stone wall, blocking Rabbafat from side and slowing her to a halt. ¡°Momentum killed,¡± said Kyle, feeling assured. ¡°Bring her crashing down¡­wait!¡± Before Gorungra knew what had happened, Rabbafat leapt from the top of the wall and landed on his back. She started beating her fists against the large crystal on his back. Gorungra rolled over to shake her off and Rabbafat bounced away. As Gorungra righted himself, Rabbafat was upon him again and threw shockingly rapid jabs into his yellow eyes, blinding him. ¡°Crater!¡± called Kyle. Gorungra opened a pit in the ground before him, but Luna¡¯s Minakai was too quick and hopped away. She bounced straight back onto Gorungra¡¯s back, throwing another heavy swing and breaking his largest crystal. The golem collapsed in defeat, groaning as he lost consciousness. ¡°And Luna comes back swinging with her Rabbafat!¡± yelled the announcer, trying to be heard over the crowd. ¡°She¡¯s not going to just roll over and take a loss, that¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°Precision time,¡± said Kyle, summoning his Hogannon into battle. Hogannon raised his cannon arms together and unleashed a series of relentless rapid fireballs. Rabbafat squealed and dove out of the way, rolling around the battlefield to avoid the fiery bullets. Each time she tried to move closer to Hogannon, he split his focus between his two arms and forced her to go another direction. Rabbafat started to slow and Hogannon landed five successive strikes on her, singing her fur and forcing her out of her ball form. Hogannon¡¯s eyes glowed a bright orange as he charged up a much more powerful fireball that he unleashed at Luna¡¯s Minakai. Rabbafat threw herself out of the way, but her foot was caught by the fireball and she moaned in pain as she clutched it, unable to stand on it. She arose and hopped on her good foot, but her heavy weight threw her badly off balance. Upon falling over once again, Hogannon shot more fireballs at her and finished the battle. Luna was forced to banish her defeated monster, leaving her with only one team member left. ¡°Kyle¡¯s back with a vengeance,¡± said the announcer. ¡°Luna is down to her final Minakai, folks. She¡¯s going to have to pull off something great.¡± Luna let out a sigh, knowing now that Kyle had anticipated her team too well. She summoned her Windjinn as her heart sank. Her final monster was elementally weak to Kyle¡¯s Hogannon. And now just was it weak to her Minakai, but it was one of his strongest Minakai. Aurin¡¯s heart sank in the stands. ¡°Come on,¡± he said as Shamtile started repeatedly punching Innogon in the arm out of frustration. ¡°You can pull this off, Luna.¡± ¡°Blow him away,¡± Luna said to Windjinn. With a silent nod, he soared into the sky as Hogannon waited. He wanted Windjinn to be closer before he took any shots; there was no point expending himself. Windjinn whipped up a strong gale, sending the heavy wind straight at Hogannon, trying to throw him off balance, but the heavy pig braced himself and remained standing. ¡°She¡¯s got more than that,¡± muttered Kyle. ¡°What¡¯s she up to?¡± Windjinn charged into the wind and then propelled himself with a further tailwind, speeding towards Hogannon and blasting right through the fireballs he shot. Before Kyle¡¯s Minakai knew it, he was struck straight in the stomach and sent tumbling across the battlefield. ¡°Obscure yourself!¡± ordered Kyle. Before even standing, Hogannon unleashed clouds of smoke from his arms and it filled the air, hiding him within the spreading cloud. Luna¡¯s winged serpent beat its wings, sending a razor-sharp wave of air energy through the cloud to where Hogannon lay; or at least, to where he was lying before. ¡°Where did he go?¡± gasped Luna. As Windjinn tried to retreat, he was met with an immense fireball that burst through the remains of the smoke and struck him in the chest. He fell to the ground and squirmed as the pain flowed through him. ¡°And it looks like Luna is out of¡ª¡± Windjinn threw himself back into the air and flapped hard, taking to the skies once more. He was badly injured, but he was not out. ¡°Going down swinging, eh?¡± chuckled Kyle quietly before calling out to his Hogannon. ¡°Make it rain, Hogannon!¡± Hogannon unleashed a barrage of embers into the air that flew high and then exploded like fireworks, sending a cascade of glowing hot stones towards the battlefield. Windjinn weaved and dodged, but the rain kept coming. He glanced towards the heaving Hogannon who was almost spent. ¡°Do it!¡± Luna called. Windjinn pivoted downwards and charged at full speed towards Hogannon. Unable to use his cannons until he had recharged, the heavy pig tried to jump out of the way, but he was too spent. Windjinn knocked him to the ground, finishing him off. Upon stopping, Windjinn was struck by half a dozen embers and then fell too. ¡°And we have an almost double knockout!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Unfortunately for Luna, Kyle still has one Minakai left in reserve and that means he advances to the finals. Luna sighed and then smiled. She was certain from the beginning that she was going to lose, but she would happily settle for taking out two of Kyle¡¯s Minakai. The two walked to the centre of the battlefield and smiled at each other before laughing. ¡°I was worried you would have me,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I came a lot closer than I thought I would,¡± said Luna. ¡°You need to stop underestimating yourself. I certainly didn¡¯t. My team and I needed to focus and train hard to defeat you, you know?¡± Luna shook her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter because you¡¯re not going to win tomorrow.¡± Kyle let out a loud laugh. ¡°Is that so? You¡¯re so confident Aurin will beat me?¡± ¡°If you took me seriously and were so stressed about it, you must be having sleepless nights thinking about battling him.¡± ¡°Shush you,¡± said Kyle, rolling his eyes and walking back towards his tunnel. Luna returned to her own, but glanced towards the tamer box along the way. She noticed that Aurin, Shamtile and Innogon were missing. Upon returning to the waiting room, she saw them already waiting for her. ¡°You were fantastic,¡± Aurin said to her. ¡°The tamers in Ludonia aren¡¯t going to know what hit them next month.¡± ¡°You think?¡± she asked. ¡°For sure,¡± said Aurin, hugging her tightly and then whispering in her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Kyle, but I was hoping you would win.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Chapter 178 Aurin gathered himself and walked out onto the battlefield as Kyle approached the centre. It was game time and both tamers knew that they were not going to have an easy run of it. They stopped and shook hands as the crowd cheered for both of them. ¡°Nervous?¡± Aurin asked the rancher with a grin. ¡°Me? Never,¡± said Kyle. ¡°That¡¯s a yes.¡± ¡°Once we¡¯re through today, you¡¯ll considering pulling out of the national championships in case you end up drawing me.¡± The pair both laughed as they walked to opposite sides of the battlefield and took their positions. As much as they could joke with each other, the laughter stopped now. This battle would require full focus and the first one to slip would be the one to lose. ¡°The moment has come, folks,¡± boomed the announcer¡¯s voice. ¡°Both tamers are ready to go, are you?¡± The crowd shouted their confirmation and demanded the match be counted in. ¡°If you say so! Three. Two. One. Let the finals begin!¡± Aurin and Kyle both threw their hands forward, sending bursts of light onto the battlefield. From an orange-brown light appeared Shamtile, who was already waving his arms, and from a yellow light appeared Wingbloom, who took to the skies immediately. Shamtile closed the distance and raised a pillar from the ground, bringing him up to Wingbloom¡¯s height as the bird-like plant beats his wings to conjure up a mighty wind. Before the wind could truly take hold, Shamtile launched a series of boulders at Wingbloom, all of which missed as Kyle¡¯s Minakai weaved past them. ¡°It¡¯s a trap!¡± called Kyle from far below, but Wingbloom. The air elemental looked around and saw the boulders hovering in the air around him. Shamtile clapped his hands and the rocks quickly converged, striking Wingbloom across his entire body, but a spin and a burst of air knocked half of them away before they could do too much damage. Wingbloom then generated a huge gust behind himself and charged for Shamtile who stood atop his pillar. Shamtile lowered himself back to ground, but Wingbloom was much faster than he was. At the last second, Shamtile covered himself in stone armour and braced himself for the hit. He was knocked from his pillar and back to the ground, but the fall wasn¡¯t as bad as it would have been ten seconds prior. He threw off his armour and leapt back to his feet, ready to keep fighting, even as Wingbloom¡¯s blasts of razor-sharp air elemental energy soared through the air. Three thick stones walls later and the energy had lost all momentum and dissipated. ¡°On the offensive again!¡± Aurin ordered Shamtile, his knuckles white and his jaw sore from all of the clenching he¡¯d been doing as the battle raged. ¡°It won¡¯t matter,¡± muttered Kyle, knowing that as strong as Shamtile was, Wingbloom outclassed him. Wanting to end the round quickly, he called out to his Minakai. ¡°Go supersonic!¡± Heeding his master¡¯s command, Wingbloom twirled in the air like a drill and sped towards Shamtile who was forced back on the defensive. ¡°Use your new technique!¡± Aurin ordered Shamtile. With a terrifying screech, Shamtile focused an immense amount of energy and erupted another wall from the ground. This wall, however, was not of rough brown or grey stone. This wall was made of cloudy diamond and, try as he might to pull away, Wingbloom was torpedoing straight for it. Kyle¡¯s Minakai collided with the diamond as Kyle watched on in shock. How or when Aurin had mastered this advanced technique, he had no idea, but it was enough to win. Wingbloom lay spread out on the ground, panting heavily with a badly injured face. With a heavy heart, Kyle banished his favourite Minakai back to the ranch where his other monsters would take care of him. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a diamond wall precious few times in my life, folks!¡± boomed the announcer. ¡°What a twist from Aurin that was, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Aurin smiled in satisfaction. He and Shamtile had been working on that move for months, learning that it was possible from Tobias back when they were training together. The only flaw was that it required a lot more energy to pull off than a regular stone wall and Shamtile was already having to fight hard against Wingbloom, and Aurin was certain that Kyle would notice how exhausted the masked lizard was. ¡°Make it quick, Snowlem,¡± said Kyle, summoning his star ice Minakai to the battlefield. Snowlem flashed in and gave a big coaly smile before conjuring a snowstorm to obscure Shamtile¡¯s vision. Without the energy remaining to burrow down, Shamtile summoned a stone spear in his hand and waited for his foe to emerge through the thick waves of billowing snow. Kyle¡¯s Minakai leapt towards Shamtile with a spear of his own, this one made of ice. Shamtile thrust his forward, but Snowlem bashed it out of the way, shattering both spears. With Shamtile out of steam, Snowlem lifted him high overhead and hurled him into the air. He watched Shamtile fly high and then launched a barrage of large hailstones from his wooden hands, pelting Shamtile relentlessly until Aurin¡¯s Minakai hit the grass, unable to stand any longer. ¡°You did good, mate,¡± said Aurin, banishing Shamtile to the ranch to be treated by Sunny. ¡°Leave the rest to us.¡± In a burst of blue light, Steambot appeared and let loose an eruption of water from his pipes, catching Snowlem off guard and knocking him across the battlefield. Caught so unexpectedly, he let his focus lapse and the snowstorm vanished, leaving only a thin layer of snow upon the grass which was quickly melting on this hot day. With no desire to give his opponent a chance to recover, Steambot sent a mighty tidal wave across the battlefield, sweeping Snowlem further away, but Kyle had a counter already thought out. Snowlem froze the water-logged field, leaving the once green grass as a sheet of uneven ice. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°It won¡¯t be that easy,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Turn up the heat, Steambot.¡± Steambot¡¯s pipes vibrated as they boiled water, making him look like a giant, steaming teapot. Snowlem took the opening and hurled an icy boulder across the battlefield, smacking Steambot¡¯s metal torso, but Steambot took his new dent like a champ and leaned over, unleashing a burst of scalding water on the battlefield, thawing it out and giving himself a clear path to storm down. As he ran, Snowlem conjured icicle spears in each hand and hurled them at the charging behemoth, but Steambot smashed them aside with his fists. Nothing was coming between him and his target, at least not until Snowlem summoned an icy wall to give himself a chance to catch his breath. ¡°Blast it apart!¡± ordered Aurin. Steambot continued running while hunched over as his pipes shook. He unleashed a pressure cannon that was intense enough to blast a large hole in the wall, which flew back and knocked Snowlem down. Steambot forced himself through the wall, but it was already dissipating as Snowlem climbed back to his feet. As Steambot threw a punch, Snowlem encased his own hands in ice and punched straight back. The two pummelled each other, sending splashes of water and waves of snowflakes everywhere. The pair were so focused on their hand-to-hand battle that they could not gather enough concentration to use their elemental powers. As Steambot punched, Snowlem kicked. As Snowlem headbutted, Steambot elbowed. The two were tiring, but Aurin knew that Steambot had more stamina left than Snowlem. And if he knew it, Kyle knew it. ¡°Everything into this one,¡± said the rancher. ¡°Joint manoeuvre!¡± Snowlem took a nasty punch to the face as he neglected to block in favour of grabbing onto Steambot¡¯s torso. He channelled as much of his icy energy as he could into freezing the water within Aurin¡¯s Minakai. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see these two hugging it out, folks,¡± remarked the announcer. ¡°But really, what¡¯s Kyle up to? Whatever it is, it doesn¡¯t seem to be working.¡± Kyle¡¯s eyes narrowed while Aurin smiled at him from across the battlefield. The younger tamer knew that in a hand-to-hand match, Steambot would outmatch Snowlem, so his Minakai was under strict instructions that if he was fighting Snowlem, he had to maintain as much hot water inside him as he could should Kyle try and freeze him. Snowlem was struggling as he tried to freeze the hot water. Still flexible, Steambot threw a double elbow into Snowlem¡¯s back, breaking his grip. Snowlem grabbed Snowlem by the wooden arms and spun him around in circles before releasing him into the wall. Before the dazed Snowlem could even look up, he was hit be another pressure cannon and knocked out of the battle. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± said Kyle with a slight chuckle upon seeing Steambot throwing out victorious poses to the cheering crowd. The rancher threw out his hand, summoning his last Minakai into battle. When his burst of steely-grey light vanished, a silver and gold metallic with glowing red eyes flapped in place. Kyle¡¯s Techwing unleashed a magnetic force, throwing Steambot onto his back. And with a beat of his wings, Techwing sent an assault of shrapnel at the supine water elemental. Already beaten down by his fight with Snowlem, Steambot struggled to get up. All it took to finish him off was a red-hot laser blast from Techwing¡¯s glowing eyes. He sprawled back onto the ground, motionless and Aurin sent him back to the ranch. ¡°What a final, folks!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Aurin and Kyle are both down to their final Minakai, so it¡¯s neck and neck. Only one of these incredibly strong contenders can come out on top and I couldn¡¯t even guess who it¡¯ll be.¡± ¡°Not the pairing I hoped for,¡± muttered Aurin under his breath as he threw out his own ball of grey light that materialised Gorunze on the grass. His bronze golem stood braced on his four blue-green legs with his topaz nails as sharp as razors. It would be a struggle to bring Techwing close, but Aurin knew that he would find a way. At close-range, the steel bird would be no match for Aurin¡¯s bronze beast. Sensing what Techwing was about to do, Gorunze hardened his skin and weathered the red-beamed laser blast. He returned fire with a yellow laser from his own eyes, but Techwing was quick enough to dive out of the way and then take to the skies, keeping far out of melee range of Gorunze. ¡°Head for the centre,¡± Aurin ordered and Gorunze complied, running to the middle of the battlefield while keeping his eyes focused on Techwing who stayed aloft and out of reach. ¡°Magnetism, full power!¡± Gorunze harnessed his elemental energy and tried to pull Techwing in, but he reversed his polarity and was instead repelled. Gorunze switched his own polarity to pull him in, but Techwing switched just as quickly. While Kyle¡¯s Minakai was focused on keeping away from Aurin¡¯s, Gorunze shot a laser blast as a distraction. Techwing swooped out of the way and Gorunze turned on his magnetism. There was a split second that Techwing remained perfectly still as the pull and push was even, giving Gorunze the chance to shoot another laser beam and clip the metallic bird¡¯s wing. In the distraction, Techwing was dragged down and Gorunze shot laser blast after laser blast, trying to cripple his opponent. Kyle and his Minakai were too savvy for this and Techwing spiralled out of the way and took to the skies again before Gorunze could gain any ground, but this showed Aurin that he had a path to victory. Techwing switched things up and went on the offensive, launching a barrage of steel spikes at Gorunze who zapped each of them out of the air. While Gorunze was defending himself, he didn¡¯t notice Techwing¡¯s eyes glowing redder than ever as he charged an immense laser. Upon the final spike being obliterated, Techwing unleashed his attack. Knowing he couldn¡¯t dodge in time, Gorunze retaliated with a beam of his own and the beams¡ªone red, one yellow¡ªcollided, but did not dissipate. There was an intense sparking of orange where the beams met that slid up and down the opposing forces. ¡°Everything you¡¯ve got!¡± called Aurin. ¡°You hit him with this and he¡¯s done!¡± Gorunze powered up his laser beam, but he was starting on shaky ground with Techwing¡¯s red line of energy being much closer to him than Gorunze¡¯s one was to Techwing. ¡°Agh,¡± grunted Kyle as the orange convergence started to move towards Techwing. He was regretting his Minakai hurling so many spikes and expending himself. ¡°Full power!¡± The ball of orange slid back and forth, but grew ever closer to the centre. When it finally crossed the centre, both tamers could see the likely outcome. In a bid of desperation, Techwing dropped, taking the force of the beam to his wing while shooting further spikes at the exhausted Gorunze. Too slow to react, he was pierced by three spikes and collapsed in a heap, knocking him out of the battle. Techwing crashed into the ground and the crowd waited with bated breath to see if either Minakai would move. Both tamers watched intently to see if there would be a stir from their monsters or if the match had ended in a draw. ¡°Caawwww,¡± came a metallic call from Techwing who slowly moved the wing that managed to avoid the laser. ¡°It¡¯s all over!¡± cried the announcer over the crowd. ¡°Our local rancher has just become the winner of the third Hazelton Tournament. And what a nail-biting finale that was, I need a handkerchief to wipe my forehead.¡± Aurin and Kyle walked to the centre of the battlefield. The younger tamer was impressed by how strongly Gorunze had performed against an aerial opponent of his own element, but he knew that it would be an uphill battle upon seeing Steambot fall to Techwing. ¡°That was far too close for my liking,¡± said Kyle, shaking Aurin¡¯s hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would even need to use Techwing in this battle.¡± ¡°You continue to underestimate me,¡± said Aurin with a grin. ¡°Or maybe I overestimate myself. Whatever the reason, you were excellent. A different team line-up and that might have been it for me.¡± ¡°Noted for Ludonia.¡± With a laugh, the pair walked over to the tamer box to await the battlefield being cleaned up and Lord Kensington to award Kyle his prize. Aurin would have been lying if he had said that he wasn¡¯t disappointed, but he would turn that into fuel that would drive him to the top at the national championships. There was still one more month to prepare and he wasn¡¯t going to waste a second of it. Chapter 179 ¡°Come on, come on,¡± urged Aurin as Kyle walked deliberately slowly from his house with the egg incubator in his hands. ¡°The more you order me to hurry up, the slower I will be,¡± said the rancher with a smirk. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll just hatch the egg tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± said Aurin with a scowl. ¡°Nah,¡± laughed Kyle. ¡°I want to know too.¡± He set the incubator on the ground and Luna passed him his prized egg from the tournament. Kyle carefully set it upon the incubator and pressed the button. The forcefield activated and the egg began to glow before cracking and emitting a steely-grey light. The form of the Minakai within the light was oddly small and round with a long nose, but from its back emerged an almost vapour-like glow, leaving Aurin confused. As the grey faded, he realised what Minakai the egg had contained. The spectral Minakai bore a solid mask and its form was purple and gaseous with a small trail flickering from behind; it was an undead metal-elemental called Maskmet. Aurin had faced its fully evolved form, Titamet, when training with Tobias in Briarwood. ¡°Very nice,¡± said Kyle, tapping a fingertip on Maskmet¡¯s mask. ¡°I¡¯ve never trained a Maskmet before and I don¡¯t have a strong array of metal elementals.¡± ¡°How many Minakai do you have?¡± asked Luna, putting a finger to her chin. ¡°Never enough,¡± joked Kyle. ¡°Nice dodge there, Kyle,¡± said Aurin with a stupid grin on his face. ¡°You are always free to walk through the ranch and see if you can remember which are mine and which aren¡¯t. For now, we¡¯re all opponents and I won¡¯t be reminding you until after the championships are over, Captain Second Place.¡± ¡°It was close!¡± barked Aurin. ¡°You were an inch from losing.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t lose, did I?¡± winked Kyle. ¡°No¡­¡± muttered Aurin, determined to have his revenge against his friend. Luna shook her head in exasperation. ¡°Why can¡¯t you two just be nice to each other?¡± ¡°We are nice to each other,¡± said Kyle, to which Aurin nodded. ¡°Good friends can tear into each other and laugh it off, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± laughed Aurin. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s fun to mock each other relentlessly.¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t understand you boys sometimes¡­¡± sighed Luna. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve got plenty of Ludonia preparation to do and that begins immediately.¡± ¡°Immediately?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Immediately,¡± confirmed Luna, holding up her tamer glover. ¡°I¡¯ve got lots of work to do and maybe even a couple of evolutions to perform.¡± ¡°Evolutions would be a good idea,¡± said Aurin, reaching into his pocket and making sure he had a Solar Shard handy. Luna summoned Innogon to her side. ¡°Ready to go, Inno?¡± she asked the blue drake, who jumped up and down excitedly while yapping. ¡°Go?¡± asked Aurin and Kyle in unison. ¡°We¡¯re competitors, aren¡¯t we?¡± asked Luna. ¡°High stakes and all that, right? Well, I¡¯ve been devising a training plan to make sure that I can pulverise you two when we inevitably fight again. It¡¯s an intense regime and I¡¯m sticking to it, but that means I won¡¯t be around Hazelton for the next week or two.¡± ¡°Next week or two?¡± asked a shocked Aurin. Kyle raised an eyebrow. ¡°If you¡¯re sticking to your training schedule, then you would surely know if it¡¯s one or two weeks.¡± Luna rolled her eyes and gently squeezed her forehead. ¡°It¡¯s two weeks, alright? I¡¯ll be gone for two weeks. Honestly, Kyle, you don¡¯t need to be so pernickety about these things.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°What can I say?¡± shrugged Kyle. ¡°I just love winding the pair of you up and defeating you in Minakai battles.¡± ¡°Hush!¡± scolded Luna. ¡°Where are you going?¡± asked Aurin curiously, this being the first he had heard of any such training plan. ¡°Top secret, my sweet,¡± said Luna, tapping him on the cheek with her palm and sticking out my tongue. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, all will be revealed after I¡¯m the winner of the national championships.¡± She gave Aurin a hug and patted Shamtile on the head. ¡°I¡¯ll see you all soon. There better be no slacking with your own training!¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of slacking,¡± chuckled Aurin. ¡°Take care, alright?¡± Luna and Innogon waved farewell as they headed back down the ranch path and out of sight. Her departure felt very sudden, but Aurin trusted that she had a solid plan in mind and didn¡¯t want to miss the final battle of the Hazelton tournament before leaving. ¡°What¡¯s your training plan, Kyle?¡± Aurin asked the rancher. ¡°I¡¯m going to call in a secret weapon to make sure I¡¯m whipped back into top fighting shape,¡± said Kyle. ¡°You think I was tough today? Just wait until you see me at my peak power level.¡± ¡°I bet that secret weapon is Hunter, Tobias or Clarke.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even start guessing because I¡¯m giving nothing away, my friend. You, on the other hand, have already given away your game plan. Vai¡¯s expecting you tomorrow, you know that?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I¡¯ll be setting off in an hour or two.¡± ¡°Are you going to ride on Skrow?¡± ¡°I am, but I need to take care of something first.¡± ¡°Well, while you do that, I¡¯m going to start feeding the Minakai. I¡¯ll let you away with cleaning out just your own pen today.¡± ¡°Much appreciated,¡± said Aurin, clapping Kyle on the back and walking into the pens with Shamtile hopping along beside him, waving his arms enthusiastically. The masked lizard was very much looking forward to training away from Hazelton, even though he had a miserable time of it training in snowy Briarwood. Aurin stepped inside his pen where his Minakai were waiting. Steambot and Gorunze were resting up and looked surprised to see Shamtile with such high levels of energy after the intense battle no more than two hours ago. They, however, had not had the earth elemental¡¯s secret recovery food¡ªa banana milkshake. ¡°Team,¡± said Aurin to his team of fourteen, ¡°you have all made me very proud. We¡¯ve secured our place in the national championships two years in a row, and it¡¯s thanks to your efforts. The competition this year was very tough and you all pulled through, so thank you.¡± The Minakai were all brimming with enthusiasm and elicited a cacophony of calls. Even Dolissile joined in with an echoing whistle. ¡°We¡¯ve got a month until we stand before the crowd and fight with all of our might. I have no doubt you all remember Tobias, but to be honoured with a true battle against him, we need to steamroll our competition along the way. I don¡¯t believe we¡¯re ready yet, but at the end of these four weeks, we will be.¡± The Minakai roared, howled, squealed and screeched in agreement, determined to give their maximum effort. ¡°Quetz,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Flap your way over here, please. You have earned a reward for all of your hard work recently.¡± Quetz fluttered her wings and landed in front of Aurin, hissing with excitement as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a Solar Shard. He leaned down and pressed the magical evolutionary shard onto her sleek scales and watched as she glowed a deep yellow. The sky serpent¡¯s body lengthened and became thicker while her fangs protruded longer, now much sharper than before. Her wings thickened, enlarging to the size of her body, and grew more feathery. As the glow faded, the one red ring around Quetz¡¯s tail became three red rings. ¡°Feeling strong, Quetzel?¡± Aurin asked his newly evolved Minakai. Quetzel beat her wings and took to the sky, pirouetting on the way back down and conjuring up a gust of wind to test her strength. Most of Aurin¡¯s lighter Minakai toppled over, while the heavier ones braced themselves. ¡°That sounds like a yes to me,¡± chortled Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m going to pack up and then we take to the skies, alright? I¡¯ll be riding on Skrow, but you can follow alongside.¡± Aurin and Shamtile left the pen and headed towards Kyle¡¯s house. Aurin ordered Shamtile to retrieve the Zeera egg from its underground hiding place while Aurin headed inside and hastily threw some clothes into his backpack. He knew he should have packed the previous evening, but was too excited for the battle. ¡°Good enough,¡± he said, slinging the backpack over his shoulder and walking back outside. He dropped his pack on the porch beside Shamtile who stood watch over the Zeera egg, looking continually left and right to make sure nobody dared approach. Aurin grabbed a shovel and headed into the pen to clean up his monsters¡¯ dung. He made very quick work of this, wheelbarrowing it off for compost, and headed back to Shamtile with Skrow and Quetzel by his side. ¡°The egg good and safe, mate?¡± Aurin asked, to which Shamtile nodded and waved his arms furiously. ¡°Good job. If Quetzel doesn¡¯t mind, you can ride on her back.¡± Quetzel cooed and hissed in approval and Shamtile immediately leapt onto her, wrapping his arms around her neck. Aurin stuffed Zeera¡¯s egg inside his backpack with his clothes and put both straps over his arms. He then climbed onto Skrow, who beats his wings and took to the skies. Aurin and Shamtile flew above the ranch on Skrow and Quetzel, watching it shrink beneath them and the Minakai living there becoming nothing but multi-coloured dots upon the grass and in the river. The four headed west, flying past the mountain and heading towards the western valleys where they were due to meet Vai the following morning. Chapter 180 Aurin and Skrow aimed straight for the brown grass at the top of the cliff overlooking the deep valley. Standing at the cliff edge, staring up to the skies was a bald man with a thick ash-brown beard. The man was wearing a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a white tank top with a travelling cloak draped over his shoulders that flowed in the breeze. As Aurin and Skrow descended¡ªShamtile and Quetzel having returned to the ranch via their summoning stones the previous night¡ªVai held out a hand in greeting. Upon reaching the cliff edge, Aurin climbed from Skrow¡¯s back and shook hands with Kyle¡¯s old friend, pleased to have finally had the chance to meet him. ¡°Welcome to Gwent Valley, Aurin,¡± said Vai in his gruff voice. ¡°I bet you¡¯ve never seen this side of western Bretonia, lad, have you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time flying out this far,¡± admitted Aurin, looking over the edge of the cliff and into the grassland and forest where a twisting river ran through. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± ¡°And chilly,¡± added Vai with a laugh, ¡°but Kyle tells me you¡¯ve trained in Briarwood so this should feel warm in comparison, especially in the summer sun.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what the conditions are, I¡¯m ready to train.¡± ¡°Good, because we start right away.¡± ¡°No lunch?¡± asked a shocked Aurin. ¡°Lunch? It¡¯s half ten in the morning. You don¡¯t need lunch, lad.¡± Aurin could feel his stomach devouring itself but he decided it best not to argue back. Perhaps he could cook up Zeera¡¯s egg if he wasn¡¯t able to find a way to hatch it. Suddenly, it occurred to him that half the reason he brought it here was because Kyle suggested that Vai could help him with it. ¡°Ah,¡± said Vai with a satisfied smile upon Aurin taking the former tower guardian¡¯s egg from his bag. ¡°This is the one, is it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Aurin, holding it out carefully and examining the pattern resembling Zeera¡¯s body that covered the shell. ¡°How much has Kyle told you about it?¡± ¡°Everything that he knows, I know. The beast inside was once the scourge of Hazelton before you triggered its reincarnation.¡± ¡°Reincarnation?¡± asked Aurin, furrowing his brow. ¡°Yes, I suppose that¡¯s an apt way to describe it. The only problem is that I don¡¯t know how to give him the chance to be born again.¡± ¡°Patience. I want to see how you handle the Minakai you¡¯ve already had time to train. Let that Skrow of yours rest and summon a Minakai.¡± ¡°What one?¡± ¡°Any.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± shrugged Aurin, telling Skrow to find somewhere to perch before raising his tamer glove. He already had Shamtile¡¯s stone at the ready so he summoned his favourite Minakai to his side. ¡°Ready, mate?¡± Shamtile screeched in agreement and danced excitedly, waiting for an opponent to appear. When the masked lizard noticed Vai standing with his arms folded, he cocked his head to the side and slapped the more experienced tamer on the knee. ¡°You are not battling,¡± said Vai, chuckling at Shamtile. ¡°Show me something good. Anything.¡± Shamtile looked to Aurin who signalled with his eyes to the far side of the valley. Even with the mask concealing his face, Shamtile looked nervous but Aurin knew that his companion could pull off what he had in mind. Vai, meanwhile, let out a small side smile. The masked lizard raised his arms and shook them from side to side, picking up speed with each sway. He let out a high-pitched, warbling screech and, from the cliff, shot a large outcropping of stone. It extended from Shamtile¡¯s side of the valley for over two hundred yards, joining with the far cliff and forming a bridge over the valley. ¡°Very nice,¡± said Vai, nodding as he admired the bridge. ¡°Not an easy task to perform and not an easy bridge to maintain, especially without any support pillars.¡± Vai walked across the bridge, catching Aurin and Shamtile off guard. Aurin¡¯s Minakai had intended on retracting the bridge, but now he had to fight to keep it in place with his elemental magic. If he slipped and the bridge collapsed, Vai¡ªwho stopped in the centre¡ªwould no doubt fall to his death. ¡°This adds to the view,¡± called Vai, looking to the river below. ¡°I know this moment is fleeting, but I would like to see just how long it can last.¡± Stolen story; please report. Shamtile was starting to struggle and held his arms out, focusing all of his power on keeping the bridge stable. He was starting to wish Aurin hadn¡¯t asked him to do something so strenuous. ¡°Keep it together, mate,¡± said Aurin, watching his Minakai¡¯s arms shake. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you do amazing things when we¡¯re in a pinch. This is nothing to you, alright?¡± Shamtile wished he believed Aurin but nonetheless he tried with all of his might to hold steady. Vai turned to face the lizard from a hundred yards away and watched intently as Shamtile put everything he had into protecting his life. The bridge started to rumble as Shamtile was nearing his limit. Yet Vai remained standing in the centre, unwilling to take as much as a single step forward. Aurin was starting to sweat, praying that his friend could hold strong. This was what Vai wanted; high stakes. It was high stakes that would force Shamtile to go beyond what he thought possible and it was working. Slowly, the shaking of the bridge grew more vigorous yet it remained in place without a single rock falling. A flicker of weakness would send one into the beautiful abyss below and would cascade as the rest collapsed, but Shamtile was not going to let that happen. Vai placed his fingers into his mouth and let out a piercing whistle that echoed throughout the land. From out of nowhere, flew a golden Quetzalia. It soared towards Vai, who grabbed onto its tail. The second his feet left the bridge, Shamtile pulled his hands up and over his head, sending the stone from the bridge speeding straight back into the cliff from whence it came. The masked lizard fell onto the wispy, dry grass, panting heavily as Vai landed back on the edge of the cliff and his Quetzalia flew back into the skies. ¡°Very interesting,¡± he said to Aurin as he watched Shamtile¡¯s chest heaving up and down rapidly. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s very strong,¡± said Aurin. ¡°No,¡± said Vai with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s what he chose to retract the bridge rather than let it fall. That took further strength. He pushed himself to his limit, went beyond and then beyond even that. He¡¯s really quite something. He has innate potential, I have no doubt, but it takes a lot of training to be manifest that as capability. And not just any training, might I add. It takes good training.¡± Aurin reached out to Shamtile and pulled the little Minakai back to his feet. ¡°Good job, mate,¡± he said before turning back to Vai. ¡°I got him more than two and a half years ago and ever since we arrived in Hazelton a little over two years ago, we¡¯ve been training almost every day. With Kyle, with Tobias, by ourselves¡­we¡¯ve worked tirelessly to get where we are now.¡± ¡°And now I am certain that you will be able to handle the challenge that is an epic-level Minakai. It won¡¯t be easy, but you will be able to harness Zeera¡¯s power rather than let such a beast overwhelm you. Now, I¡¯m curious about more of your Minakai. Summon two more.¡± Aurin took out two more summoning stones¡ªone steely grey and another emerald green¡ªand focused his will into them. In two distinct flashes of light, appeared Dolissile and Desparee. Both Minakai had expected to be summoned before long and were looking energised for whatever lay in store. ¡°Make them fight and let me see what they can do,¡± said Vai. ¡°There is no need to go all-out, perhaps seventy-five percent will suffice.¡± ¡°You heard the man,¡± Aurin told his Minakai, unsure how they would measure seventy-five percent. ¡°Fight hard but don¡¯t break each other. Show him a range of what you can do.¡± The overly-emotional Desparee wept at the prospect of battling his stoic friend, but Dolissile had no such qualms and charged into the nature elemental¡¯s chest, knocking him onto the ground and making him roll over a few times towards the edge of the cliff. ¡°Careful!¡± called Aurin as Desparee stood up with sap tears running down his face. Desparee retaliated with a nature beam as Dolissile rolled aside in mid-air and sent out a pulse, knocking Desparee further back. As he wobbled inches from the cliff edge, Desparee conjured vines from the ground and pulled himself forward and got well out of the way of the danger zone. Dolissile charged in for another quick attack, but Desparee hurled sharp leaves that cut into the dolphin¡¯s metallic exoskeleton and forcing him off course. Recovering quickly, Dolissile spun around and torpedoed towards Desparee while his fin glowed bright blue. Desparee leapt aside but his arm was cut deeply by the attack, rendering him unable to even flex his fingers. With a single arm, he let out a wail of anguish and used his wild despair to bring a relentless assault of vines, roots and leaves from the ground that beat Dolissile mercilessly. Mustering up strength, the dolphin hardened himself like titanium and took the brunt of the attack until Desparee¡¯s strength waned. Once the vines and roots retracted into the soil, Dolissile sped towards Desparee who charged a weak nature beam in one hand, ready to deliver a final strike to his charging teammate. ¡°Stop the battle,¡± Vai said to Aurin. ¡°Stop!¡± the tamer ordered and his Minakai immediately ceased their attacks. Dolissile stuttered to a halt in mid-air as Desparee¡¯s nature beam dissipated within his hand. ¡°They¡¯re good Minakai, Aurin,¡± said Vai, clapping at Dolissile and Desparee. ¡°They¡¯re very skilled but there are a few refinements that can be made to their form and techniques. I even have a couple of unorthodox ideas that may give you an edge when you¡¯re in a tight spot.¡± ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± ¡°Well,¡± said Vai, walking up to Desparee and grabbing the nature elemental¡¯s wrists. He pulled Desparee¡¯s hands up and turned them slowly. ¡°I¡¯m going to start with Desparee here. You see these hands? They¡¯re good and strong hands that are occupied when he¡¯s using a nature beam technique. How about we work on the ability to use that attack from another part of his body so his hands can be used for something else?¡± Vai released Desparee and walked over to Dolissile who stared emotionlessly at the experienced tamer. ¡°As for this Dolissile. There is great speed and power in him, that much is clear, but I¡¯ve heard from Kyle that you¡¯ve yet to perfect a kamikaze attack that doesn¡¯t completely cripple him. Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± admitted Aurin. ¡°We¡¯ve been working on it, but can¡¯t get it right.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re going to get it right under my tutelage. It¡¯s a dangerous technique, which you obviously know, but it¡¯s worth getting right. It¡¯s immensely powerful and always manages to catch an opponent off-guard. Are you ready to start right away?¡± ¡°Lunch can wait,¡± said Aurin, making Shamtile yelp in discontent. ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡± Chapter 181 ¡°Split your focus between your fists and your body,¡± ordered Aurin as Zenoman attacked Gorunze, whose eyes were glowing yellow. ¡°Don¡¯t neglect your Gorunze,¡± said Vai. ¡°Remember what we talked about.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Aurin, turning to Gorunze. ¡°Your nails are made of the same crystal as your eyes. Use them!¡± Gorunze reared up, standing on his hind legs as he unleashed his laser beam at Zenoman¡¯s body while swiping away the flying fists that were gunning for him. Zenoman was able to maintain his attack and still had enough control of his body to avoid the laser beams, but his fists did not fare as well and two of them were badly cut by Gorunze¡¯s topaz nails. ¡°That will do for now,¡± said Vai and Aurin called off the battle between his Minakai. He had spent the entire previous afternoon showcasing his many Minakai and their capabilities to Vai, who then focused on teaching Desparee how to harness a nature beam from his mouth, leaving his hands free for hand-to-hand combat. The nature elemental adapted to it surprisingly well, morning had been dedicated to perfecting Dolissile¡¯s kamikaze attack. The dolphin had injured himself many times over, leaving Sunny to heal him, but they were both too spent to keep training so Vai focused on other Minakai in the meantime after he and Aurin had taken a break for lunch. ¡°Sunny, you¡¯re up,¡± said Aurin and the little cloud-like egg twirled along happily, healing Zenoman and Gorunze¡¯s injuries. ¡°You¡¯re already coming along well,¡± said Vai, walking over to a large rock and sitting atop it with his legs crossed and his arms folded. ¡°Kyle was right about you, Aurin. You¡¯ve got a real knack for this. If you¡¯d become a pencil-pusher, you¡¯d have been wasting your talent.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± said Aurin, flopping down on the grass. ¡°Can you tell my mother that?¡± ¡°Are you happy with how your training is going?¡± asked Vai. ¡°Yes¡­¡± said Aurin but something else was on his mind. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°The training is going well and I know there¡¯s a lot more ground to cover, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have time to hatch Zeera and make sure he¡¯s trained up enough to use effectively in the tournament.¡± ¡°And you think you need Zeera to win?¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. Give me another couple of years and probably not, but it¡¯s impossible to deny that a well-trained Minakai of that calibre would give me an edge.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± said Vai, standing up and hopping down from the rock. ¡°What?¡± asked Aurin in shock, thinking Vai would be much harder to persuade than that. ¡°Let¡¯s go and see what we can do about that egg.¡± ¡°Y-yes,¡± said Aurin, clambering to his feet and rushing to retrieve the egg that Shamtile was sitting atop. Vai walked towards the path that led to both the north and to the south. The north road led to a small cabin that Vai lived and to the south, well, Aurin did not know where it led but it was the direction that Vai was now walking. ¡°You¡¯re wearing hiking boots, right?¡± Vai asked. ¡°No,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Oh,¡± said the skilled trainer with a hearty chuckle. ¡°Expect a few blisters then, Aurin. I won¡¯t think less of you if you ride on your Skrow or Quetzel for a while.¡± ¡°I can deal with blisters.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the correct answer,¡± said Vai, slapping Aurin on the shoulder and marching on ahead, leaving the younger tamer to follow him along the path through the hills. They walked through the afternoon and into the evening with the summer sun warming them while the breeze cooled them right back down. The journey was easy until they veered from the path an hour in, but as they wandered through dense pines and overgrown foliage, Aurin found himself struggling more. He was reminded of his journey to Snowpeak Tower with Tobias. The journey through the thick snow was shorter, but the more difficult terrain made it seem longer than it was. This journey was filled with bursts of intensity followed by a few minutes of easier walking. As the orange sky watched over them, Vai and Aurin approached a small square ruin that looked like it could have been a temple many centuries ago. The stone bricks had been beaten and broken by the elements over years and precious few of them remained intact. Even still, it was a pleasant sight to behold and Aurin was curious as to why Vai had brought him here of all places. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Go ahead and ask,¡± said Vai, seeing the look on Aurin¡¯s face. ¡°What secret does this ruin hold?¡± ¡°Heh,¡± grunted Vai with a smirk. ¡°This was once called Sule Scrin, but when you update the language it becomes quite literally the Earth Shrine. I still like to call it Sule Scrin because there are a few places like this in other parts of the world so calling them all Earth Shrines loses part of the charm, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I suppose so,¡± said Aurin, not sure what Vai was expecting him to say. ¡°I¡¯m a history buff, my friend,¡± said Vai heartily. ¡°I know that what you really want to know is how it will help you with that egg. Well, the secret lies up there.¡± Vai pointed to a rounded platform in the centre of the grass that had replaced the once-stone floor of the temple. He strolled over to it and stood dead centre, waiting for Aurin to join him. Upon following, Aurin could see a number of old runes upon the stone circle, many of which had been filled in by soil and moss. In the centre of the circle was the image of a monster tower and a large egg at the top of it. The pattern carved on the egg was almost identical to that of the Zeera egg in Aurin¡¯s arms. ¡°What now?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°You¡¯ll want Shamtile for this,¡± said Vai. Aurin held out his tamer glove and summoned Shamtile from the training spot by the cliff edge. As the brownish-orange light disappeared, Shamtile looked from side to side in confusion. He then stared at his tamer and shrugged, wondering why he had been called. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine, Sham,¡± said Aurin, looking to Vai. Vai squatted low and looked straight into Shamtile¡¯s eyes through the holes in the Minakai¡¯s mask. ¡°Can you sense it?¡± Shamtile placed his hands upon the stone circle where he and the two tamers stood and concentrated. He slowly started to nod. ¡°Take us to it if you would be so kind,¡± said Vai. Shamtile stood up and held his hands high. He focused and the circle started turning, making Aurin flinch. As the platform rotated, it descended underground, revealing a long vertical tunnel that had been underneath the whole time. It wasn¡¯t long before the circle stopped turning, revealing a stone archway up ahead where there was a glowing orange light. Vai gestured towards the light and Aurin walked ahead, stepping through the archway. He emerged into a chamber that was no more than thirty feet wide and thirty feet long. It was illuminated by crystals in the wall that were emitting the orange light, but they also revealed something else in the room. Sitting at the far side was a podium, not too dissimilar to the one at the top of Harmony Tower, but without the glowing golden light. ¡°Here we are,¡± said Vai as he and Shamtile followed Aurin into the room. ¡°If you believe you¡¯re ready to hatch your Zeera, then this is where you need to be.¡± ¡°How is anybody expected to know this is here?¡± asked Aurin, looking around the chamber in awe. ¡°Very few know about Sule Scrin, but it isn¡¯t the only method of hatching an epic earth elemental egg. It is, however, the best option for you. It pays to have friends like Kyle who has friends like me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure,¡± laughed Aurin, his eyes now fixed on the podium. ¡°I can¡¯t believe how na?ve I was¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Vai. ¡°When I first travelled to Hazelton, I had this grand idea that I would be the first person to conquer Harmony Tower in his first run. It would be me and Shamtile storming through the floors until we reached the top. I didn¡¯t know a thing.¡± ¡°Na?ve, maybe, but optimism and determination are good things. Do you know what else is a good thing to have a healthy dose of?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Shame.¡± ¡°Shame?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Vai with certainty. ¡°Being ashamed or embarrassed by past foolishness is what can spur you to excel. That memory coming into your head in a moment like this shows that you¡¯ve wanted nothing more than to surpass yourself. You¡¯ve done that day in and day out, bringing you right here. To the place where you can hatch an epic Minakai. That¡¯s something that precious few people ever do.¡± Aurin nodded at Shamtile who nodded back. ¡°Yes, I think you¡¯re right. We¡¯ve strived hard to prove ourselves ever since that day.¡± ¡°Out of curiosity, how far did you get?¡± ¡°The end of the first floor.¡± Vai let out an involuntary laugh before realising Aurin was serious. ¡°That is a bad performance.¡± ¡°We were jumped¡­but¡­never mind. No excuses, we should have been able to handle that tamer.¡± Vai cleared his throat. ¡°Moving swiftly along,¡± he said, gesturing towards the podium. ¡°If you want to hatch Zeera, place his egg on the shrine.¡± Aurin looked at the egg in his hands. The power of such a mighty monster was contained in such a small thing. It was hard to believe. What was even hard to believe that he was on the cusp of having to train such a powerful beast. Was he ready? He didn¡¯t know, but he wanted to find out. He walked over the podium with Shamtile scurrying along behind him. He placed the egg in the curved indent in the podium and then took a step back. He watched and he waited for something to happen, but nothing did. He looked over his shoulder at Vai. ¡°Ah, yes. This is the other reason you need an earth elemental. You need a powerful earth attack to crack the egg.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t that hurt the Minakai inside?¡± Vai raised an eyebrow. ¡°Have I steered you wrong in the admittedly small amount of time you¡¯ve known me?¡± ¡°You heard the man, Shamtile,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Conjure up a rock and bash that shell.¡± Shamtile hopped up and down excitedly for a few seconds before stopping and focusing. He raised his arms and swayed them back and forth, conjuring an earthen spear that materialised from nothing above his head. Shamtile threw his arms forward and the spear was flung at the egg that rested in the podium. As the spear collided with the egg, it was smashed into a dozen pieces of stone, leaving a crack in the egg. No more than a second later, the egg glowed the familiar deep orange and a form began to materialise above the podium. The shape of the large bipedal reptile that was Zeera was clear, right down to the spike protruding from the back of its head and the horn above its nose. As the light faded and the grey scales and blue segmented underbelly of the dinosaur were revealed, he dropped to the ground in front of the podium. The beast¡¯s eyes were closed as he slowly moved his arms, growing accustomed to having a body. As Zeera twisted and flexed his neck, he opened its eyes and stared at the tamer before him. Aurin was relieved to see that he was ten feet tall, as a Zeera should be, and not so large that he would break through the chamber ceiling and stride across the land in a couple of steps. That relief suddenly vanished as the dinosaur¡¯s mouth curled into a sneer and it let out a roar that shook the room. Chapter 182 Aurin felt a bead of sweat drip down his head as the rumbling of Zeera¡¯s roar subsided. He hoped that his new Minakai was simply testing his lungs, but he knew that he was wrong. That was made abundantly clear when the large dinosaur swung at him. As he threw himself backwards to avoid the sharp purple nails that swept through the air, he saw a stone wall, courtesy of Shamtile emerge. The masked lizard had tried to defend his tamer and was crouched low, ready to pounce at Zeera should his new teammate attack again. ¡°Stand down!¡± Aurin ordered as he climbed back to his feet. Zeera roared in return and strode towards him, but Shamtile leapt in front of Aurin and let out a warbling screech to ward off his fellow reptile. ¡°I command you to stop!¡± roared Aurin. Zeera was not to be deterred and lunged for Aurin once again, but Shamtile coated his fists in stone and blocked the attack as Aurin moved away. Seeing that Shamtile was not simply the tiny pest that the reborn tower guardian had first suspect, he turned his attention towards the small magical lizard. ¡°Vai?¡± asked Aurin as Shamtile conjured up boulders and hurled them at Zeera to hinder the swinging monster. ¡°He¡¯s your Minakai,¡± replied Vai nonchalantly. ¡°Shamtile,¡± said Aurin firmly. ¡°Beat him into submission.¡± Aurin was adamant that he would show this unruly beast who was truly the master and Shamtile was more than happy to see the job done. He coated himself in stone armour and turned his fists into rocky spikes, slipping underneath the powerful claws of Zeera and stabbing him in the leg. The beast let out a roar of pain as Shamtile drew the spike out and then stabbed him again. He had yet to fully harness his elemental powers and Shamtile knew that he had a great advantage because of it. He opened up a hole in the floor and Zeera fell into it. With only his head above the pit, Shamtile closed it tightly around him, burying his hostile teammate in the ground. The masked lizard turned the spiked fists into boulder-like fists and started relentlessly punching Zeera in the face. Once he recovered from the unexpected painful sensation, Zeera roared so powerfully that the force of Zeera¡¯s breath knocked Shamtile onto the ground. With his eyes glowing orange, Zeera tore its arms free from the ground and reached for Shamtile. He threw the Minakai across the chamber, where the little lizard hit the wall with a heavy crash, shattering his stone armour. Zeera¡¯s eyes ceased their glow and he pulled himself free from the hole, stomping his way over to the disoriented Shamtile. ¡°You can always summon more Minakai,¡± said Vai. ¡°No,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Shamtile can do this.¡± ¡°Even a newborn Zeera is a force to be reckoned with.¡± ¡°I said no.¡± Vai smiled in satisfaction at this response, pleased that Aurin wasn¡¯t open to suggestions on the matter. ¡°Good,¡± he muttered quietly, but Aurin didn¡¯t hear him as he was so focused on the battle between his two earth elementals. Shamtile had leapt out of the way of the stomping feet of the heavier Zeera, diving underneath his legs and grabbing onto the epic Minakai¡¯s tail. Zeera slammed his tail against the wall and the ground, back and forth, trying to dislodge Shamtile. After a few nasty bashes, Shamtile fell off and rolled across the chamber. With glowing eyes and a disgruntled roar, Zeera¡¯s clawed hands became coated in stone with his long nails protruding longer and sharper than ever. He stampeded towards Shamtile and swiped at him, one of his nails cutting the lizard¡¯s side. Shamtile squealed as he ducked and dived each of Zeera¡¯s strikes. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Knowing that he would tire if he had to keep this up, Shamtile sought cover behind the egg podium. Zeera wasn¡¯t to be deterred and ran after the little lizard, reaching out for him while avoiding the column, but to his surprise, Shamtile was not there. Instead, there was a hole where the little lizard should have been. Shamtile sprang up from underground and grabbed onto Zeera¡¯s tail once again. The large Minakai tried again to shake Shamtile off, but he had used Zeera¡¯s spikes as pegs to pull himself up like he had gone rock climbing. He quickly climbed all to the way to the dinosaur¡¯s head. A large boulder appeared above Zeera and was dropped forcefully onto his nose, making the beast let out a loud yelp as he wobbled across the floor of the chamber. Shamtile knew that now was the time to be unrelenting and made the ground shake, sending Zeera off balance and to the floor. As Zeera tried to right himself, Shamtile stomped his own feet upon the stone and waved his arms, dislodging the ground and making it rapidly rise through the air, crushing Zeera between the pillar of earth and the hard ceiling. Shamtile held tightly as Zeera struggled, trying to break free. ¡°You will do as I say,¡± said Aurin. ¡°You are the beast and I am your master. Do you understand?¡± Zeera continued to roar and shout as though having a tantrum. ¡°Do you understand?¡± barked Aurin. Suddenly, Zeera ceased his struggling and gave a reluctant grunt of acceptance. There was no way of knowing for sure if he was bluffing to be released, but Aurin decided to give him the chance. ¡°Shamtile, lower the pillar back into the ground,¡± he told the masked lizard, who complied. Once back on the same level as the two humans and Shamtile, Zeera climbed to his feet and marched over to Aurin. He stared at his tamer, who stared straight back unflinchingly despite the massive strength difference between them. With flared nostrils and a heavy snort, Zeera bowed his head to his master. ¡°I¡¯m glad we¡¯ve reached an understanding,¡± said Aurin, trying to hide his relief. ¡°You are powerful, Zeera, that much is clear, but I will train you until you¡¯re more powerful than you can comprehend. We are going to work in synergy and conquer challenge after challenge, opponent after opponent. This is not me against you, this is us working as a team to maximise our potential.¡± Zeera grunted acceptingly. ¡°What you understand is power, right? I am your way to power.¡± Aurin held out a clear stone and placed it against Zeera¡¯s chest. He focused his mental energy on the attuning magic of the summoning stone and cast the spell. A small wisp of energy was drawn from Zeera, binding his being to his master¡¯s summoning stone, turning it brownish-orange. Aurin removed the stone and slotted it into his tamer glove where it clicked in place. He looked up at the dinosaur who was standing patiently before him. ¡°For the time being, you¡¯re bound to this shrine and I can call upon you at-will. When we are training, you are to do exactly as I say. If you show me any disobedience, I will send you straight back here. Do you understand?¡± Zeera gave his master a sneer and his left eye was twitching as though he was trying hard to restrain himself from mauling Aurin, but he nonetheless nodded and let out a low roar of agreement. ¡°Good,¡± said Aurin, turning to Vai. ¡°Shall we make our way back?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Vai, leading the way through the archway. Aurin followed, but kept his head turned so that he never lost sight of Zeera while Shamtile walked backwards to do the same. Aurin, Shamtile and Vai stood upon the stone platform bearing the egg and Shamtile used his magic to make it rotate and ascend back to the surface where the sun was almost completely sunken behind the hills. As he breathed in the fresh air, Aurin felt incredibly relieved to have passed his first test with Zeera, but he knew there would be a lot more to come. He would have to work to earn Zeera¡¯s trust and loyalty. ¡°You picked up exactly on what you needed to,¡± said Vai, sensing Aurin¡¯s thoughts. ¡°You understood that what a Minakai of such power trusts in is power itself. Good job.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± said Aurin with a smile. ¡°Not just for what you said, but for showing me Sule Scrin and teaching me how to hatch Zeera¡¯s egg.¡± ¡°It¡¯s always good to pass on knowledge to the next generation,¡± said Vai, clapping Aurin on the shoulder. ¡°I have three sons of my own, all a couple of years older than you. I¡¯ve taught them everything I reasonably can and they¡¯re off on their own missions of discovery, so I¡¯m always looking for someone else to teach.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m very grateful. It¡¯s actually quite funny. Some of the most skilled tamers I know are the most helpful.¡± Vai chortled. ¡°What, you thought tamers like me would be too arrogant to want to deal with riffraff like you?¡± ¡°More or less,¡± chuckled Aurin. ¡°It¡¯s another thing I¡¯ve been very wrong about and I¡¯m glad to have been wrong about.¡± ¡°At least you¡¯ve wised up, boy. Let¡¯s get moving.¡± ¡°Nothing like a night stroll to end a good day.¡± ¡°Stroll?¡± asked Vai, holding up a summoning stone and bringing forth his Quetzalia. He climbed on its back and took to the skies as Aurin and Shamtile stared on. ¡°Shall we race him?¡± Aurin asked the lizard who nodded furiously. Without a moment to waste, Aurin summoned Skrow and he and Shamtile hopped onto the black bird¡¯s back and took to the skies, chasing after Vai and Quetzalia. Both of the flying Minakai sped as fast as they could towards Vai¡¯s cabin. Chapter 183 ¡°Zeera, you don¡¯t need to break the wall with your claws,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Use your elemental magic.¡± The mighty beast focused intently on the thick wall Shamtile had erected from the ground. Zeera¡¯s biggest weakness was controlling the earth element. He either did not use enough strength or used far too much. There was very little in between and Aurin was desperately trying to teach him how to use the exact amount of force that he needed. It had been five days since Aurin had hatched Zeera in Sule Scrin but it felt much longer. He had been juggling trying to whip Zeera into shape while also training his other Minakai with Vai. Any attempts to have Zeera train with monsters other than Shamtile were in vain as the masked lizard was the only one of his teammates Zeera showed even a hint of respect for. Aurin surmised that it was because of Shamtile¡¯s beatdown of him, but he didn¡¯t think it was right to have each member of his team take it in turns to attack their newest comrade. Zeera braced himself and swung his arm through the air, tearing the wall down without as much as a nail touching it. Shamtile screeched loudly and jumped for joy while Zeera stood there, not sure whether to be proud or not. ¡°Nicely done,¡± Aurin told the dinosaur who remained stoic in the face of praise. ¡°He¡¯ll warm up to you eventually,¡± said Vai before muttering under his breath. ¡°Possibly.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± said Aurin, turning to the ten-foot-tall dinosaur. ¡°I believe once he sees how we can dominate our competition that we¡¯ll take a few strides in the right direction. The first step for that is to get ourselves into Harmony Tower.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been nice having some company all the way out here,¡± said Vai. ¡°Not that I live here all the time.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Heavens, no!¡± yelled the wise tamer. ¡°What a lonely existence that would be. No, I live in a village a dozen miles to the north. This is where I come to train¡­or if I need to train someone, as is the case with you.¡± ¡°Well, I appreciate everything you¡¯ve done for me,¡± said Aurin, holding out a hand. ¡°I can¡¯t express my gratitude enough.¡± ¡°Express it by blowing your foes out of the water,¡± said Vai, shaking Aurin¡¯s hand. ¡°If you¡¯re about Ludonia, it would be great to see you at the tournament.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a nice offer, Aurin, but I prefer to stay away from official competitions. It takes away some of the mysticism of Minakai for me.¡± ¡°And you still didn¡¯t mind training me for the national championships?¡± asked a surprised Aurin. ¡°The skills are transferable, my friend. You can use them in competitive battles, friendly skirmishes, in the towers¡­you name it, you can use it. Your Minakai are all a lot more adaptable than they were a week ago and the national championships will only be scratching the surface for you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, of course. I was so focused on the tournament that it didn¡¯t occur to me.¡± ¡°Focus is good when a grand event looms over you, but it¡¯s also good to take a step back and see the bigger picture.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± said Aurin, summoning Quetzel as his steed for the journey home. ¡°Ready to go?¡± he asked the golden serpent, who hissed contentedly at him. ¡°Sounds like a yes,¡± said Vai. ¡°Safe travels, Aurin.¡± ¡°Until we meet again, Vai,¡± replied Aurin with a respectful nod as he climbed upon Quetzel. Aurin¡¯s Minakai flapped her wings and flew up and over the valley, leaving Vai, Shamtile and Zeera on the cliff edge. He decided to keep Zeera attuned to the Earth Shrine so that nobody in Hazelton knew about the ace up his sleeve. Shamtile would remain with him, also attuned to the shrine. Aurin would summon him as needed and return him to the underground shrine to watch over Zeera just in case the epic Minakai decided he would become unruly. * ¡°Hello, stranger!¡± called Hunter as Aurin and descended upon the ranch. Much to Aurin¡¯s surprise, Kyle and Hunter had been battling with their Wingbloom and Flambot, respectively. The match was so intense that Aurin spotted it immediately after passing over the mountain to the west of the ranch. ¡°Hunter was your secret training partner?¡± asked Aurin. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Who better than the only person in the national championships that¡¯s better than me,¡± said Kyle, digging Aurin in the arm. ¡°Welcome back, bud.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± muttered Aurin, rubbing his sore arm. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you back around town, Hunter. The Hazelton tournament wasn¡¯t the same without you this year.¡± ¡°I wanted to mix things up this time,¡± said Hunter, adjusting his crimson tie. ¡°I can¡¯t have myself getting complacent, can I? Besides, I had no doubt that I would be seeing most of you lot in Ludonia anyway. I must say, however, that I¡¯m very glad that Luna has decided to enter the ring again.¡± ¡°Likewise,¡± said Aurin. ¡°How are Petunia and Saxon?¡± ¡°Saxon is probably at home right now playing with his Petalcub and Petunia is six months pregnant with our second.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fantastic, mate,¡± said Aurin enthusiastically. ¡°Congratulations.¡± ¡°Thank you, Aurin,¡± said Hunter, who then checked his watch. ¡°On that note, I had better head home to them. I promised that I would make it back by dinner time tonight and I¡¯m cutting it fine as is.¡± ¡°Take it easy, Hunter,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Don¡¯t slack on the training for the next three weeks.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it,¡± chuckled Hunter, banishing his Flambot back to Ludonia. He then walked down the path and disappeared into the trees. ¡°I take it Luna isn¡¯t back yet?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°No,¡± said Kyle. ¡°She hasn¡¯t said a word about where she is?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard from her since she left town. Have you?¡± ¡°Not a peep. Normally, she¡¯s a bit of a blabbermouth.¡± ¡°She¡¯s keeping this one close to her chest, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± said the rancher, furrowing his brow. ¡°And how was training with Vai?¡± ¡°The man is a wizard,¡± said Aurin earnestly. ¡°The way he teaches techniques and adaptations of techniques that my team already know is nothing short of astounding. His help was exactly what I needed.¡± ¡°Glad to hear it. And how about any peculiarities about where he asked you to meet him for the training?¡± ¡°No idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± said Aurin dismissively. ¡°I noticed Shamtile isn¡¯t here.¡± Aurin held up his tamer glove and summoned Shamtile to his side. ¡°He is now.¡± The masked lizard looked around in confusion and started waving his arms. He screeched at Aurin as though he was in the middle of something important. ¡°Alright, back to the pens you go,¡± said Aurin, banishing Shamtile. Kyle craned his neck to see if Shamtile had indeed been sent to the pens. ¡°I must have missed the flash of orange light.¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s obvious that you know what happened. Can you promise to keep Zeera a secret? I don¡¯t want word getting out that I¡¯ve got an epic Minakai, especially when I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m going to use him in the tournament or not.¡± ¡°He¡¯s proving difficult then?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°He listens to me, but he¡¯s struggling to control his own strength. When he battles with tooth, nail and tail, he¡¯s fine, but his elemental magic is something that he either under or overdoes it with.¡± ¡°That fact that he listens to you at all is a miracle in itself. How badly did you beat him?¡± ¡°You¡¯re making it sound like I tortured him!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so sensitive. He¡¯s a wild monster, whether he has a tamer or not, so a good slap about is exactly what he needed.¡± ¡°Yeah, it didn¡¯t seem like there was any other option.¡± ¡°Can I see him? I want to see how he measures up now that he¡¯s been reincarnated from his former life as a tower guardian.¡± ¡°Alright, but I¡¯m bringing Shamtile with him. He¡¯s the only Minakai that can help keep him under control.¡± Aurin held up his tamer glove and sent Quetzel back into the pens while bringing Shamtile and Zeera to the ranch in two flashes of orange-brown light. The size difference between the two was emphasized greatly when the two stood side by side while neither looked especially happy to be here. ¡°My goodness,¡± said Kyle, who was also dwarfed by the grey dinosaur. ¡°He¡¯s lost a few feet, no doubt about it, but¡­that¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°Why do you two look so grumpy?¡± Aurin asked Shamtile, but he realised why upon glancing at Zeera¡¯s tail where there were several deep cuts. ¡°Were you two fighting again?¡± Shamtile screeched and squealed while Zeera sneered. It was clear that Shamtile had gotten the better of his teammate again, but Aurin also noticed that Shamtile looked as though he had been roughed up. As Zeera¡¯s control grew greater, that made him a much more formidable opponent. The worrying part about that was that he was a more formidable opponent to his Shamtile who Aurin was using to keep him under control. ¡°You two need to be able to get along,¡± said Aurin, knowing that his words were useless. ¡°Zeera, we¡¯re going into the tower soon and you¡¯ll be able to use that pent up energy of yours to its fullest. Anything goes in there against the wild Minakai, alright?¡± Zeera stared coldly at his tamer while Shamtile slumped over in exasperation. ¡°I mean it, you¡ª¡± ¡°Hide them,¡± interjected Kyle quickly. Aurin immediately banished Shamtile and Zeera back to Sule Scrin and turned to look at the ranch path. Walking towards the ranch with a curious look on her face was Eclare. ¡°What was that?¡± she asked Aurin and Kyle with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Shamtile and¡­Bigglesby,¡± said Aurin, making Kyle wince. ¡°Bigglesby?¡± asked Eclare, trying not to laugh. ¡°What in the world is a Bigglesby?¡± ¡°Minakai from Sinotai.¡± ¡°Bigglesby doesn¡¯t sound very Sinotian.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how they made up the name, but that¡¯s the name,¡± shrugged Aurin, now desperate to change the subject. ¡°What are you doing here, anyway?¡± ¡°Charming, Aurin,¡± laughed Eclare, reaching into her bag and throwing Kyle a small jingling bag. ¡°There¡¯s my rent for the next three months, Kyle. Do you want to count it?¡± ¡°Nah, you¡¯re all good,¡± Eclare, said Kyle, pocketing the bag. ¡°How are your lungs?¡± ¡°Much better, but I need to use an inhaler every night to keep them strong. I wish I could stay and chat, but I¡¯ve got a date tonight.¡± ¡°A date?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Not jealous, are you?¡± said Eclare with a wink. ¡°It could have been you if you hadn¡¯t chosen your red-headed princess over me.¡± ¡°See you later, Eclare,¡± said Aurin as Eclare smirked and walked back down the path. Kyle turned to Aurin and stared at him in disbelief. ¡°Bigglesby? That¡¯s the best you could come up with in a pinch?¡± ¡°I panicked!¡± snapped Aurin. ¡°I notice you didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°Whatever I would have said would have been better than Bigglesby. That¡¯s a brand of cheese crackers, right? She¡¯ll rumble you next time she¡¯s buying groceries.¡± Aurin looked back towards the path. ¡°Now that the coast is clear, do you want to help me train Zeera?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a glutton for punishment, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be alright for one battle. Nobody else is going to show up for a while.¡± ¡°No, I mean the fact that you think you have a chance at beating me even with an epic Minakai.¡± Chapter 184 Aurin and Zenoman were walking along the twelfth floor of Harmony Tower, having had a very successful run so far. Granted, Aurin hadn¡¯t found any Minakai eggs, but he had a nice stack of silver, a Solar Shard and a couple of healing herbs that he could use when he was in a pinch. ¡°Feeling lucky today, Zenoman?¡± the tamer asked his golden alien. Zenoman let out an echoing squeal of agreement and threw his four fists out in rapid succession as though shadowboxing the air. ¡°To floor fifteen unsullied, yeah?¡± Aurin suddenly spied a shadow pass by in the corridor up ahead. ¡°What was that, Zeno?¡± he asked and the golden alien held all four hands out in an almost-shrug. ¡°It¡¯s not like a wild Minakai to not attack. Let¡¯s go investigate.¡± The two walked tepidly up the corridor, Zenoman leading with two of his floating fists. Should an enemy rear its head, it would be getting a nasty punch to the jaw. Even if it didn¡¯t have a jaw, it would still be getting punched all the same. Poking their heads around the corner, Aurin and Zenoman could see a room at the end of the corridor where a shadowy figure stood in wait beside a bulky bipedal goat. With a sigh, Aurin stepped out and led the way with Zenoman levitating along behind him. ¡°I knew it would only be a matter of time before I found you here,¡± said Damien coldly. He was wearing the customary white trousers and jacket along with his Zodiac mask. ¡°I was led to believe the Zodiac Squad had disbanded,¡± said Aurin. ¡°It has, thanks to you,¡± said Damien, his voice full of scorn. ¡°You ruined my life!¡± ¡°You ruined your own life, Damien. Speaking of, why aren¡¯t you in jail?¡± With a flick of the wrist, Damien rolled a summoning stone between his fingers and up his sleeve effortlessly. ¡°All I needed was one of these and I could break out. I just needed to make sure I could hide it long enough for the heat to die down.¡± ¡°You lot really are a slippery bunch of scumbags, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hoofreeti!¡± barked Damien. His demonic fire elemental spat a fireball directly at Aurin, but Zenoman batted the flames away with a swift movement from one of his hands before it got anywhere close to his tamer. ¡°Going for the kill today, are we?¡± asked Aurin, not as perturbed as he once might have been. Damien let out a low laugh and shook his head. ¡°Upon your death, Zodiac can be reborn from the ashes. We will be a new organisation with the same founding principles as the original. Neo-Zodiac will achieve the goals that we previously failed to achieve thanks to your interference.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t care one bit for all of the people that were hurt because of your actions, do you?¡± asked Aurin, feeling nothing but loathing for Damien. ¡°People are weak and we were going to make them strong. A culling was needed to ensure that the strong survived and then humanity would be able to prosper alongside Minakai.¡± ¡°A single tower was opened and Hazelton was almost destroyed by a single Minakai!¡± roared Aurin. ¡°You are insane if you think that you would even get that far without Taurus leading the charge. Even Frederick would be better at it than you, but I¡¯m sure he''s signed up already.¡± Damien looked away. ¡°I¡¯m working alone, Aurin. No other elites agreed to return so it¡¯s down to me. I¡¯m Zodiac¡¯s last hope.¡± ¡°Taurus has vanished, your fellow elites want nothing to do with Zodiac and you don¡¯t even have any of your goons by your side. What do you think is going to come of this?¡± ¡°I have nothing left!¡± yelled Damien. ¡°You took everything from me and you need to suffer for it. You¡¯ll be the first to feel my wrath!¡± With that, his Hoofreeti ran towards Aurin and Zenoman intercepted him with his hands. ¡°Stall him,¡± said Aurin to Zenoman, having a plan in mind. Zenoman did as he was asked and shoved Hoofreeti away, sending him crashing into the wall behind his tamer. Damien, however, was smiling deviously. He held up his hand and summoned his Scarelit and Fyrvern into the tower, leaving Zenoman outnumbered three to one. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Nothing changes,¡± said Aurin, confident that Zenoman could defend him against Damien¡¯s entire team. Three large fireballs were thrown towards him and Zenoman palmed all three away and used his remaining hand to slap Fyrvern across the face, angering the red wyvern. It flew towards Aurin, only to be dragged back by the wings and thrown aside. Hoofreeti and Scarelit tried to seize the opening to strike Aurin, but were also shoved aside. ¡°Stop toying with me!¡± screamed Damien, his fury reaching boiling point. ¡°You need to realise that you can¡¯t defeat me,¡± stated Aurin firmly. ¡°And it¡¯s not just that you can¡¯t defeat me. You can¡¯t even lay a hand on me.¡± ¡°You think you¡¯re the King? Fight properly!¡± ¡°Very well,¡± said Aurin, holding up his tamer glove where an orange summoning stone rested. ¡°Zenoman, stand back.¡± Aurin cast out a light from the stone and a hulking figure appeared before him, eclipsing him from Damien¡¯s sight. Before the sole Neo-Zodiac member stood the scourge that destroyed the hopes of his entire organisation. Zeera. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡­¡± muttered Damien, seeing the sneering expression of the grey dinosaur. ¡°Zeera, have at it,¡± said Aurin. The epic Minakai didn¡¯t need to be told twice. It strode across the tiles and swiped its two ferocious claws at Damien¡¯s stunned Scarelit. The first strike finished it, but the second dealt the extra punishment Aurin knew Damien needed. After Scarelit vanished in a flash of red, Hoofreeti and Fyrvern opened their mouths and unleashed torrents of fire at Zeera, but he coated his arms in stone and held them in front of himself, blocking him from the worst of the flames as he marched on towards his next target; Fyrvern. Zeera swung one of his claws, discarding the stone armour and knocking Hoofreeti flat on its back while he reshaped the stone on his other arm into a spike, stabbing Fyrvern through the stomach and then ramming it with his sharp nose horn. Before it had the chance to fall down, Fyrvern was ejected from the tower too. ¡°T-this is the r-reincarnation, isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Damien. ¡°You can c-control it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to control him,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I just need him to recognise an enemy and he takes care of the rest.¡± Aurin then turned to Zeera and pointed at Hoofreeti. ¡°One left.¡± Before Hoofreeti could react, Zeera had conjured boulder in one hand and flung it. Between the sound of the thud of Damien¡¯s Minakai against the wall and the distinct snapping of a few ribs, Aurin knew Hoofreeti was done for. And true enough, he followed his comrades out of the tower in a red flash of his own. ¡°I hate you¡­¡± spat Damien, looking utterly miserable. A second later, he disappeared from the tower too. ¡°Good job,¡± Aurin told Zeera and Zenoman, but Zeera was already marching through the room in search of another opponent who might actually present a challenge. ¡°Halt!¡± Zeera did as ordered and looked over his shoulder at Aurin and his teammate. The look on his tamer¡¯s face told him that they were done for the day and he turned around, waiting patiently for what would come next. Aurin brought out his Orb of Return and the three vanished from Harmony Tower as Damien and his Minakai had done before them. They landed outside on the grass, but something black on the grass in front of him caught Aurin¡¯s eye. He walked a few paces towards it and leaned over to pick it up. He looked at the wooden goat-patterned Capricorn mask and let out a small laugh before showing it to Zenoman and Zeera. The dinosaur had no reaction whatsoever, but the golden alien looked at it curiously and cocked his head to the side. ¡°Maybe he took the lesson to heart,¡± Aurin said to Zenoman. ¡°I wonder if we¡¯ll ever see Damien or his Neo-Zodiac again¡­¡± Zenoman let out an echoing tone while shaking his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think we will either, Zeno. If he was smart, he would make himself scarce. If he was even smarter, he would turn himself in again and see out the sentence he deserves.¡± Aurin shoved the Capricorn mask in his bag and banished Zeera to rejoin Shamtile at the Earth Shrine while he and Zenoman walked along the dirt path. Rather than take the fork that would lead to Kyle¡¯s ranch, the two walked into Hazelton as the sun hung low in the sky, shining its late evening light upon the peaceful town. The two strolled along and were greeted a couple of times by the citizens he happened upon. This was common now. Aurin was unable to simply walk through the town unnoticed, everyone was still grateful for everything he had done between the Zeera Crisis and subsequent fixing of the town. He hated being treated like a celebrity, the same way he had hated being addressed as the Saviour of Hazelton. To him, he was as he had always been. Walking through the doors of the police station, Aurin asked the receptionist to give Knot a call. Not one to keep Aurin waiting, knowing that he would only show up in person if there was a good reason to, Knot was there in thirty seconds flat. ¡°What¡¯s happened now?¡± he asked before he had even crossed the waiting room. ¡°Is there a need for some privacy?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± said Aurin, reaching into his bag and taking out Damien¡¯s mask. ¡°I thought you would want this.¡± Aurin tossed the mask to Knot who caught it effortlessly. ¡°Showed his face, did he? Surely, he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to attack you at the ranch?¡± ¡°No, we ran into each other in Harmony Tower. He was trying to get Neo-Zodiac off the ground, but he had no take up.¡± Knot let out a dry laugh. ¡°I know. We had a couple of his former comrades tells us that he tried to recruit him. I didn¡¯t think he would come back to Hazelton, but I suppose this town is all that he knows.¡± ¡°If he doesn¡¯t turn himself in, this may be the last we see of him. I gave him one last beatdown and I think that¡¯s why he threw the mask away.¡± ¡°Unless he shows up in town again, he¡¯s the Minakai Guardian¡¯s problem,¡± scoffed Knot. ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to see him thrown behind bars again personally, I doubt I can swing ordering a nationwide manhunt for him.¡± ¡°Tied up in bureaucracy again?¡± ¡°Always, Aurin,¡± sighed Knot before shaking the mask in his direction. ¡°Thank you for this. If we don¡¯t see each other again before the national championships, good luck.¡± ¡°Thanks, Chief,¡± said Aurin as Knot walked away. ¡°Come on, Zeno. Let¡¯s get home and rest. We¡¯ve got a tournament to prepare for.¡± Chapter 185 Aurin and Shamtile waited at the platform of Hazelton Station. It was a bright and sunny day and Luna had called the previous evening, telling Aurin that she was finally coming back to town after a couple of weeks away training. She still hadn¡¯t uttered a word about where she had been for her training, but Aurin was sure that she would tell him now that it was over. Shamtile started waving his hands and jumping up and down excitedly while screeching. He then hopped off the bench, put his hand on the ground and started nodding fervently at his tamer. ¡°The train is on the approach?¡± Aurin asked, already knowing the answer. Shamtile could feel the vibrations in the ground. True enough, a few seconds later, the train rounded the bend. It slowed as it approached the station and then ground to a halt before the doors opened. Luna stepped out with Innogon by her side and she immediately ran to Aurin, jumping into his arms. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you,¡± she said. ¡°Likewise,¡± replied Aurin. ¡°Still not going to tell me where you¡¯ve been hiding?¡± Luna stood back and folded her arms with a smug grin on her face. ¡°Hiding? I was training, my love. Training so that I can beat you in the national championships.¡± ¡°Where?¡± asked Aurin slyly. ¡°I¡¯m a force to be reckoned with,¡± said Luna, ignoring him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you do, if we¡¯re matched up, you¡¯re going down.¡± ¡°I hatched Zeera,¡± shrugged Aurin. Luna looked briefly surprised before shaking her head. ¡°Going down!¡± The two laughed and walked down the steps, followed by the playfully fighting Shamtile and Innogon. The two were punching each other the entire way down the street while Aurin filled Luna in on everything that had happened over the previous two weeks, from training with Vai to meeting Damien in the tower. Luna was stunned. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe there are those out there who think the Zodiac Squad can make a return after the Zeera Crisis. The entire town would be up in arms against them.¡± ¡°Damien has always seemed like a bit of a lost soul to me,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I despise him for his lack of remorse, but I pity him in a sense.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re a better person than I am because I feel nothing but loathing for him.¡± ¡°On a lighter note,¡± said Aurin, as they passed through the town square. ¡°Have you made any changes to your team since you¡¯ve been gone?¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± said Luna, pulling out a few summoning stones from her bag. Before she could summon them, an icy white stone caught his eye. She didn¡¯t have an ice elemental two weeks ago, so she must have either been training near another tower or somewhere that sells Minakai eggs. Admittedly, there were many places that sold them making it impossible to guess where she had been. In three flashes of light appeared a Flaround, Cephelarock and a Cryopillar. Flaround let out a happy bark upon seeing Aurin, now much bigger than he was as a Dogember. Cephelarock wriggled his much lengthier stone tentacles before clapping a couple together in greeting. The new addition to Luna¡¯s team, Cryopillar looked uncomfortable and crawled up beside her. ¡°You have been busy,¡± laughed Aurin. ¡°Is your Cryopillar shy?¡± ¡°She¡¯s just a little clingy,¡± said Luna. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the summer heat. And how about you, Aurin?¡± ¡°Well, you already know about Zeera¡­who I¡¯m not going to summon here because he¡¯s meant to be my secret weapon for the tournament.¡± ¡°And it would freak people out to see another Zeera in town. This Zeera is much smaller, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± confirmed Aurin. ¡°Ten feet tall rather than fifty feet. Reincarnation has worked wonders for him, but he¡¯s proving a challenge to train. He listens to me, mostly, but he can¡¯t fully control his power yet. He overdoes it very easily.¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Any other team changes?¡± Aurin summoned his Quetzel to his side. ¡°Just the one,¡± he said as the golden serpent glided over to Luna and nuzzled her face before twirling through the air and landing on the cobblestones. ¡°I evolved her a couple of minutes after you left town.¡± ¡°Well, perhaps I¡¯m not the only one who is a forced to be reckoned with now,¡± Luna said, prodding Aurin in the shoulder. ¡°Hello!¡± called a voice from across the square. As Aurin and Luna turned to look, Emily sprinted towards them, looking very excited to see Luna back in town. She stopped in front of the pair and hunched over, placing her hands on her legs while panting. ¡°Did you think we would run away if we saw you?¡± joked Aurin. ¡°No¡­I¡­just¡­¡± trailed off Emily while Luna laughed at her. ¡°I missed you too, Em,¡± she said while Emily nodded and smiled, trying to catch her breath. ¡°Were you able to get them?¡± ¡°Get what?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Tickets to the national championships,¡± said Luna. ¡°Demand has been ridiculously high this year.¡± ¡°I got them,¡± grinned Emily, finally standing up straight. ¡°Three tickets! One for me, one for Gardner and one for Jimmy.¡± ¡°Brilliant,¡± said Luna, clapping rapidly and bouncing up and down. Innogon joined in with Luna¡¯s merriment despite not knowing what was being said, having been too busy spitting water at Quetzel. ¡°I offered to get one for Hannah, but she said she couldn¡¯t afford it anymore. I did say I would pay for it until she was able to get back on her feet, but she declined. She said that between leaving Hazelton and everything else, it wouldn¡¯t be the right time.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± shrugged Aurin. ¡°No point pushing her if she doesn¡¯t want to. At least she made the effort to show up to the Hazelton matches. I¡¯m sure she got more than a few dirty looks from the rest of the crowd.¡± ¡°How¡¯s your training going, Aurin?¡± asked Emily. ¡°You being the runner up in the tournament and the Saviour of Hazelton must pile on the pressure.¡± ¡°Pressure? Me? Nah, it¡¯s all good,¡± lied Aurin. Truthfully, he was terrified that an unlucky draw would see him eliminated early and he could think of nothing worse than that. Tobias would no doubt be as disappointed in him as he would have been in himself. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ve hatched the egg?¡± asked Emily. ¡°If he has a Zeera, I certainly haven¡¯t seen it,¡± laughed Luna loudly, sounding surprisingly convincing in her attempted cover up. ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± sighed Emily. ¡°It would have been nice to see that big grey giant of a dinosaur be reborn as a more¡­pleasant Minakai. Would he be pleasant? I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m sure you would raise him well in any case.¡± ¡°One day, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll get to make his debut,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Well, I just wanted to say hello to you both,¡± said Emily. ¡°I¡¯m going to go and meet Jimmy for lunch. I¡¯ll let you two get back to whatever it was you were getting to.¡± ¡°Meeting Jimmy for lunch?¡± asked Aurin with a raised eyebrow as Emily scurried away. ¡°You¡¯re as oblivious now as you were when I kept trying to make it clear that I liked you,¡± sighed Luna, shaking her head before rapping her knuckles on Aurin¡¯s forehead. ¡°Minakai on the brain, that¡¯s why, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Speaking of, I wanted to ask you something important.¡± ¡°What, are you going to propose?¡± asked Luna, sticking her tongue out. ¡°We¡¯re too young to get married.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯ll come later,¡± said Aurin, making Luna blush. ¡°I was talking about Minakai again. Do you want to meet Zeera?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± squealed Luna, excitedly. The dismissed all of their Minakai except for Shamtile and Innogon and made their way out of town and back to the ranch where they could see Kyle feeding the river-dwellers in the distance. One of the overeager Doripper almost caught his hand upon leaping for some fish guts. Luna was relieved to see that it wasn¡¯t her Doripper. ¡°Shamtile,¡± said Aurin, ¡°you¡¯re on watch duty. If there seems to be anyone coming up the path then alert us, alright?¡± Shamtile gave Aurin a salute and crawled along the ground on all fours to the edge of the ranch where he stayed perfectly still, trying to focus on his tremorsense ability. Confident that Zeera wouldn¡¯t be seen, he summoned his newest Minakai all the way from Sule Scrin. Upon the flash of light fading, Luna¡¯s eyes and mouth were all wide in awe. Zeera gave her his usual sneer, but made no moves to hurt her. His temper was remarkably well contained from when he was first hatched and Aurin no longer believed him a danger, provided that he was being watched. One day, he might even be able to live at the ranch unsupervised without the fear of him mauling any visitors. ¡°Amazing,¡± said Luna, her voice so light that she barely emitted a sound. ¡°He¡¯s¡­so tall.¡± ¡°Still shorter than in his past life,¡± laughed Aurin. ¡°I don¡¯t think I would have a hope in controlling him if he was five times the size.¡± Zeera grunted, knowing almost nothing about his previous form outside of a few comments his tamer had uttered. Aurin had deliberately kept things vague in case, but it wouldn¡¯t have mattered either way. Zeera didn¡¯t care how strong he once was, he simply wanted to use the power that he had now and prove himself the strongest Minakai. ¡°Ludonia¡¯s a whole different game now,¡± said Luna, still in disbelief about the power Zeera exuded. ¡°As powerful as he is, he¡¯s not invincible,¡± said Aurin. ¡°We still have a lot of training to do if we want any shot at the top.¡± ¡°And imagine what it would be like at the top. Tobias has an epic Minakai of his own, his Arusom, and you have a Zeera. The crowd wouldn¡¯t believe what they¡¯re seeing, would they? Has there ever been two epic Minakai battling each other in the Bretonian championships?¡± ¡°Recently? No. But it has happened before.¡± ¡°And maybe it¡¯ll happen again¡­if you can beat me, of course.¡± Zeera let out a roar, shocking Luna and Innogon who both took a few steps back. Aurin chuckled heartily. ¡°That¡¯s his way of telling you to bring it on.¡± Chapter 186 Aurin and Dolissile stepped inside the swirling vortex and the doors of Harmony Tower closed behind them. Aurin had come prepared today with a couple of healing items and orbs that would let him ascend as high as he could. With only a week left to go before going to Ludonia, this would likely be his final tower run before the national championships were underway. ¡°If we can reach floor thirty, we¡¯ve done very well,¡± he said to Dolissile. ¡°Conserve your strength until you really need it.¡± The cybernetic dolphin let out an echoey clicking sound and tilted forward into a nod as he hovered alongside his tamer. Aurin walked along the white and black tiles, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings. Even the lower floors could be dangerous if you weren¡¯t on the lookout for traps or surprises around the corners. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Aurin, leading the way. Within a minute, a brown Driftseed was hopping along towards him with the leaf sticking out from its head flopping away. This creature was no threat and Aurin opted to take the Virgo approach. He took out a Fire Crystal and shot a fireball at the smiling monster, wiping the smile from its face and banishing it from the tower. This run, Aurin wanted to work in perfect synergy with his Minakai. He would cover their backs while they would cover his. He knew this would prove much more difficult as he ascended through the floors, but the less tired his monsters were, the higher they would reach. If he was exhausted before they were then that¡¯s when he would make them pick up the slack. As they passed through each room, Aurin kept a careful eye out for traps and any worthwhile treasure. He chose to ignore the silver, tempting as the twinkling coins were, and picked up any herbs, orbs and crystals he could find along the way. On the first floor, this didn¡¯t amount to much, but he successfully reached the elevator without Dolissile making a single attack. The second and third floors were similarly successful with Aurin¡¯s spell crystals shattering only to be replaced with others. Dolissile finally stepped in on the fourth floor and was doing the bulk of the work by the time the duo reached the tenth floor. Even still, having reached the tenth floor with Dolissile in good condition was a positive. Aurin was still able to provide support by checking for traps, healing his monster and using spell crystals to attack and distract the wild Minakai that roamed the corridors and rooms. The first major problem of the run came on the seventeenth floor when the pair encountered a sneaky Budescent used his vines to whip Dolissile off course, sending him rushing towards the ceiling where he damaged his casing and threw off his typical pinpoint accuracy when shooting for a target. ¡°Knock him down with a pulse!¡± ordered Aurin and the Budescent was thrown into the wall moments later. Dolissile charged after his opponent, crushing it against the wall and banishing it from the tower. Aurin, however, was out of healing items and unable to do anything to realign the cybernetic dolphin¡¯s skewed snout. He was tempted to substitute Dolissile for one of his other two Minakai, but he elected to see how he could continue with Dolissile rather than actively striving for the fiftieth floor. It would be good preparation for the dolphin in the tournament should he suffer a battle injury and need to adapt and overcome. On the twentieth floor and after at least five hours in the tower, Aurin was alarmed to find himself up to his waist in water. Dolissile, however, found this most pleasant and could swim through the water, something he much preferred to hovering. ¡°Do I detect a smile?¡± he asked the dolphin, whose faint mouth appeared to have a slight curve. Ignoring his tamer, Dolissile propelled himself through the water and led the way as Aurin waded after him, laughing. ¡°Use your sonar and make sure that there¡¯s nothing lurking underneath,¡± said Aurin, remembering the time a Seawub was giving Shamtile trouble in a waterlogged floor. ¡°The less nasty surprises, the better.¡± Dolissile suddenly torpedoed down the corridor, barrelling through five Minakai which were flipped out of the water. Each of them hit the walls and were banished before splashing back down. Aurin¡¯s Minakai turned to him and let out a small call. ¡°Who needs to go bowling when I can just bring you into the tower, eh?¡± chortled Aurin, hurrying to catch up while fighting against the water. The two continued through the floor, going from room to room. After sticking his arm under the water to pull up a healing herb that fixed Dolissile¡¯s armour, Aurin decided to ignore the items hidden under the water, resolute that he was already soaked enough. Upon spying an egg submerged in the corner, he was incredibly tempted to pick it up, but that was not the reason he was here and carrying the egg in his bag would mean he couldn¡¯t carry as much other items to help him climb. With a heavy heart, he sighed and walked away from it. ¡°That better not have been a cosmic Minakai,¡± he said to Dolissile as the two continued through the water. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll never know.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Upon stepping into the next corridor, a water jet struck Dolissile, rolling him over. He spun around and charged towards a wild Innogon who was laughing at the dolphin. Upon seeing the speed at which Dolissile was approaching him, the Innogon squealed and dove underneath the water, but that didn¡¯t stop him being bashed in the stomach by Dolissile. ¡°Wait!¡± called a voice from the shadowed end of the hallway. ¡°Dolissile, stop!¡± ordered Aurin. A girl in a soaking school uniform sloshed through the water and picked up her Innogon. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± she said as she walked towards Aurin. ¡°I didn¡¯t realise he was a tamer¡¯s Minakai.¡± ¡°Accidents happen,¡± said Aurin, tapping Dolissile¡¯s back with his knuckles. ¡°I hope he didn¡¯t hurt your Innogon too much.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± said the girl, holding out her hand. ¡°We weren¡¯t introduced properly last time. I¡¯m Tilda.¡± ¡°Last time?¡± asked a confused Aurin, shaking her hand anyway. ¡°Yes, you told me and my friend Chelsea that you hoped we would make it past floor one.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember¡­wait, were you one of the two girls that laughed at me after getting knocked out of the last national championships.¡± ¡°Guilty,¡± giggled Tilda uneasily. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry about that. I¡¯ve since realised just how difficult taming Minakai is.¡± ¡°The twentieth floor is no small feat.¡± ¡°Well, there was two of us and my Innogon is my last Minakai. I doubt we¡¯ll get much higher. How many Minakai do you have left, Aurin?¡± ¡°I still have my whole team.¡± Tilda¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°That¡¯s¡­.that¡¯s¡­very good! Do you think you¡¯ll make it all the way to the top again?¡± Aurin laughed. ¡°That¡¯s always the goal, but who knows? I¡¯m running solo today so even if I can get close to the top, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll stand much of a chance against the tower guardian.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find a way,¡± said Tilda brightly, pulling out an Orb of Return. ¡°Well, I think I might cut my losses and get out of here.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± said Aurin before she used the orb. ¡°There¡¯s an egg in that room I just came from if you want it. Better with you than letting it go to waste, right?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± asked Tilda, looking both surprised and grateful. ¡°Thank you¡­I hope you go all the way in the tower and in the national championships. I know that the rancher, Kyle, won the Hazelton tournament, but we¡¯re all rooting for you to dethrone Tobias.¡± ¡°Thanks, Tilda,¡± said Aurin with a smile as the schoolgirl wandered off the pick up the egg. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Dolissile.¡± Much to Aurin¡¯s relief, he ascended to a dry twenty-first floor. He tried wringing out his clothes, but he knew that they wouldn¡¯t be drying anytime soon. At the very least, they wouldn¡¯t get any wetter. Had it been Shamtile with him, the magical lizard would have laughed at him, but he was glad that Dolissile rarely showed much in the way of emotion. The next few floors passed without a hitch, although it was clear that Dolissile was starting to tire. For that matter, so was Aurin. It must have been almost time for dinner outside and his stomach was growling ferociously. So much so that Dolissile had spun around to investigate before realising it was his tamer. Ascending to the twenty-sixth floor, the duo was incredibly fatigued and Dolissile was quite beat up, but they were determined to keep pushing. Aurin hadn¡¯t found any herbs on the last couple of floors and he feared that another tough enemy or two would be the end of the run for Dolissile. All the same, clearing half of the floors with a single Minakai was no small feat and he was feeling good. After twenty minutes on the floor, an incredibly angry Chopchop sprinted towards the pair with its blades raised. Dolissile shoved Aurin out of the way and took a heavy hit to the side. His tamer expected him to vanish in a flash of light, but Dolissile was still holding on. With a pulse, he knocked the Chopchop back and a fusion fin attack cut straight through the insect¡¯s armour, banishing it instead. ¡°Are you alright, mate?¡± Aurin asked, rushing over to his Minakai and inspecting the large wound on Dolissile¡¯s side where blood was starting to pour from between the metal. Not one to make a fuss, Dolissile let out a short groan and starting hovering on down the corridor again. Despite Aurin¡¯s attempts to convince him to take a break, the cybernetic Minakai wanted to keep going. Even the healing herb that Aurin found was not enough to fully mend Dolissile¡¯s wound, but at the very least it was able to stem the blood and close over a small portion of his casing. Forcing their way to the thirtieth floor, Dolissile endured his injuries for another hour before finally dropping to the ground to take a rest. His metal plates swelled and contracted as his breathing grew heavier. Aurin brought out a couple of spell crystals that he had picked up along the way to cover his Minakai for a few minutes while he caught his breath. ¡°And nothing I can say will convince you to call it quits?¡± he asked the Minakai while looking up and down the corridor. Dolissile groaned in denial, wanting to keep proving his already-proven worth. ¡°Caaaaw!¡± squealed a Peekawe as it soared down the corridor, aiming for Aurin. ¡°Agh!¡± yelled the tamer, throwing himself flat against the ground as the Peekawe flew past. Aurin stood up and held both a Fire and Metal Crystal in his hands. As the Peekawe turned around, it charged towards him once again. Aurin held out the steel-coloured Metal Crystal, unleashing an iron spike that pierced the Peekawe¡¯s leg. It veered down a fork in the path, but Aurin could hear its beating wings as it lurked just out of sight. It burst from its path, sending a gust of wind at Aurin, throwing the two crystals from his hand and knocked him to the ground. The Peekawe cawed loudly as it sped towards him and Aurin closed his eyes. There was a sudden crash and Peekawe was slammed against the wall with Dolissile continuing to force himself into the turquoise bird. Aurin rushed to retrieve the two crystals and send a fireball and iron spike straight towards Peekawe¡¯s chest. The combined efforts of Dolissile pinning it and the two spells finished the Peekawe off, banishing it from the tower. Once it disappeared, Dolissile let out a mechanical groan and disappeared in a flash of steely-grey light too. ¡°You did well, mate,¡± Aurin said proudly. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have asked more of you.¡± The tamer held out his tamer glove and summoned his next Minakai into the tower. Shamtile jumped up and down excitedly, having eagerly been awaiting his turn. He hadn¡¯t expected it to take the entire day, but he was raring to go all the same. ¡°Floor thirty, Sham,¡± said Aurin with a faint laugh, wiping the sweat from his brow. ¡°Let¡¯s make it at least another ten.¡± Chapter 187 ¡°Banish the brute!¡± Aurin ordered Shamtile, who hurled a stone spear at the wild Spikruption who was spitting waves of fire down the corridor. The stone spear soared through the air, breaking through the orange flames and skewered the red dinosaur¡¯s leg. It dropped to the ground as it let out a roar of pain, giving Shamtile a clear path. The little Minakai ran up to it and slammed his stone-coated fist into the side of its head, banishing it from the tower. ¡°Good job, mate,¡± said Aurin, slumping to the ground. The pair were on the thirty-seventh floor of Harmony Tower. Having reached Kyle¡¯s record, Aurin couldn¡¯t wait to rub it in his friend¡¯s face, especially when it came to telling him that he did it with only two Minakai. He didn¡¯t intend to be nasty about it, but he felt that Kyle deserved some payback after constantly mentioning how he defeated Aurin in the Hazelton tournament. ¡°We¡¯re so close,¡± Aurin said to Shamtile who was feeling the strain, but had only needed to push through seven floors to get to this point and was much fresher than Aurin. ¡°Food. Why didn¡¯t I bring food?¡± Shamtile slapped Aurin in the arm and let out a screech. ¡°Keep it down,¡± Aurin scolded him. ¡°Do you want to tell every monster on this floor that we¡¯re here? The less fighting we have to do, the better.¡± The tamer grunted as he climbed to his feet and walked along with Shamtile clinging close to him. The pair carefully entered a room and Aurin kneeled to see if there were any obvious traps nearby and was somewhat relieved to not find any. His lingering concern for traps was down to him not being able to detect any, having used an Orb of Traps to get through the last three floors before it crumbled into dust. ¡°Alright,¡± he said, walking up to a Water Crystal and picking it up. ¡°Better save this for any earth elementals we come across. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be careful not to hit you with it.¡± Shamtile flexed his thin arms to say that he wasn¡¯t worried by such a measly little object, but Aurin laughed him away and walked on out of the room. The masked lizard grunted and shadowboxed the air before scurrying after his tamer, afraid that Aurin would be struck by a Minakai while out of sight. The ever-ambitious duo breezed through the rest of the floor, avoiding most of their enemies and knocking out the rest with heavy stones and sharp spikes. The two were grinning from ear to ear¡ªShamtile¡¯s smile hidden behind his mask¡ªupon reaching the elevator. On the thirty-eighth floor, Shamtile was fighting a pair of Angree that were doing their best to tear him to shreds, but the battle was ended surprisingly quickly when one of them stepped on a Berserk Trap and turned on its ally, leaving Shamtile to pick off the weakened one. On the thirty-ninth floor, Aurin found an Orb of Tamers in the second room and used it. He couldn¡¯t see another human on the floor and it gave him a strange sense of isolation to that he was here with only Minakai. The odds of another human this high up on a random Thursday were slim at best. Not a single person would stand in his way on the way to the top, it was just him and the monsters. ¡°Come to think of it,¡± said Aurin, checking his watch. ¡°It isn¡¯t Thursday anymore. It¡¯s Friday noon. No wonder I¡¯m so hungry.¡± ¡°Grawp?¡± grunted Shamtile. ¡°I¡¯ve been in here for over a day,¡± he laughed, not quite believing it. On the fortieth floor, Shamtile took his worst injury of the run when he was shoved into an Entanglement Trap by a Guilgon and hit by a pressure cannon that rivalled what Steambot was capable of. If Aurin hadn¡¯t run over to him and shoved a herb in his Minakai¡¯s mouth, another hit would have finished the job. Shamtile turned the battle around by striking the Guilgon with a stalagmite and a stalactite at the same time, banishing it from the tower. Relieved to have narrowly avoided the end of his run, Shamtile took a moment to catch his breath. Aurin¡¯s star Minakai felt like he had something to prove after Dolissile had carried Aurin up until floor thirty before succumbing to the challenges. No matter how much Aurin assured the shamanistic reptile, he refused to accept that the much higher difficulty of these floors as an excuse. He was steadfast in his desire to carry his tamer to the top and face the tower guardian himself. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°It would be quite the feat to clear a tower using only two monsters,¡± muttered Aurin before clearing his throat. ¡°We take it one floor at a time, mate. Just one floor at a time and then we¡¯ll see what comes of it. Obviously, I want to reach the top, but I¡¯m proud of reaching a floor that only one or two percent of tamers will ever reach.¡± Pushing through the forty-first floor, Shamtile took on a dozen Minakai, making quick work for the first half and slower work of the second, but the rare Solee Berry that Aurin found and fed to him helped the duo zoom through the forty-second floor before its double-speed effect wore off. The forty-third floor was the longest grind Aurin had dealt with in a while, taking almost a full hour to clear. It felt exceptionally large, leading him to wonder if it was one of the anomaly floors that occurred, similar to the floors that were covered in ice, filled with water or even the ones that consisted of a single large room. He made a mental note to look into it when he got out, but that thought quickly faded from his mind upon finding the elevator and ascending once more. On the forty-fourth floor, Aurin made use of an Orb of Monsters that was drained after that single use. It allowed him to identify where monsters were across the floor, seeing them as red silhouettes through the walls. A couple of times, he and Shamtile were backed into a corner, but it made the floor much easier than it would have been otherwise. ¡°Forty-five,¡± sighed Aurin while staggering forward. He was now so tired that even the teleportation effect of the elevator was making him feel dizzy. ¡°Shamtile, throw me over your shoulder for a while and carry me, would you?¡± Aurin was met with a punch to the knee that knocked him to the ground. Shamtile screeched and leapt up before helping Aurin back to his feet, trying to communicate his apology as best as he could. ¡°Just be careful next time,¡± said Aurin, massaging his left wrist. He had used his left hand to break his fall and it hadn¡¯t been the most pleasant of landings, but he knew it was an accident so he wasn¡¯t too harsh on his companion. ¡°Come on,¡± he said, leading the way along. Click. Upon entering the third room of the floor, the familiar and horrible sound echoed in Aurin¡¯s ears and he looked on in horror as Shamtile gave him guilty eyes from behind his masks. Shamtile¡¯s form started vibrating and there was a wispy, ethereal grey that enshrouded him. Whatever trap the lizard had triggered, it was not one that his tamer had ever seen before. The grey separated from Shamtile and scurried away like a ghost before leaping into the air and turning as it landed and solidified. The shadowed creature faced the pair, who were stunned to see that it was an exact duplicate of Shamtile that had been stripped of all colour. Whatever trap the lizard had triggered, Aurin could not name, but it was obvious what it had done. ¡°Attack!¡± Aurin ordered as the shadowy clone coated itself in stone armour and charged at the true Shamtile. The two Shamtile covered their fists in stone and punched, meeting each other with equal force and shattering their rock gloves into dozens of pieces. Shamtile hopped back and conjured a pair of stone spears, thrusting them both forward for the gaps in his opponent¡¯s armour but the shadow Shamtile twisted and the spears broke upon his stone. The clone hurled a boulder at Shamtile who caught it in his hands and tossed it back, but it was smashed into pieces by a hurled spear that pierced through and narrowly missed Shamtile¡¯s shoulder, startling Aurin¡¯s Minakai. Shamtile rushed forwards and dove at his clone, but it brought up a stone wall. Shamtile tried climbing to the top of the wall only for it to be extended to the ceiling. The masked lizard used his own elemental powers to break the wall apart and was met with a stone fist to the chest, knocking him towards the far wall and frustrating him greatly. Aurin¡¯s Minakai threw himself out of the way of a falling stalactite and ran around the room as more followed him, dropping through the air in a domino effect as the masked lizard ran. Shamtile suddenly stopped and held up his arms, forcing the stalactites to retract back into the ceiling. ¡°It may look like you, but it isn¡¯t you,¡± said Aurin as Shamtile leapt over boulders and slipped under spears. ¡°You can hit harder!¡± Shamtile suddenly had a burst of inspiration as another spear whizzed over his spikes. He hadn¡¯t tried this technique before, but it may just work. All he needed to do was guarantee that he could land the hit on the relentless clone. ¡°Arrrgh!¡± he yelled, pointing to Aurin¡¯s bag. ¡°Eh? The crystal?¡± asked the tamer, hurriedly pulling out the Water Crystal he had found earlier. Shamtile let out a decisive screech and Aurin understood what he needed to do. He focused his mind on the blue glass and harnessed its magic, unleashing the spell at the facsimile, forcing it to block his spell and giving Shamtile his opening. The masked lizard conjured a spear of his own, but this one was not of brown stone; it was of clouded diamond, the same sort of diamond he had used in his battle against Wingbloom. He flung it through the air before the false Shamtile had time to react and it the grey clone through the head, dissipating the anomaly in a puff of smoke. ¡°You don¡¯t see that every day, do you?¡± murmured Aurin, curious as to what Kyle would say about the rare trap he had triggered. Shamtile shook his head in exasperation. He hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to fight against anything remotely resembling himself again as using his diamond powers was draining at a level not even slightly comparable to regular stone. As Aurin led the way, he followed, feeling much more sluggish than he had done mere minutes ago. Chapter 188 ¡°Forty-six,¡± muttered Aurin in relief, landing on the purple and white tiles. ¡°I¡¯ve counted that right, haven¡¯t I? Forty-six.¡± Shamtile sat on the floor, exhausted. The masked lizard was relieved to have a moment of respite even if it would be short lived. Aurin himself was absolutely spent, desiring nothing more than to have something to eat and to close his eyes and sleep, but he had to soldier on. As he often did, he had entered the tower prepared for a long run, but he didn¡¯t believe he would get this close to the top. He had selected his team for the purpose of reaching it, that was certain, yet he still found it hard to fathom that he was this high all by himself. No. He wasn¡¯t by himself, he was with his monsters. His loyal and faithful team that had been with him through thick and thin, the longest-serving of member of which was by his side at this very moment. ¡°One final push,¡± said Aurin, reaching out for Shamtile¡¯s hand and pulling him to his feet. ¡°Four more floors and we¡¯re at the top.¡± Shamtile let out a low grunt and took a deep breath. He gave a nod of readiness and the duo walked down the corridor, seeking the elevator. After rounding the first corner, Shamtile shoved Aurin out of the way of a patrolling Dolissile that collided with the wall. With the pelt of a boulder, the Dolissile was banished from the tower, no longer a danger to the duo. In the first room, Aurin was relieved to find a Healing Herb and immediately fed it to Shamtile. While it wouldn¡¯t help with his energy levels, at the very least it would treat his cuts and bruises enough to help him weather a few more hits. ¡°Wait!¡± Aurin ordered Shamtile before the lizard walked from the room. The young tamer squatted low and saw a faint ripple in the air no more than an inch above one of the tiles near the door. ¡°Leap through the door and don¡¯t touch the ground.¡± Shamtile did as ordered and Aurin followed, jumping through the doorway himself. Tired as he was, Aurin knew that he couldn¡¯t afford to stop being vigilant. Even if he didn¡¯t make it to the top, he was so close that he was going to push as hard as he could. This was his final effort before the championships and it was going to be a run he could say he put everything into. The battles on the forty-seventh floor were tough and the Healing Herb¡¯s treatment was undone before Aurin and Shamtile reached the elevator. With both of them drained, they took a few seconds before touching the orb and ascending to the forty-eighth floor. The fiftieth floor, the roof, was so close that Aurin could taste it. On the forty-eighth floor, while fighting a Gorungra, Shamtile accidentally tripped a burning trap, injuring himself greatly. Had it not been for Aurin¡¯s Water Crystal that he used to extinguish the flames, it would have been the end of the line for the masked lizard. Shamtile let loose a lucky earth spear that cracked Gorungra¡¯s back crystal and sent it back from whence it came. A few rooms later and the duo were on the forty-ninth floor. ¡°We¡¯re doing it, Sham,¡± said Aurin, leaning against the wall and slumping to the ground. ¡°Once we clear this floor, we¡¯re at the top. We had no help from Luna or Kyle, we did it all by ourselves. I don¡¯t care if we¡¯ve had a lucky run or whatever got us here¡­we did it.¡± Shamtile walked over to Aurin and patted his tamer on the shoulder, holding out a hand to help him to his feet as Aurin had done for him a couple of floors ago. ¡°Thanks, mate,¡± said Aurin, now back on his feet. ¡°Let¡¯s see it through.¡± The two walked down the corridor, their eyes weary and their minds hazy. All it would take was a single strong enemy to knock both of them off their feet so they decided to play it as carefully as they could. Shamtile focused on his tremorsense¡ªwhich was admittedly less effective in the tower than outside¡ªwhile Aurin peered around the corners for any enemies that may have been hovering above the air. Each room they passed without an elevator was not a disappointment, it was a mark off the checklist that meant they were one step closer to finding the elevator. The wild Minakai that they happened across were dealt with as swiftly as Shamtile could muster. The element of surprise was his best friend, tossing boulders, hurling spears and summoning cages that either banished the wild Minakai or held them back long enough for he and Aurin to escape deeper into the floor. ¡°Yes!¡± called Aurin, peering through a doorway and spying the final blue orb he desired. His mirth, however, was short-lived as a Treebot walked through the door at the other side of the room. Aurin and Shamtile hurried for the elevator, but the Treebot wasn¡¯t going to make things easy. It used its entangling vines to hold back both the tamer and his Minakai. Shamtile fought and struggled against them, tossing a boulder at Treebot only for it to bash it out of the way with its green metallic leg. With a heave, it unleashed a nature beam from its screen and struck Shamtile, sending him flying through the air and leaving Aurin distraught. ¡°No!¡± called Aurin as Shamtile was slammed against the wall. He knew what came next and winced as his Minakai was engulfed in orange light and banished from the tower. Without further hesitation, he threw forth a blue orb and summoned Steambot to his aid. Having been waiting a long time to be called upon, the water elemental was raring to go. He leaned forward and high-powered jet of water at the Treebot, flipping it onto its bushy back. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Steambot sprinted forward before his fellow Microbot evolution could right itself and delivered a series of blows to its stomach, banishing it from the tower as it had done to Shamtile. Steambot flexed victoriously, but stopped when he saw the tired look on Aurin¡¯s face. ¡°Forty-nine, Steam,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m about ready to collapse, I can¡¯t lie.¡± Steambot grunted mechanically and patted Aurin on the back with a single finger. ¡°I appreciate it,¡± said Aurin, letting out a dry laugh. ¡°Let¡¯s see this through, yeah?¡± Aurin and Steambot walked to the room straight ahead. Too exhausted to check for further traps, Aurin dragged himself along and placed his hands on the elevator. He half-wished to have triggered a trap that would have ended the run, so spent was he, but he knew that he could not shy away from the final challenge that awaited him. He and Steambot materialised on the roof of the tower. Aurin looked up and could see the night sky above him. He must have been in the tower for at least thirty-six hours at this point for he was certain that more than an entire day had passed and he had entered early in the morning. The swirling barrier the separated him from the outside world was firmly intact. He expected nothing less, but after the last time he ascended to the roof, seeing it in place was always reassuring. What filled him with dread, however, was the golden podium where there was the perfect dip for an egg to sit. ¡°Let¡¯s do this,¡± Aurin said, walking towards the podium and placing his hands upon it as he would do an elevator on the floors below. The second his fingers touched the stone, a golden egg-like shape appeared. It was glowing and shimmering, filling him with a sense of ease that he had not expected. It was as though it was giving him a reprieve to the weariness that reaching the top of the tower had brought him. A reprieve that would be followed by enormous struggle. There was a sudden lightning strike at the far side of the rooftop and a swirling portal appeared. With no cosmic Minakai using their combined efforts to hold it back, a shadow began to step through the swirling vortex of purple. Its thunderous steps were audible even before it emerged and, upon setting foot on the stones of the tower roof, the tower guardian revealed itself. The large Zeera was towering above him and Steambot. It was much larger than Aurin¡¯s but not quite as large as the corrupted guardian from the Zeera Crisis. It let out a roar that shook the tower to its foundations, something that Aurin didn¡¯t think possible. ¡°Attack!¡± Aurin ordered his final Minakai. Steambot threw forward his two hands and unleashed water jets from them, wanting to gauge his foe¡¯s power before using his most powerful attacks. He was at full-strength and couldn¡¯t let himself be exhausted at the beginning of the battle. Zeera brought up a stone wall to block the attacks and the water jets bounced off it. The tower guardian forced its wall to separate in the middle and then stampeded across the roof towards Steambot with a claw raised back. The water elemental dove forwards as Zeera swung, throwing himself between its legs but was then struck by its tail, knocking him towards the battlements. ¡°Make it rain, Steambot!¡± shouted Aurin as Steambot stood up. He knew he had to think strategically and anything he could do to boost Steambot¡¯s power while weakening Zeera was worth doing. As Zeera turned to him, Steambot conjured heavy rainfall that soaked the rooftop and everything on it. The angered Zeera summoned a boulder in its hands and flung it at Aurin¡¯s Minakai who blasted it away with a pressure cannon before following up with a geyser that erupted beneath Zeera, striking the tower guardian on the chin and making it splutter as it roared in anger. With a stomp of its foot, a stalagmite sprung from the stone and sent Steambot flying into the air. He spun as he fell and conjured a bubble shield around himself moments before hitting the ground. The bubble squished and contorted, but it slowed his fall before bursting, further angering the dreaded tower guardian. Zeera breathed in and spat a barrage of stone at Steambot who blasted the first half dozen to pieces, but the unrelenting attack edged its way closer to him and knocked him supine, upon which he was struck by more of the rocks. The mighty Zeera leapt across the roof and landed above Steambot, leaning down with his gaping jaw ready to tear Aurin¡¯s Minakai to pieces with his sharp teeth. ¡°Zeera!¡± called Aurin, taking the Water Crystal in the palm of his hand. He focused on it and unleashed a water jet that struck Zeera in the back of his head, distracting him no more than a second before he bit Steambot. Infuriated, Zeera arose and turned towards the human who had dared attack him. Aurin cast another spell from the crystal, which Zeera brushed aside. Upon the spell leaving the crystal, it shattered into dust and fell from Aurin¡¯s palm. The gargantuan grey dinosaur leaned low and made to run towards Aurin, but he suddenly felt a tugging on his tail. He craned his neck and saw Steambot holding onto him, all while vibrating violently. Before he could make any further moves, Steambot¡¯s pipes erupted with a scalding pressure cannon which struck Zeera square in the face. Zeera wailed loudly upon the immense strike from the water elemental. As mighty as the tower guardian was, Steambot¡¯s water elemental advantage was too much for it. It teetered uncertainly for a moment before crashing onto the ground, whereupon the portal from which it emerged reappeared. It was engulfed by the familiar, orange-brown light and it was dragged by through the portal before disappearing. ¡°We¡­we did it,¡± said Aurin breathlessly as Steambot¡¯s rain slowed and then ceased. ¡°We did it!¡± Steambot was heaving up and down, exhausted to the point of near collapse, but the robot held on and threw a victorious arm in the air. Aurin rushed over to him and hugged his Minakai, laughing the entire time. He couldn¡¯t believe it, he had finally conquered Harmony Tower. All of a sudden, the podium began to glow and the golden light died down as an egg materialised where it had been. It had an unearthly shine to it, golden and beautiful with three aqua rings around its centre. Aurin could not even imagine what Minakai lay within, but he wanted to find out with all of his heart. He rushed over to the egg, held his hands up to it and then looked at Steambot, who sat himself on the ground to rest and gave a mechanical grunt of agreement. Aurin beamed proudly and grabbed hold of the egg, feeling the pulling sensation that he had gotten so very used to. With that, he and Steambot disappeared from the top of the tower. ¡°Erf!¡± groaned Steambot as his backside slammed onto the grass. Aurin and his Minakai found themselves back outside the doors of Harmony Tower, utterly spent, but very pleased with themselves. Aurin held his new egg in his hands both firmly and delicately, a difficult balance to maintain. He knew it was sturdy, yet how precious this egg was not something he could let himself take lightly. Placing it carefully in his bag, he checked his watch. It was two o¡¯clock in the morning, meaning he had been in the tower for almost two days. He was so tired that he could have fallen asleep on the grass, but the ranch was only minutes away. He patted Steambot on the back and helped pull the Minakai to his feet. The two dragged themselves through the forest, glad to be going home with their miraculous achievement in tow. Chapter 189 Aurin, Luna, Kyle, Shamtile and Innogon walked up the stairs and onto the station platform to the cheers of a gathered crowd. None of them had expected this and were a little embarrassed, but they waved and thanked everyone all the same. Among the crowd was Lord Kensington, who stepped forward. ¡°Have you bought tickets yet?¡± he asked them, sounding alarmed. ¡°What, no?¡± asked a suddenly panicked Aurin, looking around for a conductor. Kensington chuckled. ¡°Good because you would have wasted your money,¡± he said, gesturing towards a train pulling a single carriage. ¡°I¡¯ve arranged for the three of you to take my personal transport to Ludonia. Kenny would have joined you, but I believe he¡¯s already in the capital as of three days ago.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve provided a train and a carriage for us?¡± asked Luna, trying to hide her excitement. ¡°The railway, my dear Luna, is one of Bretonia¡¯s greatest sources of pride. It¡¯s only fitting that representatives of this wonderful town make use of it when travelling to an important event such as the national championships.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lord Kensington,¡± said Kyle graciously, prompting both Aurin and Luna to thank him too. ¡°Think nothing of it,¡± said the Lord, sweeping his hand through the air. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do.¡± ¡°But¡­what did we do for you?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Aside from saving the town during the Zeera Crisis, you put on one heck of a show last month. If your matches in the coming days are even close to that level of exciting, then I will consider myself very blessed to watch them. Now, go on. The train can stop here for too long or the next train will be delayed. Shoo shoo now!¡± The three tames and two Minakai boarded the carriage and sat down on the delightfully comfortable seats, looking forward to the journey much more. The journey to the Palace Royale almost a year ago was luxurious, but to travel much further would be a great experience. Seconds after the doors closed, the train took off and the trio of humans waved to the crowd as they departed from Hazelton Station. ¡°Eee!¡± squealed Luna. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°This train carriage is so nice!¡± ¡°I thought you were excited about the championships,¡± laughed Kyle. ¡°That too,¡± said Luna, but she turned to the window and started inspecting the pristinely varnished frame, running her fingers along each of the grooves and carvings to take it all in. As the train steamed along, the three watched the beautiful Bretonian countryside pass them by. The fields rolled for miles towards hills and mountains. The forests were thick and lush with greenery. Even the villages and towns that they passed by were in immaculate condition, reminding them all three just how good they had it. ¡°Look!¡± called Aurin, spying a monster tower from the window. ¡°Epiphany Tower.¡± ¡°You pointed that out last time,¡± said Luna. ¡°I did?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Kyle, have you ever entered Epiphany Tower?¡± Aurin asked, turning to the rancher. ¡°No,¡± lamented Kyle. ¡°And sadly, it locked its doors and the keys all vanished three months ago.¡± Aurin was shocked. ¡°What? How did that happen?¡± he demanded. Kyle furrowed his brow. ¡°Do you really think I have the answer to that? I don¡¯t know how the magic works and where the keys go when they disappear.¡± Aurin pulled out his own threaded keys from underneath his t-shirt. ¡°Good,¡± he said, seeing his Harmony and Ludonia keys still there. ¡°Were you worried they had vanished since you put that on this morning?¡± giggled Luna. ¡°I¡¯m paranoid now, knowing that a tower so close to Hazelton closed. What happens if all of the towers in the world close and never reopen?¡± Kyle was about to dismiss him, but he stopped to think for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s unprecedented, but¡­I suppose it¡¯s possible. There are enough Minakai out here in the world that I¡¯m sure we could continue breeding them without towers, but their fertility plummets outside of their own magical environments. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to sustain the populations and I reckon many species would go extinct in a generation or two.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Shamtile and Innogon looked at each other, fearing for the extinction of their species on Earth. The pair had never given much thought to finding mates, for Minakai partnered to tamers rarely cared for much other than serving their human owners. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find lovely ladies for you two should the worst come to pass,¡± said Luna, patting both monsters on the heads. A couple of hours later, the train slowed to a halt as it pulled into Ludonia Central Station. A couple of passersby marvelled at the old, but immaculately kept, train and carriage. Upon seeing Aurin, Luna, Kyle and the two Minakai they moved along, evidently expecting some sort of celebrity to disembark. ¡°Your tower runs must be very lucrative to afford that,¡± said Hunter, walking towards the group. ¡°Business has been good,¡± shrugged Aurin before laughing and shaking Hunter¡¯s hand. ¡°You all trained and ready to go, Hunter?¡± ¡°I¡¯d face you right here and now if it counted as an official match, Aurin. Luna, it¡¯s good to see you competing again.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s good to be competing again,¡± replied Luna with a big smile. ¡°I still haven¡¯t forgotten how you defeated me in the first Hazelton tournament. I¡¯m coming back for revenge, my friend.¡± ¡°Hard to believe that was over two years ago, isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Hunter. ¡°In any case, I look forward to our prospective battle.¡± ¡°Get in line,¡± said Kyle, nudging Luna. ¡°I¡¯m coming for you first, Hunter. My comeback isn¡¯t complete until you¡¯re thoroughly humiliated in front of the entire nation.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid, Kyle, that you¡¯ll not want to continue your comeback once I¡¯m through with you.¡± ¡°Both of you won¡¯t even make it to the five-on-five rounds because I¡¯ll have knocked you both out before that,¡± said Aurin. The quartet all had a good laugh while Shamtile and Innogon started playfighting on the platform, attracting further attention from commuters as they made their way to their own trains. Aurin checked his watch. ¡°I¡¯ve got somewhere to be soon,¡± he said. ¡°Where are you all going?¡± ¡°Where do you have to go?¡± asked Kyle, eyeing Aurin suspiciously. ¡°What are you up to?¡± ¡°I need to visit an old friend.¡± ¡°Who, Eclare?¡± Luna¡¯s face turned red and she shot Kyle a scornful look. She was about to say something, but Aurin headed her off. ¡°It¡¯s last-minute tournament preparation,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t reveal all my secrets before showtime now, can I? I shouldn¡¯t be too long.¡± ¡°Do you want us to hold off on lunch?¡± asked Hunter. ¡°No,¡± said Aurin, grabbing Shamtile¡¯s wrist and pulling him along. ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep you all waiting if I run longer than I plan for.¡± Aurin ran off, leaving his three friends wondering what it was that he was doing. As Aurin hurried away, he put his hand on his bag to make sure that the golden egg he carried within was still there. ¡°What do you reckon, Shamtile?¡± asked Aurin of his Minakai. Shamtile threw his hands in the air and made a denying wail as he scurried along. ¡°I know it¡¯s a long shot, but if anybody would know what to do with this egg, it would be him.¡± Aurin and Shamtile hopped on a bus outside of the station and hopped on a bus. As they rode along, Aurin held his bag in his arms and tapped his fingers on it constantly, irritating his Minakai who kept yelling at him to stop. ¡°I can¡¯t help it! I¡¯m nervous.¡± ¡°Waagh!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why. I know I¡¯ll not be able to use it in the tournament even if I could hatch it. I¡¯m still torn about whether or not I¡¯ll use Zeera.¡± The two rode the bus for half an hour and got off at on a fairly quiet and clean street. They walked across the road and followed it for another minute until they stood outside a building they hadn¡¯t seen in almost a year; Professor Socrates¡¯s laboratory. Stepping inside, they could see that it hadn¡¯t changed much since their last visit. The researcher himself was pouring over a book on the desk. He glanced up upon seeing someone enter his domain, but did a double-take upon seeing who it was. ¡°Ah!¡± exclaimed Professor Socrates, smiling warmly. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Aurin.¡± ¡°Hello, Professor,¡± said Aurin, smiling back. ¡°What brings you here today, young man? Hatching something ahead of the tournament? Leaving it a bit late, no?¡± ¡°Professor, I believe I can trust you and I need you to keep a secret for me.¡± Socrates scratched his beard and adjusted his glasses. ¡°Is that so? It must be something very important if you would come all the way here for it.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m here for the tournament,¡± admitted Aurin, ¡°but I found something only a few days ago that I want you to see.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t keep me waiting, boy!¡± chortled the professor. ¡°Yes, of course,¡± said Aurin, taking his bag off and setting it on the table. He opened it up and moved his crammed clothes aside, revealing the top peak of the golden egg. Socrates¡¯s expression changed from that of curiosity to awe as Aurin took the egg from the top of Harmony Tower out of his bag. He leaned in close with his mouth wide open and muttered something incomprehensible before clearing his throat and standing up straight again. ¡°Well¡­that certainly is something,¡± he said. ¡°You¡­you obtained this yourself?¡± ¡°With my Dolissile, Steambot and Shamtile here.¡± ¡°Yes, quite. I did not mean to diminish the role of your Minakai, but what I meant to ask was that you made the journey alone? If memory serves, you were often with that redheaded girl.¡± ¡°Luna? No, she wasn¡¯t with me this time.¡± ¡°So, nobody else knows that you have this egg?¡± ¡°Only you and that assistant of yours in the corner who¡¯s pretending not to listen.¡± A brunette woman with her hair in a bun turned around and gave an awkward smile before excusing herself into another room. Socrates chuckled and assured Aurin that she could keep a secret. ¡°What exactly is it you¡¯re asking of me, Aurin?¡± said the professor, raising an eyebrow. Aurin nodded slowly. ¡°I recently hatched a Zeera egg and that wasn¡¯t possible with a normal incubator. It took me traveling to¡ª" ¡°Excuse me, but a Zeera egg? Goodness gracious, young man. You have certainly been busy this last year, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Busy doesn¡¯t even come close,¡± laughed Aurin. ¡°Anyway, I want to know if you know how to hatch it?¡± Socrates held a finger to his top lip and let out a small sigh. ¡°Well, I last came across one of these a few years ago. I¡¯m sure my old notes are still filed away somewhere and I can follow the steps exactly to hatch it for you too.¡± Aurin turned to Shamtile with a look of glee on his face while the Minakai jumped up and down excitedly. Aurin walked over to the donation plate that Socrates kept near his high-tech incubator, reached into his pocket and then dumped a large bag of silver coins onto the plate. ¡°What a generous donation,¡± chuckled the professor, immediately heading off to a locked filing cabinet. Chapter 190 ¡°Come on, come on,¡± said Aurin, punching his thighs as he jittered in anticipation. ¡°I have to see what he¡¯s got waiting in the wings for the end of the tournament.¡± He, Luna, Kyle and Hunter were sitting in the tamer box awaiting Tobias to take to the stage and perform for the crowd. Last year, he had wowed the crowd with his Arusom, one of the two epic Minakai native to Bretonian towers, along with Zeera. ¡°What makes you think he¡¯ll show off his best and all they can do?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°He won¡¯t, but I need to see if he had any new Minakai that I haven¡¯t seen before,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Did he show you many of his Minakai while the pair of you were training?¡± asked Hunter. ¡°Fishing for information, are we?¡± asked Aurin slyly. ¡°Yes,¡± chuckled Hunter. ¡°I want to win as badly as you do and I¡¯ll take whatever edge I can get, even if I don¡¯t get far enough to use it.¡± ¡°Fair,¡± laughed Aurin. ¡°I trained with a few of them, but the biggest challenge to fight against was his Mindadam. Cosmic Minakai are truly no joke.¡± ¡°While they¡¯re often not the sturdiest if you can land a hit, landing a hit is usually the problem,¡± nodded Hunter. ¡°I¡¯ve had the misfortune of fighting against a few of them and, across nine battles, I¡¯ve only defeated two.¡± Luna looked uneasy. ¡°Place one in the hands of Tobias, a tamer who would know how to use it effectively, and it¡¯s an almost impossible monster to overcome. I hope there aren¡¯t other cosmics lurking in the other tamers¡¯ teams.¡± ¡°We know there¡¯s at least one,¡± said Aurin in a low voice, looking towards Frederick. ¡°Abysarex is the opposite of many other cosmics,¡± said Tobias. ¡°Easier to hit, but can take the punches well. Unfortunately, he can deliver incredibly powerful punches of his own.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to¡ª¡± ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!¡± called the announcer and the chatter of the thousands in the audience fell silent as they all eagerly awaited the opening of the tournament. ¡°Allow me to welcome you all to the Bretonian National Championships here in the great city of Ludonia!¡± The silenced crowd then burst into cheers as they awaited what they knew came next. ¡°And to open up this grand event, we have a special show for you tonight by a man who needs no introduction after so many years at the top. Give it up for your national champion, Tobias!¡± Everyone rose to their feet and cheered as Tobias walked onto the battlefield below, looking calm and stoic as he did so. He stopped in the centre and looked around at the crowd, slowly rotating so that he could take the audience in. With a wink and a smirk, he suddenly disappeared through a portal in the ground. ¡°What was that?¡± asked Luna, looking stunned. ¡°Mindadam,¡± whispered Aurin, unable to raise his voice louder. He needed to pay close attention. ¡°Where did he go?¡± asked the announcer, sounding genuinely surprised. ¡°Wait. There! Standing atop the screen!¡± Everyone turned to look at the giant monitor at the edge of the stadium where the battlefield below was being shown. Indeed, standing on top of it, was Tobias. He smiled confidently and then leapt from it, falling into the crowd, but before he could hit them and break his neck another portal opened and he vanished through it. Tobias erupted from a portal that appeared on the wall of the stadium, but he was no longer alone. He was riding the brass horse that Aurin knew very well. He rode his Mindadam across the battlefield and it opened up another portal. It ran straight through and reappeared at the opposite end of the field. He opened one in the air and leapt into it, suddenly erupting from the ground and landing in another portal that opened. Everyone in the stadium twisted and jerked their heads, trying to follow the national champion and his cosmic elemental, but they were disappearing and reappearing so fast that it was hard to keep track of. The crowd were utterly mesmerised, but it suddenly came to an end. Mindadam stood tall in the centre of the battlefield and everyone watched, waiting to see what would happen next. Tobias held out his two hands and the audience clapped for him. He slowly raised his arms up until they were pointed up and, as his arms moved, the audience grew louder until they reached a crescendo. With a clap of his own hands, Mindadam let out a mechanical neigh and four portals appeared around the stadium, from which more Minakai emerged. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Tobias¡¯s Grakadon, Titamet, Guilgon and Arusom all sped towards the brass horse, readying powerful attacks. Grakadon¡¯s earthen spear was hurled towards Mindadam, but it vanished in a portal and struck Guilgon, who spat out a jet of water before collapsing. The water jet was sent into another open portal, smacking Titamet in the face. Arusom unleashed waves of poisonous spores from its wings, but they too vanished into a portal and were released a hundred feet in the air where they would harm nobody. With another loud neigh, the attacking Minakai were all sent back through their portals, banishing them from the battlefield and leaving Tobias and Mindadam alone before the crowd. The audience exploded, amazed to see the power of a cosmic Minakai used in such a way. Aurin, who had been holding his breath for most of the showing, finally relaxed and clapped louder than anyone else. As the camera zoomed in on Tobias and Mindadam, Kyle nudged Aurin and gestured towards the giant monitor. ¡°You see what I see?¡± he asked Aurin quietly. ¡°Mindadam¡¯s heaving,¡± said Aurin with a nod. ¡°That many portals, some of them appearing simultaneously must be very draining,¡± said Hunter. ¡°He couldn¡¯t keep it up for much longer, could he?¡± ¡°I would say not,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Can you believe it, folks?¡± boomed the announcer. ¡°What a display of power that was. I don¡¯t envy the tamer who will be going up against Tobias at the end of the tournament. He¡¯s going to be tough to dethrone, that much is clear, but maybe this year is finally the year it happens. What do you think, Tobias?¡± Tobias let out a visible laugh and gave a shrug, mouthing the words. ¡°Who knows?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make it happen,¡± said Luna excitedly. ¡°Where did this confidence come from?¡± laughed Kyle. ¡°After watching all of that, I feel inspired!¡± she said, clapping her hands together with a wide grim upon her face. * ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± said a wide-eyed Luna as she stared at the tournament bracket on the screen in the entrance hall of St Michael¡¯s Stadium. ¡°I¡¯m not seeing things, am I?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Aurin, patting her on the back. ¡°You¡¯re up first.¡± True enough, Luna¡¯s name and face were displayed on the top left of the screen. She was in the first match of the tournament against a tamer named Mario. He was a burly-looking fellow with a moustache and menacing eyes who would have been an intimidating bouncer. Aurin wondered if his Minakai would be able to compare to their tamer¡¯s fierce appearance. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m up first!¡± wailed Luna. ¡°Why does that make a difference?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°It¡­it just does! That means I have to set the pace for the entire tournament. If it¡¯s a disaster, then everyone is going to remember it?¡± ¡°Nobody would care after a few matches.¡± ¡°Of course, they wou¡ª¡± ¡°Luna,¡± said Aurin, grabbing her by the shoulder and looking into her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m with Kyle on this one. Nobody would care if the match was a trainwreck because there are always trainwreck matches, even at this level.¡± With a sigh, Luna nodded. ¡°Yes¡­yes, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Now snap out of it and get your game face on because you¡¯ve got a match to win. Get yourself psyched up and select your monsters, alright?¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± said Kyle, locating himself on the bracket. ¡°Now that¡¯s even more interesting than Luna being up first.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m fighting our old friend, Frederick.¡± Aurin¡¯s eyes scanned the chart and spotted Kyle and Frederick, placed next to each other on the left side of the chart. Aurin¡¯s own name was somewhere between Luna and Kyle¡¯s meaning that he was in line to face both of them before the finals¡ªpresuming they all won their matches. Hunter, however, was situated on the right of the bracket. ¡°Well,¡± said Frederick, approaching from behind and making everyone jump. ¡°It looks like the Hazelton champion is going to be knocked out on his very first match of the national championships. How about that?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see who¡¯s knocking who out,¡± said Kyle scornfully. ¡°Lost evolutions or cosmic elementals, I don¡¯t care what you use. My team is ready to take you out, Frederick.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it,¡± said the former Zodiac elite with a smirk. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I faced a true challenge. Hopefully you can deliver at least that.¡± ¡°What happened to that humility you had right after the Zeera Crisis?¡± asked Luna, shaking her head in exasperation. ¡°I thought you had changed.¡± Frederick raised his eyebrows. ¡°Can¡¯t handle a few fighting words? I¡¯d be amazed if you knocked out a single one of your opponent¡¯s Minakai, Luna. It looks like two of the Hazelton qualifiers will be going home in disgrace after their first matches.¡± Luna¡¯s face was bright red and she was shaking uncontrollable as Frederick walked away chuckling. Aurin had to hold her back from running up behind him and punching him in the back of the head. ¡°Don¡¯t take the bait,¡± he told her. ¡°The last thing you want to do is get disqualified for assaulting another competitor, right?¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Luna through gritted teeth. ¡°But it would be worth it.¡± ¡°No, it wouldn¡¯t,¡± said Kyle sternly before suddenly looking brighter. ¡°Leave him to me. Leo isn¡¯t going to know what hit him.¡± ¡°Can we go grab dinner now?¡± asked Aurin, releasing Luna¡¯s arms. ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°How can you think about eating at a time like this?¡± demanded Luna. ¡°I¡¯ve got last-minute preparation to do and not enough time to do it! Kyle, go pick up some food for us and bring it to Baxter Park. We¡¯re all training together.¡± ¡°What about letting your Minakai rest?¡± asked Aurin. Luna waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Healing items before bed and they¡¯ll be right as rain by morning. Now let¡¯s get to it!¡± ¡°Yes, captain!¡± barked Kyle mockingly, giving Luna a salute and then marching away while Aurin tried to hold back his laughter. Luna, however, had a look of furious determination on her face. Frederick¡¯s words had rattled her, but rather than throw her off her game, it gave her the fuel she needed to leave her fear and anxiety in the dust behind her. Chapter 191 Luna was standing by the edge of the tunnel at the ready. In mere seconds, she would make her national championship debut in front of millions of people watching in the stadium or on television. This time, she was not remotely afraid, for she had a true goal to work towards and that was to make Frederick eat his words from the previous evening. From where she stood, she could see the edge of the tamer box where Aurin, Kyle and Hunter all sat clustered together, but Frederick was somewhere out of sight. He was probably grinning smugly or maybe not even paying attention, thinking that this battle was beneath him. ¡°Ten seconds,¡± said the tournament official standing by. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Luna, taking a final deep breath ahead of her name being called out. She was ready. ¡°And welcome to the first match of the Bretonian National Championships!¡± called the announcer to thunderous applause from the crowd. ¡°I¡¯m not going to waste your time with long speeches because you had plenty of those yesterday, so let¡¯s get on with the show. Introducing our first competitor, all the way from Hazelton, Luna!¡± Luna walked out onto the battlefield and waved to the crowd, but she was not smiling. She was too focused to smile. ¡°And her opponent, all the way from the Bedwick, it¡¯s Mario!¡± Mario strode out to meet Luna and the pair shook hands in the middle of the battlefield. ¡°Good luck,¡± said Mario in his deep voice. ¡°Likewise,¡± said Luna, giving him a faint smile for a split second before her concentrated face returned. The two parted ways and stood at opposing ends of the stadium, waiting for the fight to be called in. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go,¡± said Aurin, punching his fist into his palm. ¡°She¡¯s got this, she¡¯s got this.¡± ¡°She has,¡± said Kyle calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m excited.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± said Hunter. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve watched Luna battle.¡± ¡°And begin!¡± called the announcer. Luna and Mario each threw forth a ball of deep blue light from their summoning stones, from which Luna¡¯s Innogon and Mario¡¯s Doripper appeared. To the average eye, the jovial and unassuming drake looked much weaker than his opponent, but Innogon wasn¡¯t remotely intimidated by his sharp-toothed foe, no matter how hungry it looked. ¡°Make an impression!¡± Luna ordered and Innogon let out a yapping roar in agreement, making Mario and some of the crowd laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t give it the chance,¡± replied Mario. ¡°Use you¡ª¡± Before Doripper could react, it had been flipped over onto the ground by a high-powered water jet to the head. The stream of water was so thin and so powerful that it was almost laser-like. Mario was left open-mouthed as Innogon propelled towards his Minakai on his belly, sliding on water that he was spitting out. Doripper righted itself and swung its tail around at Innogon as the drake drew close, but Innogon kept low and avoided the attack, raising his head as he slid under Doripper. He channelled his elemental energy into his head fin and cut a deep gash along Doripper¡¯s underbelly, spilling blood all across the battlefield. Upon emerging at the water side, Innogon leapt up and span around, shooting another jet of water that struck the back of the roaring Doripper¡¯s head, forcing its face into the ground. It broke a few teeth from the impact and lay motionless in defeat. ¡°Yes!¡± called Aurin, unwittingly standing up and throwing his hands up. ¡°Folks, she certainly made an impression!¡± called the announcer. ¡°You can¡¯t underestimate any opponents at this level, Mario.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± muttered the burly tamer, banishing his Doripper and summoning a Gittup. The hairy blue beast gnashed its fangs and swung its golden tail that crackled with electricity. Innogon started hopping back and forth, readying himself for whatever attack the much-larger monster would throw at him. He was ready and determined not to let Luna down. He would win this for her. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Knock him down with a sonic boom!¡± demanded Mario. Gittup roared and let rip a thunderous force from its mouth that shook the battlefield as it soared towards Innogon, but he fashioned a bubble shield around himself and rolled towards the wall at an immense speed. The bubble absorbed the impact of this collision, squeezing tightly but not popping. With the swish of his tail, Innogon sent himself rolling along towards Gittup whose eyes widened upon seeing how ineffective its attack was. To meet the rolling drake, it spun around and pointed its sharp tail at the bubble, ready to pop it. For good measure, it even coasted its tail in fizzling lightning that was ready to make Innogon explode along with his bubble. ¡°Disengage!¡± ordered Luna. Innogon leapt from the bubble, but the hole he escaped from was repaired immediately and the Gittup destroyed it on contact with its tail. With his back to the bubble, it had failed to see Innogon escape and the cries from its tamer were heard much too late as Luna¡¯s Minakai struck him with a pressure cannon. Innogon followed up by leaping into the air and spinning like a razor saw, striking Gittup with his whirling blade and ending its time on the battlefield much earlier than it would have liked. With a final roar, it collapsed and lay on the ground as motionless as its comrade had done barely a minute before. ¡°Luna is steamrolling Mario¡¯s team with a single Minakai,¡± said the announcer. ¡°He better have something good left on his bench or he¡¯ll be the first one eliminated from the national championships this year.¡± ¡°Agh!¡± yelled Mario, replacing Gittup with a Frogre. The white ogre adjusted its icy crown and then punched its fists together while grunting in anticipation of the imminent battle. Innogon took a second to catch his breath while watching and waiting. He hadn¡¯t launched many attacks, but the power behind them took a lot of his effort. Luckily for him, the Frogre was waiting to react rather than act and this gave him the pause that he needed to gather himself. ¡°Water jet!¡± commanded Luna. ¡°Now!¡± ordered Mario as Innogon opened his mouth and the stream of water erupted. Frogre held out its hands and focused its elemental powers, freezing the jet in mid-air, but Innogon had put far more energy behind the attack than Mario and his Minakai had expected. The icy jet continued to propel forward, pierced the Frogre¡¯s palms and it let out a bloodcurdling scream as Mario held his own hands to his head, realising the grave mistake he had made. ¡°Let¡¯s end this,¡± said Luna, holding out her own hand. ¡°Sweep it away!¡± Innogon let out a playful bark and threw his hands into the air, summoning a tidal wave that charged towards Frogre who shattered the icicle that had joined its hands together. It tried to leap out of the way, but the wave was too widespread. It collided with the ogre and carried it to the wall of the battlefield, slamming him against the concrete and knocking it out cold as its crown rolled away and one of its boots lay on the ground beside it. ¡°What a way to set the pace!¡± called the announcer amidst the stadium-shaking applause. ¡°Luna has won the first battle of the tournament and didn¡¯t lose a single Minakai! I don¡¯t know about you folks, but my heart is pounding. I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Half of the tamer box were cheering and the other half were already discussing plans, should they be forced to battle Luna. Aurin, however, was cheering so loudly that they could barely hear each over his thunderous claps and yells. Kyle glanced at Frederick and could see him clapping half-heartedly, but there was a peculiar look on his face; he was reluctantly impressed by the battle. ¡°Come on,¡± said Aurin to Kyle as Luna walked back towards the tunnel after shaking Mario¡¯s hand. With a final wave to the crowd, she disappeared and the two rushed through the stadium to meet her. ¡°Amazing!¡± said Aurin, hugging her tightly and almost winding her. ¡°T-thanks,¡± Luna coughed as Aurin released her. She took a deep breath and started laughing. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would go as well as it did, I¡¯ll be honest.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± said Kyle, shaking his head. ¡°I heard what the other tamers were saying. You¡¯ve rattled a few of them and that¡¯s exactly what you want. Complete complacency or utter terror. The middle ground is where you don¡¯t want to be and you¡¯ve avoided that.¡± ¡°Feeling good?¡± asked Aurin with a grin that he couldn¡¯t get rid of. ¡°I¡¯m feeling great,¡± said Luna, punching the air. ¡°Bring on the next battle!¡± ¡°Steady on,¡± chuckled Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m up next, don¡¯t forget.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s your opponent?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°Some tamer named Moon,¡± said Aurin dismissively before looking to Luna. ¡°I saw her cheering for you in the box earlier.¡± ¡°Well, that was nice of her,¡± said Luna, holding a finger to her chin. ¡°Did she look tough?¡± ¡°No, but Mario did and he wasn¡¯t. Looks can be deceiving, can¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m so beautiful and pack a punch?¡± asked Luna, winking and then giggling. ¡°That¡¯s be cue to leave,¡± said Kyle, rolling his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll see you both¡ª¡± ¡°Actually, I need to leave,¡± said Aurin, checking his watch. ¡°I¡¯ve got an appointment.¡± ¡°An appointment?¡± asked Luna and Kyle in unison, both raising their eyebrows. ¡°Yep,¡± said Aurin, rushing off before either of them could question him further. ¡°I¡¯ll see you both for lunch later,¡± he called over his shoulder as the door closed behind him. ¡°He¡¯s been acting oddly ever since we arrived in Ludonia,¡± said Kyle, shaking his head. ¡°I wonder if he¡¯s doing some secret training with his Zeera to make sure he¡¯s tournament-ready?¡± ¡°Could be, but he wouldn¡¯t need to keep that a secret from us,¡± muttered Kyle. Meanwhile, Aurin was hurrying along the corridors of the stadium and looking at the bus schedule he had in his hand. If he was quick, he could catch the next bus from outside the stadium that would take him straight to Professor Socrates¡¯s laboratory. He held out a hand and summoned Shamtile from the lab, where he had been waiting since yesterday. ¡°Any luck, mate?¡± Aurin asked him. ¡°Wagh!¡± called Shamtile, shaking his hands. ¡°He said he had done it before, so I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s proving so difficult to replicate,¡± sighed Aurin. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯ll blast apart the competition no matter what, right?¡± Shamtile grunted confidently as the two ran. Chapter 192 Aurin and Shamtile stood before the golden egg as it sat in Professor Socrates¡¯s high-powered incubator. The impressive machine had been repaired three times already after failed attempts to hatch the legendary egg that was proving itself to be beyond mere stubbornness. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± muttered the professor, checking his notes for the fiftieth time. ¡°I¡¯ve matched the specifications exactly. I know where I went wrong the first two times, but this time it should have worked.¡± ¡°You must have overlooked something,¡± said Aurin, furrowing his brow. ¡°I wish I was knowledgeable enough to help, Professor Socrates, but I haven¡¯t got a clue about any of this.¡± ¡°Well, feel free to try,¡± shrugged the professor, throwing Aurin his notebook. ¡°I¡¯m out of ideas.¡± Aurin held up the notebook and started flicking through the page, unable to understand half of the words inside, never mind the many formulas. There was something to be said for finding a magical solution to hatching eggs, like with Zeera, over relying on advanced technology to mimic the conditions. Shamtile started jumping up and down, pointing at the book. ¡°What is it?¡± Aurin asked. ¡°I don¡¯t believe for a second that you¡¯ve cracked the code, mate.¡± Shamtile punched Aurin in the thigh and snatched the book from him. He flipped it around as Aurin rubbed his sore leg and then pointed to a drawing on the back cover. ¡°Um, Professor Socrates?¡± called Aurin, opening the back page and seeing that the notebook had been completely filled¡ªincluding the inside of the back cover¡ªthe professor must have written on the back after he ran out of space on the final page. ¡°Did you check this?¡± The young man pointed to the picture of a strange ring with a jagged burst around it and showed it to the professor. ¡°My goodness,¡± said the professor, putting his palm to his forehead as his face turned red. ¡°This is embarrassing,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°What is this orb?¡± ¡°How could I forget the most crucial element of all?¡± said the professor, taking the book and looking closely at the drawing. ¡°I¡¯m such an ignoramus. A halfwit. A nincompoop!¡± Aurin stayed silent, not knowing where to look as the professor continued to berate himself. ¡°I know what to do now,¡± said Socrates, rolling his eyes. ¡°This object is called a Life Ring. If you want to hatch Breminia from the golden egg, then this is what you need. It must be placed around the egg before you can hatch it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great news!¡± roared Aurin excitedly. ¡°Where can I find one?¡± The professor sighed. ¡°They usually appear in the top couple of floors of the Bretonia monster towers, but they¡¯re exceptionally rare. I only know the location of one and I very much doubt that its owner would willingly part with it, but I can certainly ask him¡­¡± ¡°Who?¡± asked Aurin, looking nervous. ¡°For his own privacy, I shouldn¡¯t say,¡± said Socrates. ¡°But I will see what I can do¡­¡± ¡°Oh no!¡± howled Aurin, seeing the time on the intricately-carved wooden clock hanging on the back wall and behind the professor¡¯s desk. ¡°I¡¯m going to be late for my match if I hang around any longer.¡± ¡°Get moving then, son!¡± barked the professor. Aurin ran outside and banished Shamtile, who screeched as he vanished. He then summoned Skrow and hopped on the black bird¡¯s back, taking to the skies and flying over the buildings of Ludonia, aiming straight for St Michael¡¯s Stadium. * Aurin panted as he reached the end of the tunnel. He was just in time for the match and kicking himself for not checking the time properly while he was at the professor¡¯s lab. He was so distracted by the golden egg that he was risking the national championships and this was unacceptable to him. Now was the time, more than ever, to have his head in the game. ¡°Ten seconds,¡± said the tournament official, looking irked at Aurin¡¯s poor timing. ¡°Thanks,¡± muttered Aurin, wiping his forehead with the sleeve of his jacket. When given the nod, Aurin walked out onto the field. ¡°Returning from last year¡¯s championships and the runner-up of this year¡¯s Hazelton qualifier, it¡¯s Aurin!¡± called the announcer to the cheering crowd. ¡°And his opponent today is the winner of the Richbury qualifier is none other than Moon!¡± The two tamers walked across the field to meet each other. Moon was a pretty, almost ethereal girl, with alabaster skin, wavy platinum blonde hair that reached her waist and a flowing white dress that reminded Aurin of elves he had read about in fantasy books and seen in films. She had a pleasant smile on her face as she shook his hand. ¡°Why are you so sweaty?¡± she asked with a look of curiosity, rather than intending to insult. ¡°I was almost late,¡± replied Aurin. ¡°That would have been an easy advancement for me. I hope it¡¯s a good battle for both of us.¡± ¡°Likewise,¡± said Aurin and the two walked back to their positions. ¡°There¡¯s something intimidating about her,¡± said Luna in the tamer box, ¡°and I can¡¯t quite work out what it is.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like she¡¯s gliding along the ground,¡± said Kyle airily as he stared at Moon. ¡°What, is she your type?¡± giggled Luna. ¡°I think she must be every man¡¯s type.¡± ¡°She looks like a ghost to me,¡± shrugged Luna. ¡°Three. Two. One. Begin!¡± cried the announcer. Aurin summoned his Glacibot to the field in a burst of icy blue light while Moon brought forth her Elephrock. The two heavyweight monsters stomped their feet, staring at each and watching for any sudden movements from the other. Knowing that Elephrock was a competent attacker, but an even more powerful defender, Aurin opted for the first move. ¡°Double up a snowstorm and frozen terrain,¡± he ordered. Glacibot¡¯s blue eye glowed intensely within its screen and a relentless snowfall began while the battlefield was covered in ice reaching from Glacibot himself all the way to Elephrock, who quickly raised up a pillar of earth for himself to stand on that narrowly escaped Glacibot¡¯s technique. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Shatter that column!¡± demanded Aurin and Glacibot launched himself along the ice. He kept his pointed head low and rammed into the column like a spear as Elephrock spat rocks from his trunk like bullets, but Glacibot endured them and sent the pillar tumbling down, knocking the pale purple elephant onto the ice below where it lay unconscious. ¡°Aurin takes the first victory of the battle, but it¡¯s far from over,¡± boomed the announcer. ¡°Impressive,¡± said Moon sweetly, but she was far too quiet to be heard over the crowd. She summoned her next Minakai in a flash of cream light. Her four-handed Zenoman stood with its back to her, hovering just slightly off the ground so that the icy terrain was rendered useless. Not wanting to give the psychic neutral elemental the chance to strike, Glacibot conjured up four ice spears and launched one at each of Zenoman¡¯s four fists. Knowing it was foolish to try and block the attacks, Zenoman threw its hands out to avoid the spears and sent its clenched fists soaring through the air. It delivered a flurry of blows to Glacibot¡¯s frozen body, leaving Aurin feeling smug. There was no way that it could leave as much as a dent in his iceberg-like robot. Suddenly, the large spike on Glacibot¡¯s body cracked, gobsmacking Aurin. ¡°She¡¯s stronger than I gave her credit for,¡± he muttered as his eyes narrowed. ¡°Glacibot, unleash a powerful hail!¡± As the fists continued to beat him, Glacibot brace himself and summoned large hailstones that rained down upon the battlefield, bouncing off him while pelting Zenoman much more vigorously and slowing his punches as his focus was pulled away. ¡°Barrier,¡± ordered Moon. Zenoman coated itself in an invisible forcefield that made the hail bounce off of it effortlessly, returning focus to his fists. As Glacibot grabbed two of the fists and crushed them beneath his heavy body, the remaining two fists used the opening to strike him viciously in the screen, cracking it and knocking him out far too quickly for Aurin¡¯s liking. ¡°Sloppy,¡± he mumbled, scolding himself. ¡°She needs to be taken seriously. Gorunze, strike quick!¡± Aurin banished Glacibot and sent out his bronze golem, who unleashed a powerful laser attack at each of two uncrushed fists, making them spasm as they fell to the ground. Gorunze charged towards Zenoman who flew across the battlefield just above the ground before turning to the encroaching Gorunze. Zenoman let out a psychic blast intended to knock Gorunze over, but the metal elemental braced himself and kept himself upright. As Zenoman squealed in fear, Gorunze threw himself forward and headbutted the golden alien, knocking him into the wall and out of the battle. ¡°Moon¡¯s down to her last Minakai while Aurin has his Gorunze and an unrevealed third remaining,¡± said the announcer. ¡°Just how powerful could her last Minakai be, folks?¡± ¡°Very,¡± said Moon, throwing out a ball of energy from her summoning stone. Everyone¡¯s mouths fell open as the turquoise light summoned her Minakai to the field. The beast she called to her aid was teal-furred with a purple mane running down its back along with a segmented yellow underbelly and a burly frame. It pawed at the ground with one of its four legs as it watched intently, giving off a turquoise glow at all times. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± muttered Aurin in horror as he stared at his opponent¡¯s Ethruki. There was no time to waste. ¡°Gorunze, attack!¡± he called out. Gorunze threw his arms forward, shooting out two topaz spears that flew towards Ethruki at an impressive speed, but it was not more impressive than the counter. Halfway across the field, the spears slowed to a crawl and then dropped to the ground, stopped by the cosmic force of Ethruki¡¯s element. ¡°What¡¯s Aurin supposed to do?¡± asked Luna in despair. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Kyle, sounding nervous. ¡°I¡­I really don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope she¡¯s not a very good tamer,¡± said Hunter, watching Moon closely as she kept her serene smile on her face. Aurin was starting to panic, not having expected to fight a cosmic elemental that wasn¡¯t Frederick¡¯s or Tobias¡¯s. The last time he had fought against an Ethruki was when he battled Taurus and that had gone poorly at best. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his mind, knowing that the challenge had been laid out before him and he had to adapt. ¡°We need to tire it out,¡± Aurin told Gorunze. ¡°Hit it with a relentless barrage.¡± Gorunze unleashed three powerful attacks at once. First, he hurled topaz spears from his hands that torpedoed towards Ethruki. Secondly, he flung a wave of sharp shrapnel from his body, aiming to give as many fast-flung targets to his foes as he could. Lastly, he followed everything up with a yellow laser beam from his eyes. Ethruki froze the spears, which fell to the ground pathetically, while the shrapnel only got a few feet closer before being frozen in mid-air. What the bull-like Minakai did not expect, however was the laser attack. It came within an inch of the cosmic elemental¡¯s face before being halted, the other end still connected to Gorunze¡¯s eyes. ¡°Go!¡± demanded Aurin. With a clanking grunt, Gorunze put as much force into his attack as he could, making the lasers vibrate violently as Ethruki held onto them with its magical prowess. Gorunze knew he would not be able to defeat Ethruki with this one attack, but he just needed to muster up the strength for one stronger push to land a blow. He just needed a little more power. ¡°Graaaaaw!¡± wailed Ethruki as the laser beam jolted forward an inch before dissipating. The bull started thrashing around wildly with two small wisps of smoke floating above its forehead. Gorunze was heaving up and down mechanically, his tired eyes fixed upon the singed, blackened fur on Ethruki¡¯s head. The beast was livid as it bucked around and rolled over in what could only be described as a tantrum. ¡°Calm yourself,¡± Moon said to her Minakai in a soft, soothing voice, but it was no good. Her Ethruki turned to her with daggers in its eyes. It charged towards her, leaving a trail of its ethereal aura in its wake as its tamer¡¯s relaxed expression turned to one of utter terror. ¡°She¡­she can¡¯t control it,¡± whispered Aurin, realising what was about to happen. ¡°It¡¯s too powerful for her to keep in check. Gorunze!¡± The bronze golem¡¯s head was spinning, but he knew he had to do something and his master¡¯s order affirmed it for him. He sent a weak laser beam from his eyes, for that was all he could muster. It struck Ethruki on the back, injuring it no more than the sting of a wasp would, but it was enough to make Ethruki whip around and change course. Moon dared not say another word, fearing that her Minakai would turn on her once again. The crowd were murmuring away, not knowing what to make of the situation. ¡°Rest assured,¡± said the announcer, his voice shakier than Aurin had ever heard it, ¡°that we always have a team on standby should a situation get out of hand, folks.¡± As Ethruki neared Gorunze, the bronze titan stood on his back legs and swiped a claw through the air, but Gorunze froze as he drew his arm across. A second later, Ethruki had knocked him across the battlefield with a shockingly powerful headbutt. Aurin looked at the last summoning stone in his glove and prayed that this Minakai would be strong enough to defeat the infuriated cosmic elemental, who was continuing to ram itself into the unconscious Gorunze. With a deep breath, Aurin threw forward a green ball of light and Desparee appeared on the battlefield while Gorunze disappeared. ¡°He¡¯s angry and out of control,¡± Aurin told his Minakai, who wept upon seeing the opponent he was faced with. ¡°Time to utilise what we learned with Vai, Desparee. Understood?¡± As Ethruki set its sights on the crying tree-like Minakai, Desparee hurled a flurry of razor-sharp leaves at the beast, forcing it to stop them in mid-air. Desparee used the distraction to create two small orbs of nature energy in his hands and brought them up to unleash at cosmic elemental, but his hands became frozen in place. Desparee struggled and strained as Ethruki¡¯s chest swelled up and down, focusing on maintaining its lock on the nature elementals arms. Desparee looked over his shoulder, hoping his tamer would have an answer for him. To his relief, Aurin had a small smile on his face; he knew that this Ethruki didn¡¯t have half the power, control or concentration that Tauru¡¯s one did, even during his first encounter with it. ¡°Remember what we learned with Vai,¡± said Aurin. Desparee nodded and turned back to face Ethruki, who continued to restrain him with its magic, no matter how hard Desparee tried to move his arms. With a howling groan, Desparee spat a nature beam from his mouth and it struck Ethruki square in the chest, throwing it onto its back. ¡°Now!¡± called Aurin. As the roaring Ethruki rolled over and climbed to its feet, it was met with a much more powerful nature beam from Desparee¡¯s freed hands. The brutalising attack encapsulated Ethruki¡¯s head, throwing it across the battlefield where it rolled over, its aura all but gone as it writhed on the ground. ¡°And it¡¯s over!¡± yelled the announcer over the cheers of the crowd. ¡°Aurin has defeated Moon and her Ethruki, securing himself a place in the second round.¡± Aurin saw Moon let out a sigh of relief as the pair walked to the centre of the battlefield. ¡°How long ago did you hatch it?¡± Aurin asked, shaking her hand. ¡°Five days ago,¡± said Moon guiltily. ¡°I thought I could handle him¡­but¡­well, I couldn¡¯t. No point dancing around it. I hoped he would obey me long enough to take out tough opponents, but he doesn¡¯t care about proving himself.¡± ¡°I have no doubt you¡¯ll make a strong comeback next year.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± said Moon, smiling again. ¡°And thank you for saving me. I don¡¯t know if security would have stepped in before it was too late.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± said Aurin, returning the smile and then turning to wave to the crowd. As he walked away, he breathed a sigh of relief of his own. Upon seeing the Ethruki, he feared that the first round would be the end of the line for him. Although having now taken one down, he was feeling good. Frederick¡¯s Abysarex and Tobias¡¯s Mindadam would prove to be much tougher opponents, he had no doubt about that. Chapter 193 Kyle tossed a green summoning stone in his hand as he waited to be called forward. He knew that Frederick would be no pushover, but he had prepared himself as best as he could for the challenge and knew that stressing over it would only hamper his performance. He was clearheaded and ready to go. The tournament official gave him the go ahead, he slotted the summoning stone back into his tamer glove and then the announcer¡¯s voice filled the stadium. ¡°Returning to the national championships after many years, everyone please give it up for Kyle!¡± Kyle waved to the audience who cheered for him. Aurin and Luna caught his eye as they waved a homemade banner, but the writing was so small he couldn¡¯t read it. He let out a dry laugh to himself as the announcer called out Fredrick. ¡°After reaching the national championships two years ago and taking a year off, welcome back Frederick!¡± The former Zodiac member strode across the battlefield confidently and smiled as he gave a less enthusiastic wave to the crowd, keeping his eyes on Kyle the entire time. ¡°Don¡¯t pull any punches,¡± said the rancher. ¡°I want to beat you at your best.¡± ¡°I never pull punches,¡± said Frederick, shaking Kyle¡¯s hand. That comment confirmed Kyle¡¯s belief about which Minakai Frederick had in his team. While Aurin was saving a number of his most powerful for later matches, Frederick had his best monsters at the ready at all times. It made him predictable but, with such powerful Minakai at his disposal, it didn¡¯t matter all that much. As Kyle walked back to his side of the field, he was glad that he too wasn¡¯t going to pull punches. The speaker crackled as the announcer called out. ¡°Three. Two. One. Fight!¡± ¡°End it quickly, Wing!¡± ordered Kyle, unleashing Wingbloom with the power of the green summoning stone in his hand. ¡°Leofang!¡± roared Frederick as his red-maned and cobalt-furred lion appeared in a flash of light. Its sharp fangs glinted in the stadium lights as it watched Wingbloom fast approaching. Leofang pounced at the bird-like plant as Wingbloom drew close, but a pirouette let Wingbloom glide on past and send a mighty razor wind from his wings that cut into Leofang¡¯s back, knocking him flat on his stomach and leaving him roaring in anger as he leapt back to his feet. ¡°Use your rage,¡± said Frederick to his Minakai. Leofang spun around and watched as Wingbloom took to the skies, keeping well out of range. Another burst of air shot towards him, but a well-timed jump let him dodge and a swift roll cleared him from a follow-up attack. Knowing that staying too far away would be a waste of energy, Wingbloom closed the gap. ¡°He¡¯s not as agile as you, but don¡¯t underestimate him,¡± warned Kyle. Leofang¡¯s throat rippled for a split second as Wingbloom readied a gust of wind. Suddenly, a howling force burst from Leofang, shaking and disorienting Wingbloom just enough to make him dip lower. With a running jump, Frederick¡¯s Minakai leapt into the air and opened his mouth, readying his sabred fangs. The ferocious feline sank his teeth into Wingbloom¡¯s wing as the flying plant left the battlefield behind him. The pain was immense and the sharp claws cutting into his torso made things much worse, but he wasn¡¯t going to lose this battle. No, he would not give up and let his opponent get the better of him. Digging deep, Wingbloom began to spin, swinging Leofang around as he twirled. He picked up more and more speed, but Leofang was wedged into his wing and would not simply be flung off by the increasing force that tried to throw him away. It did, however, leave the large cat¡¯s limbs flailing wildly and Wingbloom¡¯s torso was no longer being struck by sharp nails. Kyle¡¯s Minakai burst forward and flew towards the battlefield, pulling up slightly as he headed straight for the ground and then soared along with Leofang¡¯s being dragged along for the ride. He redirected himself to fly alongside the wall and picked up speed, inching closer and closer to the concrete. He had to be careful so as not to take himself out too. A couple of inches later and Leofang¡¯s flailing body was being burned by the intense friction of being dragged across the wall, while Wingbloom¡¯s wingtip kept just out of reach. He focused on maintaining the perfect distance, letting the wall burn the fur from Leofang¡¯s body and graze his skin until it was raw. ¡°Enough!¡± called Kyle and Wingbloom immediately pivoted and landed on the battlefield with the now-unconscious Leofang still hanging from his wing. ¡°Yes!¡± cheered Aurin, now clutching the banner alone; Luna had discarded it to bite her nails. ¡°And the first point of the battle goes to Kyle!¡± called the announcer. ¡°And it will be the last,¡± said Frederick, freeing Wingbloom by banishing Leofang and holding up a turquoise summoning stone. ¡°Abysarex!¡± The hulking red bipedal lion stood on the battlefield, beating its fists together as the crowd all exclaimed in shock. ¡°What do we have here, folks?¡± asked the announcer. ¡°This is the second cosmic elemental of the tournament and we¡¯re only in the first round of matches. My goodness, what a thrilling ride we¡¯re in for this year.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Finish him off,¡± said Frederick. Abysarex charged forwards as a tired and battered Wingbloom forced himself into the air, but the cosmic elemental didn¡¯t need to punch him with his fists. He threw a few jabs into the air and a powerful force exploded from them, knocking Wingbloom back down to the ground. Abysarex ran in and delivered a final punch to Wingbloom¡¯s chest, taking him out of the battle. ¡°Frederick evened up the score very quickly!¡± called the announcer. ¡°He¡¯s got range, but so have you,¡± said Kyle, summoning his Hogannon in a burst of red. The bipedal orange pig immediately started unleashing a barrage of fireballs from his cast iron cannons. Abysarex threw a few more punches, sending spectral forces through the air that snuffed out the fireballs before they got anywhere close to him. He snarled, as the light caught his pale gold segmented stomach plate and spiked knee coverings. Hogannon watched and waited, taking in the fact that his arms were his least protected parts, but also his most deadly ones. If he could take out his opponent¡¯s arms, he knew he could win. Kyle was thinking similarly to his Minakai and knew that he needed to break Abysarex¡¯s concentration. ¡°Make it rain,¡± Kyle said, and Hogannon snorted loudly as he summoned flaming embers above the battlefield to rain down upon it. ¡°Now set the field ablaze!¡± Hogannon unleashed torrents of flame from his arms that lit up the ground, closing Abysarex within a large ring of flame that crept towards him. Frederick, however, looked unphased. ¡°Blind him with smoke so¡ª¡± Hogannon let out a pained squeal as Abysarex¡¯s fist collided with the back of his head. The fiery pig fell to the ground and lost consciousness before his chin hit the dirt while Abysarex¡¯s portal closed behind him. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Abysarex could use portals too!¡± lamented Aurin to Luna. She shook her head despondently. ¡°That¡¯s because we don¡¯t know half of what we need to know about cosmic elementals and which ones can use which abilities.¡± The ember rain faded away and the flames on the battlefield died out as Kyle banished Hogannon back to the ranch. He knew his mistake was trying to stack the battlefield in his favour all at once rather than keeping his defences up. Now that Abysarex¡¯s teleportation powers had been revealed to him, he wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake again. ¡°Feel free to give up,¡± chided Frederick with a smug grin, but Kyle wasn¡¯t to be deterred. ¡°Snowlem,¡± he said as he summoned his most powerful ice elemental. The large snowman appeared on the battlefield with his coal smile, carrot nose and flowing red scarf. Abysarex wasn¡¯t intimidated in the least and hurled two forceful punches at his opponent, sending out his mighty shockwaves, but a swiftly erected ice wall took the blows before crumbling. Kyle gave his Minakai a quiet order that couldn¡¯t be heard by the rest of the stadium. Snowlem suddenly whipped around and threw a punch of his own with an ice-coated fist and met the incoming blow from the warping cosmic elemental. Abysarex snarled as Snowlem continued to grin his black grin. Abysarex vanished again and appeared from above with his fist drawn back, but Snowlem created a shield of ice above himself and Abysarex punched through it. The shield slowed his momentum, giving Snowlem the chance to grab him and throw him to the ground before he had the chance to warp away. Snowlem leapt at his foe with a conjured ice spear in his hand, aiming to skewer him through his exposed arm, but Abysarex rolled aside and teleported halfway across the battlefield. ¡°When did you learn this new power?¡± Kyle called out to Frederick. ¡°Two months ago,¡± said Frederick smugly. ¡°Quite the trick, isn¡¯t it? Much more effective than Mindadam¡¯s portals.¡± Kyle smiled in response, holding his tongue. It may indeed have been more effective than Mindadam¡¯s portals, but he knew it would also require that much more energy to perform. Like with the other cosmic Minakai, especially the ones that haven¡¯t been training for years, their biggest weakness was their stamina. ¡°Make it hail,¡± Kyle said to Snowlem. As the snowman harnessed the power of icy weather, Abysarex warped again and threw a punch from the side. Predicting the move, Snowlem threw himself backwards and tossed an ice spear at his opponent. Abysarex, however, was not so easily hit and caught the spear in mid-air before throwing it back to its owner, who used his elemental power to shatter it into glittering dust before it struck him. Throwing himself back to his feet, Snowlem charged at Abysarex, aiming to tackle him to the ground, but Abysarex warped away once more and reappeared behind Snowlem, kicking him in the back and knocking him onto the ground as hail rained down upon him. Before Frederick could look too smug, Snowlem wrapped his feet around Abysarex¡¯s leg and flipped him over, taking him to the ground. Snowlem leapt into the air and spun around. The crowd gasped as they watched his wooden right fist become coated in an aurora-like ball of energy. He punched Abysarex in his unprotected shoulder. The cosmic elemental let out a roar of fury and clutched his arm before warping away again. When he reappeared a few yards away, he was panting and rubbing his wound. Frederick was taken aback, but he regained his composure. ¡°He wants you drained. Don¡¯t give him that chance!¡± he called out to his Minakai, who shook himself off. Abysarex sprinted forward towards Snowlem, ignoring the hail that pelted him. Kyle¡¯s Minakai froze the ground beneath him, trying to trip him up or force him to teleport into melee range, but Abysarex teleported into the air. He roared loudly, emitting a cosmic burst of energy that shook the battlefield and flung Snowlem backwards. The cosmic elemental hurtled towards his opponent, unleashing a flurry of spectral punches that beat his downed opponent. Not one to show mercy¡ªmuch like his tamer¡ªAbysarex grabbed Snowlem by the feet and lifted him high before slamming him over his spiked knee guard. ¡°Get up!¡± Kyle ordered his Minakai, but Abysarex was relentless in his assault and continued punching, kicking and throwing Snowlem like a ragdoll. With a final punch, Snowlem was smacked into the concrete wall and he collapsed in a broken heap, unable to continue fighting. Kyle closed his eyes as he dismissed his Minakai, devastated to have lost, but proud of the fight that his monsters had put up against an opponent that outmatched them. ¡°And it¡¯s the end of the line for Kyle!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Frederick¡¯s Abysarex stormed through three of Kyle¡¯s Minakai, winning him the match.¡± Kyle and Frederick walked to the centre of the battlefield and shook hands as the crowd cheered, in awe of the intense battle and the power of the cosmic elemental force they had witnessed. ¡°Well played,¡± said Frederick. ¡°Your Wingbloom is as powerful as I knew he would be.¡± ¡°And your Abysarex more powerful than I presumed,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Good luck for the rest of the tournament, Frederick.¡± ¡°No jabs? No jibes?¡± asked the former Zodiac member. ¡°I don¡¯t need to do any of that. You won and I lost in a fair fight, so that¡¯s all there is to it as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡± The two parted ways. As calm as Kyle had sounded, he wasn¡¯t finished. He was going to train Aurin and Luna further to make sure that they could stand against Abysarex when their turns eventually came. Frederick was not going to reach the finals and Kyle would make sure of it. Chapter 194 Dolissile collided with Brody¡¯s Guilgon, forcing the water jet it had prepared out of its mouth. The blue dragon¡¯s eyes were wide as it fell backwards and sprawled across the grass, all the while Dolissile backed up and was ready to strike again should his opponent dare stand up. ¡°And Aurin has won his second match of the tournament!¡± called the announcer as Aurin pumped his fist. He had a much easier time of it in this battle than he had in his battle against Moon and her Ethruki. He had almost cleared Brody¡¯s entire team with Spikruption, but Guilgon had managed to take him out after a tough battle. Dolissile made very quick work of the dragon that had already been tired out, leaving Aurin with Lycavine resting in his reserves. ¡°Good battle,¡± said Aurin as Brody avoided eye contact while looking despondent. ¡°Yeah,¡± he mumbled as he shook Aurin¡¯s hand before walking away. Aurin waved to the roaring crowd as they chanted his name. He was feeling good and every match brought him one step closer to the opponent¡¯s he truly wanted to face. Nothing was going to slow him down this year and he was more prepared and more skilled than ever. * ¡°There you go,¡± said Luna, passing Hunter¡¯s son, Saxon, a hot dog on a paper plate. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Saxon graciously and ran over to the picnic table. ¡°Walk!¡± called his mother, Petunia, while holding her heavily pregnant belly. She tutted. ¡°That boy, he¡¯s gotten so active lately.¡± ¡°Easy on him,¡± chuckled Hunter, plating another few hot dogs and passing them to Jimmy¡¯s Zenoman who took one plate in each hand. ¡°He¡¯s always eager to go, just like his dad.¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± squealed Emily as Zenoman placed a plate in front of her, Jimmy, Gardner and Aurin, who were all sitting at the same large picnic table as Saxon. ¡°Should we eat before everyone sits down?¡± asked Jimmy uncertainly, looking around, but Gardner was slathering his with mustard while Aurin had already taken a large bite out of his. ¡°Mmf¡­oops,¡± said Aurin, gulping it down. ¡°Ah well, no going back now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a glutton,¡± called Kyle as he walked over with his own plate. ¡°You couldn¡¯t wait thirty seconds, could you?¡± ¡°Better to eat it before it gets cold,¡± shrugged Hunter as he turned a few more sausages over on the barbeque he had set up on his balcony. Having never been to Hunter¡¯s house before, Aurin was marvelled when he laid eyes on it. It was a beautiful townhouse, four storeys tall and with a small garden out the back, but the balcony that took up half the fourth floor was the crowning jewel. Hunter hat planted grass and a few trees here, turning it into a second garden with a much better view than the first one. Aurin could see over half the houses in the neighbourhood and most of the major landmarks of the city were visible, cropping out in the distance, including the stadium. ¡°Kyle,¡± said Emily, as Kyle sat down. ¡°How does it feel to have gone toe-to-toe with a cosmic Minakai? Was it nerve-racking? Terrifying? Were you calm? I need to know!¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± laughed Kyle. ¡°It was¡­exactly what I expected it to be. Difficult.¡± ¡°You should learn from the master,¡± said Aurin, standing up proudly and holding his hand to his heart. ¡°You got lucky going up against a newly hatched Ethruki and a tamer that¡¯s less skilled than Frederick,¡± scoffed Kyle, rolling his eyes. ¡°All the same,¡± said Luna, walking over with Innogon and Shamtile bouncing along behind her. ¡°There¡¯s no denying it¡¯s the most powerful element, even when it hasn¡¯t been harnessed fully.¡± ¡°Yeah, fine,¡± said Kyle. ¡°You did well, Aurin. Now sit down and stop making a spectacle of yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just joking around,¡± said Aurin. ¡°In all seriousness, I need your help to get up to scratch before battling Frederick.¡± ¡°Before battling Frederick?¡± asked Luna, nudging him in the ribs. ¡°What makes you so sure you¡¯ll defeat me and get that chance?¡± ¡°Well, um¡­¡± muttered Aurin, making everyone laugh. ¡°Put your foot in it there, mate,¡± said Gardner, slapping him on the back. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Train both of us to fight Abysarex,¡± said Aurin, ignoring the last few moments of conversation. ¡°We need to be prepared for him. It¡¯s one thing watching the battle and it¡¯s another being trained by the one who was in the battle.¡± Kyle nodded. ¡°Already written up my post-battle notes and we¡¯ll be going over them in Baxter Park tomorrow.¡± ¡°You make post-battle notes?¡± asked Emily, squinting at Kyle. ¡°Does anybody else do that?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Aurin, Luna, Gardner and Jimmy in unison and then exchanging glances. ¡°This man right here does,¡± said Petunia, patting her husband on the arm. ¡°He writes up all of his major battles, reviews footage if there¡¯s any available and will spend hours in his study trying to finetune where he went wrong and where he went right.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve spoiled my strategy, honey,¡± said Hunter with a dry laugh. ¡°But yes, she¡¯s right. I do that too.¡± ¡°Now I can¡¯t help but feel as though I should be doing that too,¡± said Aurin, looking at Shamtile who had torn up his bun and was juggling it for the amusement of the other Minakai¡ªInnogon, Jimmy¡¯s Zenoman, Gardner¡¯s Frilleaf, Emily¡¯s Petalcub and Hunter¡¯s latest Microbot. ¡°Good juggler,¡± write it down, said Luna with a giggle. ¡°You¡¯ve never used that skill in battle before.¡± ¡°And never will I,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Aurin, you¡¯re finished?¡± asked Hunter, tossing the tongs over to Gardner who almost fumbled them. ¡°Yes, why?¡± replied Aurin. ¡°Got something to show you that may come in useful,¡± said Hunter before looking to Gardner. ¡°Don¡¯t let these burn, I haven¡¯t eaten.¡± ¡°On it, boss,¡± said Gardner, standing up and getting hit on the side of the head by a piece of bread that Innogon had blasted out of Shamtile¡¯s hand. Aurin followed Hunter downstairs and into a large room with red walls and lined with a dozen pine bookshelves. At the back of the room sat a large desk with a few stacked books and a dusty computer that didn¡¯t look like it got much used half as much as the books. Aurin drew his eyes across Hunter¡¯s study, trying to take in all of the texts, tomes and manuals, but there were hundreds of them. So many that even Tobias would have been envious. ¡°What are these?¡± asked Aurin, walking up to a glass cabinet and peering inside. ¡°I recognise the Cosmic Shard, but not the others.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± said Hunter, stepping up beside him. ¡°Most of these don¡¯t apply to Bretonian Minakai or at the very least only apply to those who can evolve to forms not found in Bretonian monster towers.¡± ¡°Like my Lycavine. I needed a Full Moon Gem to evolve him from Budescent otherwise he¡¯d have become a Vinewolf.¡± ¡°Exactly. The evolutions can be complicated, crossing between regions. Although I shouldn¡¯t need to tell you that seeing as you have a Glacibot now.¡± ¡°And what about you and that Cosmic Shard?¡± asked Aurin, nodding towards the glistening pearlescent stone. ¡°How long have you had that?¡± Hunter smiled and closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve had it for a year, but it¡¯s going to remain in that cabinet until I can confidently say that I¡¯ve mastered the other nine Microbot evolutions. Once I¡¯ve done that, only then will I use it to evolve a Microbot into an Etherbot.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t make things easy for yourself, do you?¡± chuckled Aurin. ¡°Perhaps not, but I want to make sure that I can handle the power of mighty Minakai. You should know how that feels, right?¡± Aurin was taken aback. How could Hunter have known about Zeera? Had Kyle run his mouth? ¡°It¡¯s alright, I can keep a secret,¡± said Hunter. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s a long shot to get it hatched and ready for a tournament battle considering the tournament is already underway.¡± It hit Aurin what Hunter was talking about. ¡°How did you find out about the golden egg?¡± he asked. ¡°I go and meet with Professor Socrates often to run ideas past him,¡± said Hunter before holding out his hand. ¡°Let me congratulate you on reaching the top of one of the monster towers. It¡¯s a feat that I have yet to achieve.¡± ¡°Thank you, Hunter,¡± said Aurin, accepting the handshake graciously. ¡°To tell you the truth, I didn¡¯t think I would make it to the top. I scraped by the final battle by the skin of my teeth¡­well, the metal of Steambot¡¯s casing.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how close of a call it was. It should be a close call otherwise it¡¯s not a true challenge and test of your abilities. The highest floor I have reached is forty-seven¡­twice now.¡± Aurin wanted to say something encouraging, but couldn¡¯t think of a way to not come across as condescending so he nodded and said nothing. ¡°Anyway,¡± said Hunter, waving his hand through the air. ¡°I said I had a gift for you.¡± He walked over to his study table, pulled out the top drawer and lifted out a large book. He walked over to Aurin and handed it over. ¡°The Towers of Bretonia,¡± said Aurin, reading aloud. ¡°What¡¯s it about?¡± he joked. Hunter let out a chuckle. ¡°Give it a read and maybe you¡¯ll find something useful. You¡¯ve been to, what, three monster towers? There are many others in Bretonia and I think you¡¯ll find that the others present some unique challenges. Many things from different Minakai spawn rates, different difficulty levels, different anomalies like the wide-open floors, and so on. They towers have been studied extensively and the author has compiled together a lot of the most pertinent information.¡± ¡°Thank you. It may take until after the tournament for me to start reading it properly.¡± ¡°I expected as much. My thoughts were that you have a lot of time between this tournament and the next, no matter how the national championships turn out. Perhaps exploring Bretonia and seeing what else our beautiful nation has to offer you would be beneficial to you in the long run.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re right,¡± said Aurin, looking at the book cover again. ¡°I¡¯ve been a tamer for three years and I still feel like I¡¯m barely scratching the surface, even after everything I¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°You and me both, Aurin,¡± said Hunter, shaking his head. ¡°I could reach the top of every tower in the country and still feel incomplete. We¡¯re chasing unattainable goals that we will never see through, no matter what we do. As long as we enjoy the ride and can leave something useful behind for those that follow, then we¡¯ve done what we need to do.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°Shall we head back outside?¡± asked Hunter. ¡°I want to make sure Gardner didn¡¯t burn the sausages.¡± Aurin and Hunter walked back upstairs and out onto the balcony. For the rest of the gathering, all Aurin could think about was what he wanted to do after the tournament. Whatever it was, he knew now that he would need to venture beyond Hazelton and see what else was out there for him. It may have been secret places of great significance like Sule Scrin where his Zeera was waiting for him or it may have been Minakai that had yet to be discovered. Chapter 195 ¡°You need to focus on being evasive and knowing how to distract Abysarex if you two want to have a shot at taking down Frederick,¡± said Kyle to Aurin and Luna as they all stood in the park with a handful of their Minakai each. ¡°Agreed,¡± said Aurin, looking to Leonite, Chopchop and Spikruption. ¡°Yep,¡± said Luna as her Splashard, Angree and Cephelarock kept close to her. ¡°You¡¯ve both trained heavily in offense, speed and defence already, but that won¡¯t be enough. You¡¯ll want to pull out tricks that you haven¡¯t even thought of before in order to catch the cosmic off-guard. The teleportation ability is his biggest weakness because it tires him out using it too often.¡± ¡°Keep our distance and force him to close the gap,¡± said Luna. ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s nothing stopping him from using long-range attacks too. You¡¯ll also want to use attacks that he desperately wants to avoid. Abysarex is surprisingly fast for a bulky Minakai, but he still isn¡¯t as fast many of yours. Now, I have to ask you an important question¡­¡± Aurin and Luna looked to each other, knowing what Kyle was about to ask. The pair had discussed their answers at length already. ¡°Why did you pick the Minakai that you did?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± said Aurin, looking to his team. ¡°Leonite is incredibly speedy, arguably my fastest monster after Dolissile, but also much nimbler and more reactive. Chopchop is both a direct striker and good defender. Abysarex is fleshy underneath his fur and Chopchop¡¯s swords are perfect for that. Lastly, Spikruption¡­well, he insisted that he be the one to take on the next cosmic elemental.¡± Spikruption roared loudly and proudly, looking confident that he had what it took to bring down Frederick¡¯s star performer. ¡°Very well,¡± said Kyle, frowning at the red dinosaur. ¡°Luna?¡± ¡°Splashard¡¯s ability to reform when she¡¯s injured is perfect for if we¡¯re hit by a surprise attack after a teleportation. Angree is ruthless and can easily go toe-to-toe with Abysarex if he isn¡¯t teleporting. Cephelarock is also a dark horse and can manipulate the battlefield effectively.¡± ¡°You saw what happened when I tried to manipulate the battlefield, right?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°Yes, but I won¡¯t try and load it up all at once. It will be specific and targeted.¡± ¡°Good answer,¡± said Kyle. ¡°You both realise that when one of you fights Frederick, you¡¯ll be using teams of five, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Aurin, ¡°but if we have to use all five Minakai to take out Abysarex then we¡¯ve already lost because Frederick has a team of strong monsters to rely on. We figured that three was the maximum that we could spare and still have a chance at winning.¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Now, shall we get to work?¡± ¡°Bring it on!¡± said Luna, punching the air wildly. Angree, sensing his tamer¡¯s eagerness, joined in and threw a wild flurry of blows that were so quick the air blew Luna¡¯s hair around. * ¡°What took you so long?¡± asked Hunter as Aurin and Shamtile ran up the street towards him. ¡°Training¡­ran¡­overboard,¡± panted Aurin, while Shamtile danced a merry jig to show off that he wasn¡¯t tired. ¡°You¡­weren¡¯t¡­training,¡± Aurin told him. ¡°Come on,¡± said Hunter, beckoning him inside Professor Socrates¡¯s laboratory. The two walked up the stairs while Shamtile hopped and skipped ahead, entering through the doors first. Hunter had asked Aurin if he would mind him coming along to see more about the golden egg and Aurin was more than happy to oblige considering all of the help that Hunter had given him over the last couple of years. ¡°Ah, there you are,¡± said Professor Socrates from the room with the incubator. ¡°What took you so long?¡± Aurin frowned. ¡°Training,¡± he said bluntly. ¡°Training isn¡¯t important, boy, not when we¡¯re about to perform a miracle!¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°You have it?¡± asked Aurin enthusiastically, daring to dream. Professor Socrates nodded and walked over to his locked cabinet. He took a key out from around his neck and opened a drawer, pulling out a velvet box and passed it to Aurin. ¡°Go ahead,¡± said the professor. Aurin opened the box, revealing a golden band wide enough for him to fit his fist through. It was perfectly smooth and he was unable to leave a single fingerprint on the shining golden ring. It radiated magic and Aurin knew immediately that this was the real deal. It was a Life Ring. ¡°The owner was willing to part with it?¡± he asked in awe of the magical band. ¡°Not at first,¡± said Socrates tepidly, ¡°but I was persuasive. I didn¡¯t realise that he knew who you were, but upon mentioning your name he softened up.¡± ¡°Who?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Does it matter?¡± asked Hunter, marvelling at the ring. ¡°Was it you?¡± ¡°No,¡± laughed Hunter. ¡°I like you, Aurin, but I wouldn¡¯t part with that so easily. Especially when I don¡¯t have a Breminia of my own.¡± ¡°Shall we proceed with the hatching?¡± asked the professor with an air of excitement about him. ¡°Yes,¡± said Aurin. ¡°What do you reckon, Shamtile? Ready to meet another teammate that you¡¯ll need to keep under control?¡± Shamtile, who was jumping up and down, suddenly slumped over and let out an exasperated sigh. As much as Zeera had grown on him, having to constantly keep him in check was tiresome. He hoped that this new Minakai wouldn¡¯t be as troublesome and could behave itself without being threatened. ¡°What teammate?¡± asked Hunter. ¡°Um¡­Arium was a real brat when he first hatched,¡± said Aurin, realising he¡¯d almost given away his secret Zeera. ¡°Fair enough,¡± said Hunter as Aurin followed Professor Socrates into the incubator room. The professor opened the door to the incubator where the golden egg was already waiting. He gestured to Aurin, who stepped forward and set the ring on top of the egg before taking a step back. He held his breath as the professor closed the door. ¡°It¡¯s only right that you do the honours and press the activation button,¡± said Socrates. ¡°It is your prize after all, young man.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± said Aurin, stepping forward and reaching out with a trembling hand. He didn¡¯t know why he was so nervous. With a press of the button, the machine began to stir. It was slow at first, but it started to rumble more vigorously and the Life Ring expanded, sliding down and closing itself around the centre of the egg. The egg started to glow gold before shifting to green and finally setting upon a deep blue. The glass lifted as the form of a small humanoid Minakai appeared, holding out two arms that were webbed liked wings that spread down to its sides as though it was holding a glider. Around its lower body were three lopsided rings that spun around. Aurin, Shamtile, Hunter and Professor Socrates all watched in awe as the glow started to fade and the golden Breminia revealed itself to the four. It had a round head with three blue circular gemstones positioned in a triangle formation in the centre of its face. Aurin had been mistaken about its wings, they were not attached to its arms, rather they were attached to its back and its two arms were held up constantly while resting against the wings. The wings themselves were not feathery, but straight-edged and curved. In the centre of its chest was another, more ovular sapphire that twinkled pleasantly. It had thin blue lines along the sides of its head as well as a thicker blue line running down its chin and to its neck while another ran from its forehead and down the back of its head. It had two more blue lines that ran encircled its wrists and blue markings covering its feet and ending in a point at the top of its shins. ¡°Breminia,¡± muttered Aurin, taking a step towards his Minakai who floated in place atop the incubator¡¯s now-open pedestal. ¡°My name is Aurin and I am your tamer.¡± The legendary Minakai cocked its head to the side and made an echoing coo as though it were a bird in a cave. It jerked its head back into place and floated towards Aurin, stopping with its face about an inch from his own. ¡°I have hatched you and released you from the egg. Do you submit yourself to me?¡± Breminia moved a few inches backwards and then floated to the ground, lowering its arms and looking around. The three sapphires on its face must have been eyes of some sort. It looked back up at Aurin and nodded, holding up its arms once again. ¡°That was a yes,¡± said Professor Socrates with a wide grin. ¡°The exact same thing happened when To¡ªerm, when the last tamer hatched his Breminia.¡± Aurin was too distracted by the message and hadn¡¯t caught the professor¡¯s slip. ¡°That¡¯s perfect,¡± said the young tamer with a satisfied smile. ¡°Here,¡± said Hunter, handing Aurin a clear summoning stone. ¡°I thought you might need one of these.¡± ¡°Thanks, Hunter,¡± said Aurin, accepting it graciously and turning back to his new Minakai who was being prodded by Shamtile and showing no reaction. ¡°Breminia, I¡¯m going to attune you to this summoning stone. I will call upon you when needed, but for now, you¡¯ll be kept here with the professor if he''ll have you.¡± ¡°Gladly!¡± boomed Socrates. ¡°I would love to run a few tests on her if that¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Her?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ninety-seven percent sure that this one is a female.¡± ¡°Luna will be pleased,¡± said Aurin with a laugh. ¡°She always says that I don¡¯t have enough girls on my team.¡± ¡°What are you going to do about Breminia and the tournament?¡± asked Hunter. ¡°Not that I want you to give away your game plan should we end up battling.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a fair question,¡± said Aurin, pondering. ¡°Truth be told, I don¡¯t know. She¡¯s a water elemental and, thankfully, I¡¯ve got that element covered by my Steambot. Not to mention, Breminia is completely untested.¡± ¡°Although apparently compliant,¡± remarked Hunter. ¡°Cosmic and epic Minakai are difficult enough to get under control, so a legendary Minakai like Breminia being obedient is surprising. That said, I haven¡¯t seen anywhere enough case studies on the species to know their initial temperament. In any case, I¡¯m sure this gives you a lot to think about.¡± ¡°It does,¡± agreed, Aurin, looking at Breminia who rotated in place as Shamtile ran circles around her. Every so often, he would switch directions and she would still follow him perfectly. She was a curious creature and Aurin wasn¡¯t sure what to make of her, but he was determined to find out. The only problem was that with the national championships underway, he did not have the time to do it without jeopardising his training. Chapter 196 Flaround spun around in the air as he leapt forward, flashing forwards like a fiery tornado and consuming Talia¡¯s Bansheet. When the torrent of flames flickered away, the sheet-like ghost was spread across the ground as Luna¡¯s orange hound stood proudly in victory before the crowd. ¡°And Luna¡¯s Flaround seems to be unstoppable!¡± cried the announcer. ¡°Luna has four Minakai left while Talia is down to her final one. It had better be a good one folks, I¡¯m telling you.¡± Luna and Talia were the first two competitors up in the fourth round, now with the ability to use a team of five. Luna had been expecting a much tougher match, but Talia¡¯s Minakai had fallen quickly and her own Bakugon was only defeated because a water elemental Minasma that left him at a disadvantage. Talia sighed as she looked at the battlefield. She banished her Bansheet and threw forth a Pyrofly in a flash of red light. The tamer was visibly crestfallen, knowing that she had no realistic path to victory left. She was on the verge of raising her hand to yield when she gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. ¡°Finish strong!¡± she called to her Pyrofly, who launched himself into the sky and hurled a storm of embers down at Flaround. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± said Luna confidently. Flaround took a deep breath and shot a laser-like stream of orange that was surrounded by twirling flames. The heat laser struck Pyrofly¡¯s wing, sending it careening back to the ground while Flaround jumped and rolled around to avoid the embers before finishing with a somersault and a loud bark. ¡°And Luna is the victor!¡± called the announcer as the crowd went wild. ¡°She moves onto the fourth round, securing her place in the top sixty-four.¡± Aurin, Kyle and Hunter all rose to their feet as they clapped. Kyle put his fingers in his mouth and gave a loud whistle, making Shamtile wince and put his fingers in his ears. He punched Kyle in the shin, but the rancher picked the little lizard up by the scruff of the neck and stared through the holes in Aurin¡¯s Minakai¡¯s mask. ¡°That wasn¡¯t very polite, was it?¡± he asked Shamtile, who covered his eyes and squealed apologetically. ¡°What have I told you about kicking?¡± Aurin scolded him. ¡°Do you want me to send you back to Sule Scrin?¡± Shamtile shook his head fervently and screeched more loudly and even more apologetically. Luna and Talia parted ways after having shaken hands and made their way back into their tunnels while waving to the crowd. Aurin walked through the tamer box and back into the stadium with Shamtile to look for her. After a couple of minutes, he reached the entrance hall where the large tournament bracket was displayed on a monitor overlooking the room. ¡°Top thirty-two,¡± said Aurin, nodding proudly. ¡°You¡¯ve broken my record.¡± ¡°Well, you haven¡¯t had your next match yet,¡± said Luna, not taking her eyes off the screen. ¡°No, but I lost to Gardner at this point last year,¡± he said before pointing to his next opponent. ¡°I¡¯ve looked into this Dominic guy and, on paper, I could beat him, but he could have any number of tricks saved for a desperate situation.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your team lineup?¡± Aurin looked around to make sure nobody was listening in. ¡°Desparee, Skrow, Zenoman, Lycavine and Quetzel.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going with two air elementals and two nature elementals?¡± ¡°As I said, I¡¯ve looked into him. He has a lot of water and metal elementals, so it seems like a good opportunity to exploit. If he¡¯s been paying attention to me, he won¡¯t know which way to go because my team is so varied.¡± Luna pointed to the monitor and started silently mouthing a few words. ¡°Four more rounds until the final,¡± she said. ¡°Two more rounds for me and three more rounds for you before we¡¯re forced to battle.¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Forced? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re being held at gunpoint.¡± Luna giggled. ¡°If I were to hold you up at gunpoint, would you surrender and let me walk away with an easy victory?¡± Shamtile lifted his leg back to kick Luna for threatening his tamer, but he looked up at Aurin who swiftly shook his head. The little lizard lowered his leg and sighed, taking a few steps back. ¡°As you can see, my Minakai would defend me if you tried such a thing?¡± ¡°Rats,¡± said Luna, snapping her fingers and frowning before letting out a laugh. ¡°What time is your match tomorrow?¡± ¡°Two o¡¯clock,¡± replied Aurin nonchalantly. ¡°You aren¡¯t nervous at all?¡± ¡°Would you believe that I¡¯m not?¡± ¡°Yes, I would believe that. How come?¡± ¡°Because I know my strategy and I¡¯ve trained to deal with curveballs. If Dominic pulls out a surprise Minakai then I¡¯ll handle it with what I¡¯ve got. This won¡¯t be like last year with Gardner. I¡¯ve since trained with some of the best tamers in the country, including someone who may just be the best in the country.¡± ¡°Well, my love, I¡¯m not nervous for you either,¡± said Luna, linking arms with him and looking back to the bracket. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be nervous until the seventh round.¡± * ¡°And Aurin¡¯s Quetzel falls to Dominic¡¯s Cryoth, leaving each of them with a single Minakai remaining,¡± called the announcer. Aurin felt the pressure as he banished Quetzel. He was at an elemental disadvantage with his final Minakai, but he had no choice now. It was all or nothing. He held out his hand and focused on the green summoning stone embedded in his glove and summoned Lycavine to the battlefield. ¡°It¡¯s all on you, my friend,¡± said Aurin to the terrifying wolf. He had had an unfortunate run of bad luck during the match as Skrow was immediately sniped out of the air by Dominic¡¯s Gorunze. He had effectively clawed the match back, leaving his opponent with only a Cryoth, but the little blue moth was sneakier than he had given it credit for, managing to freeze Zenoman¡¯s fists in blocks of ice. By the time they he had broken free, the golden alien was too exhausted to put up a further fight back. Lycavine howled loudly and who whipped his two vines around menacingly. He kept his black and red eyes focused on the Cryoth who was fluttering around at the opposite end of the battlefield, trying to size up the green wolf who so obviously wanted to take a bite out of it. ¡°He doesn¡¯t stand a chance!¡± called Dominic arrogantly, pointing towards Lycavine. ¡°Freeze the ground so he can¡¯t even reach you.¡± Cryoth did as ordered and the battlefield quickly turned into a large sheet of ice. Aurin knew that Dominic had made a massive mistake coating the entirety of the ground and over-exerting his Minakai, but he said nothing. He maintained a stoic face and ordered Lycavine to charge ahead while using his vines to help steer himself. Lycavine did as ordered and slid forward, pushing himself with his vines touching the ice. Cryoth launched icicle after icicle at him as he approached, but Lycavine was not having it. He fought back by spitting a barrage of bullet-like nuts that smashed the small spears to pieces. It took little time for him to close the gap and Dominic did not realise the world of pain he had gotten his Minakai into. ¡°Flower spectre!¡± ordered Aurin, confusing most of the spectators, including Luna and Kyle. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Luna asked, eliciting a shrug from Kyle. Hunter, however, nodded slowly and smiled. As Lycavine howled, he whipped his vines forwards and, from the petals, emerged a sinister purple ray that swirled as it struck Cryoth, making the small Minakai screech and flail in the air. It started fleeing as though being chased by an invisible phantom, giving Lycavine the chance to grab it with his vines on the way past and slam it repeatedly into its own sheet of ice until it lost consciousness. ¡°And it¡¯s a victory for Aurin, putting him through to the top thirty-two!¡± called the announcer while being drowned out by the crowd. ¡°What was that technique?¡± Luna shouted to Hunter, barely audible, but he understood what she was asking. ¡°He¡¯s been doing his research,¡± replied Hunter. ¡°It¡¯s an advanced technique that some of the less natural of nature elementals can use. It tricks the target into thinking it¡¯s being haunted by the ghosts of flower spirits. I wonder where he learned it?¡± ¡°From Vai,¡± chuckled Kyle, shaking his head. ¡°He knows all sorts of tricks like that, but this one is new to me too.¡± Aurin shook Dominic¡¯s hand in the centre of the battlefield. ¡°You had me on the ropes from the start,¡± he said. ¡°I like to make an impression,¡± laughed Dominic. ¡°It¡¯s just a shame I couldn¡¯t carry it through to the end. Congratulations, Aurin.¡± ¡°Thanks, Dominic.¡± The two parted ways and Aurin held up one hand to wave while dismissing Lycavine with the other. He could see Luna and Kyle leaving the box, no doubt coming to meet him. Now that this match was out of the way, it was back to training to prepare for Frederick, who would no doubt be awaiting either Aurin or Luna no more than a few days from now. The former Zodiac elite had been barrelling through the competition, rarely having to rely on his Abysarex to finish off his opponents. He had gotten stronger in many ways and having a well-trained cosmic Minakai at his beck and call only made him that much more dangerous. Chapter 197 ¡°And it¡¯s another victory for Luna!¡± screamed the announcer with excitement as Lucy¡¯s Spikruption hit the concrete of the stadium wall and passed out. ¡°She advances to the quarterfinals, entering the top eight.¡± Luna couldn¡¯t help but jump and throw a fist in the air as her Bakugon roared a croaky roar. He was the last Minakai she had left and she was exceptionally proud of his performance, as was he. He ran over to her and jumped into her arms, smiling so widely that his orange eyes were barely visible. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re amazing,¡± said Luna, hugging him tightly. ¡°You can have all the milkshakes you want.¡± Upon shaking hands with her opponent, she walked through the tunnel and passed Aurin and Shamtile on the way. ¡°Great match,¡± said Aurin, clasping her hand as he passed her. ¡°Are you ready for round six?¡± she asked, smiling at him. ¡°Of course,¡± he said confidently. ¡°Only one more tamer in the way until our battle.¡± ¡°Good luck,¡± said Luna, letting go of his hand and walking away with Bakugon on her shoulders. The brown drake roared at Shamtile who screeched in gratitude for his fellow earth elemental¡¯s well-wishing. The lizard started shadow boxing the air while Aurin laughed at him. ¡°Easy there, brawler,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Save that strength for the match.¡± The monster and his tamer walked along the corridor and into the waiting room. Aurin sat down on the armchair while Shamtile bounced around the room, itching to get started. He hadn¡¯t told him yet, but Aurin wasn¡¯t leading with him. He hadn¡¯t quite found the right way to break Shamtile¡¯s eager little heart. Perhaps quickly was the best way. ¡°Steambot is up first, Sham,¡± said Aurin, leading Shamtile to freeze in place for a few seconds before turning to face his tamer. ¡°Graaaagh!¡± Shamtile screeched, waving his arms manically. ¡°You still get to fight! You¡¯re up third, alright? Steambot goes first, Skrow is up second and then you. Think of it this way mate, you¡¯re the ace who gets to show up after a couple of his teammates are knocked out and bring home the prize. You¡¯ll be the star of the show.¡± Shamtile sat down and huffed, folding his arms while avoiding eye contact with Aurin. ¡°Listen here. You can¡¯t always be first or last, sometimes you have to get put somewhere in the middle. This isn¡¯t the first time and won¡¯t be the last time, so you can¡¯t react this way every time it happens. Don¡¯t be a baby.¡± Shamtile stood up and walked into the corner, slumping over and resting his head against the wall. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡­¡± muttered Aurin, standing up and walking over to his masked lizard. When he was three feet from Shamtile, the Minakai turned to him and pointed straight up at his tamer¡¯s face while chortling in his screechy way. Aurin let out a deep guffaw. ¡°Yes, you got me,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°Let¡¯s head into the tunnel and wait there, alright?¡± The two walked into the tunnel with Shamtile hanging much further back and out of sight so that he wouldn¡¯t be seen by Mac, Aurin¡¯s opponent in the sixth round. After a couple of minutes of waiting and the increasing chatter of the crowd, Aurin was given the go ahead to walk onto the field. After greeting Mac and walked back to take his place, the announcer counted the battle in and the two summoned their first Minakai each. ¡°Make an impression!¡± Aurin ordered Steambot as Mac¡¯s Titanitoise started stampeding towards him. Steambot threw himself onto the ground and shot jets of water from his feet that propelled him towards his opponent. Suddenly, the Titanitoise slammed on the brakes and brought up an iron wall to shield himself, but Steambot swerved around it, skidding around and launching a pressure cannon from his pipes, flipping the Titanitoise onto its back. As the metal elemental tried to right itself¡ªno easy task with its back spikes wedged in the ground¡ªSteambot jumped up high and slammed down on the tortoise¡¯s underbelly with a heavy elbow thrust, winding it. A few knocks to the head later and it was already over for Mac¡¯s first Minakai. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Things did not go much smoother for his Techwing, who was knocked out of the sky and left with a bent wing upon colliding with the stadium wall. Unable to fly, the metallic bird was unable to dodge Steambot¡¯s attacks and was knocked out seconds later, even after a valiant effort to defend itself from the ground. Things took a wild turn when Mac summoned his Thundarun, who unleashed a series is powerful lightning blasts that cut right through Steambot¡¯s jets and cannons. The big brute was forced to use a series of bubble shields¡ªeach being popped by the lightning strikes¡ªto close the distance and engage with the Thundarun in close quarters. It was an exhausting effort, but once Steambot lay hands on the lightning-charged unicorn, it had little chance of a comeback. The real trouble, however, came when Steambot was unable to keep up with ferocity of Mac¡¯s Angree, who was raring to go upon being summoned while the water elemental robot was losing steam after using high-powered attacks against his previous opponents. ¡°Skrow!¡± called Aurin, summoning his next Minakai after Steambot had taken a heavy punch that broke his screen. The skull bird sped into battle, twirling through the air as he used a tailwind to hasten himself. The arrogant Angree raised a fist, ready to smack Skrow into the ground, but a final burst of speed from the black Minakai sent him whizzing past the fist and his beak smashed into the Angree¡¯s chest, cracking his armour and leaving the puppet-like Minakai a crumpled heap on the ground. Much to Skrow¡¯s delight, the last Minakai that Mac presented with was another aerial creature; his Vambra. The flying eye Minakai used his magical powers to try and hypnotise Skrow into doing his bidding, but Skrow kept his own eyes shut and was still able to avoid the series attacks by feeling the ripples in the air. When there was a gap between attacks, he dared to open his eyes and charge his opponent, knocking the flying demon down to the ground, propelling it faster with a mighty wind and making the impact that much greater. The crowd went wild upon seeing that Vambra was not getting back up. ¡°And Aurin has defeated Mac with only two of his monsters!¡± called the announcer. ¡°You don¡¯t see that too often this late on in the competition, believe you me, folks.¡± * ¡°And another victory for the dynamic duo of Hazelton!¡± said Luna, giggling as she threw her arms into the air. ¡°That¡¯s the seventh time you¡¯ve said that,¡± said Aurin, rolling his eyes in a joking manner. ¡°Yes, and I¡¯ll say it another dozen times just to get under your skin.¡± The two sat and watched Dolissile, Steambot, Innogon, Splashard and Doripper swimming in the lake of Baxter Park. A number of Minakai belonging to other tamers were less than keen to have this roving gang playing here, especially as Innogon spat water in the faces of their Minakai and any retaliation was quickly put to an end by a Steambot pressure cannon. Shamtile and Bakugon meanwhile were sitting on the small bank of sand, seeing who could craft the most intricate sculpture of the other with sand. Shamtile had much greater finesse at this and Bakugon kept getting angry, leading the little dragon to smashing the statue. ¡°I wonder if they¡¯ll throw a party for us back in Hazelton,¡± suggested Luna. Aurin raised an eyebrow. ¡°A party?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯re the only two competitors to make it from the top eight that qualified in the same tournament. And if we¡¯re getting technical, Frederick and Hunter have both entered from Hazelton before.¡± ¡°Yes, but if we¡¯re getting more technical, then you and Frederick are the last two competitors remaining who actually are from Hazelton.¡± Luna shook her head. ¡°The point is, the town is well-represented this year. That underground gym they opened underneath the will be getting a lot more attention if we¡¯ve accidentally attracted a bunch of tourists.¡± ¡°You think there¡¯ll be more tourists?¡± ¡°And people seeking us out for battles.¡± ¡°Imagine that,¡± chuckled Aurin. ¡°Oh, we won¡¯t have to imagine that,¡± said Luna, wagging her finger. ¡°We¡¯ll be living that in a week or so, especially if one of us ends up as the national champion. Even if whoever wins tomorrow loses to Frederick, we¡¯ve made a name for ourselves.¡± ¡°Then maybe we need to go into hiding somewhere that nobody knows our names. It was awkward enough being recognised everywhere I go in the town after the Zeera Crisis and then being called the Saviour of Hazelton.¡± ¡°Where should we go into hiding then?¡± asked Luna. ¡°Briarwood,¡± said Aurin. ¡°The people there are nice and clam.¡± ¡°Mhmm,¡± said Luna nonchalantly. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to go visit Maplewood too, especially after I ran into that guy Evan again. It sounds like a quiet little town¡­and it has a monster tower!¡± ¡°I think we¡¯ll just have to deal with the attention until it passes. I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be so bad, especially if we¡¯re out at the ranch half the time.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see how things play out for the rest of our time in Ludonia before anything else." ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Luna. ¡°It¡¯s a strange feeling though, isn¡¯t? Knowing that one of us is guaranteed to be in top four, but not knowing which one.¡± ¡°What do you mean? We know it¡¯ll be me,¡± said Aurin, prompting Luna to slap him in the arm. ¡°I¡¯m joking, I¡¯m joking.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be laughing tomorrow, funny man. Just you wait and¡ª" ¡°Yeeeeee!¡± squealed Bakugon, rubbing his knuckles and observing his broken nails. ¡°What happened?¡± demanded Aurin. Shamtile hurriedly tried to cover up his sculpture, but Bakugon had clawed away enough sand to reveal diamond underneath. ¡°Well, you shouldn¡¯t keep ruining his masterpieces,¡± tutted Luna. ¡°And to think these jokers are carrying us through the national championships,¡± said Aurin in exasperation while watching Steambot sending an Electrout flying across the lake with a pressure cannon, much to the displeasure of its tamer. ¡°Cut that out!¡± Aurin yelled at his metallic titan. Chapter 198 ¡°Feeling confident?¡± asked Hunter as he stood beside Aurin in the waiting room ahead of the young tamer¡¯s quarter-finals match against Luna. ¡°I wish I could say yes,¡± sighed Aurin, ¡°but this won¡¯t be an easy battle. I¡¯ve worked incredibly hard, sure, but so has she. There¡¯s a very real possibility that she¡¯ll win, especially considering how far she¡¯s come in the last year.¡± ¡°And you wouldn¡¯t hold it against her if she wins, would you?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± said Aurin, shaking his head fervently. ¡°I¡¯d be her biggest supporter for the rest of the tournament. If I can¡¯t win, I want her to be the one who wins¡­no offence.¡± Hunter laughed. ¡°None taken,¡± he said. ¡°But you¡¯ve given me the answer I wanted to hear and the one I think you need.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If you had even an inkling of bitterness in losing to Luna, you would be in all of this for the wrong reasons. Were you bitter about losing in the semi-finals to me in last year¡¯s Hazelton tournament?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°And I was content with my loss against you in the Palace Royale. Why? It¡¯s because those are losses that we deserved. We gave it our all, but one had to come on top and the other could rest satisfied that he had lost without having held back. It then drives you forward for further greatness next time.¡± Aurin said nothing, giving Hunter a slightly puzzled look. ¡°My point is that you and Luna will both be battling with your hearts on your sleeve and the winner will be the one who deserves it. You both recognise that and will still have each other¡¯s backs, no matter the outcome.¡± ¡°So, we can fight without regret?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± said Hunter with a smile. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have just said that?¡± chuckled Aurin. ¡°Sometimes a point hits harder when it smacks you across the head a few times,¡± said Hunter, slapping the back of Aurin¡¯s head. ¡°Now, take a few deep breaths and gather yourself before heading on out.¡± ¡°Thanks, Hunter,¡± said Aurin sincerely. ¡°No problem. I¡¯m going to go meet Kyle in the stands. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s finished giving Luna her pep talk by now.¡± ¡°You mean this encouragement was some concoction between the pair of you so that we didn¡¯t psyche ourselves out?¡± ¡°If it worked, yes. If it didn¡¯t, no,¡± said Hunter before departing. * ¡°Three. Two. One,¡± counted down the announcer as Aurin and Luna locked eyes across the battlefield. ¡°Fight!¡± Without hesitation, the two threw out their gloves hands and summoned their first Minakai to the battlefield. Before Aurin appeared the hulking lump of blue metal that was Steambot and, before Luna, the boil and icicle covered frog, Frocean. Knowing that he would have to chip away at such a sturdy opponent, Steambot leaned over and let rip a pressure cannon from his pipes, while Frocean had a similar thought and conjured a pair of powerful icicles and hurled them at Steambot with incredible force. The two attacks collided in the centre of the battlefield with the water tearing the icicles apart, but they succeeded in halting the momentum of the pressure cannon. To take the rest of the high-pressure blast, Frocean hurriedly brought forth an icicle wall and merely got sprayed by the water that made its way over the blockade. As he retracted the wall, he let out a croak of surprise as Steambot launched himself at him with a raised fist. He threw out his belly which absorbed the attack, giving him enough guttural force to spit out a wave of chilling frost from his mouth that caught Steambot¡¯s joints. The metal titan tried to back away to thaw himself, but Frocean unleashed a burst of icicles from his boils that pierced Steambot¡¯s torso before knocking him over. The large frog gave a ribbit of satisfaction, revelling in victory, only to be toppled over by a water jet cast by his downed opponent. With an icicle sticking out of his chest, Steambot stood up. He grabbed the frozen spear and pulled it free before flipping it around the throwing it at Frocean, who was impaled in the side by his own weapon. Injured as he may have been, Steambot darted forwards and grabbed the dazed frog between his hands. He groaned and clanked as he lifted him above his head, holding him on top of his pipes. Suddenly, there was an eruption of hot water that sent Frocean flying into the air and melted his boils and the icicles upon his back. He looked to already be unconscious as he fell, but slamming down hard on the ground made sure of that and guaranteed that he was out of the battle. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°And Aurin claims the first victory, but his Steambot isn¡¯t looking so great with his pierced armour,¡± said the announcer. ¡°He¡¯s weak!¡± called Luna, sending out an orb of blue light that materialised her Doripper. The many-finned and many-toothed shark summoned a wave of water that carried him towards the heaving Steambot, who braced himself to stay on his feet. As the wave swept past him, Doripper sank his teeth into his fellow water elemental and began bashing his tail against Steambot¡¯s screen. Aurin¡¯s Minakai bashed his fist against the ferocious fish¡¯s side, but he was failing much more quickly than his opponent, especially with his weak spot being struck to viciously by the endless thumps of Doripper¡¯s tail. With a loud shatter, the screen cracked and Steambot toppled over, leaving Doripper free to finally unclench his jaw and release his defeated opponent. ¡°And Luna has evened up the playing field quickly!¡± yelled the announcer. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can counter this,¡± called Aurin, holding up his hand and focusing on a metallic-grey summoning stone. ¡°Bring it on!¡± replied Luna with a determined grin. Dolissile appeared on the battlefield and sped towards Doripper, who was eager to sink his razor-sharp teeth into another chunk of metal, but Luna couldn¡¯t let her water elemental get too eager. ¡°It¡¯s a feint!¡± she warned her Minakai. In the nick of time, Doripper shot himself into the air with a geyser as a heavy pulse erupted from Dolissile, who had veered to the side. With his opponent now in the air, he tilted himself upwards and shot a burst of metal spikes towards Doripper, who knocked each of the sharp projectiles away with well-placed water jets. ¡°I remember when she used to scoff at her Doripper, back when it was a Dopefish,¡± said Kyle to Hunter, while watching Dolissile and Doripper continue to exchange attacks while manoeuvring around the battlefield. ¡°Many do scoff at such an unassuming little monster,¡± said Hunter, ¡°but she eventually looked beyond that and saw the potential.¡± ¡°She did,¡± agreed Kyle, recoiling slightly as Dolissile was sent spiralling upon being struck by Doripper¡¯s tail. ¡°Now he¡¯s become one of her strongest fighters.¡± ¡°Indeed, but we¡¯ll see how¡ª¡± Hunter stopped dead as Dolissile rammed Doripper in the side, sending the fish flying through the air and spinning around as rapidly as he had done seconds before. ¡°You were saying?¡± asked Kyle. Hunter exhaled and shook his head. ¡°I was saying that we¡¯ll see how Aurin counterattacks, but¡­well, you saw it for yourself.¡± ¡°Now!¡± called Aurin as Doripper hit the ground. Dolissile exploded towards Doripper, who conjured a dozen poorly aimed geysers in a rapid chain, hoping to stop Dolissile, but it was no use. The cybernetic dolphin rammed his foe in the side one again and flung him into the walls of the stadium. The concrete cracked from the immense force and Doripper dropped down unconscious. ¡°We won¡¯t let him get away with that now, will we?¡± Luna asked, summoning her Rabbafat next. Aurin cocked his head to the side, wondering what she was thinking in summoning a neutral elemental that couldn¡¯t hope to match Dolissile¡¯s intensity. He knew he had to be cautious as there was clearly something afoot and Luna¡¯s devious smile didn¡¯t make him any less concerned. ¡°Ready?¡± Luna asked her Rabbafat. ¡°Hold off!¡± Aurin called out as Dolissile readied himself to jet towards the rotund rabbit. With a deep inhalation, Rabbafat tensed herself and her fat redistributed itself around her body, giving her hulking arms and a much leaner lower body. Aurin¡¯s mouth was agape, not knowing that such a technique was even possible. He now wished that he had struck and not given Luna the chance to prepare her Minakai, but he had to do something. ¡°Metal wave!¡± Aurin ordered and Dolissile sent out a sharp wave of elemental energy at his opponent from across the battlefield. Rabbafat, however, was prepared and summoned an invisible barrier that took the attack and left her unharmed. The pumped-up rabbit started hopping up and down while flexing her huge arms, as though to taunt Dolissile¡ªsomething which wouldn¡¯t work on such a focused and emotionally controlled Minakai like him, but it worked on his tamer. ¡°Show her that no matter where it moves to, fat isn¡¯t muscle!¡± Dolissile torpedoed forwards as Rabbafat cranked her arm. Upon Dolissile coming close, she swung for him, but the metal elemental was not going to simply walk into an attack and slowed himself. Rabbafat swung and missed as Dolissile burst past a second later and struck her in her now-unprotected side, sending her flying backwards. ¡°It¡¯s not that easy,¡± Aurin muttered while looking at Luna, who was looking nervous. ¡°Fusion fin!¡± Dolissile sped after Rabbafat, who was hurriedly moving her fat back to her centre, and his glowing wing struck her across the arm. As she winced and tried to stand up, Dolissile pivoted and shot out a pulse that knocked her back to the ground before exploding forward again and sending her flying across the battlefield where she landed near Aurin¡¯s feet. The incredibly robust Rabbafat stood up as Dolissile shot a barrage of metal spikes at her. She punched each of them out of the way, but upon striking the last one, she saw Dolissile following behind it. She closed her eyes as she was struck and knocked into the stadium wall before falling unconscious. ¡°And Aurin is claiming the lead!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Luna has two Minakai remaining while Aurin still had four. It¡¯s going to be an uphill battle now, but I wouldn¡¯t count Luna out just yet.¡± ¡°Nor would I,¡± said a disappointed but determined Luna. Her tactical error had cost her, but there would be no more of those. She held out her hand and summoned her Cephelarock. As soon as the orange glow cleared, Cephelarock stuck his tentacles into the ground. ¡°Move!¡± called Aurin, but it was too late. Large tentacles of stone sprung from the ground around Dolissile and flailed wildly, battering his armour. He tried to twist and turn away, but he couldn¡¯t break past the relentless assault. He changed tactics and let loose pulse after pulse to try and shoo away the tentacles, but there were too many and coming from so many different angles that he couldn¡¯t keep up. Dolissile had exhausted himself battling Doripper and Rabbafat and felt the strain growing greater with each failed attempt at escaping. Had he been full strength, he might just have managed it but, in his current state, it was too much. A final strike to the head and he was knocked out of the battle. ¡°What a comeback!¡± called the announcer. ¡°See, folks? This battle isn¡¯t over yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s far from over,¡± said Aurin, determined to retaliate with full force. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± agreed Luna, giving him a thumbs up and a wink. ¡°Let¡¯s see what else you¡¯ve got.¡± Aurin nodded at her and raised his tamer glove, revealing one of his summoning stones. He called out his Minakai¡¯s name and sent out a burst of light, summoning his next monster into battle. Chapter 199 A cream-coloured orb of light appeared on the battlefield from Aurin¡¯s tamer glove and, from within, emerged a golden alien with four large fists floating beside him. Zenoman watched Luna¡¯s Cephelarock intently as the stone octopus wriggled his tentacles as though looking to lob a few boulders at his opponent. ¡°Rigid as he may look, he¡¯s a slippery one,¡± Aurin warned his Minakai, who let out a low echoing call of agreement. Cephelarock conjured four boulders in his tentacles and hurled them straight at Zenoman. As the heavy rocks flew through the air, the stone octopus put his tentacles in the ground. Rather than catch the boulders and toss them aside, Zenoman punched through them with his flying fists. As wildly flailing tentacles sprung from the ground around him, Zenoman grabbed them with his hands and floated away to safety. Luna had a smirk on her face as she watched the golden alien land on the ground and summon his hands back to him. All four soared across the battlefield and hovered around Zenoman¡¯s body with open palms, just waiting for another attack to come their way. ¡°Come on,¡± whispered Aurin. ¡°Make a move.¡± ¡°Three-move-manoeuvre!¡± Luna called, catching Aurin by surprise. The ground started to shake, startling Zenoman and breaking his focus on his fists. A rock cage then sprung up from beneath him, capturing his body and fists and keeping them held firmly in place. Suddenly, a stalactite appeared from above and fell straight towards his exposed head. The alien looked up and suddenly the stalactite shattered an inch from his head and the pieces fell to the ground. In an instant, the rock cage exploded into thousands of sharp fragments and Luna had a look of horror on her face as four mighty fists shot towards her Cephelarock. The stone octopus brought up a rock wall to shield himself and then burrowed underground, disappearing to safety as Zenoman¡¯s hands flew over the wall in search of their target. Luna breathed a sigh of relief at her Minakai¡¯s quick thinking and waited. ¡°Off the ground!¡± Aurin said to Zenoman, who levitated upwards as his fists returned to him. Had he not listened, it would have been devastating, for Cephelarock burst out from beneath him and leapt upwards, trying to wrap his tentacles around Zenoman¡¯s legs, but he was just out of reach. Instead, Zenoman¡¯s fists grabbed the octopus and lifted him high before releasing him. They did not simply let him fall to the ground and took it in turns to punch him, keeping him in the air like a volleyball being hit between teammates. Even when he encased himself in a ticker stone armour, Zenoman coated his fists in the same psychic barrier that he used to block the stalactite. As Cephelarock¡¯s eyes started to spin wildly and his eyelids drooped, Aurin¡¯s Minakai decided enough was enough and they two fists grabbed him by the tentacles and flung him back to earth, knocking him out and leaving Luna with only a single Minakai left. ¡°Things are not looking good for Luna,¡± said the announcer. ¡°Her last monster had better be her best one.¡± ¡°He is!¡± called Luna, casting a burst of blue light onto the battlefield and revealing Innogon. Aurin knew that he would see that smiling blue drake before long. He was also very much aware of how powerful he was beneath that cheerful exterior. He had to act quickly. ¡°Spread out and move in!¡± he ordered Zenoman. The alien obeyed without hesitation, sending his four hands out wide and then shooting them towards Innogon, but he wasn¡¯t phased by this distraction. He shot a high-powered water jet with laser-like precision and it struck Zenoman on the forehead, knocking him down and sending his fists veering off course. Upon sitting up, the alien refocused and kept himself moving, but Innogon remained smiling. Zenoman¡¯s fists closed in on him, but he covered himself in a bubble shield and was punched around like a hamster ball, giggling wildly as he rolled around. No matter how hard he punched, Zenoman wasn¡¯t able to break through the bouncy barrier that contracted and expanded to absorb all the force that sought to pop up. ¡°Now!¡± shouted Luna. Innogon conjured up a wave that carried him away in his bubble and submerged Zenoman¡¯s fists. He came closer and closer to Zenoman who tried to keep his distance, but he was running out of places to run as the water rushed towards him. Innogon leapt in the air and dissipated his bubble as he spun around wildly with his head fin glowing bright blue. Even with a newly erected psychic barrier was not enough to keep the tired Zenoman safe from the whirling fin of the spinning drake. The alien was cut across the face and chest before collapsing to the ground while his fists unclenched and lay stretched out on the soaking wet grass. ¡°And Luna is making a comeback once more, folks!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Aurin has two Minakai left, so what¡¯s it going to be next?¡± Aurin had a hurried debate in his mind. If he used the Minakai he had planned to be his fourth, it might not be able to stand up to Innogon who was almost at full stamina. The Minakai he wanted to use last however had an elemental weakness, but¡­he had been promised a chance to battle Innogon in a real test of strength and would be livid if he didn¡¯t get that opportunity. ¡°Shamtile, you¡¯re up,¡± said Aurin, sending out the masked earth elemental. Innogon yapped merrily upon seeing his friend while Shamtile gave him a quick salute before immediately flipping the ground from beneath himself and torpedoing towards the drake while encasing his fists in stone. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. With a look of surprise, Innogon shot a jet of water from his feet and was thrown into the air and out of the way. Never one to let up, Shamtile landed on the ground and spun his arms around, hurling a barrage of conjured rocks at Innogon who desperately blasted them to pieces with his water jets as he fell back to the ground. ¡°On the offensive!¡± Luna ordered. Innogon conjured a geyser from beneath Shamtile, throwing him into the sky. The drake started shooting more water jets, this time being the one to attack his opponent in the air. Shamtile summoned boulder after boulder in front of himself to block the attacks before landing and immediately burrowing underground. ¡°We planned for this,¡± said Luna and Innogon gave her a nod. Suddenly the ground started rumbling violently and Aurin raised an eyebrow. It wasn¡¯t Shamtile who was causing the battlefield to shake, it was Innogon. Suddenly, a dozen geysers sprung up around Innogon and, in one, was Shamtile who had been caught out on his way to strike his friend from beneath. As he tumbled through the pillar of water, Innogon unleashed a pressure cannon that would have rivalled Steambot¡¯s in intensity and struck Shamtile, knocking him out of the water and sending him flying into the wall at the bottom of the tamer box. Hunter and Kyle immediately stood up and looked down, thinking that Shamtile was out of the match, only for him to fling a stone spear at Innogon who encased himself in another bubble shield and let the spear bounce off pathetically while pointing and laughing at the magical lizard. Shamtile threw another handful of spears as he ran towards Innogon, but the water elemental continued to laugh hysterically. Suddenly the laughter ceased as Innogon spotted a crystalline spear made of diamond flying towards him. He screeched, closed his eyes and braced himself as the diamond spear pierced his bubble and grazed his arm as it soared past. Upon opening his eyes, he spied Shamtile sprinting straight for him with his fists encased in diamond. Innogon threw himself aside to avoid a punch, but Shamtile was nimble enough to pivot and throw a follow-up jab that struck Innogon on the jaw and sent him rolling across the ground. Shamtile leapt into the air and drew his fist back, only to be struck by a water jet and threw off his angle and he landed beside Innogon who skittered away while Shamtile shook himself off. ¡°These two are relentless!¡± cried the announcer. ¡°And neither of them seems to be letting up even after using many powerful attacks. They¡¯re made of strong stuff, let me tell you, folks.¡± ¡°But one of them is stronger,¡± said Aurin quietly before calling out to Shamtile. ¡°Time to unleash our secret technique!¡± Luna had no idea what this technique was, but she knew that if whatever it was landed, Innogon was done for. ¡°Defend with all your might!¡± she ordered him. Shamtile placed his feet firmly on the ground and Innogon shot water jets at him, but he conjured stone armour to take the blows. As Shamtile raised his arms and waved them in a dance, Innogon tried to sweep him away with a wave, but Shamtile locked his feet in place by covering them in earth and becoming one with the ground beneath him. The entire battlefield began to shake and Innogon tried to flee to somewhere safe, but there was nowhere to hide. A large chunk of earth, thick and wide enough to crush a building with ease, was pulled from the ground and raised into the air. Innogon shot a pressure cannon to try and break it apart, but it was only enough to take out a couple of chunks. Harnessing the power of his element, Shamtile let out a warbling yell and threw the mass of earth at Innogon, but the drake wasn¡¯t going to let himself be crushed so easily. He summoned up all of his strength and unleashed a huge geyser that pushed against the stone and soil above him, stopping it in its tracks. Trying as hard as he was, Shamtile was finding it difficult to gain ground, even with gravity on his side. Innogon was in the struggle of his life as he strained and struggled against the monument to his friend¡¯s power that loomed overhead. He stole a glance at his tamer, who was watching him with faith and determination, and found the power to keep the force of his geyser strong. Shamtile looked to his own tamer and Aurin gave him a nod. Knowing what he had to do, Shamtile released his hold on the earth and watched as Innogon¡¯s geyser tore it to shreds. It flew apart, scattering in the air as some of it filled the large hole it had left while other parts littered the rest of the battlefield. As Innogon breathed a sigh of relief at withstanding the attack, he heard a sudden rumbling behind him and saw a diamond wall emerge from the ground. He turned back to face his opponent only to be met by a waving Shamtile who stomped one foot on the ground and flipped the earth up, catapulting Innogon through the air once more. With his energy spent and unable to slow his momentum, Innogon knew he had nothing left to give. His shocked expression turned to one of acceptance as he collided face-first with Shamtile¡¯s diamond wall before rebounding against it and flopping onto the ground. Upon Shamtile¡¯s command, the wall shattered and vanished into diamond dust while Innogon lay unconscious on the ground with water dribbling from his mouth. ¡°And we have our winner, folks!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Commiserations to Luna, who gave us one heck of a display against her fellow Hazelton qualifier, and a massive congratulations to Aurin who is the first competitor this year to qualify for the semi-finals.¡± Aurin and Luna walked across the battlefield to cheers, Aurin with a thankful smile on his face. Luna returned it with a hint of tears in her eyes, but she was not sad. Rather than the usual handshakes, she threw her arms around him and held him tightly. ¡°Remember how I kept saying I would win?¡± she whispered in his ear. ¡°You may have said that a few times,¡± replied Aurin. ¡°I knew I wouldn¡¯t, I just had to make sure that it wasn¡¯t easy for you.¡± ¡°Well, you certainly came through with that.¡± ¡°Who was your final Minakai?¡± Luna asked, knowing now that it wouldn¡¯t make a difference. ¡°Hmm,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that a secret just to annoy you.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°No, not this time,¡± Aurin said with a laugh. ¡°It was Leonite. He wouldn¡¯t have been able to stand up to Innogon, that much is certain.¡± As the two pulled apart, they could hear the audience laughing. They looked over and saw Shamtile slapping Innogon on the face to try and wake him up, but the little drake was out for the count. Joining in the laughter, Luna reached into her pocked and threw a berry to Shamtile. The masked lizard scurried over to it and shoved it into Innogon¡¯s mouth, almost making him choke, but upon it sliding into his stomach, he opened his eyes and then sat up. Awake as he may have been, the damage wasn¡¯t undone and he rubbed his incredibly painful face to try and soothe himself. Shamtile screeched something at him only for the frowning Innogon to spit water in his friend¡¯s face before continuing to massage his nose. Not taking too kindly to the cheap attack, Shamtile thumped Innogon on the dome and the two started brawling again to further raucous laughter from the crowd. ¡°Should we break up their scrap?¡± chortled Aurin, enjoying the spectacle rather than being embarrassed. ¡°Sure,¡± said Luna, turning to the two Minakai and calling out to them. ¡°Cut that nonsense out or there¡¯s no post-battle milkshakes.¡± The two immediately hopped away from each other and stood up straight with their arms by their sides. They had a look of seriousness on their face that only the threat of losing out on their favourite treat could bring out in them. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you in the lobby,¡± said Aurin, smiling at Luna who gave him a nod in response. Aurin and Shamtile walked back towards their tunnel while Luna and Innogon headed in the opposite direction. All the while, they were being applauded by the entirety of St Michael¡¯s Stadium. Even though he had yet to win his next match, Aurin knew that Frederick would be his opponent tomorrow. Chapter 200 It was time. There was no more preparation to be had, no more calculating to be done. Aurin stood at the edge of the tunnel and was given the go ahead to walk on out and greet his opponent, who had won his previous battle¡ªAurin knew he would. Aurin cleared his mind and took his first step, feeling nervous. ¡°And his opponent today is Frederick!¡± called the announcer. ¡°These two contenders have given us an amazing show this year, folks, and I bet they will today. I remember commentating a battle between them back in Hazelton two years ago and they¡¯ve both come so far. It makes me nostalgic, I have to say.¡± Aurin and Frederick faced each other and shook hands. Neither of them blinked, but they both had faces filled with resolve. ¡°It will be a good battle,¡± said Frederick, knowing that he was up against an opponent that he couldn¡¯t afford to underestimate. ¡°It will,¡± agreed Aurin, noticing that Frederick stole a look at his tamer glove. The two separated and returned to their own sides of the field, steeling themselves before the countdown began. Aurin took a final glance and Luna who crossed her fingers while Kyle gave him a thumbs up and Hunter nodded at him confidently. ¡°Three. Two. One,¡± said the announcer. ¡°Fight!¡± Aurin and Frederick each cast a cream orb of light from their tamer gloves, summoning their Leonite to the field. Without wasting a moment, the two cobalt-blue lions raced towards each other and leapt into the air, each ready to tear the other limb from limb. The fierce cats collided in the air with Aurin¡¯s tearing a chunk of shoulder flesh from Frederick¡¯s with his teeth, receiving three deep cuts to the neck before landing. Blood had been drawn early and neither wanted to be the first to fall. They spun around and Fredrick¡¯s Leonite pounced at Aurin¡¯s, only for claw to be met with claw. Aurin¡¯s Leonite let loose a powerful roar, the force of which threw Frederick¡¯s Leonite onto its back. Aurin¡¯s Minakai bolted forwards and sliced a gash into his opponent¡¯s belly, leaving Frederick¡¯s Minakai crying with pain. It rolled over and forced itself back onto its feet, only for Aurin¡¯s Minakai to strike him in the jaw with a headbutt, dazing him. With a final ferocious swipe of his claw, Aurin¡¯s Leonite finished off his opponent. As Frederick¡¯s Minakai collapsed, the announcer boomed out. ¡°An early lead for Aurin brings him one step closer to victory. Having proven his Leonite to be the more powerful, what will Frederick have in store for him next?¡± Aurin knew he could not get overly confident as Frederick banished his Minakai, for that was not the strongest of the two Leonite that the man-formerly-known-as-Leo liked to use. The stronger of the two was waiting in the wings. ¡°He¡¯s already injured. Finish him quickly,¡± said Frederick as he threw forth a green orb of energy, summoning his Vinewolf to the field. Before the light even had a chance to fade, the green wolf unleashed the petals around his neck, twirling them around rapidly on their vines as they soared towards Leonite. Inches from being sliced up, the lion dove out of the way and rolled across the battlefield to avoid the cutting petals overhead. He threw himself backwards as one swung from above and plunged into the ground. Knowing that he was gaining to ground, he bounded over the vines and weaved towards Vinewolf as Frederick¡¯s Minakai retracted its petals. Leonite charged at full pelt towards his foe, but he couldn¡¯t outpace the vines and they struck him on the sides. The lion refused to let up, but the Vinewolf rammed his head forwards as Leonite reached for him, bashing him in the neck, where his wound continued to bleed. Leonite yelped as the vines continued to cut him, but he couldn¡¯t hold out for long and collapsed in defeat. ¡°Oh no!¡± gasped Luna. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± said Kyle, he can still make up ground.¡± Hunter looked concerned. ¡°If Aurin wants any chance at defeating that Abysarex that Frederick has on his bench, then he needs to have as many of his Minakai left as possible or he won¡¯t be able to exhaust him.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°We¡¯ve prepared for all eventualities,¡± muttered Kyle, glancing at Luna who still looked nervous. ¡°Let¡¯s see how he handles things.¡± ¡°You¡¯re up,¡± said Aurin, throwing forth a grey ball of light and conjuring forth Chopchop. The armoured insect twirled his blades and let out a guttural clicking noise as he assumed a defensive stance, fixing himself firmly on the ground. Frederick sneered as he watched what he took to be a foolish tactical error. ¡°Restrain,¡± he ordered Vinewolf. From the ground, burst thick vines that restrained Chopchop¡¯s legs and arms, leaving him wide open to an attack, but Aurin and his Minakai were undeterred, even as Vinewolf sent his petals speeding towards the metal elemental. ¡°Now!¡± cried Aurin, having lured Frederick into the cunning trap. Chopchop unleashed a burst of sharp spikes from his armour, cutting him free. He let loose a mighty swing of his blades and cleaved all six of Vinewolf¡¯s vines in half. The wolf howled in agony, dropping to his knees at having his primary weapons severed. The purple soldier ant sprinted towards his foe, holding his blades high, but upon swinging, Vinewolf dove out of the way and he struck the ground. The green wolf was livid and the saliva poured from his mouth as he looked at the bladed warrior. He was going to tear his arms off but, unlike the vines, they wouldn¡¯t grow back. Vinewolf howled and let loose a barrage of needles from his mouth, but Chopchop coated himself in a metal shield and walked backwards as the needles bounced off him. As Vinewolf¡¯s attack ceased, he dispelled the shield and swung his blades, sending a wave of metal energy from them that struck the wolf in the chest and knocking him down. Chopchop moved in for a follow-up attack, but Vinewolf did not stir. The loss of his vines had weakened him too much to withstand the metal wave. ¡°Yes!¡± cried Luna, pumping her fist in the air. Innogon danced merrily on the ground and spat water into the air, making it rain and irritating the others in the tamer box. ¡°Go!¡± Frederick roared, summoning his favourite Leonite to the field. It sped towards Chopchop, who raised his arms to defend himself. Leonite sank his teeth into one of the blades, taking a bite out of one of the steel blades and spitting it onto the ground. He drove himself forward, shoving Chopchop back. As the insect fell, he raised his arms and left himself open. Leonite leapt in and dragged his claws across Chopchop¡¯s face, cutting his eyes and making it almost impossible for him to see clearly. While Chopchop tried to recover, Leonite tore through the insect¡¯s armour and battered Chopchop so badly that he didn¡¯t have the chance to stand up. ¡°And what a quick turnaround from Frederick!¡± boomed the announcer. ¡°Each time Aurin defeats one of his Minakai, he comes back twice as hard, but¡­it¡¯s not over yet folks. This Leonite is playing to win.¡± ¡°But he won¡¯t win,¡± muttered Aurin, summoning his next Minakai. ¡°I won¡¯t let him.¡± Lycavine appeared and howled loudly. As Leonite dashed towards him, he spat wads of sap from his mouth, but Leonite was too nimble and dodged each and every one of them. As Leonite leapt for him, Lycavine dove underneath him, whipping Leonite¡¯s belly with his two vines. As the two spread out, they turned to face one another. The wolf and the lion looked into each other¡¯s eyes and saw the fiery determination the other had to win. Much like their tamers, they would fight tooth and nail until the end to prove who was the toughest warrior. Lycavine howled at the moon and unleashed two purple rays at Leonite, but the cobalt lion knew better than to stand still. The rays missed as he leapt into the air, aiming straight for his opponent¡¯s throat with his claw. Lycavine suddenly spun around and whipped his flowery tail at Leonite, all the while it spun like a buzzsaw. It cut straight through Leonite¡¯s nails and sliced his fingers to the bone. ¡°Agh!¡± cried Luna, wincing and closing her eyes. ¡°Some medicine and he¡¯ll be fine,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Nothing I haven¡¯t seen before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, but I don¡¯t want to see it.¡± Frederick¡¯s monster rolled across the ground, nursing his badly injured paw as Lycavine struck him with his two petals, knocking him out cold and snuffing out the determination. Aurin¡¯s Minakai let out another howl, but this time in victory as he turned to face Frederick, who had his glove up already. ¡°Not giving up?¡± Aurin taunted Frederick, daring him to use his best Minakai. ¡°You think I¡¯ll take your bait?¡± replied the strong contender, throwing out another cream-coloured light. From within the light, emerged a much bulkier lion with a red mane and two large fangs. Leofang snarled and made for his opponent, taking on a barrage of razor-sharp leaves cast out by Lycavine. Undeterred and taking only minor scratches, Leofang headbutted the werewolf in the stomach as he tried to use his vines. The winded Lycavine gasped for air as the huge lion laid into him, but a lucky kick blocked Leofang¡¯s claw and gave him the chance to slip away. Lycavine brought forth a mighty root that grabbed Leofang by the leg, holding him in place, but Leofang ripped it from the ground with his teeth and hurled it at Lycavine, who ducked under it. Before he stood up again, Leofang was already upon him and pierced his large fangs into Lycavine¡¯s shoulders. Frederick¡¯s Minakai tossed Lycavine onto the ground and then bellyflopped on top of him before headbutting the wolf in the jaw and knocking him unconscious. ¡°And Frederick comes back strong again,¡± said the announcer. ¡°That leaves both competitors with two Minakai remaining.¡± ¡°Aurin hasn¡¯t got enough Minakai left to tire out Abysarex,¡± said Hunter nervously. ¡°I hope he¡¯s got a good backup plan.¡± ¡°He does,¡± said Kyle quietly, nodding his head. ¡°I just hope he¡¯s obedient enough to see it through,¡± whispered Luna to Innogon, who nodded fervently. Chapter 201 Aurin was breathing heavily as he watched Leofang stand up, leaving his Lycavine lying in the dirt. He had hoped to have more Minakai remaining at this point, but the situation was what it was. He had a backup plan in mind after carefully considering things with Luna and Kyle, but he knew that the untested backup was very risky. For now, he would have to rely on one of his toughest Minakai to deal with Leofang. ¡°Spikruption!¡± he called, bringing out his large red dinosaur. The fearsome beast snorted out a puff of smoke from his flared nostrils, looking towards the lion hungrily. To him, Leofang was simply a cat that got too bold for its own good and he would teach it a lesson. He would show the adoring crowd that he was the king of fire and a mere hairball was nothing compared to him. ¡°Show them what you¡¯re made of,¡± said Aurin calmly, having faith in the first Minakai he obtained from Harmony Tower. Spikruption stampeded forward before tucking in his neck and tail and rolling himself into a ball. Frederick smiled, having seen this move too many times. As formidable as the dinosaur was, Leofang knew how to handle this. In fact, they¡¯d trained for such an eventuality. Leofang darted towards his foe, but suddenly Spikruption became engulfed in fire and hurtled across the ground like a giant, flaming boulder. Leofang tried to dodge, but he wasn¡¯t as light on his feet as a Leonite and was knocked over by Spikruption. His tail had even caught fire and he tried to bat it out with his paws, giving Spikruption the chance to unfurl himself and unleash a fiery blast from his mouth. The lion roared as his fur burned up and his skin was seared by the massive heat. He steeled himself for the attack to end, but Spikruption refused to back down and pushed himself hard to continue the torrent of fire that he had conjured up from the back of his throat. Suddenly, Leofang fell to the ground and started twitching within the fire. Finally letting up, Spikruption took a deep breath and let the air fill his lungs. It was an exhausting attack to sustain, but it had let him end the battle quickly. He now knew what he would have to face next and was ready for it. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve certainly pushed me today, Aurin¡± said Frederick with a smirk, ¡°but the battle ends with my final Minakai. I¡¯m sure you know what¡¯s coming.¡± Aurin nodded as Frederick sent a turquoise burst of light from his most precious summoning stone. Standing before him was his cosmic elemental, Abysarex. The red lion with the purple mane stood tall, clenching his fists and letting his armour-tipped tail drift around behind him. His pale gold fangs shone brightly under the stadium lights, as did his head, chest and knee plating. ¡°Moment of truth,¡± said Luna, drawing in a deep breath while squeezing Innogon hard. ¡°Indeed,¡± said Hunter, putting his index finger and thumb to his chin as he watched intently. Kyle, however, remained quiet as he watched. He wanted to take in every second of this battle, having helped Aurin prepare to fight Abysarex. It would have been ideal if he had an additional Minakai in reserve, but having Spikruption be first in line to face the cosmic gave him a chance if the dinosaur could hold out for at least a little while. ¡°You know what to do,¡± Aurin told his Minakai, who nodded and grunted while Aurin shut his eyes. Spikruption let out a forceful roar and a burst of intense light shot into the air, making the audience cover their eyes while blinding Abysarex, who called out in frustration. Frederick himself rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his vision. There was suddenly a loud crash as Abysarex was knocked into the concrete wall of the stadium by a fireball from Spikruption. Before he could recover, the dinosaur has torpedoed across the battlefield and jammed his horn into the cosmic elemental, making Abysarex howl in pain. As Spikruption followed up with a swing, Abysarex suddenly vanished and the dinosaur¡¯s tail struck the wall. As Spikruption turned his head, a spectral entity flew towards him, shoving him into the wall. Abysarex warped before the incapacitated Minakai and started beating him brutally with his powerful fists. Each time Spikruption tried to escape, the brutal brawler thumped him back into the wall. ¡°Heat wave!¡± called Aurin. Spikruption dug down, letting himself take the blows and then let loose an intense burst of heat that forced Abysarex to back away and brace himself. As fast as lightning, Spikruption pushed himself off the wall and thrust his head forwarded, headbutting Abysarex in the chest. ¡°He doesn¡¯t get to do that again!¡± barked Frederick. As Spikruption drew in breath, Abysarex appeared above him and let out a concussive blast that threw the dinosaur onto the ground. Performing a flurry of blows in the air, the cosmic spectral fists erupted from Abysarex¡¯s fists, pummelling Spikruption brutally and keeping him down. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Landing on the ground, Abysarex grabbed the downed Spikruption by the tail and swung him overhead before slamming him back into the dirt. Aurin¡¯s Minakai roared in pain, struggling to take the devastating beating he was taking, but he had to hold strong. Abysarex, however, would not give him that chance. He threw Spikruption into the air and then warped above him, punching him in the stomach and sending him back down to the ground. Before the dinosaur, Abysarex appeared on the ground and threw forth another spectral fist that struck Spikruption in the back and sent him flying across the battlefield where he landed in a broken heap. ¡°You did well,¡± said Aurin quietly, looking at his red summoning stone and banishing Spikruption back to Kyle¡¯s ranch to be taken care of by Sunny. Abysarex heaved up and down, the burly dinosaur having put up more of a fight than he had expected. Frederick was impressed, but he had seen the brown summoning stone in Aurin¡¯s tamer glove earlier and he knew who his rival was summoning next. As powerful as Shamtile was, he lacked the sturdiness to properly defend against an opponent like Abysarex. ¡°It all comes down to this,¡± said the announcer. ¡°A single Minakai each and with Aurin up against a cosmic elemental.¡± ¡°It all comes down to this,¡± Aurin repeated, looking at his tamer glove. ¡°So I had better make sure this one counts!¡± He threw forth his hand, casting an orange light onto the battlefield, but something was different. The crowd all gasped and Frederick was left wide-eyed at the realisation of what Aurin had just summoned. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡­¡± Frederick muttered in horror. ¡°What?¡± asked a shocked Hunter, seeing Aurin¡¯s Minakai appear from the glowing orange burst while Luna and Kyle watched intently and unflinchingly. Standing tall on the battlefield and letting out a roar that shook the stadium was Aurin¡¯s Zeera. It took one look at the red lion-like beast before him and stampeded towards him, swiping a claw and sending forth a boulder that Abysarex smashed through with a single punch. As the remnants of the boulder cleared, Zeera was already upon him and swung his other claw, cutting a large gash across Abysarex¡¯s arm and cracking his chest armour. As the cosmic Minakai flew backwards, he teleported behind Zeera and back to his feet, but the epic Minakai wasn¡¯t going to allow himself to be caught off guard. He whipped his tail at Abysarex, making him buckle and then spun around with his head low before ramming his horn into his opponent¡¯s shoulder. Abysarex roared in pain as Zeera grabbed him by the mane and tore a large chunk of hair out. Zeera freed his arm and moved to clamp his mighty jaw around his foe¡¯s neck, but Abysarex warped to the other end of the battlefield, standing with his back to Aurin. ¡°Can you believe this, folks?¡± asked the announcer to the enthused crowd. ¡°An extraordinary Minakai like Zeera up against the power of the cosmic Abysarex? It¡¯s been years since I¡¯ve seen such a pairing!¡± Abysarex was breathing heavily as Zeera snarled angrily. Much like his tamer, he had been expecting to fight a trickster like Shamtile rather than an immense brute. No matter, his master had prepared him for opponents like this. The cosmic elemental let out a snarl of his own and threw a flurry of punches, sending dozens of spectral bursts of energy at Zeera, who conjured rock walls to block them and shielded his arms with stone armour to deal with what made it through. As he was defending himself, Abysarex appeared from above and delivered a hefty punch to Zeera¡¯s forehead, enraging the grey dinosaur. As he reached for Abysarex, the cosmic elemental vanished before delivering a punch to Zeera¡¯s side. When Zeera lunged again, Abysarex appeared underneath him and kicked him in the stomach. ¡°Armour up!¡± ordered Aurin. As Abysarex warped and punched, he was forced to work harder to crack the thick stone that Zeera coated himself with. It took a lot out of Zeera to defend himself, but Abysarex was also tiring as he teleported in quick succession and was forced to back away into the centre of the field to compose himself. This was his chance; Aurin could see it. ¡°Bring it home!¡± he ordered Zeera. With a thick grunt, Zeera raised his arms to the sky. ¡°Stop him!¡± Frederick ordered, fearing what was in store. Aurin smiled as Abysarex fell for feint. The cosmic elemental teleported, but much more slowly than before. Zeera leapt out of the way, conjuring up rock bindings that held Frederick¡¯s Minakai¡¯s arms and legs in place. He reached up a claw into the air and swung it down with such force that it blew Abysarex¡¯s mane back. As his claw fell and the terrifying earth elemental retreated, a shower of meteors rained down towards the battlefield. Fredrick called for his Minakai to move out of the way, but he was out of energy and had to struggle physically against his bindings, unable to teleport any more. The meteors pelted at the braced Abysarex who screamed and roared before falling limp. The last of the barrage struck him as Zeera dissipated the restraints and Abysarex was sent flying across the battlefield, unable to as much as twitch. ¡°And Aurin has defeated Fredrick, advancing to the finals!¡± screamed the announcer, almost as excited as the crowd. Everyone on the stadium was on their feet, showering him with applause, but that was not the only one they were clapping for. They were cheering for Frederick, having astounded them with his own performance and the power of his Minakai. The two competitors walked into the centre of the battlefield, where Aurin held out a hand to Frederick. ¡°It was a good match,¡± he said. Frederick¡¯s solemn face let escape a faint smile as he accepted the handshake. ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°Yes, it was. I didn¡¯t expect you to use the tower guardian in our battle. I wasn¡¯t aware you hatched it.¡± ¡°Few were.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± said Frederick with a nod. ¡°In any case, good luck for the rest of the tournament. I would like to be able to say that I¡¯ve defeated the national champion in battle before.¡± Aurin laughed dryly. ¡°Not in the match that counted most though, eh?¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t deny that,¡± said Frederick, turning away and walking back to the tunnel. Aurin waved to the crowd and saw that Hunter was no longer in the tamer box with Luna and Kyle. His match was due to follow this one and it would determine whether or not he would be the one to battle Aurin in the tournament finals. As his tamer vanished into the tunnel, Zeera stomped after him impressively as the crowd marvelled at the powerful Minakai. Upon entering the tunnel, he vanished in a burst of orange and returned to Sule Scrin, where he would await being summoned into battle again. Volume 3 of Minakai coming to Amazon! We''re fast-approaching that time where another volume of Minakai: Monster Tamer hits Amazon and KU. Volume 3, covering Chapter 101 to 149, launches on 21st May 2025 and is available for pre-order at the link below! https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0DMPMR22S We''re nearing the end of Volume 4 here on Royal Road and Volume 5 is mostly written. Based on the performance of the series, it''s looking likely that I''ll conclude Minakai: Monster Tamer with Volume 6. If you''d like to see the story go beyond that, every pre-order, rating, review, and comment helps massively. My Amazon score took a nasty hit because someone falsely accused me of generating the story with AI, which stung considering the countless hours I''ve spent working on Minakai. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Keep in mind that if you''ve read Volume 1 or 2 here on Royal Road, you can still leave a rating or review on Amazon. No download or payment required and it''s the easiest way to help me out because Amazon score goes a long way with their discovery algorithm. Here''s a link in case you want to. Thanks all for reading so far! The next chapter arrives tomorrow as normal and I''ll leave you with a preview of the Volume 5 cover. Chapter 202 Aurin tucked into his pancakes while Hunter sipped his cup of tea. The two had decided to meet for breakfast ahead of their big match against each other that would determine who would the winner of the tournament and move on to face the national champion, Tobias. ¡°You were right,¡± said Aurin, gulping down a large helping of his barely-chewed pancakes. ¡°This place is good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been running for eighty-seven years,¡± said Hunter proudly. ¡°My father used to eat here, so did my grandfather. I bought it over six months ago.¡± ¡°You bought it?¡± asked Aurin in surprise, as half of his fried egg fell from his fork and back onto his plate. ¡°Being a professional Minakai tamer can be lucrative,¡± said Hunter, nodding along. ¡°You must have won your fair share of prize money over the last couple of years, no?¡± It wasn¡¯t a topic Aurin talked about often, but he let out a dry laugh before answering. ¡°Between the tower runs and the tournaments, I¡¯m doing alright. I tend not to spend all that much, if I¡¯m honest.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your dream? What¡¯s the money for in the end? Surely it won¡¯t just sit in a bank account for decades?¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually in a chest under my bed in the ranch.¡± Hunter chortled before realising that Aurin was serious. Aurin continued. ¡°Firstly, I¡¯d like to travel the world and learn more about Minakai. I¡¯d start with Bretonia first and see what things I can discover, maybe even seeing if I can get my hands on every species of Minakai in the country before moving on. Seconds, I¡¯d¡­well¡­¡± ¡°Go on,¡± said Hunter. ¡°I won¡¯t laugh, I swear.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to do something useful, like fund research¡­help build ranches¡­maybe even schools.¡± ¡°That sounds good. I¡¯m sure that if you need help in getting started, I can put you in contact with a few people.¡± ¡°Yes, but I want to start on a small scale. Don¡¯t tell Kyle, but I want to put some gold into his ranch as a thank you for everything he¡¯s done for me. Not in the expectation of any return, just a donation that he¡¯ll try and refuse the first dozen times I ask him. On the thirteenth try, he¡¯ll reluctantly accept.¡± ¡°Well, no matter which way today goes, you¡¯ll make a few gold that can go towards that dream, starting with the ranch. It¡¯s a good dream, my friend. I like it.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± said Aurin, breaming before returning to his plate. He smeared a large dollop of butter on his toast and began comping it down. ¡°And I like your diner, Hunter. The perfect breakfast for champions like us, eh?¡± Hunter laughed and took another sip of his tea. * Aurin and Hunter stood at opposite ends of the battlefield, having shaken hands and now awaiting the countdown. Aurin was going into this battle clear-headed, knowing that if he had picked his team correctly then he was in with a shot at victory. If he had picked his team poorly, then Hunter would win. ¡°And now, folks,¡± called the announcer, his voice booming louder than ever. ¡°We decide who will face Tobias for a shot at the national champion title. For the final time of the tournament, let me count our two phenomenal competitors in. Three! Two! One! Fight!¡± Aurin¡¯s hand shot forwards at the same time as Hunter¡¯s. Before the two tamers, stood their Minakai; Shamtile and Flambot. It was a good start for Aurin, but that meant nothing unless he and his Minakai could battle well. ¡°You know the drill,¡± Aurin said to Shamtile who coated his fists in stone. ¡°Avoid that furnace.¡± The masked lizard nodded as he watched the fire swirling behind the metal grill on Flambot¡¯s stomach. Shamtile stomped a foot and flipped the ground upwards, launching himself towards Flambot who started hurling a volley of fireballs at him while Shamtile threw jab after jab, knocking the fireballs away and sent them onto the ground where they wisped into nothing. The little Minakai landed near Flambot, who unleashed a wave of smoke from his palms that covered the battlefield and made it difficult for Shamtile to see, but his tremorsense told him exactly where his opponent was and he could feel every shift in weight that signalled an incoming attack. There was a rumbling and a blast of fire erupted from Flambot¡¯s furnace, cutting through the smoke, but Shamtile dove out of the way and scurried towards his opponent through what was left of the smoke. He leapt into the air and delivered a heavy punch to the side of Flambot¡¯s head, knocking the fiery robot off balance. As Flambot spun around and unleashed a wave of heat, Shamtile erected a wall of stone to defend himself. With a wave of his hands, the wall detached from the ground and slammed into Flambot before crumbling and leaving Hunter¡¯s Minakai buried under a pile of rubble. ¡°Eruption!¡± ordered Hunter. From underneath the thick pile of rocks came a plume of fire that carried Flambot free. He landed on the ground and threw his hands out. Another pillar of fire sprung from the ground and Shamtile narrowly avoided being burned to a crisp. Upon stopping, he felt another rumbling begin and hurried aside again. He now knew that he could not stop as the eruptions were going to follow him no matter where he went. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. As he ran, Shamtile threw stone spears at Flambot, but he was too focused on avoiding the pillars of flame to aim and didn¡¯t land a single hit out of his dozen attempts, all the while the flames grew closer. He suddenly halted and pivoted, doing a somersault to avoid another attack that burst from where he was running to. Aurin held his breath, glad that Shamtile was tuned into the ground so well that he knew where the attack would come from, however, the masked Minakai couldn¡¯t keep running forever. Yet, at the same time, he knew that Flambot could not sustain these continued attacks for much longer. ¡°Use your shiny on your feet!¡± called Aurin, trying to deliver a coded message to Shamtile. Thankfully, the magical lizard understood and coated the ground surrounding him in diamond. As the eruption of fire came, it sent Shamtile riding high into the sky on a disk of diamond. ¡°Open up!¡± ordered Hunter, knowing that Shamtile was at his weakest in the air. Flambot opened his grill and a torrent of raging flame swirled out from within, shooting straight for Shamtile. Hurriedly, the little Minakai grabbed the disk of diamond and held it in front of himself like a shield to withstand the attack. As he fell back to the ground, Flambot tilted downwards and kept the rushing inferno strong. Suddenly, Shamtile¡¯s grip on his makeshift shield weakened and it pivoted, allowing the flames to rush past. Aurin watched his Minakai fall down as he became engulfed in the intense fire that wasn¡¯t letting up. Seconds that felt like minutes passed and, slowly, Flambot¡¯s stream of flame slowed before petering out into nothing. ¡°What?¡± shouted Hunter as the ground was revealed and there was no Shamtile to be seen. Suddenly he realised what had happened and called out. ¡°Move!¡± Too late, Flambot¡¯s legs became encased in diamond and he was unable to break free. Shamtile burst from the ground before him with a diamond spear in his hand and thrust it at the glowing blue eye within Flambot¡¯s screen. With a horrible crack, the black screen shattered and Flambot let out a mechanical groan as he flopped over with his legs still fixed upright by the diamond restraints. ¡°And Shamtile comes through victorious!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Can Aurin hold this lead for long?¡± Hunter held up his hand and summoned his next Minakai to the battlefield in a flash of blue light. His towering Steambot stood before him and flexed before leaning forward and unleashing a pressure cannon from his pipes. Shamtile somersaulted out of the way of the high-powered attack and zig-zagged his way up the battlefield on all fours towards the blue robot. Upon seeing that Steambot was not attacking, Aurin realised that Hunter wanted Shamtile in close range. ¡°Stay back!¡± he warned his Minakai, who stopped and started hurling stone spears across the battlefield, only for them to be blasted away by water jets. ¡°I always have a contingency,¡± muttered Hunter to himself before speaking to his Minakai. ¡°Tactic theta!¡± Steambot held up both of his hands and unleashed powerful streams of water that Shamtile dodged with ease, but upon landing, the billowing water turned in mid-air and followed him, knocking him to the ground and continuing to pulverise him as the stream continued to explode from Steambot¡¯s hand. ¡°What the¡­¡± muttered Aurin, having never seen water be manipulated in mid-air with such ease. As the water let up and started soaking into the ground, Aurin saw Shamtile lying unconscious on the battlefield. He had hoped his star Minakai could have taken out two of Hunter¡¯s, but the early lead was enough for now and he threw his hand up with his next Minakai already decided. In a burst of pale blue, the jagged robotic iceberg that was his Glacibot appeared. He stood on all fours with the sharped point of icy body angled upwards while the blue diamond in his screen focused on his fellow Microbot evolution. ¡°Now this is one I¡¯ve been looking forward to,¡± said Hunter with a smirk. ¡°Show him that ice can¡¯t withstand high pressure!¡± ¡°Ice wall!¡± ordered Aurin. As Steambot sent forth a powerful jet of water, a thick wall of ice erupted from the ground halfway across the battlefield and blocked the attack. A follow-up pressure cannon from Steambot struck the wall and broke it into miniature icebergs that crashed down, revealing a charging Glacibot sliding along an icy path that he continually generated in front of himself. Hunter¡¯s Minakai conjured a massive wave of water that swept forward, but an outstretched hand from Glacibot froze it into a monument of ice. A flick of his wrist later and it shattered, tumbling down and letting him leap towards Steambot. The heavy ice elemental pinned his foe down and grabbed his pipes, focusing his elemental energy into them. As Aurin had expected, Steambot was powerful enough to through Glacibot off but, as Steambot stood up, he found himself moving much more sluggishly than before. Not only had Glacibot sealed his pipes with ice, he had frozen his joints too. Glacibot stood back up and charged forward. Steambot tried to raise his arms to use his water powers, but he struggled to even bring them to waist height before he was rammed in the chest by Glacibot¡¯s pointed head. His metal casing was pierced and it splintered out as Steambot fell back, but Glacibot was not finished with him yet. The icy titan grabbed Steambot by the arms and flipped him in the air and throwing his opponent onto the large protruding icicle that sprung from his back. He let himself fall backwards and crushed Steambot, who was too weakened to fight back. ¡°And Aurin regains the lead,¡± said the announcer. ¡°Including that powerful Glacibot of his, he has four Minakai, up against Hunter¡¯s remaining three.¡± Knowing that he had the perfect Minakai to gain the elemental advantage, Hunter threw out his hand. Appearing from an orb of purple light, came a white-bodied Minakai with black rubbery arms. From his back, came four electrically-charged golden prongs and a gold-tipped tail that crackled blue. ¡°Icy terrain!¡± Aurin ordered his Minakai, who took a lightning bolt to the torso as he froze the ground around Shockbot. Hunter¡¯s Minakai kept low, knowing that his rubbery feet were less than ideal now, but he was confident that he could win with range. He clapped his arms together and unleashed a sonic boom that toppled Glacibot over. Aurin¡¯s Minakai twisted at the right moment to avoid his back spike wedging into the ground and leaving him stuck. Glacibot raised an ice wall while he righted himself, only for it to be torn apart quickly by lightning bolts, but it bought him just enough time. He hurled a rapid barrage of icicle spires that Shockbot was forced to zap out of the sky. Being the faster Minakai, Shockbot slipped a few extra bolts between the gaps in the assault from Glacibot. With a thundering crash, a large chunk of Glacibot¡¯s icy body was blown off. He let out a chilling mechanical wail as the pain pulsed through him. He dropped onto his stomach and lay still, leaving the crowd gasping as he twitched and squirmed. ¡°It looks like Hunter has won this¡ªwait!¡± cried the announcer. Glacibot suddenly burst forward on his flat stomach, sliding along the grass with his head spike aiming straight for Shockbot. Hunter¡¯s Minakai unleashed strike after strike, but he only sped up as he propelled himself along using his elemental force. Shockbot tried to dive, but slipped on the ice underneath him and Glacibot crashed into him. The two were carried towards the wall beside Hunter and crashed into the concrete. Both Minakai lay still, neither able to move an inch. ¡°And it¡¯s a double knockout!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Aurin maintains his lead and Hunter¡¯s elemental advantage was for nought.¡± ¡°How about that¡­¡± said Hunter, looking to his tamer glove and readying his next Minakai while Aurin did the same at the opposite end of the stadium. Chapter 153 ¡°Quick, catch them!¡± Gardner ordered his Vinewolf as he and Jimmy rode the green wolf through the streets of Hazelton. Jimmy raised his tamer glove and summoned his Zenoman, who landed on the cobblestones and immediately threw his golden fists at the rolling Spikruption that were speeding towards the town square. The five large, red dinosaurs had wreaked havoc the second they had formed a pack. Gardner¡¯s Vinewolf threw forward his vines and the two humans leapt from his back as he constricted one of the dinosaurs. The Spikruption was desperately trying to continue rolling, but Vinewolf lifted it off the ground and then slammed it back into the cobblestones. Zenoman rushed forward, spinning his fists rapidly. He unleashed them and pummelled the dinosaur furiously until it lost consciousness and it was banished from Hazelton in a flash of light. ¡°One down, four to go,¡± said Jimmy. ¡°Make that two down,¡± said Gardner, pointing towards Kyle¡¯s Wingbloom and Knot¡¯s Flaround who were revealed by the flash of another banished Spikruption. Suddenly, a Dolissile sped past the two tamers and collided with another Spikruption that was about to smash the fountain in the town square. It was knocked onto its side and the Dolissile unleashed a burst of shrapnel that tore the dinosaur up before it disappeared. ¡°Coming through!¡± called Aurin as he sped past on Leonite¡¯s back. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there,¡± Gardner told his Vinewolf. The nature elemental howled and charged after Leonite while Aurin held on tight to his cobalt blue lion. The lion and the wolf struck one of the Spikruption, Leonite sinking his claws deep into the dinosaur while Vinewolf detached his petals and swung them through the air like sharp, pink blades. The Spikruption vanished from sight at the same time as Wingbloom and Flaround finished off the fifth and final monster. The five tamers rushed to meet each other, all looking relieved to have backup show up. ¡°How are we doing?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Nothing like a spot of Minakai hunting in the early hours of the morning,¡± said Gardner, wiping the sweat from his brow. ¡°Still could use a sleep, mind. Tiring business this.¡± ¡°Our combined efforts plus those of the other tamers in town have thinned the Minakai nicely,¡± said Knot, ¡°but there¡¯s still a lot of work to be done. If we can deal with the ones in town, then we can advance back towards the tower.¡± Kyle nodded. ¡°Dealing with the Minakai as they spawn around the tower will stop more from flooring the surrounding area while the rest of us clean things up.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need a few tamers on watch at all times,¡± said Jimmy. ¡°They¡¯re spawning erratically with no set timings between the red lightning strikes.¡± ¡°Someone else can take first watch,¡± sighed Gardner. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much longer I can go on.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve all done enough,¡± said Knot. ¡°You¡¯re not the only tamers in town and the citizens who didn¡¯t show up to fight the Zodiac Squad outside Harmony Tower need to pull their weight. I¡¯ll spread the word while you focus on the rest of the Minakai causing chaos in the streets. Take a few hours to rest up and we¡¯ll reconvene tomorrow when you¡¯re not so beaten down.¡± At that moment, Luna and Emily rushed into the town square with Splashard and Petalcub by their sides. ¡°Are your parents alright?¡± Aurin asked her. ¡°Just fine,¡± smiled Luna. ¡°They were more worried about me than anything.¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°We must heave fought a dozen Minakai on the way here,¡± said Emily, looking at her Petalcub proudly. The scrappy little wolf barked excitedly, never having had much opportunity for battle. ¡°What¡¯s the plan now?¡± Luna asked. ¡°Keep fighting, then rest up at the ranch while the rest of the town guards Harmony Tower and deals with any Minakai that make their way through,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Can they handle that?¡± asked Luna. ¡°They don¡¯t have a choice,¡± said Knot. ¡°And what if the Zodiac Squad shows up and helps let the wild Minakai loose?¡± asked Emily. ¡°Then it¡¯s time to take the gloves off,¡± said Aurin. ¡°We are no longer attacking just their Minakai.¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Luna incredulously. ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± said Kyle solemnly. ¡°We¡¯ve played nice with them for far too long. If they need to be beaten down to save the town, then so be it. They made their bed.¡± ¡°This is getting heavy,¡± sighed Gardner. ¡°How did it come to this?¡± ¡°By not being more ruthless with them from the get go,¡± said Aurin. ¡°We thought we could solve things by fighting with Minakai, disrupting their plans and trying to reason with some of them, but it didn¡¯t work because they¡¯re so intensely focused on their goals.¡± ¡°Detective?¡± asked Luna. ¡°We aren¡¯t being left with many other options,¡± said Knot. ¡°We need to get the summoning stones for the cosmic Minakai one way or another. We may not be able to control them because they¡¯re not our Minakai, but at least we can ensure that Taurus is deprived of the tools used to cause this mess in the first place.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try,¡± came a snide voice from nearby. Damien walked through town with his Hoofreeti by his side. He looked carefree as he strolled towards the group. ¡°Isn¡¯t it great to see things returned to the way they ought to be?¡± ¡°You scumbag!¡± roared Aurin, making a beeline for Damien with his fist drawn back. Damien¡¯s Hoofreeti stepped forwards and drew breath, ready to unleash a blast of fire, but Dolissile burst forward and rammed into his stomach, winding the demonic goat before we could unleash his attack. Aurin smashed his fist into the side of Damine¡¯s face, knocking the Zodiac member to the ground. Damien rubbed his jaw and spat blood onto the cobblestones. ¡°You hit like a toddler,¡± said Damien, his voice trembling. ¡°Do you psychopaths not see what you¡¯ve done?¡± yelled Aurin. ¡°The wild Minakai are attacking people in the streets and smashing the town to pieces along the way.¡± ¡°Survival of the fittest,¡± said Damien, climbing to his feet. ¡°This is the way things are meant to be.¡± Knot approached Damien, pulling a pair of handcuffs out from his trench coat. ¡°Damien Leclare, you¡¯re under arrest for¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± said Damine, holding up his tamer glove and summoning four more Minakai to his side; a Pyrofly, a Volcarrow, a Scarelit and a Fyrvern. Damine hopped on the back of his Fyrvern. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you all last in this new world,¡± he said as he rose into the sky. ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t,¡± said Kyle, climbing onto Wingbloom and chasing after Damien as he sped through the sky on the back of the red wyvern. ¡°Kyle!¡± Aurin called after the rancher. He summoned Skrow and climbed on his back, rushing into the night sky after Kyle and Damien. Skrow and Wingbloom sped after Fyrvern, swerving and diving out of the way as Fyrvern spat fireballs at the two air elementals. ¡°Knock him off his Minakai if you have to!¡± called Kyle. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± asked Aurin, terrified of what he was being driven to. ¡°Positive,¡± said Kyle confidently. Skrow charged ahead and rammed his beak into Fyrvern¡¯s back, making the Minakai wobble in the air, but was then struck by one of the wyvern¡¯s claws in retaliation. Aurin held on tightly around Skrow¡¯s neck, trying not to fall to his death while not choking his Minakai. Fyrvern twirled around and spat a wave of flame at Skrow, but Skrow beat his wings furiously and whipped up a wind that sent the fire right back at Fyrvern and Damien. With a yell, Damien tried to bat away the flames, but Fyrvern recoiled and Damien fell from his Minakai. Aurin¡¯s heart sank as he watched Capricorn fall through the air, but suddenly Wingbloom darted forward and grabbed the Zodiac elite in his talons. ¡°Get his glove!¡± Kyle called while Damien was too dazed to react. Aurin and Skrow flew towards the Zodiac member. For good measure, Aurin punched Damine in the jaw again and pulled his tamer glove from his hand. As Kyle flew back to the fountain, Aurin and Skrow finished off Fyrvern with a powerful razor wind, knocking the Minakai out and watching it fall to the ground. They would deal with it later, but without Damien to issue orders, the tamed Minakai should not cause much trouble when it awakened. Upon landing at the fountain, Aurin found that Knot had already placed Damine in handcuffs. The Zodiac Squad members was completely disoriented by his near-death experience, but was mumbling something about being set free by his comrades. ¡°That¡¯s one of them out of the way,¡± said Knot. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that¡¯s he¡¯s kept secure. The less Zodiac elites roaming free, the better.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± said Aurin, looking to the others. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work and clean up the town.¡± The tamers all nodded and headed into the streets, filled with renewed determination. Ensuring Damien was now out of the way gave them the burst of energy they needed to keep fighting. Chapter 154 ¡°Up you get,¡± said Kyle, prodding Aurin with his foot. ¡°You¡¯ve had your five hours.¡± ¡°Eurgh,¡± grunted Aurin, shimmying further along the sofa and making Luna jolt awake¡ªshe had been sleeping with her head on his shoulder. ¡°I was so comfy,¡± said Luna. ¡°Sorry,¡± said Aurin without opening his eyes. ¡°Need I remind you that we¡¯ve got wild Minakai still running wild and Zodiac members to track down?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°Just because Capricorn has been apprehended doesn¡¯t mean the Zodiac Squad aren¡¯t still a threat. If anything, they¡¯re probably more resolute than ever.¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting up, I¡¯m getting up,¡± groaned Aurin, his body aching all over. In the space of a day, he had infiltrated the Zodiac Squad¡¯s base, climbed to the top of Harmony Tower, defended the ranch from wild Minakai and helped clear out the Minakai that had wandered into Hazelton, but his job was far from done yet. He stood up and pulled Luna to her feet, holding onto her before she slumped back onto the sofa. ¡°If I¡¯m getting up, so are you,¡± he told her half-jokingly. ¡°Can¡¯t argue with that,¡± she said, running her hands through her red hair so that it sat straight, then held pulled out her headband so that it was fixed perfectly neat once again. ¡°Any word from Detective Knot?¡± Aurin asked Kyle. ¡°I¡¯m just off the phone with him,¡± said Kyle. ¡°He pulled an all-nighter to make sure everybody in town knew exactly what to do. The streets are cleared for now and there are tamers posted outside the tower, but the surrounding area is still chaotic and a lot of the Minakai have been defending the ranch while you two slept.¡± ¡°Did you sleep?¡± Luna asked. ¡°I got about three hours,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Rest for a bit and we¡¯ll keep an eye on things outside,¡± said Aurin. ¡°It¡¯s the least we can do.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°At least make yourself some breakfast.¡± Kyle nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do that.¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± said Aurin. ¡°While you¡¯re doing that, make extra for the pair of us.¡± ¡°You little punk,¡± said Kyle, digging Aurin in the arm while Aurin laughed heartily. ¡°Watch it,¡± said Aurin, rubbing his arm and still laughing. ¡°That¡¯s my tamer glove arm.¡± Kyle headed into the kitchen to make breakfast while Luna and Aurin put on their winter jackets and walked outside. Snow had fallen during the brief period they were asleep, coating the ranch in glistening white. If you hadn¡¯t known something was wrong, it would have been a very pleasant morning. ¡°Any ideas how we find Hannah?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°First things first,¡± replied Luna, ¡°we¡¯re going to try her house. Failing that, her dad¡¯s workplace. If we still have no joy, then we¡¯ll see if anyone is lurking around the Zodiac Squad base underneath Hazelton Stadium.¡± ¡°What are the chances we can make Damien talk?¡± ¡°Without torturing him, slim.¡± ¡°What if we torture him a little?¡± ¡°Aurin!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just joking,¡± said Aurin, half-heartedly. ¡°There haven¡¯t been any casualties yet, but more than enough townsfolk have been injured.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Luna nodded solemnly. ¡°Speaking of, did Gardner mention to you that Eclare is going to be alright?¡± ¡°No, he didn¡¯t, but that¡¯s good news. She¡¯s lucky considering how dangerous those toxic spores were. At least being crushed under a giant rock or impaled by an icicle is quick.¡± ¡°Lovely¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying,¡± shrugged Aurin. ¡°No, I know. I get your point, but I¡¯d rather not think about people I know being killed by Minakai. I¡¯d rather focus on how we make the situation better.¡± ¡°Simple,¡± said Aurin, holding up his tamer glove and summoning Chopchop, Zenoman and Budescent to his side. ¡°We take out as many of the roamers as we can until we¡¯ve had breakfast, then we head into town and get back to the plan. Find Hannah and make her lead us to the cosmic Minakai or their summoning stones.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± said Luna, holding up her own tamer glove and summoning Rabbafat, Dogember and Feathrus. The two wandered the perimeter of the ranch, fighting the Minakai that dared come too close. Many of them were skulking by the treeline, some were hiding in the river and others poked their heads out from underground. While Aurin and Luna kept the surrounding grounds safe, the Minakai inside the pens were protected by Kyle¡¯s army of Frogre. ¡°Breakfast!¡± called the rancher after about half an hour¡ªmuch longer than it normally took him to cook. Aurin and Luna headed inside, leaving the Minakai to continue keeping watch. As soon as they stepped inside the house, the beautiful aroma of cooked meats and fried breads filled their nostrils. Kyle had prepared a full Bretonian breakfast of sausages, eggs, black pudding, bacon, pancakes, soda bread, grilled tomatoes and a steaming kettle of tea. ¡°You pulled out all the stops this morning,¡± said Luna, eagerly sitting down at the table. ¡°I have to admit,¡± said Aurin, ¡°it looks great, Kyle.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get used to it,¡± joked the rancher. ¡°Back to sausages, eggs and toast tomorrow. This is to get us energised for the day ahead. I don¡¯t plan on sleeping until we set things back in order.¡± ¡°Then eat up,¡± said Aurin, pouring tea for everyone. The three friends enjoyed the delicious meal together, briefly forgetting the troubles of the town. Much like the snow outside, it reminded them that even when there was no shortage of strife, there was still something to enjoy; something good. Even something as simple as a meal with friends that could keep them going through the tough times. ¡°I couldn¡¯t eat another bite,¡± said Luna, flopping her head onto the table. ¡°Alright,¡± said Aurin, grabbing her plate and dumping the rest of her breakfast onto his. He wolfed it down in seconds as Kyle looked on in disgust. ¡°You¡¯re an animal,¡± he said. ¡°Yep,¡± said Aurin proudly. After finishing the tea and quickly cleaning things up, the trio headed outside. The sun was nearing its peak and snow was falling once again, resting on everyone¡¯s faces as they looked to the sky. The top of Harmony Tower caught Aurin¡¯s eye. ¡°Kyle,¡± he said, ¡°what is meant to be at the top of the tower?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been there and I haven¡¯t,¡± said the rancher, ¡°so you tell me.¡± ¡°I did already. There was that glowing, golden light that appeared on the podium. It was the shape of an egg, but it never materialised into a physical form.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s your answer.¡± ¡°There are Minakai eggs at the top?¡± Kyle shrugged, but it was clear that he knew more than he was letting on. Aurin¡¯s gaze was still fixated on the top of the tower. ¡°Fine, don¡¯t tell me. I¡¯ll find out again before too long.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve proven how high we can climb once,¡± said Luna with a smile. ¡°Once all of this is over, we¡¯ll be able to do it again. We¡¯ll see for ourselves what the top of a monster tower is truly meant to be like without Zodiac interference.¡± There was a loud, distorted roar that rippled through the air. Aurin recognised that roar of pain, having heard it only hours ago. ¡°What was that?¡± asked Luna, looking terrified. ¡°It sounded like a Zeera,¡± said Kyle, ¡°but not any Zeera I¡¯ve ever heard. There was something...off.¡± ¡°It¡¯s breaking through,¡± said Aurin, his face now as white as the snow. ¡°It¡¯s in agony and it¡¯s angry.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mean that was the creature you heard from inside the portal?¡± asked Luna. ¡°That¡¯s it alright.¡± ¡°The tower guardian,¡± muttered Kyle. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The tower guardian is a mighty Minakai that appears at the top of a tower once you reach the top floor. It¡¯s the final challenge before you can truly have claimed to conquered a monster tower. Many of the tamers who battle their way to the top think they¡¯ve finished the job, but the tower guardian defeats them and sends them right back to square one.¡± ¡°What do we do?¡± asked Luna. Aurin shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I get the feeling that it isn¡¯t going to be too pleased with the Zodiac Squad forcing it back through the portal.¡± There was a sudden flash of red lightning, but much brighter and more powerful than any before. Towering over the trees was a giant dinosaur with grey, stone-like scales, a purple horn protruding from the top of its nose with similar purple spikes running down its back. It bore a purple diamond at the top of its chest which led to a blue, segmented underbelly that ran down its torso. Its claws were long and sharp, large enough to cleave a tree in half effortlessly. The Zeera¡¯s expression was that of pure malice. It wanted revenge for being trapped in limbo between worlds and now it was free to seek it. ¡°What in the¡­¡± muttered Luna before trailing off. She had never witnessed a Minakai this large before; it must have been at least fifty feet tall. ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± asked Aurin, running towards the trees. ¡°All hands on deck until that thing is taken out!¡± Chapter 155 ¡°I didn¡¯t know Zeera was supposed to be that huge,¡± said Aurin as he, Luna and Kyle ran through the forest and headed straight for Harmony Tower. Zeera towered over the trees, taking huge swipes at the unseeable Minakai and tamers who were standing guard. ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± said Kyle, ¡°but this is not an ordinary Zeera. It¡¯s a tower guardian and tower guardians are much larger and more powerful forms of Minakai that only appear on the fiftieth floor. The final test of strength and determination.¡± ¡°How could anyone fight this after pushing all the way through the tower?¡± asked Luna incredulously. ¡°And now you know why so few people can conquer a tower. Even the easier towers are far from easy.¡± As the three stormed towards the tower, they raised their tamer gloves. Aurin summoned Steambot, Luna summoned Splashard, and Kyle summoned his Snowlem. The half dozen tamers standing outside the tower looked petrified and there was only a Thundarun remaining to fight against the towering Zeera. ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± called Aurin. ¡°Thank goodness,¡± said Bentley in relief. ¡°This Zeera has just wasted most of us. Watch out for it.¡± At that moment a giant boulder plunged from the sky and flattened the Thundarun, defeating the tower guards¡¯ final Minakai and leaving Steambot, Splashard and Snowlem to fight the Zeera. ¡°Pressure cannon!¡± ordered Aurin. ¡°Full intensity.¡± Steambot stopped in place and then began shaking vigorously as he built up pressure as fast as he could. The Zeera roared furiously and plunged its claw into the ground and ripping out a huge chunk of earth. The monster hurled it at Steambot, whose pressure cannon erupted and blasted the soil and grass to pieces, but the water blast lost its power by the time it hit Zeera. The weak strike merely served to annoy the monster further. A flash of red lightning and a Cybuzz spawned on the grass, darting back and forth in confusion before focusing on the tamers. ¡°Ah, I forgot about the spawners,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Leave it to me,¡± said Kyle. Luna¡¯s Splashard rode a wave she conjured straight to Zeera while Snowlem changed course to get rid of the Cybuzz before it started causing problems. Splashard rose high and spat heavy water jets at Zeera, who took a heavy swipe at the gelatinous demon and tore her in four. The separate parts of Splashard recombined, but were instantly sliced up again by a swing of Zeera¡¯s other claw. Steambot and Snowlem came to her aid, launching a pressure cannon and an ice spike at Zeera, respectively. The behemoth batted the attacks away as though they were nothing and delivered a heavy kick to Steambot, flinging the robot over the trees and halfway back to the ranch. ¡°Agh!¡± called Aurin, holding up his tamer glove and summoning both Desparee and Glacibot while Kyle brought in Hogannon and Luna her Doripper. The six Minakai unleashed a slew of attacks determined to bring the escaped epic Minakai down, but Zeera brushed them all off with ease. Even the water elemental attacks did nothing to him, regardless of the elemental advantage they should have had. With a stomp of its foot, Zeera caused the entire forest to shake. A second stomp and dozens of stalagmites sprung up, wiping out Aurin, Luna and Kyle¡¯s teams instantly. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± muttered Aurin. ¡°What do we do?¡± asked Luna, frozen in terror. ¡°Keep fighting!¡± said Kyle, summoning Wingbloom and three of his Frogre. ¡°We need to bring this titan down.¡± Aurin summoned Spikruption, Dolissile and Gorunze while Luna summoned Frocean and Dogember. Zeera was no longer willing to entertain the pests and roared once more before stomping through the forest, making its way towards Hazelton. ¡°This isn¡¯t a normal level of power for a tower guardian,¡± said Kyle in disbelief. ¡°Whatever the Zodiac Squad did when they interfered has changed it somehow. It¡¯s achieved a level of power far greater than any other. We¡¯ve got our work cut out for us this time.¡± ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± asked Aurin, climbing on Dolissile¡¯s back. ¡°We need to warn the town and get them to ready their Minakai. He¡¯ll be there in minutes.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Luna. ¡°Wingbloom!¡± called Kyle and his bird-like plant sped towards him. He and Luna climbed on his back and they took off. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Dolissile and Wingbloom pushed themselves and they raced past Zeera, desperately trying to head off the gargantuan Minakai. Why it had suddenly decided to ignore them all was something Aurin couldn¡¯t say for sure, but he had a strong belief that he was looking to hunt down the Zodiac Squad who had dared to interfere with his summoning. He also had the sneaking suspicion that they wouldn¡¯t dare come and meet their hunter. Halfway to town, the trio ran into Gardner who was speeding towards the tower on his Vinewolf. ¡°What is that thing?¡± he called to his friends with his eyes stretched wide in shock. ¡°Zeera,¡± Aurin called back. ¡°It¡¯s too powerful for us alone and it¡¯s heading for town. Spread the word and get everyone ready to fight.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Gardner, turning and heading back towards town. The tamers charged into Hazelton and full speed, meeting many of their allies along the way, all showing up to defend the town. The many tamers stared at Zeera stomping down the hill from the tower, flattening the trees along the way. At Aurin, Luna, Kyle and Gardner¡¯s word, the tamers summoned their own Minakai to defend the town that was going to be crushed under the massive feet of the tower guardian. ¡°We¡¯re not stopping him reaching the town,¡± called Kyle, ¡°but we need to get him somewhere more open.¡± ¡°Town square!¡± Aurin called back, praying that Zeera would follow them. There were cries of terror as Zeera crushed the buildings and unlucky people within him without remorse. As Aurin, Luna and Kyle flew, they told the citizens to clear the streets and either get out of town or flee to the square where they would stand and fight. By the time the group reached the square, Zeera had started wandering eastward; he had no interest in following them to the square. Each straggling Minakai that tried to fight the beast in the streets met a swift end. The Zeera was more than just a wild Minakai, it was an unstoppable force of nature. ¡°It hasn¡¯t taken the bait,¡± said Aurin as Zeera continued to ignore the large gathering of tamers. Luna looked despondent. ¡°We need to get it here before the entire town is laid to waste. It¡¯s the only way to surround it from all sides.¡± ¡°Easier said than done,¡± said Kyle as he and Luna climbed off Wingbloom. Aurin used a summoning stone to bring forth Skrow, then hopped on his undead bird¡¯s back. Luna and Kyle called after him as he soared into the air, making a direct line for the terrifying titan that continued to crush the town with each step. ¡°Go higher than it,¡± Aurin told Skrow, ¡°then we aim for its eyes.¡± Skrow sped upwards and Aurin clung tightly to his Minakai¡¯s neck. Once Skrow was high enough, it flew towards Zeera at full speed. Drawing in a deep breath and batting his wings, Skrow flew true towards Zeera¡¯s eye, aiming to do as much damage as he could with his sharp, white beak. As Skrow drew close, Zeera¡¯s eye was suddenly coated in a layer of thick sand. Skrow¡¯s beak was wedged within the sand and Aurin almost lost his grip. He urged Skrow to pull away, which the black bird just managed to do just in time to dive out of the way of Zeera¡¯s massive claw. Zeera¡¯s roar shook the foundations of the town and the desperately fighting Minakai by his feet were kicked aside. As Skrow backed away, it lunged for it and Aurin knew that his plan had worked. Skrow flew back towards the town square with Zeera now running after him. In the single minute Aurin had been away, the army of tamers in the town square had almost doubled. He landed on the cobblestones, climbed off Skrow and stood back as a hundred Minakai spread across the square. Many others took to the skies and surrounded the Zeera, unwilling to surrender their town to the rampant destruction of the unyielding beast. A small Chlost suddenly flew past Aurin, who spun around to see Hannah standing amongst the tamers. ¡°Luna!¡± called Hannah, seeing her friend. She then pushed through the crowd, making her way towards the group. ¡°Hannah?¡± asked Luna. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she cried with tears running down her face. ¡°I¡¯m so, so sorry¡­¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for apologies,¡± said Luna. ¡°Where are the rest of the Zodiac Squad? We need the cosmic Minakai to fight against Zeera!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where they are. I swear, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°This has gone way too far. You need to do something.¡± ¡°I know. This was never meant to happen. It wasn¡¯t part of the plan!¡± A cacophony of screams from the Minakai attacking Zeera erupted as it summoned a barrage of rocks that burst from his body and took out half of the attacking Minakai at once. The unconscious bodies of the monsters crashed into the buildings and onto the streets. Seeing the body of a Panchi speeding towards them, Aurin dove at Luna and knocked her out of the way of the Minakai, but Hannah was stricken by the Panchi. ¡°No!¡± barked a voice as Hannah was flung across the square. Virgo watched as his daughter hit the ground with a gruesome crack, his mouth agape. He sprinted over to her and cradled her limp body in his arms. ¡°Please, no¡­no, not again¡­¡± ¡°Virgo,¡± said Aurin, helping Luna to her feet and then rushing over to the Zodiac elite. ¡°Where are the cosmic Minakai?¡± ¡°Hannah,¡± said Virgo. ¡°Hannah, please¡­¡± ¡°Virgo!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­we¡­we made a mistake. This was not supposed to happen. The guardian has grown far too powerful. If there are more of them¡­what have we done? What have I done?¡± Minutes ago, Aurin would have been relieved to hear Virgo¡¯s regret, but seeing Hannah lying motionless in her father¡¯s arms only filled him with sorrow. Horrific as the situation was, Aurin knew things would only get worse if he didn¡¯t push Virgo to help. ¡°You need to bring Taurus, Leo and Sagittarius here,¡± said Aurin bluntly. ¡°It¡¯ll take the cosmic Minakai to bring down this Zeera. I know you want to protect your daughter, but the only way to have any chance of keeping her safe is to stop this monster.¡± ¡°I¡­yes¡­yes, you¡¯re right,¡± said Virgo, wiping the tears from his eyes. ¡°Please, take care of her until I get back.¡± ¡°I will,¡± said Aurin, summoning Leonite to stand guard over the unconscious Hannah. ¡°Please, Virgo¡­hurry.¡± Virgo nodded, set Hannah gently on the ground and stood up. He adjusted his mask and made to run, but he suddenly stopped before he had the chance to take more than a couple of steps. ¡°There will be no need for that,¡± said Taurus, striding through the square with his Ethruki by his side. ¡°I am here.¡± Chapter 156 Taurus walked past the fountain with his Ethruki following him obediently. ¡°This Zeera is no longer a natural creature, no longer even a tower guardian. It¡¯s been tainted by corruption, malice and magic. I will see to it that it¡¯s cast back into the abyss, never to trouble the world again.¡± ¡°How could this be?¡± Aurin asked Taurus. ¡°I did not foresee that tampering with the interdimensional forces that brought a tower guardian into a tower would cause it to mutate in this way. I had hoped it would be sealed away¡­at worst, I expected it could manifest as a normal tower guardian.¡± ¡°You still don¡¯t get it, do you?¡± Kyle asked Taurus. ¡°You haven¡¯t reset the world to the way it was meant to be, you¡¯ve corrupted a rift in time and space. You¡¯ve completely broken things!¡± ¡°This can be fixed,¡± said Taurus, waving away Kyle¡¯s concerns. ¡°Leo! Sagittarius!¡± Leo and Sagittarius ran through the crowd of tamers and towards their leader with Abysarex and Mindadam following. The three cosmic Minakai had been assembled and their tamers were ready to fight to repel Zeera. ¡°Hold him!¡± ordered Taurus. Ethruki, Abysarex and Mindadam ran towards the Zeera, who spied the charging cosmic Minakai through the crowd. Its eyes glowed orange and it let out a roar that rumbled the air and sent a wave of terror throughout the square. Many Minakai turned and ran, but the three cosmics continued their charge. Ethruki¡¯s body became surrounded by an ethereal aura and it stopped abruptly. A rippling force was propelled through the air towards Zeera, halting its attempted swipe and freezing its arm in place. Abysarex bounded on all fours towards the epic Minakai, then leapt and threw a punch into the sky. A spectral fist appeared in the air and collided with Zeera¡¯s face, making the titan recoil. Mindadam¡¯s eyes glowed turquoise and it let out an echoing, robotic neigh. It slammed its hooves into the ground opened up a glowing portal in the square. It burst through and reappeared from a new portal that appeared atop Zeera. Mindadam headbutted Zeera in the nose. As Zeera shook it off, it fell through a new portal it conjured and reappeared on the ground uninjured. ¡°It¡¯s working,¡± said Aurin, his anxiety turning to relief. The three cosmic Minakai stood on the ground and used their elemental magic to hold Zeera¡¯s entire body in place; it was completely frozen and unable to move. The tamers all cheered at the apprehension of the mighty Minakai. ¡°Look!¡± called Gardner, pointing at Zeera. ¡°What?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°It blinked. It shouldn¡¯t be able to blink.¡± ¡°Oh no¡­¡± muttered Aurin as Zeera started to shake. Like Dolissile had done in Briarwood, it was fighting back against the cosmic elementals. Unlike during Aurin¡¯s own fight against Tobias¡¯s Mindadam, the three Zodiac cosmics had not been exhausted. Zeera violently lunged forward, slamming its fist into the ground as the Zodiac Squad¡¯s Minakai narrowly escaped being crushed. The three Minakai tried to reestablish their hold on Zeera, but it was less effective this time, merely slowing it down before it broke free of the cosmic power. ¡°Aurin!¡± called Conrad, running alongside Klaus, who had finally arrived in Hazelton. ¡°You¡¯re finally here,¡± Aurin said to Klaus, but realised that no one else had shown up with him. ¡°Where are the rest of the Minakai Guardians?¡± ¡°I was sent alone,¡± said Klaus. ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. I was told to come here and assess the situation for myself before they would send further reinforcements.¡± ¡°We¡¯re losing!¡± called Aurin. ¡°Our town is being destroyed.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°I can see that,¡± said Klaus. ¡°I already made the call, but I can only guess when backup will arrive.¡± ¡°Agh!¡± yelled Aurin. ¡°How can things possibly get worse?¡± Abysarex was suddenly flung into the fountain by Zeera, smashing it to pieces. Leo watched his mighty Minakai twitching in the rubble and then turned to look at Zeera, who was now trying to trample on Mindadam who was forced to teleport through its portals. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do,¡± said Leo, dropping to his knees. ¡°This¡­this was not the way things were meant to be.¡± ¡°How can we keep fighting?¡± asked Luna, clinging to Aurin. ¡°If the cosmic Minakai can¡¯t defeat Zeera, then what hope do we have left?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too big, it¡¯s too powerful,¡± said Conrad. ¡°I told you we needed more backup than this!¡± ¡°You know it was out of my hands, Conrad,¡± said Klaus, his voice shaking with anger. ¡°If I had my way, I¡¯d have stormed the town with a hundred men, armed with as many powerful Minakai as I could get my hands on. Maybe now, our superiors will deploy our own cosmics. Three is not enough.¡± Conrad shook his head in frustration. ¡°There must be some way to trap it. Hold it somewhere it can¡¯t escape from until we can find a way to send it back where it came from.¡± An idea suddenly came to Aurin. ¡°I know what to do,¡± he said. ¡°Stall for as long as you can. I¡¯ll be back as soon.¡± Dolissile was deep in the fray, fighting alongside the other Minakai to attract attention away from the cosmic elementals, but had taken a few knocks from Zeera¡¯s earthly attacks. Aurin summoned the cybernetic dolphin to his side. ¡°Going to need you to push through the pain, mate,¡± said Aurin, climbing onto his Minakai¡¯s back and holding on tightly. ¡°Full speed ahead to the ranch.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Luna, but Aurin was already halfway across the square. Dolissile sped through Hazelton and Aurin gripped onto the dolphin as tightly as he could, trying to avoid being thrown off. He had to be quick or the rest of Hazelton would have been flattened along with everyone in town. Along the streets, through the alleyways, down the path, past the forest and into the ranch. Dolissile was almost spent, having torpedoed at such speed, but Aurin would need him again momentarily. He climbed off, his hair swept back by the intense air resistance, and then burst into Kyle¡¯s house. Aurin ran up the stairs and into his room, flipping his bed up and pulling out a wooden box made of dark oak and lined with gold metal trim. He grabbed his key, opened the lock and threw the lid of the box open. ¡°Please work,¡± said Aurin, grabbing the item he kept securely in the box and running back outside, leaping down the stairs and almost breaking his ankles. ¡°Back to the square,¡± said Aurin, throwing himself onto Dolissile¡¯s back, holding onto his Minakai with one hand and onto his Palace Royale prize with his other. Aurin could see the undeterred Zeera wreaking havoc in the town square and the dots that were flying Minakai being swatted away by flies. He prayed that his friends were safe as Zeera kicked and stamped its massive feet. Bursting into the square, he threw himself from Dolissile and summoned Skrow to his side. He was relieved to see that everyone was still safe, but there weren¡¯t many Minakai left. ¡°Aurin, why did you leave?¡± Luna asked. Aurin held up the large peach-like berry in his hand. ¡°To get this.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± called Kyle in amazement. ¡°The Roche Berry¡­that might just work.¡± ¡°Taurus,¡± Aurin called to the Zodiac leader. ¡°I need all of your men targeting Zeera. If it opens its mouth, you need to freeze him. We may only get one shot at this.¡± Taurus nodded. ¡°Zodiac Squadron!¡± he roared. At least a hundred tamers, both masked and unmasked stepped through the crowd and made their way to their leader. ¡°Now is the moment we push hard. We¡¯re going to course correct and get rid of this menace. I need you to give it your all, do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, Master Taurus!¡± the Zodiac Squad called out in unison. Aurin held up his tamer glove and summoned the rest of his team. ¡°Shamtile, you¡¯re in charge,¡± said Aurin to the masked lizard who was ready to give his fellow earth-elemental hell. ¡°Sunny, keep the cosmic Minakai healed up. Budescent and Skrow, you¡¯re with me.¡± Aurin mounted Skrow and Budescent climbed on behind him. The green wolf wrapped itself, Aurin and Skrow in vines, binding them together and letting Aurin hold the Roche Berry in two hands. ¡°Everyone ready?¡± he asked. The tamers all yelled in agreement as Zeera smashed three buildings with a single kick meant for Mindadam. ¡°Let¡¯s save our town,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Attack!¡± The remaining Minakai in the square kept low and charged on Zeera, drawing his attention away from the air as Aurin soared into the sky with Budescent and Skrow. They flew above Zeera, keeping away from his gaze as he attacked the Minakai on the ground. ¡°We need to time this just right,¡± Aurin said to Skrow. ¡°The second he opens his mouth, dive.¡± Aurin could see Ethruki fighting to hold back one of Zeera¡¯s feet while Sunny kept close to the cosmic bull. Taurus¡¯s Minakai was key right now, and Aurin knew he had to trust that the Zodiac leader would follow through. Ethruki released Zeera¡¯s foot and it slammed it into the ground, but missed its target. Angered, Zeera opened its mouth and drew breath to roar. Skrow burst forward and Aurin felt his hands shaking as he clutched his Roche Berry. He moved his hands to his side and threw the berry with all of his might, watching it fly through the air towards Zeera¡¯s open mouth. Ethruki suddenly appeared through one of Mindadam¡¯s portals and stood atop Zeera¡¯s nose. The mighty Minakai¡¯s mouth was locked in place as the berry made its mark and hit the back of Zeera¡¯s throat before disappearing from sight. Ethruki vanished from sight and Aurin backed away as Zeera was allowed to unleash its roar. Minakai: Volume 2 coming to Amazon! Good day, Minakai readers! As you may have seen from my author''s notes lately, Minakai: Monster Tamer, Volume 2 is coming to Amazon on 20th November 2024. You can pre-order it here or wait until it''s released to read it on KU. It''s currently being edited to tighten up some descriptions and fix spelling or grammar issues. The first one performed nicely and is still getting page reads daily, so thank you to all here who helped make it a success. I would kindly ask that you leave a rating or review on it if you''ve read the story either on Amazon or here because that really helps me out with the old algorithm. As before, I''ll be pulling down a bunch of chapters from Royal Road and Patreon, namely Chapters 51 to 100. I hate having to do this, but it''s the KU rules unfortunately. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. There''s plenty more left in the Minakai tank as you''ll see if you follow along on Patreon and I''ve written up to the end of Volume 4 which will carry us through to March on Royal Road. If you''re enjoying the series, let me know because it''s always extra incentive to keep it going. In the meantime, if you''re up to date, you can check out my other story, Soul Masker, and I may have a surprise launching here next week that I''ve been itching to unveil, so stay tuned. Thanks all! Chapter 157 Zeera¡¯s roar suddenly petered out and it stood in the centre of town, stunned. Its furiously glowing eyes returned to normal and, instead, its entire body glowed an orangey-brown. The epic Minakai shined brightly, its light spreading throughout the entire town and to the countryside beyond. Before the eyes of everyone gathered in the town square, it started to shrink. Everyone stood in awe as the mighty Zeera, the corrupted tower guardian that had torn Hazelton apart, was reduced to the size and shape of a watermelon. The glow faded and, left in Zeera¡¯s place, was an egg. It was stone-grey and patterned purple and blue, resembling Zeera¡¯s spikes and segmented underbelly. Aurin flew back down to the ground and climbed off of Skrow¡¯s back with Budescent. ¡°You both did great,¡± said Aurin, patting Skrow and Budescent¡¯s heads before walking over to the egg. ¡°You¡¯re not going to trouble anyone ever again. I¡¯m going to make sure of that.¡± He picked up Zeera¡¯s egg, amazed to have witnessed the power of the Roche Fruit for himself. It was finally over and Zeera had been contained, but there was still the threat of the Minakai spawning outside the tower; now it was made worse by the fact that most of the Minakai in town were no longer in a fit state to battle. ¡°Aurin!¡± called Luna, running towards him and throwing her arms around him. ¡°You did it! I can¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°That was a good move,¡± said Kyle, clapping Aurin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You may have just saved the town.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not done yet,¡± said Aurin, clutching Zeera¡¯s egg tightly and then looking towards the eleven Zodiac Squad elites gathered. ¡°We need to seal the tower.¡± Aurin walked towards them, all of whom looked defeated except for Taurus who still stood firm. Even Leo, who never failed to maintain a veneer of arrogance couldn¡¯t bring himself to make eye contact with Aurin. They were all too ashamed at the death and destruction they had unleashed. ¡°I need your help,¡± said Aurin to Taurus. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who can make this end.¡± ¡°I miscalculated,¡± said Taurus, nodding. ¡°The fight against the Minakai was contained and controlled, as I had intended, but this Zeera¡­well, thank you for stopping it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want your thanks, Boren, I want your help to reseal the tower.¡± ¡°Things are now back on course,¡± said Taurus, waving his hand dismissively. ¡°The tower remains open.¡± ¡°No!¡± roared Aurin. ¡°You have no idea what else may come through the portal. What if the tower needs another guardian and summons one? What if it too ends up corrupted and mutated like this Zeera? How about an Arusom that spreads its toxins through the air and poisons everyone? What if we can¡¯t put it away and another appears? Not only will Hazelton be overwhelmed, but the entire of Bretonia will be brought to its knees. Beyond that¡­who knows?¡± Taurus stared at Aurin silently. After a few seconds, he moved his mouth to speak, but could only sigh. ¡°Yes,¡± he said firmly. ¡°Yes, there are no guarantees. I will agree to a temporary truce until I have had time to reassess.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll reseal the tower barrier?¡± ¡°If I can,¡± said Taurus, turning to his comrades. ¡°Leo. Sagittarius. We have work to do. The three of us will go to the top of the tower and restore the barrier.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Taurus,¡± said Leo. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said Sagittarius. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°No,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m going with you. I¡¯m going to make sure that you stick to your word.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± said Taurus. ¡°Can all three of you enter the tower?¡± asked Luna. ¡°There is no need to worry about the rules of the tower,¡± said Taurus. ¡°We use Mindadam¡¯s portals to enter from above. With no barrier in place to keep us out, we can do as we please.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m coming too.¡± ¡°No,¡± said Aurin, turning to look at Luna. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. If things go badly, everyone else needs to be ready so that things don¡¯t get out of control again.¡± ¡°Yes¡­I understand,¡± said Luna. ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± asked Klaus. ¡°Nothing,¡± said Conrad. ¡°The quicker we deal with this, the better.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Gardner. ¡°I¡¯ve still got two Minakai left. Post me outside the tower.¡± Luna walked over to Virgo who was sitting behind Aurin¡¯s Leonite, holding Hannah. She was still breathing, much to Luna¡¯s relief, but she was unconscious and her arm looked to be broken. ¡°Are you alright, Mr Williams?¡± Luna asked Virgo. ¡°Yes,¡± said Virgo. ¡°I feel like an utter fool, but knowing that my Hannah is safe is enough for now. I should never have drafted her into this¡­not after what happened to her mother. I thought we were prepared, but I never saw something like this coming¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s strong,¡± said Luna, putting her hand on Virgo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Take care of her and we¡¯ll make things right.¡± ¡°Yes¡­I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry for everything.¡± ¡°Luna,¡± called Kyle. ¡°We don¡¯t want to waste any more time.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Luna, turning her back on Virgo and Hannah. The tamers marched through the ruined streets of Hazelton where the snow had once again started falling. It was a sombre walk, with very few people uttering as much as a single word. It did not help matters that among the tamers were members of the Zodiac Squad who had only ever caused trouble wherever they went. Now, they were even responsible for the deaths of many citizens of Hazelton as well as many tamers¡¯ Minakai. Aurin counted himself lucky that his friends and team had all survived the battle with Zeera. As the tamers walked, the red lightning strikes continued and wild Minakai happened upon them. They were dealt with swiftly with Shamtile taking responsibility for banishing them quickly. The wild Minakai could not be allowed to overwhelm the area again, not when the town had suffered so greatly over the past day. Harmony Tower stood tall and strong in its clearing, but the clearing itself was barely recognisable. Large chunks of earth were missing and many trees had been snapped or upended, but there was the tower in the middle of it all. It had stood for centuries and, if Aurin had anything to say about it, would continue to. It was a pillar of protection from the destruction of indiscriminate Minakai being brought into the world by the ancient magic holding open the gaps between realities. ¡°Leo,¡± said Aurin, ¡°summon your Abysarex.¡± Leo did as Aurin asked and used his summoning stone to call Abysarex, who appeared on the ground, still badly injured from the battle in the town square. Sunny floated up to him and weaved her magic, giddily squealing as she restored the cosmic Minakai to power. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Leo, avoiding eye contact; his shame was apparent to all. Aurin ignored him and walked up to Kyle. He held out Zeera¡¯s egg and handed it to the rancher who accepted it carefully. ¡°Kyle, I trust you not to let anyone take this egg. I¡¯ll deal with it later.¡± ¡°We will take care of it,¡± said Klaus, but nobody paid him any attention. ¡°Not the time,¡± muttered Conrad. ¡°It¡¯s safe with me,¡± Kyle said to Aurin. ¡°I promise you that nobody will lay a finger on it.¡± ¡°Catch,¡± said Gardner, tossing an Orb of Return to Aurin, who caught it. ¡°Who knows what will happen if you get the barrier back, so maybe this will help you get out of there unscathed.¡± ¡°Thanks, Gardner,¡± said Aurin, giving his friend a nod of respect. ¡°Good luck,¡± said Luna, hugging Aurin tightly. ¡°Come back safe, alright?¡± There was a flash of red lightning and a Cryocoon appeared on the grass. The icy blue chrysalis sat on the grass, unmoving, but Shamtile was not willing to let it remain. He jumped in the air, flipped over and kicked his feet out, conjuring up a rock that smashed into it, cracking its body and banishing it. ¡°No tolerance for wild Minakai, eh?¡± asked Kyle. Shamtile shook his head and then hopped onto Aurin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You ready, mate?¡± Aurin asked him. Shamtile let out a warbling screech of determination. He was upset that he couldn¡¯t out-earth elemental Zeera, but he would make up for it by sealing the tower. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work,¡± said Taurus. ¡°Sagittarius, if you would.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± replied Sagittarius. The horse-masked Zodiac member stepped forward with his Mindadam and ordered it to open up a portal from the ground to the top of the tower. With a whinny and a slam of its hooves on the grass, the portal appeared. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Aurin, waiting Taurus and Leo to enter first. Once they had walked through the portal, he followed with Sagittarius tailing him. Chapter 158 Aurin and Shamtile emerged at the top of Harmony Tower with Taurus, Leo, Sagittarius and their three cosmic Minakai, but they were not alone here. Standing on the tower with them was a dozen wild Minakai who had not made their way to the ground below. ¡°Leave this to us,¡± said Aurin, walking past Taurus and Leo as Mindadam¡¯s portal that brought them to the top of the tower vanished. Shamtile hopped onto the bricks and waved his arms excitedly, itching to wipe the floor with the plague of Minakai who were eager to fight. ¡°Be my guest,¡± said Taurus. ¡°Cosmics, harness your strength for when the rooftop is clear and we will begin the restoration ritual.¡± The wild Minakai charged forward, but Shamtile was ready. He encased his fists in stone and conjured a pillar that thrust him towards his foes fist-first. He smashed his mace-like hand into the face of a furious Angree as it prepared to strike. Before it had the chance to swing, the wooden Minakai vanished. Shamtile rolled across the ground and into the centre of the crowd. He leapt out of the way of a swooping Volcarrow, which spun around the spat fireballs from its beak. Shamtile punched them and they fizzled out before ducking low to avoid a pouncing Leonite. He cast off his stone fists and hurled the remnant rocks at the lion, knocking it on the back of the head. The little lizard scurried between the legs of a Hornferno and delivered a series of kicks, before biting the dinosaur¡¯s stomach. It roared in pain and Shamtile conjured a boulder in mid-air, then dropped it on the Hornferno¡¯s head, knocking it out cold. A large Titanitoise barrelled through and grabbed Shamtile in its mouth, but Shamtile summoned his stone armour around himself. As the Titanitoise took a bite, its teeth cracked on the stone and it recoiled. It spit out the little lizard who waved his arms and materialised two stone spears. The Volcarrow from before came back for another round and Shamtile hurled the spear, which pierced the flaming bird¡¯s body, causing it to be banished back to its own dimension. As Shamtile cheered for himself, a crackling Thunding threw its own spear of lightning at the little lizard who dropped to the ground to avoid being skewered by the golden-armoured warrior¡¯s attack. Shamtile leapt back onto his feet and unleashed his second spear, which collided in mid-air with the Thunding¡¯s own second spear. The resulting explosion sent waves of electricity and stone across the rooftop and Aurin dove behind the golden podium while the cosmic Minakai protected the Zodiac elites. The Thunding was too dazed to notice the vengeful Titanitoise stampeding towards Shamtile and was trampled by the raging metal elemental. Shamtile yelped and conjured a pillar from the bricks to raise himself out of the way of the enraged tortoise. The Titanitoise smashed the pillar to pieces and Shamtile jumped to safety, landing on its back between the spikes. He conjured a stone club into his hand and slammed it onto the Titanitoise¡¯s head, knocking it out cold. As the tortoise vanished the Leonite pounced on Shamtile, tackling him across the ground. As it tried to take a bite out of the magical lizard, he scurried free and coated his fist in stone once again. He thumped the Leonite in the eye and then followed up with an uppercut to the jaw. Shamtile waged war with the wild monsters, parrying blows, dodging attacks and retaliating with earthen fury. As the many Minakai fell, Shamtile was left as the last one standing while his tamer, the Zodiac Squad members and their Minakai watched on. The little lizard was panting, exhausted by his victory, but very proud of himself. He waved his arms in the air, spinning around in a celebration dance before running back over to Aurin excitedly. ¡°You did great, bud,¡± said Aurin, giving his Minakai a fist bump. ¡°Most impressive,¡± said Taurus, ¡°but now it is our turn to show our power. Back away from the podium and let us work.¡± Aurin did as Taurus said and moved away with Shamtile while the Taurus, Leo and Sagittarius surrounded the podium with their Minakai. ¡°Ready when you are, Master Taurus,¡± said Leo. ¡°As am I,¡± said Sagittarius. ¡°Then we begin,¡± said Taurus. ¡°Ethruki, Abysarex and Mindadam, it is up to you.¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The three tamers took a step back as their cosmic Minakai began glowing bright turquoise as they harnessed their powerful magic. There was a faint hum in the air as the sky around the tower began to darken and red streaks of electricity flashed around the tower as though being kept out by an invisible dome. ¡°Are you sure this will work?¡± Aurin asked Taurus. ¡°I am reasonably confident,¡± said Taurus. ¡°That¡¯s the least confident you¡¯ve ever sounded.¡± ¡°That is because I am only reasonably confident that this will work. It took a lot out of our Minakai to be able to break down the barrier, but it will take even more to rebuild it.¡± A lightning strike made it through and left a Slithice in its wake. Shamtile sprung back into action and crushed the icy snake with one of his heavy boulders. The Minakai was banished and the cosmics continued their ritual. The faint hum turned into a rumble and a swirling aura began spinning around the rooftop as though the invisible dome was starting to materialise. Another lightning strike broke through and a Pillaberg appeared. It immediately summoned an icy hailstorm that beat the cosmic Minakai, but Shamtile conjured a wall to shield them. The little lizard leapt over his own wall and dove at the Pillaberg, coating his fists in more stone as he sped through the air. He smashed into the living icicle¡¯s single, large eye and knocked it across the tower roof. It slid until it hit the battlements, then toppled over the edge. ¡°It¡¯s working,¡± said Leo as the barrier rose and curved, forming the full dome. ¡°Something is wrong,¡± said Sagittarius, looking past Shamtile¡¯s wall. As Shamtile¡¯s wall retreated into the ground, Aurin could see what it was that Sagittarius was staring at. There was a swirling vortex, similar to the one that the guardian Zeera had first tried to emerge from, but this time, it was expanding and contracting at an alarming speed as though it was much more unstable. What was worse was that a shadowy figure was starting to emerge. ¡°Control the portal!¡± ordered Taurus. ¡°We can¡¯t let it disrupt the ritual.¡± ¡°Forcing the portal to close was what caused the Zeera to break through last time,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Don¡¯t make the same mistake twice!¡± ¡°I am not making the same mistake twice,¡± said Taurus, walking towards the vortex by himself and drawing two turquoise crystals from within his jacket. ¡°The portal will not be closed, but we cannot have a creature like the Zeera from before escaping before the barrier is in place. We must repel it temporarily.¡± As the roaring of another Zeera escaped, its shadowy figure appeared within the portal, being distorted by the shifting form of the unstable rift. Taurus raised his Cosmic Crystals and unleashed the magic within, sending out a force that held the portal still for a brief moment before the swirling resumed. ¡°There is not enough power in these,¡± said Taurus, lamenting the ineffectiveness of his crystals. He used their magic again, a third time, a fourth time and then both crystals shattered on the fifth usage, leaving the unstable portal as wild and chaotic as before. The Zodiac Squad leader grunted in frustration and then turned to his Ethruki. ¡°Have you finished?¡± he barked at his Minakai, but Ethruki continued to glow and focus on his ritual. At that moment, the Zeera¡¯s form became more apparent as it reached the edge of the portal. ¡°Move!¡± roared Aurin as Shamtile conjured a huge spike of earth and hurled it at the portal. Taurus leapt out of the way as Shamtile¡¯s attack flew into the portal and collided with the Zeera, pushing it back. Shamtile fired another, but this time it smashed to pieces on impact with the portal. ¡°Almost there, Master Taurus!¡± called Leo as the rumbling turned into a crashing of thunder. A flash of red lightning struck the portal and it expanded, revealing the clear image of Zeera as it raised a leg to step through. ¡°Ethruki!¡± called Taurus, calling his cosmic Minakai to his aid while the other two Minakai continued to focus on the barrier. Ethruki sped to its master¡¯s side, using its magic to push the Zeera back inside before it could attack the other two cosmic Minakai. ¡°Send it back,¡± ordered Taurus, pulling out another Cosmic Crystal. The Zodiac leader and his Ethruki used their cosmic magic on the portal together and, in a flash of the red lighting, the portal was torn to smithereens. Aurin, Leo and Sagittarius shielded their eyes as the blinding light of the destroyed portal filled the area under the dome. Blinking wildly to try and shake off his momentary blindness, Aurin called out to Shamtile, who responded with a screech. As his vision returned, Aurin could see the faint ethereal dome surrounding the tower, completed, but something was amiss. There was no sign of the Zeera, nor was there any sign of Taurus and his Ethruki. ¡°Frederick, what happened?¡± Aurin asked. ¡°I¡­I do not know,¡± muttered Leo. ¡°Boss!¡± called Sagittarius, looking around the rooftop, but he could not see a thing. ¡°What could have happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± said Aurin, ¡°but the ritual seems to have worked. Shamtile, throw a stone.¡± Shamtile conjured a small stone in his hand and threw it across the rooftop, where it then collided with the faint barrier and bounced backwards as though it had hit a wall. ¡°We did it,¡± said Leo, his head hanging low. ¡°We fixed it.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t leave without Master Taurus,¡± said Sagittarius. ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­we¡¯ll be seeing him again,¡± said Leo, shaking his head slowly. ¡°Aurin, can you get us out of here?¡± Aurin nodded and pulled out the Orb of Return that Gardner had given him. He harnessed its power and he, Shamtile, Leo, Abysarex, Sagittarius, and Mindadam vanished in a flash of light from the tower roof. Arcane Shot - New Fiction Announcement Good day to you all! As if I don''t have enough fictions running simultaneously, I''ve added to the pile again with my new story, Arcane Shot. It''s another progression fantasy, but I decided to do as wild as I could with this one. It''s a mixture of fantasy, modern, post-apocalyptic and Western, all rolled into one story about a bounty hunter with his magic gun who seeks to clean up the world from bandits, monsters and any other miscreants lurking in the shadows. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Check it out here on Royal Road! Now that the first week is complete, the schedule is two chapters per week on Tuesdays and Fridays. That means every weekday, you''re getting new chapters from me, sometimes two, so you''ll never be lacking in fun reads. I hope you enjoy it. Chapter 159 ¡°Aurin!¡± cried Luna, rushing over to him and jumping into his arms. ¡°I was so worried that you wouldn¡¯t come back¡­I was so scared when the rumbling started and the roof flashed red. I thought you had all died.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Luna,¡± said Aurin, holding her tightly. ¡°We did it, it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Thank God, you¡¯re alright, bud,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I feared the worst.¡± ¡°Gardner¡¯s orb came in useful,¡± said Aurin, releasing Luna and throwing the Orb of Return back to Gardner. ¡°Ha!¡± chuckled Gardner. ¡°Thought it might, mate. Glad to have been of service. You know, I wasn¡¯t expecting you to return it¡­¡± Aurin looked to the top of Harmony Tower, relieved to see the swirling clouds that had long-covered it were back in place. The barrier truly had been restored and Hazelton could now be rebuilt. All that was left was to deal with the lingering wild Minakai that had spread out and into the wilderness. ¡°Master Taurus?¡± asked Pisces, walking up to Leo. ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± said Leo, shaking his head, ¡°and I don¡¯t believe he¡¯s coming back. He sacrificed himself to atone for his mistake.¡± ¡°What¡­what do we do now?¡± asked Pisces. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else to do, Lorrane,¡± said Leo, taking off his Zodiac mask and throwing it onto the ground, ¡°except face the music.¡± Pisces looked at Leo with her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. She couldn¡¯t believe that Taurus was gone. ¡°Zodiac Squad,¡± Frederick called out to his comrades. ¡°We¡¯re done here. The Zodiac Squad is no more.¡± Upon hearing this, many of the Zodiac Squad members also threw their masks on the ground, but others sprinted away. They were fearful of the consequences of their actions, especially now that they no longer had the protection of their leader, Mayor Boren. ¡°You can run, but I will track you down!¡± barked Detective Knot. ¡°You will all pay for your sins, I assure you.¡± Knot¡¯s Flaround barked loudly too and the detective patted his faithful canine¡¯s head. Frederick walked up to Knot. ¡°I¡¯ll come quietly,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m glad that at least one of you has some remorse,¡± spat Knot. ¡°The damage you caused¡­the destruction¡­the lives lost. Was it worth it? Was it worth it at all?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Frederick, his voice trembling. ¡°No, it was not. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Sorry isn¡¯t going to cut it, Leo.¡± ¡°Frederick. My name is Frederick. Leo is dead.¡± Conrad and Klaus walked through the group of tamers and over to Aurin. ¡°Well¡­that¡¯s that, I suppose,¡± said Conrad. ¡°Thanks for everything, Aurin.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you came back to town,¡± said Aurin, reaching out to shake Conrad¡¯s hand. ¡°Everything that happened with us over the summer. That¡¯s in the past. You came through.¡± Conrad smiled and shook Aurin¡¯s hand. ¡°There is just the matter of the Zeera egg,¡± said Klaus slyly. ¡°I would appreciate if you handed it over swiftly. We have no idea what will happen should that egg hatch. It¡¯s safest with the Minakai Guardians.¡± ¡°No,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I said that I¡¯m not handing it over.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand, young man,¡± said Klaus, his tone growing darker. ¡°Zeera is a species that is difficult to control at the best of times, but if this egg retains the corruption from its previous life, then it will be a danger to us all. If you do not hand it over, I¡¯ll be forced to take other measures.¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± said Aurin as Kyle passed him back the egg. ¡°See what happens if you try it.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Aurin, you do not know who you¡¯re dealing with. Do not test me.¡± ¡°No, Klaus,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I don¡¯t think you know who you¡¯re dealing with. You¡¯ve seen what Aurin is capable of and you know how strong his Minakai are. He¡¯s been personally trained by Tobias, who is a much better judge than you are. If he says he¡¯s keeping the egg and that he can handle the responsibility, then that should be good enough for you.¡± ¡°There is no way in¡ª¡± ¡°Klaus,¡± said Conrad firmly. ¡°You¡¯re not going to win this one. If you try and take the egg from Aurin, you¡¯re doing it alone. I¡¯m not going to help you.¡± ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s insubordination, is it?¡± asked Klaus. ¡°No, it¡¯s preventing you from breaking the law and stealing someone else¡¯s property.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ll see about that,¡± muttered Klaus, turning his back on everyone and walking away. ¡°I¡¯m probably going to pay for that,¡± said Conrad with a shrug, ¡°but at least it¡¯ll buy you some time.¡± ¡°Thanks, Conrad,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± said Conrad, walking after Klaus. ¡°Keep in touch, everyone.¡± The crowd slowly started to disperse with Knot enlisting a few volunteers to escort the Zodiac members who were willingly going to turn themselves in to the police station. Before long, the only ones remaining outside the tower were Aurin, Luna, Kyle, Gardner, Jimmy and Emily. Aurin stared at the tower before him, still awestruck by the magnificent structure in the same way that he was when he first laid eyes on it. The day that he and Shamtile first arrived in Hazelton, he saw Harmony Tower as something to be conquered, but now, almost two years later, he knew that it was something to be respected. It held riches, it held wonders, but most importantly, it stood as a guardian to the world, holding back the flow of wild Minakai that brought so much danger. ¡°What¡¯s running through your mind?¡± Luna asked him, taking his hand and putting her head on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m just hoping that one day I¡¯ll be worthy of climbing to the top and fighting a tower guardian fairly,¡± said Aurin. ¡°You¡¯ve got the best shot of anyone here,¡± said Gardner. ¡°You still beat me in Ludonia over the summer,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Eh, we¡¯ll see how things play out next time,¡± shrugged Gardner. ¡°My training since then has been basic while you¡¯ve gone above and beyond to hone your skills. I¡¯m not so sure we¡¯d have the same outcome this time around.¡± ¡°Well, then we¡¯ll see at the next Hazelton tournament, won¡¯t we?¡± ¡°We will,¡± said Aurin excitedly. ¡°It¡¯ll be nice to get back to normality.¡± ¡°Normality?¡± asked Jimmy with a chuckle. ¡°Has there been any of that for you since you first got here?¡± ¡°There was that brief period between exposing the original Sagittarius and Libra and the second Hazelton tournament. That was a nice couple of months of peace.¡± ¡°Speaking of the tournament,¡± said Emily. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen now that Mayor Boren is gone?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­a very good question,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll run for mayor and make sure they put the tournament on. I¡¯ll quit right after the tournament is over.¡± ¡°You think you would get elected?¡± laughed Luna. ¡°He¡¯s the town hero now,¡± said Kyle, nudging Aurin. ¡°You made a name for yourself with your battling prowess and now you¡¯ve made a name for yourself as the saviour of Hazelton.¡± ¡°Saviour of Hazelton,¡± said Aurin, putting his left index finger to his chin. ¡°You know, I quite like that.¡± ¡°Great, there¡¯s another unneeded ego boost for you.¡± ¡°You said it, not me.¡± ¡°I can see your head swelling already.¡± Shamtile leapt onto Aurin¡¯s shoulders, knocking Luna out of the way. He placed his hands on the side of Aurin¡¯s head and squeezed, trying to prevent his master¡¯s head from getting any larger. ¡°Knock it off, Shamtile!¡± Aurin scolded him. ¡°He¡¯s joking. You¡¯ve made this same mistake before.¡± Everyone laughed as Shamtile hopped back onto the grass and curled up in a ball, embarrassed. ¡°Right, all,¡± said Gardner, stretching his arms into the air. ¡°I need to get a proper sleep before I do anything else. I¡¯m wrecked.¡± Jimmy furrowed his brow. ¡°Didn¡¯t Detective Knot ask us to give him a few hours and then go give official statements at the station?¡± ¡°Agh! I forgot!¡± ¡°Luna, should we go check on Hannah?¡± asked Emily. ¡°I¡¯m sure that Mr Williams has taken her to the hospital by now.¡± ¡°To be honest,¡± said Luna quietly. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure that I want to see her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so keen on the idea either, but we¡¯ve known her for so long and she¡¯s hurt. We can cut ties with her after we know for sure she¡¯s going to be alright.¡± ¡°Maybe go easy on her,¡± said Aurin. ¡°You of all people are saying this?¡± asked Luna. ¡°I don¡¯t think she betrayed us because she wanted to, but out of loyalty to her dad. As despicable as most of the Zodiac Squad were, Virgo¡­erm, Mr William was one of the ones that wasn¡¯t so bad.¡± Everyone stared at Aurin in confusion. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make anything that happened right, don¡¯t get me wrong,¡± he said, ¡°but I truly believe that they didn¡¯t mean for things to get so out of hand. Let me ask you all this¡­do you really think Hannah, the same girl who hates battling with her Chlost, wanted wild Minakai running rampant around the world?¡± ¡°No¡­no, I suppose not,¡± said Luna as the others agreed. ¡°Then give her a break,¡± said Aurin. ¡°If she proves me wrong and shows no remorse for the events of the last couple of days then throw her under the bus and drive over her a few times.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± said Luna nodding slowly. ¡°I think we can do that.¡± ¡°Yes, we can,¡± said Emily. Gardner rubbed his eyes violently. ¡°Alright, enough yapping. Let¡¯s get into town and give those statement so I can hit the hay.¡± ¡°You lot go on ahead,¡± said Kyle, walking over to the trees. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you there later once I¡¯ve made sure that the ranch is alright.¡± ¡°How come he gets out of it so easily?¡± muttered Gardner. Everyone except for Aurin made their way out of the clearing leaving him and Shamtile standing alone. They looked at the doors of Harmony Tower once again, both of tamer and monster silently taking it in. One day, they would challenge the tower again. One day, they would reach the top by themselves. One day, they would defeat it. Chapter 160 Aurin, Luna and Kyle dragged their feet up the path to the ranch. It was not because of the thick frost of early December that made the path slippery, it was from sheer exhaustion. They had spent most of the evening giving Detective Knot statements about the events of the last few days. ¡°Must¡­sleep,¡± sighed Luna. ¡°Then you should have gone home,¡± remarked Kyle. ¡°Why did you follow us back to the ranch?¡± ¡°I wanted to see the Minakai before turning in.¡± ¡°You were going to sleep on my sofa again, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No¡­maybe.¡± ¡°Can you pair not be apart for a few hours?¡± ¡°Why are you dragging me into this?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I had nothing to do with it.¡± Shamtile and Innogon hurried up the path towards their tamers; Shamtile scurrying on all fours while Innogon slid on his belly across the ice. The two little Minakai hopped up and down excitedly when they reached the trio of humans. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± asked Luna as Innogon yapped and Shamtile screeched. ¡°Tobias?¡± asked Aurin. Luna looked at her boyfriend and raised an eyebrow. ¡°I know you can understand them quite well, but how did you come to the conclusion that they were talking about Tobias?¡± Aurin nodded towards Kyle¡¯s porch, where the Bretonian Champion sat on the stairs waving over at them. ¡°Oh,¡± muttered Luna, her cheeks turning as red as her hair. ¡°To what do we owe the pleasure?¡± asked Kyle as everyone made their way to the porch. Tobias stood up and shook all of their hands in turn. ¡°Well, I got word about what was happening in town and flew in to see if there was any way I could help, but it looks like the crisis has been squashed already.¡± Aurin rubbed his neck. ¡°I wish I could say it was skill, but if I didn¡¯t have that Roche Fruit, things may have been much worse.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t discredit yourself,¡± said Tobias. ¡°You dealt with the disaster swiftly and minimalised casualties. From what I¡¯ve heard, you did everything in your power to prevent the cosmic Minakai being used to break down the tower barrier.¡± ¡°I suppose so.¡± ¡°In any case, things have been dealt with,¡± said Tobias, waving away Aurin¡¯s pessimism. ¡°That said, it isn¡¯t the first time in history that a few maniacs have tried to disrupt the magic of the towers and it won¡¯t be the last. It never ends well.¡± ¡°Something like this has happened before?¡± asked Luna, surprised by what Tobias had just said. ¡°Many times,¡± said Tobias, nodding slowly. ¡°Thankfully it isn¡¯t usually as catastrophic as the Harmony Tower disaster, but there have been many problems throughout Bretonian history of these sorts of things. If you expand it to the whole world, it happens every couple of years.¡± ¡°And people never learn?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Sadly not, but that¡¯s why people like you exist, right? People who will do whatever it takes to right the wrongs of the wicked.¡± Aurin didn¡¯t say anything. He was thinking about the lives lost to the Zodiac Squad¡¯s actions, both human and Minakai. Knowing that the troublesome group were now disbanded didn¡¯t give him as much peace as he would have liked. ¡°So, what of Zeera?¡± asked Tobias. ¡°I almost forgot,¡± said Aurin, snapping back to attention. Aurin summoned Shamtile who he had ordered to hide the egg while he was in Hazelton earlier. ¡°Where did you put the egg, mate?¡± Shamtile looked around and shrugged his shoulders. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Don¡¯t toy with me, this is important.¡± Shamtile waved his arms and screeched like a maniac, desperately trying to convince Aurin that it wasn¡¯t a ruse. ¡°After that big scene I made with Klaus¡­and the egg is gone!¡± Shamtile punched Aurin in the shin and then rolled around on the floor, making his tamer scowl. ¡°You¡¯re a going to be the death of me,¡± sighed Aurin as Shamtile ran towards Kyle¡¯s house and then dove underground. Seconds later, he reemerged with the distinct Zeera egg in his hand. ¡°Ah, this takes me back,¡± said Tobias. ¡°It¡¯s rare to see a unique-looking egg amidst the slew of grey, undeterminable eggs.¡± ¡°Was your Arusom¡¯s egg patterned as well?¡± asked Luna. ¡°It was, yes,¡± said Tobias. ¡°That¡¯s the thing about epic and legendary-tier Minakai. Their eggs stand out, so you¡¯ll never miss one. That said, finding a legendary egg is a very specific process so you¡¯ll know it before you see it.¡± ¡°Why are they patterned while the others aren¡¯t?¡± ¡°Here¡¯s the strange thing,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Outside the tower, Minakai eggs are patterned. If your Splashard laid an egg right, it would resemble her species. In the tower, it would be stripped of colour and be completely nondescript.¡± ¡°Another strange phenomenon of the tower that we simply can¡¯t explain,¡± said Tobias. ¡°I doubt we¡¯ll discover the answer in my lifetime.¡± ¡°Tobias, would you mind waiting around while I hatch this egg?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Alright, but how come?¡± ¡°On the off chance the Zeera goes out of control, I want to make sure that there¡¯s someone here who can handle it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine.¡± Aurin ran off to fetch the incubator that he brought back from the Palace Royale. He returned moments later and laid it at the foot of Kyle¡¯s porch, placing his Zeera egg within it. With a deep breath, he pressed the button to activate it and the familiar forcefield surrounded the egg. The egg started to glow an orangey-brown, but for once Aurin knew what the element of the monster within was before beginning the hatching process. As the glow grew brighter, the incubator began shaking vigorously. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± said Aurin, moving in front of Luna in case Zeera broke free and attacked. With a loud crack, the incubator shattered and the glow vanished, leaving the egg as it was before Aurin had tried to hatch it. ¡°My incubator!¡± yelled Aurin. Tobias chuckled. ¡°I thought as much.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Do you want to explain this one or should I?¡± the champion asked Kyle. Kyle nodded with a smug grin on his face. ¡°If the appearance of the egg didn¡¯t give it away, then let me be the one to tell you that this isn¡¯t a normal egg.¡± ¡°So, I can¡¯t hatch it?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°You can hatch it alright, you just can¡¯t hatch it with an incubator.¡± ¡°Great,¡± said Aurin, sitting down on the wooden bench underneath the front window. ¡°You both knew this would happen. You owe me an incubator!¡± ¡°Relax,¡± said Kyle. ¡°You can just keep using mine.¡± ¡°How do you hatch an egg without an incubator?¡± asked Luna, having only ever used the powerful device to hatch her own Minakai. ¡°Did Aurin tell you about the Minakai den that I brought him to?¡± asked Tobias. ¡°The one inside the cave where he fought your Mindadam?¡± ¡°Yes, that one,¡± said Tobias with a nod. ¡°It¡¯s a bizarre anomaly in this world that links back to Minakai, but it¡¯s far from the only one. There are places of great power that hold significance to these mysterious beings, but they don¡¯t always have Minakai there. They have other magical properties that are of incredible value to tamers like us.¡± ¡°There¡¯s somewhere I can go to hatch this egg?¡± asked Aurin, standing up again. ¡°There is, and perhaps you will find it for yourself one day. I had to go to an air shrine to hatch my Arusom, so you¡¯ll need to find an earth shrine for your Zeera.¡± ¡°And where can I find that?¡± ¡°Truth be told, I don¡¯t know,¡± said Tobias. ¡°You would think that people would tell me these things, but I always need to put the work in myself.¡± ¡°Is that you saying that you do know, but won¡¯t tell me?¡± asked Aurin, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. ¡°No, I promise,¡± laughed Tobias. ¡°But if I do find out, I¡¯ll put you through hell before I tell you. Got to earn it, my friend.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect anything less,¡± said Aurin with a laugh. ¡°I wonder who would know?¡± asked Luna, tapping a finger on her forehead. ¡°Maybe Hunter? He¡¯s a smart man.¡± ¡°I would bet any money that Taurus knew,¡± said Aurin. ¡°If he was able to orchestrate gathering the three cosmic Minakai native to Bretonia, then there¡¯s probably a lot more that he knows. He was probably the one that told Frederick how to unlock the lost secret of Leofang¡¯s evolution.¡± ¡°Such a shame to see such an amazing mind go to waste,¡± said Tobias despondently. ¡°With all of the good he could have done with his knowledge¡­it saddens me.¡± ¡°Do you reckon we¡¯ll ever see him again?¡± asked Luna. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine,¡± said Tobias. ¡°From what I was told, he vanished when the tower was resealed, right?¡± ¡°Yes, while he was trying to fight another tower guardian from emerging through a portal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very possible that he¡¯s left this world entirely.¡± ¡°You think he¡¯s dead?¡± ¡°He could be, but that¡¯s not what I meant. He may have been pulled into another dimension.¡± Aurin felt a small hand tugging on the hem of his coat. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked Shamtile. The masked lizard rubbed his belly and groaned. ¡°We really should feed the Minakai,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Their schedules have been erratic, so it would be good to get them back to a proper routine.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a hand,¡± said Tobias. ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°Of course, Kyle. I can¡¯t sit around and be lazy just because I¡¯m the national champ, can I?¡± ¡°Do you want to hang around for dinner before you head back to Ludonia?¡± Aurin asked. ¡°I could do that. Sounds nice, my friend.¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± said Aurin before smiling sinisterly. ¡°Now I can prod you to see what you¡¯re not telling me about my Zeera egg.¡± Chapter 161 The snow was starting to fade from Hazelton on the early January morning and the town was filled with people putting in their all to clean up the town after Zeera¡¯s rampage. The mood was far from upbeat, but the people of Hazelton had had their mourning period for those lost and were trying to put things back to as normal as they could. Aurin wheelbarrowed a pile of broken cobblestones from the town square over to Shamtile, who was being put to work more than most of the other Minakai. The little lizard screeched as Aurin put the wheelbarrow down. ¡°I know you¡¯re tired,¡± said Aurin, ¡°but we all are. We¡¯ve been at this for days, I get it. We¡¯re on the home stretch, mate.¡± Shamtile sighed and waved his arms, using his magic to take each cobblestone and slot it back into the proper place. He repaired the cracks by merging the broken pieces of stone back together, then slumped to the ground once the wheelbarrow was empty. ¡°You¡¯re doing good, mate. You¡¯ve earned at least four or five milkshakes after all of this.¡± Shamtile sat up and wailed angrily. ¡°Alright, alright. You¡¯ve earned a dozen, but I¡¯m spacing those out so you don¡¯t let it all go to your gut.¡± Innogon yapped loudly at Luna¡¯s feet, then started bouncing up and down. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you have a dozen milkshakes!¡± she told him, but he didn¡¯t relent. ¡°I don¡¯t care how many Shamtile drinks, you¡¯re limited to only a couple per week.¡± After arguing back and forth for a while, Innogon slumped off and lay beside the empty fountain. He had a sour look on his face, but Luna knew he was exaggerating to try and gain sympathy and refused to let herself be drawn in. Suddenly, Wingbloom appeared overhead and then descended into the square with Kyle on his back. The rancher climbed off and tossed a couple of wrapped up foil packets to Aurin and Luna. ¡°Lunch is here, my friends,¡± he said, pulling out one for himself and unwrapping it to reveal a hotdog. ¡°Good, I¡¯m starving,¡± said Aurin, getting a raised eyebrow in response. ¡°I mean, thank you.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± said Luna, unwrapping hers. She tore a piece of the bread and sausage off and threw it to Innogon who leapt into the air, caught it in his mouth and then swallowed it whole. ¡°Town is looking good,¡± said Kyle, looking around the square. ¡°Did you fly over the forest by the tower?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I did,¡± said Kyle, looking impressed. ¡°Was that Gardner¡¯s handiwork?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Luna. ¡°Aurin lent him Desparee and Budescent. I thought it best to not have Angree help¡­you know, just in case.¡± ¡°He does have a temper,¡± said Kyle, nodding understandingly. ¡°Good to see all three of you here at once,¡± came Knot¡¯s voice from across the square. The detective marched towards the trio, looking very pleased with himself; he was usually more sullen. ¡°What brings the great detective into our midst?¡± joked Aurin. ¡°He brings good news to the Saviour of Hazelton.¡± Aurin frowned. Kyle had joked about that nickname for him, but it had caught on around town. He was never not being thanked by the townsfolk as he tried to go about his business. Most of that business was helping with the cleanup, which didn¡¯t exactly deter people from using that name. ¡°What¡¯s the news?¡± asked Luna. ¡°The members of the Zodiac Squad who turned themselves have had their trials accelerated,¡± said Knot happily. ¡°Most of them will be seeing justice before too long.¡± ¡°And you think they¡¯ll all get sentenced?¡± ¡°Not a chance, but most of them will. The ones who confessed to their crimes will probably get more lenient sentences, especially considering they tried to help in the end, but it still keeps them off the streets lest they be tempted by madness again.¡± ¡°I would call that bittersweet news,¡± said Aurin, shaking his head. ¡°Take a win when you get it,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I doubt whether the ones who get set free would dare show their faces around town. Look at the original Sagittarius. We haven¡¯t heard as much as a whisper about him since he disappeared.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Speaking of disappearances,¡± said Luna. ¡°I take it there¡¯s been no word of Mayor Boren?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± said Knot, ¡°but that¡¯s ex-mayor now. He was stripped of his title, not that it matters much with him being missing. He¡¯s officially been counted among the dead of the Zeera Crisis. That¡¯s what they¡¯re calling it now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s apt,¡± shrugged Kyle. Knot looked around the square as Kyle had done. ¡°Things are looking much better these days,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve all put in some great work the last week.¡± ¡°It helps when the national champion donates a heap of gold to aid the restoration effort,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Tobias really put his money where his mouth is.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t fault that,¡± said Knot, ¡°but perhaps he¡¯ll not be the champion for that much longer. I¡¯ve heard whispers that all three of you are entering the tournament in a few months? That¡¯s going to be tough competition for whenever you all make it to Ludonia.¡± ¡°You heard those whispers from me,¡± said Aurin, laughing, ¡°but you¡¯re right. We¡¯ve got the rest of winter and early spring to prepare. That¡¯s enough time for me to figure out how to hatch that Zeera egg.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sure you can handle it?¡± ¡°Positive.¡± Knot held out his hand to Aurin. ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me, lad.¡± Aurin shook it. ¡°Thanks, Detective Knot.¡± ¡°Chief Knot.¡± ¡°Congratulations, Chief Knot,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Well, I¡¯d better get back to work,¡± said Knot, checking his watch. ¡°Have a good day, all.¡± The three tamers bid Knot farewell and finished eating their lunch while Shamtile continued working nearby. He paused every now and then to look longingly at the food. So much so that Kyle took pity on the small Minakai and headed off to grab him a milkshake. ¡°What do you think about what Knot said?¡± asked Luna. ¡°Which part?¡± ¡°About all three of us making it to Ludonia.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± ¡°But, what if we don¡¯t?¡± asked Luna, looking uncertain. ¡°We¡¯re some of the best tamers in town.¡± ¡°I know that, but what if we end up fighting each other too early.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± said Aurin, his smile fading. ¡°I hadn¡¯t considered that¡­maybe¡­¡± ¡°Maybe what?¡± Aurin¡¯s smile returned, but was much more devious this time. ¡°We do know someone who¡¯s been involved with rigging the initial lineup for the tournament.¡± Luna laughed. ¡°Do you really think Klaus would do that to help you after you refused to give him Zeera¡¯s egg?¡± ¡°Nah,¡± said Aurin, ¡°I¡¯m just trying to lighten the mood.¡± As the two had a good laugh about ways they could try and rig the tournament themselves, someone walking towards them caught their eye. Luna¡¯s jaw dropped when she saw it was Hannah, and Aurin whispered to her to not fly off the handle. ¡°Hello,¡± said Hannah meekly. As wrapped up as she was, the sling holding up her arm was visible underneath her coat. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would dare approach us,¡± said Luna coldly. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t even let me into the hospital to visit you.¡± ¡°I was too ashamed,¡± said Hannah, looking at her feet. ¡°Now that everything has calmed down, I wanted to tell you that I¡¯m sorry for my involvement with the Zodiac Squad. I¡¯m not going to offer any excuses about my dad. He didn¡¯t force me, he simply asked and I said I would do whatever he asked.¡± ¡°You owe more than just me an apology,¡± said Luna. ¡°What about Aurin? Emily? Those who lost people after what Zeera did?¡± Hannah looked up at Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aurin. Please believe me when I say that I had no idea things would go this far.¡± ¡°I do believe you,¡± said Aurin, ¡°but that doesn¡¯t make it right.¡± ¡°I know,¡± said Hannah softly, her eyes filling with tears. ¡°I can forgive you, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re off the hook. You need to do whatever it takes to atone for your involvement. It may not be as severe as most of the other members, but if you hadn¡¯t tipped off your dad that we were going to infiltrate the Zodiac headquarters then Taurus wouldn¡¯t have given the order to rush the plan.¡± Hannah nodded. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. It was inexcusable,¡± she said before looking at Luna who was staring at her with daggers in her eyes. ¡°Can you ever forgive me, Luna?¡± ¡°Maybe one day,¡± said Luna, her voice trembling, ¡°but not now. I think it¡¯s going to take some time.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± said Hannah, before turning away. Aurin and Luna watched as she walked sadly through the square. Many of the people nearby didn¡¯t give her a second thought, completely unaware of who she was and her involvement in what happened to their town. Aurin was pleased that she hadn¡¯t fled town, but with Virgo in jail, she was probably stuck here. It wasn¡¯t long before Kyle returned with two milkshakes¡ªa banana one for Shamtile and a chocolate one for Innogon. The two small Minakai bounced over to him in excitement, grabbed the cups from him and started drinking immediately. Within ten seconds, they had both drained their drinks. Innogon was especially thorough, having used his water affinity to gather up every drop of the shake. ¡°Ten minutes to pick it up and ten seconds to drink it,¡± said Kyle as Luna giggled. ¡°Absolutely astounding.¡± ¡°Ten second is nothing,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I¡¯d do it in nine.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Kyle, ¡°but you¡¯re more of an animal than they are.¡± Innogon leapt at Shamtile trying to wrestle the cup from him, hoping to steal the drops of his milkshake that the little lizard couldn¡¯t catch with his straw. Shamtile wasn¡¯t going to simply let him have it and threw the tiny drake into the fountain. ¡°Break it up, you two,¡± said Luna. ¡°Or¡­¡± said Aurin. ¡°Or what?¡± ¡°We could all use a break, couldn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t we just having a break?¡± ¡°Like I said, we could all use a break. How about a battle seeing as those two are fired up?¡± ¡°Why not make it more interesting?¡± asked Kyle, patting Wingbloom¡¯s side. ¡°How about a three-way battle? Winner cleans up the Minakai dung around the ranch at the end of the day.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± said Aurin as Shamtile rushed over to him and handed his master his cup. ¡°I agree to these terms.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t both team up on me,¡± said Luna. ¡°I¡¯ll make you regret it.¡± ¡°No need to worry about that,¡± said Kyle with a hearty chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m going straight for Aurin.¡± ¡°Try it and see,¡± said Aurin with a smirk. Shamtile, Innogon and Wingbloom launched themselves into battle, as a crowd quickly gathered to see the emerging spectacle. The three tamers were pleased to have the chance to blow off steam after the intensity of the last few weeks, but they all were going to take the battle seriously. The battle would determine who needed the most training ahead of the upcoming tournament. Chapter 162 Aurin walked up and down his lineup of Minakai as though the general of an army. The monsters all paid him attention, especially Steambot and Sunny who had been publicly reprimanded before all of their comrades for playing around moments prior. Today was a day to be serious. ¡°My friends,¡± said Aurin. ¡°We are on the precipice of a new paradigm. We sit upon the eve of the third ever Hazelton Tournament. Now, we have shown what we can do in the past, but now we are much better and more numerous. Chopchop, Zenoman, Sunny, Glacibot, Budescent and Quetz. This will be your first ever organised tournament before a crowd, so you need to be prepared.¡± Aurin¡¯s latest Minakai, the winged yellow serpent, Quetz, hissed excitedly. She threw back her head so that her red hair feathers flowed back elegantly. Aurin had ventured into the tower solo in February¡ªhis first trip inside since sealing the roof of the tower¡ªand found her egg on the twenty-second floor. ¡°Our registration day is tomorrow and, sadly, we have still not added Zeera to the team, but we don¡¯t need an epic Minakai to be victorious, do we?¡± Aurin¡¯s Minakai screeched, roared, beeped and clicked in agreement. Every single one of them had been training hard through the winter and early spring to prepare for the tournament, Aurin included. ¡°There is one last order of business we need to attend to,¡± he said quietly. ¡°One of you has been waiting for many months to be allowed to evolve. I believe that now is the time for that. Budescent, step forward.¡± The green wolf bounded towards his tamer excitedly as Aurin pulled out a Lunar Shard along with the Full Moon Gem he had been gifted by Tobias. He knelt beside Budescent and held the gem to his Minakai, followed by the shard. Both Budescent and the evolutionary items began to glow green as the metamorphosis began. Budescent grew larger and leaned back on his hind legs as his front legs became more arm-like. His tail lengthened and sprouted a flower, while the hair on his chest grew thick and two of his buds sprouted as thick vines with sharp petals at their tips. As the light faded, the pink flowers were revealed and Budescent¡¯s proud eyes were now a dark and fierce black with long red pupils. ¡°Welcome to the team, Lycavine,¡± said Aurin, admiring Budescent¡¯s werewolf-like evolution. ¡°Feeling strong?¡± Lycavine howled loudly, making the birds in the nearby trees scatter. He swung his long claws through the air to test his speed and then did a black flip, landing adeptly on his feet without as much as a teeter. ¡°Fantastic,¡± said Aurin. He looked towards the Minakai pens to see if all of Luna¡¯s Minakai were still there¡ªthey were, save for Innogon. ¡°Late again,¡± muttered Aurin, looking back to his team. ¡°No matter, we¡¯ll march down there ourselves.¡± ¡°You¡¯re bringing all of them at once?¡± asked Kyle, wandering over from his house. ¡°Yes,¡± said Aurin. ¡°The team have earned the chance to show off a little.¡± ¡°You must be crazy, Aurin,¡± said Kyle, shaking his head. ¡°How many do you have now? Thirteen Minakai? ¡°Fourteen,¡± said Aurin, pointing at Sunny who had been thrown across the yard by Steambot and was gleefully floating back to her teammates. ¡°There¡¯s showing off and making an absolute spectacle. I refuse to be seen with you if you take up half the line by yourself.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I¡¯ll bring three. That¡¯s the best I can do.¡± The Minakai all stood at attention, each of them wanting to be picked, but none more so than Spikruption who held back his usual puffs of smoke. ¡°Alright, Spike,¡± said Aurin, relenting to the red dinosaur who seemed so keen. ¡°It¡¯ll be you, Chopchop and¡­hmm¡­Lycavine. We¡¯re going for maximum intimidation points, my friends. Psyche out our opponents before we even set foot on the battlefield.¡± Shamtile threw up his hands in despair and ran round in circle, screeching wildly. Ignoring the green lizard¡¯s tantrum, Aurin turned to Kyle. ¡°Are you bringing any of your monsters with you?¡± he asked. ¡°Nope,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I¡¯ll summon them when I need them and that¡¯ll do.¡± ¡°Alright, shall we get going?¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Aurin walked down the path with three of his larger, more violent-looking Minakai following. Spikruption stomped along, Chopchop swung his arm-blades and Lycavine¡¯s sharp petals hovered on their vines menacingly. ¡°Have you even seen a Lycavine?¡± asked Aurin, smugly. ¡°Once,¡± said Kyle, ¡°but that was when I was in a tower in Eiranth. It¡¯s native to some of the towers over there.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Aurin, disappointed. He had half-hoped to show off.¡± ¡°If it makes you feel any better, it defeated my pair of Sproufloat with ease.¡± ¡°That does make me feel better,¡± said Aurin before what Kyle had said registered with him. ¡°Wait, pair of Sproufloat?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I said.¡± ¡°Presuming that Wingbloom is one of them, where¡¯s your other one?¡± ¡°She was my Wingbloom¡¯s sister and was a Wingbloom herself. They were hatched together and evolved together, but let¡¯s not talk about this. She¡¯s long gone and we¡¯re going to defeat our opponents in her memory.¡± Aurin wasn¡¯t sure what to say, but things started lining up for him now. Kyle had long-retired from being a competitive Minakai tamer, but had never mentioned why. He hadn¡¯t progressed past the thirty-seventh floor of Harmony Tower, despite being more than capable of doing so. Had it been because his second Wingbloom had died that he chose to be a rancher instead of an active tamer? As the tamers walked through Hazelton, neither of them said much, but eventually came across Luna and Innogon running towards them as though they were heading to the ranch. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m so later, I¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s expected at this point,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Eugh,¡± sighed Luna, furrowing her brow. ¡°Well, Luna, you wouldn¡¯t have that reputation if you were on time, would you? Did you sleep in again?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that!¡± she cried. ¡°I ran into Gardner and he said that Hunter isn¡¯t going to be competing in Hazelton this year.¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Aurin while Kyle looked confused. ¡°Where¡¯s he competing then?¡± asked the rancher. ¡°Ludonia,¡± said Luna. ¡°He¡¯s going all-in and shooting for the toughest qualifier in the country to test himself.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± said Aurin, slightly disappointed. ¡°I was looking forward to having the chance to fight him again. I guess that will have to wait until the national championships.¡± ¡°If you get that far,¡± joked Kyle. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll knock you out in the very first round.¡± The trio and the Minakai continued through the town, which was abuzz with tamers excitedly making their way to the newly revamped Hazelton Stadium. Over the last few months, the Zodiac Squad¡¯s base that had been built underneath was repurposed as an intensive training dojo for tamers, but Aurin had never bothered to make use of it, preferring to train at the ranch with friends. He was curious, however, at how this had benefitted the tamers in town. Before the Zeera Crisis, a lot of them were complacent, but things had taken a radically different turn in the days since. Tamers had doubled, tripled and quadrupled their efforts to get strong, fearing that disaster would strike again. The trio joined the long queue outside Hazelton Stadium as the tamers awaited their registration. Aurin had hoped that he would have found a way to hatch Zeera¡¯s egg before the tournament, but he was satisfied that his team were ready even without the aid of an epic Minakai. Taking the lessons he had learned from Kyle, Hunter and Tobias, he had upped the intensity of both the Minakai¡¯s training as well as his own, both physically and mentally. ¡°Gentlemen. Lady,¡± came Gardner¡¯s voice as he walked over with his Vinewolf beside him, but Lycavine caught his eye. ¡°Aurin, you sneaky little¡­¡± Aurin couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°You thought I would go against you with a Vinewolf of my own, did you? Not happening, my friend.¡± ¡°Where did you get a Full Moon Gem to evolve your Budescent along this path? You have to tell me!¡± Aurin grinned smugly. ¡°It was a present from a friend of mine. His name is Tobias Hawthorne, you may have heard of him.¡± Gardner frowned and shook his head. ¡°How in the world am I supposed to compete with connections like that?¡± ¡°Tell you what,¡± said Aurin, ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you when we get to Ludonia. I¡¯ll have knocked you out of the tournament by that point, but it¡¯ll set you up for next year.¡± Luna and Kyle laughed at Gardner as he threw his arms up in exaggerated despair. He made a goofy face like a Desparee and imitated its cry before laughing himself. The morning rolled past quickly and, by ten o¡¯clock, everyone was inside and registered. It took more time than ever with such a large team of monsters to be inspected and signed up, but things went smoothly. Aurin was itching to begin the fight, but there was still the opening ceremony to go and the brackets would be announced shortly after that. ¡°Ugh,¡± he groaned as he, Luna, Kyle and Gardner sat by the river outside the stadium. ¡°I want to start the fighting now!¡± ¡°Have some patience,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I¡¯ve been patient since the last tournament!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve fought in Ludonia and the Palace Royale since then,¡± said Kyle, ¡°don¡¯t be such a spoiled punk.¡± ¡°Won the Palace Royale, Kyle. Won it. I didn¡¯t just fight in it.¡± Luna looked around to make sure Shamtile wasn¡¯t nearby. ¡°Your head is getting big again.¡± Aurin looked around, also fearing that Shamtile was beside him, but was relieved to see that none of the other Minakai had squeezed his head to try and keep it at a regular size. ¡°I¡¯m with you, Aurin,¡± said Gardner. ¡°After everything we¡¯ve gone through between the different tournaments, the Zodiac Squad, the Zeera attack¡­it¡¯s been a long year. I¡¯m looking forward to having some back-to-basics fights in the early days of the tournament before things get too wild.¡± ¡°See?¡± said Aurin to the others. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I meant.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you meant, then why didn¡¯t you say that?¡± remarked Kyle. ¡°Good morning,¡± came a familiar voice from behind them all. All four tamers turned around quickly and their jaws hit the floor upon seeing who was addressing them. ¡°Frederick?¡± asked Aurin, the first one to compose himself enough to speak. Standing before them was the former Zodiac Squad elite with his favourite Leonite accompanying him. He did not look his usual smug self, rather he was stoic. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a nice day to enjoy the sunshine?¡± he asked. Chapter 163 Aurin, Luna, Kyle and Gardner were stunned to see Frederick standing before them. He stared at them, waiting for one of them to say something, but none of the four tamers knew what to say. The last they had heard, he was in jail awaiting trial for his role as part of the Zodiac Squad. ¡°Cubtem got your tongue?¡± he asked, his expression neutral despite his joke. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± asked Aurin, still in shock at the former Zodiac elite¡¯s appearance. ¡°Not competing, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering,¡± said Frederick. ¡°I thought it best for me to keep myself out of the tournament. I would prefer not to be jeered at as I fought straight to the top.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t disqualified from entering?¡± asked Luna. ¡°That would require a criminal conviction and a ruling from the committee. I haven¡¯t had the former, therefore the latter won¡¯t even get off the ground.¡± ¡°I hope you aren¡¯t saying that I think you¡¯re saying, Leo,¡± said Gardner, standing up and clenching his fists in rage. ¡°The next words out of your mouth had better not be that you were cleared of all charges against you, especially not after willingly turning yourself in.¡± Frederick smiled, unable to resist taunting Gardner. ¡°Then I won¡¯t say it. I¡¯ll let it stew in your mind for a little while what could possibly have let me walk around Hazelton so freely.¡± ¡°You approached us for a reason,¡± said Aurin, eyeing Frederick suspiciously. ¡°Care to tell us what that reason is?¡± ¡°I merely desired to wish you best of luck in the tournament, Aurin. I would very much like to fight you in Ludonia when the time comes. The rest of you, I¡¯m not too concerned about, but we are owed a proper rematch. Our battle in the Palace Royale was only won by you because I was not at my strongest, due to the limitations of Kensington¡¯s format. In the national championship, however, I suspect we will truly be able to show each other a good battle.¡± ¡°What makes you so confident that you¡¯ll be making your way to Ludonia?¡± asked Luna. ¡°He¡¯s already qualified,¡± muttered Kyle. ¡°Very astute,¡± said Frederick. ¡°I qualified in the Yorkgate tournament that finished yesterday. I only arrived back in town this morning.¡± ¡°Unbelievable,¡± said Gardner, furiously. ¡°How could they let someone like you continue battling in official competitions?¡± ¡°I already answered that question and I am not here to talk in circles,¡± said Frederick flippantly. ¡°I will keep an eye on things from the stands, Aurin. Good luck to you.¡± With that, Frederick walked away from the river bank and back through the square. A couple of people recognised him and gasped as he passed by, but it seemed as though many others were too caught up in their own worlds to pay him the slightest fraction of attention. ¡°How¡­why¡­how?¡± asked Gardner. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Aurin, ¡°but I suspect Knot could tell us.¡± Luna pulled out her phone and dialled the detective¡¯s number immediately. After a couple of rings, he answered and Luna put him on loudspeaker. ¡°I¡¯m a little tied up right now, Luna,¡± he said. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Hello,¡± said Aurin. ¡°How many of you are there?¡± ¡°Four of us,¡± said Gardner. ¡°Kyle¡¯s here too.¡± ¡°Ah¡­I suppose you¡¯ve heard the news then?¡± ¡°Frederick,¡± said Aurin bluntly. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Yes, that news.¡± ¡°He blindsided us today at the tournament registration. How could you not warn us that he was released?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve been incredibly busy,¡± said Knot grumpily. ¡°I suppose you want to know how he managed to wriggle his way out of even going to trial?¡± ¡°That would be a good start, yes.¡± ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, he didn¡¯t try to cut a deal. He simply talked, talked and then talked some more. Every Zodiac member that fled, he named. Every former Zodiac member that we¡¯ve been trying to track down for an age, he named. Everything from how the organisation was set up to who knew the ins and outs of the plan to unlock the barrier protecting the tower¡­he told us everything. I still wanted him locked up, but even with my promotion¡­well, there¡¯s always someone above you in a job like this. Everything he told us about checked out and he was deemed crucial, therefore an exception was made.¡± Aurin, Luna, Kyle and Gardner stood by the phone in silence, mulling over what they had heard. ¡°Does that answer your question?¡± asked Knot. ¡°Can I get back to work?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Bye, Detective Knot,¡± said Luna before hanging up. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that something?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°He turned himself in, confessed to everything, threw everyone else under the bus and he still managed to walk free. Only someone like Leo could manage to pull that off.¡± ¡°He did confess,¡± said Aurin. ¡°No,¡± said Gardner, pointing at Aurin. ¡°Don¡¯t you let him get in your head. You know everything he¡¯s done. Just because you want to kick him around the battlefield doesn¡¯t mean you should be fine with him getting to walk away.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong! I¡¯m not fine with it,¡± said Aurin. ¡°But what¡¯s he supposed to do, lock himself up?¡± ¡°It would be a start.¡± ¡°You really want revenge on him? Then we need to be the ones to get all the way to Ludonia and one of us has to defeat him there. If you don¡¯t want him to have a shot at the top, then knock him out of the tournament.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the best we can do, isn¡¯t it?¡± sighed Luna. ¡°We can rise to the top and then smack him across St Michael¡¯s Stadium, can¡¯t we?¡± Aurin asked his team. Spikruption roared impressively and shot a jet of fire into the sky, Chopchop clicked his feelers and slashed his blades through the air, and Lycavine howled loudly, whipping his petal-bladed vines through the air. They were ready to win. ¡°Bring on the first battle!¡± Aurin called out. * The opening ceremony was winding down and the brass band¡¯s music faded out. The juggling Cephelarock¡¯s dragged themselves by their rocky tentacles to the sidelines, clearing the grass as a stocky gentlemen in a top hat appeared. ¡°Lord Kensington?¡± asked Aurin, looking to Kyle. ¡°I suppose with Boren gone, they needed somebody with prestige to take over,¡± replied the rancher. ¡°Better someone from the area rather than a random representative from the league that nobody has heard of.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t argue with that,¡± said Aurin as the lord stepped onto the stage and adjusted his microphone. ¡°Without the Roche Berry from his battle royale, Zeera would have caused even more trouble. ¡°Greetings, people of Hazelton, one and all,¡± boomed Lord Kensington. ¡°It is a great privilege to be here today to welcome you all to the third Hazelton qualifying tournament organised by the Bretonian Tournament League. I was invited to speak to you on their behalf on account of the mayor¡¯s office currently being vacant, and I knew that I must accept after meeting so many young and outstanding tamers at Tamer Day in the latter half of last year. ¡°This wonderful town has been through so much the past couple of years and I believe that it has only made each and every one of you stronger, tamer or not. I know that this grand event will show the world that Hazelton is a force to be reckoned with. We will all be united in the sport of battle, united by the mighty Minakai that will collide with tooth, nail and element. ¡°Tamers, I trust that you are all well prepared. I recognise most of you from my many ventures, but it excites me even more to see some of the top competitors of my own Palace Royale tournament ready to compete here. This will be a tournament for the ages and I cannot wait to see you fight. Give each other hell, tamers. Battle on!¡± Everyone cheered for Lord Kensington who took a deep bow and then walked off the stage. The tamers could not contain themselves and were on their feet the second he disappeared. They rushed as a herd to the main lobby to check the brackets and see who would be standing in their way on the way to the final round. Aurin scanned the bracket for his face and found himself near the top left, placed to fight against a tamer named Atticus. He spied Luna and Kyle on the right, nicely separated from each other, however, he couldn¡¯t see Gardner anywhere. ¡°Oh no,¡± gasped Luna, spotting Gardner¡¯s name and picture. ¡°What?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Ah,¡± said Gardner, following Luna¡¯s eyeline and finding himself. He clapped Aurin on the shoulder. ¡°It looks like it¡¯ll just be one of us going to Ludonia, mate.¡± Aurin found where they were staring at and followed the brackets all the way to the quarter-finals, where he and Gardner would face if they weren¡¯t knocked out beforehand; only semi-finalists would be qualifying for Ludonia. ¡°If three of us can make it, consider it a win,¡± said Kyle. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who it is. Cheer up, the pair of you.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t say that if you were in this situation,¡± said Aurin with a frown. ¡°I know,¡± grinned Kyle, nudging both Aurin and Gardner in the ribs with his elbows, ¡°but it¡¯s not me, is it?¡± Chapter 164 Aurin stood in the tunnel at the edge of the arena, waiting to be called. The tournament official beside him had his hand to his ear to cancel out the chatter of the crowd, who were eagerly standing by, while listening to his instructions. He turned to Aurin and held up a single finger. ¡°One minute and you¡¯re good to go,¡± said the official. ¡°Feeling the pressure, Aurin?¡± ¡°After making it to the nationals last time and saving the town?¡± asked Aurin jokingly. ¡°Just a little, I can¡¯t lie.¡± The official laughed. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, mate. I¡¯ve seen you in action more than enough times to know you¡¯ll breeze through this.¡± ¡°That makes me feel worse!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think ab¡ª¡± began the official before putting his finger to his earpiece. ¡°Out you go, bud. Time to shine.¡± Aurin took a deep breath and walked out onto the field to the cheers of the crowd and the announcer booming over the speakers, his voice echoing throughout the entire stadium. ¡°He needs no introduction after everything we¡¯ve seen from him over the last few years. Give it up for the Saviour of Hazelton, Aurin!¡± Aurin¡¯s face turned red as he waved to the crowd. He didn¡¯t mind having all eyes on him; he relished it, in fact. To be called the Saviour of Hazelton to publicly and unironically, however, made him uncomfortable. He had spoken many times with his friends about the efforts of everyone involved in stopping the Zodiac Squad and putting an end to Zeera¡¯s rampage, so it did not feel right to be the one taking the entirety of the credit solely because he was the one with the Roche Berry. ¡°And his opponent,¡± said the announcer, ¡°is an up-and-coming star. He¡¯s said to be one of the best the Hazelton Underground Dojo has to offer¡­it¡¯s Atticus!¡± Atticus waved to the crowd as he emerged. He was a tall and well-build young man, perhaps a year or two older than Aurin, with blonde hair that was swept back and a dusting of stubble on his chin. His face bore a look of sheer determination. Atticus was ready to fight and eager to prove himself, especially against an opponent like Aurin. The two met at the centre of the field and shook hands. ¡°I hope it¡¯s a good fight,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I assure you, Mr Saviour, that it will be,¡± said Atticus with a smug grin. ¡°No parlour tricks this time.¡± Aurin and Atticus walked back to the edge of the field, turning to face each other. Aurin¡¯s nervousness was now replaced with a desire to see that smug punk be crushed, and he would be the one to deliver the beatdown. His team was ready and the crowd were about to see quite the show. ¡°The tamers have both taken their positions, and are ready to fight,¡± called the announcer. ¡°Ready folks? Three, two, one¡­and fight!¡± Aurin raised his tamer glove, where a steely-grey gem glowed brightly. He threw the ball of light forward, summoning Chopchop to the field. A red light shone at the far side of the field and Atticus¡¯s Volcarrow emerged and immediately charged forward while Chopchop swung his bladed arms and assumed a defensive stance, waiting for his opponent to draw close. Volcarrow was burning brightly as it flew towards Chopchop, but before it came within arm¡¯s reach, it pulled upwards and hovered in the air, spitting a rain of fire at the armoured insect, who pulled his blades together and blocked the fiery barrage. ¡°We¡¯ve prepared for this,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Metal wave attack!¡± As the last of the fire struck his blades, Chopchop held his arms out and swung one forcefully towards his opponent. A wave of metal-elemental energy rippled through the air, colliding with Volcarrow as it tried to fly away. It wobbled in mid-air and Chopchop followed with another sweeping strike that sent the flame bird plummeting to the ground. Volcarrow was not finished yet, but neither was Chopchop. The purple ant ran across the grass and leapt high, bringing both of his blades overhead. With a mighty sweep, he brought his arms down in a vertical arc, cleaving deep into Volcarrow¡¯s flame-covered body. With a pained squawk, the fire-elemental fell unconscious, its time in the battle ending much more quickly than its tamer would have liked. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Agh!¡± grunted Atticus loudly before muttering something under his breath. He threw his arm forward and summoned his next Minakai to the field; a Debigger. The ravenous carnivorous plant stared menacingly at Chopchop, ready to devour him whole, but it would take him in pieces if he had to. Debigger scurried across the grass as roots erupted from underneath the ground, trying to tangle up Chopchop, but he swung his arms and cut them all down to size, keeping himself free and mobile. ¡°Look out!¡± called Aurin upon seeing Debigger¡¯s snapping arms come flying through the air as the plant stretched further than Aurin had thought possible. Chopchop looked up and shield himself just in time to block one of the attacks, but the second bit into his exposed upper arm and clamped hard. He clicked in pain as he tried to pull his arm free, but the Debigger seized its chance and snapped itself onto Chopchop¡¯s other arm. ¡°You¡¯re not so tough,¡± laughed Atticus from across the battlefield as Debigger tugged and pulled Chopchop across the grass. It opened the top of its head, ready to throw the armoured insect inside and enjoy a tasty meal. ¡°And you¡¯re too arrogant for your own good,¡± said Aurin with a sly smile. ¡°Did you honestly think closing the gap was a smart move? You¡¯re an amateur.¡± As Debigger lifted Chopchop into the air, the mustered his strength and swung, slicing both of Debigger¡¯s arms off, leaving Atticus frozen open-mouthed while the plant squealed and screeched from the pain. ¡°My goodness, folks!¡± called the announcer. ¡°That was a brutal retaliation from Aurin. Good thing Debigger¡¯s arms will grow back after a while¡­probably, right?¡± Chopchop landed on the grass and with another heavy cleave, slammed the flat of his blade into Debigger like a baseball bat and flinging Atticus¡¯s Minakai across the battlefield, where it crashed in a heap and rolled along. When it stopped rolling, it had stopped moving and was unable to continue the battle. ¡°Trump card time,¡± muttered Atticus, casting out an orangey-brown light from his tamer glove. ¡°Haniwizard, you¡¯re up.¡± A curious Minakai appeared on the battlefield before its tamer. It had a proportionally long body, considering its relatively small size, and was made of terracotta. It had two thin arms and legs, bent in awkward angles, while a pointed, brimmed hat was atop its head; in fact, the hat may have been a part of its head. Its large, ovular eyes and mouth were fixed wide, making the little creature appear in a constant state of shock. ¡°Now you don¡¯t see that every day,¡± said the announcer. ¡°Haniwizard is one of the rarest Minakai in Bretonian towers. Let¡¯s see if its power matches its rarity, folks.¡± ¡°Be relentless!¡± called Atticus. Haniwizard did an awkward dance while balancing on one of its short legs. It conjured dozens of large stones in front of itself and with a spin of its body, the stones all flew through the air, aiming straight for Chopchop. Aurin¡¯s Minakai swung its arms rapidly, cutting through each of the stones with ease, but as the barrage thinned, Haniwizard conjured dozens more. It threw them too, much faster than before and Chopchop swung more wildly to keep up, letting a couple of the stones beat him through the gaps in his defence. ¡°Keep going!¡± called Atticus, his grin stretched across his whole face. ¡°Full power!¡± Haniwizard summoned even larger rocks and threw them faster than ever before. After the first five or six, Chopchop was unable to keep up. He was hit by the hefty stones, which knocked him backwards and pinned him down as the rest piled on top of him. He tried to throw them aside, but they were too heavy to move and he fell limp as the last of the stones fell upon the pile. ¡°That was a powerful assault from Atticus, but Aurin has two Minakai remaining,¡± remarked the announcer. ¡°Can Atticus keep up the pace?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Aurin quietly, ¡°he can¡¯t. Shamtile!¡± In a flash of light, Shamtile appeared on the field and scurried past the large pile of stones, making straight for Haniwizard. Unwilling to change tactics and thinking he could overpower Shamtile, Atticus ordered his Minakai to use the same technique he had used on Chopchop. Shamtile stopped as the rocks flew towards him, waving his arms and forcing them to stop in mid-air. Atticus¡¯s expression changed from smugness to anger, while his Haniwizard spun round and round, trying to make the stationary rocks move once more, but Shamtile would not budge. ¡°Finish this,¡± Aurin ordered and Shamtile nodded. With a warbling screech, Shamtile threw his arms forward and sent all of Haniwizard¡¯s rocks back towards their summoner. Desperate to block them, Haniwizard threw more rocks as a shield, but Shamtile followed up with a conjuration of his own. The masked lizard brought forth a large earthy spear and shot it through the air so fast that anyone in the crowd blinking missed it. Haniwizard was struck, sending the magical Minakai into the stadium wall, hitting it with a thunderous crash as the spear broke to pieces. Its body was cracked and its shocked expression was wider than ever as it fell onto the grass and flopped over in defeat. ¡°And there you have it, folks!¡± called the announcer as the crowd went wild. ¡°Aurin is proving once again that he is every bit the tamer we know him to be.¡± Aurin walked towards the centre of the battlefield and Shamtile hopped onto his shoulder as he met Atticus in the middle where they shook hands once again. ¡°That¡­yeah,¡± said Atticus, unable to muster anything more coherent. Aurin laughed. ¡°Your Haniwizard is powerful,¡± he said, ¡°but you need to be more adaptable.¡± ¡°Back to training,¡± said Atticus with a nod. ¡°Next time though, I¡¯m coming for you again.¡± With that, the two tamers separated and headed back inside. The tournament official gave Aurin a thumbs up and a smile on the way past. This was the tamer¡¯s third tournament in Hazelton and Aurin was playing to win. He was going all the way to the top and nobody would stand in his way. Chapter 165 ¡°Feeling good, Kyle?¡± asked Aurin as Kyle sat on his porch. It was the dawn of his first competitive Minakai battle in years and Aurin had been the one to do the early morning cleaning and feeding of the Minakai at the ranch, something he was happy to do. ¡°I¡¯m all good,¡± said Kyle. ¡°It¡¯ll be strange being back in front of a crowd, but I¡¯m ready for it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll do well,¡± said Aurin. ¡°After how strong you were in the Palace Royale, I know you¡¯ll smash your competition. Come to think of it¡­who¡¯s your opponent?¡± ¡°That old girlfriend of yours, Eclare,¡± said Kyle with a smug grin. ¡°She was never my girlfriend!¡± yelled Aurin. ¡°But I¡¯m glad she¡¯s fully recovered after what happened to her during the Zeera Crisis. I didn¡¯t realise how badly those Funglie spores could hurt you.¡± ¡°As dangerous as the burning fires of a Volcarrow. That said, I¡¯m still not going to go easy on her. If she¡¯s fighting in the tournament, there¡¯ll be no holding back on my end.¡± Aurin laughed. ¡°I would expect nothing less.¡± * ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, let¡¯s hear it for your favourite local rancher, Kyle!¡± called the announcer. Kyle walked out onto the battlefield and gave a small wave to the crowd. He met Eclare in the centre, who gave him a big smile. ¡°I suppose you¡¯ll know all of my Minakai already,¡± she said. ¡°They live at your ranch after all.¡± Kyle let out a dry laugh. ¡°It doesn¡¯t help as much as you would think,¡± he said. ¡°Good luck.¡± ¡°Likewise.¡± The two walked back across the grass and stood in their positions, waiting to be counted in. As he had expected, it was indeed strange to be back on an official battlefield, but he was excited. Eclare was not a weak tamer, but she was far from the strongest tamer in town. He knew that she was the perfect opponent to test himself against. ¡°Three¡­two¡­one¡­begin!¡± called the announcer. The two tamers drew their summoning stones like gunslingers and sent out their first monsters; Kyle summoned his Snowlem and Eclare summoned her Spikruption. The icy snowman and the fiery dinosaur stared at each other for a moment before making their moves. Spikruption curled its long neck downwards and tucked its head between its front legs while throwing itself forward and rolling along the battlefield towards Snowlem. Having sparred with Aurin enough times, Kyle had already devised the perfect counter for this attack and Snowlem was the Minakai for it. ¡°Divert,¡± ordered Kyle. Snowlem unleashed his magic and paved the grass with frost, making Spikruption wobbled as it rolled. With a wave of its branching arms, Snowlem summoned an ice wall either side of the slippery terrain and then redirected Spikruption towards the wall of the battlefield, but before crashing, Spikruption engulfed itself in flames and melted the eyes, giving it the chance to slow down. It unfurled itself and opted for a charging attack instead, but Snowlem had another counter prepared. He hurled an icy spear at Spikruption, who shattered it with a heavy fireball, but a follow-up icicle struck the dinosaur in the neck, making it gasp and unable to exhale fire. ¡°Avalanche!¡± called Kyle. Snowlem raised his arms high and then swung them low, summoning a pile of snow that fell upon Spikruption, burying the dinosaur out of sight. As the slow slowly began to melt from the heat of the dinosaur¡¯s body, Snowlem ran towards his opponent and coated one of his fists in ice. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Upon Spikruption¡¯s reemergence, he leapt up and smashed his frozen knuckles into Spikruption¡¯s jaw, toppling the dinosaur who could not even call out; it had lost consciousness before it hit the ground. It lay limply on the grass as the last of the snow faded away, giving Kyle an early lead. ¡°A great first showing by Kyle!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Spikruption has been snuffed out, but what will Eclare do next?¡± To answer the announcer, Eclare summoned her Shamasaur. The large masked reptile stomped on the ground and did a clumsy dance, waving its arms in the air, but this was not to celebrate its appearance, it was a making an attack. It conjured a boulder and flung it at Snowlem, who smashed it to pieces with his icy fist. Kyle¡¯s Minakai couldn¡¯t sustain the ice around its hand after such a forceful attack and went on the defensive. Shamasaur launched a relentless barrage of rocks as Snowlem summoned ice wall after ice wall to defend itself. As each one was shattered, another took its place, but the walls were too thick for Snowlem and Kyle to see past. To both of their surprise, the ground opened up and Snowlem fell into a pit, which closed and left only his head resting above ground level. The final ice wall shattered as Shamasaur burst through and delivered a powerful kick to Snowlem¡¯s head, knocking him out and evening up the numbers between the two tamers. ¡°And Eclare makes a fantastic comeback!¡± cried the announcer as the crowd went wild. ¡°She¡¯s improved a lot,¡± muttered Kyle, ¡°I suppose it¡¯s time to go all in.¡± He threw out his hand and a burst of blue light appeared before him. As it faded, his Minasma was revealed. The sludgy mess of a Minakai rippled her filthy, watery body and smiled widely at Shamasaur. With a flick of the horn that sat upon her forehead, a tidal wave appeared and knocked Shamasaur back, sliding it across the battlefield. Not one to be left behind, Minasma rode her own wave of filth water and launched herself at the green dinosaur, piercing its chest with her horn. Shamasaur grabbed Minasma and threw her aside, but Minasma simply rolled along with her smile as wide as ever. Eclare looked unsettled as she watched Kyle¡¯s Minakai grinning. Minasma opened her mouth and unleashed a water jet, striking the hole she had made in Shamasaur¡¯s chest right as it stood up, knocking it straight back down again. Once the water jet had subsided and Shamasaur tried to climb to its feet again, Minasma did the same again, and then again. After exhausting itself from the constant beatings and attempts to right itself, Shamasaur collapsed and was unable to continue. ¡°Kyle pulls back ahead. That was a brutal assault, folks,¡± said the announcer. ¡°Eclare¡¯s down to her final Minakai and it going to need to make this one count.¡± ¡°And count, it will,¡± said Eclare, holding up her tamer glove and summoning her favourite Minakai, her Titanitoise to the field. ¡°No, it won¡¯t!¡± retorted Kyle. ¡°Tsunami!¡± Minasma drew in a deep breath and glowed blue as she focused all of her elemental power into one attack. A tidal wave encompassed the entire battlefield, sweeping Titanitoise away before the spiked tortoise even had the chance to move. It was slammed into the wall by the wave, but the intensity of the water did not let up as the tortoise struggled to breath. Once its eyes rolled back in its head, did Kyle finally order Minasma to relax. He had won. ¡°Did I call that last attack brutal?¡± asked the announcer as the crowd cheered for Kyle. ¡°This one really takes the cake! Titanitoise is out for the count.¡± Kyle and Eclare walked into the centre of the battlefield and shook hands once again. ¡°How do I always manage to draw the most difficult opponents so early?¡± she laughed. ¡°Bad luck, I suppose,¡± chuckled Kyle. ¡°I have to say though, you caught my completely off guard with that Shamasaur of yours. Took out my Snowlem nicely and he was with me in the national championships back in the day.¡± ¡°I hoped he would be a little rusty, but it seems like I misjudged. Tell Aurin I said hello, will you?¡± ¡°You do it and tell him in front of Luna. That¡¯s always good for a laugh.¡± Eclare smiled and nodded as she and Kyle separated, making their way back to the tunnels while the crowd continued to cheer. In the tamer box, Aurin and Luna were clapping and shouting the loudest of all, thrilled to see Kyle storm through the first battle of his comeback. ¡°He¡¯s back,¡± said Aurin, being forced to slow his clapping by his pained hands. ¡°That was great to witness.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very glad my first chance to battle him will be in the semi-finals,¡± said Luna, looking relieved. ¡°If I had to battle him before that, I think he would eliminate me.¡± ¡°Speaking of,¡± said Aurin, checking his watch, ¡°what time is your first match?¡± ¡°Three more battles and them I¡¯m up.¡± ¡°Wetting yourself?¡± ¡°Could you ask that in a nicer way?¡± asked Luna, sticking her tongue out. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, I¡¯m feeling just fine. I thought I would be more nervous than I am. Maybe I¡¯ve gotten over my fear of being watched by large crowds?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± muttered Aurin, trying not to laugh. ¡°I give about twenty minutes before the panic sets in.¡± ¡°No, my dearest,¡± said Luna, poking him in the arm. ¡°You will see.¡± Chapter 166 ¡°I can¡¯t do this, I can¡¯t do this,¡± panted Luna, looking nervously out onto the battlefield. She was less than a minute away from being called to walk in front of the huge crowd filling Hazelton Stadium and fight her opponent, Harley. Feeling bad about teasing her about her lack of nervousness, Aurin stood by and comforted her. ¡°You¡¯ll be alright,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about the crowd. You focus on the battle, the battle and nothing but the battle, alright?¡± Innogon yapped in agreement, patting his tamer on the back of her thigh, which was the highest part of her he could reach without jumping. It didn¡¯t help Luna¡¯s nerves that he hit rather forcefully and she took an accidental step outside of the tunnel before scurrying back out of sight. ¡°That was so embarrassing!¡± she squealed as the tournament official standing by tried to hide his laughter. ¡°Look at that, you went in front of the crowd and it wasn¡¯t the end of the world,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Now you just need to do it for longer than half a second.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t helping!¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Then what are you doing?¡± ¡°Distracting you until time¡¯s up.¡± The official gave Luna a nod and then the announcer¡¯s voice boomed across the stadium. ¡°Returning after sitting out the last tournament, we have Luna!¡± ¡°Go,¡± said Aurin, giving Luna a gentle push in the back. Luna walked out, holding her breath the entire time. She held up a hand to the crowd, but kept her focus on the far side of the battlefield where Harley was walking towards her from. ¡°Facing her today,¡± said the announcer, ¡°is Harley! Fun fact for you, folks, it was her twin sister Marley who fought only a few battles ago. Spitting image, aren¡¯t they?¡± Harley looked notably more comfortable than Luna and was holding her hands up to the crowd, getting them to cheer even louder. As well-liked as Luna was around Hazelton, she was doing herself no favours with the rest of the spectators. ¡°You look like you¡¯re going to wet yourself,¡± giggled Harley as she shook Luna¡¯s hand. ¡°Why do people keep saying that?¡± barked Luna. ¡°Maybe because it¡¯s true.¡± The two tamers walked back to their opposing posts at the edge of the battlefield and awaited the start of the match. Luna was breathing heavily and staring at her tamer glove where a green, yellow and red were fixed. She still hadn¡¯t decided which of the three Minakai she was going to call first. ¡°And begin!¡± roared the announcer, making Luna panic further. The two tamers summoned their first Minakai to the battlefield. Luna¡¯s Angree appeared in a flash of green light, while Harley¡¯s Thundarun appeared in purple. Angree, not one for waiting around, immediately charged towards the dark unicorn, beating his chest as he ran. Thundarun reared up and unleashed a lightning bolt from its horn, but Angree dove forward and rolled back onto his feet, continuing his sprint. As Thundarun reared up once more, Angree summoned a vine from his hand and cast it out, wrapping it around Thundarun¡¯s horn and pulling the unicorn face-first into the grass. He grabbed hold of the vine with his other hand and flung Thundarun up into the air before discarding the vine. The lightning elemental landed awkwardly on the ground with a heavy thud. As it looked up to get its bearings, it saw Angree flying through the air towards it, his elbows held up. As he dropped, he thrust his elbows downwards, ramming them into Thundarun¡¯s neck. He then drew back his fists, coated them in sharp thorns and delivered a flurry of blows to the already disoriented beast until he had knocked it out. After a few extra punches for good measure, he backed away and let out a victorious yell. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Luna is not pulling punches today, folks, let me tell you that!¡± called the announcer. ¡°That Angree is one mean competitor, I have to say. What¡¯s Harley going to do?¡± Harley looked irked and summoned her next Minakai, the large one-eyed icicle that was Pillaberg. He slammed its two small arms on the ground and slid itself towards Angree with its eye glowing a menacing blue. Luna¡¯s Minakai was not intimidated in the least and rushed to meet his opponent. Pillaberg raised a hand as Angree raised a fist and the two collided with both Minakai being forced backwards. As Angree closed the gap, Pillaberg tipped itself forward and lunged, jabbing Angree in the chest. It was a shockingly forceful hit for such a legless Minakai, cracking Angree¡¯s chest plate. Enraged, the nature elemental backed away and summoned two vines. He threw them over the top of Pillaberg and tugged, but this time, it did not go as planned. A split second before Angree attacked, Pillaberg had subtly coated the grass in ice and Angree slipped upon pulling his vines. The large icicle spun around, swinging Angree across the grass until he released the vines, sending him sliding away. As the incapacitated Angree tried to climb up, Pillaberg shot a burst of icicles towards him, piercing his wooden body and each of his limbs. Angree let out an uncharacteristic whimper and passed out. Luna was now so lost in the battle that she no longer felt nervous. All she could feel was anger that her Minakai had been hurt. She was going to get revenge and she knew exactly which of her Minakai was right for the job. Upon her command, her Windjinn appeared; she had recently evolved it from her Feathrus in preparation for the tournament. The cloudy serpent flew quickly through the air with its feathery wings, aiming for Pillaberg. As Harley¡¯s Minakai geared up to attack, Windjinn swerved out of the way and Pillaberg¡¯s icicle spear missed its target. Windjinn circles around from behind and dove at Pillaberg, whipping it with his tail and knocking it to the ground. ¡°It¡¯s an aerial monster,¡± called Harley. ¡°Hailstorm!¡± Luna wasn¡¯t going to let that happen. ¡°Finish this quickly!¡± As Pillaberg began to weave its magic, Windjinn grabbed the icicle with its tail and flung it high into the air, much to Harley¡¯s shock. It soared high into the sky and then slowed before beginning its descent. It flailed its arms, unable to do anything to stop the inevitable crash. It smashed into the ground and the top foot of its body snapped off, leaving it dazed and useless. ¡°And the ice has melted!¡± cried the announcer. ¡°Last Minakai Harley. Can you turn this around? Show the people of Hazelton what you¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°Tuskade!¡± screeched Harley, feeling frazzled by Luna¡¯s onslaught. The large, purplish-grey elephant appeared on the field, its stone tusks and wrecking ball tail ready to devastate Windjinn and whatever Luna¡¯s final Minakai was. It bore a look of ferocity that was meant to scare its opponents, but Luna was not phased. After the Minakai she had fought, this was nothing to her. ¡°Bring it home,¡± Luna told Windjinn. As Tuskade stampeded towards Windjinn, the air elemental flew up high and whipped around, beat its wings, sending two discs of razor-sharp air towards Tuskade. The earth elemental erected a stone wall to block the attack, which cut straight through it. Tuskade, however, was sturdy enough to withstand the weakened air razors, but it did not see Windjinn speeding down from above. ¡°Move!¡± cried Harley, but it was too late. Windjinn propelled himself faster and rammed into Tuskade¡¯s thick back so hard that the elephant buckled. It trumpeted in agony, but Windjinn was unhurt. It curled itself around Tuskade¡¯s tail and strained itself, pulling the elephant into the air with it. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡± roared the announcer. ¡°Look at that strength. Can anyone tell me how much that elephant weighs?¡± At thirty feet in the air, Windjinn dropped the pained Tuskade, letting it fall and hit the ground. It did not move as it lay sprawled across the grass and the battle was over. Luna was through to the next round. ¡°And there it is, everyone,¡± said the announcer. ¡°Unfortunately for Harley, she will not be advancing, unlike her sister. Give her a hand folks¡­and let¡¯s hear it for our winner too. Luna!¡± Aurin clapped wildly from the sidelines as Innogon jumped for joy beside him. He picked up the tiny drake and hugged him tightly, making Innogon gasp and spit a tiny jet of water in his face, but Aurin didn¡¯t care. He was too thrilled about Luna¡¯s victory and continued squeezing Innogon. After Harley congratulated her, Luna walked back across the battlefield and into the tunnel with Windjinn. She had a look of glee upon her face and Windjinn had a calm satisfaction on his. It was his first real battle in this form and he had proven himself to both his tamer and himself. ¡°Great job!¡± said Aurin, hugging Luna tightly. ¡°It was nothing,¡± said Luna, hugging him back. ¡°I wasn¡¯t nervous at all. That was just for show so that you would be more impressed when I won.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± laughed Aurin, releasing her. ¡°I¡¯m coming for you next, my love,¡± she said, poking him in the chest and smiling. ¡°You think you¡¯re going to win this whole tournament, do you? Well, not if I have anything to say about it. Both you and Kyle will be going down, mark my words.¡± ¡°Bring it on,¡± he said, holding his arm out to her. She took it and the two walked through the tunnel with Innogon and Windjinn following, excited for how the tournament was going to unfold. Once the first round was over at the end of the day, half of the competitors would be eliminated, leaving the strongest tamers to fight their way to the top. Chapter 167 ¡°And Aurin has just won his second match!¡± called the announcer as Quetz knocked out the much larger Doripper with powerful tornado. Aurin relished the victory, knowing that each step forward he took brought him closer to the top. Two hundred and fifty-six had been whittles down to one hundred and twenty-eight, but now Aurin had secured himself a spot in the top sixty-four. A few hours later, Gardner¡¯s Desparee had claimed him his spot too. Two days later, it was Kyle¡¯s turn for his second match. His Wingbloom made a great showing and tore through his entire opponent¡¯s team, winning him the match and the impressed cheers of the audience. Two matches later and Luna was fighting again with Innogon and Stopod cinching her another victory. As quickly as the second round finished, the third was even quicker. Aurin, Gardner, Kyle and Luna each won their matches and had made it into the top thirty-two. Much to their relief, the tournament was on a day¡¯s break and Aurin decided to let his team take the day off to recuperate after their strong showings and intense training regime. ¡°Where are you off to?¡± Kyle asked as Aurin walked down the ranch path. ¡°The tower,¡± said Aurin over his shoulder. ¡°Oh? You¡¯re going on a run today?¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just going to look at it.¡± ¡°You going to be long?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, why?¡± ¡°Just because the Minakai are taking the day off doesn¡¯t mean you get to. I need you to dredge the river for animal carcasses that the aquatics and water elementals won¡¯t touch. A few of the others will appreciate some bones to gnaw on.¡± Aurin hurried down the path, pretending he didn¡¯t hear Kyle, irritating the rancher. Aurin laughed to himself, knowing that he would come back to help, but making Kyle seethe was one of life¡¯s pleasures so he couldn¡¯t not take that opportunity to drive him just a little bit crazy. The young tamer strolled through the forest until he reached the familiar fork, then took a left towards the Harmony Tower. He walked into the clearing where it stood majestically watching over the entirety of Hazelton. The doors were firmly closed, but Aurin knew there were tamers inside. Some would be combatants preparing for their next match, some would be tourists who had come to visit the town and watch the tournament. ¡°A thing of beauty, isn¡¯t it?¡± came a voice from behind Aurin. ¡°It certainly is,¡± he agreed. A blonde man, only a few years older than Aurin, walked up and stood beside him. He was vaguely familiar to Aurin, but he couldn¡¯t put his finger on where he recognised him from. ¡°Do I know you?¡± Aurin asked. ¡°You do,¡± replied the man, holding out his hand and shaking it. ¡°Name¡¯s Evan. We battled almost two years ago in this very forest.¡± It finally clicked with Aurin who the man was. ¡°You had a Volcarrow, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± chuckled Evan. ¡°And your Spikruption thoroughly pulverised him.¡± ¡°Sorry about that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be. Taught me a lesson about hubris, didn¡¯t it? In saying that, it was reassuring upon coming back to Hazelton that I found out what you¡¯ve accomplished since we last met, Aurin.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°I had a lot of help.¡± ¡°Nah, you¡¯re talented. I saw you in the national championships last year. Watched it in the bar back home with half the town. I kept telling everyone that I fought you, but nobody believed me. I thought I would take a chance and see if you were battling in the qualifier here this year.¡± ¡°Are you competing?¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not a competitive battler. I¡¯m a rancher back home and my sister¡¯s minding the place while I¡¯m away. It¡¯s nice to get away for a bit, you know?¡± Aurin nodded and looked back towards the tower. Even after everything that had happened here between the Zodiac Squad and Zeera, he felt a sense of calmness when he gazed upon it. Most of what was important to him in his life, he owed to the tower. Outside of Shamtile and Snippet, all of his eggs originated here. It was outside of the tower that he met Luna; granted he was unconscious at the time. If he hadn¡¯t been trying to climb the tower, she never would have taken to meet Kyle. ¡°Do you feel like a battle?¡± Aurin asked Evan. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind a short one, if you¡¯re up for it,¡± said Evan. ¡°I hatched a new Minakai recently. Picked it¡¯s egg up in a tower in Eiranth if you wouldn¡¯t mind using one of your less experienced monsters.¡± ¡°Works for me,¡± said Aurin, taking a few steps back while Evan did the same. ¡°Quetz, you¡¯re up.¡± ¡°Saskid, time to prove yourself.¡± The two monsters appeared¡ªQuetz in a flash of yellow and Saskid in an icy blue¡ªand rested upon the grass, staring at each other. Aurin had never seen a Saskid before. It was small, round and covered in tufty white fur so thick that the only skin that could be seen was that of its feet. Its face was completely obscured, so much so that that the narrow gap in the fur looked like a black void with two red eyes glowing from within. ¡°Ready?¡± Aurin asked. ¡°Ready,¡± said Evan. ¡°Saskid, go wild!¡± Saskid let out a loud wail and threw its fists in the air as it ran towards Quetz. The yellow serpent slithered along the grass and out of the way of the charging ice elemental. Saskid lunged as Quetz made her way past, but she was slick enough to avoid its grasp. With another yell, Saskid conjured up a snowball in its hand and launched it as Quetz who screeched and beat it away with her tail. She flapped her cream feathery wings and flew up a dozen feet where the hovered, waiting for Saskid to dare attack her again. However, Evan¡¯s foreign Minakai was not so easily baited. It beckoned Quetz forward and then punched its fuzzy fists together. Quetz spun around and whipped up a gust that forced Saskid to brace itself. Aurin expected the little fluffball to roll away, but it was sturdier than it looked. It dug its feet into the grassy soil and then burst forward, leaping into the air and coating its fist with ice. It swung for Quetz, who screeched as she dove out of the way. Saskid landed and looked around, but Quetz was too quick. The winged serpent coiled her tail around Saskid¡¯s arm and spun around, flinging him towards Harmony Tower. He collided with the wall and came crashing back down in a heap, unable stand. ¡°Well,¡± sighed Evan, ¡°that¡¯s that.¡± ¡°For a recent hatch, it¡¯s quite strong,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s alright. Need to work on his speed a little, but I¡¯m sure with some training and a couple of evolutions, he¡¯ll be ready to really bring the pain. Thanks for the battle, Aurin.¡± ¡°Likewise. It¡¯s nice to have a fight where nothing¡¯s on the line if you lose.¡± ¡°Just some pride, eh?¡± said Evan with a laugh. ¡°Well, there is that,¡± agreed Aurin, grinning. ¡°You sticking around Hazelton for long?¡± ¡°Just until the end of the tournament and them I¡¯m heading back to Maplewood. I would love to go see the national championships, but¡­duty calls.¡± Aurin bid Evan farewell as the rancher made his way inside the tower. Quetz slithered along the grass and curled around her tamer¡¯s leg as he continued to stare at the giant stone structure before him. The young tamer¡¯s eyes were drawn to the top of the tower where the ethereal barrier faded in and out over and over again, keeping the planar magic strong and the monsters locked away. ¡°Would you like to see the top one day, Quetz?¡± Aurin asked the serpent who was flicking the red feathers atop her head. Upon hearing him, she slithered along the grass and then took to the skies, shooting straight for the top, but Aurin leapt up and caught her by the tail to pull her back. She screeched as Aurin spun her around and looked her in the eyes. ¡°That¡¯s not that I meant!¡± he scolded her. ¡°What I¡¯m talking about is the journey from the bottom to the top. I know you¡¯ve only seen the inside of the tower twice, but I would like every one of my Minakai to see the top floor one day. It¡¯s just a matter of wanting it enough and working hard.¡± Quetz stopped struggling and hovered beside Aurin. She let out a low hissing sound and then fell silent. ¡°We¡¯ll get there,¡± said Aurin. ¡°We¡¯ve seen it once before and, soon, I think we¡¯ll see the top again and the golden egg will be ours. Let¡¯s get back to the others.¡± Aurin and Quetz left the clearing behind and walked back towards the ranch along the shadow of the tower that the sun cast upon the forest. He was filled with a sense of optimism and knew that no matter how the tournament turned out, he was never going to stop pushing forward. Chapter 168 Elephrock stood on the battlefield with its little legs trembling. Its purple-grey snout waved back and forward nervously upon seeing how ineffective its earthen attack was against the Rabbafat which casually strolled towards it. ¡°Don¡¯t make it too painful,¡± said Luna sympathetically as Drea, her opponent, looked on helplessly. Rabbafat stopped beside Elephrock and pushed the small elephant over. Too terrified to fight back, Elephrock just let it happen. Rabbafat jumped and bellyflopped onto the stunned earth-elemental, flattening it and ending the battle rather clumsily. ¡°And that¡¯s that!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Luna advanced to the next round. Commiserations to Drea who gave a strong performance, but today was not her day.¡± Luna and Drea shook hands in the centre of the battlefield. Luna congratulated her on making it this far, but it was clear that Drea was battling well out of her league and her string of unchallenging opponents had lulled her into a false sense of security. Drea walked away silently, feeling embarrassed. * It was a beautiful spring day and Aurin, Luna, Gardner, Jimmy and Emily were all drinking milkshakes by the river path outside the stadium where another battle was underway. Luna, fresh off her win, had bought everyone a drink, including Shamtile and Innogon who had already finished two shakes each and were stretched out on the brick paving, relaxing. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re halfway through the tournament,¡± said Gardner, looking to the grassy bank at the far side of the river. ¡°Is it just me or is the competition not as strong this year?¡± ¡°It looks about the same to me,¡± said Emily, cocking her head to the side. ¡°Are you sure it isn¡¯t just because you¡¯re all much stronger than you were last year?¡± ¡°I mean¡­I didn¡¯t want to be the one to say it,¡± laughed Jimmy, ¡°but I think you¡¯re right. After the Palace Royale and the Zodiac trial by fire over the winter¡­not to mention Zeera, I think we¡¯re at our peak.¡± ¡°Nah, I haven¡¯t come close to peaking yet,¡± said Aurin. ¡°When I find a way to hatch Zeera¡¯s egg, only then will I be really starting my ascent.¡± ¡°Big head,¡± said Luna, pointedly, waiting for Shamtile to jump on Aurin to try and contain his tamer¡¯s head from swelling, but Shamtile was snoring and didn¡¯t stir. ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Nice try,¡± remarked Aurin, grinning at her. ¡°I mean it though. Sure, we¡¯re tough tamers, but I honestly believe we¡¯re still only scratching the surface. Just think of how many tamers are out in the world and the fact that some of the best don¡¯t even enter tournaments. In five years from now, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll even need to enter tournaments like this to prove we¡¯re good.¡± ¡°Fair,¡± shrugged Gardner. ¡°Anytime I¡¯ve travelled abroad, I¡¯ve seen new Minakai that you just can¡¯t find here. Battling them always leaves you realising that there¡¯s something to learn. Different Minakai of the same element don¡¯t fight the same way and aren¡¯t always capable of the same techniques, so you can always be caught off guard.¡± ¡°And on top of that, there are so many more epic Minakai beyond Arusom and Zeera. I wonder how they compare in terms of power?¡± ¡°Your guess is as good as mine,¡± said Luna, ¡°but I would expect them to be as tough, if not more so.¡± ¡°Imagine if we show up to Ludonia and someone pulls out a legendary Minakai,¡± said Gardner, shaking his head. ¡°How can we possibly battle against one of those effectively when we¡¯ve never even seen one in action?¡± ¡°Just go all out and flatten it,¡± shrugged Aurin, knowing rightly that it was much more complicated than that. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Emily got up from the bench and walked over to the grass, falling back onto it. ¡°Sometimes I think it would be fun to battle with Minakai, and other times I¡¯m glad I don¡¯t have a thousand thoughts running through my head at all times.¡± Everyone laughed at her and she realised what she had implied. ¡°Very funny, yes, I¡¯m a big dumb dumb,¡± she giggled. ¡°What I mean is that you¡¯re all thinking tactically at all times. It¡¯s nice to have Minakai and just enjoy having them around because you enjoy their company rather than constantly preparing them for the next battle.¡± ¡°I enjoy my Minakai being around,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I know that,¡± said Emily, ¡°and I¡¯m not trying to suggest otherwise. My point is more that sometimes there¡¯s beauty in simplicity.¡± After a moment¡¯s silence, Gardner chirped up. ¡°So, the next battle, eh?¡± ¡°One step closer to the national championships!¡± yelled Luna excitedly, making Innogon jump and Shamtile jolt away. The little lizard shook his fist angrily and walked further away, lying back down on the path. He waved a single arm and rocks fell on top of him, burying him underneath and dampening all sound. ¡°He¡¯s taking his rest day seriously,¡± said Jimmy. ¡°He¡¯s under orders to,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I told him to sleep at the ranch, but he knew we were going to get milkshakes so he insisted on following. I didn¡¯t mean for him to have two though¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realise you had already bought one for him and Inno,¡± said Luna. ¡°Yes, and there was no way they were going to do themselves out of a second.¡± Innogon yapped merrily at hearing this and wandered over to Luna, climbing onto the bench and nestling his head into her lap. His tamer laughed and stroked his head fin as the crowd erupted with applause from the stadium. ¡°Who¡¯s battling now?¡± asked Gardner. ¡°Beats me,¡± said Aurin with a shrug. ¡°But I know who¡¯s battling next,¡± said Luna slyly. ¡°Yep,¡± sighed Jimmy, looking at Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m going to crush you, Jim,¡± said Aurin, beating a palm with his fist. ¡°There won¡¯t be anything left, my friend.¡± ¡°Not happening this time, my friend,¡± said Jimmy standing up. ¡°I¡¯ve been training specifically to beat you, wouldn¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s on your team then, eh?¡± asked Gardner with a smirk. ¡°Go on¡­tell us!¡± ¡°I¡¯m keeping things hushed,¡± said Jimmy, folding his arms. ¡°I¡¯m not giving away even the smallest advantage to my toughest competition.¡± ¡°This is what I mean,¡± laughed Emily. ¡°You can¡¯t even talk freely around each other in case you say something that¡¯ll be used against you.¡± ¡°Alright, now I see your point,¡± said Aurin, nodding slowly. ¡°In any case, my team is being kept quiet too. Going to keep all of you guessing.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t even tell me?¡± asked Luna, feigning being hurt and tugging on his arm. ¡°Please?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± said Aurin. ¡°It¡¯s strictly confidential.¡± Emily sat up and whispered into Luna¡¯s ear. ¡°I would bet anything that they¡¯ll both be using a Zenoman to see which one is stronger.¡± Luna grinned, confident that Emily was correct. ¡°Alright,¡± said Aurin, standing up. ¡°Relaxation time is over and I¡¯ve got more training to do. I¡¯ll see you all bright and early.¡± ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to march over to the stadium and withdraw?¡± asked Jimmy. ¡°Tough talk, Jimmy,¡± said Aurin with a chuckle, ¡°but you¡¯re going to need more than that. Bring your best tomorrow, bud.¡± Aurin walked over to the pile of rocks and uncovered Shamtile, slinging the little masked lizard over his shoulder before bidding everyone farewell and walking back to the ranch as the chatter of his friends resumed behind him. ¡°You awake, mate?¡± Aurin asked Shamtile, who slapped him on the back of the head. ¡°Fine, but you¡¯re not fighting tomorrow anyway. We¡¯ll flaunt the rules just this once, alright?¡± Shamtile crawled down Aurin¡¯s back, rolled onto the ground and then stood up to walk alongside his tamer. ¡°When we get back to the ranch, you¡¯re going to be making sure that tomorrow¡¯s candidates are ready for war, alright? I¡¯ll have Sunny on standby to administer any healing that we need, so don¡¯t worry about pulling punches.¡± Shamtile let out a tiny roar of agreement. ¡°This is just the start. We¡¯ve had a good run of things so far, but we cannot lower our guard for a second. We¡¯ve defeated Jimmy before, but he¡¯s been training hard too. As much as he and I joke, I think he¡¯s going to be much tougher than before. You and I have both seen how he handled things a few months back. Don¡¯t let the fact that we¡¯re all friends hold you back.¡± Shamtile nodded and pumped his fists in the air. ¡°Good. And the same goes for when we inevitably have to fight against Luna, Kyle and their teams, alright?¡± Shamtile¡¯s fist pumping stopped and his pace slowed. ¡°It¡¯s not going to be fun, my friend, but you will have to fight against their teams. Innogon, Wingbloom, Splashard, Hogannon¡­any of them, alright?¡± Shamtile let out a reluctant growl and then hurried up again. He and Aurin strolled through the streets of Hazelton, aiming for the ranch. As much as the reptilian Minakai did not relish the idea of fighting his friends outside of sparring, he knew that he must. Rather than wallow about it, he was filled with determination to win and prove that he was the strongest. Chapter 169 ¡°How are you feeling about this one?¡± asked Luna as she walked into the waiting room where Aurin was sitting. His battle with Jimmy was the first match of the day and he had gotten here extra early, terrified that he would sleep in and be automatically disqualified. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know,¡± replied Aurin. ¡°On the one hand, I¡¯ve beaten Jimmy before, but on the other hand, he¡¯s come a long way.¡± ¡°And so have you.¡± ¡°Yes, I have, but that doesn¡¯t guarantee anything. It¡¯s a battle I want to take seriously. Not just out of respect for Jimmy, but out of respect for the tournament itself. We¡¯re inches away from qualifying and every single match counts until we reach the top four.¡± Luna nodded in agreement. ¡°And each of the matches on the way will be tougher than the last. The weakest tamers are long gone.¡± Aurin checked his watch. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time,¡± he said. Luna gave him a peck on the cheek and hurried off to take her spot in the tamer booth. Aurin stood up and walked through the door and down the tunnel where he could hear the murmurings of the crowd who were taking their seats, eager to witness another day of excitement. Aurin took a deep breath as he stood waiting beside the tournament official. ¡°How long?¡± he asked. ¡°About ninety seconds,¡± said the official. ¡°Ready for this one, Aurin?¡± ¡°If I said no, would you believe me?¡± ¡°No,¡± chuckled the official. ¡°I think you¡¯re hiding your confidence today.¡± Aurin stood quietly by waiting for the signal. He could see the faint silhouette of Jimmy waiting at the far tunnel, as keen for the battle to begin as he was. Once the official gave Aurin the nod, he walked onto the battlefield as the announcer introduced both of the tamers. He and Jimmy met in the centre and shook hands. ¡°Let¡¯s give them a show, eh?¡± said Jimmy. ¡°How could we not?¡± grinned Aurin. The two separated and took their places. ¡°I¡¯m not going to keep you waiting any longer, folks,¡± called the announcer. ¡°Three. Two. One. Begin!¡± Aurin and Jimmy summoned their first Minakai to the field. Desparee appeared before Aurin, weeping manically while Jimmy¡¯s Frocean thudded onto the ground, the large icy frog looking determined. Aurin knew he was at an elemental disadvantage here so he would have to be careful. He wasn¡¯t going to switch Minakai, knowing that his other Minakai would be needed later. ¡°Trap him!¡± ordered Aurin. Desparee summoned mighty roots that sprung forth from the ground, but Frocean hopped across the grass. With each new root that sprung up to entangle him, he hopped again. When Desparee pre-empted Frocean¡¯s landing spot, the ice elemental froze the roots, halting their growth and rendering them useless. ¡°We¡¯re going to need to hit him faster,¡± Aurin told his Minakai. Desparee wailed loudly and threw forward his hands, shooting hundreds of sharp pine needles from his palms. Frocean¡¯s icy boils expanded to cover his entire body, shielding him from the brunt of the attack. Once Desparee was out of steam, the ice retracted and he leapt towards Desparee, looking to flatten the tree-like Minakai. The nature elemental was quick off the mark and rolled aside, drawing his hands back and quickly channelling his energy. He unleashed a nature beam at Frocean, who took the attack to the gut and rolled over, but he was not out of the battle just yet. As Desparee took a second to recover, Frocean spat a long, sharp icicle from his mouth that struck Desparee in the shoulder as he ducked and knocked him to the ground. Frocean leapt into the air once again and slammed down hard on Desparee, crushing Aurin¡¯s Minakai. He wriggled and struggled, desperately wanting to escape, but Frocean was too heavy for him to move. Frocean coated himself in ice once again, making himself even heavier and Desparee finally fell limp in defeat.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Jimmy has pulled ahead,¡± said the announcer, ¡°but Aurin always has a trick up his sleeve. What¡¯s the Saviour of Hazelton going to do next?¡± Aurin winced at the nickname, but he knew exactly what his next move was going to be. He banished Desparee to the ranch and summoned Leonite, who immediately ran forward and sank his nails deep into Frocean¡¯s back, drawing his paw across and creating a big gash. Frocean hopped away, but Leonite was hot on his tail and considerably faster. Even upon covering himself with yet another icy shield, Leonite¡¯s claws were too sharp and he shattered the ice. He clamped his mighty jaw down on the giant frog¡¯s stomach and clawed repeatedly across his chest. Jimmy¡¯s Minakai croaked loudly in agony before falling down, unable to continue the fight. ¡°And Aurin has quickly evened up the playing field!¡± called the announcer. Jimmy had a look of resolve on his face. He was playing to win and threw his hand out, summoning his Flaround in a burst of red light. It dashed towards Leonite, spitting fireballs as it ran and forcing Leonite to dodge. It headbutted the lion in the side of the head, sending him tumbling across the grass, but Leonite was back on his feet the next second and delivered a series of jabs to the fiery hound. Flaround forced Leonite to back away by emitting a wave of heat from its body, giving it a chance to gather itself. It breathed deeply and shot an intense jet of fire from its mouth. Leonite moved out of the way, but Flaround kept on breathing and turned around, following the lion as the flaming beam continued to flow. Leonite ducked, rolled and weaved, determined not to come into contact with the jet, but Flaround could tilt its head quickly and Leonite was finally struck by the attack. ¡°He¡¯s tired!¡± called Aurin, watching Flaround pant heavily after exerting so much energy with that continuous attack. Leonite forced himself to his feet and tightened his muscles. He charged towards Flaround who charged right back. The two clashed, striking wildly and biting deeply into each other¡¯s flesh. Amidst a cacophony of grunts, barks and roars, there was a sizzling that grew louder and louder. ¡°His tail,¡± warned Aurin, seeing what Jimmy¡¯s Minakai was up to. Flaround spun around and whipped his flaming tail at Leonite, striking him in the face hard, but not before Leonite sank a claw into Flaround¡¯s throat. As the hound had spun, it tore a large gash into itself with Leonite¡¯s nails and both Minakai fell to the ground, too weak to continue fighting. ¡°We have our first double knockout of the tournament!¡± roared the announcer. ¡°That was quite something, wasn¡¯t it? Seeing the cat and dog battle it out for superiority. It doesn¡¯t look like that debate has been settled. Each tamer is now down to their last Minakai.¡± Aurin and Jimmy smiled at each other from across the battlefield. They both knew what monster the other was about to use next. ¡°Zenoman!¡± they called in unison, calling their four-handed golden aliens into battle. The two aliens stood opposing each other, their disembodied fists floating beside them, surrounded in a blue glow. The aliens did not even need to move a single foot as their fists burst forward, trying to strike the other Zenoman. The flying fists punched, spun and slapped at each other, trying to break through a gap in the other¡¯s defences. Each time a fist from one of the Zenoman escaped, the other grabbed it and pulled it back. So focused were the two Minakai that the only muscles of their bodies that moved was their wrinkling foreheads. ¡°Zenoman, let the fists through,¡± said Aurin quietly, ¡°and guard yourself with a barrier.¡± Zenoman slowed his defence and Jimmy¡¯s Zenoman¡¯s four fists came hurtling towards him. At the last second, Zenoman brace himself and protected himself with an invisible barrier. Jimmy¡¯s Minakai felt the pain of the strike and wince, giving Aurin the opening he needed. His Zenoman¡¯s four fists flew towards their target and grabbed his head, body and two legs. Jimmy¡¯s Minakai was lifted up high and then thrown to the ground. The four fists pummelled the incapacitated Minakai as his own fists hurried to return to it. Two of Aurin¡¯s Zenoman¡¯s fists rushed to block while the remaining two continued their assault. As Jimmy¡¯s Zenoman¡¯s fists broke through to come to the Minakai¡¯s rescue, Aurin¡¯s Zenoman raised one final fist into the air and slammed it down upon Jimmy¡¯s Zenoman¡¯s jaw, knocking the Minakai out and causing his four fists to fall to the ground, opening their palms and lying still upon the grass. ¡°It¡¯s over!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Jimmy is unfortunately out of the tournament and Aurin has won, but what a showing that was. A telekinetic battle that you certainly don¡¯t see often.¡± Aurin and Jimmy walked over to each other. Jimmy was rubbing his neck, looking a little embarrassed, but he was in good spirits. The two pretended to throw punches at each other to the laughter of the crowd before shaking hands. ¡°I should have seen that coming,¡± said Jimmy, shaking his head. ¡°They were too evenly matched,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I couldn¡¯t overpower you so I had to do something. I think I got lucky.¡± ¡°I was too focused on making sure Zenoman could land a hit that I didn¡¯t even consider it could be a ploy. Well played, my friend.¡± ¡°It was a battle, Jimmy. Grab a milkshake after we make our exit?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re buying,¡± he laughed and Aurin agreed. The two parted way and waved to the crowd. Aurin walked back towards the tunnel, now one step closer to his match with Gardner which would decide his fate for the national championships this summer. Chapter 170 ¡°I hope we have a good battle, Dove,¡± said Luna, reaching out her hand to her next opponent. ¡°Whatever,¡± muttered the young woman, ignoring Luna¡¯s offer of a handshake and walking on down the corridor of the stadium. ¡°W-what¡­what was that?¡± spluttered Luna, seething with rage. ¡°How can someone be so rude?¡± Aurin had never seen Luna¡¯s face so red and placed his hands on her shoulders. ¡°Relax,¡± he said. ¡°She probably wants this reaction from you to throw you off your game. Keep a lid on it for now and channel it when you take to the battlefield, alright?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± screeched Luna. ¡°She¡¯s one of those Underground Dojo tamers, isn¡¯t she? They think they¡¯re all so tough when we¡¯ve been wiping the floor with them. Agh!¡± Aurin took a step backwards, pulling Shamtile and Innogon along with him, terrified that Luna may actually explode. ¡°We¡­we¡¯ll just go wait in the stands, alright?¡± He and the two Minakai started to walk away, but when Aurin looked down Innogon was walking in place while Luna was squatting down and holding onto his tail. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going, mister? There¡¯s been a change of plan.¡± Innogon let out a nervous roar. * Luna¡¯s chest heaved up and down as she tried to control her temper. It was obvious to Aurin as she walked across the battlefield that she was still enraged. Suddenly, the camera focused on her face and he could clearly see how puffed out her cheeks were and her nose was scrunched up as she marched towards Dove. ¡°Is she alright?¡± Gardner asked Aurin. ¡°She¡¯s absolutely peachy,¡± said Aurin dismissively. ¡°She doesn¡¯t look it, mate.¡± Dove held out her hand for Luna to shake, smiling politely and contrasting with her much colder attitude earlier. Luna knew it was a fa?ade and she was going to wipe that smile off Dove¡¯s face, but she shook her hand and said nothing. ¡°I hope we have a good battle, Luna,¡± muttered Dove sarcastically. She had an unbecoming smirk on her face. Luna wanted to slap her there and then but she refrained. She walked back to her side of the battlefield angrily, but holding her rage back with all of her might. She had been wanting to save Innogon for her quarterfinals match, but she needed to pull out the big guns for this one. She knew she was being spiteful, but she did not care even a little bit. ¡°Ready?¡± she said to her little drake as he waited by the tunnel, sitting on his rear and scratching the wall. He gave a positive yap, but he suddenly looked frightened upon seeing the look on Luna¡¯s face and jumped to attention. ¡°Fight!¡± called the announcer, Luna having missed the full countdown. She used her tame glove to teleport Innogon twenty feet ahead, while Dove summoned her own Minakai; Wunder. The yellow bird crackled with electricity as it took to the skies, wanting to keep as far out of reach as it could manage, but Luna had chosen Innogon for this very purpose. ¡°Up you go,¡± she told him. Innogon summoned a small wave that carried him along the grass. As lightning strikes shot down at him, he surfed out of the way until he was close enough to launch himself upwards with a jet of water and reach Wunder. The bird squawked, surprised the smiling blue reptile had propelled himself so high up. With a yap, Innogon unleashed a pressure cannon that he had perfected by studying Aurin¡¯s Steambot, blasting Wunder over the stands and past the boundaries of the stadium. Innogon tilted his head downwards and shot a jet of water at the ground, slowing his descent and landing merrily on the grass while Dove looked on in shock.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. The announcer laughed loudly. ¡°That¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve seen a Minakai launched out of the stadium this tournament, folks. Dove, how are you going to respond?¡± Wiping the stunned look from her face and furrowed her brow angrily. ¡°Skrow!¡± she called, summoning her black-feathered undead bird. No sooner had Skrow appeared than Innogon was sailing towards it. Even as it tried to fly out of reach, Innogon leapt and spun rapidly with his fin glowing blue. He whirled around and around like a razorblade, colliding with the Skrow and flinging it back again the stadium wall and ending its time in the battle before it had made a single attack. ¡°Luna is not messing around today, is she?¡± asked the announcer as the crowd cheered. Aurin and Gardner were laughing hysterically in the tamer box. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into her?¡± asked Gardner. ¡°Dove was rude to her in the hallway,¡± replied Aurin, wiping the tears of mirth from his eyes. ¡°And she flipped her lid?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Note to self, don¡¯t tease Luna if I ever have to fight her,¡± chuckled Gardner. ¡°My days¡­I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± Dove summoned her final monster to the field, a particularly large Peekawe which stared at Innogon menacingly. It sped towards the little drake, but Innogon slid underneath it and playfully spat water on its stomach. Peekawe called out furiously, not wanting to be mocked by its much smaller opponent. It whipped up a razor wind and Innogon created a shockingly tough bubble shield around himself and let himself be rolled around the grass while laughing and throwing his arms up in excitement. Dove was mortified at being humiliated in such a way. ¡°No mercy!¡± she called, but Innogon had already made his move. As the drake bumped into the wall right beneath Aurin and Gardner, he waved to them and spat a water jet into the wall, propelling himself across the battlefield in a bubble. When he reached the far wall, he did the same. He picked up more and more speed, looking like a pinball in a giant table, while Peekawe struggled to follow him. Innogon conserved most of his energy, letting the momentum carry him, but Peekawe was tiring as it chased him. Once Peekawe was noticeably dishevelled and slowed down, Innogon sprung free from the bubble beside the bird and roared loudly. There was a sudden rumbling underneath the ground and everyone in the stadium held their breaths, especially Peekawe who had a look of terror upon its face. In a sudden flash, a geyser that sprung up underneath Peekawe, shooting Dove¡¯s Minakai high into the sky and scalding it with the hot water. Almost a full minute later, Peekawe spiralled back down to the battlefield and crashed in a heap with its wings twitching weakly and its beak hanging open. ¡°Luna has steamrolled through Dove¡¯s entire team with just her Innogon!¡± cried the announcer. ¡°What a showing that was from her, folks. Can you believe that?¡± Dove was hunched over, her mouth hanging open like her Peekawe¡¯s, but she was very much alert. She had thought that Luna would have been an easy opponent to roll through, but she had been left dumbfounded. Luna walked to the centre of the battlefield and waited for Dove, who dragged her heels forwards. ¡°It was a good battle, Dove,¡± said Luna with a sly wink. ¡°I¡­I¡­I¡­¡± stammered Dove while Luna smiled, no longer angry, but very much satisfied. She weakly shook Luna¡¯s hand and slumped away while Luna waved to the roaring crowd. Aurin caught her eye and he gave her a thumbs up while she blew him a kiss. A far cry from her nervousness at the start of the tournament, Luna was starting to revel in the attention of the crowd. They were cheering for her. They loved watching her succeed. She knew she could use this energy to carry her through the rest of the tournament and to more victories. Gardner turned to Aurin. ¡°How would you feel if you had to battle her in the next match?¡± ¡°Utterly terrified,¡± Aurin replied Aurin. ¡°How about you?¡± ¡°Terrified doesn¡¯t even cover it. Innogon is really something when he¡¯s motivated, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Just bring him a chocolate milkshake and he¡¯ll be too busy slurping it down to fight. That¡¯s my strategy if I have to battle against him.¡± ¡°And what about the rest of her Minakai?¡± ¡°Yes¡­they might be a much bigger problem because they can¡¯t be so easily distracted.¡± ¡°I weep for my team,¡± chortled Gardner. ¡°In any case, I¡¯ll have to get through you first.¡± ¡°One more opponent each and we¡¯re in the quarterfinals, my friend. Then it¡¯ll be showtime.¡± ¡°Too right.¡± ¡°Shall we go greet Luna and then grab lunch?¡± asked Aurin. Aurin and Gardner stood up and walked away, not too fussed about watching the next match as their stomachs rumbled. They walked out to meet Luna at the front of the stadium where she was throwing Innogon in the air and catching him¡ªno easy feat because he was deceptively heavy. ¡°You wrecked her,¡± laughed Aurin. ¡°That will hopefully humble her,¡± said Luna, wagging her finger as Innogon bounced around her in circles. ¡°Or give her an appetite for vengeance,¡± remarked Gardner. ¡°Well¡­yes,¡± muttered Luna before smiling. Aurin summoned Shamtile to his side. ¡°Milkshakes anyone?¡± he asked. The two little Minakai immediately started hopping up and down in excitement and then sped off through the square, heading straight for the caf¨¦ as the three tamers rushed to keep up. Chapter 171 Aurin led Shamtile, Spikruption, Dolissile, Leonite, and Desparee out the back of Kyle¡¯s vast expanse of land and into the forest that crept up into the mountains. It had rained through the night and been a dull, drizzly morning, but the rain had finally subsided and the afternoon was looking better and brighter as the sun crept from behind the grey clouds. While the rest of the Minakai were resting after a gruelling morning training session in the miserable conditions, Aurin wanted to bring his five veterans from the first Hazelton tournament out and give them special attention. The Minakai were thrilled at the prospect, even Desparee, who cried tears of joy¡ªat least, Aurin chose to believe they were of joy. Shamtile was sitting on Spikruption¡¯s back and, try as he might, the long-necked dinosaur could not make his fellow reptile stop pestering him. Dolissile hovered alongside Desparee, who was enjoying the feeling of the damp soil and eager to soak up its nutrients. Leonite meanwhile was not too pleased about his lovely cobalt-blue fur getting covered in mud. ¡°Come on, lads,¡± said Aurin, looking over his shoulder, ¡°we¡¯re almost there.¡± The tamer and his quintet of monsters emerged into a clearing as the sun revealed its entirety and shone down upon them. Aurin lined his Minakai up and looked proudly at his longest-serving team members. ¡°You five have proven yourselves to me time and time again, and I couldn¡¯t be happier with your performance so far,¡± he said as the Minakai¡ªexcept Dolissile¡ªall looked rather pleased with themselves. ¡°With everything that¡¯s been going on lately outside of our control, you¡¯ve done everything I¡¯ve asked of you and much more. Your loyalty is unquestionable and your skill is immense, so you deserve all the commendations I can give.¡± Spikruption roared with pride, shooting a jet of flame into the air and scaring all of the birds from the trees. They scattered, flapping wildly as Leonite licked his fangs, wanting to eat the regular animals for his lunch. Desparee wiped tears of joy from his eyes. ¡°The reason I¡¯ve brought you all out here today isn¡¯t to spar, but to give you a change of scenery. It feels like you¡¯ve all been cooped up at the ranch for far too long. Outside of Shamtile, none of you really have much chance to leave. So¡­go ahead, roam free for a while. Do whatever you feel like.¡± The Minakai all looked at each other and didn¡¯t move. None of them particularly wanted to roam free and Aurin hadn¡¯t really considered that. ¡°Alright, so what do you want to do?¡± he asked them, feeling rather silly. Shamtile immediately conjured a rock in his hand and lobbed it at Dolissile, hitting the metal-plated dolphin with a clank. He pivoted towards Shamtile and charged forward, knocking the little lizard in the stomach and winding him while Spikruption snorted in amusement. ¡°You want to keep sparring?¡± chortled Aurin. ¡°Fine by me. Go wild.¡± Needing no further instruction, Aurin¡¯s Minakai all turned on each other. Desparee immediately fired off a nature beam and shot it at Spikruption¡¯s side, who retaliated by scorching the tree-like Minakai with his fiery breath. Leonite pounced upon the still winded Shamtile and scratched the mask lizard who coated himself in armour to defend himself. He was only stopped when Dolissile unleashed a pulse and sent the lion rolling across the dirt. Shamtile launched himself into the air on a pillar of earth and rained boulders down upon his teammates, who burned, cut and blasted them to pieces as the magical Minakai fell back down to the ground. All four launched attacks at him, but he ducked. Leonite and Dolissile collided with each other while Spikruption¡¯s fire blast exploded against Desparee¡¯s beam. Shamtile landed and let out a warbled chuckle before freezing and putting his hand on the ground. Aurin knew what that meant. Someone was nearby.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Well,¡± came Frederick¡¯s voice from the treeline. ¡°We just keep running into each other, my friend, don¡¯t we?¡± Aurin and his team all turned to look at the former Zodiac Squad member, standing by with his favourite Leonite. ¡°Make no mistake, Frederick,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m glad you admitted your crimes, but we are not and will never be friends.¡± ¡°It was a figure of speech, Aurin,¡± said Frederick, walking into the clearing with his Leonite following him closely. The greyish-blue lion stared intently at Aurin¡¯s Leonite, who bore his fangs at the sight of his old rival. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Aurin asked. ¡°I was going to train, but it seems as though you¡¯ve claimed this spot. I would offer to battle you for it, but I don¡¯t think you would stand much of a chance against my Abysarex.¡± ¡°Frankly, I¡¯m amazed that he wasn¡¯t forcibly taken from you after what happened at the tower.¡± ¡°You think I would simply let one of my Minakai be taken away? I would die before I let that happen. I earned Abysarex¡¯s egg, I was the one who spent countless days getting him in line and I earned his loyalty. Even if someone were to try and take him away, he would simply return to me. To a tamer he knows he can trust to lead him to victory.¡± ¡°We will face each other in Ludonia,¡± said Aurin, his seriousness firmly on his face. ¡°You¡¯ll see that just because you have a cosmic Minakai does not mean that you¡¯re unbeatable.¡± ¡°No,¡± said Frederick, ¡°but I will be able to defeat you. At the Palace Royale, I was not at my full strength and was unable to use Abysarex. You got lucky and I¡¯m going to ensure that, next time, you will see exactly how capable I am. I presume you haven¡¯t learned how to hatch your Zeera yet?¡± Aurin didn¡¯t answer and simply stared at Frederick. ¡°I thought not,¡± said Frederick with a sneering. ¡°Even if you could hatch it in time, I doubt you will be able to use him to his full potential.¡± ¡°I want to ask you something,¡± said Aurin. ¡°And I would like you to be truthful with me.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± scoffed Frederick. ¡°Are you still loyal to Taurus?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Frederick. ¡°We have had more than a few disagreements, but Taurus was the one who taught me almost everything I know. Missteps aside, he is an incredibly wise man and knows things about Minakai that would put you in an asylum, they are that staggering. The Zodiac Squad may be finished, but I believe that one day humans and Minakai will live side by side and the balance of power will need constantly maintained.¡± ¡°Do you believe he¡¯s alive?¡± ¡°I do. He¡¯s out there, somewhere. He may not be in our dimension, but he has his Ethruki by his side. He will find a way to survive and, one day, he will return to our world. I have no doubt he will be a stronger and wiser man for it.¡± Aurin nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯ll see you around, Frederick,¡± he said, walking away and beckoning his team to follow him. ¡°Good luck with your training.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get knocked out of the Hazelton tournament before the quarterfinals. You owe me an official match and Ludonia is the stage.¡± Aurin and his Minakai walked away from Frederick and his Leonite, making their way back through the forest to return to the ranch. When they arrived, Kyle was hosing off his boots outside his house. ¡°You don¡¯t look so happy,¡± said the rancher, kicking the water from his feet. ¡°Fredrick showed up,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Of course he did,¡± sighed Kyle. ¡°It¡¯s like he follows you, isn¡¯t it? Has he been humbled by the Zeera Crisis or is he still his usual smug self?¡± ¡°The latter.¡± ¡°I figured. He seemed uncharacteristically pleasant when we met him outside the stadium. What did he want?¡± ¡°He said he was there to train, but I suspect he was there to motivate me.¡± ¡°Motivate you?¡± Aurin nodded. ¡°He desperately wants to beat me in front of the world, especially after losing in the Palace Royale. I think it was his poor attempt at lighting a fire under me to make sure I make it to Ludonia.¡± ¡°And did it light a fire under you?¡± ¡°I was already fired up. I¡¯m getting to Ludonia no matter what. This is just another piece of coal thrown on top.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s your plan to deal with his Abysarex? I know you had a chance to test yourself against Tobias¡¯s Mindadam, but not all cosmics are the same and you haven¡¯t had much opportunity since to practise.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to beat him, Kyle,¡± said Aurin, clenching his fists tightly. ¡°Mark my words. Frederick and his entire team are going down.¡± ¡°I believe you,¡± said Kyle, patting Aurin on the shoulder, ¡°but saying it is one thing and making sure it happens in another. Let¡¯s say you qualify for Ludonia, what will you do to make sure you¡¯re trained up enough?¡± ¡°Do you remember that friend of yours you mentioned. Vai, was it?¡± asked Aurin. Kyle smiled. ¡°I was hoping you would ask about him. I think he¡¯s the perfect person to help you train once the Hazelton tournament is finished. I¡¯ll give him a call.¡± Minakai, Vol. 2 on Amazon! Good day, readers! This is just a small post to let you all know that Minakai: Monster Tamer, Volume 2 (Chapters 49 to 100) is now on Amazon as an ebook and paperback release, along with being available on Kindle Unlimited. It''s freshly edited, and all the better for it, while still keeping true to the original version from Royal Road. Check it out hereThis narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Every sale, KU read, RR follower, and patron for the series is further incentive for me to keep writing. I''m having as good a time as I ever had writing the series and I hope you''re having a great time reading it too. As more of the series moves to Amazon, rest assured that I don''t plan to end the series anytime soon. I''m currently writing Volume 5 and I have a plot outline for Volume 6, which excites me greatly. I would class Volumes 1-4 as the Zodiac Saga and the new volumes as the Gamesmen Saga, which will bring a host of new threats and challenges to our protagonists, along with new Minakai and new powers. Thanks to all of you who have read so far, it means a lot. I aim to keep delivering more for you. Chapter 172 ¡°And Bentley is finished!¡± called the announcer as Bentley¡¯s Gorunze fell to a well-placed laser blast from Aurin¡¯s own Gorunze. ¡°Agh!¡± grunted Bentley, dropping to his knees. He reached out with his tamer glove and banished his unconscious Gorunze. ¡°With that, Aurin has reached the quarterfinals. The top eight, folks. One more win and he has earned himself a place in Ludonia two years in a row.¡± Aurin and Bentley walked to the centre of the battlefield while Gorunze stood on his hind legs and stretched his metallic joints like an aerobics instructor to much laughter from the crowd. He paused and looked around in confusion and then continued his stretching, prompting more laughter. ¡°I almost had you,¡± said Bentley, shaking Aurin¡¯s hand. ¡°I still had Lycavine ready and waiting,¡± chuckled Aurin. Bentley thought back over the battle and then realised he had misremembered how many of Aurin¡¯s Minakai he had defeat. It was only Leonite that had fallen. ¡°Well, that takes the wind out of my sails a little more¡­¡± ¡°At least it was a fun match.¡± ¡°Easy for the winner to say! In any case, best of luck for the rest of the tournament. I hope you win so that way it helps me ego a little. To be honest, you deserve the win after everything that¡¯s happened in town over the last few months.¡± ¡°Thank, Bentley.¡± ¡°That said, I¡¯m coming for you next yeah. Watch out for me.¡± The two parted ways and returned to their tunnels, waving to the crowd as they walked. The tournament official that Aurin was friendly with gave him a subtle fist bump as he passed. He was meant to be impartial, but he liked seeing Aurin do well. Upon arriving in the waiting room, he spotted Gardner sitting back on the sofa. ¡°Winner! Winner! Winner!¡± he chanted, pumping his fist in the air. ¡°Well done, mate.¡± ¡°Thanks, Gardner,¡± said Aurin. ¡°You ready for your battle then?¡± ¡°Oh yes, my friend. Now that I know you¡¯re through to the next round, nothing is going to stop me. We need to have our rematch.¡± ¡°In that case,¡± said Aurin, heading for the door. ¡°I¡¯ll see you bright and early tomorrow for our battle.¡± ¡°Yes, you will,¡± said Gardner, giving Aurin five as he walked past. ¡°Get a good night¡¯s sleep, alright? I want you at full strength.¡± * Aurin and Luna sat in the tamer box, watching as Kyle and Bruce finished greeting each other and walked across the grass to take their starting positions. The gruff Kyle and the bald-headed Bruce were both well-built enough that they could have fought instead of their Minakai and it would have been equally as exciting. ¡°Kyle¡¯s going to win, right?¡± Luna asked Aurin. ¡°Of course!¡± Aurin replied. ¡°That Bruce guy doesn¡¯t look like a pushover.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s a bodybuilder or if he doesn¡¯t have limbs, it¡¯s the Minakai and how well he¡¯s trained them that matters.¡± The static of the speaker crackled for a split second. ¡°It¡¯s time to begin, folks,¡± called the announcer. ¡°Three. Two. One. Battle!¡± Kyle summoned Wingbloom to the battlefield while Bruce summoned an Anacondice. Bruce looked very confident with his chances, his face bearing a smug grin, but it was quickly wiped away when a gust from Wingbloom threw his Anacondice past him. Kyle returned the grin, ready to show his competitor just what he was capable of.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Wingbloom!¡± he called. ¡°We go all out today.¡± Wingbloom charged towards Anacondice at a remarkable speed and picked up the icy snake in his talons. Anacondice brace itself to be carried up high, but that was not Wingbloom¡¯s plan. He spun around and around, whipping Anacondice¡¯s head repeatedly against the stadium wall before somersaulting and throwing the snake into the ground. A dazed Anacondice tried to slither away, but wound up moving in an uneven circle. Wingbloom picked up the snake in his mouth and tossed it upwards, shooting it across the battlefield with another gust where it fell in front of Kyle, unconscious. ¡°And it¡¯s a quick lead for Kyle!¡± called the announcer. ¡°What¡¯s Bruce going to do?¡± Bruce¡¯s confidence was shaken as he watched Kyle. His hand was shaking as he raised his tamer glove and summoned his next Minakai to the field; his Fyrvern. The red wyvern immediately took to the skies and Wingbloom chased after him, dodging fireball after fireball with ease. Wyvern managed to pull ahead and spun around, taking a deep breath and spitting out a wave of fire. Kyle¡¯s air elemental breathed in deeper still, puffed out his chest and unleashed a gale-force wind that turned the fire around and scorched its caster¡¯s face and shook it off balance. No sooner had Fyrvern¡¯s vision cleared, than was Wingbloom upon him. Kyle¡¯s mighty Minakai struck the draconic monster with his beak and sent him careening back down to the ground where he tumbled over. Wingbloom, however, did not let up. He charged through the air towards his opponent, ramming it with his beak once again. The Fyrvern let out an immense roar before falling limp. ¡°Kyle deals Bruce a second blow, taking out his Fyrvern,¡± said the announcer. ¡°It¡¯s not looking good for Bruce, so he had better have something good waiting in the wings.¡± Bruce looked utterly defeated already and raised his hand, half-heartedly summoning his final Minakai. His abnormally depressed looking Tadpool appeared before him and hurled a series of icicles at Wingbloom, who smashed them to pieces with his beating wings and charged towards the two-legged frog. The battle was over seconds later with Wingbloom standing atop Tadpool proudly, who had lost all will to fight. Bruce put his head in his hands and shook it profusely. It was one thing to lose, but to be so devastatingly trounced by his opponent was the ultimate humiliation. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± he muttered over and over again, turning and walking away without bothering to shake Kyle¡¯s hand. ¡°That¡¯s not very sportsmanlike, Bruce,¡± called the announcer as the crowd jeered at the man slinking down the tunnel. ¡°Ah well. Let¡¯s give a big hand for Kyle who moves into the quarterfinals! What a strong comeback from the rancher after so many years away from the scene.¡± * ¡°What a baby,¡± laughed Luna as she, Aurin and Kyle drank milkshakes outside the caf¨¦. Shamtile and Innogon, of course, had milkshakes of their own until moments ago and were fighting on the floor to determine who got to lick the glasses. ¡°Not everyone is going to take a loss well,¡± shrugged Kyle. ¡°All the same, he was shockingly easy to defeat. Wing barely broke a sweat.¡± ¡°Forget about that Bruce guy,¡± said Aurin, finishing his milkshake. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about how you train Wingbloom when we¡¯re not around.¡± Kyle ignored him. ¡°Can you believe we¡¯ve all made it to the quarterfinals? We¡¯ve done well, my friends.¡± Luna had her match right after Kyle¡¯s and had won, but Kyle¡¯s match had fascinated her and Aurin more. They knew Kyle was downplaying things, but Wingbloom¡¯s abilities were more impressive than ever and he was one of the strongest Minakai in the entire competition. ¡°Can Wing and Skrow train together this evening?¡± Aurin asked. ¡°Are you using Skrow in tomorrow¡¯s battle with Gardner?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°Does my answer determine whether or not you¡¯ll let Skrow and Wingbloom train together?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m not answering. It¡¯s confidential.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s top secret. You¡¯re a smart guy, you try and work it out and you¡¯ll see if you¡¯re right when the battle gets underway.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll tell me later, right?¡± asked Luna, nudging Aurin in the ribs. ¡°Strictly confidential. The only ones who know are the ones fighting,¡± said Aurin. As Luna was about to speak, he cut her off. ¡°And no, you cannot get Innogon to ask because the Minakai themselves know the punishment they receive if they break their imposed silence.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the punishment?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°They¡¯re banned from the rest of the tournament.¡± ¡°Does that include the national championships?¡± Aurin raised an eyebrow as he thought his answer. ¡°Yes, it does now.¡± ¡°Shamtile,¡± said Luna, sticking her head under the table. The little lizard stopped wrestling with Innogon and crawled out to look at Luna. He cocked his head to the side, curious about what the human had to say as he was not listening to any of the conversation. ¡°You would tell me if Aurin had you lined up for the next battle, wouldn¡¯t you? There¡¯s a milkshake in it for you if you do.¡± Shamtile screeched loudly and nipped Luna¡¯s bare calf. She yelped and rubbed the back of her leg, trying to massage the pain away while Kyle chuckled. ¡°See?¡± said Aurin. ¡°This is what happens when you try and test my Minakai¡¯s loyalty. It¡¯s like I said, they¡¯re under strict orders and they know the consequences.¡± Luna frowned and stuck out her tongue as she continued rubbing her leg while Shamtile snatched the milkshake glasses from Innogon who used the distraction to take both and lick them clean. Chapter 173 Quetz weaved through the air as Stopod spat rocks from his mouth, trying to knock the sky serpent from the sky. Aurin wanted her to work on her agility and Luna knew that Stopod needed to improve his accuracy to make up for his poor mobility, so it was the perfect training partnership. ¡°You¡¯re shooting too quickly,¡± Luna told him. ¡°Take an extra second and predict her next location before you fire.¡± ¡°If you see him slow down, make a rapid move in a random direction,¡± said Aurin. ¡°You¡¯re doing well, Quetz.¡± While the two Minakai continued to train, Aurin and Luna over Shamtile and Bakugon who were competing to see how could create the strongest stone cage. They would take it in turns to encase each other in stone and hold it tightly with their magic while the trapped one would try to break free. Needless to say, Shamtile was proving to be the best of the two and Bakugon was not taking it well. The brown drake roared and wailed in fury while trapped inside one of Shamtile¡¯s toughest cages yet. ¡°Calm yourself,¡± said Luna. ¡°Save your rage for an attack. You need full focus to be able to break free, especially against an earth elemental as tough as Shamtile, alright?¡± Suddenly Bakugon broke free while Shamtile pointed towards the ranch path, distracted by something. Luna¡¯s Minakai picked up a rock and threw it at Shamtile¡¯s head, who stamped his feet on the ground and conjured an earth pillar that flung Bakugon halfway across the ranch in retaliation. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± asked Aurin, holding his hand to his forehead and squinting to see who had arrived at the ranch. ¡°It looks like¡­Hannah,¡± muttered Luna, dreading seeing her former friend. Hannah held up a hand and gave a nervous wave. Aurin hadn¡¯t seen her for months her arm was now cast-free after her injury courtesy of Zeera. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say,¡± Luna whispered. ¡°Just be honest,¡± said Aurin, slinking off to deal with the rest of the Minakai who were training nearby. ¡°Good luck.¡± Hannah approached Luna, avoiding eye contact even when they were mere feet apart. ¡°Hello,¡± she said as she stared at Luna¡¯s feet. ¡°Hello,¡± replied Luna. The two stood awkwardly for a moment. It was clear Hannah wanted to say something else, she wouldn¡¯t have come otherwise, but Luna intended to listen and give very little in return. ¡°You¡¯re doing well at the tournament,¡± said Hannah, finally looking up. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Luna. ¡°I wanted to say the same to Aurin, but he ran off when I came close.¡± ¡°He¡¯s focused on his training.¡± ¡°I can see that,¡± said Hannah, looking over to Aurin who was trying to roll Luna¡¯s Rabbafat off of Sunny who was squealing in pain. ¡°Why did you come here, Hannah?¡± ¡°I know that after everything I did, we won¡¯t be friends¡­at least, not in the way that we used to, but I was hoping that we could at least try? I¡¯m sorry for everything and I really want you to know that.¡± ¡°You said that the last time we spoke. In the town square, remember?¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Yes, but it hasn¡¯t stopped being true. I just thought it would be nice if we could get along before I left town considering we may never see each other again.¡± Luna was shocked. ¡°You¡¯re leaving? Why?¡± ¡°My dad was released a couple of days ago and we can¡¯t afford to stay here anymore, not after his business was shut down. I asked him if he would go into the monster tower to earn money, but he said he couldn¡¯t bare to set foot inside it after everything he¡¯s responsible for.¡± ¡°Your dad was released?¡± ¡°Yes, but he¡¯s one of the lucky ones. It¡¯s only because he told the officers everything they wanted to know. He and Frederick are the only two of the former elites that turned themselves in or were caught that are free.¡± ¡°None of you should be free,¡± said Luna, staring coldly at Hannah. Hannah let out a dry laugh. ¡°You¡¯re probably right, but we aren¡¯t going to turn away that gift and lock ourselves up.¡± ¡°No¡­I suppose not.¡± Just then, Aurin walked over with Sunny in his arms. ¡°Hi Hannah.¡± ¡°Hello, Aurin,¡± she said, smiling faintly at him. ¡°Is your training going well?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said while massaging Sunny¡¯s bruised head, ¡°and this is the big one. As much as I would love to win, my quarterfinals match against Gardner determines whether or not I get to go to the national championships.¡± ¡°I hope you do. If anyone deserves it, it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°I appreciate that. How¡¯s your dad doing?¡± ¡°Not well. He¡¯s racked with guilt after the Zeera Crisis. We¡¯re leaving town.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a shame. Of all the Zodiac members, he was the only one that I actually liked. For what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯ll be sorry to see you go.¡± ¡°Thank you, that means a lot¡­¡± ¡°Oh no,¡± sighed Aurin upon hearing a commotion nearby. He ran back over to the Minakai to deal with the latest disaster¡ªDoripper had swallowed one of Zenoman¡¯s fists and was refusing to let it go, but Zenoman was beating him up from the inside as revenge. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, Luna,¡± said Hannah, turning to walk away. ¡°Wait,¡± said Luna, putting her hand on Hannah¡¯s arm. ¡°You¡¯re going to come and watch my quarterfinals match, right?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t miss it,¡± said Hannah, smiling sincerely for the first time in a long time. ¡°I hope you win.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. I will.¡± Hannah walked back towards the path and followed it to the trees, disappearing from sight. Luna continued to watch, feeling a weight falling from her shoulders. She knew as well as Hannah did that things could never be like they once were between them, but she was glad that she could let go of her anger and move on. She truly wished the best for her former friend and perhaps forgiveness for her mistakes was the way ahead. ¡°Come on, you,¡± yelled Aurin, his voice echoing. Luna turned and saw him half-inside Doripper¡¯s jaw, rummaging around for something. A few seconds later, he pulled Zenoman¡¯s fist out and threw it back to the golden alien who sat grumpily on the ground. He hadn¡¯t an expression like that on his face since he was a little Arium and Luna couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Is he bullying you?¡± she asked Zenoman as she walked over to him. She crouched down and rubbed his back and he started smiling again. ¡°He¡¯s gotten a real attitude since he evolved from a Dopefish into a Doripper, hasn¡¯t he?¡± Doripper grunted and gnashed his teeth now that Aurin was free. He floated over towards the river and dove in, flopping around in the water and enjoying the fact that his stomach was not being ravaged by an angry fist. ¡°Honestly, they¡¯re like children sometimes,¡± said Aurin, wiping Doripper¡¯s drool from his face with his sleeve. Luna laughed. ¡°It¡¯s good preparation for the future, isn¡¯t it?¡± Aurin was stunned and Luna suddenly realised what she had said. ¡°Um¡­I mean¡­well, forget I said anything.¡± Aurin took her hands. ¡°It¡¯s great preparation for the future,¡± he said, ¡°but let¡¯s worry about that another time. Half a decade at least.¡± ¡°Right,¡± giggled Luna. Kyle wandered across the yard with a sack of feed slung over his shoulder. ¡°Oi, Aurin!¡± he called. ¡°What?¡± replied Aurin. ¡°Vai finally got back to me.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°He said that once the tournament is finished, win or lose, he¡¯s going to train you. He doesn¡¯t exactly travel conventionally and, knowing him, he¡¯ll be well away from civilisation. You¡¯ll probably need to take a flying Minakai with you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll take Skrow,¡± said Aurin, looking up to the sky where Skrow was skirmishing with Windjinn and Wingbloom. ¡°There was something else,¡± said Kyle with a big grin. ¡°I was hoping he would say it once I told him what you had¡­I thought he would.¡± ¡°What is it? Why do you look so smug?¡± ¡°He said to bring your Zeera egg with you. He says he may be able to help you.¡± Aurin and Luna exchanged shocked glanced and then Aurin grinned widely. Once the tournament was over, he may finally be able to unlock his secret weapon. He may finally be able to hatch Zeera and have an epic-level Minakai of his own. Chapter 174 ¡°Everyone give a big hand for Aurin!¡± called the announcer as Aurin and Gardner walked onto the grass. ¡°Facing him is another veteran of last year¡¯s national champion and one of the strongest contenders for this year¡¯s qualifier¡­Gardner!¡± The two friends watched each other intently as they walked to the centre of the battlefield. They had both been preparing hard for this battle, knowing it was going to be the biggest challenge of the tournament so far. Aurin had won against Gardner more times than he had lost, but the last battle they had showed him just how much he had underestimated his friend. Not anymore. ¡°Ready for this?¡± Gardner asked as he shook Aurin¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ve been ready since last year,¡± said Aurin, giving him a sly grin. ¡°Good luck, mate.¡± ¡°Likewise.¡± The two took their spots as the crowd cheered. This was a match everyone had been looking forward to after the pair had built up such strong reputations as competitors. Luna and Kyle sat in the tamer box with Jimmy, all three of them wanting support both of their friends, but trying hard not to show each of their favouritisms. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can watch,¡± said Luna, squeezing Innogon tightly. ¡°Want me to commentate?¡± joked Jimmy. ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I don¡¯t want any distractions. This is going to be a good watch.¡± ¡°Any idea who Aurin is using today?¡± asked Jimmy, no longer afraid to ask with Gardner not present. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t even tell me,¡± sighed Luna. ¡°He tells me everything!¡± Kyle shook his head. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t need to tell you. He¡¯s going to have prepared a team specifically catered to Gardner¡¯s Minakai. Last year, he wasn¡¯t so worried as he didn¡¯t expect Gardner to use anything other than plant-class monsters and nature elementals, but he won¡¯t be making that mistake again.¡± ¡°But we also know Gardner is savvy enough to predict what Aurin might do,¡± said Jimmy. ¡°Yes, so I think it may come down to who calls the other¡¯s bluff. I¡¯m certain Aurin¡¯s team is¡ª¡± The announcer suddenly cut Kyle off. ¡°Tamers ready? Three. Two. One. Fight!¡± Aurin and Gardner held up their tamer gloves and summoned their first Minakai to the field. Aurin¡¯s Spikruption slammed himself down and puffed smoke from his nostrils, eager to blast through Gardner¡¯s entire team. Gardner, on the other hand, summoned a reptile of his own. A waist-high magenta dinosaur appeared before him. It had a slight hunch and its short arms ended in sharp claws. Around its neck was a mane of seven long leave and, instead of a tail, it had another handful of leaves protruding from its rear. The dinosaur, a Frilleaf, growled loudly, unintimidated by the much larger Spikruption he was facing. With no hesitation, Spikruption stormed across the battlefield, drawing in a deep breath. As he grew close to the Frilleaf, he unleashed a fiery wave that desecrated the grass, but Frilleaf was not so easily defeated. It spat a small nature beam from its mouth directly downward and threw itself over the fire. From midair, it spat a barrage of heavy seeds at Spikruption who burned them to cinders before they came close, but it was only a distraction. A cluster of thick roots shot up from the ground and grabbed the dinosaur¡¯s tail and legs, giving Frilleaf a chance to strike harder. The leaves on Gardner¡¯s Minakai started rotating. Slowly at first, then speeding up until they were a blur, they became like a razorblade around its neck. Frilleaf charged into the turned around Spikruption, cutting deeply into his tail as he tried to free himself from the roots. Spikruption was in agony, but he mustered the strength to turn his neck and spit a blast of fire at Frilleaf, who was stricken and forced to retreat. Aurin¡¯s Minakai pulled itself free as Frilleaf was unable to sustain the roots and rolled into a ball, propelling himself at the magenta lizard who spun his frill even faster. Before they collided, Spikruption came to an abrupt halt, unfurled himself and whipped his tail low, whacking Frilleaf¡¯s legs and making it trip. With the top of his head exposed, Spikruption shot another flaming burst at the lizard, whose leaves ceased their whirring. As Frilleaf tried to right itself, Spikruption grabbed his fellow reptile by the scruff of the neck using his sharp teeth and flung him upwards. As Frilleaf rose and then fell, a swing of Spikruption¡¯s tail batted him into the wall of the stadium, knocking him out cold. ¡°And Aurin takes an early lead!¡± cried the announcer as the crowd cheered. ¡°I¡¯ve seen his Spikruption before many times, folks, but he¡¯s on top form today. Gardner had better be careful, but he¡¯s no slouch himself so perhaps he has something in the bag.¡± ¡°Desparee, you¡¯re up,¡± said Gardner, dismissing his Frilleaf and summoning his Desparee. Aurin¡¯s first thought was that Gardner was going to mix up his elements again, but two nature elementals in a row indicated that he was playing with what he knew best. Perhaps he had indeed expected Aurin to try and outwit him after using an ice elemental in Ludonia. Aurin¡¯s plan this time was to simply use various elemental types and then overpower him as best he could. Desparee clasped his hands together and drew them back; Aurin knew exactly what the Minakai was about to do. He suddenly threw a single one of his hands forward and Spikruption dodged the nature beam, but Desparee followed up with his second hand and launched a second nature beam, that struck Spikruption in the leg, the red dinosaur having been caught off guard by the follow up attack. ¡°Agh,¡± grunted Aurin, knowing he should have expected a twist. ¡°He¡¯s got a beam attack, show him your own!¡± Spikruption breathed in and held his breath for a second before firing a thin red beam of concentrated heat from his mouth. It was sharper and faster than a fiery blast at the cost of power. It hit Desparee in the chest and the Minakai staggered, but remained on his feet.Stolen story; please report. Gardner¡¯s Minakai waved his hands around and summoned a swirling vortex of leaves that stormed across the battlefield and delivered hundreds of micro cuts into Spikruption¡¯s thick scaly hide. The fiery dinosaur tried to remain standing, but the pain was too much and he buckled at the knees. A few seconds later and another three dozen cuts and he was done for. ¡°And Gardner ties it up,¡± said the announcer. ¡°This is shaping up to be an exciting battle!¡± Aurin recalled Spikruption, sending him to the ranch. He focused his energy on his summoning stone and cast out a burst of icy blue light, from which his Glacibot appeared. ¡°You don¡¯t see that Minakai every day!¡± called the announcer. ¡°A Glacibot is a rare specimen folks, so you¡¯re in for a treat.¡± Not wanting to give Gardner the chance to pull any further fly moves, Aurin ordered Glacibot to summon a hailstorm. The icy titan let out a robotic screech, conjuring the storm and forcing Desparee to cover its face to avoid the beating. ¡°Bramble cage!¡± called Gardner. The cage of brambles sprunt forth from the ground, but it was not aimed at Aurin¡¯s Glacibot. It was largely to cover Desparee and protect him from the icy storm. Aurin noted the large hole in the centre of the cage and saw a faint green light appear from within. ¡°He¡¯s about to use a nature beam,¡± he told his Glacibot. ¡°Move!¡± Glacibot was a slow Minakai, but he and Aurin had prepared for this. He shot a blast of ice upon the ground and threw himself onto it, sliding across the battlefield and adding more to his path as he soared along on his icy body. Desparee launched his beam and it narrowly missed Glacibot as he passed by the tree-like Minakai. The iceberg-like robot stood back up and stampeded toward his opponent, who had broken away most of his cage with his beam attack. Knowing he would not be able to avoid him, Desparee raised his hands and grabbed onto Glacibot¡¯s underside as he was barrelled over. Aurin¡¯s Minakai started to slow, looking weaker and weaker by the second. Something was wrong. What was Desparee doing? Aurin kneeled and saw Gardner¡¯s Minakai¡¯s hands glowing. He was draining Glacibot¡¯s energy to replenish his own and Glacibot had no comeback for this unless¡­ ¡°Jump!¡± ordered Aurin. His Minakai complied, jumping six feet into the air and stretching out his arms. He dropped to the ground, crushing Desparee underneath him. Glacibot lay motionless as most of his energy had been taken from him and the jump was all he had left to muster, but Desparee made no attempt to escape. ¡°A double knockout!¡± cried the announcer. ¡°Great moves by both tamers, but that now leaves them with a single monster each.¡± Aurin and Gardner both banished their Minakai and watched each other from across the field. With a nod to each other, they simultaneously summoned their final Minakai. Two branching evolutions of the same family appeared in flashes of green; Aurin¡¯s Lycavine and Gardner¡¯s Vinewolf. ¡°Gardner has summoned his Vinewolf and Aurin has summoned his¡­¡± said the announcer before trailing off to a whisper. ¡°Can I get a name check on this one, Paul?¡± Seconds later he came back with an answer. ¡°Aurin has summoned his Lycavine! His Glacibot is a rarity enough, but pulling out something I haven¡¯t seen before is quite the feat, folks.¡± The two green wolves charged to meet each other with Vinewolf being notably faster than Lycavine. Before getting too close, the pair stopped and swung out their petal-ended vines and swiped at each other, trying to cut into each other with their pink daggers. The battle had immediately turned into a swordfight rather than one of tooth and nail as the vines whipped around, each trying to block the other while still aiming for the jugular. The crowd watched with bated breath as neither Minakai seemed to be gaining ground on the other, but Aurin¡¯s Lycavine had been quietly creeping closer to Vinewolf. The werewolf knew he had to take a hit to pull off what he wanted to do, but it would be worth it. He suddenly reeled in his vines and sprinted forward, taking two nasty cuts to the side form Vinewolf¡¯s petals. The gap was now closed and he swiped across Vinewolf¡¯s face as Gardner¡¯s Minakai tried to bite him, but it was no use. While Vinewolf was faster on land, Lycavine was faster still in paw-to-paw combat. Vinewolf recoiled as one of Lycavine¡¯s nails scratched his eye, giving Aurin¡¯s Minakai a chance to sink his teeth into his neck. Vinewolf howled in pain and swung his claws in turn, leaving another deep gash in Lycavine¡¯s side, but Aurin¡¯s Minakai could handle the pain. He unclenched his jaw and took another deep bite, tearing a large hole in Vinewolf¡¯s neck, making the Minakai stagger backwards as it bled. ¡°That¡¯s gotta hurt!¡± cried the announcer as Vinewolf fell to one knee. ¡°But he¡¯s not out yet.¡± Vinewolf¡¯s vines shot forward again, delivering another series of cuts to Lycavine as he bounded and flipped while trying to avoid the barrage of attacks. ¡°Grab him!¡± ordered Aurin. Lycavine did as ordered and grabbed two of the vines. He wrapped them around his forearms and tugged, pulling Vinewolf off his feet and making him eat the previously scorched grass. With a final leap and a swing of his mighty claw, Lycavine finished the battle. Vinewolf let out a whimper and did not get up again. ¡°And Aurin is the winner!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Having previously been knocked out of the national championships by Gardner, he came back with a vengeance today!¡± Gardner looked devastated, but he put on a brave face and started clapping along with the audience as he and Aurin walked to meet each other in the middle of the battlefield. ¡°No hard feelings, eh?¡± he said, holding out a hand. ¡°Never,¡± said Aurin, smiling and accepting the hand shake. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten more cunning.¡± ¡°Likewise,¡± chuckled Gardner. ¡°Where did you get a Full Moon Gem to evolve your Budescent?¡± ¡°Some national champion gave it to me,¡± shrugged Aurin. ¡°Tobias?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°How am I supposed to compete with that?¡± gasped Gardner before chuckling. ¡°All the same, you¡¯ve trained him well, mate. Milkshakes are on you later, alright?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll meet you there in an hour,¡± said Aurin as the two parted ways to thunderous applause from the crowd. * Aurin sat with Shamtile and Lycavine by the riverside, staring at the opposite bank. He had done it again; he had qualified for the national championships. It was bittersweet to him. He did not enjoy the fact that Gardner was now out of the running, but he truly felt as though he had earned his place. ¡°What do you reckon, you two?¡± Aurin said to his Minakai. ¡°If I had lost, would Tobias have disowned the lot of us?¡± Shamtile waved his arms and let out a screech while Lycavine gave a low bark as his vines danced in the spring breeze. ¡°Yes, I think he wouldn¡¯t have been too impressed. Especially considering he was the one who gave me the Full Moon Gem to evolve you into a Lycavine, my friend.¡± Lycavine let out a short howl and then licked Aurin¡¯s face. ¡°Lovely,¡± he said, wiping away the lupine saliva. ¡°Whether we¡¯re through to Ludonia or not, we aren¡¯t backing down. We¡¯re still in this tournament to win and we¡¯re going for that gold. We¡¯re going to wipe the floor with our next opponent and then either Luna or Kyle is going down.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± asked Luna, sliding down the grass with Innogon clinging to her back. ¡°Yep,¡± chortled Aurin. ¡°Nothing is standing in my way, not even you.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that, my dear,¡± she said, lightly slapping Aurin¡¯s cheek and then laughing. ¡°Let¡¯s not get too ahead of ourselves, shall we?¡± ¡°How¡¯s Gardner doing?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. He¡¯s happy for you, but he¡¯s obviously disappointed. I think he just wishes that his battle with you was in the semifinals.¡± ¡°Understandable,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I wished that were the case too.¡± Innogon dived into the water and started splashing Shamtile and Lycavine, who started hurling rocks and spitting sap at the little drake who yapped and laughed hysterically as he swam around. ¡°And how about you?¡± Aurin asked Luna. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°One more match to go before you reach the semifinals. Are you nervous?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Luna, shaking her head. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s the thing, isn¡¯t it? Even if I lose, it¡¯s been a good tournament and I¡¯m proud of my performance.¡± ¡°Now give me the honest answer.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m nervous!¡± she yelled. ¡°I don¡¯t want to miss out on Ludonia by an inch.¡± Aurin laughed as hard as Innogon. Chapter 175 ¡°And a beautiful display from Kyle¡¯s Totempo!¡± called the announcer as Totempo stood atop his opponent¡ªa Windjinn¡ªwho was then banished by its tamer. ¡°Kyle has two Minakai left while Lloyde is down to his final one. What¡¯s he got in store for everyone¡¯s favourite rancher?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve saved the best for last, Kyle,¡± shouted Lloyde from across the battlefield. As much a she tried to put on a brave front, he was visibly shaken. ¡°Bansheet, you¡¯re up!¡± In a flash of cream-coloured light, appeared a ghost-like figure that was draped in a sheet. It held its two arms out and its sleeves drooped, but there were no hands within them. Within two dark eyeholes in its head sat glowing purple pupils while the cloth at the back of its head was swept back and lumpy as though it had hair underneath. ¡°Is that what Chlost evolves into?¡± Luna asked Aurin in the tamer box. ¡°Yep,¡± he said, looking over at her. ¡°Your match starts after this one. Shouldn¡¯t you be in the waiting room already?¡± ¡°Ah! You¡¯re right!¡± she squealed before rushing off. Kyle¡¯s Totempo dragged its foot along the ground like a menacing bull as the ghostly Bansheet gave it a wicked smile. The armless stone dinosaur roared and charged forward, but before he was halfway across the battlefield his foe vanished into thin air. Lloyde has a smarmy look on his face while Kyle remained cool. His Totempo continued his stampede even though it was now toward nothing. Aurin wandered what Kyle was up to in not changing his head-on strategy. As Totempo ran through the empty space, he abruptly stopped. Bansheet faded in behind him, ready to strike, but a huge earthen spike erupted from Kyle¡¯s Minakai¡¯s back, piercing the sheet and impaling the ghostly Minakai underneath. Totempo looked over his shoulder and gave a smug roar as he retracted the spike, leaving the sheet to fall to the ground. ¡°And Kyle¡¯s outwitting of his opponent has just cost Lloyde a spot at the national championships!¡± cried the announcer. ¡°Congratulations, Kyle. You¡¯re the third contender to advance to the Bretonian tournament.¡± Rather than walk across the battlefield to shake Kyle¡¯s hand, Lloyde banished his Bansheet and strode through the tunnel and out of sight. He wasn¡¯t going to stand there and force a smile against the man who had taken something he had wanted so badly from him. Kyle waved to the cheering half of the crowd while the others booed Lloyde for his bad sportsmanship. The boos soon turned to further applause for Kyle and he walked back through his own tunnel and towards the waiting room where he found Luna sitting on the sofa, clutching her knees and rocking back and forth. ¡°Do I need call therapist?¡± Kyle joked, making Luna jump a mile; she hadn¡¯t noticed him appear. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± she said in a much higher pitch than her normal voice. ¡°You don¡¯t look fine,¡± said Kyle with a raised eyebrow. ¡°The pressure getting to you?¡± ¡°Nope. I¡¯m fine.¡± Kyle shrugged. ¡°Alright, suit yourself. Where¡¯s Aurin anyway? Normally he¡¯s here to talk you off the cliff edge.¡± Luna shook her head rapidly. ¡°I made him promise not to come this time and to wait in the stands. I need to learn how to calm myself down.¡± ¡°Well, I won¡¯t offer any support then,¡± joked Kyle, heading for the door. ¡°I¡¯ll go join young blondie in the stands. Good luck, Luna.¡± ¡°Thank, Kyle,¡± she said as he left. Luna suddenly rushed over to the door and called after him. ¡°Congratulations!¡± She then returned to sitting on the sofa, taking slow deep breaths, trying to keep her mind clear. It wasn¡¯t helping much so Luna dropped onto her knees and clasped her hands, saying a prayer. Once she was finished she stood up and walked over to the door. She knew she wasn¡¯t meant to be waiting in the tunnel, but the waiting room felt stuffy to her so she had to at least breathe in some fresh air, whether it was filtered through a dusty tunnel of bricks and concrete or not. Luna paused halfway down the corridor, but no more than five seconds later, she was called to take her position at the end of the tunnel to await her introduction. She walked towards the edge and waited at the yellow line, just out of sight of the crowd while the ringside official stood with his hand to his earpiece. ¡°Two minutes to go,¡± he said. ¡°How¡¯re you doing, Luna?¡± ¡°Nervous,¡± she said. ¡°This is the match that will determine whether I make the national championships or not.¡± ¡°What is it that Aurin always says to you? Just imagine your opponent in her underwear.¡± ¡°I¡­don¡¯t think he¡¯s ever said that.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± laughed the official. ¡°I could have sworn it was something like that. Well, you can always give that a try and see if it works.¡± ¡°Mhmm, maybe.¡± ¡°Just a suggestion,¡± shrugged the official before putting his hand up to his earpiece. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re going a little early. You¡¯ll be going on in about ten seconds.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Ah!¡± squealed Luna with no time to ready herself. ¡°What do I do? What do I do?¡± The announcer boomed out over the microphone. ¡°Everyone, give it up for Hazelton¡¯s own, Luna!¡± Luna took a final deep breath and walked out onto the field alone, waving to the crowd who were applauding enthusiastically for her. ¡°And today, her opponent is none other than Verity!¡± A tall girl with a long brown ponytail walked out onto the field from the far tunnel. She had a confident smile and an athletic physique that she showed off with her tank top and shorts. She looked more like someone who was going to do a one hundred metre race in the stadium rather than battle using Minakai. Although, thinking about it, Luna supposed attire didn¡¯t matter. She herself was wearing jean shorts and a purple t-shirt. Luna and Verity met in the middle of the battlefield and shook hands. ¡°Good luck,¡± said Luna. ¡°Likewise,¡± replied Verity with a smile. Luna had wished Verity was ruder to her, that would have given her an excuse to get more fired up; the fury would have replaced her anxiety. The two tamers walked back to their sides of the battlefield and Luna glanced over at Aurin in the stands who gave her a smile and thumbs up while Shamtile danced what he thought was an encouraging dance. ¡°Ready tamers?¡± called the announcer. ¡°Three. Two. One. Battle!¡± Luna summoned her Dogember to the battlefield while Verity summoned a Cybuzz. Dogember wasted no time in sprinting across the battlefield while the winged, metallic bee shot metal spikes towards the fiery canine as he ran. Having trained against Shamtile who delighted in throwing rock spears, Dogember knew the perfect way to weave, dodge and leap while maintaining as much of his momentum as he could. Before Cybuzz knew what was happening, Dogember had covered himself in a fiery aura and headbutted Verity¡¯s monster in the chest. It buzzed loudly as it rolled across the grass, but Dogember was not yet finished. He inhaled and unleashed a powerful fireball that followed the rolling insect before colliding with it. Cybuzz flapped its wings rapidly to take to the sky, but it was too disoriented to fly up in a straight line, leaving itself open for a follow-up fireball from Dogember that knocked it out of the battle, leaving Verity looking shaken. ¡°And Luna comes out hitting hard!¡± called the announcer. ¡°I thought she looked nervous walking out, folks, but that must have been a cunning ruse to ensure Verity lowered her guard.¡± Content with having the cheering crowd believe that, Luna smiled and waved to them while Verity summoned her next Minakai. It was the shake of a scrawny man, but it was anything but. It was made up of a purple gas that swirled and flowed, while it had a metallic mask with a pointed nose that rested upon its face. Around its wrists and ankles were silvery metallic bands, but Luna had no idea what they were for. ¡°Mummet, hit that Dogember hard!¡± called Verity. Her undead metal elemental ran across the grass with its arms dangling behind it. It swung for Dogember who leapt out of the way, but Mummet then jumped and emitted a Dolissile-like pulse that knocked Dogember off his feet. He then began beating the pup with his fists. Upon bracing himself, Dogember bit into Mummet¡¯s arm, but his teeth passed right through. Luna realised that its being a ghostly undead, allowed it to make itself incorporeal. She knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to rely solely on physical attacks to fight back. Dogember backed away hurriedly, forcing Mummet to chase him. With a spare moment to concentrate, Luna¡¯s Minakai unleashed a powerful fireball that passed right through Mummet. Luna had expected this, but needed to see it to be sure. ¡°It may be able to phase through you and your attacks, but it still occupies space!¡± Luna called to Dogember. The orange dog backed away again as Mummet unleashed another pulse, hoping to knock Dogember down, but he braced himself. He focused all of his elemental energy on heating up the air itself. As Mummet closed in on him, its movement slowed and its gaseous form started to ripple and streak. ¡°What did Luna and her Dogember do?¡± asked the announcer, as the crowd watched the air warp. Mummet¡¯s mask and its four metal bands started to glow red hot as they heated up at an alarming pace. Luna knew that now was the chance to deliver the final strike and Dogember could sense that. He ceased heating up the air and bounded forwards, headbutting Mummet square in the chest and sending it flying across the grass where it rolled and then lay motionless. ¡°Luna is storming ahead today, folks,¡± said the announcer. ¡°It¡¯s not often we see such a lead at such a late stage in the tournament. Verity has her work cut out for her if she wants to make a comeback.¡± Rattled as she may have been, Verity calmed herself and threw forward her gloved hand. From a green summoning stone, shot a burst of light and, once it faded, stood a brown metal-plated Minakai with green legs and a thick bush on its top. Resting in the middle of its black-screen face was a blue eye. ¡°Treebot, that Dogember has exerted itself! Strike!¡± The nature elemental construct let out a metallic groan as it whipped up a storm of leaves that soared through the air towards Dogember. He burned the first wave to cinders, but the leaves kept coming. Verity was right, he was tried. The second wave of leaves struck him, cutting into him and the third wave finished the job, ending his strong quarterfinal performance. ¡°And Verity is making her comeback!¡± called the announcer. ¡°But wait¡­is Luna¡­smiling?¡± It was true. Luna had a confident grin on her face as she hurled a burst of icy white light onto the field, summoning Frocean to the battlefield. ¡°Treebot is no pushover, but neither are you. You¡¯ve got the elemental advantage, Frocean. Make it quick.¡± With a rumbling croak, Frocean countered the leafy storm with a hailstorm. The leaves were tossed aside by the icy stones that were cast across the battlefield. Frocean crouched low and leapt through the air, clearing half the field in a single jump and landing before Treebot. The Microbot evolution headbutted Frocean¡¯s large stomach, but he exhaled, using his large belly as a cushion and suddenly inhaled, swelling up and bouncing Treebot away. With Treebot caught off guard, Frocean whipped out his long tongue and wrapped it around Treebot¡¯s front legs. He retracted his tongue at lightning speed and whipped Treebot over his shoulder, releasing its legs and sending it crashing into the wall of the stadium, sending a large crack through the stone. Treebot was not done yet and stood up, only to be met by a barrage of icicles being flung its way. A dozen of them collided with him, half of them striking him in the screen and he fell down once more. As his screen flickered, he tried to stand up but collapsed as his blue eye disappeared. ¡°And it¡¯s a resounding victory for Luna!¡± called the announcer as the entire stadium leapt to its feet. ¡°She¡¯s all the way through to the semifinals, securing her place in the national championships and putting her up against our earlier victor, Kyle.¡± ¡°I knew she could do it!¡± yelled Aurin as Shamtile jumped for joy. Luna beamed with pride as she walked over to meet Verity who looked slightly embarrassed. ¡°You really whooped me,¡± said the athletic tamer. ¡°All that time in the underground gym didn¡¯t pay off, did it?¡± ¡°It was a good match,¡± said Luna with a smile, shaking Verity¡¯s hand. The two parted ways and Luna walked back through her tunnel, thrilled that her Minakai had performed so strongly against tough opponents. Even though she knew she was up against Kyle next, she was not afraid. No matter the outcome, it would be a good battle. Chapter 176 Aurin¡¯s Chopchop twirled his bladed arms around and assumed a defensive stance as Kenny¡¯s own Chopchop collapsed, its helmet cut in half and a large gash across the side of its head. The announcer¡¯s voice boomed across the stadium. ¡°And Kenny is down to his final Minakai while Aurin remains on his first. What a strong performance for our local hero, folks.¡± Aurin no longer winced at hearing that, choosing to embrace the term. He let the cheers of the crowd fuel him further, pushing towards the victory that was within his grasp. As he watched Kenny¡¯s fearful look from across the battlefield, he knew that this match was in the bag. ¡°Grakadon!¡± called the red-haired tamer, pulling his sunglasses that sat atop his head down and over his eyes. ¡°Now we¡¯re talking,¡± muttered Aurin, excited to face off against the Minakai that Kenny had used to steamroll his competition. The brown dragon appeared in a flash of orange, roaring ferociously as Chopchop tensed himself, waiting to be struck. Grakadon swung his arm, materialising a boulder within his palm and hurled it at Chopchop who cut through it and letting the two halves pass him by. Grakadon, upon witnessing the strength of his foe stomped his feet, sending a quake across the entire battlefield. It was so intense that Aurin and Kenny both had to cling to the walls, yet Chopchop remained standing, fully braced for the attack. As the quaking subsided, he stormed towards his foe who took to the skies to avoid the sharp blades of the armoured insect. ¡°That won¡¯t save you,¡± said Aurin with a smile. ¡°Chopchop, use your metal wave!¡± Aurin¡¯s Minakai swung his arms, sending a shockwave of metal elemental energy through the air and cutting a deep gash into Grakadon¡¯s tail, forcing it to drop to the ground. It may have been tough, but Aurin and Chopchop had trained with Tobias¡¯s Grakadon which was on another level entirely. Upon Grakadon landing, it noticed that Chopchop was already there to meet it with his blades raised. Grakadon raised his own arms, coasting them in stone armour that Chopchop swiftly cut through and took a large chunk from the dragon¡¯s arm. It roared in pain as Chopchop¡¯s other arm swung for its neck, stopping upon first contact. A single move and Grakadon was done for. With eyes of malice, Grakadon sneered and foolishly chose to lean out of the way. Chopchop pulled his arm back and slashed across the earthen dragon¡¯s chest, sending a splattering of blood across the grass as the dragon collapsed in defeat. ¡°And Aurin has eliminated Kenny with a single Minakai!¡± called the announcer, barely audible through the cheers of the crowd. ¡°What a performance that was, folks. I can¡¯t believe I just witnessed it. If he brings this level of finesse to the national champions, we could be looking at our next national champion right here.¡± Kenny let out a dry laugh and shook his head in exasperation as he walked to meet Aurin in the middle of the battlefield. Aurin himself was smiling and waving to the crowd who were clapping and cheering as loud as ever. Luna put her fingers in her mouth and tried to whistle loudly, but it was a resounding failure and she was glad nobody had noticed except Innogon. ¡°Good match,¡± said Aurin, shaking Kenny¡¯s hand. ¡°Yeah, but not for me,¡± chuckled the defeated tamer. ¡°I hope I don¡¯t draw you early in the national championships, mate.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a good tamer, Kenny. You should study up on how Tobias handles his Grakadon to take skills up a notch. I¡¯ve no doubt you can pull it off.¡± ¡°How long is there left until the championships?¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. There¡¯s always time to train,¡± shrugged Aurin as he moved to walk away. ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty of it left to do myself once my next battle is over. Can¡¯t let myself slip by taking a month off now, can I?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not free to train me then, eh?¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The two tamers laughed as they walked away from the centre of the battlefield and back to their own tunnels.¡± * ¡°Here¡¯s to the first confirmed finalist of the third Hazelton Tournament,¡± said Gardner, holding up a milkshake and clinking glasses with Aurin and Luna. Shamtile and Innogon had milkshakes of their own and, of course, were already almost finished before the tamers had even taken a sip. ¡°How does it feel knowing that you¡¯ll be fighting either Kyle or myself next?¡± asked Luna with a nudge and a wink. Aurin shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve fought you both so many times now that even with the higher stakes, I¡¯m still desensitised.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make you regret those words once I kick Kyle out of the tournament and back to the ranch.¡± ¡°Oh, we¡¯re getting to the tough talk now,¡± said Gardner, leaning in and watching intently. ¡°How long before fists are thrown?¡± ¡°The only fists being thrown will be Zenoman¡¯s as he single-handedly defeats Luna¡¯s entire team,¡± said Aurin. ¡°So¡­you think it¡¯ll be Luna in the final?¡± asked Gardner, raising an eyebrow. ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯re getting me to answer that,¡± chuckled Aurin. ¡°Does that mean you think it¡¯ll be Kyle?¡± asked Luna. ¡°I¡¯m not answering that either. I¡¯m not taking sides in this and will be cheering both of you on.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you take your girlfriend¡¯s side over anybody else¡¯s?¡± ¡°Normally, you would think so,¡± said Aurin, nodding along, ¡°but my girlfriend doesn¡¯t put a roof over my head.¡± ¡°Well, there is that,¡± muttered Luna as Gardner cackled wildly. ¡°At least all three of you will be going to the national championships with Kenny,¡± said the nature elemental specialist. ¡°Some smooth operator knocked me out of the tournament already.¡± ¡°No regrets,¡± said Aurin, leaning back in his chair and grinning. ¡°Not until I come back for vengeance, mate. Not until I come back for vengeance.¡± Gardner shook his fist, feigning anger before grinning. ¡°Oh no,¡± sighed Luna, staring up the street. Aurin and Gardner turned in their chairs and spotted Fredrick walking along the sunny streets of Hazelton and making his way straight for them. Suddenly Gardner¡¯s fist started shaking in earnest upon seeing Frederick¡¯s smarmy sneer. ¡°Aurin, Luna¡­whatever your name was,¡± said Frederick, making Gardner¡¯s face turn red with fury. ¡°You rotten scumbag. I¡¯m going to¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take his bait,¡± said Aurin, trying to calm Gardner down. ¡°You¡¯re giving him exactly the reaction he wants. What do you want, Fredrick?¡± ¡°I just wanted to congratulate you on qualifying for the national championships, Aurin. I¡¯m looking forward to having a true battle against you again and seeing who is the better tamer.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very much looking forward to defeating you,¡± replied Aurin. Frederick laughed. ¡°Do not get overconfident. Still haven¡¯t hatched that Zeera, have you?¡± Aurin said nothing. ¡°I thought as much. Even if you hatch him this evening, there¡¯s no possibility of you getting him to bow to your will in time. It took a lot of effort to get a Minakai like Abysarex under control and Zeera should, in theory, be more powerful at his full strength.¡± ¡°Aurin doesn¡¯t need Zeera to defeat you,¡± said Luna. ¡°Even I could wipe the floor with your team, Frederick.¡± Fredrick leaned back and let out a single loud laugh. ¡°You¡¯re serious, are you? Luna, you may be strong enough to beat losers like Damien, but not someone on my level. Not all Zodiac elites were equal in strength, as I¡¯m sure you aware. The only one stronger than me was our dear leader.¡± ¡°Funny that you still call him your leader,¡± said Gardner. ¡°You haven¡¯t changed at all, have you?¡± Fredrick pretended to be thinking. ¡°What was your name again? Giles?¡± Gardner stood up and lunged for Fredrick who took a swift step back to avoid Gardner¡¯s grasp. ¡°Temper, temper. Is it any wonder that you lack the emotional control needed to make it to the national championships, Gary?¡± ¡°Is there anything else, Frederick?¡± asked Aurin, holding Gardner back. ¡°No,¡± said the former Zodiac elite. ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty of training to do. I¡¯ll see you in Ludonia, Aurin. And I¡¯ll be stronger than you¡¯ve ever seen me.¡± With that, Fredrick stuck his hands in his pockets and strolled away while Gardner continued to stare after him, seething. ¡°You had better wipe the floor with him if you get the chance, you hear?¡± he said to Aurin and then sat down, taking a sip of his milkshake. ¡°In fact, if you don¡¯t get the chance, I¡¯ll help you jump him outside the stadium.¡± ¡°I will face him and I will win,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Fredrick is going to be humbled and, this time, it will stick.¡± There was the sudden breaking of glass underneath and table seconds before Shamtile and Innogon rolled out from underneath in a heap, punching each other. Their two tamers grabbed them and tore them away from each other as the two little reptiles screeched and yapped at each other. ¡°What is it this time?¡± asked Aurin, looking underneath the table as the broken remains of the two milkshake glasses. With a sigh and a shake of their heads, Aurin and Luna reached into their pockets and each grabbed a piece of silver to pay for the broken glasses while Shamtile and Innogon continued to glare at each other. ¡°Ah, to be so carefree that your biggest problem is fighting over milkshakes,¡± said Gardner, looking from Shamtile to Innogon and then back again. ¡°What I would give to lead such a simple life.¡± ¡°Do you fancy stepping onto the stadium and brawling against Kyle¡¯s Wingbloom tomorrow?¡± asked Luna. ¡°You know what, forget I said that.¡± Chapter 177 Luna waited patiently near the edge of the tunnel for her name to be called. She knew that at the far side of the stadium, Kyle was doing the same. She didn¡¯t feel nervous even though she probably ought to. Perhaps it was because she had already qualified for the national championships or perhaps because she knew Kyle so well and had trained with him regularly that it felt like a friendly match rather than a competitive one. Whatever the reason, she was calm. She leaned to the side and could just about make out Aurin sitting in the tamer box with Shamtile and Innogon; both Minakai were bouncing up and down, drawing plenty of attention to themselves. ¡°You¡¯ll be up in a few seconds,¡± said the tournament official. ¡°Feeling alright?¡± ¡°Surprisingly, yes,¡± said Luna with a small laugh. ¡°Glad to hear it.¡± There was the crackling of static and the announcer¡¯s voice came through the speakers across the stadium. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, it¡¯s now time for the second of our semifinals. Please welcome to the battlefield, Luna!¡± Luna walked out confidently, waving to the crowd. She caught Aurin¡¯s eye and saw him give her a particularly loud cheer. She winked at him and blew a kiss, making the crowd laugh. The cameras had settled on the red-faced Aurin who was not displayed on the overhead monitor. ¡°Ain¡¯t that lovely, folks?¡± chuckled the announcer. ¡°Her opponent today is none other than your hometown rancher, Kyle!¡± Kyle stepped out from the tunnel with a much more serious face than Luna. As they both approached the middle of the field, Luna started to suspect that Kyle was more nervous to battle than she was. He¡¯d been wisecracking about their match-up ever since they both qualified for the semifinals, but there was something different about him now that she was facing him in a truly serious match. ¡°Good luck,¡± said Kyle bluntly. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Luna asked him. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°No holding back, alright?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Especially not today.¡± The two parted ways and walked back towards their starting positions while Aurin sat in the crowd, feeling confused. He turned to Shamtile and Innogon who hadn¡¯t noticed a thing. ¡°Why does Kyle look so rattled?¡± he asked the pair, who stopped jumping and looked at Kyle¡¯s face on the stadium screen. Shamtile shrugged while Innogon let out a confused roar. ¡°He couldn¡¯t possibly be afraid that he¡¯s going to lose, could he?¡± asked Aurin, furrowing his brow. Luna and Kyle stood with their tamer gloves at the ready. Luna threw force an orb of light, conjuring forth her Splashard while Kyle summoned his Gorungra. The slick water demon stared intently at the rocky golem with the topaz crystals. ¡°You know the drill,¡± said Kyle to his Minakai. ¡°Don¡¯t let him do his drill!¡± called Luna. Splashard split herself in two, sending her separated left and right sides in opposing directions before pivoting towards Gorungra to flank him. As the water demon drew close, two large stone walls were erected by Kyle¡¯s Minakai to block her. Splashard was not to be deterred and shot blasts of water from her hands, blasting both walls down before continuing the charge towards Gorungra. Suddenly, two rock cages sprung up and captured the two halves of Splashard, trapping her within. As she broke free from each, Gorungra sent another cage to replace the broken one. Then another, and then another again. Gorungra himself had barely moved the entire time, only turning his head to observe his opponent. ¡°What¡¯s Kyle up to?¡± mumbled Aurin, understanding Luna¡¯s plan, but Kyle¡¯s Minakai was just standing and stalling. ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Splashard unleashed two water jets, both much weaker than they should have been. Even though he should have been weak to the water, the earth elemental Gorungra took the attack with ease. Luna suddenly realised why Kyle was stalling. ¡°Recombine!¡± she ordered Splashard, but Gorungra encapsulated the left half of her Minakai in a topaz prison. As Splashard beat her one fist against the inside of the gemstone, Gorungra finally moved and stampeded towards Splashard¡¯s right half. Splashard had sapped most of her own strength early by splitting in two and sustaining the split for so long, while draining herself further by using her magic to blast through so much stone. Splashard¡¯s latest water jet was barely a spritz as and Gorungra headbutted her, sending her flying across the stadium and into the wall. He stood on his hind legs and hurled a crystalline spear at her, impaling her against the wall and watching her wither away. Gorungra released her other half from his prison and it weakly slithered across the grass and recombined into one Minakai. Upon becoming one, Splashard fainted.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Would you look at that!¡± called the announcer. ¡°An absolutely brutal first round, folks.¡± ¡°Kyle¡¯s going full throttle,¡± Aurin said to Shamtile and Innogon. ¡°He¡¯s probably got a plan for every contingency.¡± Luna clenched her fists, deciding which of her two selected Minakai might give her a chance at victory. She had mere seconds to make her decision as the crowd watched and waited. With a flick of her wrists, she sent out Rabbafat. A neutral elemental was exactly what she needed so that she couldn¡¯t slip by using an elemental power that Kyle would have a counter for. Rabbafat appeared in a cream-coloured light and the rotund rabbit punched her fists together as she let out a low, purring growl. Kyle¡¯s Gorungra wasted no time in scattering sharp stones all over the battlefield, making it difficult to navigate the terrain. ¡°You¡¯re fat enough to get through that,¡± Luna said. ¡°Charge!¡± Rabbafat skipped between a few of the stones and threw herself forwards, tucking into a ball and rolling over the stones which had no effect on her. Gorungra hurled a crystalline spear, but Rabbafat bounced out of the way and continued to pick up speed. The earth elemental brought up another stone wall, blocking Rabbafat from side and slowing her to a halt. ¡°Momentum killed,¡± said Kyle, feeling assured. ¡°Bring her crashing down¡­wait!¡± Before Gorungra knew what had happened, Rabbafat leapt from the top of the wall and landed on his back. She started beating her fists against the large crystal on his back. Gorungra rolled over to shake her off and Rabbafat bounced away. As Gorungra righted himself, Rabbafat was upon him again and threw shockingly rapid jabs into his yellow eyes, blinding him. ¡°Crater!¡± called Kyle. Gorungra opened a pit in the ground before him, but Luna¡¯s Minakai was too quick and hopped away. She bounced straight back onto Gorungra¡¯s back, throwing another heavy swing and breaking his largest crystal. The golem collapsed in defeat, groaning as he lost consciousness. ¡°And Luna comes back swinging with her Rabbafat!¡± yelled the announcer, trying to be heard over the crowd. ¡°She¡¯s not going to just roll over and take a loss, that¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°Precision time,¡± said Kyle, summoning his Hogannon into battle. Hogannon raised his cannon arms together and unleashed a series of relentless rapid fireballs. Rabbafat squealed and dove out of the way, rolling around the battlefield to avoid the fiery bullets. Each time she tried to move closer to Hogannon, he split his focus between his two arms and forced her to go another direction. Rabbafat started to slow and Hogannon landed five successive strikes on her, singing her fur and forcing her out of her ball form. Hogannon¡¯s eyes glowed a bright orange as he charged up a much more powerful fireball that he unleashed at Luna¡¯s Minakai. Rabbafat threw herself out of the way, but her foot was caught by the fireball and she moaned in pain as she clutched it, unable to stand on it. She arose and hopped on her good foot, but her heavy weight threw her badly off balance. Upon falling over once again, Hogannon shot more fireballs at her and finished the battle. Luna was forced to banish her defeated monster, leaving her with only one team member left. ¡°Kyle¡¯s back with a vengeance,¡± said the announcer. ¡°Luna is down to her final Minakai, folks. She¡¯s going to have to pull off something great.¡± Luna let out a sigh, knowing now that Kyle had anticipated her team too well. She summoned her Windjinn as her heart sank. Her final monster was elementally weak to Kyle¡¯s Hogannon. And now just was it weak to her Minakai, but it was one of his strongest Minakai. Aurin¡¯s heart sank in the stands. ¡°Come on,¡± he said as Shamtile started repeatedly punching Innogon in the arm out of frustration. ¡°You can pull this off, Luna.¡± ¡°Blow him away,¡± Luna said to Windjinn. With a silent nod, he soared into the sky as Hogannon waited. He wanted Windjinn to be closer before he took any shots; there was no point expending himself. Windjinn whipped up a strong gale, sending the heavy wind straight at Hogannon, trying to throw him off balance, but the heavy pig braced himself and remained standing. ¡°She¡¯s got more than that,¡± muttered Kyle. ¡°What¡¯s she up to?¡± Windjinn charged into the wind and then propelled himself with a further tailwind, speeding towards Hogannon and blasting right through the fireballs he shot. Before Kyle¡¯s Minakai knew it, he was struck straight in the stomach and sent tumbling across the battlefield. ¡°Obscure yourself!¡± ordered Kyle. Before even standing, Hogannon unleashed clouds of smoke from his arms and it filled the air, hiding him within the spreading cloud. Luna¡¯s winged serpent beat its wings, sending a razor-sharp wave of air energy through the cloud to where Hogannon lay; or at least, to where he was lying before. ¡°Where did he go?¡± gasped Luna. As Windjinn tried to retreat, he was met with an immense fireball that burst through the remains of the smoke and struck him in the chest. He fell to the ground and squirmed as the pain flowed through him. ¡°And it looks like Luna is out of¡ª¡± Windjinn threw himself back into the air and flapped hard, taking to the skies once more. He was badly injured, but he was not out. ¡°Going down swinging, eh?¡± chuckled Kyle quietly before calling out to his Hogannon. ¡°Make it rain, Hogannon!¡± Hogannon unleashed a barrage of embers into the air that flew high and then exploded like fireworks, sending a cascade of glowing hot stones towards the battlefield. Windjinn weaved and dodged, but the rain kept coming. He glanced towards the heaving Hogannon who was almost spent. ¡°Do it!¡± Luna called. Windjinn pivoted downwards and charged at full speed towards Hogannon. Unable to use his cannons until he had recharged, the heavy pig tried to jump out of the way, but he was too spent. Windjinn knocked him to the ground, finishing him off. Upon stopping, Windjinn was struck by half a dozen embers and then fell too. ¡°And we have an almost double knockout!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Unfortunately for Luna, Kyle still has one Minakai left in reserve and that means he advances to the finals. Luna sighed and then smiled. She was certain from the beginning that she was going to lose, but she would happily settle for taking out two of Kyle¡¯s Minakai. The two walked to the centre of the battlefield and smiled at each other before laughing. ¡°I was worried you would have me,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I came a lot closer than I thought I would,¡± said Luna. ¡°You need to stop underestimating yourself. I certainly didn¡¯t. My team and I needed to focus and train hard to defeat you, you know?¡± Luna shook her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter because you¡¯re not going to win tomorrow.¡± Kyle let out a loud laugh. ¡°Is that so? You¡¯re so confident Aurin will beat me?¡± ¡°If you took me seriously and were so stressed about it, you must be having sleepless nights thinking about battling him.¡± ¡°Shush you,¡± said Kyle, rolling his eyes and walking back towards his tunnel. Luna returned to her own, but glanced towards the tamer box along the way. She noticed that Aurin, Shamtile and Innogon were missing. Upon returning to the waiting room, she saw them already waiting for her. ¡°You were fantastic,¡± Aurin said to her. ¡°The tamers in Ludonia aren¡¯t going to know what hit them next month.¡± ¡°You think?¡± she asked. ¡°For sure,¡± said Aurin, hugging her tightly and then whispering in her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Kyle, but I was hoping you would win.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Chapter 178 Aurin gathered himself and walked out onto the battlefield as Kyle approached the centre. It was game time and both tamers knew that they were not going to have an easy run of it. They stopped and shook hands as the crowd cheered for both of them. ¡°Nervous?¡± Aurin asked the rancher with a grin. ¡°Me? Never,¡± said Kyle. ¡°That¡¯s a yes.¡± ¡°Once we¡¯re through today, you¡¯ll considering pulling out of the national championships in case you end up drawing me.¡± The pair both laughed as they walked to opposite sides of the battlefield and took their positions. As much as they could joke with each other, the laughter stopped now. This battle would require full focus and the first one to slip would be the one to lose. ¡°The moment has come, folks,¡± boomed the announcer¡¯s voice. ¡°Both tamers are ready to go, are you?¡± The crowd shouted their confirmation and demanded the match be counted in. ¡°If you say so! Three. Two. One. Let the finals begin!¡± Aurin and Kyle both threw their hands forward, sending bursts of light onto the battlefield. From an orange-brown light appeared Shamtile, who was already waving his arms, and from a yellow light appeared Wingbloom, who took to the skies immediately. Shamtile closed the distance and raised a pillar from the ground, bringing him up to Wingbloom¡¯s height as the bird-like plant beats his wings to conjure up a mighty wind. Before the wind could truly take hold, Shamtile launched a series of boulders at Wingbloom, all of which missed as Kyle¡¯s Minakai weaved past them. ¡°It¡¯s a trap!¡± called Kyle from far below, but Wingbloom. The air elemental looked around and saw the boulders hovering in the air around him. Shamtile clapped his hands and the rocks quickly converged, striking Wingbloom across his entire body, but a spin and a burst of air knocked half of them away before they could do too much damage. Wingbloom then generated a huge gust behind himself and charged for Shamtile who stood atop his pillar. Shamtile lowered himself back to ground, but Wingbloom was much faster than he was. At the last second, Shamtile covered himself in stone armour and braced himself for the hit. He was knocked from his pillar and back to the ground, but the fall wasn¡¯t as bad as it would have been ten seconds prior. He threw off his armour and leapt back to his feet, ready to keep fighting, even as Wingbloom¡¯s blasts of razor-sharp air elemental energy soared through the air. Three thick stones walls later and the energy had lost all momentum and dissipated. ¡°On the offensive again!¡± Aurin ordered Shamtile, his knuckles white and his jaw sore from all of the clenching he¡¯d been doing as the battle raged. ¡°It won¡¯t matter,¡± muttered Kyle, knowing that as strong as Shamtile was, Wingbloom outclassed him. Wanting to end the round quickly, he called out to his Minakai. ¡°Go supersonic!¡± Heeding his master¡¯s command, Wingbloom twirled in the air like a drill and sped towards Shamtile who was forced back on the defensive. ¡°Use your new technique!¡± Aurin ordered Shamtile. With a terrifying screech, Shamtile focused an immense amount of energy and erupted another wall from the ground. This wall, however, was not of rough brown or grey stone. This wall was made of cloudy diamond and, try as he might to pull away, Wingbloom was torpedoing straight for it. Kyle¡¯s Minakai collided with the diamond as Kyle watched on in shock. How or when Aurin had mastered this advanced technique, he had no idea, but it was enough to win. Wingbloom lay spread out on the ground, panting heavily with a badly injured face. With a heavy heart, Kyle banished his favourite Minakai back to the ranch where his other monsters would take care of him. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a diamond wall precious few times in my life, folks!¡± boomed the announcer. ¡°What a twist from Aurin that was, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Aurin smiled in satisfaction. He and Shamtile had been working on that move for months, learning that it was possible from Tobias back when they were training together. The only flaw was that it required a lot more energy to pull off than a regular stone wall and Shamtile was already having to fight hard against Wingbloom, and Aurin was certain that Kyle would notice how exhausted the masked lizard was. ¡°Make it quick, Snowlem,¡± said Kyle, summoning his star ice Minakai to the battlefield. Snowlem flashed in and gave a big coaly smile before conjuring a snowstorm to obscure Shamtile¡¯s vision. Without the energy remaining to burrow down, Shamtile summoned a stone spear in his hand and waited for his foe to emerge through the thick waves of billowing snow. Kyle¡¯s Minakai leapt towards Shamtile with a spear of his own, this one made of ice. Shamtile thrust his forward, but Snowlem bashed it out of the way, shattering both spears. With Shamtile out of steam, Snowlem lifted him high overhead and hurled him into the air. He watched Shamtile fly high and then launched a barrage of large hailstones from his wooden hands, pelting Shamtile relentlessly until Aurin¡¯s Minakai hit the grass, unable to stand any longer. ¡°You did good, mate,¡± said Aurin, banishing Shamtile to the ranch to be treated by Sunny. ¡°Leave the rest to us.¡± In a burst of blue light, Steambot appeared and let loose an eruption of water from his pipes, catching Snowlem off guard and knocking him across the battlefield. Caught so unexpectedly, he let his focus lapse and the snowstorm vanished, leaving only a thin layer of snow upon the grass which was quickly melting on this hot day. With no desire to give his opponent a chance to recover, Steambot sent a mighty tidal wave across the battlefield, sweeping Snowlem further away, but Kyle had a counter already thought out. Snowlem froze the water-logged field, leaving the once green grass as a sheet of uneven ice.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°It won¡¯t be that easy,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Turn up the heat, Steambot.¡± Steambot¡¯s pipes vibrated as they boiled water, making him look like a giant, steaming teapot. Snowlem took the opening and hurled an icy boulder across the battlefield, smacking Steambot¡¯s metal torso, but Steambot took his new dent like a champ and leaned over, unleashing a burst of scalding water on the battlefield, thawing it out and giving himself a clear path to storm down. As he ran, Snowlem conjured icicle spears in each hand and hurled them at the charging behemoth, but Steambot smashed them aside with his fists. Nothing was coming between him and his target, at least not until Snowlem summoned an icy wall to give himself a chance to catch his breath. ¡°Blast it apart!¡± ordered Aurin. Steambot continued running while hunched over as his pipes shook. He unleashed a pressure cannon that was intense enough to blast a large hole in the wall, which flew back and knocked Snowlem down. Steambot forced himself through the wall, but it was already dissipating as Snowlem climbed back to his feet. As Steambot threw a punch, Snowlem encased his own hands in ice and punched straight back. The two pummelled each other, sending splashes of water and waves of snowflakes everywhere. The pair were so focused on their hand-to-hand battle that they could not gather enough concentration to use their elemental powers. As Steambot punched, Snowlem kicked. As Snowlem headbutted, Steambot elbowed. The two were tiring, but Aurin knew that Steambot had more stamina left than Snowlem. And if he knew it, Kyle knew it. ¡°Everything into this one,¡± said the rancher. ¡°Joint manoeuvre!¡± Snowlem took a nasty punch to the face as he neglected to block in favour of grabbing onto Steambot¡¯s torso. He channelled as much of his icy energy as he could into freezing the water within Aurin¡¯s Minakai. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see these two hugging it out, folks,¡± remarked the announcer. ¡°But really, what¡¯s Kyle up to? Whatever it is, it doesn¡¯t seem to be working.¡± Kyle¡¯s eyes narrowed while Aurin smiled at him from across the battlefield. The younger tamer knew that in a hand-to-hand match, Steambot would outmatch Snowlem, so his Minakai was under strict instructions that if he was fighting Snowlem, he had to maintain as much hot water inside him as he could should Kyle try and freeze him. Snowlem was struggling as he tried to freeze the hot water. Still flexible, Steambot threw a double elbow into Snowlem¡¯s back, breaking his grip. Snowlem grabbed Snowlem by the wooden arms and spun him around in circles before releasing him into the wall. Before the dazed Snowlem could even look up, he was hit be another pressure cannon and knocked out of the battle. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± said Kyle with a slight chuckle upon seeing Steambot throwing out victorious poses to the cheering crowd. The rancher threw out his hand, summoning his last Minakai into battle. When his burst of steely-grey light vanished, a silver and gold metallic with glowing red eyes flapped in place. Kyle¡¯s Techwing unleashed a magnetic force, throwing Steambot onto his back. And with a beat of his wings, Techwing sent an assault of shrapnel at the supine water elemental. Already beaten down by his fight with Snowlem, Steambot struggled to get up. All it took to finish him off was a red-hot laser blast from Techwing¡¯s glowing eyes. He sprawled back onto the ground, motionless and Aurin sent him back to the ranch. ¡°What a final, folks!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Aurin and Kyle are both down to their final Minakai, so it¡¯s neck and neck. Only one of these incredibly strong contenders can come out on top and I couldn¡¯t even guess who it¡¯ll be.¡± ¡°Not the pairing I hoped for,¡± muttered Aurin under his breath as he threw out his own ball of grey light that materialised Gorunze on the grass. His bronze golem stood braced on his four blue-green legs with his topaz nails as sharp as razors. It would be a struggle to bring Techwing close, but Aurin knew that he would find a way. At close-range, the steel bird would be no match for Aurin¡¯s bronze beast. Sensing what Techwing was about to do, Gorunze hardened his skin and weathered the red-beamed laser blast. He returned fire with a yellow laser from his own eyes, but Techwing was quick enough to dive out of the way and then take to the skies, keeping far out of melee range of Gorunze. ¡°Head for the centre,¡± Aurin ordered and Gorunze complied, running to the middle of the battlefield while keeping his eyes focused on Techwing who stayed aloft and out of reach. ¡°Magnetism, full power!¡± Gorunze harnessed his elemental energy and tried to pull Techwing in, but he reversed his polarity and was instead repelled. Gorunze switched his own polarity to pull him in, but Techwing switched just as quickly. While Kyle¡¯s Minakai was focused on keeping away from Aurin¡¯s, Gorunze shot a laser blast as a distraction. Techwing swooped out of the way and Gorunze turned on his magnetism. There was a split second that Techwing remained perfectly still as the pull and push was even, giving Gorunze the chance to shoot another laser beam and clip the metallic bird¡¯s wing. In the distraction, Techwing was dragged down and Gorunze shot laser blast after laser blast, trying to cripple his opponent. Kyle and his Minakai were too savvy for this and Techwing spiralled out of the way and took to the skies again before Gorunze could gain any ground, but this showed Aurin that he had a path to victory. Techwing switched things up and went on the offensive, launching a barrage of steel spikes at Gorunze who zapped each of them out of the air. While Gorunze was defending himself, he didn¡¯t notice Techwing¡¯s eyes glowing redder than ever as he charged an immense laser. Upon the final spike being obliterated, Techwing unleashed his attack. Knowing he couldn¡¯t dodge in time, Gorunze retaliated with a beam of his own and the beams¡ªone red, one yellow¡ªcollided, but did not dissipate. There was an intense sparking of orange where the beams met that slid up and down the opposing forces. ¡°Everything you¡¯ve got!¡± called Aurin. ¡°You hit him with this and he¡¯s done!¡± Gorunze powered up his laser beam, but he was starting on shaky ground with Techwing¡¯s red line of energy being much closer to him than Gorunze¡¯s one was to Techwing. ¡°Agh,¡± grunted Kyle as the orange convergence started to move towards Techwing. He was regretting his Minakai hurling so many spikes and expending himself. ¡°Full power!¡± The ball of orange slid back and forth, but grew ever closer to the centre. When it finally crossed the centre, both tamers could see the likely outcome. In a bid of desperation, Techwing dropped, taking the force of the beam to his wing while shooting further spikes at the exhausted Gorunze. Too slow to react, he was pierced by three spikes and collapsed in a heap, knocking him out of the battle. Techwing crashed into the ground and the crowd waited with bated breath to see if either Minakai would move. Both tamers watched intently to see if there would be a stir from their monsters or if the match had ended in a draw. ¡°Caawwww,¡± came a metallic call from Techwing who slowly moved the wing that managed to avoid the laser. ¡°It¡¯s all over!¡± cried the announcer over the crowd. ¡°Our local rancher has just become the winner of the third Hazelton Tournament. And what a nail-biting finale that was, I need a handkerchief to wipe my forehead.¡± Aurin and Kyle walked to the centre of the battlefield. The younger tamer was impressed by how strongly Gorunze had performed against an aerial opponent of his own element, but he knew that it would be an uphill battle upon seeing Steambot fall to Techwing. ¡°That was far too close for my liking,¡± said Kyle, shaking Aurin¡¯s hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would even need to use Techwing in this battle.¡± ¡°You continue to underestimate me,¡± said Aurin with a grin. ¡°Or maybe I overestimate myself. Whatever the reason, you were excellent. A different team line-up and that might have been it for me.¡± ¡°Noted for Ludonia.¡± With a laugh, the pair walked over to the tamer box to await the battlefield being cleaned up and Lord Kensington to award Kyle his prize. Aurin would have been lying if he had said that he wasn¡¯t disappointed, but he would turn that into fuel that would drive him to the top at the national championships. There was still one more month to prepare and he wasn¡¯t going to waste a second of it. Chapter 179 ¡°Come on, come on,¡± urged Aurin as Kyle walked deliberately slowly from his house with the egg incubator in his hands. ¡°The more you order me to hurry up, the slower I will be,¡± said the rancher with a smirk. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll just hatch the egg tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± said Aurin with a scowl. ¡°Nah,¡± laughed Kyle. ¡°I want to know too.¡± He set the incubator on the ground and Luna passed him his prized egg from the tournament. Kyle carefully set it upon the incubator and pressed the button. The forcefield activated and the egg began to glow before cracking and emitting a steely-grey light. The form of the Minakai within the light was oddly small and round with a long nose, but from its back emerged an almost vapour-like glow, leaving Aurin confused. As the grey faded, he realised what Minakai the egg had contained. The spectral Minakai bore a solid mask and its form was purple and gaseous with a small trail flickering from behind; it was an undead metal-elemental called Maskmet. Aurin had faced its fully evolved form, Titamet, when training with Tobias in Briarwood. ¡°Very nice,¡± said Kyle, tapping a fingertip on Maskmet¡¯s mask. ¡°I¡¯ve never trained a Maskmet before and I don¡¯t have a strong array of metal elementals.¡± ¡°How many Minakai do you have?¡± asked Luna, putting a finger to her chin. ¡°Never enough,¡± joked Kyle. ¡°Nice dodge there, Kyle,¡± said Aurin with a stupid grin on his face. ¡°You are always free to walk through the ranch and see if you can remember which are mine and which aren¡¯t. For now, we¡¯re all opponents and I won¡¯t be reminding you until after the championships are over, Captain Second Place.¡± ¡°It was close!¡± barked Aurin. ¡°You were an inch from losing.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t lose, did I?¡± winked Kyle. ¡°No¡­¡± muttered Aurin, determined to have his revenge against his friend. Luna shook her head in exasperation. ¡°Why can¡¯t you two just be nice to each other?¡± ¡°We are nice to each other,¡± said Kyle, to which Aurin nodded. ¡°Good friends can tear into each other and laugh it off, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± laughed Aurin. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s fun to mock each other relentlessly.¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t understand you boys sometimes¡­¡± sighed Luna. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve got plenty of Ludonia preparation to do and that begins immediately.¡± ¡°Immediately?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Immediately,¡± confirmed Luna, holding up her tamer glover. ¡°I¡¯ve got lots of work to do and maybe even a couple of evolutions to perform.¡± ¡°Evolutions would be a good idea,¡± said Aurin, reaching into his pocket and making sure he had a Solar Shard handy. Luna summoned Innogon to her side. ¡°Ready to go, Inno?¡± she asked the blue drake, who jumped up and down excitedly while yapping. ¡°Go?¡± asked Aurin and Kyle in unison. ¡°We¡¯re competitors, aren¡¯t we?¡± asked Luna. ¡°High stakes and all that, right? Well, I¡¯ve been devising a training plan to make sure that I can pulverise you two when we inevitably fight again. It¡¯s an intense regime and I¡¯m sticking to it, but that means I won¡¯t be around Hazelton for the next week or two.¡± ¡°Next week or two?¡± asked a shocked Aurin. Kyle raised an eyebrow. ¡°If you¡¯re sticking to your training schedule, then you would surely know if it¡¯s one or two weeks.¡± Luna rolled her eyes and gently squeezed her forehead. ¡°It¡¯s two weeks, alright? I¡¯ll be gone for two weeks. Honestly, Kyle, you don¡¯t need to be so pernickety about these things.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°What can I say?¡± shrugged Kyle. ¡°I just love winding the pair of you up and defeating you in Minakai battles.¡± ¡°Hush!¡± scolded Luna. ¡°Where are you going?¡± asked Aurin curiously, this being the first he had heard of any such training plan. ¡°Top secret, my sweet,¡± said Luna, tapping him on the cheek with her palm and sticking out my tongue. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, all will be revealed after I¡¯m the winner of the national championships.¡± She gave Aurin a hug and patted Shamtile on the head. ¡°I¡¯ll see you all soon. There better be no slacking with your own training!¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of slacking,¡± chuckled Aurin. ¡°Take care, alright?¡± Luna and Innogon waved farewell as they headed back down the ranch path and out of sight. Her departure felt very sudden, but Aurin trusted that she had a solid plan in mind and didn¡¯t want to miss the final battle of the Hazelton tournament before leaving. ¡°What¡¯s your training plan, Kyle?¡± Aurin asked the rancher. ¡°I¡¯m going to call in a secret weapon to make sure I¡¯m whipped back into top fighting shape,¡± said Kyle. ¡°You think I was tough today? Just wait until you see me at my peak power level.¡± ¡°I bet that secret weapon is Hunter, Tobias or Clarke.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even start guessing because I¡¯m giving nothing away, my friend. You, on the other hand, have already given away your game plan. Vai¡¯s expecting you tomorrow, you know that?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I¡¯ll be setting off in an hour or two.¡± ¡°Are you going to ride on Skrow?¡± ¡°I am, but I need to take care of something first.¡± ¡°Well, while you do that, I¡¯m going to start feeding the Minakai. I¡¯ll let you away with cleaning out just your own pen today.¡± ¡°Much appreciated,¡± said Aurin, clapping Kyle on the back and walking into the pens with Shamtile hopping along beside him, waving his arms enthusiastically. The masked lizard was very much looking forward to training away from Hazelton, even though he had a miserable time of it training in snowy Briarwood. Aurin stepped inside his pen where his Minakai were waiting. Steambot and Gorunze were resting up and looked surprised to see Shamtile with such high levels of energy after the intense battle no more than two hours ago. They, however, had not had the earth elemental¡¯s secret recovery food¡ªa banana milkshake. ¡°Team,¡± said Aurin to his team of fourteen, ¡°you have all made me very proud. We¡¯ve secured our place in the national championships two years in a row, and it¡¯s thanks to your efforts. The competition this year was very tough and you all pulled through, so thank you.¡± The Minakai were all brimming with enthusiasm and elicited a cacophony of calls. Even Dolissile joined in with an echoing whistle. ¡°We¡¯ve got a month until we stand before the crowd and fight with all of our might. I have no doubt you all remember Tobias, but to be honoured with a true battle against him, we need to steamroll our competition along the way. I don¡¯t believe we¡¯re ready yet, but at the end of these four weeks, we will be.¡± The Minakai roared, howled, squealed and screeched in agreement, determined to give their maximum effort. ¡°Quetz,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Flap your way over here, please. You have earned a reward for all of your hard work recently.¡± Quetz fluttered her wings and landed in front of Aurin, hissing with excitement as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a Solar Shard. He leaned down and pressed the magical evolutionary shard onto her sleek scales and watched as she glowed a deep yellow. The sky serpent¡¯s body lengthened and became thicker while her fangs protruded longer, now much sharper than before. Her wings thickened, enlarging to the size of her body, and grew more feathery. As the glow faded, the one red ring around Quetz¡¯s tail became three red rings. ¡°Feeling strong, Quetzel?¡± Aurin asked his newly evolved Minakai. Quetzel beat her wings and took to the sky, pirouetting on the way back down and conjuring up a gust of wind to test her strength. Most of Aurin¡¯s lighter Minakai toppled over, while the heavier ones braced themselves. ¡°That sounds like a yes to me,¡± chortled Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m going to pack up and then we take to the skies, alright? I¡¯ll be riding on Skrow, but you can follow alongside.¡± Aurin and Shamtile left the pen and headed towards Kyle¡¯s house. Aurin ordered Shamtile to retrieve the Zeera egg from its underground hiding place while Aurin headed inside and hastily threw some clothes into his backpack. He knew he should have packed the previous evening, but was too excited for the battle. ¡°Good enough,¡± he said, slinging the backpack over his shoulder and walking back outside. He dropped his pack on the porch beside Shamtile who stood watch over the Zeera egg, looking continually left and right to make sure nobody dared approach. Aurin grabbed a shovel and headed into the pen to clean up his monsters¡¯ dung. He made very quick work of this, wheelbarrowing it off for compost, and headed back to Shamtile with Skrow and Quetzel by his side. ¡°The egg good and safe, mate?¡± Aurin asked, to which Shamtile nodded and waved his arms furiously. ¡°Good job. If Quetzel doesn¡¯t mind, you can ride on her back.¡± Quetzel cooed and hissed in approval and Shamtile immediately leapt onto her, wrapping his arms around her neck. Aurin stuffed Zeera¡¯s egg inside his backpack with his clothes and put both straps over his arms. He then climbed onto Skrow, who beats his wings and took to the skies. Aurin and Shamtile flew above the ranch on Skrow and Quetzel, watching it shrink beneath them and the Minakai living there becoming nothing but multi-coloured dots upon the grass and in the river. The four headed west, flying past the mountain and heading towards the western valleys where they were due to meet Vai the following morning. Chapter 180 Aurin and Skrow aimed straight for the brown grass at the top of the cliff overlooking the deep valley. Standing at the cliff edge, staring up to the skies was a bald man with a thick ash-brown beard. The man was wearing a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a white tank top with a travelling cloak draped over his shoulders that flowed in the breeze. As Aurin and Skrow descended¡ªShamtile and Quetzel having returned to the ranch via their summoning stones the previous night¡ªVai held out a hand in greeting. Upon reaching the cliff edge, Aurin climbed from Skrow¡¯s back and shook hands with Kyle¡¯s old friend, pleased to have finally had the chance to meet him. ¡°Welcome to Gwent Valley, Aurin,¡± said Vai in his gruff voice. ¡°I bet you¡¯ve never seen this side of western Bretonia, lad, have you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time flying out this far,¡± admitted Aurin, looking over the edge of the cliff and into the grassland and forest where a twisting river ran through. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± ¡°And chilly,¡± added Vai with a laugh, ¡°but Kyle tells me you¡¯ve trained in Briarwood so this should feel warm in comparison, especially in the summer sun.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what the conditions are, I¡¯m ready to train.¡± ¡°Good, because we start right away.¡± ¡°No lunch?¡± asked a shocked Aurin. ¡°Lunch? It¡¯s half ten in the morning. You don¡¯t need lunch, lad.¡± Aurin could feel his stomach devouring itself but he decided it best not to argue back. Perhaps he could cook up Zeera¡¯s egg if he wasn¡¯t able to find a way to hatch it. Suddenly, it occurred to him that half the reason he brought it here was because Kyle suggested that Vai could help him with it. ¡°Ah,¡± said Vai with a satisfied smile upon Aurin taking the former tower guardian¡¯s egg from his bag. ¡°This is the one, is it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Aurin, holding it out carefully and examining the pattern resembling Zeera¡¯s body that covered the shell. ¡°How much has Kyle told you about it?¡± ¡°Everything that he knows, I know. The beast inside was once the scourge of Hazelton before you triggered its reincarnation.¡± ¡°Reincarnation?¡± asked Aurin, furrowing his brow. ¡°Yes, I suppose that¡¯s an apt way to describe it. The only problem is that I don¡¯t know how to give him the chance to be born again.¡± ¡°Patience. I want to see how you handle the Minakai you¡¯ve already had time to train. Let that Skrow of yours rest and summon a Minakai.¡± ¡°What one?¡± ¡°Any.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± shrugged Aurin, telling Skrow to find somewhere to perch before raising his tamer glove. He already had Shamtile¡¯s stone at the ready so he summoned his favourite Minakai to his side. ¡°Ready, mate?¡± Shamtile screeched in agreement and danced excitedly, waiting for an opponent to appear. When the masked lizard noticed Vai standing with his arms folded, he cocked his head to the side and slapped the more experienced tamer on the knee. ¡°You are not battling,¡± said Vai, chuckling at Shamtile. ¡°Show me something good. Anything.¡± Shamtile looked to Aurin who signalled with his eyes to the far side of the valley. Even with the mask concealing his face, Shamtile looked nervous but Aurin knew that his companion could pull off what he had in mind. Vai, meanwhile, let out a small side smile. The masked lizard raised his arms and shook them from side to side, picking up speed with each sway. He let out a high-pitched, warbling screech and, from the cliff, shot a large outcropping of stone. It extended from Shamtile¡¯s side of the valley for over two hundred yards, joining with the far cliff and forming a bridge over the valley. ¡°Very nice,¡± said Vai, nodding as he admired the bridge. ¡°Not an easy task to perform and not an easy bridge to maintain, especially without any support pillars.¡± Vai walked across the bridge, catching Aurin and Shamtile off guard. Aurin¡¯s Minakai had intended on retracting the bridge, but now he had to fight to keep it in place with his elemental magic. If he slipped and the bridge collapsed, Vai¡ªwho stopped in the centre¡ªwould no doubt fall to his death. ¡°This adds to the view,¡± called Vai, looking to the river below. ¡°I know this moment is fleeting, but I would like to see just how long it can last.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Shamtile was starting to struggle and held his arms out, focusing all of his power on keeping the bridge stable. He was starting to wish Aurin hadn¡¯t asked him to do something so strenuous. ¡°Keep it together, mate,¡± said Aurin, watching his Minakai¡¯s arms shake. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you do amazing things when we¡¯re in a pinch. This is nothing to you, alright?¡± Shamtile wished he believed Aurin but nonetheless he tried with all of his might to hold steady. Vai turned to face the lizard from a hundred yards away and watched intently as Shamtile put everything he had into protecting his life. The bridge started to rumble as Shamtile was nearing his limit. Yet Vai remained standing in the centre, unwilling to take as much as a single step forward. Aurin was starting to sweat, praying that his friend could hold strong. This was what Vai wanted; high stakes. It was high stakes that would force Shamtile to go beyond what he thought possible and it was working. Slowly, the shaking of the bridge grew more vigorous yet it remained in place without a single rock falling. A flicker of weakness would send one into the beautiful abyss below and would cascade as the rest collapsed, but Shamtile was not going to let that happen. Vai placed his fingers into his mouth and let out a piercing whistle that echoed throughout the land. From out of nowhere, flew a golden Quetzalia. It soared towards Vai, who grabbed onto its tail. The second his feet left the bridge, Shamtile pulled his hands up and over his head, sending the stone from the bridge speeding straight back into the cliff from whence it came. The masked lizard fell onto the wispy, dry grass, panting heavily as Vai landed back on the edge of the cliff and his Quetzalia flew back into the skies. ¡°Very interesting,¡± he said to Aurin as he watched Shamtile¡¯s chest heaving up and down rapidly. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s very strong,¡± said Aurin. ¡°No,¡± said Vai with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s what he chose to retract the bridge rather than let it fall. That took further strength. He pushed himself to his limit, went beyond and then beyond even that. He¡¯s really quite something. He has innate potential, I have no doubt, but it takes a lot of training to be manifest that as capability. And not just any training, might I add. It takes good training.¡± Aurin reached out to Shamtile and pulled the little Minakai back to his feet. ¡°Good job, mate,¡± he said before turning back to Vai. ¡°I got him more than two and a half years ago and ever since we arrived in Hazelton a little over two years ago, we¡¯ve been training almost every day. With Kyle, with Tobias, by ourselves¡­we¡¯ve worked tirelessly to get where we are now.¡± ¡°And now I am certain that you will be able to handle the challenge that is an epic-level Minakai. It won¡¯t be easy, but you will be able to harness Zeera¡¯s power rather than let such a beast overwhelm you. Now, I¡¯m curious about more of your Minakai. Summon two more.¡± Aurin took out two more summoning stones¡ªone steely grey and another emerald green¡ªand focused his will into them. In two distinct flashes of light, appeared Dolissile and Desparee. Both Minakai had expected to be summoned before long and were looking energised for whatever lay in store. ¡°Make them fight and let me see what they can do,¡± said Vai. ¡°There is no need to go all-out, perhaps seventy-five percent will suffice.¡± ¡°You heard the man,¡± Aurin told his Minakai, unsure how they would measure seventy-five percent. ¡°Fight hard but don¡¯t break each other. Show him a range of what you can do.¡± The overly-emotional Desparee wept at the prospect of battling his stoic friend, but Dolissile had no such qualms and charged into the nature elemental¡¯s chest, knocking him onto the ground and making him roll over a few times towards the edge of the cliff. ¡°Careful!¡± called Aurin as Desparee stood up with sap tears running down his face. Desparee retaliated with a nature beam as Dolissile rolled aside in mid-air and sent out a pulse, knocking Desparee further back. As he wobbled inches from the cliff edge, Desparee conjured vines from the ground and pulled himself forward and got well out of the way of the danger zone. Dolissile charged in for another quick attack, but Desparee hurled sharp leaves that cut into the dolphin¡¯s metallic exoskeleton and forcing him off course. Recovering quickly, Dolissile spun around and torpedoed towards Desparee while his fin glowed bright blue. Desparee leapt aside but his arm was cut deeply by the attack, rendering him unable to even flex his fingers. With a single arm, he let out a wail of anguish and used his wild despair to bring a relentless assault of vines, roots and leaves from the ground that beat Dolissile mercilessly. Mustering up strength, the dolphin hardened himself like titanium and took the brunt of the attack until Desparee¡¯s strength waned. Once the vines and roots retracted into the soil, Dolissile sped towards Desparee who charged a weak nature beam in one hand, ready to deliver a final strike to his charging teammate. ¡°Stop the battle,¡± Vai said to Aurin. ¡°Stop!¡± the tamer ordered and his Minakai immediately ceased their attacks. Dolissile stuttered to a halt in mid-air as Desparee¡¯s nature beam dissipated within his hand. ¡°They¡¯re good Minakai, Aurin,¡± said Vai, clapping at Dolissile and Desparee. ¡°They¡¯re very skilled but there are a few refinements that can be made to their form and techniques. I even have a couple of unorthodox ideas that may give you an edge when you¡¯re in a tight spot.¡± ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± ¡°Well,¡± said Vai, walking up to Desparee and grabbing the nature elemental¡¯s wrists. He pulled Desparee¡¯s hands up and turned them slowly. ¡°I¡¯m going to start with Desparee here. You see these hands? They¡¯re good and strong hands that are occupied when he¡¯s using a nature beam technique. How about we work on the ability to use that attack from another part of his body so his hands can be used for something else?¡± Vai released Desparee and walked over to Dolissile who stared emotionlessly at the experienced tamer. ¡°As for this Dolissile. There is great speed and power in him, that much is clear, but I¡¯ve heard from Kyle that you¡¯ve yet to perfect a kamikaze attack that doesn¡¯t completely cripple him. Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± admitted Aurin. ¡°We¡¯ve been working on it, but can¡¯t get it right.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re going to get it right under my tutelage. It¡¯s a dangerous technique, which you obviously know, but it¡¯s worth getting right. It¡¯s immensely powerful and always manages to catch an opponent off-guard. Are you ready to start right away?¡± ¡°Lunch can wait,¡± said Aurin, making Shamtile yelp in discontent. ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡± Chapter 181 ¡°Split your focus between your fists and your body,¡± ordered Aurin as Zenoman attacked Gorunze, whose eyes were glowing yellow. ¡°Don¡¯t neglect your Gorunze,¡± said Vai. ¡°Remember what we talked about.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Aurin, turning to Gorunze. ¡°Your nails are made of the same crystal as your eyes. Use them!¡± Gorunze reared up, standing on his hind legs as he unleashed his laser beam at Zenoman¡¯s body while swiping away the flying fists that were gunning for him. Zenoman was able to maintain his attack and still had enough control of his body to avoid the laser beams, but his fists did not fare as well and two of them were badly cut by Gorunze¡¯s topaz nails. ¡°That will do for now,¡± said Vai and Aurin called off the battle between his Minakai. He had spent the entire previous afternoon showcasing his many Minakai and their capabilities to Vai, who then focused on teaching Desparee how to harness a nature beam from his mouth, leaving his hands free for hand-to-hand combat. The nature elemental adapted to it surprisingly well, morning had been dedicated to perfecting Dolissile¡¯s kamikaze attack. The dolphin had injured himself many times over, leaving Sunny to heal him, but they were both too spent to keep training so Vai focused on other Minakai in the meantime after he and Aurin had taken a break for lunch. ¡°Sunny, you¡¯re up,¡± said Aurin and the little cloud-like egg twirled along happily, healing Zenoman and Gorunze¡¯s injuries. ¡°You¡¯re already coming along well,¡± said Vai, walking over to a large rock and sitting atop it with his legs crossed and his arms folded. ¡°Kyle was right about you, Aurin. You¡¯ve got a real knack for this. If you¡¯d become a pencil-pusher, you¡¯d have been wasting your talent.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± said Aurin, flopping down on the grass. ¡°Can you tell my mother that?¡± ¡°Are you happy with how your training is going?¡± asked Vai. ¡°Yes¡­¡± said Aurin but something else was on his mind. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°The training is going well and I know there¡¯s a lot more ground to cover, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have time to hatch Zeera and make sure he¡¯s trained up enough to use effectively in the tournament.¡± ¡°And you think you need Zeera to win?¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. Give me another couple of years and probably not, but it¡¯s impossible to deny that a well-trained Minakai of that calibre would give me an edge.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± said Vai, standing up and hopping down from the rock. ¡°What?¡± asked Aurin in shock, thinking Vai would be much harder to persuade than that. ¡°Let¡¯s go and see what we can do about that egg.¡± ¡°Y-yes,¡± said Aurin, clambering to his feet and rushing to retrieve the egg that Shamtile was sitting atop. Vai walked towards the path that led to both the north and to the south. The north road led to a small cabin that Vai lived and to the south, well, Aurin did not know where it led but it was the direction that Vai was now walking. ¡°You¡¯re wearing hiking boots, right?¡± Vai asked. ¡°No,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Oh,¡± said the skilled trainer with a hearty chuckle. ¡°Expect a few blisters then, Aurin. I won¡¯t think less of you if you ride on your Skrow or Quetzel for a while.¡± ¡°I can deal with blisters.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the correct answer,¡± said Vai, slapping Aurin on the shoulder and marching on ahead, leaving the younger tamer to follow him along the path through the hills. They walked through the afternoon and into the evening with the summer sun warming them while the breeze cooled them right back down. The journey was easy until they veered from the path an hour in, but as they wandered through dense pines and overgrown foliage, Aurin found himself struggling more. He was reminded of his journey to Snowpeak Tower with Tobias. The journey through the thick snow was shorter, but the more difficult terrain made it seem longer than it was. This journey was filled with bursts of intensity followed by a few minutes of easier walking. As the orange sky watched over them, Vai and Aurin approached a small square ruin that looked like it could have been a temple many centuries ago. The stone bricks had been beaten and broken by the elements over years and precious few of them remained intact. Even still, it was a pleasant sight to behold and Aurin was curious as to why Vai had brought him here of all places.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Go ahead and ask,¡± said Vai, seeing the look on Aurin¡¯s face. ¡°What secret does this ruin hold?¡± ¡°Heh,¡± grunted Vai with a smirk. ¡°This was once called Sule Scrin, but when you update the language it becomes quite literally the Earth Shrine. I still like to call it Sule Scrin because there are a few places like this in other parts of the world so calling them all Earth Shrines loses part of the charm, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I suppose so,¡± said Aurin, not sure what Vai was expecting him to say. ¡°I¡¯m a history buff, my friend,¡± said Vai heartily. ¡°I know that what you really want to know is how it will help you with that egg. Well, the secret lies up there.¡± Vai pointed to a rounded platform in the centre of the grass that had replaced the once-stone floor of the temple. He strolled over to it and stood dead centre, waiting for Aurin to join him. Upon following, Aurin could see a number of old runes upon the stone circle, many of which had been filled in by soil and moss. In the centre of the circle was the image of a monster tower and a large egg at the top of it. The pattern carved on the egg was almost identical to that of the Zeera egg in Aurin¡¯s arms. ¡°What now?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°You¡¯ll want Shamtile for this,¡± said Vai. Aurin held out his tamer glove and summoned Shamtile from the training spot by the cliff edge. As the brownish-orange light disappeared, Shamtile looked from side to side in confusion. He then stared at his tamer and shrugged, wondering why he had been called. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine, Sham,¡± said Aurin, looking to Vai. Vai squatted low and looked straight into Shamtile¡¯s eyes through the holes in the Minakai¡¯s mask. ¡°Can you sense it?¡± Shamtile placed his hands upon the stone circle where he and the two tamers stood and concentrated. He slowly started to nod. ¡°Take us to it if you would be so kind,¡± said Vai. Shamtile stood up and held his hands high. He focused and the circle started turning, making Aurin flinch. As the platform rotated, it descended underground, revealing a long vertical tunnel that had been underneath the whole time. It wasn¡¯t long before the circle stopped turning, revealing a stone archway up ahead where there was a glowing orange light. Vai gestured towards the light and Aurin walked ahead, stepping through the archway. He emerged into a chamber that was no more than thirty feet wide and thirty feet long. It was illuminated by crystals in the wall that were emitting the orange light, but they also revealed something else in the room. Sitting at the far side was a podium, not too dissimilar to the one at the top of Harmony Tower, but without the glowing golden light. ¡°Here we are,¡± said Vai as he and Shamtile followed Aurin into the room. ¡°If you believe you¡¯re ready to hatch your Zeera, then this is where you need to be.¡± ¡°How is anybody expected to know this is here?¡± asked Aurin, looking around the chamber in awe. ¡°Very few know about Sule Scrin, but it isn¡¯t the only method of hatching an epic earth elemental egg. It is, however, the best option for you. It pays to have friends like Kyle who has friends like me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure,¡± laughed Aurin, his eyes now fixed on the podium. ¡°I can¡¯t believe how na?ve I was¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Vai. ¡°When I first travelled to Hazelton, I had this grand idea that I would be the first person to conquer Harmony Tower in his first run. It would be me and Shamtile storming through the floors until we reached the top. I didn¡¯t know a thing.¡± ¡°Na?ve, maybe, but optimism and determination are good things. Do you know what else is a good thing to have a healthy dose of?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Shame.¡± ¡°Shame?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Vai with certainty. ¡°Being ashamed or embarrassed by past foolishness is what can spur you to excel. That memory coming into your head in a moment like this shows that you¡¯ve wanted nothing more than to surpass yourself. You¡¯ve done that day in and day out, bringing you right here. To the place where you can hatch an epic Minakai. That¡¯s something that precious few people ever do.¡± Aurin nodded at Shamtile who nodded back. ¡°Yes, I think you¡¯re right. We¡¯ve strived hard to prove ourselves ever since that day.¡± ¡°Out of curiosity, how far did you get?¡± ¡°The end of the first floor.¡± Vai let out an involuntary laugh before realising Aurin was serious. ¡°That is a bad performance.¡± ¡°We were jumped¡­but¡­never mind. No excuses, we should have been able to handle that tamer.¡± Vai cleared his throat. ¡°Moving swiftly along,¡± he said, gesturing towards the podium. ¡°If you want to hatch Zeera, place his egg on the shrine.¡± Aurin looked at the egg in his hands. The power of such a mighty monster was contained in such a small thing. It was hard to believe. What was even hard to believe that he was on the cusp of having to train such a powerful beast. Was he ready? He didn¡¯t know, but he wanted to find out. He walked over the podium with Shamtile scurrying along behind him. He placed the egg in the curved indent in the podium and then took a step back. He watched and he waited for something to happen, but nothing did. He looked over his shoulder at Vai. ¡°Ah, yes. This is the other reason you need an earth elemental. You need a powerful earth attack to crack the egg.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t that hurt the Minakai inside?¡± Vai raised an eyebrow. ¡°Have I steered you wrong in the admittedly small amount of time you¡¯ve known me?¡± ¡°You heard the man, Shamtile,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Conjure up a rock and bash that shell.¡± Shamtile hopped up and down excitedly for a few seconds before stopping and focusing. He raised his arms and swayed them back and forth, conjuring an earthen spear that materialised from nothing above his head. Shamtile threw his arms forward and the spear was flung at the egg that rested in the podium. As the spear collided with the egg, it was smashed into a dozen pieces of stone, leaving a crack in the egg. No more than a second later, the egg glowed the familiar deep orange and a form began to materialise above the podium. The shape of the large bipedal reptile that was Zeera was clear, right down to the spike protruding from the back of its head and the horn above its nose. As the light faded and the grey scales and blue segmented underbelly of the dinosaur were revealed, he dropped to the ground in front of the podium. The beast¡¯s eyes were closed as he slowly moved his arms, growing accustomed to having a body. As Zeera twisted and flexed his neck, he opened its eyes and stared at the tamer before him. Aurin was relieved to see that he was ten feet tall, as a Zeera should be, and not so large that he would break through the chamber ceiling and stride across the land in a couple of steps. That relief suddenly vanished as the dinosaur¡¯s mouth curled into a sneer and it let out a roar that shook the room. Chapter 182 Aurin felt a bead of sweat drip down his head as the rumbling of Zeera¡¯s roar subsided. He hoped that his new Minakai was simply testing his lungs, but he knew that he was wrong. That was made abundantly clear when the large dinosaur swung at him. As he threw himself backwards to avoid the sharp purple nails that swept through the air, he saw a stone wall, courtesy of Shamtile emerge. The masked lizard had tried to defend his tamer and was crouched low, ready to pounce at Zeera should his new teammate attack again. ¡°Stand down!¡± Aurin ordered as he climbed back to his feet. Zeera roared in return and strode towards him, but Shamtile leapt in front of Aurin and let out a warbling screech to ward off his fellow reptile. ¡°I command you to stop!¡± roared Aurin. Zeera was not to be deterred and lunged for Aurin once again, but Shamtile coated his fists in stone and blocked the attack as Aurin moved away. Seeing that Shamtile was not simply the tiny pest that the reborn tower guardian had first suspect, he turned his attention towards the small magical lizard. ¡°Vai?¡± asked Aurin as Shamtile conjured up boulders and hurled them at Zeera to hinder the swinging monster. ¡°He¡¯s your Minakai,¡± replied Vai nonchalantly. ¡°Shamtile,¡± said Aurin firmly. ¡°Beat him into submission.¡± Aurin was adamant that he would show this unruly beast who was truly the master and Shamtile was more than happy to see the job done. He coated himself in stone armour and turned his fists into rocky spikes, slipping underneath the powerful claws of Zeera and stabbing him in the leg. The beast let out a roar of pain as Shamtile drew the spike out and then stabbed him again. He had yet to fully harness his elemental powers and Shamtile knew that he had a great advantage because of it. He opened up a hole in the floor and Zeera fell into it. With only his head above the pit, Shamtile closed it tightly around him, burying his hostile teammate in the ground. The masked lizard turned the spiked fists into boulder-like fists and started relentlessly punching Zeera in the face. Once he recovered from the unexpected painful sensation, Zeera roared so powerfully that the force of Zeera¡¯s breath knocked Shamtile onto the ground. With his eyes glowing orange, Zeera tore its arms free from the ground and reached for Shamtile. He threw the Minakai across the chamber, where the little lizard hit the wall with a heavy crash, shattering his stone armour. Zeera¡¯s eyes ceased their glow and he pulled himself free from the hole, stomping his way over to the disoriented Shamtile. ¡°You can always summon more Minakai,¡± said Vai. ¡°No,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Shamtile can do this.¡± ¡°Even a newborn Zeera is a force to be reckoned with.¡± ¡°I said no.¡± Vai smiled in satisfaction at this response, pleased that Aurin wasn¡¯t open to suggestions on the matter. ¡°Good,¡± he muttered quietly, but Aurin didn¡¯t hear him as he was so focused on the battle between his two earth elementals. Shamtile had leapt out of the way of the stomping feet of the heavier Zeera, diving underneath his legs and grabbing onto the epic Minakai¡¯s tail. Zeera slammed his tail against the wall and the ground, back and forth, trying to dislodge Shamtile. After a few nasty bashes, Shamtile fell off and rolled across the chamber. With glowing eyes and a disgruntled roar, Zeera¡¯s clawed hands became coated in stone with his long nails protruding longer and sharper than ever. He stampeded towards Shamtile and swiped at him, one of his nails cutting the lizard¡¯s side. Shamtile squealed as he ducked and dived each of Zeera¡¯s strikes.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Knowing that he would tire if he had to keep this up, Shamtile sought cover behind the egg podium. Zeera wasn¡¯t to be deterred and ran after the little lizard, reaching out for him while avoiding the column, but to his surprise, Shamtile was not there. Instead, there was a hole where the little lizard should have been. Shamtile sprang up from underground and grabbed onto Zeera¡¯s tail once again. The large Minakai tried again to shake Shamtile off, but he had used Zeera¡¯s spikes as pegs to pull himself up like he had gone rock climbing. He quickly climbed all to the way to the dinosaur¡¯s head. A large boulder appeared above Zeera and was dropped forcefully onto his nose, making the beast let out a loud yelp as he wobbled across the floor of the chamber. Shamtile knew that now was the time to be unrelenting and made the ground shake, sending Zeera off balance and to the floor. As Zeera tried to right himself, Shamtile stomped his own feet upon the stone and waved his arms, dislodging the ground and making it rapidly rise through the air, crushing Zeera between the pillar of earth and the hard ceiling. Shamtile held tightly as Zeera struggled, trying to break free. ¡°You will do as I say,¡± said Aurin. ¡°You are the beast and I am your master. Do you understand?¡± Zeera continued to roar and shout as though having a tantrum. ¡°Do you understand?¡± barked Aurin. Suddenly, Zeera ceased his struggling and gave a reluctant grunt of acceptance. There was no way of knowing for sure if he was bluffing to be released, but Aurin decided to give him the chance. ¡°Shamtile, lower the pillar back into the ground,¡± he told the masked lizard, who complied. Once back on the same level as the two humans and Shamtile, Zeera climbed to his feet and marched over to Aurin. He stared at his tamer, who stared straight back unflinchingly despite the massive strength difference between them. With flared nostrils and a heavy snort, Zeera bowed his head to his master. ¡°I¡¯m glad we¡¯ve reached an understanding,¡± said Aurin, trying to hide his relief. ¡°You are powerful, Zeera, that much is clear, but I will train you until you¡¯re more powerful than you can comprehend. We are going to work in synergy and conquer challenge after challenge, opponent after opponent. This is not me against you, this is us working as a team to maximise our potential.¡± Zeera grunted acceptingly. ¡°What you understand is power, right? I am your way to power.¡± Aurin held out a clear stone and placed it against Zeera¡¯s chest. He focused his mental energy on the attuning magic of the summoning stone and cast the spell. A small wisp of energy was drawn from Zeera, binding his being to his master¡¯s summoning stone, turning it brownish-orange. Aurin removed the stone and slotted it into his tamer glove where it clicked in place. He looked up at the dinosaur who was standing patiently before him. ¡°For the time being, you¡¯re bound to this shrine and I can call upon you at-will. When we are training, you are to do exactly as I say. If you show me any disobedience, I will send you straight back here. Do you understand?¡± Zeera gave his master a sneer and his left eye was twitching as though he was trying hard to restrain himself from mauling Aurin, but he nonetheless nodded and let out a low roar of agreement. ¡°Good,¡± said Aurin, turning to Vai. ¡°Shall we make our way back?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Vai, leading the way through the archway. Aurin followed, but kept his head turned so that he never lost sight of Zeera while Shamtile walked backwards to do the same. Aurin, Shamtile and Vai stood upon the stone platform bearing the egg and Shamtile used his magic to make it rotate and ascend back to the surface where the sun was almost completely sunken behind the hills. As he breathed in the fresh air, Aurin felt incredibly relieved to have passed his first test with Zeera, but he knew there would be a lot more to come. He would have to work to earn Zeera¡¯s trust and loyalty. ¡°You picked up exactly on what you needed to,¡± said Vai, sensing Aurin¡¯s thoughts. ¡°You understood that what a Minakai of such power trusts in is power itself. Good job.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± said Aurin with a smile. ¡°Not just for what you said, but for showing me Sule Scrin and teaching me how to hatch Zeera¡¯s egg.¡± ¡°It¡¯s always good to pass on knowledge to the next generation,¡± said Vai, clapping Aurin on the shoulder. ¡°I have three sons of my own, all a couple of years older than you. I¡¯ve taught them everything I reasonably can and they¡¯re off on their own missions of discovery, so I¡¯m always looking for someone else to teach.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m very grateful. It¡¯s actually quite funny. Some of the most skilled tamers I know are the most helpful.¡± Vai chortled. ¡°What, you thought tamers like me would be too arrogant to want to deal with riffraff like you?¡± ¡°More or less,¡± chuckled Aurin. ¡°It¡¯s another thing I¡¯ve been very wrong about and I¡¯m glad to have been wrong about.¡± ¡°At least you¡¯ve wised up, boy. Let¡¯s get moving.¡± ¡°Nothing like a night stroll to end a good day.¡± ¡°Stroll?¡± asked Vai, holding up a summoning stone and bringing forth his Quetzalia. He climbed on its back and took to the skies as Aurin and Shamtile stared on. ¡°Shall we race him?¡± Aurin asked the lizard who nodded furiously. Without a moment to waste, Aurin summoned Skrow and he and Shamtile hopped onto the black bird¡¯s back and took to the skies, chasing after Vai and Quetzalia. Both of the flying Minakai sped as fast as they could towards Vai¡¯s cabin. Chapter 183 ¡°Zeera, you don¡¯t need to break the wall with your claws,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Use your elemental magic.¡± The mighty beast focused intently on the thick wall Shamtile had erected from the ground. Zeera¡¯s biggest weakness was controlling the earth element. He either did not use enough strength or used far too much. There was very little in between and Aurin was desperately trying to teach him how to use the exact amount of force that he needed. It had been five days since Aurin had hatched Zeera in Sule Scrin but it felt much longer. He had been juggling trying to whip Zeera into shape while also training his other Minakai with Vai. Any attempts to have Zeera train with monsters other than Shamtile were in vain as the masked lizard was the only one of his teammates Zeera showed even a hint of respect for. Aurin surmised that it was because of Shamtile¡¯s beatdown of him, but he didn¡¯t think it was right to have each member of his team take it in turns to attack their newest comrade. Zeera braced himself and swung his arm through the air, tearing the wall down without as much as a nail touching it. Shamtile screeched loudly and jumped for joy while Zeera stood there, not sure whether to be proud or not. ¡°Nicely done,¡± Aurin told the dinosaur who remained stoic in the face of praise. ¡°He¡¯ll warm up to you eventually,¡± said Vai before muttering under his breath. ¡°Possibly.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± said Aurin, turning to the ten-foot-tall dinosaur. ¡°I believe once he sees how we can dominate our competition that we¡¯ll take a few strides in the right direction. The first step for that is to get ourselves into Harmony Tower.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been nice having some company all the way out here,¡± said Vai. ¡°Not that I live here all the time.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Heavens, no!¡± yelled the wise tamer. ¡°What a lonely existence that would be. No, I live in a village a dozen miles to the north. This is where I come to train¡­or if I need to train someone, as is the case with you.¡± ¡°Well, I appreciate everything you¡¯ve done for me,¡± said Aurin, holding out a hand. ¡°I can¡¯t express my gratitude enough.¡± ¡°Express it by blowing your foes out of the water,¡± said Vai, shaking Aurin¡¯s hand. ¡°If you¡¯re about Ludonia, it would be great to see you at the tournament.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a nice offer, Aurin, but I prefer to stay away from official competitions. It takes away some of the mysticism of Minakai for me.¡± ¡°And you still didn¡¯t mind training me for the national championships?¡± asked a surprised Aurin. ¡°The skills are transferable, my friend. You can use them in competitive battles, friendly skirmishes, in the towers¡­you name it, you can use it. Your Minakai are all a lot more adaptable than they were a week ago and the national championships will only be scratching the surface for you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, of course. I was so focused on the tournament that it didn¡¯t occur to me.¡± ¡°Focus is good when a grand event looms over you, but it¡¯s also good to take a step back and see the bigger picture.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± said Aurin, summoning Quetzel as his steed for the journey home. ¡°Ready to go?¡± he asked the golden serpent, who hissed contentedly at him. ¡°Sounds like a yes,¡± said Vai. ¡°Safe travels, Aurin.¡± ¡°Until we meet again, Vai,¡± replied Aurin with a respectful nod as he climbed upon Quetzel. Aurin¡¯s Minakai flapped her wings and flew up and over the valley, leaving Vai, Shamtile and Zeera on the cliff edge. He decided to keep Zeera attuned to the Earth Shrine so that nobody in Hazelton knew about the ace up his sleeve. Shamtile would remain with him, also attuned to the shrine. Aurin would summon him as needed and return him to the underground shrine to watch over Zeera just in case the epic Minakai decided he would become unruly. * ¡°Hello, stranger!¡± called Hunter as Aurin and descended upon the ranch. Much to Aurin¡¯s surprise, Kyle and Hunter had been battling with their Wingbloom and Flambot, respectively. The match was so intense that Aurin spotted it immediately after passing over the mountain to the west of the ranch. ¡°Hunter was your secret training partner?¡± asked Aurin.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Who better than the only person in the national championships that¡¯s better than me,¡± said Kyle, digging Aurin in the arm. ¡°Welcome back, bud.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± muttered Aurin, rubbing his sore arm. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you back around town, Hunter. The Hazelton tournament wasn¡¯t the same without you this year.¡± ¡°I wanted to mix things up this time,¡± said Hunter, adjusting his crimson tie. ¡°I can¡¯t have myself getting complacent, can I? Besides, I had no doubt that I would be seeing most of you lot in Ludonia anyway. I must say, however, that I¡¯m very glad that Luna has decided to enter the ring again.¡± ¡°Likewise,¡± said Aurin. ¡°How are Petunia and Saxon?¡± ¡°Saxon is probably at home right now playing with his Petalcub and Petunia is six months pregnant with our second.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fantastic, mate,¡± said Aurin enthusiastically. ¡°Congratulations.¡± ¡°Thank you, Aurin,¡± said Hunter, who then checked his watch. ¡°On that note, I had better head home to them. I promised that I would make it back by dinner time tonight and I¡¯m cutting it fine as is.¡± ¡°Take it easy, Hunter,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Don¡¯t slack on the training for the next three weeks.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it,¡± chuckled Hunter, banishing his Flambot back to Ludonia. He then walked down the path and disappeared into the trees. ¡°I take it Luna isn¡¯t back yet?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°No,¡± said Kyle. ¡°She hasn¡¯t said a word about where she is?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard from her since she left town. Have you?¡± ¡°Not a peep. Normally, she¡¯s a bit of a blabbermouth.¡± ¡°She¡¯s keeping this one close to her chest, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± said the rancher, furrowing his brow. ¡°And how was training with Vai?¡± ¡°The man is a wizard,¡± said Aurin earnestly. ¡°The way he teaches techniques and adaptations of techniques that my team already know is nothing short of astounding. His help was exactly what I needed.¡± ¡°Glad to hear it. And how about any peculiarities about where he asked you to meet him for the training?¡± ¡°No idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± said Aurin dismissively. ¡°I noticed Shamtile isn¡¯t here.¡± Aurin held up his tamer glove and summoned Shamtile to his side. ¡°He is now.¡± The masked lizard looked around in confusion and started waving his arms. He screeched at Aurin as though he was in the middle of something important. ¡°Alright, back to the pens you go,¡± said Aurin, banishing Shamtile. Kyle craned his neck to see if Shamtile had indeed been sent to the pens. ¡°I must have missed the flash of orange light.¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s obvious that you know what happened. Can you promise to keep Zeera a secret? I don¡¯t want word getting out that I¡¯ve got an epic Minakai, especially when I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m going to use him in the tournament or not.¡± ¡°He¡¯s proving difficult then?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°He listens to me, but he¡¯s struggling to control his own strength. When he battles with tooth, nail and tail, he¡¯s fine, but his elemental magic is something that he either under or overdoes it with.¡± ¡°That fact that he listens to you at all is a miracle in itself. How badly did you beat him?¡± ¡°You¡¯re making it sound like I tortured him!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so sensitive. He¡¯s a wild monster, whether he has a tamer or not, so a good slap about is exactly what he needed.¡± ¡°Yeah, it didn¡¯t seem like there was any other option.¡± ¡°Can I see him? I want to see how he measures up now that he¡¯s been reincarnated from his former life as a tower guardian.¡± ¡°Alright, but I¡¯m bringing Shamtile with him. He¡¯s the only Minakai that can help keep him under control.¡± Aurin held up his tamer glove and sent Quetzel back into the pens while bringing Shamtile and Zeera to the ranch in two flashes of orange-brown light. The size difference between the two was emphasized greatly when the two stood side by side while neither looked especially happy to be here. ¡°My goodness,¡± said Kyle, who was also dwarfed by the grey dinosaur. ¡°He¡¯s lost a few feet, no doubt about it, but¡­that¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°Why do you two look so grumpy?¡± Aurin asked Shamtile, but he realised why upon glancing at Zeera¡¯s tail where there were several deep cuts. ¡°Were you two fighting again?¡± Shamtile screeched and squealed while Zeera sneered. It was clear that Shamtile had gotten the better of his teammate again, but Aurin also noticed that Shamtile looked as though he had been roughed up. As Zeera¡¯s control grew greater, that made him a much more formidable opponent. The worrying part about that was that he was a more formidable opponent to his Shamtile who Aurin was using to keep him under control. ¡°You two need to be able to get along,¡± said Aurin, knowing that his words were useless. ¡°Zeera, we¡¯re going into the tower soon and you¡¯ll be able to use that pent up energy of yours to its fullest. Anything goes in there against the wild Minakai, alright?¡± Zeera stared coldly at his tamer while Shamtile slumped over in exasperation. ¡°I mean it, you¡ª¡± ¡°Hide them,¡± interjected Kyle quickly. Aurin immediately banished Shamtile and Zeera back to Sule Scrin and turned to look at the ranch path. Walking towards the ranch with a curious look on her face was Eclare. ¡°What was that?¡± she asked Aurin and Kyle with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Shamtile and¡­Bigglesby,¡± said Aurin, making Kyle wince. ¡°Bigglesby?¡± asked Eclare, trying not to laugh. ¡°What in the world is a Bigglesby?¡± ¡°Minakai from Sinotai.¡± ¡°Bigglesby doesn¡¯t sound very Sinotian.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how they made up the name, but that¡¯s the name,¡± shrugged Aurin, now desperate to change the subject. ¡°What are you doing here, anyway?¡± ¡°Charming, Aurin,¡± laughed Eclare, reaching into her bag and throwing Kyle a small jingling bag. ¡°There¡¯s my rent for the next three months, Kyle. Do you want to count it?¡± ¡°Nah, you¡¯re all good,¡± Eclare, said Kyle, pocketing the bag. ¡°How are your lungs?¡± ¡°Much better, but I need to use an inhaler every night to keep them strong. I wish I could stay and chat, but I¡¯ve got a date tonight.¡± ¡°A date?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Not jealous, are you?¡± said Eclare with a wink. ¡°It could have been you if you hadn¡¯t chosen your red-headed princess over me.¡± ¡°See you later, Eclare,¡± said Aurin as Eclare smirked and walked back down the path. Kyle turned to Aurin and stared at him in disbelief. ¡°Bigglesby? That¡¯s the best you could come up with in a pinch?¡± ¡°I panicked!¡± snapped Aurin. ¡°I notice you didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°Whatever I would have said would have been better than Bigglesby. That¡¯s a brand of cheese crackers, right? She¡¯ll rumble you next time she¡¯s buying groceries.¡± Aurin looked back towards the path. ¡°Now that the coast is clear, do you want to help me train Zeera?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a glutton for punishment, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be alright for one battle. Nobody else is going to show up for a while.¡± ¡°No, I mean the fact that you think you have a chance at beating me even with an epic Minakai.¡± Chapter 184 Aurin and Zenoman were walking along the twelfth floor of Harmony Tower, having had a very successful run so far. Granted, Aurin hadn¡¯t found any Minakai eggs, but he had a nice stack of silver, a Solar Shard and a couple of healing herbs that he could use when he was in a pinch. ¡°Feeling lucky today, Zenoman?¡± the tamer asked his golden alien. Zenoman let out an echoing squeal of agreement and threw his four fists out in rapid succession as though shadowboxing the air. ¡°To floor fifteen unsullied, yeah?¡± Aurin suddenly spied a shadow pass by in the corridor up ahead. ¡°What was that, Zeno?¡± he asked and the golden alien held all four hands out in an almost-shrug. ¡°It¡¯s not like a wild Minakai to not attack. Let¡¯s go investigate.¡± The two walked tepidly up the corridor, Zenoman leading with two of his floating fists. Should an enemy rear its head, it would be getting a nasty punch to the jaw. Even if it didn¡¯t have a jaw, it would still be getting punched all the same. Poking their heads around the corner, Aurin and Zenoman could see a room at the end of the corridor where a shadowy figure stood in wait beside a bulky bipedal goat. With a sigh, Aurin stepped out and led the way with Zenoman levitating along behind him. ¡°I knew it would only be a matter of time before I found you here,¡± said Damien coldly. He was wearing the customary white trousers and jacket along with his Zodiac mask. ¡°I was led to believe the Zodiac Squad had disbanded,¡± said Aurin. ¡°It has, thanks to you,¡± said Damien, his voice full of scorn. ¡°You ruined my life!¡± ¡°You ruined your own life, Damien. Speaking of, why aren¡¯t you in jail?¡± With a flick of the wrist, Damien rolled a summoning stone between his fingers and up his sleeve effortlessly. ¡°All I needed was one of these and I could break out. I just needed to make sure I could hide it long enough for the heat to die down.¡± ¡°You lot really are a slipper bunch of scumbags, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hoofreeti!¡± barked Damien. His demonic fire elemental spat a fireball directly at Aurin, but Zenoman batted the flames away with a swift movement from one of his hands before it got anywhere close to his tamer. ¡°Going for the kill today, are we?¡± asked Aurin, not as perturbed as he once might have been. Damien let out a low laugh and shook his head. ¡°Upon your death, Zodiac can be reborn from the ashes. We will be a new organisation with the same founding principles as the original. Neo-Zodiac will achieve the goals that we previously failed to achieve thanks to your interference.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t care one bit for all of the people that were hurt because of your actions, do you?¡± asked Aurin, feeling nothing but loathing for Damien. ¡°People are weak and we were going to make them strong. A culling was needed to ensure that the strong survived and then humanity would be able to prosper alongside Minakai.¡± ¡°A single tower was opened and Hazelton was almost destroyed by a single Minakai!¡± roared Aurin. ¡°You are insane if you think that you would even get that far without Taurus leading the charge. Even Frederick would be better at it than you, but I¡¯m sure he''s signed up already.¡± Damien looked away. ¡°I¡¯m working alone, Aurin. No other elites agreed to return so it¡¯s down to me. I¡¯m Zodiac¡¯s last hope.¡± ¡°Taurus has vanished, your fellow elites want nothing to do with Zodiac and you don¡¯t even have any of your goons by your side. What do you think is going to come of this?¡± ¡°I have nothing left!¡± yelled Damien. ¡°You took everything from me and you need to suffer for it. You¡¯ll be the first to feel my wrath!¡± With that, his Hoofreeti ran towards Aurin and Zenoman intercepted him with his hands. ¡°Stall him,¡± said Aurin to Zenoman, having a plan in mind. Zenoman did as he was asked and shoved Hoofreeti away, sending him crashing into the wall behind his tamer. Damien, however, was smiling deviously. He held up his hand and summoned his Scarelit and Fyrvern into the tower, leaving Zenoman outnumbered three to one.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Nothing changes,¡± said Aurin, confident that Zenoman could defend him against Damien¡¯s entire team. Three large fireballs were thrown towards him and Zenoman palmed all three away and used his remaining hand to slap Fyrvern across the face, angering the red wyvern. It flew towards Aurin, only to be dragged back by the wings and thrown aside. Hoofreeti and Scarelit tried to seize the opening to strike Aurin, but were also shoved aside. ¡°Stop toying with me!¡± screamed Damien, his fury reaching boiling point. ¡°You need to realise that you can¡¯t defeat me,¡± stated Aurin firmly. ¡°And it¡¯s not just that you can¡¯t defeat me. You can¡¯t even lay a hand on me.¡± ¡°You think you¡¯re the King? Fight properly!¡± ¡°Very well,¡± said Aurin, holding up his tamer glove where an orange summoning stone rested. ¡°Zenoman, stand back.¡± Aurin cast out a light from the stone and a hulking figure appeared before him, eclipsing him from Damien¡¯s sight. Before the sole Neo-Zodiac member stood the scourge that destroyed the hopes of his entire organisation. Zeera. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡­¡± muttered Damien, seeing the sneering expression of the grey dinosaur. ¡°Zeera, have at it,¡± said Aurin. The epic Minakai didn¡¯t need to be told twice. It strode across the tiles and swiped its two ferocious claws at Damien¡¯s stunned Scarelit. The first strike finished it, but the second dealt the extra punishment Aurin knew Damien needed. After Scarelit vanished in a flash of red, Hoofreeti and Fyrvern opened their mouths and unleashed torrents of fire at Zeera, but he coated his arms in stone and held them in front of himself, blocking him from the worst of the flames as he marched on towards his next target; Fyrvern. Zeera swung one of his claws, discarding the stone armour and knocking Hoofreeti flat on its back while he reshaped the stone on his other arm into a spike, stabbing Fyrvern through the stomach and then ramming it with his sharp nose horn. Before it had the chance to fall down, Fyrvern was ejected from the tower too. ¡°T-this is the r-reincarnation, isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Damien. ¡°You can c-control it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to control him,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I just need him to recognise an enemy and he takes care of the rest.¡± Aurin then turned to Zeera and pointed at Hoofreeti. ¡°One left.¡± Before Hoofreeti could react, Zeera had conjured boulder in one hand and flung it. Between the sound of the thud of Damien¡¯s Minakai against the wall and the distinct snapping of a few ribs, Aurin knew Hoofreeti was done for. And true enough, he followed his comrades out of the tower in a red flash of his own. ¡°I hate you¡­¡± spat Damien, looking utterly miserable. A second later, he disappeared from the tower too. ¡°Good job,¡± Aurin told Zeera and Zenoman, but Zeera was already marching through the room in search of another opponent who might actually present a challenge. ¡°Halt!¡± Zeera did as ordered and looked over his shoulder at Aurin and his teammate. The look on his tamer¡¯s face told him that they were done for the day and he turned around, waiting patiently for what would come next. Aurin brought out his Orb of Return and the three vanished from Harmony Tower as Damien and his Minakai had done before them. They landed outside on the grass, but something black on the grass in front of him caught Aurin¡¯s eye. He walked a few paces towards it and leaned over to pick it up. He looked at the wooden goat-patterned Capricorn mask and let out a small laugh before showing it to Zenoman and Zeera. The dinosaur had no reaction whatsoever, but the golden alien looked at it curiously and cocked his head to the side. ¡°Maybe he took the lesson to heart,¡± Aurin said to Zenoman. ¡°I wonder if we¡¯ll ever see Damien or his Neo-Zodiac again¡­¡± Zenoman let out an echoing tone while shaking his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think we will either, Zeno. If he was smart, he would make himself scarce. If he was even smarter, he would turn himself in again and see out the sentence he deserves.¡± Aurin shoved the Capricorn mask in his bag and banished Zeera to rejoin Shamtile at the Earth Shrine while he and Zenoman walked along the dirt path. Rather than take the fork that would lead to Kyle¡¯s ranch, the two walked into Hazelton as the sun hung low in the sky, shining its late evening light upon the peaceful town. The two strolled along and were greeted a couple of times by the citizens he happened upon. This was common now. Aurin was unable to simply walk through the town unnoticed, everyone was still grateful for everything he had done between the Zeera Crisis and subsequent fixing of the town. He hated being treated like a celebrity, the same way he had hated being addressed as the Saviour of Hazelton. To him, he was as he had always been. Walking through the doors of the police station, Aurin asked the receptionist to give Knot a call. Not one to keep Aurin waiting, knowing that he would only show up in person if there was a good reason to, Knot was there in thirty seconds flat. ¡°What¡¯s happened now?¡± he asked before he had even crossed the waiting room. ¡°Is there a need for some privacy?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± said Aurin, reaching into his bag and taking out Damien¡¯s mask. ¡°I thought you would want this.¡± Aurin tossed the mask to Knot who caught it effortlessly. ¡°Showed his face, did he? Surely, he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to attack you at the ranch?¡± ¡°No, we ran into each other in Harmony Tower. He was trying to get Neo-Zodiac off the ground, but he had no take up.¡± Knot let out a dry laugh. ¡°I know. We had a couple of his former comrades tells us that he tried to recruit him. I didn¡¯t think he would come back to Hazelton, but I suppose this town is all that he knows.¡± ¡°If he doesn¡¯t turn himself in, this may be the last we see of him. I gave him one last beatdown and I think that¡¯s why he threw the mask away.¡± ¡°Unless he shows up in town again, he¡¯s the Minakai Guardian¡¯s problem,¡± scoffed Knot. ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to see him thrown behind bars again personally, I doubt I can swing ordering a nationwide manhunt for him.¡± ¡°Tied up in bureaucracy again?¡± ¡°Always, Aurin,¡± sighed Knot before shaking the mask in his direction. ¡°Thank you for this. If we don¡¯t see each other again before the national championships, good luck.¡± ¡°Thanks, Chief,¡± said Aurin as Knot walked away. ¡°Come on, Zeno. Let¡¯s get home and rest. We¡¯ve got a tournament to prepare for.¡± Chapter 185 Aurin and Shamtile waited at the platform of Hazelton Station. It was a bright and sunny day and Luna had called the previous evening, telling Aurin that she was finally coming back to town after a couple of weeks away training. She still hadn¡¯t uttered a word about where she had been for her training, but Aurin was sure that she would tell him now that it was over. Shamtile started waving his hands and jumping up and down excitedly while screeching. He then hopped off the bench, put his hand on the ground and started nodding fervently at his tamer. ¡°The train is on the approach?¡± Aurin asked, already knowing the answer. Shamtile could feel the vibrations in the ground. True enough, a few seconds later, the train rounded the bend. It slowed as it approached the station and then ground to a halt before the doors opened. Luna stepped out with Innogon by her side and she immediately ran to Aurin, jumping into his arms. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you,¡± she said. ¡°Likewise,¡± replied Aurin. ¡°Still not going to tell me where you¡¯ve been hiding?¡± Luna stood back and folded her arms with a smug grin on her face. ¡°Hiding? I was training, my love. Training so that I can beat you in the national championships.¡± ¡°Where?¡± asked Aurin slyly. ¡°I¡¯m a force to be reckoned with,¡± said Luna, ignoring him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you do, if we¡¯re matched up, you¡¯re going down.¡± ¡°I hatched Zeera,¡± shrugged Aurin. Luna looked briefly surprised before shaking her head. ¡°Going down!¡± The two laughed and walked down the steps, followed by the playfully fighting Shamtile and Innogon. The two were punching each other the entire way down the street while Aurin filled Luna in on everything that had happened over the previous two weeks, from training with Vai to meeting Damien in the tower. Luna was stunned. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe there are those out there who think the Zodiac Squad can make a return after the Zeera Crisis. The entire town would be up in arms against them.¡± ¡°Damien has always seemed like a bit of a lost soul to me,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I despise him for his lack of remorse, but I pity him in a sense.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re a better person than I am because I feel nothing but loathing for him.¡± ¡°On a lighter note,¡± said Aurin, as they passed through the town square. ¡°Have you made any changes to your team since you¡¯ve been gone?¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± said Luna, pulling out a few summoning stones from her bag. Before she could summon them, an icy white stone caught his eye. She didn¡¯t have an ice elemental two weeks ago, so she must have either been training near another tower or somewhere that sells Minakai eggs. Admittedly, there were many places that sold them making it impossible to guess where she had been. In three flashes of light appeared a Flaround, Cephelarock and a Cryopillar. Flaround let out a happy bark upon seeing Aurin, now much bigger than he was as a Dogember. Cephelarock wriggled his much lengthier stone tentacles before clapping a couple together in greeting. The new addition to Luna¡¯s team, Cryopillar looked uncomfortable and crawled up beside her. ¡°You have been busy,¡± laughed Aurin. ¡°Is your Cryopillar shy?¡± ¡°She¡¯s just a little clingy,¡± said Luna. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the summer heat. And how about you, Aurin?¡± ¡°Well, you already know about Zeera¡­who I¡¯m not going to summon here because he¡¯s meant to be my secret weapon for the tournament.¡± ¡°And it would freak people out to see another Zeera in town. This Zeera is much smaller, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± confirmed Aurin. ¡°Ten feet tall rather than fifty feet. Reincarnation has worked wonders for him, but he¡¯s proving a challenge to train. He listens to me, mostly, but he can¡¯t fully control his power yet. He overdoes it very easily.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Any other team changes?¡± Aurin summoned his Quetzel to his side. ¡°Just the one,¡± he said as the golden serpent glided over to Luna and nuzzled her face before twirling through the air and landing on the cobblestones. ¡°I evolved her a couple of minutes after you left town.¡± ¡°Well, perhaps I¡¯m not the only one who is a forced to be reckoned with now,¡± Luna said, prodding Aurin in the shoulder. ¡°Hello!¡± called a voice from across the square. As Aurin and Luna turned to look, Emily sprinted towards them, looking very excited to see Luna back in town. She stopped in front of the pair and hunched over, placing her hands on her legs while panting. ¡°Did you think we would run away if we saw you?¡± joked Aurin. ¡°No¡­I¡­just¡­¡± trailed off Emily while Luna laughed at her. ¡°I missed you too, Em,¡± she said while Emily nodded and smiled, trying to catch her breath. ¡°Were you able to get them?¡± ¡°Get what?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Tickets to the national championships,¡± said Luna. ¡°Demand has been ridiculously high this year.¡± ¡°I got them,¡± grinned Emily, finally standing up straight. ¡°Three tickets! One for me, one for Gardner and one for Jimmy.¡± ¡°Brilliant,¡± said Luna, clapping rapidly and bouncing up and down. Innogon joined in with Luna¡¯s merriment despite not knowing what was being said, having been too busy spitting water at Quetzel. ¡°I offered to get one for Hannah, but she said she couldn¡¯t afford it anymore. I did say I would pay for it until she was able to get back on her feet, but she declined. She said that between leaving Hazelton and everything else, it wouldn¡¯t be the right time.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± shrugged Aurin. ¡°No point pushing her if she doesn¡¯t want to. At least she made the effort to show up to the Hazelton matches. I¡¯m sure she got more than a few dirty looks from the rest of the crowd.¡± ¡°How¡¯s your training going, Aurin?¡± asked Emily. ¡°You being the runner up in the tournament and the Saviour of Hazelton must pile on the pressure.¡± ¡°Pressure? Me? Nah, it¡¯s all good,¡± lied Aurin. Truthfully, he was terrified that an unlucky draw would see him eliminated early and he could think of nothing worse than that. Tobias would no doubt be as disappointed in him as he would have been in himself. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ve hatched the egg?¡± asked Emily. ¡°If he has a Zeera, I certainly haven¡¯t seen it,¡± laughed Luna loudly, sounding surprisingly convincing in her attempted cover up. ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± sighed Emily. ¡°It would have been nice to see that big grey giant of a dinosaur be reborn as a more¡­pleasant Minakai. Would he be pleasant? I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m sure you would raise him well in any case.¡± ¡°One day, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll get to make his debut,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Well, I just wanted to say hello to you both,¡± said Emily. ¡°I¡¯m going to go and meet Jimmy for lunch. I¡¯ll let you two get back to whatever it was you were getting to.¡± ¡°Meeting Jimmy for lunch?¡± asked Aurin with a raised eyebrow as Emily scurried away. ¡°You¡¯re as oblivious now as you were when I kept trying to make it clear that I liked you,¡± sighed Luna, shaking her head before rapping her knuckles on Aurin¡¯s forehead. ¡°Minakai on the brain, that¡¯s why, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Speaking of, I wanted to ask you something important.¡± ¡°What, are you going to propose?¡± asked Luna, sticking her tongue out. ¡°We¡¯re too young to get married.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯ll come later,¡± said Aurin, making Luna blush. ¡°I was talking about Minakai again. Do you want to meet Zeera?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± squealed Luna, excitedly. The dismissed all of their Minakai except for Shamtile and Innogon and made their way out of town and back to the ranch where they could see Kyle feeding the river-dwellers in the distance. One of the overeager Doripper almost caught his hand upon leaping for some fish guts. Luna was relieved to see that it wasn¡¯t her Doripper. ¡°Shamtile,¡± said Aurin, ¡°you¡¯re on watch duty. If there seems to be anyone coming up the path then alert us, alright?¡± Shamtile gave Aurin a salute and crawled along the ground on all fours to the edge of the ranch where he stayed perfectly still, trying to focus on his tremorsense ability. Confident that Zeera wouldn¡¯t be seen, he summoned his newest Minakai all the way from Sule Scrin. Upon the flash of light fading, Luna¡¯s eyes and mouth were all wide in awe. Zeera gave her his usual sneer, but made no moves to hurt her. His temper was remarkably well contained from when he was first hatched and Aurin no longer believed him a danger, provided that he was being watched. One day, he might even be able to live at the ranch unsupervised without the fear of him mauling any visitors. ¡°Amazing,¡± said Luna, her voice so light that she barely emitted a sound. ¡°He¡¯s¡­so tall.¡± ¡°Still shorter than in his past life,¡± laughed Aurin. ¡°I don¡¯t think I would have a hope in controlling him if he was five times the size.¡± Zeera grunted, knowing almost nothing about his previous form outside of a few comments his tamer had uttered. Aurin had deliberately kept things vague in case, but it wouldn¡¯t have mattered either way. Zeera didn¡¯t care how strong he once was, he simply wanted to use the power that he had now and prove himself the strongest Minakai. ¡°Ludonia¡¯s a whole different game now,¡± said Luna, still in disbelief about the power Zeera exuded. ¡°As powerful as he is, he¡¯s not invincible,¡± said Aurin. ¡°We still have a lot of training to do if we want any shot at the top.¡± ¡°And imagine what it would be like at the top. Tobias has an epic Minakai of his own, his Arusom, and you have a Zeera. The crowd wouldn¡¯t believe what they¡¯re seeing, would they? Has there ever been two epic Minakai battling each other in the Bretonian championships?¡± ¡°Recently? No. But it has happened before.¡± ¡°And maybe it¡¯ll happen again¡­if you can beat me, of course.¡± Zeera let out a roar, shocking Luna and Innogon who both took a few steps back. Aurin chuckled heartily. ¡°That¡¯s his way of telling you to bring it on.¡± Chapter 186 Aurin and Dolissile stepped inside the swirling vortex and the doors of Harmony Tower closed behind them. Aurin had come prepared today with a couple of healing items and orbs that would let him ascend as high as he could. With only a week left to go before going to Ludonia, this would likely be his final tower run before the national championships were underway. ¡°If we can reach floor thirty, we¡¯ve done very well,¡± he said to Dolissile. ¡°Conserve your strength until you really need it.¡± The cybernetic dolphin let out an echoey clicking sound and tilted forward into a nod as he hovered alongside his tamer. Aurin walked along the white and black tiles, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings. Even the lower floors could be dangerous if you weren¡¯t on the lookout for traps or surprises around the corners. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Aurin, leading the way. Within a minute, a brown Driftseed was hopping along towards him with the leaf sticking out from its head flopping away. This creature was no threat and Aurin opted to take the Virgo approach. He took out a Fire Crystal and shot a fireball at the smiling monster, wiping the smile from its face and banishing it from the tower. This run, Aurin wanted to work in perfect synergy with his Minakai. He would cover their backs while they would cover his. He knew this would prove much more difficult as he ascended through the floors, but the less tired his monsters were, the higher they would reach. If he was exhausted before they were then that¡¯s when he would make them pick up the slack. As they passed through each room, Aurin kept a careful eye out for traps and any worthwhile treasure. He chose to ignore the silver, tempting as the twinkling coins were, and picked up any herbs, orbs and crystals he could find along the way. On the first floor, this didn¡¯t amount to much, but he successfully reached the elevator without Dolissile making a single attack. The second and third floors were similarly successful with Aurin¡¯s spell crystals shattering only to be replaced with others. Dolissile finally stepped in on the fourth floor and was doing the bulk of the work by the time the duo reached the tenth floor. Even still, having reached the tenth floor with Dolissile in good condition was a positive. Aurin was still able to provide support by checking for traps, healing his monster and using spell crystals to attack and distract the wild Minakai that roamed the corridors and rooms. The first major problem of the run came on the seventeenth floor when the pair encountered a sneaky Budescent used his vines to whip Dolissile off course, sending him rushing towards the ceiling where he damaged his casing and threw off his typical pinpoint accuracy when shooting for a target. ¡°Knock him down with a pulse!¡± ordered Aurin and the Budescent was thrown into the wall moments later. Dolissile charged after his opponent, crushing it against the wall and banishing it from the tower. Aurin, however, was out of healing items and unable to do anything to realign the cybernetic dolphin¡¯s skewed snout. He was tempted to substitute Dolissile for one of his other two Minakai, but he elected to see how he could continue with Dolissile rather than actively striving for the fiftieth floor. It would be good preparation for the dolphin in the tournament should he suffer a battle injury and need to adapt and overcome. On the twentieth floor and after at least five hours in the tower, Aurin was alarmed to find himself up to his waist in water. Dolissile, however, found this most pleasant and could swim through the water, something he much preferred to hovering. ¡°Do I detect a smile?¡± he asked the dolphin, whose faint mouth appeared to have a slight curve. Ignoring his tamer, Dolissile propelled himself through the water and led the way as Aurin waded after him, laughing. ¡°Use your sonar and make sure that there¡¯s nothing lurking underneath,¡± said Aurin, remembering the time a Seawub was giving Shamtile trouble in a waterlogged floor. ¡°The less nasty surprises, the better.¡± Dolissile suddenly torpedoed down the corridor, barrelling through five Minakai which were flipped out of the water. Each of them hit the walls and were banished before splashing back down. Aurin¡¯s Minakai turned to him and let out a small call. ¡°Who needs to go bowling when I can just bring you into the tower, eh?¡± chortled Aurin, hurrying to catch up while fighting against the water. The two continued through the floor, going from room to room. After sticking his arm under the water to pull up a healing herb that fixed Dolissile¡¯s armour, Aurin decided to ignore the items hidden under the water, resolute that he was already soaked enough. Upon spying an egg submerged in the corner, he was incredibly tempted to pick it up, but that was not the reason he was here and carrying the egg in his bag would mean he couldn¡¯t carry as much other items to help him climb. With a heavy heart, he sighed and walked away from it. ¡°That better not have been a cosmic Minakai,¡± he said to Dolissile as the two continued through the water. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll never know.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Upon stepping into the next corridor, a water jet struck Dolissile, rolling him over. He spun around and charged towards a wild Innogon who was laughing at the dolphin. Upon seeing the speed at which Dolissile was approaching him, the Innogon squealed and dove underneath the water, but that didn¡¯t stop him being bashed in the stomach by Dolissile. ¡°Wait!¡± called a voice from the shadowed end of the hallway. ¡°Dolissile, stop!¡± ordered Aurin. A girl in a soaking school uniform sloshed through the water and picked up her Innogon. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± she said as she walked towards Aurin. ¡°I didn¡¯t realise he was a tamer¡¯s Minakai.¡± ¡°Accidents happen,¡± said Aurin, tapping Dolissile¡¯s back with his knuckles. ¡°I hope he didn¡¯t hurt your Innogon too much.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± said the girl, holding out her hand. ¡°We weren¡¯t introduced properly last time. I¡¯m Tilda.¡± ¡°Last time?¡± asked a confused Aurin, shaking her hand anyway. ¡°Yes, you told me and my friend Chelsea that you hoped we would make it past floor one.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember¡­wait, were you one of the two girls that laughed at me after getting knocked out of the last national championships.¡± ¡°Guilty,¡± giggled Tilda uneasily. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry about that. I¡¯ve since realised just how difficult taming Minakai is.¡± ¡°The twentieth floor is no small feat.¡± ¡°Well, there was two of us and my Innogon is my last Minakai. I doubt we¡¯ll get much higher. How many Minakai do you have left, Aurin?¡± ¡°I still have my whole team.¡± Tilda¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°That¡¯s¡­.that¡¯s¡­very good! Do you think you¡¯ll make it all the way to the top again?¡± Aurin laughed. ¡°That¡¯s always the goal, but who knows? I¡¯m running solo today so even if I can get close to the top, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll stand much of a chance against the tower guardian.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find a way,¡± said Tilda brightly, pulling out an Orb of Return. ¡°Well, I think I might cut my losses and get out of here.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± said Aurin before she used the orb. ¡°There¡¯s an egg in that room I just came from if you want it. Better with you than letting it go to waste, right?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± asked Tilda, looking both surprised and grateful. ¡°Thank you¡­I hope you go all the way in the tower and in the national championships. I know that the rancher, Kyle, won the Hazelton tournament, but we¡¯re all rooting for you to dethrone Tobias.¡± ¡°Thanks, Tilda,¡± said Aurin with a smile as the schoolgirl wandered off the pick up the egg. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Dolissile.¡± Much to Aurin¡¯s relief, he ascended to a dry twenty-first floor. He tried wringing out his clothes, but he knew that they wouldn¡¯t be drying anytime soon. At the very least, they wouldn¡¯t get any wetter. Had it been Shamtile with him, the magical lizard would have laughed at him, but he was glad that Dolissile rarely showed much in the way of emotion. The next few floors passed without a hitch, although it was clear that Dolissile was starting to tire. For that matter, so was Aurin. It must have been almost time for dinner outside and his stomach was growling ferociously. So much so that Dolissile had spun around to investigate before realising it was his tamer. Ascending to the twenty-sixth floor, the duo was incredibly fatigued and Dolissile was quite beat up, but they were determined to keep pushing. Aurin hadn¡¯t found any herbs on the last couple of floors and he feared that another tough enemy or two would be the end of the run for Dolissile. All the same, clearing half of the floors with a single Minakai was no small feat and he was feeling good. After twenty minutes on the floor, an incredibly angry Chopchop sprinted towards the pair with its blades raised. Dolissile shoved Aurin out of the way and took a heavy hit to the side. His tamer expected him to vanish in a flash of light, but Dolissile was still holding on. With a pulse, he knocked the Chopchop back and a fusion fin attack cut straight through the insect¡¯s armour, banishing it instead. ¡°Are you alright, mate?¡± Aurin asked, rushing over to his Minakai and inspecting the large wound on Dolissile¡¯s side where blood was starting to pour from between the metal. Not one to make a fuss, Dolissile let out a short groan and starting hovering on down the corridor again. Despite Aurin¡¯s attempts to convince him to take a break, the cybernetic Minakai wanted to keep going. Even the healing herb that Aurin found was not enough to fully mend Dolissile¡¯s wound, but at the very least it was able to stem the blood and close over a small portion of his casing. Forcing their way to the thirtieth floor, Dolissile endured his injuries for another hour before finally dropping to the ground to take a rest. His metal plates swelled and contracted as his breathing grew heavier. Aurin brought out a couple of spell crystals that he had picked up along the way to cover his Minakai for a few minutes while he caught his breath. ¡°And nothing I can say will convince you to call it quits?¡± he asked the Minakai while looking up and down the corridor. Dolissile groaned in denial, wanting to keep proving his already-proven worth. ¡°Caaaaw!¡± squealed a Peekawe as it soared down the corridor, aiming for Aurin. ¡°Agh!¡± yelled the tamer, throwing himself flat against the ground as the Peekawe flew past. Aurin stood up and held both a Fire and Metal Crystal in his hands. As the Peekawe turned around, it charged towards him once again. Aurin held out the steel-coloured Metal Crystal, unleashing an iron spike that pierced the Peekawe¡¯s leg. It veered down a fork in the path, but Aurin could hear its beating wings as it lurked just out of sight. It burst from its path, sending a gust of wind at Aurin, throwing the two crystals from his hand and knocked him to the ground. The Peekawe cawed loudly as it sped towards him and Aurin closed his eyes. There was a sudden crash and Peekawe was slammed against the wall with Dolissile continuing to force himself into the turquoise bird. Aurin rushed to retrieve the two crystals and send a fireball and iron spike straight towards Peekawe¡¯s chest. The combined efforts of Dolissile pinning it and the two spells finished the Peekawe off, banishing it from the tower. Once it disappeared, Dolissile let out a mechanical groan and disappeared in a flash of steely-grey light too. ¡°You did well, mate,¡± Aurin said proudly. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have asked more of you.¡± The tamer held out his tamer glove and summoned his next Minakai into the tower. Shamtile jumped up and down excitedly, having eagerly been awaiting his turn. He hadn¡¯t expected it to take the entire day, but he was raring to go all the same. ¡°Floor thirty, Sham,¡± said Aurin with a faint laugh, wiping the sweat from his brow. ¡°Let¡¯s make it at least another ten.¡± Chapter 187 ¡°Banish the brute!¡± Aurin ordered Shamtile, who hurled a stone spear at the wild Spikruption who was spitting waves of fire down the corridor. The stone spear soared through the air, breaking through the orange flames and skewered the red dinosaur¡¯s leg. It dropped to the ground as it let out a roar of pain, giving Shamtile a clear path. The little Minakai ran up to it and slammed his stone-coated fist into the side of its head, banishing it from the tower. ¡°Good job, mate,¡± said Aurin, slumping to the ground. The pair were on the thirty-seventh floor of Harmony Tower. Having reached Kyle¡¯s record, Aurin couldn¡¯t wait to rub it in his friend¡¯s face, especially when it came to telling him that he did it with only two Minakai. He didn¡¯t intend to be nasty about it, but he felt that Kyle deserved some payback after constantly mentioning how he defeated Aurin in the Hazelton tournament. ¡°We¡¯re so close,¡± Aurin said to Shamtile who was feeling the strain, but had only needed to push through seven floors to get to this point and was much fresher than Aurin. ¡°Food. Why didn¡¯t I bring food?¡± Shamtile slapped Aurin in the arm and let out a screech. ¡°Keep it down,¡± Aurin scolded him. ¡°Do you want to tell every monster on this floor that we¡¯re here? The less fighting we have to do, the better.¡± The tamer grunted as he climbed to his feet and walked along with Shamtile clinging close to him. The pair carefully entered a room and Aurin kneeled to see if there were any obvious traps nearby and was somewhat relieved to not find any. His lingering concern for traps was down to him not being able to detect any, having used an Orb of Traps to get through the last three floors before it crumbled into dust. ¡°Alright,¡± he said, walking up to a Water Crystal and picking it up. ¡°Better save this for any earth elementals we come across. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be careful not to hit you with it.¡± Shamtile flexed his thin arms to say that he wasn¡¯t worried by such a measly little object, but Aurin laughed him away and walked on out of the room. The masked lizard grunted and shadowboxed the air before scurrying after his tamer, afraid that Aurin would be struck by a Minakai while out of sight. The ever-ambitious duo breezed through the rest of the floor, avoiding most of their enemies and knocking out the rest with heavy stones and sharp spikes. The two were grinning from ear to ear¡ªShamtile¡¯s smile hidden behind his mask¡ªupon reaching the elevator. On the thirty-eighth floor, Shamtile was fighting a pair of Angree that were doing their best to tear him to shreds, but the battle was ended surprisingly quickly when one of them stepped on a Berserk Trap and turned on its ally, leaving Shamtile to pick off the weakened one. On the thirty-ninth floor, Aurin found an Orb of Tamers in the second room and used it. He couldn¡¯t see another human on the floor and it gave him a strange sense of isolation to that he was here with only Minakai. The odds of another human this high up on a random Thursday were slim at best. Not a single person would stand in his way on the way to the top, it was just him and the monsters. ¡°Come to think of it,¡± said Aurin, checking his watch. ¡°It isn¡¯t Thursday anymore. It¡¯s Friday noon. No wonder I¡¯m so hungry.¡± ¡°Grawp?¡± grunted Shamtile. ¡°I¡¯ve been in here for over a day,¡± he laughed, not quite believing it. On the fortieth floor, Shamtile took his worst injury of the run when he was shoved into an Entanglement Trap by a Guilgon and hit by a pressure cannon that rivalled what Steambot was capable of. If Aurin hadn¡¯t run over to him and shoved a herb in his Minakai¡¯s mouth, another hit would have finished the job. Shamtile turned the battle around by striking the Guilgon with a stalagmite and a stalactite at the same time, banishing it from the tower. Relieved to have narrowly avoided the end of his run, Shamtile took a moment to catch his breath. Aurin¡¯s star Minakai felt like he had something to prove after Dolissile had carried Aurin up until floor thirty before succumbing to the challenges. No matter how much Aurin assured the shamanistic reptile, he refused to accept that the much higher difficulty of these floors as an excuse. He was steadfast in his desire to carry his tamer to the top and face the tower guardian himself.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°It would be quite the feat to clear a tower using only two monsters,¡± muttered Aurin before clearing his throat. ¡°We take it one floor at a time, mate. Just one floor at a time and then we¡¯ll see what comes of it. Obviously, I want to reach the top, but I¡¯m proud of reaching a floor that only one or two percent of tamers will ever reach.¡± Pushing through the forty-first floor, Shamtile took on a dozen Minakai, making quick work for the first half and slower work of the second, but the rare Solee Berry that Aurin found and fed to him helped the duo zoom through the forty-second floor before its double-speed effect wore off. The forty-third floor was the longest grind Aurin had dealt with in a while, taking almost a full hour to clear. It felt exceptionally large, leading him to wonder if it was one of the anomaly floors that occurred, similar to the floors that were covered in ice, filled with water or even the ones that consisted of a single large room. He made a mental note to look into it when he got out, but that thought quickly faded from his mind upon finding the elevator and ascending once more. On the forty-fourth floor, Aurin made use of an Orb of Monsters that was drained after that single use. It allowed him to identify where monsters were across the floor, seeing them as red silhouettes through the walls. A couple of times, he and Shamtile were backed into a corner, but it made the floor much easier than it would have been otherwise. ¡°Forty-five,¡± sighed Aurin while staggering forward. He was now so tired that even the teleportation effect of the elevator was making him feel dizzy. ¡°Shamtile, throw me over your shoulder for a while and carry me, would you?¡± Aurin was met with a punch to the knee that knocked him to the ground. Shamtile screeched and leapt up before helping Aurin back to his feet, trying to communicate his apology as best as he could. ¡°Just be careful next time,¡± said Aurin, massaging his left wrist. He had used his left hand to break his fall and it hadn¡¯t been the most pleasant of landings, but he knew it was an accident so he wasn¡¯t too harsh on his companion. ¡°Come on,¡± he said, leading the way along. Click. Upon entering the third room of the floor, the familiar and horrible sound echoed in Aurin¡¯s ears and he looked on in horror as Shamtile gave him guilty eyes from behind his masks. Shamtile¡¯s form started vibrating and there was a wispy, ethereal grey that enshrouded him. Whatever trap the lizard had triggered, it was not one that his tamer had ever seen before. The grey separated from Shamtile and scurried away like a ghost before leaping into the air and turning as it landed and solidified. The shadowed creature faced the pair, who were stunned to see that it was an exact duplicate of Shamtile that had been stripped of all colour. Whatever trap the lizard had triggered, Aurin could not name, but it was obvious what it had done. ¡°Attack!¡± Aurin ordered as the shadowy clone coated itself in stone armour and charged at the true Shamtile. The two Shamtile covered their fists in stone and punched, meeting each other with equal force and shattering their rock gloves into dozens of pieces. Shamtile hopped back and conjured a pair of stone spears, thrusting them both forward for the gaps in his opponent¡¯s armour but the shadow Shamtile twisted and the spears broke upon his stone. The clone hurled a boulder at Shamtile who caught it in his hands and tossed it back, but it was smashed into pieces by a hurled spear that pierced through and narrowly missed Shamtile¡¯s shoulder, startling Aurin¡¯s Minakai. Shamtile rushed forwards and dove at his clone, but it brought up a stone wall. Shamtile tried climbing to the top of the wall only for it to be extended to the ceiling. The masked lizard used his own elemental powers to break the wall apart and was met with a stone fist to the chest, knocking him towards the far wall and frustrating him greatly. Aurin¡¯s Minakai threw himself out of the way of a falling stalactite and ran around the room as more followed him, dropping through the air in a domino effect as the masked lizard ran. Shamtile suddenly stopped and held up his arms, forcing the stalactites to retract back into the ceiling. ¡°It may look like you, but it isn¡¯t you,¡± said Aurin as Shamtile leapt over boulders and slipped under spears. ¡°You can hit harder!¡± Shamtile suddenly had a burst of inspiration as another spear whizzed over his spikes. He hadn¡¯t tried this technique before, but it may just work. All he needed to do was guarantee that he could land the hit on the relentless clone. ¡°Arrrgh!¡± he yelled, pointing to Aurin¡¯s bag. ¡°Eh? The crystal?¡± asked the tamer, hurriedly pulling out the Water Crystal he had found earlier. Shamtile let out a decisive screech and Aurin understood what he needed to do. He focused his mind on the blue glass and harnessed its magic, unleashing the spell at the facsimile, forcing it to block his spell and giving Shamtile his opening. The masked lizard conjured a spear of his own, but this one was not of brown stone; it was of clouded diamond, the same sort of diamond he had used in his battle against Wingbloom. He flung it through the air before the false Shamtile had time to react and it the grey clone through the head, dissipating the anomaly in a puff of smoke. ¡°You don¡¯t see that every day, do you?¡± murmured Aurin, curious as to what Kyle would say about the rare trap he had triggered. Shamtile shook his head in exasperation. He hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to fight against anything remotely resembling himself again as using his diamond powers was draining at a level not even slightly comparable to regular stone. As Aurin led the way, he followed, feeling much more sluggish than he had done mere minutes ago. Chapter 188 ¡°Forty-six,¡± muttered Aurin in relief, landing on the purple and white tiles. ¡°I¡¯ve counted that right, haven¡¯t I? Forty-six.¡± Shamtile sat on the floor, exhausted. The masked lizard was relieved to have a moment of respite even if it would be short lived. Aurin himself was absolutely spent, desiring nothing more than to have something to eat and to close his eyes and sleep, but he had to soldier on. As he often did, he had entered the tower prepared for a long run, but he didn¡¯t believe he would get this close to the top. He had selected his team for the purpose of reaching it, that was certain, yet he still found it hard to fathom that he was this high all by himself. No. He wasn¡¯t by himself, he was with his monsters. His loyal and faithful team that had been with him through thick and thin, the longest-serving of member of which was by his side at this very moment. ¡°One final push,¡± said Aurin, reaching out for Shamtile¡¯s hand and pulling him to his feet. ¡°Four more floors and we¡¯re at the top.¡± Shamtile let out a low grunt and took a deep breath. He gave a nod of readiness and the duo walked down the corridor, seeking the elevator. After rounding the first corner, Shamtile shoved Aurin out of the way of a patrolling Dolissile that collided with the wall. With the pelt of a boulder, the Dolissile was banished from the tower, no longer a danger to the duo. In the first room, Aurin was relieved to find a Healing Herb and immediately fed it to Shamtile. While it wouldn¡¯t help with his energy levels, at the very least it would treat his cuts and bruises enough to help him weather a few more hits. ¡°Wait!¡± Aurin ordered Shamtile before the lizard walked from the room. The young tamer squatted low and saw a faint ripple in the air no more than an inch above one of the tiles near the door. ¡°Leap through the door and don¡¯t touch the ground.¡± Shamtile did as ordered and Aurin followed, jumping through the doorway himself. Tired as he was, Aurin knew that he couldn¡¯t afford to stop being vigilant. Even if he didn¡¯t make it to the top, he was so close that he was going to push as hard as he could. This was his final effort before the championships and it was going to be a run he could say he put everything into. The battles on the forty-seventh floor were tough and the Healing Herb¡¯s treatment was undone before Aurin and Shamtile reached the elevator. With both of them drained, they took a few seconds before touching the orb and ascending to the forty-eighth floor. The fiftieth floor, the roof, was so close that Aurin could taste it. On the forty-eighth floor, while fighting a Gorungra, Shamtile accidentally tripped a burning trap, injuring himself greatly. Had it not been for Aurin¡¯s Water Crystal that he used to extinguish the flames, it would have been the end of the line for the masked lizard. Shamtile let loose a lucky earth spear that cracked Gorungra¡¯s back crystal and sent it back from whence it came. A few rooms later and the duo were on the forty-ninth floor. ¡°We¡¯re doing it, Sham,¡± said Aurin, leaning against the wall and slumping to the ground. ¡°Once we clear this floor, we¡¯re at the top. We had no help from Luna or Kyle, we did it all by ourselves. I don¡¯t care if we¡¯ve had a lucky run or whatever got us here¡­we did it.¡± Shamtile walked over to Aurin and patted his tamer on the shoulder, holding out a hand to help him to his feet as Aurin had done for him a couple of floors ago. ¡°Thanks, mate,¡± said Aurin, now back on his feet. ¡°Let¡¯s see it through.¡± The two walked down the corridor, their eyes weary and their minds hazy. All it would take was a single strong enemy to knock both of them off their feet so they decided to play it as carefully as they could. Shamtile focused on his tremorsense¡ªwhich was admittedly less effective in the tower than outside¡ªwhile Aurin peered around the corners for any enemies that may have been hovering above the air. Each room they passed without an elevator was not a disappointment, it was a mark off the checklist that meant they were one step closer to finding the elevator. The wild Minakai that they happened across were dealt with as swiftly as Shamtile could muster. The element of surprise was his best friend, tossing boulders, hurling spears and summoning cages that either banished the wild Minakai or held them back long enough for he and Aurin to escape deeper into the floor. ¡°Yes!¡± called Aurin, peering through a doorway and spying the final blue orb he desired. His mirth, however, was short-lived as a Treebot walked through the door at the other side of the room. Aurin and Shamtile hurried for the elevator, but the Treebot wasn¡¯t going to make things easy. It used its entangling vines to hold back both the tamer and his Minakai. Shamtile fought and struggled against them, tossing a boulder at Treebot only for it to bash it out of the way with its green metallic leg. With a heave, it unleashed a nature beam from its screen and struck Shamtile, sending him flying through the air and leaving Aurin distraught. ¡°No!¡± called Aurin as Shamtile was slammed against the wall. He knew what came next and winced as his Minakai was engulfed in orange light and banished from the tower. Without further hesitation, he threw forth a blue orb and summoned Steambot to his aid. Having been waiting a long time to be called upon, the water elemental was raring to go. He leaned forward and high-powered jet of water at the Treebot, flipping it onto its bushy back.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Steambot sprinted forward before his fellow Microbot evolution could right itself and delivered a series of blows to its stomach, banishing it from the tower as it had done to Shamtile. Steambot flexed victoriously, but stopped when he saw the tired look on Aurin¡¯s face. ¡°Forty-nine, Steam,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m about ready to collapse, I can¡¯t lie.¡± Steambot grunted mechanically and patted Aurin on the back with a single finger. ¡°I appreciate it,¡± said Aurin, letting out a dry laugh. ¡°Let¡¯s see this through, yeah?¡± Aurin and Steambot walked to the room straight ahead. Too exhausted to check for further traps, Aurin dragged himself along and placed his hands on the elevator. He half-wished to have triggered a trap that would have ended the run, so spent was he, but he knew that he could not shy away from the final challenge that awaited him. He and Steambot materialised on the roof of the tower. Aurin looked up and could see the night sky above him. He must have been in the tower for at least thirty-six hours at this point for he was certain that more than an entire day had passed and he had entered early in the morning. The swirling barrier the separated him from the outside world was firmly intact. He expected nothing less, but after the last time he ascended to the roof, seeing it in place was always reassuring. What filled him with dread, however, was the golden podium where there was the perfect dip for an egg to sit. ¡°Let¡¯s do this,¡± Aurin said, walking towards the podium and placing his hands upon it as he would do an elevator on the floors below. The second his fingers touched the stone, a golden egg-like shape appeared. It was glowing and shimmering, filling him with a sense of ease that he had not expected. It was as though it was giving him a reprieve to the weariness that reaching the top of the tower had brought him. A reprieve that would be followed by enormous struggle. There was a sudden lightning strike at the far side of the rooftop and a swirling portal appeared. With no cosmic Minakai using their combined efforts to hold it back, a shadow began to step through the swirling vortex of purple. Its thunderous steps were audible even before it emerged and, upon setting foot on the stones of the tower roof, the tower guardian revealed itself. The large Zeera was towering above him and Steambot. It was much larger than Aurin¡¯s but not quite as large as the corrupted guardian from the Zeera Crisis. It let out a roar that shook the tower to its foundations, something that Aurin didn¡¯t think possible. ¡°Attack!¡± Aurin ordered his final Minakai. Steambot threw forward his two hands and unleashed water jets from them, wanting to gauge his foe¡¯s power before using his most powerful attacks. He was at full-strength and couldn¡¯t let himself be exhausted at the beginning of the battle. Zeera brought up a stone wall to block the attacks and the water jets bounced off it. The tower guardian forced its wall to separate in the middle and then stampeded across the roof towards Steambot with a claw raised back. The water elemental dove forwards as Zeera swung, throwing himself between its legs but was then struck by its tail, knocking him towards the battlements. ¡°Make it rain, Steambot!¡± shouted Aurin as Steambot stood up. He knew he had to think strategically and anything he could do to boost Steambot¡¯s power while weakening Zeera was worth doing. As Zeera turned to him, Steambot conjured heavy rainfall that soaked the rooftop and everything on it. The angered Zeera summoned a boulder in its hands and flung it at Aurin¡¯s Minakai who blasted it away with a pressure cannon before following up with a geyser that erupted beneath Zeera, striking the tower guardian on the chin and making it splutter as it roared in anger. With a stomp of its foot, a stalagmite sprung from the stone and sent Steambot flying into the air. He spun as he fell and conjured a bubble shield around himself moments before hitting the ground. The bubble squished and contorted, but it slowed his fall before bursting, further angering the dreaded tower guardian. Zeera breathed in and spat a barrage of stone at Steambot who blasted the first half dozen to pieces, but the unrelenting attack edged its way closer to him and knocked him supine, upon which he was struck by more of the rocks. The mighty Zeera leapt across the roof and landed above Steambot, leaning down with his gaping jaw ready to tear Aurin¡¯s Minakai to pieces with his sharp teeth. ¡°Zeera!¡± called Aurin, taking the Water Crystal in the palm of his hand. He focused on it and unleashed a water jet that struck Zeera in the back of his head, distracting him no more than a second before he bit Steambot. Infuriated, Zeera arose and turned towards the human who had dared attack him. Aurin cast another spell from the crystal, which Zeera brushed aside. Upon the spell leaving the crystal, it shattered into dust and fell from Aurin¡¯s palm. The gargantuan grey dinosaur leaned low and made to run towards Aurin, but he suddenly felt a tugging on his tail. He craned his neck and saw Steambot holding onto him, all while vibrating violently. Before he could make any further moves, Steambot¡¯s pipes erupted with a scalding pressure cannon which struck Zeera square in the face. Zeera wailed loudly upon the immense strike from the water elemental. As mighty as the tower guardian was, Steambot¡¯s water elemental advantage was too much for it. It teetered uncertainly for a moment before crashing onto the ground, whereupon the portal from which it emerged reappeared. It was engulfed by the familiar, orange-brown light and it was dragged by through the portal before disappearing. ¡°We¡­we did it,¡± said Aurin breathlessly as Steambot¡¯s rain slowed and then ceased. ¡°We did it!¡± Steambot was heaving up and down, exhausted to the point of near collapse, but the robot held on and threw a victorious arm in the air. Aurin rushed over to him and hugged his Minakai, laughing the entire time. He couldn¡¯t believe it, he had finally conquered Harmony Tower. All of a sudden, the podium began to glow and the golden light died down as an egg materialised where it had been. It had an unearthly shine to it, golden and beautiful with three aqua rings around its centre. Aurin could not even imagine what Minakai lay within, but he wanted to find out with all of his heart. He rushed over to the egg, held his hands up to it and then looked at Steambot, who sat himself on the ground to rest and gave a mechanical grunt of agreement. Aurin beamed proudly and grabbed hold of the egg, feeling the pulling sensation that he had gotten so very used to. With that, he and Steambot disappeared from the top of the tower. ¡°Erf!¡± groaned Steambot as his backside slammed onto the grass. Aurin and his Minakai found themselves back outside the doors of Harmony Tower, utterly spent, but very pleased with themselves. Aurin held his new egg in his hands both firmly and delicately, a difficult balance to maintain. He knew it was sturdy, yet how precious this egg was not something he could let himself take lightly. Placing it carefully in his bag, he checked his watch. It was two o¡¯clock in the morning, meaning he had been in the tower for almost two days. He was so tired that he could have fallen asleep on the grass, but the ranch was only minutes away. He patted Steambot on the back and helped pull the Minakai to his feet. The two dragged themselves through the forest, glad to be going home with their miraculous achievement in tow. Chapter 189 Aurin, Luna, Kyle, Shamtile and Innogon walked up the stairs and onto the station platform to the cheers of a gathered crowd. None of them had expected this and were a little embarrassed, but they waved and thanked everyone all the same. Among the crowd was Lord Kensington, who stepped forward. ¡°Have you bought tickets yet?¡± he asked them, sounding alarmed. ¡°What, no?¡± asked a suddenly panicked Aurin, looking around for a conductor. Kensington chuckled. ¡°Good because you would have wasted your money,¡± he said, gesturing towards a train pulling a single carriage. ¡°I¡¯ve arranged for the three of you to take my personal transport to Ludonia. Kenny would have joined you, but I believe he¡¯s already in the capital as of three days ago.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve provided a train and a carriage for us?¡± asked Luna, trying to hide her excitement. ¡°The railway, my dear Luna, is one of Bretonia¡¯s greatest sources of pride. It¡¯s only fitting that representatives of this wonderful town make use of it when travelling to an important event such as the national championships.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lord Kensington,¡± said Kyle graciously, prompting both Aurin and Luna to thank him too. ¡°Think nothing of it,¡± said the Lord, sweeping his hand through the air. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do.¡± ¡°But¡­what did we do for you?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Aside from saving the town during the Zeera Crisis, you put on one heck of a show last month. If your matches in the coming days are even close to that level of exciting, then I will consider myself very blessed to watch them. Now, go on. The train can stop here for too long or the next train will be delayed. Shoo shoo now!¡± The three tames and two Minakai boarded the carriage and sat down on the delightfully comfortable seats, looking forward to the journey much more. The journey to the Palace Royale almost a year ago was luxurious, but to travel much further would be a great experience. Seconds after the doors closed, the train took off and the trio of humans waved to the crowd as they departed from Hazelton Station. ¡°Eee!¡± squealed Luna. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°This train carriage is so nice!¡± ¡°I thought you were excited about the championships,¡± laughed Kyle. ¡°That too,¡± said Luna, but she turned to the window and started inspecting the pristinely varnished frame, running her fingers along each of the grooves and carvings to take it all in. As the train steamed along, the three watched the beautiful Bretonian countryside pass them by. The fields rolled for miles towards hills and mountains. The forests were thick and lush with greenery. Even the villages and towns that they passed by were in immaculate condition, reminding them all three just how good they had it. ¡°Look!¡± called Aurin, spying a monster tower from the window. ¡°Epiphany Tower.¡± ¡°You pointed that out last time,¡± said Luna. ¡°I did?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Kyle, have you ever entered Epiphany Tower?¡± Aurin asked, turning to the rancher. ¡°No,¡± lamented Kyle. ¡°And sadly, it locked its doors and the keys all vanished three months ago.¡± Aurin was shocked. ¡°What? How did that happen?¡± he demanded. Kyle furrowed his brow. ¡°Do you really think I have the answer to that? I don¡¯t know how the magic works and where the keys go when they disappear.¡± Aurin pulled out his own threaded keys from underneath his t-shirt. ¡°Good,¡± he said, seeing his Harmony and Ludonia keys still there. ¡°Were you worried they had vanished since you put that on this morning?¡± giggled Luna. ¡°I¡¯m paranoid now, knowing that a tower so close to Hazelton closed. What happens if all of the towers in the world close and never reopen?¡± Kyle was about to dismiss him, but he stopped to think for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s unprecedented, but¡­I suppose it¡¯s possible. There are enough Minakai out here in the world that I¡¯m sure we could continue breeding them without towers, but their fertility plummets outside of their own magical environments. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to sustain the populations and I reckon many species would go extinct in a generation or two.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Shamtile and Innogon looked at each other, fearing for the extinction of their species on Earth. The pair had never given much thought to finding mates, for Minakai partnered to tamers rarely cared for much other than serving their human owners. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find lovely ladies for you two should the worst come to pass,¡± said Luna, patting both monsters on the heads. A couple of hours later, the train slowed to a halt as it pulled into Ludonia Central Station. A couple of passersby marvelled at the old, but immaculately kept, train and carriage. Upon seeing Aurin, Luna, Kyle and the two Minakai they moved along, evidently expecting some sort of celebrity to disembark. ¡°Your tower runs must be very lucrative to afford that,¡± said Hunter, walking towards the group. ¡°Business has been good,¡± shrugged Aurin before laughing and shaking Hunter¡¯s hand. ¡°You all trained and ready to go, Hunter?¡± ¡°I¡¯d face you right here and now if it counted as an official match, Aurin. Luna, it¡¯s good to see you competing again.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s good to be competing again,¡± replied Luna with a big smile. ¡°I still haven¡¯t forgotten how you defeated me in the first Hazelton tournament. I¡¯m coming back for revenge, my friend.¡± ¡°Hard to believe that was over two years ago, isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Hunter. ¡°In any case, I look forward to our prospective battle.¡± ¡°Get in line,¡± said Kyle, nudging Luna. ¡°I¡¯m coming for you first, Hunter. My comeback isn¡¯t complete until you¡¯re thoroughly humiliated in front of the entire nation.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid, Kyle, that you¡¯ll not want to continue your comeback once I¡¯m through with you.¡± ¡°Both of you won¡¯t even make it to the five-on-five rounds because I¡¯ll have knocked you both out before that,¡± said Aurin. The quartet all had a good laugh while Shamtile and Innogon started playfighting on the platform, attracting further attention from commuters as they made their way to their own trains. Aurin checked his watch. ¡°I¡¯ve got somewhere to be soon,¡± he said. ¡°Where are you all going?¡± ¡°Where do you have to go?¡± asked Kyle, eyeing Aurin suspiciously. ¡°What are you up to?¡± ¡°I need to visit an old friend.¡± ¡°Who, Eclare?¡± Luna¡¯s face turned red and she shot Kyle a scornful look. She was about to say something, but Aurin headed her off. ¡°It¡¯s last-minute tournament preparation,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t reveal all my secrets before showtime now, can I? I shouldn¡¯t be too long.¡± ¡°Do you want us to hold off on lunch?¡± asked Hunter. ¡°No,¡± said Aurin, grabbing Shamtile¡¯s wrist and pulling him along. ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep you all waiting if I run longer than I plan for.¡± Aurin ran off, leaving his three friends wondering what it was that he was doing. As Aurin hurried away, he put his hand on his bag to make sure that the golden egg he carried within was still there. ¡°What do you reckon, Shamtile?¡± asked Aurin of his Minakai. Shamtile threw his hands in the air and made a denying wail as he scurried along. ¡°I know it¡¯s a long shot, but if anybody would know what to do with this egg, it would be him.¡± Aurin and Shamtile hopped on a bus outside of the station and hopped on a bus. As they rode along, Aurin held his bag in his arms and tapped his fingers on it constantly, irritating his Minakai who kept yelling at him to stop. ¡°I can¡¯t help it! I¡¯m nervous.¡± ¡°Waagh!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why. I know I¡¯ll not be able to use it in the tournament even if I could hatch it. I¡¯m still torn about whether or not I¡¯ll use Zeera.¡± The two rode the bus for half an hour and got off at on a fairly quiet and clean street. They walked across the road and followed it for another minute until they stood outside a building they hadn¡¯t seen in almost a year; Professor Socrates¡¯s laboratory. Stepping inside, they could see that it hadn¡¯t changed much since their last visit. The researcher himself was pouring over a book on the desk. He glanced up upon seeing someone enter his domain, but did a double-take upon seeing who it was. ¡°Ah!¡± exclaimed Professor Socrates, smiling warmly. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Aurin.¡± ¡°Hello, Professor,¡± said Aurin, smiling back. ¡°What brings you here today, young man? Hatching something ahead of the tournament? Leaving it a bit late, no?¡± ¡°Professor, I believe I can trust you and I need you to keep a secret for me.¡± Socrates scratched his beard and adjusted his glasses. ¡°Is that so? It must be something very important if you would come all the way here for it.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m here for the tournament,¡± admitted Aurin, ¡°but I found something only a few days ago that I want you to see.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t keep me waiting, boy!¡± chortled the professor. ¡°Yes, of course,¡± said Aurin, taking his bag off and setting it on the table. He opened it up and moved his crammed clothes aside, revealing the top peak of the golden egg. Socrates¡¯s expression changed from that of curiosity to awe as Aurin took the egg from the top of Harmony Tower out of his bag. He leaned in close with his mouth wide open and muttered something incomprehensible before clearing his throat and standing up straight again. ¡°Well¡­that certainly is something,¡± he said. ¡°You¡­you obtained this yourself?¡± ¡°With my Dolissile, Steambot and Shamtile here.¡± ¡°Yes, quite. I did not mean to diminish the role of your Minakai, but what I meant to ask was that you made the journey alone? If memory serves, you were often with that redheaded girl.¡± ¡°Luna? No, she wasn¡¯t with me this time.¡± ¡°So, nobody else knows that you have this egg?¡± ¡°Only you and that assistant of yours in the corner who¡¯s pretending not to listen.¡± A brunette woman with her hair in a bun turned around and gave an awkward smile before excusing herself into another room. Socrates chuckled and assured Aurin that she could keep a secret. ¡°What exactly is it you¡¯re asking of me, Aurin?¡± said the professor, raising an eyebrow. Aurin nodded slowly. ¡°I recently hatched a Zeera egg and that wasn¡¯t possible with a normal incubator. It took me traveling to¡ª" ¡°Excuse me, but a Zeera egg? Goodness gracious, young man. You have certainly been busy this last year, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Busy doesn¡¯t even come close,¡± laughed Aurin. ¡°Anyway, I want to know if you know how to hatch it?¡± Socrates held a finger to his top lip and let out a small sigh. ¡°Well, I last came across one of these a few years ago. I¡¯m sure my old notes are still filed away somewhere and I can follow the steps exactly to hatch it for you too.¡± Aurin turned to Shamtile with a look of glee on his face while the Minakai jumped up and down excitedly. Aurin walked over to the donation plate that Socrates kept near his high-tech incubator, reached into his pocket and then dumped a large bag of silver coins onto the plate. ¡°What a generous donation,¡± chuckled the professor, immediately heading off to a locked filing cabinet. Chapter 190 ¡°Come on, come on,¡± said Aurin, punching his thighs as he jittered in anticipation. ¡°I have to see what he¡¯s got waiting in the wings for the end of the tournament.¡± He, Luna, Kyle and Hunter were sitting in the tamer box awaiting Tobias to take to the stage and perform for the crowd. Last year, he had wowed the crowd with his Arusom, one of the two epic Minakai native to Bretonian towers, along with Zeera. ¡°What makes you think he¡¯ll show off his best and all they can do?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°He won¡¯t, but I need to see if he had any new Minakai that I haven¡¯t seen before,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Did he show you many of his Minakai while the pair of you were training?¡± asked Hunter. ¡°Fishing for information, are we?¡± asked Aurin slyly. ¡°Yes,¡± chuckled Hunter. ¡°I want to win as badly as you do and I¡¯ll take whatever edge I can get, even if I don¡¯t get far enough to use it.¡± ¡°Fair,¡± laughed Aurin. ¡°I trained with a few of them, but the biggest challenge to fight against was his Mindadam. Cosmic Minakai are truly no joke.¡± ¡°While they¡¯re often not the sturdiest if you can land a hit, landing a hit is usually the problem,¡± nodded Hunter. ¡°I¡¯ve had the misfortune of fighting against a few of them and, across nine battles, I¡¯ve only defeated two.¡± Luna looked uneasy. ¡°Place one in the hands of Tobias, a tamer who would know how to use it effectively, and it¡¯s an almost impossible monster to overcome. I hope there aren¡¯t other cosmics lurking in the other tamers¡¯ teams.¡± ¡°We know there¡¯s at least one,¡± said Aurin in a low voice, looking towards Frederick. ¡°Abysarex is the opposite of many other cosmics,¡± said Tobias. ¡°Easier to hit, but can take the punches well. Unfortunately, he can deliver incredibly powerful punches of his own.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to¡ª¡± ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!¡± called the announcer and the chatter of the thousands in the audience fell silent as they all eagerly awaited the opening of the tournament. ¡°Allow me to welcome you all to the Bretonian National Championships here in the great city of Ludonia!¡± The silenced crowd then burst into cheers as they awaited what they knew came next. ¡°And to open up this grand event, we have a special show for you tonight by a man who needs no introduction after so many years at the top. Give it up for your national champion, Tobias!¡± Everyone rose to their feet and cheered as Tobias walked onto the battlefield below, looking calm and stoic as he did so. He stopped in the centre and looked around at the crowd, slowly rotating so that he could take the audience in. With a wink and a smirk, he suddenly disappeared through a portal in the ground. ¡°What was that?¡± asked Luna, looking stunned. ¡°Mindadam,¡± whispered Aurin, unable to raise his voice louder. He needed to pay close attention. ¡°Where did he go?¡± asked the announcer, sounding genuinely surprised. ¡°Wait. There! Standing atop the screen!¡± Everyone turned to look at the giant monitor at the edge of the stadium where the battlefield below was being shown. Indeed, standing on top of it, was Tobias. He smiled confidently and then leapt from it, falling into the crowd, but before he could hit them and break his neck another portal opened and he vanished through it. Tobias erupted from a portal that appeared on the wall of the stadium, but he was no longer alone. He was riding the brass horse that Aurin knew very well. He rode his Mindadam across the battlefield and it opened up another portal. It ran straight through and reappeared at the opposite end of the field. He opened one in the air and leapt into it, suddenly erupting from the ground and landing in another portal that opened. Everyone in the stadium twisted and jerked their heads, trying to follow the national champion and his cosmic elemental, but they were disappearing and reappearing so fast that it was hard to keep track of. The crowd were utterly mesmerised, but it suddenly came to an end. Mindadam stood tall in the centre of the battlefield and everyone watched, waiting to see what would happen next. Tobias held out his two hands and the audience clapped for him. He slowly raised his arms up until they were pointed up and, as his arms moved, the audience grew louder until they reached a crescendo. With a clap of his own hands, Mindadam let out a mechanical neigh and four portals appeared around the stadium, from which more Minakai emerged.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Tobias¡¯s Grakadon, Titamet, Guilgon and Arusom all sped towards the brass horse, readying powerful attacks. Grakadon¡¯s earthen spear was hurled towards Mindadam, but it vanished in a portal and struck Guilgon, who spat out a jet of water before collapsing. The water jet was sent into another open portal, smacking Titamet in the face. Arusom unleashed waves of poisonous spores from its wings, but they too vanished into a portal and were released a hundred feet in the air where they would harm nobody. With another loud neigh, the attacking Minakai were all sent back through their portals, banishing them from the battlefield and leaving Tobias and Mindadam alone before the crowd. The audience exploded, amazed to see the power of a cosmic Minakai used in such a way. Aurin, who had been holding his breath for most of the showing, finally relaxed and clapped louder than anyone else. As the camera zoomed in on Tobias and Mindadam, Kyle nudged Aurin and gestured towards the giant monitor. ¡°You see what I see?¡± he asked Aurin quietly. ¡°Mindadam¡¯s heaving,¡± said Aurin with a nod. ¡°That many portals, some of them appearing simultaneously must be very draining,¡± said Hunter. ¡°He couldn¡¯t keep it up for much longer, could he?¡± ¡°I would say not,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Can you believe it, folks?¡± boomed the announcer. ¡°What a display of power that was. I don¡¯t envy the tamer who will be going up against Tobias at the end of the tournament. He¡¯s going to be tough to dethrone, that much is clear, but maybe this year is finally the year it happens. What do you think, Tobias?¡± Tobias let out a visible laugh and gave a shrug, mouthing the words. ¡°Who knows?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make it happen,¡± said Luna excitedly. ¡°Where did this confidence come from?¡± laughed Kyle. ¡°After watching all of that, I feel inspired!¡± she said, clapping her hands together with a wide grim upon her face. * ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± said a wide-eyed Luna as she stared at the tournament bracket on the screen in the entrance hall of St Michael¡¯s Stadium. ¡°I¡¯m not seeing things, am I?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Aurin, patting her on the back. ¡°You¡¯re up first.¡± True enough, Luna¡¯s name and face were displayed on the top left of the screen. She was in the first match of the tournament against a tamer named Mario. He was a burly-looking fellow with a moustache and menacing eyes who would have been an intimidating bouncer. Aurin wondered if his Minakai would be able to compare to their tamer¡¯s fierce appearance. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m up first!¡± wailed Luna. ¡°Why does that make a difference?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°It¡­it just does! That means I have to set the pace for the entire tournament. If it¡¯s a disaster, then everyone is going to remember it?¡± ¡°Nobody would care after a few matches.¡± ¡°Of course, they wou¡ª¡± ¡°Luna,¡± said Aurin, grabbing her by the shoulder and looking into her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m with Kyle on this one. Nobody would care if the match was a trainwreck because there are always trainwreck matches, even at this level.¡± With a sigh, Luna nodded. ¡°Yes¡­yes, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Now snap out of it and get your game face on because you¡¯ve got a match to win. Get yourself psyched up and select your monsters, alright?¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± said Kyle, locating himself on the bracket. ¡°Now that¡¯s even more interesting than Luna being up first.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m fighting our old friend, Frederick.¡± Aurin¡¯s eyes scanned the chart and spotted Kyle and Frederick, placed next to each other on the left side of the chart. Aurin¡¯s own name was somewhere between Luna and Kyle¡¯s meaning that he was in line to face both of them before the finals¡ªpresuming they all won their matches. Hunter, however, was situated on the right of the bracket. ¡°Well,¡± said Frederick, approaching from behind and making everyone jump. ¡°It looks like the Hazelton champion is going to be knocked out on his very first match of the national championships. How about that?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see who¡¯s knocking who out,¡± said Kyle scornfully. ¡°Lost evolutions or cosmic elementals, I don¡¯t care what you use. My team is ready to take you out, Frederick.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it,¡± said the former Zodiac elite with a smirk. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I faced a true challenge. Hopefully you can deliver at least that.¡± ¡°What happened to that humility you had right after the Zeera Crisis?¡± asked Luna, shaking her head in exasperation. ¡°I thought you had changed.¡± Frederick raised his eyebrows. ¡°Can¡¯t handle a few fighting words? I¡¯d be amazed if you knocked out a single one of your opponent¡¯s Minakai, Luna. It looks like two of the Hazelton qualifiers will be going home in disgrace after their first matches.¡± Luna¡¯s face was bright red and she was shaking uncontrollable as Frederick walked away chuckling. Aurin had to hold her back from running up behind him and punching him in the back of the head. ¡°Don¡¯t take the bait,¡± he told her. ¡°The last thing you want to do is get disqualified for assaulting another competitor, right?¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Luna through gritted teeth. ¡°But it would be worth it.¡± ¡°No, it wouldn¡¯t,¡± said Kyle sternly before suddenly looking brighter. ¡°Leave him to me. Leo isn¡¯t going to know what hit him.¡± ¡°Can we go grab dinner now?¡± asked Aurin, releasing Luna¡¯s arms. ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°How can you think about eating at a time like this?¡± demanded Luna. ¡°I¡¯ve got last-minute preparation to do and not enough time to do it! Kyle, go pick up some food for us and bring it to Baxter Park. We¡¯re all training together.¡± ¡°What about letting your Minakai rest?¡± asked Aurin. Luna waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Healing items before bed and they¡¯ll be right as rain by morning. Now let¡¯s get to it!¡± ¡°Yes, captain!¡± barked Kyle mockingly, giving Luna a salute and then marching away while Aurin tried to hold back his laughter. Luna, however, had a look of furious determination on her face. Frederick¡¯s words had rattled her, but rather than throw her off her game, it gave her the fuel she needed to leave her fear and anxiety in the dust behind her. Chapter 191 Luna was standing by the edge of the tunnel at the ready. In mere seconds, she would make her national championship debut in front of millions of people watching in the stadium or on television. This time, she was not remotely afraid, for she had a true goal to work towards and that was to make Frederick eat his words from the previous evening. From where she stood, she could see the edge of the tamer box where Aurin, Kyle and Hunter all sat clustered together, but Frederick was somewhere out of sight. He was probably grinning smugly or maybe not even paying attention, thinking that this battle was beneath him. ¡°Ten seconds,¡± said the tournament official standing by. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Luna, taking a final deep breath ahead of her name being called out. She was ready. ¡°And welcome to the first match of the Bretonian National Championships!¡± called the announcer to thunderous applause from the crowd. ¡°I¡¯m not going to waste your time with long speeches because you had plenty of those yesterday, so let¡¯s get on with the show. Introducing our first competitor, all the way from Hazelton, Luna!¡± Luna walked out onto the battlefield and waved to the crowd, but she was not smiling. She was too focused to smile. ¡°And her opponent, all the way from the Bedwick, it¡¯s Mario!¡± Mario strode out to meet Luna and the pair shook hands in the middle of the battlefield. ¡°Good luck,¡± said Mario in his deep voice. ¡°Likewise,¡± said Luna, giving him a faint smile for a split second before her concentrated face returned. The two parted ways and stood at opposing ends of the stadium, waiting for the fight to be called in. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go,¡± said Aurin, punching his fist into his palm. ¡°She¡¯s got this, she¡¯s got this.¡± ¡°She has,¡± said Kyle calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m excited.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± said Hunter. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve watched Luna battle.¡± ¡°And begin!¡± called the announcer. Luna and Mario each threw forth a ball of deep blue light from their summoning stones, from which Luna¡¯s Innogon and Mario¡¯s Doripper appeared. To the average eye, the jovial and unassuming drake looked much weaker than his opponent, but Innogon wasn¡¯t remotely intimidated by his sharp-toothed foe, no matter how hungry it looked. ¡°Make an impression!¡± Luna ordered and Innogon let out a yapping roar in agreement, making Mario and some of the crowd laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t give it the chance,¡± replied Mario. ¡°Use you¡ª¡± Before Doripper could react, it had been flipped over onto the ground by a high-powered water jet to the head. The stream of water was so thin and so powerful that it was almost laser-like. Mario was left open-mouthed as Innogon propelled towards his Minakai on his belly, sliding on water that he was spitting out. Doripper righted itself and swung its tail around at Innogon as the drake drew close, but Innogon kept low and avoided the attack, raising his head as he slid under Doripper. He channelled his elemental energy into his head fin and cut a deep gash along Doripper¡¯s underbelly, spilling blood all across the battlefield. Upon emerging at the water side, Innogon leapt up and span around, shooting another jet of water that struck the back of the roaring Doripper¡¯s head, forcing its face into the ground. It broke a few teeth from the impact and lay motionless in defeat. ¡°Yes!¡± called Aurin, unwittingly standing up and throwing his hands up. ¡°Folks, she certainly made an impression!¡± called the announcer. ¡°You can¡¯t underestimate any opponents at this level, Mario.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± muttered the burly tamer, banishing his Doripper and summoning a Gittup. The hairy blue beast gnashed its fangs and swung its golden tail that crackled with electricity. Innogon started hopping back and forth, readying himself for whatever attack the much-larger monster would throw at him. He was ready and determined not to let Luna down. He would win this for her.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Knock him down with a sonic boom!¡± demanded Mario. Gittup roared and let rip a thunderous force from its mouth that shook the battlefield as it soared towards Innogon, but he fashioned a bubble shield around himself and rolled towards the wall at an immense speed. The bubble absorbed the impact of this collision, squeezing tightly but not popping. With the swish of his tail, Innogon sent himself rolling along towards Gittup whose eyes widened upon seeing how ineffective its attack was. To meet the rolling drake, it spun around and pointed its sharp tail at the bubble, ready to pop it. For good measure, it even coasted its tail in fizzling lightning that was ready to make Innogon explode along with his bubble. ¡°Disengage!¡± ordered Luna. Innogon leapt from the bubble, but the hole he escaped from was repaired immediately and the Gittup destroyed it on contact with its tail. With his back to the bubble, it had failed to see Innogon escape and the cries from its tamer were heard much too late as Luna¡¯s Minakai struck him with a pressure cannon. Innogon followed up by leaping into the air and spinning like a razor saw, striking Gittup with his whirling blade and ending its time on the battlefield much earlier than it would have liked. With a final roar, it collapsed and lay on the ground as motionless as its comrade had done barely a minute before. ¡°Luna is steamrolling Mario¡¯s team with a single Minakai,¡± said the announcer. ¡°He better have something good left on his bench or he¡¯ll be the first one eliminated from the national championships this year.¡± ¡°Agh!¡± yelled Mario, replacing Gittup with a Frogre. The white ogre adjusted its icy crown and then punched its fists together while grunting in anticipation of the imminent battle. Innogon took a second to catch his breath while watching and waiting. He hadn¡¯t launched many attacks, but the power behind them took a lot of his effort. Luckily for him, the Frogre was waiting to react rather than act and this gave him the pause that he needed to gather himself. ¡°Water jet!¡± commanded Luna. ¡°Now!¡± ordered Mario as Innogon opened his mouth and the stream of water erupted. Frogre held out its hands and focused its elemental powers, freezing the jet in mid-air, but Innogon had put far more energy behind the attack than Mario and his Minakai had expected. The icy jet continued to propel forward, pierced the Frogre¡¯s palms and it let out a bloodcurdling scream as Mario held his own hands to his head, realising the grave mistake he had made. ¡°Let¡¯s end this,¡± said Luna, holding out her own hand. ¡°Sweep it away!¡± Innogon let out a playful bark and threw his hands into the air, summoning a tidal wave that charged towards Frogre who shattered the icicle that had joined its hands together. It tried to leap out of the way, but the wave was too widespread. It collided with the ogre and carried it to the wall of the battlefield, slamming him against the concrete and knocking it out cold as its crown rolled away and one of its boots lay on the ground beside it. ¡°What a way to set the pace!¡± called the announcer amidst the stadium-shaking applause. ¡°Luna has won the first battle of the tournament and didn¡¯t lose a single Minakai! I don¡¯t know about you folks, but my heart is pounding. I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Half of the tamer box were cheering and the other half were already discussing plans, should they be forced to battle Luna. Aurin, however, was cheering so loudly that they could barely hear each over his thunderous claps and yells. Kyle glanced at Frederick and could see him clapping half-heartedly, but there was a peculiar look on his face; he was reluctantly impressed by the battle. ¡°Come on,¡± said Aurin to Kyle as Luna walked back towards the tunnel after shaking Mario¡¯s hand. With a final wave to the crowd, she disappeared and the two rushed through the stadium to meet her. ¡°Amazing!¡± said Aurin, hugging her tightly and almost winding her. ¡°T-thanks,¡± Luna coughed as Aurin released her. She took a deep breath and started laughing. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would go as well as it did, I¡¯ll be honest.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± said Kyle, shaking his head. ¡°I heard what the other tamers were saying. You¡¯ve rattled a few of them and that¡¯s exactly what you want. Complete complacency or utter terror. The middle ground is where you don¡¯t want to be and you¡¯ve avoided that.¡± ¡°Feeling good?¡± asked Aurin with a grin that he couldn¡¯t get rid of. ¡°I¡¯m feeling great,¡± said Luna, punching the air. ¡°Bring on the next battle!¡± ¡°Steady on,¡± chuckled Aurin. ¡°I¡¯m up next, don¡¯t forget.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s your opponent?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°Some tamer named Moon,¡± said Aurin dismissively before looking to Luna. ¡°I saw her cheering for you in the box earlier.¡± ¡°Well, that was nice of her,¡± said Luna, holding a finger to her chin. ¡°Did she look tough?¡± ¡°No, but Mario did and he wasn¡¯t. Looks can be deceiving, can¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m so beautiful and pack a punch?¡± asked Luna, winking and then giggling. ¡°That¡¯s be cue to leave,¡± said Kyle, rolling his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll see you both¡ª¡± ¡°Actually, I need to leave,¡± said Aurin, checking his watch. ¡°I¡¯ve got an appointment.¡± ¡°An appointment?¡± asked Luna and Kyle in unison, both raising their eyebrows. ¡°Yep,¡± said Aurin, rushing off before either of them could question him further. ¡°I¡¯ll see you both for lunch later,¡± he called over his shoulder as the door closed behind him. ¡°He¡¯s been acting oddly ever since we arrived in Ludonia,¡± said Kyle, shaking his head. ¡°I wonder if he¡¯s doing some secret training with his Zeera to make sure he¡¯s tournament-ready?¡± ¡°Could be, but he wouldn¡¯t need to keep that a secret from us,¡± muttered Kyle. Meanwhile, Aurin was hurrying along the corridors of the stadium and looking at the bus schedule he had in his hand. If he was quick, he could catch the next bus from outside the stadium that would take him straight to Professor Socrates¡¯s laboratory. He held out a hand and summoned Shamtile from the lab, where he had been waiting since yesterday. ¡°Any luck, mate?¡± Aurin asked him. ¡°Wagh!¡± called Shamtile, shaking his hands. ¡°He said he had done it before, so I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s proving so difficult to replicate,¡± sighed Aurin. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯ll blast apart the competition no matter what, right?¡± Shamtile grunted confidently as the two ran. Chapter 192 Aurin and Shamtile stood before the golden egg as it sat in Professor Socrates¡¯s high-powered incubator. The impressive machine had been repaired three times already after failed attempts to hatch the legendary egg that was proving itself to be beyond mere stubbornness. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± muttered the professor, checking his notes for the fiftieth time. ¡°I¡¯ve matched the specifications exactly. I know where I went wrong the first two times, but this time it should have worked.¡± ¡°You must have overlooked something,¡± said Aurin, furrowing his brow. ¡°I wish I was knowledgeable enough to help, Professor Socrates, but I haven¡¯t got a clue about any of this.¡± ¡°Well, feel free to try,¡± shrugged the professor, throwing Aurin his notebook. ¡°I¡¯m out of ideas.¡± Aurin held up the notebook and started flicking through the page, unable to understand half of the words inside, never mind the many formulas. There was something to be said for finding a magical solution to hatching eggs, like with Zeera, over relying on advanced technology to mimic the conditions. Shamtile started jumping up and down, pointing at the book. ¡°What is it?¡± Aurin asked. ¡°I don¡¯t believe for a second that you¡¯ve cracked the code, mate.¡± Shamtile punched Aurin in the thigh and snatched the book from him. He flipped it around as Aurin rubbed his sore leg and then pointed to a drawing on the back cover. ¡°Um, Professor Socrates?¡± called Aurin, opening the back page and seeing that the notebook had been completely filled¡ªincluding the inside of the back cover¡ªthe professor must have written on the back after he ran out of space on the final page. ¡°Did you check this?¡± The young man pointed to the picture of a strange ring with a jagged burst around it and showed it to the professor. ¡°My goodness,¡± said the professor, putting his palm to his forehead as his face turned red. ¡°This is embarrassing,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°What is this orb?¡± ¡°How could I forget the most crucial element of all?¡± said the professor, taking the book and looking closely at the drawing. ¡°I¡¯m such an ignoramus. A halfwit. A nincompoop!¡± Aurin stayed silent, not knowing where to look as the professor continued to berate himself. ¡°I know what to do now,¡± said Socrates, rolling his eyes. ¡°This object is called a Life Ring. If you want to hatch Breminia from the golden egg, then this is what you need. It must be placed around the egg before you can hatch it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great news!¡± roared Aurin excitedly. ¡°Where can I find one?¡± The professor sighed. ¡°They usually appear in the top couple of floors of the Bretonia monster towers, but they¡¯re exceptionally rare. I only know the location of one and I very much doubt that its owner would willingly part with it, but I can certainly ask him¡­¡± ¡°Who?¡± asked Aurin, looking nervous. ¡°For his own privacy, I shouldn¡¯t say,¡± said Socrates. ¡°But I will see what I can do¡­¡± ¡°Oh no!¡± howled Aurin, seeing the time on the intricately-carved wooden clock hanging on the back wall and behind the professor¡¯s desk. ¡°I¡¯m going to be late for my match if I hang around any longer.¡± ¡°Get moving then, son!¡± barked the professor. Aurin ran outside and banished Shamtile, who screeched as he vanished. He then summoned Skrow and hopped on the black bird¡¯s back, taking to the skies and flying over the buildings of Ludonia, aiming straight for St Michael¡¯s Stadium. * Aurin panted as he reached the end of the tunnel. He was just in time for the match and kicking himself for not checking the time properly while he was at the professor¡¯s lab. He was so distracted by the golden egg that he was risking the national championships and this was unacceptable to him. Now was the time, more than ever, to have his head in the game. ¡°Ten seconds,¡± said the tournament official, looking irked at Aurin¡¯s poor timing. ¡°Thanks,¡± muttered Aurin, wiping his forehead with the sleeve of his jacket. When given the nod, Aurin walked out onto the field. ¡°Returning from last year¡¯s championships and the runner-up of this year¡¯s Hazelton qualifier, it¡¯s Aurin!¡± called the announcer to the cheering crowd. ¡°And his opponent today is the winner of the Richbury qualifier is none other than Moon!¡± The two tamers walked across the field to meet each other. Moon was a pretty, almost ethereal girl, with alabaster skin, wavy platinum blonde hair that reached her waist and a flowing white dress that reminded Aurin of elves he had read about in fantasy books and seen in films. She had a pleasant smile on her face as she shook his hand. ¡°Why are you so sweaty?¡± she asked with a look of curiosity, rather than intending to insult. ¡°I was almost late,¡± replied Aurin. ¡°That would have been an easy advancement for me. I hope it¡¯s a good battle for both of us.¡± ¡°Likewise,¡± said Aurin and the two walked back to their positions. ¡°There¡¯s something intimidating about her,¡± said Luna in the tamer box, ¡°and I can¡¯t quite work out what it is.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like she¡¯s gliding along the ground,¡± said Kyle airily as he stared at Moon. ¡°What, is she your type?¡± giggled Luna. ¡°I think she must be every man¡¯s type.¡± ¡°She looks like a ghost to me,¡± shrugged Luna. ¡°Three. Two. One. Begin!¡± cried the announcer. Aurin summoned his Glacibot to the field in a burst of icy blue light while Moon brought forth her Elephrock. The two heavyweight monsters stomped their feet, staring at each and watching for any sudden movements from the other. Knowing that Elephrock was a competent attacker, but an even more powerful defender, Aurin opted for the first move. ¡°Double up a snowstorm and frozen terrain,¡± he ordered. Glacibot¡¯s blue eye glowed intensely within its screen and a relentless snowfall began while the battlefield was covered in ice reaching from Glacibot himself all the way to Elephrock, who quickly raised up a pillar of earth for himself to stand on that narrowly escaped Glacibot¡¯s technique.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Shatter that column!¡± demanded Aurin and Glacibot launched himself along the ice. He kept his pointed head low and rammed into the column like a spear as Elephrock spat rocks from his trunk like bullets, but Glacibot endured them and sent the pillar tumbling down, knocking the pale purple elephant onto the ice below where it lay unconscious. ¡°Aurin takes the first victory of the battle, but it¡¯s far from over,¡± boomed the announcer. ¡°Impressive,¡± said Moon sweetly, but she was far too quiet to be heard over the crowd. She summoned her next Minakai in a flash of cream light. Her four-handed Zenoman stood with its back to her, hovering just slightly off the ground so that the icy terrain was rendered useless. Not wanting to give the psychic neutral elemental the chance to strike, Glacibot conjured up four ice spears and launched one at each of Zenoman¡¯s four fists. Knowing it was foolish to try and block the attacks, Zenoman threw its hands out to avoid the spears and sent its clenched fists soaring through the air. It delivered a flurry of blows to Glacibot¡¯s frozen body, leaving Aurin feeling smug. There was no way that it could leave as much as a dent in his iceberg-like robot. Suddenly, the large spike on Glacibot¡¯s body cracked, gobsmacking Aurin. ¡°She¡¯s stronger than I gave her credit for,¡± he muttered as his eyes narrowed. ¡°Glacibot, unleash a powerful hail!¡± As the fists continued to beat him, Glacibot brace himself and summoned large hailstones that rained down upon the battlefield, bouncing off him while pelting Zenoman much more vigorously and slowing his punches as his focus was pulled away. ¡°Barrier,¡± ordered Moon. Zenoman coated itself in an invisible forcefield that made the hail bounce off of it effortlessly, returning focus to his fists. As Glacibot grabbed two of the fists and crushed them beneath his heavy body, the remaining two fists used the opening to strike him viciously in the screen, cracking it and knocking him out far too quickly for Aurin¡¯s liking. ¡°Sloppy,¡± he mumbled, scolding himself. ¡°She needs to be taken seriously. Gorunze, strike quick!¡± Aurin banished Glacibot and sent out his bronze golem, who unleashed a powerful laser attack at each of two uncrushed fists, making them spasm as they fell to the ground. Gorunze charged towards Zenoman who flew across the battlefield just above the ground before turning to the encroaching Gorunze. Zenoman let out a psychic blast intended to knock Gorunze over, but the metal elemental braced himself and kept himself upright. As Zenoman squealed in fear, Gorunze threw himself forward and headbutted the golden alien, knocking him into the wall and out of the battle. ¡°Moon¡¯s down to her last Minakai while Aurin has his Gorunze and an unrevealed third remaining,¡± said the announcer. ¡°Just how powerful could her last Minakai be, folks?¡± ¡°Very,¡± said Moon, throwing out a ball of energy from her summoning stone. Everyone¡¯s mouths fell open as the turquoise light summoned her Minakai to the field. The beast she called to her aid was teal-furred with a purple mane running down its back along with a segmented yellow underbelly and a burly frame. It pawed at the ground with one of its four legs as it watched intently, giving off a turquoise glow at all times. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± muttered Aurin in horror as he stared at his opponent¡¯s Ethruki. There was no time to waste. ¡°Gorunze, attack!¡± he called out. Gorunze threw his arms forward, shooting out two topaz spears that flew towards Ethruki at an impressive speed, but it was not more impressive than the counter. Halfway across the field, the spears slowed to a crawl and then dropped to the ground, stopped by the cosmic force of Ethruki¡¯s element. ¡°What¡¯s Aurin supposed to do?¡± asked Luna in despair. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Kyle, sounding nervous. ¡°I¡­I really don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope she¡¯s not a very good tamer,¡± said Hunter, watching Moon closely as she kept her serene smile on her face. Aurin was starting to panic, not having expected to fight a cosmic elemental that wasn¡¯t Frederick¡¯s or Tobias¡¯s. The last time he had fought against an Ethruki was when he battled Taurus and that had gone poorly at best. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his mind, knowing that the challenge had been laid out before him and he had to adapt. ¡°We need to tire it out,¡± Aurin told Gorunze. ¡°Hit it with a relentless barrage.¡± Gorunze unleashed three powerful attacks at once. First, he hurled topaz spears from his hands that torpedoed towards Ethruki. Secondly, he flung a wave of sharp shrapnel from his body, aiming to give as many fast-flung targets to his foes as he could. Lastly, he followed everything up with a yellow laser beam from his eyes. Ethruki froze the spears, which fell to the ground pathetically, while the shrapnel only got a few feet closer before being frozen in mid-air. What the bull-like Minakai did not expect, however was the laser attack. It came within an inch of the cosmic elemental¡¯s face before being halted, the other end still connected to Gorunze¡¯s eyes. ¡°Go!¡± demanded Aurin. With a clanking grunt, Gorunze put as much force into his attack as he could, making the lasers vibrate violently as Ethruki held onto them with its magical prowess. Gorunze knew he would not be able to defeat Ethruki with this one attack, but he just needed to muster up the strength for one stronger push to land a blow. He just needed a little more power. ¡°Graaaaaw!¡± wailed Ethruki as the laser beam jolted forward an inch before dissipating. The bull started thrashing around wildly with two small wisps of smoke floating above its forehead. Gorunze was heaving up and down mechanically, his tired eyes fixed upon the singed, blackened fur on Ethruki¡¯s head. The beast was livid as it bucked around and rolled over in what could only be described as a tantrum. ¡°Calm yourself,¡± Moon said to her Minakai in a soft, soothing voice, but it was no good. Her Ethruki turned to her with daggers in its eyes. It charged towards her, leaving a trail of its ethereal aura in its wake as its tamer¡¯s relaxed expression turned to one of utter terror. ¡°She¡­she can¡¯t control it,¡± whispered Aurin, realising what was about to happen. ¡°It¡¯s too powerful for her to keep in check. Gorunze!¡± The bronze golem¡¯s head was spinning, but he knew he had to do something and his master¡¯s order affirmed it for him. He sent a weak laser beam from his eyes, for that was all he could muster. It struck Ethruki on the back, injuring it no more than the sting of a wasp would, but it was enough to make Ethruki whip around and change course. Moon dared not say another word, fearing that her Minakai would turn on her once again. The crowd were murmuring away, not knowing what to make of the situation. ¡°Rest assured,¡± said the announcer, his voice shakier than Aurin had ever heard it, ¡°that we always have a team on standby should a situation get out of hand, folks.¡± As Ethruki neared Gorunze, the bronze titan stood on his back legs and swiped a claw through the air, but Gorunze froze as he drew his arm across. A second later, Ethruki had knocked him across the battlefield with a shockingly powerful headbutt. Aurin looked at the last summoning stone in his glove and prayed that this Minakai would be strong enough to defeat the infuriated cosmic elemental, who was continuing to ram itself into the unconscious Gorunze. With a deep breath, Aurin threw forward a green ball of light and Desparee appeared on the battlefield while Gorunze disappeared. ¡°He¡¯s angry and out of control,¡± Aurin told his Minakai, who wept upon seeing the opponent he was faced with. ¡°Time to utilise what we learned with Vai, Desparee. Understood?¡± As Ethruki set its sights on the crying tree-like Minakai, Desparee hurled a flurry of razor-sharp leaves at the beast, forcing it to stop them in mid-air. Desparee used the distraction to create two small orbs of nature energy in his hands and brought them up to unleash at cosmic elemental, but his hands became frozen in place. Desparee struggled and strained as Ethruki¡¯s chest swelled up and down, focusing on maintaining its lock on the nature elementals arms. Desparee looked over his shoulder, hoping his tamer would have an answer for him. To his relief, Aurin had a small smile on his face; he knew that this Ethruki didn¡¯t have half the power, control or concentration that Tauru¡¯s one did, even during his first encounter with it. ¡°Remember what we learned with Vai,¡± said Aurin. Desparee nodded and turned back to face Ethruki, who continued to restrain him with its magic, no matter how hard Desparee tried to move his arms. With a howling groan, Desparee spat a nature beam from his mouth and it struck Ethruki square in the chest, throwing it onto its back. ¡°Now!¡± called Aurin. As the roaring Ethruki rolled over and climbed to its feet, it was met with a much more powerful nature beam from Desparee¡¯s freed hands. The brutalising attack encapsulated Ethruki¡¯s head, throwing it across the battlefield where it rolled over, its aura all but gone as it writhed on the ground. ¡°And it¡¯s over!¡± yelled the announcer over the cheers of the crowd. ¡°Aurin has defeated Moon and her Ethruki, securing himself a place in the second round.¡± Aurin saw Moon let out a sigh of relief as the pair walked to the centre of the battlefield. ¡°How long ago did you hatch it?¡± Aurin asked, shaking her hand. ¡°Five days ago,¡± said Moon guiltily. ¡°I thought I could handle him¡­but¡­well, I couldn¡¯t. No point dancing around it. I hoped he would obey me long enough to take out tough opponents, but he doesn¡¯t care about proving himself.¡± ¡°I have no doubt you¡¯ll make a strong comeback next year.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± said Moon, smiling again. ¡°And thank you for saving me. I don¡¯t know if security would have stepped in before it was too late.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± said Aurin, returning the smile and then turning to wave to the crowd. As he walked away, he breathed a sigh of relief of his own. Upon seeing the Ethruki, he feared that the first round would be the end of the line for him. Although having now taken one down, he was feeling good. Frederick¡¯s Abysarex and Tobias¡¯s Mindadam would prove to be much tougher opponents, he had no doubt about that. Chapter 193 Kyle tossed a green summoning stone in his hand as he waited to be called forward. He knew that Frederick would be no pushover, but he had prepared himself as best as he could for the challenge and knew that stressing over it would only hamper his performance. He was clearheaded and ready to go. The tournament official gave him the go ahead, he slotted the summoning stone back into his tamer glove and then the announcer¡¯s voice filled the stadium. ¡°Returning to the national championships after many years, everyone please give it up for Kyle!¡± Kyle waved to the audience who cheered for him. Aurin and Luna caught his eye as they waved a homemade banner, but the writing was so small he couldn¡¯t read it. He let out a dry laugh to himself as the announcer called out Fredrick. ¡°After reaching the national championships two years ago and taking a year off, welcome back Frederick!¡± The former Zodiac member strode across the battlefield confidently and smiled as he gave a less enthusiastic wave to the crowd, keeping his eyes on Kyle the entire time. ¡°Don¡¯t pull any punches,¡± said the rancher. ¡°I want to beat you at your best.¡± ¡°I never pull punches,¡± said Frederick, shaking Kyle¡¯s hand. That comment confirmed Kyle¡¯s belief about which Minakai Frederick had in his team. While Aurin was saving a number of his most powerful for later matches, Frederick had his best monsters at the ready at all times. It made him predictable but, with such powerful Minakai at his disposal, it didn¡¯t matter all that much. As Kyle walked back to his side of the field, he was glad that he too wasn¡¯t going to pull punches. The speaker crackled as the announcer called out. ¡°Three. Two. One. Fight!¡± ¡°End it quickly, Wing!¡± ordered Kyle, unleashing Wingbloom with the power of the green summoning stone in his hand. ¡°Leofang!¡± roared Frederick as his red-maned and cobalt-furred lion appeared in a flash of light. Its sharp fangs glinted in the stadium lights as it watched Wingbloom fast approaching. Leofang pounced at the bird-like plant as Wingbloom drew close, but a pirouette let Wingbloom glide on past and send a mighty razor wind from his wings that cut into Leofang¡¯s back, knocking him flat on his stomach and leaving him roaring in anger as he leapt back to his feet. ¡°Use your rage,¡± said Frederick to his Minakai. Leofang spun around and watched as Wingbloom took to the skies, keeping well out of range. Another burst of air shot towards him, but a well-timed jump let him dodge and a swift roll cleared him from a follow-up attack. Knowing that staying too far away would be a waste of energy, Wingbloom closed the gap. ¡°He¡¯s not as agile as you, but don¡¯t underestimate him,¡± warned Kyle. Leofang¡¯s throat rippled for a split second as Wingbloom readied a gust of wind. Suddenly, a howling force burst from Leofang, shaking and disorienting Wingbloom just enough to make him dip lower. With a running jump, Frederick¡¯s Minakai leapt into the air and opened his mouth, readying his sabred fangs. The ferocious feline sank his teeth into Wingbloom¡¯s wing as the flying plant left the battlefield behind him. The pain was immense and the sharp claws cutting into his torso made things much worse, but he wasn¡¯t going to lose this battle. No, he would not give up and let his opponent get the better of him. Digging deep, Wingbloom began to spin, swinging Leofang around as he twirled. He picked up more and more speed, but Leofang was wedged into his wing and would not simply be flung off by the increasing force that tried to throw him away. It did, however, leave the large cat¡¯s limbs flailing wildly and Wingbloom¡¯s torso was no longer being struck by sharp nails. Kyle¡¯s Minakai burst forward and flew towards the battlefield, pulling up slightly as he headed straight for the ground and then soared along with Leofang¡¯s being dragged along for the ride. He redirected himself to fly alongside the wall and picked up speed, inching closer and closer to the concrete. He had to be careful so as not to take himself out too. A couple of inches later and Leofang¡¯s flailing body was being burned by the intense friction of being dragged across the wall, while Wingbloom¡¯s wingtip kept just out of reach. He focused on maintaining the perfect distance, letting the wall burn the fur from Leofang¡¯s body and graze his skin until it was raw. ¡°Enough!¡± called Kyle and Wingbloom immediately pivoted and landed on the battlefield with the now-unconscious Leofang still hanging from his wing. ¡°Yes!¡± cheered Aurin, now clutching the banner alone; Luna had discarded it to bite her nails. ¡°And the first point of the battle goes to Kyle!¡± called the announcer. ¡°And it will be the last,¡± said Frederick, freeing Wingbloom by banishing Leofang and holding up a turquoise summoning stone. ¡°Abysarex!¡± The hulking red bipedal lion stood on the battlefield, beating its fists together as the crowd all exclaimed in shock. ¡°What do we have here, folks?¡± asked the announcer. ¡°This is the second cosmic elemental of the tournament and we¡¯re only in the first round of matches. My goodness, what a thrilling ride we¡¯re in for this year.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Finish him off,¡± said Frederick. Abysarex charged forwards as a tired and battered Wingbloom forced himself into the air, but the cosmic elemental didn¡¯t need to punch him with his fists. He threw a few jabs into the air and a powerful force exploded from them, knocking Wingbloom back down to the ground. Abysarex ran in and delivered a final punch to Wingbloom¡¯s chest, taking him out of the battle. ¡°Frederick evened up the score very quickly!¡± called the announcer. ¡°He¡¯s got range, but so have you,¡± said Kyle, summoning his Hogannon in a burst of red. The bipedal orange pig immediately started unleashing a barrage of fireballs from his cast iron cannons. Abysarex threw a few more punches, sending spectral forces through the air that snuffed out the fireballs before they got anywhere close to him. He snarled, as the light caught his pale gold segmented stomach plate and spiked knee coverings. Hogannon watched and waited, taking in the fact that his arms were his least protected parts, but also his most deadly ones. If he could take out his opponent¡¯s arms, he knew he could win. Kyle was thinking similarly to his Minakai and knew that he needed to break Abysarex¡¯s concentration. ¡°Make it rain,¡± Kyle said, and Hogannon snorted loudly as he summoned flaming embers above the battlefield to rain down upon it. ¡°Now set the field ablaze!¡± Hogannon unleashed torrents of flame from his arms that lit up the ground, closing Abysarex within a large ring of flame that crept towards him. Frederick, however, looked unphased. ¡°Blind him with smoke so¡ª¡± Hogannon let out a pained squeal as Abysarex¡¯s fist collided with the back of his head. The fiery pig fell to the ground and lost consciousness before his chin hit the dirt while Abysarex¡¯s portal closed behind him. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Abysarex could use portals too!¡± lamented Aurin to Luna. She shook her head despondently. ¡°That¡¯s because we don¡¯t know half of what we need to know about cosmic elementals and which ones can use which abilities.¡± The ember rain faded away and the flames on the battlefield died out as Kyle banished Hogannon back to the ranch. He knew his mistake was trying to stack the battlefield in his favour all at once rather than keeping his defences up. Now that Abysarex¡¯s teleportation powers had been revealed to him, he wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake again. ¡°Feel free to give up,¡± chided Frederick with a smug grin, but Kyle wasn¡¯t to be deterred. ¡°Snowlem,¡± he said as he summoned his most powerful ice elemental. The large snowman appeared on the battlefield with his coal smile, carrot nose and flowing red scarf. Abysarex wasn¡¯t intimidated in the least and hurled two forceful punches at his opponent, sending out his mighty shockwaves, but a swiftly erected ice wall took the blows before crumbling. Kyle gave his Minakai a quiet order that couldn¡¯t be heard by the rest of the stadium. Snowlem suddenly whipped around and threw a punch of his own with an ice-coated fist and met the incoming blow from the warping cosmic elemental. Abysarex snarled as Snowlem continued to grin his black grin. Abysarex vanished again and appeared from above with his fist drawn back, but Snowlem created a shield of ice above himself and Abysarex punched through it. The shield slowed his momentum, giving Snowlem the chance to grab him and throw him to the ground before he had the chance to warp away. Snowlem leapt at his foe with a conjured ice spear in his hand, aiming to skewer him through his exposed arm, but Abysarex rolled aside and teleported halfway across the battlefield. ¡°When did you learn this new power?¡± Kyle called out to Frederick. ¡°Two months ago,¡± said Frederick smugly. ¡°Quite the trick, isn¡¯t it? Much more effective than Mindadam¡¯s portals.¡± Kyle smiled in response, holding his tongue. It may indeed have been more effective than Mindadam¡¯s portals, but he knew it would also require that much more energy to perform. Like with the other cosmic Minakai, especially the ones that haven¡¯t been training for years, their biggest weakness was their stamina. ¡°Make it hail,¡± Kyle said to Snowlem. As the snowman harnessed the power of icy weather, Abysarex warped again and threw a punch from the side. Predicting the move, Snowlem threw himself backwards and tossed an ice spear at his opponent. Abysarex, however, was not so easily hit and caught the spear in mid-air before throwing it back to its owner, who used his elemental power to shatter it into glittering dust before it struck him. Throwing himself back to his feet, Snowlem charged at Abysarex, aiming to tackle him to the ground, but Abysarex warped away once more and reappeared behind Snowlem, kicking him in the back and knocking him onto the ground as hail rained down upon him. Before Frederick could look too smug, Snowlem wrapped his feet around Abysarex¡¯s leg and flipped him over, taking him to the ground. Snowlem leapt into the air and spun around. The crowd gasped as they watched his wooden right fist become coated in an aurora-like ball of energy. He punched Abysarex in his unprotected shoulder. The cosmic elemental let out a roar of fury and clutched his arm before warping away again. When he reappeared a few yards away, he was panting and rubbing his wound. Frederick was taken aback, but he regained his composure. ¡°He wants you drained. Don¡¯t give him that chance!¡± he called out to his Minakai, who shook himself off. Abysarex sprinted forward towards Snowlem, ignoring the hail that pelted him. Kyle¡¯s Minakai froze the ground beneath him, trying to trip him up or force him to teleport into melee range, but Abysarex teleported into the air. He roared loudly, emitting a cosmic burst of energy that shook the battlefield and flung Snowlem backwards. The cosmic elemental hurtled towards his opponent, unleashing a flurry of spectral punches that beat his downed opponent. Not one to show mercy¡ªmuch like his tamer¡ªAbysarex grabbed Snowlem by the feet and lifted him high before slamming him over his spiked knee guard. ¡°Get up!¡± Kyle ordered his Minakai, but Abysarex was relentless in his assault and continued punching, kicking and throwing Snowlem like a ragdoll. With a final punch, Snowlem was smacked into the concrete wall and he collapsed in a broken heap, unable to continue fighting. Kyle closed his eyes as he dismissed his Minakai, devastated to have lost, but proud of the fight that his monsters had put up against an opponent that outmatched them. ¡°And it¡¯s the end of the line for Kyle!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Frederick¡¯s Abysarex stormed through three of Kyle¡¯s Minakai, winning him the match.¡± Kyle and Frederick walked to the centre of the battlefield and shook hands as the crowd cheered, in awe of the intense battle and the power of the cosmic elemental force they had witnessed. ¡°Well played,¡± said Frederick. ¡°Your Wingbloom is as powerful as I knew he would be.¡± ¡°And your Abysarex more powerful than I presumed,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Good luck for the rest of the tournament, Frederick.¡± ¡°No jabs? No jibes?¡± asked the former Zodiac member. ¡°I don¡¯t need to do any of that. You won and I lost in a fair fight, so that¡¯s all there is to it as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡± The two parted ways. As calm as Kyle had sounded, he wasn¡¯t finished. He was going to train Aurin and Luna further to make sure that they could stand against Abysarex when their turns eventually came. Frederick was not going to reach the finals and Kyle would make sure of it. Chapter 194 Dolissile collided with Brody¡¯s Guilgon, forcing the water jet it had prepared out of its mouth. The blue dragon¡¯s eyes were wide as it fell backwards and sprawled across the grass, all the while Dolissile backed up and was ready to strike again should his opponent dare stand up. ¡°And Aurin has won his second match of the tournament!¡± called the announcer as Aurin pumped his fist. He had a much easier time of it in this battle than he had in his battle against Moon and her Ethruki. He had almost cleared Brody¡¯s entire team with Spikruption, but Guilgon had managed to take him out after a tough battle. Dolissile made very quick work of the dragon that had already been tired out, leaving Aurin with Lycavine resting in his reserves. ¡°Good battle,¡± said Aurin as Brody avoided eye contact while looking despondent. ¡°Yeah,¡± he mumbled as he shook Aurin¡¯s hand before walking away. Aurin waved to the roaring crowd as they chanted his name. He was feeling good and every match brought him one step closer to the opponent¡¯s he truly wanted to face. Nothing was going to slow him down this year and he was more prepared and more skilled than ever. * ¡°There you go,¡± said Luna, passing Hunter¡¯s son, Saxon, a hot dog on a paper plate. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Saxon graciously and ran over to the picnic table. ¡°Walk!¡± called his mother, Petunia, while holding her heavily pregnant belly. She tutted. ¡°That boy, he¡¯s gotten so active lately.¡± ¡°Easy on him,¡± chuckled Hunter, plating another few hot dogs and passing them to Jimmy¡¯s Zenoman who took one plate in each hand. ¡°He¡¯s always eager to go, just like his dad.¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± squealed Emily as Zenoman placed a plate in front of her, Jimmy, Gardner and Aurin, who were all sitting at the same large picnic table as Saxon. ¡°Should we eat before everyone sits down?¡± asked Jimmy uncertainly, looking around, but Gardner was slathering his with mustard while Aurin had already taken a large bite out of his. ¡°Mmf¡­oops,¡± said Aurin, gulping it down. ¡°Ah well, no going back now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a glutton,¡± called Kyle as he walked over with his own plate. ¡°You couldn¡¯t wait thirty seconds, could you?¡± ¡°Better to eat it before it gets cold,¡± shrugged Hunter as he turned a few more sausages over on the barbeque he had set up on his balcony. Having never been to Hunter¡¯s house before, Aurin was marvelled when he laid eyes on it. It was a beautiful townhouse, four storeys tall and with a small garden out the back, but the balcony that took up half the fourth floor was the crowning jewel. Hunter hat planted grass and a few trees here, turning it into a second garden with a much better view than the first one. Aurin could see over half the houses in the neighbourhood and most of the major landmarks of the city were visible, cropping out in the distance, including the stadium. ¡°Kyle,¡± said Emily, as Kyle sat down. ¡°How does it feel to have gone toe-to-toe with a cosmic Minakai? Was it nerve-racking? Terrifying? Were you calm? I need to know!¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± laughed Kyle. ¡°It was¡­exactly what I expected it to be. Difficult.¡± ¡°You should learn from the master,¡± said Aurin, standing up proudly and holding his hand to his heart. ¡°You got lucky going up against a newly hatched Ethruki and a tamer that¡¯s less skilled than Frederick,¡± scoffed Kyle, rolling his eyes. ¡°All the same,¡± said Luna, walking over with Innogon and Shamtile bouncing along behind her. ¡°There¡¯s no denying it¡¯s the most powerful element, even when it hasn¡¯t been harnessed fully.¡± ¡°Yeah, fine,¡± said Kyle. ¡°You did well, Aurin. Now sit down and stop making a spectacle of yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just joking around,¡± said Aurin. ¡°In all seriousness, I need your help to get up to scratch before battling Frederick.¡± ¡°Before battling Frederick?¡± asked Luna, nudging him in the ribs. ¡°What makes you so sure you¡¯ll defeat me and get that chance?¡± ¡°Well, um¡­¡± muttered Aurin, making everyone laugh. ¡°Put your foot in it there, mate,¡± said Gardner, slapping him on the back.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Train both of us to fight Abysarex,¡± said Aurin, ignoring the last few moments of conversation. ¡°We need to be prepared for him. It¡¯s one thing watching the battle and it¡¯s another being trained by the one who was in the battle.¡± Kyle nodded. ¡°Already written up my post-battle notes and we¡¯ll be going over them in Baxter Park tomorrow.¡± ¡°You make post-battle notes?¡± asked Emily, squinting at Kyle. ¡°Does anybody else do that?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Aurin, Luna, Gardner and Jimmy in unison and then exchanging glances. ¡°This man right here does,¡± said Petunia, patting her husband on the arm. ¡°He writes up all of his major battles, reviews footage if there¡¯s any available and will spend hours in his study trying to finetune where he went wrong and where he went right.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve spoiled my strategy, honey,¡± said Hunter with a dry laugh. ¡°But yes, she¡¯s right. I do that too.¡± ¡°Now I can¡¯t help but feel as though I should be doing that too,¡± said Aurin, looking at Shamtile who had torn up his bun and was juggling it for the amusement of the other Minakai¡ªInnogon, Jimmy¡¯s Zenoman, Gardner¡¯s Frilleaf, Emily¡¯s Petalcub and Hunter¡¯s latest Microbot. ¡°Good juggler,¡± write it down, said Luna with a giggle. ¡°You¡¯ve never used that skill in battle before.¡± ¡°And never will I,¡± said Aurin. ¡°Aurin, you¡¯re finished?¡± asked Hunter, tossing the tongs over to Gardner who almost fumbled them. ¡°Yes, why?¡± replied Aurin. ¡°Got something to show you that may come in useful,¡± said Hunter before looking to Gardner. ¡°Don¡¯t let these burn, I haven¡¯t eaten.¡± ¡°On it, boss,¡± said Gardner, standing up and getting hit on the side of the head by a piece of bread that Innogon had blasted out of Shamtile¡¯s hand. Aurin followed Hunter downstairs and into a large room with red walls and lined with a dozen pine bookshelves. At the back of the room sat a large desk with a few stacked books and a dusty computer that didn¡¯t look like it got much used half as much as the books. Aurin drew his eyes across Hunter¡¯s study, trying to take in all of the texts, tomes and manuals, but there were hundreds of them. So many that even Tobias would have been envious. ¡°What are these?¡± asked Aurin, walking up to a glass cabinet and peering inside. ¡°I recognise the Cosmic Shard, but not the others.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± said Hunter, stepping up beside him. ¡°Most of these don¡¯t apply to Bretonian Minakai or at the very least only apply to those who can evolve to forms not found in Bretonian monster towers.¡± ¡°Like my Lycavine. I needed a Full Moon Gem to evolve him from Budescent otherwise he¡¯d have become a Vinewolf.¡± ¡°Exactly. The evolutions can be complicated, crossing between regions. Although I shouldn¡¯t need to tell you that seeing as you have a Glacibot now.¡± ¡°And what about you and that Cosmic Shard?¡± asked Aurin, nodding towards the glistening pearlescent stone. ¡°How long have you had that?¡± Hunter smiled and closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve had it for a year, but it¡¯s going to remain in that cabinet until I can confidently say that I¡¯ve mastered the other nine Microbot evolutions. Once I¡¯ve done that, only then will I use it to evolve a Microbot into an Etherbot.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t make things easy for yourself, do you?¡± chuckled Aurin. ¡°Perhaps not, but I want to make sure that I can handle the power of mighty Minakai. You should know how that feels, right?¡± Aurin was taken aback. How could Hunter have known about Zeera? Had Kyle run his mouth? ¡°It¡¯s alright, I can keep a secret,¡± said Hunter. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s a long shot to get it hatched and ready for a tournament battle considering the tournament is already underway.¡± It hit Aurin what Hunter was talking about. ¡°How did you find out about the golden egg?¡± he asked. ¡°I go and meet with Professor Socrates often to run ideas past him,¡± said Hunter before holding out his hand. ¡°Let me congratulate you on reaching the top of one of the monster towers. It¡¯s a feat that I have yet to achieve.¡± ¡°Thank you, Hunter,¡± said Aurin, accepting the handshake graciously. ¡°To tell you the truth, I didn¡¯t think I would make it to the top. I scraped by the final battle by the skin of my teeth¡­well, the metal of Steambot¡¯s casing.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how close of a call it was. It should be a close call otherwise it¡¯s not a true challenge and test of your abilities. The highest floor I have reached is forty-seven¡­twice now.¡± Aurin wanted to say something encouraging, but couldn¡¯t think of a way to not come across as condescending so he nodded and said nothing. ¡°Anyway,¡± said Hunter, waving his hand through the air. ¡°I said I had a gift for you.¡± He walked over to his study table, pulled out the top drawer and lifted out a large book. He walked over to Aurin and handed it over. ¡°The Towers of Bretonia,¡± said Aurin, reading aloud. ¡°What¡¯s it about?¡± he joked. Hunter let out a chuckle. ¡°Give it a read and maybe you¡¯ll find something useful. You¡¯ve been to, what, three monster towers? There are many others in Bretonia and I think you¡¯ll find that the others present some unique challenges. Many things from different Minakai spawn rates, different difficulty levels, different anomalies like the wide-open floors, and so on. They towers have been studied extensively and the author has compiled together a lot of the most pertinent information.¡± ¡°Thank you. It may take until after the tournament for me to start reading it properly.¡± ¡°I expected as much. My thoughts were that you have a lot of time between this tournament and the next, no matter how the national championships turn out. Perhaps exploring Bretonia and seeing what else our beautiful nation has to offer you would be beneficial to you in the long run.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re right,¡± said Aurin, looking at the book cover again. ¡°I¡¯ve been a tamer for three years and I still feel like I¡¯m barely scratching the surface, even after everything I¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°You and me both, Aurin,¡± said Hunter, shaking his head. ¡°I could reach the top of every tower in the country and still feel incomplete. We¡¯re chasing unattainable goals that we will never see through, no matter what we do. As long as we enjoy the ride and can leave something useful behind for those that follow, then we¡¯ve done what we need to do.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°Shall we head back outside?¡± asked Hunter. ¡°I want to make sure Gardner didn¡¯t burn the sausages.¡± Aurin and Hunter walked back upstairs and out onto the balcony. For the rest of the gathering, all Aurin could think about was what he wanted to do after the tournament. Whatever it was, he knew now that he would need to venture beyond Hazelton and see what else was out there for him. It may have been secret places of great significance like Sule Scrin where his Zeera was waiting for him or it may have been Minakai that had yet to be discovered. Chapter 195 ¡°You need to focus on being evasive and knowing how to distract Abysarex if you two want to have a shot at taking down Frederick,¡± said Kyle to Aurin and Luna as they all stood in the park with a handful of their Minakai each. ¡°Agreed,¡± said Aurin, looking to Leonite, Chopchop and Spikruption. ¡°Yep,¡± said Luna as her Splashard, Angree and Cephelarock kept close to her. ¡°You¡¯ve both trained heavily in offense, speed and defence already, but that won¡¯t be enough. You¡¯ll want to pull out tricks that you haven¡¯t even thought of before in order to catch the cosmic off-guard. The teleportation ability is his biggest weakness because it tires him out using it too often.¡± ¡°Keep our distance and force him to close the gap,¡± said Luna. ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s nothing stopping him from using long-range attacks too. You¡¯ll also want to use attacks that he desperately wants to avoid. Abysarex is surprisingly fast for a bulky Minakai, but he still isn¡¯t as fast many of yours. Now, I have to ask you an important question¡­¡± Aurin and Luna looked to each other, knowing what Kyle was about to ask. The pair had discussed their answers at length already. ¡°Why did you pick the Minakai that you did?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± said Aurin, looking to his team. ¡°Leonite is incredibly speedy, arguably my fastest monster after Dolissile, but also much nimbler and more reactive. Chopchop is both a direct striker and good defender. Abysarex is fleshy underneath his fur and Chopchop¡¯s swords are perfect for that. Lastly, Spikruption¡­well, he insisted that he be the one to take on the next cosmic elemental.¡± Spikruption roared loudly and proudly, looking confident that he had what it took to bring down Frederick¡¯s star performer. ¡°Very well,¡± said Kyle, frowning at the red dinosaur. ¡°Luna?¡± ¡°Splashard¡¯s ability to reform when she¡¯s injured is perfect for if we¡¯re hit by a surprise attack after a teleportation. Angree is ruthless and can easily go toe-to-toe with Abysarex if he isn¡¯t teleporting. Cephelarock is also a dark horse and can manipulate the battlefield effectively.¡± ¡°You saw what happened when I tried to manipulate the battlefield, right?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°Yes, but I won¡¯t try and load it up all at once. It will be specific and targeted.¡± ¡°Good answer,¡± said Kyle. ¡°You both realise that when one of you fights Frederick, you¡¯ll be using teams of five, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Aurin, ¡°but if we have to use all five Minakai to take out Abysarex then we¡¯ve already lost because Frederick has a team of strong monsters to rely on. We figured that three was the maximum that we could spare and still have a chance at winning.¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Now, shall we get to work?¡± ¡°Bring it on!¡± said Luna, punching the air wildly. Angree, sensing his tamer¡¯s eagerness, joined in and threw a wild flurry of blows that were so quick the air blew Luna¡¯s hair around. * ¡°What took you so long?¡± asked Hunter as Aurin and Shamtile ran up the street towards him. ¡°Training¡­ran¡­overboard,¡± panted Aurin, while Shamtile danced a merry jig to show off that he wasn¡¯t tired. ¡°You¡­weren¡¯t¡­training,¡± Aurin told him. ¡°Come on,¡± said Hunter, beckoning him inside Professor Socrates¡¯s laboratory. The two walked up the stairs while Shamtile hopped and skipped ahead, entering through the doors first. Hunter had asked Aurin if he would mind him coming along to see more about the golden egg and Aurin was more than happy to oblige considering all of the help that Hunter had given him over the last couple of years. ¡°Ah, there you are,¡± said Professor Socrates from the room with the incubator. ¡°What took you so long?¡± Aurin frowned. ¡°Training,¡± he said bluntly. ¡°Training isn¡¯t important, boy, not when we¡¯re about to perform a miracle!¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°You have it?¡± asked Aurin enthusiastically, daring to dream. Professor Socrates nodded and walked over to his locked cabinet. He took a key out from around his neck and opened a drawer, pulling out a velvet box and passed it to Aurin. ¡°Go ahead,¡± said the professor. Aurin opened the box, revealing a golden band wide enough for him to fit his fist through. It was perfectly smooth and he was unable to leave a single fingerprint on the shining golden ring. It radiated magic and Aurin knew immediately that this was the real deal. It was a Life Ring. ¡°The owner was willing to part with it?¡± he asked in awe of the magical band. ¡°Not at first,¡± said Socrates tepidly, ¡°but I was persuasive. I didn¡¯t realise that he knew who you were, but upon mentioning your name he softened up.¡± ¡°Who?¡± asked Aurin. ¡°Does it matter?¡± asked Hunter, marvelling at the ring. ¡°Was it you?¡± ¡°No,¡± laughed Hunter. ¡°I like you, Aurin, but I wouldn¡¯t part with that so easily. Especially when I don¡¯t have a Breminia of my own.¡± ¡°Shall we proceed with the hatching?¡± asked the professor with an air of excitement about him. ¡°Yes,¡± said Aurin. ¡°What do you reckon, Shamtile? Ready to meet another teammate that you¡¯ll need to keep under control?¡± Shamtile, who was jumping up and down, suddenly slumped over and let out an exasperated sigh. As much as Zeera had grown on him, having to constantly keep him in check was tiresome. He hoped that this new Minakai wouldn¡¯t be as troublesome and could behave itself without being threatened. ¡°What teammate?¡± asked Hunter. ¡°Um¡­Arium was a real brat when he first hatched,¡± said Aurin, realising he¡¯d almost given away his secret Zeera. ¡°Fair enough,¡± said Hunter as Aurin followed Professor Socrates into the incubator room. The professor opened the door to the incubator where the golden egg was already waiting. He gestured to Aurin, who stepped forward and set the ring on top of the egg before taking a step back. He held his breath as the professor closed the door. ¡°It¡¯s only right that you do the honours and press the activation button,¡± said Socrates. ¡°It is your prize after all, young man.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± said Aurin, stepping forward and reaching out with a trembling hand. He didn¡¯t know why he was so nervous. With a press of the button, the machine began to stir. It was slow at first, but it started to rumble more vigorously and the Life Ring expanded, sliding down and closing itself around the centre of the egg. The egg started to glow gold before shifting to green and finally setting upon a deep blue. The glass lifted as the form of a small humanoid Minakai appeared, holding out two arms that were webbed liked wings that spread down to its sides as though it was holding a glider. Around its lower body were three lopsided rings that spun around. Aurin, Shamtile, Hunter and Professor Socrates all watched in awe as the glow started to fade and the golden Breminia revealed itself to the four. It had a round head with three blue circular gemstones positioned in a triangle formation in the centre of its face. Aurin had been mistaken about its wings, they were not attached to its arms, rather they were attached to its back and its two arms were held up constantly while resting against the wings. The wings themselves were not feathery, but straight-edged and curved. In the centre of its chest was another, more ovular sapphire that twinkled pleasantly. It had thin blue lines along the sides of its head as well as a thicker blue line running down its chin and to its neck while another ran from its forehead and down the back of its head. It had two more blue lines that ran encircled its wrists and blue markings covering its feet and ending in a point at the top of its shins. ¡°Breminia,¡± muttered Aurin, taking a step towards his Minakai who floated in place atop the incubator¡¯s now-open pedestal. ¡°My name is Aurin and I am your tamer.¡± The legendary Minakai cocked its head to the side and made an echoing coo as though it were a bird in a cave. It jerked its head back into place and floated towards Aurin, stopping with its face about an inch from his own. ¡°I have hatched you and released you from the egg. Do you submit yourself to me?¡± Breminia moved a few inches backwards and then floated to the ground, lowering its arms and looking around. The three sapphires on its face must have been eyes of some sort. It looked back up at Aurin and nodded, holding up its arms once again. ¡°That was a yes,¡± said Professor Socrates with a wide grin. ¡°The exact same thing happened when To¡ªerm, when the last tamer hatched his Breminia.¡± Aurin was too distracted by the message and hadn¡¯t caught the professor¡¯s slip. ¡°That¡¯s perfect,¡± said the young tamer with a satisfied smile. ¡°Here,¡± said Hunter, handing Aurin a clear summoning stone. ¡°I thought you might need one of these.¡± ¡°Thanks, Hunter,¡± said Aurin, accepting it graciously and turning back to his new Minakai who was being prodded by Shamtile and showing no reaction. ¡°Breminia, I¡¯m going to attune you to this summoning stone. I will call upon you when needed, but for now, you¡¯ll be kept here with the professor if he''ll have you.¡± ¡°Gladly!¡± boomed Socrates. ¡°I would love to run a few tests on her if that¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Her?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ninety-seven percent sure that this one is a female.¡± ¡°Luna will be pleased,¡± said Aurin with a laugh. ¡°She always says that I don¡¯t have enough girls on my team.¡± ¡°What are you going to do about Breminia and the tournament?¡± asked Hunter. ¡°Not that I want you to give away your game plan should we end up battling.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a fair question,¡± said Aurin, pondering. ¡°Truth be told, I don¡¯t know. She¡¯s a water elemental and, thankfully, I¡¯ve got that element covered by my Steambot. Not to mention, Breminia is completely untested.¡± ¡°Although apparently compliant,¡± remarked Hunter. ¡°Cosmic and epic Minakai are difficult enough to get under control, so a legendary Minakai like Breminia being obedient is surprising. That said, I haven¡¯t seen anywhere enough case studies on the species to know their initial temperament. In any case, I¡¯m sure this gives you a lot to think about.¡± ¡°It does,¡± agreed, Aurin, looking at Breminia who rotated in place as Shamtile ran circles around her. Every so often, he would switch directions and she would still follow him perfectly. She was a curious creature and Aurin wasn¡¯t sure what to make of her, but he was determined to find out. The only problem was that with the national championships underway, he did not have the time to do it without jeopardising his training. Chapter 196 Flaround spun around in the air as he leapt forward, flashing forwards like a fiery tornado and consuming Talia¡¯s Bansheet. When the torrent of flames flickered away, the sheet-like ghost was spread across the ground as Luna¡¯s orange hound stood proudly in victory before the crowd. ¡°And Luna¡¯s Flaround seems to be unstoppable!¡± cried the announcer. ¡°Luna has four Minakai left while Talia is down to her final one. It had better be a good one folks, I¡¯m telling you.¡± Luna and Talia were the first two competitors up in the fourth round, now with the ability to use a team of five. Luna had been expecting a much tougher match, but Talia¡¯s Minakai had fallen quickly and her own Bakugon was only defeated because a water elemental Minasma that left him at a disadvantage. Talia sighed as she looked at the battlefield. She banished her Bansheet and threw forth a Pyrofly in a flash of red light. The tamer was visibly crestfallen, knowing that she had no realistic path to victory left. She was on the verge of raising her hand to yield when she gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. ¡°Finish strong!¡± she called to her Pyrofly, who launched himself into the sky and hurled a storm of embers down at Flaround. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± said Luna confidently. Flaround took a deep breath and shot a laser-like stream of orange that was surrounded by twirling flames. The heat laser struck Pyrofly¡¯s wing, sending it careening back to the ground while Flaround jumped and rolled around to avoid the embers before finishing with a somersault and a loud bark. ¡°And Luna is the victor!¡± called the announcer as the crowd went wild. ¡°She moves onto the fourth round, securing her place in the top sixty-four.¡± Aurin, Kyle and Hunter all rose to their feet as they clapped. Kyle put his fingers in his mouth and gave a loud whistle, making Shamtile wince and put his fingers in his ears. He punched Kyle in the shin, but the rancher picked the little lizard up by the scruff of the neck and stared through the holes in Aurin¡¯s Minakai¡¯s mask. ¡°That wasn¡¯t very polite, was it?¡± he asked Shamtile, who covered his eyes and squealed apologetically. ¡°What have I told you about kicking?¡± Aurin scolded him. ¡°Do you want me to send you back to Sule Scrin?¡± Shamtile shook his head fervently and screeched more loudly and even more apologetically. Luna and Talia parted ways after having shaken hands and made their way back into their tunnels while waving to the crowd. Aurin walked through the tamer box and back into the stadium with Shamtile to look for her. After a couple of minutes, he reached the entrance hall where the large tournament bracket was displayed on a monitor overlooking the room. ¡°Top thirty-two,¡± said Aurin, nodding proudly. ¡°You¡¯ve broken my record.¡± ¡°Well, you haven¡¯t had your next match yet,¡± said Luna, not taking her eyes off the screen. ¡°No, but I lost to Gardner at this point last year,¡± he said before pointing to his next opponent. ¡°I¡¯ve looked into this Dominic guy and, on paper, I could beat him, but he could have any number of tricks saved for a desperate situation.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your team lineup?¡± Aurin looked around to make sure nobody was listening in. ¡°Desparee, Skrow, Zenoman, Lycavine and Quetzel.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going with two air elementals and two nature elementals?¡± ¡°As I said, I¡¯ve looked into him. He has a lot of water and metal elementals, so it seems like a good opportunity to exploit. If he¡¯s been paying attention to me, he won¡¯t know which way to go because my team is so varied.¡± Luna pointed to the monitor and started silently mouthing a few words. ¡°Four more rounds until the final,¡± she said. ¡°Two more rounds for me and three more rounds for you before we¡¯re forced to battle.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Forced? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re being held at gunpoint.¡± Luna giggled. ¡°If I were to hold you up at gunpoint, would you surrender and let me walk away with an easy victory?¡± Shamtile lifted his leg back to kick Luna for threatening his tamer, but he looked up at Aurin who swiftly shook his head. The little lizard lowered his leg and sighed, taking a few steps back. ¡°As you can see, my Minakai would defend me if you tried such a thing?¡± ¡°Rats,¡± said Luna, snapping her fingers and frowning before letting out a laugh. ¡°What time is your match tomorrow?¡± ¡°Two o¡¯clock,¡± replied Aurin nonchalantly. ¡°You aren¡¯t nervous at all?¡± ¡°Would you believe that I¡¯m not?¡± ¡°Yes, I would believe that. How come?¡± ¡°Because I know my strategy and I¡¯ve trained to deal with curveballs. If Dominic pulls out a surprise Minakai then I¡¯ll handle it with what I¡¯ve got. This won¡¯t be like last year with Gardner. I¡¯ve since trained with some of the best tamers in the country, including someone who may just be the best in the country.¡± ¡°Well, my love, I¡¯m not nervous for you either,¡± said Luna, linking arms with him and looking back to the bracket. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be nervous until the seventh round.¡± * ¡°And Aurin¡¯s Quetzel falls to Dominic¡¯s Cryoth, leaving each of them with a single Minakai remaining,¡± called the announcer. Aurin felt the pressure as he banished Quetzel. He was at an elemental disadvantage with his final Minakai, but he had no choice now. It was all or nothing. He held out his hand and focused on the green summoning stone embedded in his glove and summoned Lycavine to the battlefield. ¡°It¡¯s all on you, my friend,¡± said Aurin to the terrifying wolf. He had had an unfortunate run of bad luck during the match as Skrow was immediately sniped out of the air by Dominic¡¯s Gorunze. He had effectively clawed the match back, leaving his opponent with only a Cryoth, but the little blue moth was sneakier than he had given it credit for, managing to freeze Zenoman¡¯s fists in blocks of ice. By the time they he had broken free, the golden alien was too exhausted to put up a further fight back. Lycavine howled loudly and who whipped his two vines around menacingly. He kept his black and red eyes focused on the Cryoth who was fluttering around at the opposite end of the battlefield, trying to size up the green wolf who so obviously wanted to take a bite out of it. ¡°He doesn¡¯t stand a chance!¡± called Dominic arrogantly, pointing towards Lycavine. ¡°Freeze the ground so he can¡¯t even reach you.¡± Cryoth did as ordered and the battlefield quickly turned into a large sheet of ice. Aurin knew that Dominic had made a massive mistake coating the entirety of the ground and over-exerting his Minakai, but he said nothing. He maintained a stoic face and ordered Lycavine to charge ahead while using his vines to help steer himself. Lycavine did as ordered and slid forward, pushing himself with his vines touching the ice. Cryoth launched icicle after icicle at him as he approached, but Lycavine was not having it. He fought back by spitting a barrage of bullet-like nuts that smashed the small spears to pieces. It took little time for him to close the gap and Dominic did not realise the world of pain he had gotten his Minakai into. ¡°Flower spectre!¡± ordered Aurin, confusing most of the spectators, including Luna and Kyle. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Luna asked, eliciting a shrug from Kyle. Hunter, however, nodded slowly and smiled. As Lycavine howled, he whipped his vines forwards and, from the petals, emerged a sinister purple ray that swirled as it struck Cryoth, making the small Minakai screech and flail in the air. It started fleeing as though being chased by an invisible phantom, giving Lycavine the chance to grab it with his vines on the way past and slam it repeatedly into its own sheet of ice until it lost consciousness. ¡°And it¡¯s a victory for Aurin, putting him through to the top thirty-two!¡± called the announcer while being drowned out by the crowd. ¡°What was that technique?¡± Luna shouted to Hunter, barely audible, but he understood what she was asking. ¡°He¡¯s been doing his research,¡± replied Hunter. ¡°It¡¯s an advanced technique that some of the less natural of nature elementals can use. It tricks the target into thinking it¡¯s being haunted by the ghosts of flower spirits. I wonder where he learned it?¡± ¡°From Vai,¡± chuckled Kyle, shaking his head. ¡°He knows all sorts of tricks like that, but this one is new to me too.¡± Aurin shook Dominic¡¯s hand in the centre of the battlefield. ¡°You had me on the ropes from the start,¡± he said. ¡°I like to make an impression,¡± laughed Dominic. ¡°It¡¯s just a shame I couldn¡¯t carry it through to the end. Congratulations, Aurin.¡± ¡°Thanks, Dominic.¡± The two parted ways and Aurin held up one hand to wave while dismissing Lycavine with the other. He could see Luna and Kyle leaving the box, no doubt coming to meet him. Now that this match was out of the way, it was back to training to prepare for Frederick, who would no doubt be awaiting either Aurin or Luna no more than a few days from now. The former Zodiac elite had been barrelling through the competition, rarely having to rely on his Abysarex to finish off his opponents. He had gotten stronger in many ways and having a well-trained cosmic Minakai at his beck and call only made him that much more dangerous. Chapter 197 ¡°And it¡¯s another victory for Luna!¡± screamed the announcer with excitement as Lucy¡¯s Spikruption hit the concrete of the stadium wall and passed out. ¡°She advances to the quarterfinals, entering the top eight.¡± Luna couldn¡¯t help but jump and throw a fist in the air as her Bakugon roared a croaky roar. He was the last Minakai she had left and she was exceptionally proud of his performance, as was he. He ran over to her and jumped into her arms, smiling so widely that his orange eyes were barely visible. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re amazing,¡± said Luna, hugging him tightly. ¡°You can have all the milkshakes you want.¡± Upon shaking hands with her opponent, she walked through the tunnel and passed Aurin and Shamtile on the way. ¡°Great match,¡± said Aurin, clasping her hand as he passed her. ¡°Are you ready for round six?¡± she asked, smiling at him. ¡°Of course,¡± he said confidently. ¡°Only one more tamer in the way until our battle.¡± ¡°Good luck,¡± said Luna, letting go of his hand and walking away with Bakugon on her shoulders. The brown drake roared at Shamtile who screeched in gratitude for his fellow earth elemental¡¯s well-wishing. The lizard started shadow boxing the air while Aurin laughed at him. ¡°Easy there, brawler,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Save that strength for the match.¡± The monster and his tamer walked along the corridor and into the waiting room. Aurin sat down on the armchair while Shamtile bounced around the room, itching to get started. He hadn¡¯t told him yet, but Aurin wasn¡¯t leading with him. He hadn¡¯t quite found the right way to break Shamtile¡¯s eager little heart. Perhaps quickly was the best way. ¡°Steambot is up first, Sham,¡± said Aurin, leading Shamtile to freeze in place for a few seconds before turning to face his tamer. ¡°Graaaagh!¡± Shamtile screeched, waving his arms manically. ¡°You still get to fight! You¡¯re up third, alright? Steambot goes first, Skrow is up second and then you. Think of it this way mate, you¡¯re the ace who gets to show up after a couple of his teammates are knocked out and bring home the prize. You¡¯ll be the star of the show.¡± Shamtile sat down and huffed, folding his arms while avoiding eye contact with Aurin. ¡°Listen here. You can¡¯t always be first or last, sometimes you have to get put somewhere in the middle. This isn¡¯t the first time and won¡¯t be the last time, so you can¡¯t react this way every time it happens. Don¡¯t be a baby.¡± Shamtile stood up and walked into the corner, slumping over and resting his head against the wall. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡­¡± muttered Aurin, standing up and walking over to his masked lizard. When he was three feet from Shamtile, the Minakai turned to him and pointed straight up at his tamer¡¯s face while chortling in his screechy way. Aurin let out a deep guffaw. ¡°Yes, you got me,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°Let¡¯s head into the tunnel and wait there, alright?¡± The two walked into the tunnel with Shamtile hanging much further back and out of sight so that he wouldn¡¯t be seen by Mac, Aurin¡¯s opponent in the sixth round. After a couple of minutes of waiting and the increasing chatter of the crowd, Aurin was given the go ahead to walk onto the field. After greeting Mac and walked back to take his place, the announcer counted the battle in and the two summoned their first Minakai each. ¡°Make an impression!¡± Aurin ordered Steambot as Mac¡¯s Titanitoise started stampeding towards him. Steambot threw himself onto the ground and shot jets of water from his feet that propelled him towards his opponent. Suddenly, the Titanitoise slammed on the brakes and brought up an iron wall to shield himself, but Steambot swerved around it, skidding around and launching a pressure cannon from his pipes, flipping the Titanitoise onto its back. As the metal elemental tried to right itself¡ªno easy task with its back spikes wedged in the ground¡ªSteambot jumped up high and slammed down on the tortoise¡¯s underbelly with a heavy elbow thrust, winding it. A few knocks to the head later and it was already over for Mac¡¯s first Minakai. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Things did not go much smoother for his Techwing, who was knocked out of the sky and left with a bent wing upon colliding with the stadium wall. Unable to fly, the metallic bird was unable to dodge Steambot¡¯s attacks and was knocked out seconds later, even after a valiant effort to defend itself from the ground. Things took a wild turn when Mac summoned his Thundarun, who unleashed a series is powerful lightning blasts that cut right through Steambot¡¯s jets and cannons. The big brute was forced to use a series of bubble shields¡ªeach being popped by the lightning strikes¡ªto close the distance and engage with the Thundarun in close quarters. It was an exhausting effort, but once Steambot lay hands on the lightning-charged unicorn, it had little chance of a comeback. The real trouble, however, came when Steambot was unable to keep up with ferocity of Mac¡¯s Angree, who was raring to go upon being summoned while the water elemental robot was losing steam after using high-powered attacks against his previous opponents. ¡°Skrow!¡± called Aurin, summoning his next Minakai after Steambot had taken a heavy punch that broke his screen. The skull bird sped into battle, twirling through the air as he used a tailwind to hasten himself. The arrogant Angree raised a fist, ready to smack Skrow into the ground, but a final burst of speed from the black Minakai sent him whizzing past the fist and his beak smashed into the Angree¡¯s chest, cracking his armour and leaving the puppet-like Minakai a crumpled heap on the ground. Much to Skrow¡¯s delight, the last Minakai that Mac presented with was another aerial creature; his Vambra. The flying eye Minakai used his magical powers to try and hypnotise Skrow into doing his bidding, but Skrow kept his own eyes shut and was still able to avoid the series attacks by feeling the ripples in the air. When there was a gap between attacks, he dared to open his eyes and charge his opponent, knocking the flying demon down to the ground, propelling it faster with a mighty wind and making the impact that much greater. The crowd went wild upon seeing that Vambra was not getting back up. ¡°And Aurin has defeated Mac with only two of his monsters!¡± called the announcer. ¡°You don¡¯t see that too often this late on in the competition, believe you me, folks.¡± * ¡°And another victory for the dynamic duo of Hazelton!¡± said Luna, giggling as she threw her arms into the air. ¡°That¡¯s the seventh time you¡¯ve said that,¡± said Aurin, rolling his eyes in a joking manner. ¡°Yes, and I¡¯ll say it another dozen times just to get under your skin.¡± The two sat and watched Dolissile, Steambot, Innogon, Splashard and Doripper swimming in the lake of Baxter Park. A number of Minakai belonging to other tamers were less than keen to have this roving gang playing here, especially as Innogon spat water in the faces of their Minakai and any retaliation was quickly put to an end by a Steambot pressure cannon. Shamtile and Bakugon meanwhile were sitting on the small bank of sand, seeing who could craft the most intricate sculpture of the other with sand. Shamtile had much greater finesse at this and Bakugon kept getting angry, leading the little dragon to smashing the statue. ¡°I wonder if they¡¯ll throw a party for us back in Hazelton,¡± suggested Luna. Aurin raised an eyebrow. ¡°A party?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯re the only two competitors to make it from the top eight that qualified in the same tournament. And if we¡¯re getting technical, Frederick and Hunter have both entered from Hazelton before.¡± ¡°Yes, but if we¡¯re getting more technical, then you and Frederick are the last two competitors remaining who actually are from Hazelton.¡± Luna shook her head. ¡°The point is, the town is well-represented this year. That underground gym they opened underneath the will be getting a lot more attention if we¡¯ve accidentally attracted a bunch of tourists.¡± ¡°You think there¡¯ll be more tourists?¡± ¡°And people seeking us out for battles.¡± ¡°Imagine that,¡± chuckled Aurin. ¡°Oh, we won¡¯t have to imagine that,¡± said Luna, wagging her finger. ¡°We¡¯ll be living that in a week or so, especially if one of us ends up as the national champion. Even if whoever wins tomorrow loses to Frederick, we¡¯ve made a name for ourselves.¡± ¡°Then maybe we need to go into hiding somewhere that nobody knows our names. It was awkward enough being recognised everywhere I go in the town after the Zeera Crisis and then being called the Saviour of Hazelton.¡± ¡°Where should we go into hiding then?¡± asked Luna. ¡°Briarwood,¡± said Aurin. ¡°The people there are nice and clam.¡± ¡°Mhmm,¡± said Luna nonchalantly. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to go visit Maplewood too, especially after I ran into that guy Evan again. It sounds like a quiet little town¡­and it has a monster tower!¡± ¡°I think we¡¯ll just have to deal with the attention until it passes. I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be so bad, especially if we¡¯re out at the ranch half the time.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see how things play out for the rest of our time in Ludonia before anything else." ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Luna. ¡°It¡¯s a strange feeling though, isn¡¯t? Knowing that one of us is guaranteed to be in top four, but not knowing which one.¡± ¡°What do you mean? We know it¡¯ll be me,¡± said Aurin, prompting Luna to slap him in the arm. ¡°I¡¯m joking, I¡¯m joking.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be laughing tomorrow, funny man. Just you wait and¡ª" ¡°Yeeeeee!¡± squealed Bakugon, rubbing his knuckles and observing his broken nails. ¡°What happened?¡± demanded Aurin. Shamtile hurriedly tried to cover up his sculpture, but Bakugon had clawed away enough sand to reveal diamond underneath. ¡°Well, you shouldn¡¯t keep ruining his masterpieces,¡± tutted Luna. ¡°And to think these jokers are carrying us through the national championships,¡± said Aurin in exasperation while watching Steambot sending an Electrout flying across the lake with a pressure cannon, much to the displeasure of its tamer. ¡°Cut that out!¡± Aurin yelled at his metallic titan. Chapter 198 ¡°Feeling confident?¡± asked Hunter as he stood beside Aurin in the waiting room ahead of the young tamer¡¯s quarter-finals match against Luna. ¡°I wish I could say yes,¡± sighed Aurin, ¡°but this won¡¯t be an easy battle. I¡¯ve worked incredibly hard, sure, but so has she. There¡¯s a very real possibility that she¡¯ll win, especially considering how far she¡¯s come in the last year.¡± ¡°And you wouldn¡¯t hold it against her if she wins, would you?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± said Aurin, shaking his head fervently. ¡°I¡¯d be her biggest supporter for the rest of the tournament. If I can¡¯t win, I want her to be the one who wins¡­no offence.¡± Hunter laughed. ¡°None taken,¡± he said. ¡°But you¡¯ve given me the answer I wanted to hear and the one I think you need.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If you had even an inkling of bitterness in losing to Luna, you would be in all of this for the wrong reasons. Were you bitter about losing in the semi-finals to me in last year¡¯s Hazelton tournament?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°And I was content with my loss against you in the Palace Royale. Why? It¡¯s because those are losses that we deserved. We gave it our all, but one had to come on top and the other could rest satisfied that he had lost without having held back. It then drives you forward for further greatness next time.¡± Aurin said nothing, giving Hunter a slightly puzzled look. ¡°My point is that you and Luna will both be battling with your hearts on your sleeve and the winner will be the one who deserves it. You both recognise that and will still have each other¡¯s backs, no matter the outcome.¡± ¡°So, we can fight without regret?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± said Hunter with a smile. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have just said that?¡± chuckled Aurin. ¡°Sometimes a point hits harder when it smacks you across the head a few times,¡± said Hunter, slapping the back of Aurin¡¯s head. ¡°Now, take a few deep breaths and gather yourself before heading on out.¡± ¡°Thanks, Hunter,¡± said Aurin sincerely. ¡°No problem. I¡¯m going to go meet Kyle in the stands. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s finished giving Luna her pep talk by now.¡± ¡°You mean this encouragement was some concoction between the pair of you so that we didn¡¯t psyche ourselves out?¡± ¡°If it worked, yes. If it didn¡¯t, no,¡± said Hunter before departing. * ¡°Three. Two. One,¡± counted down the announcer as Aurin and Luna locked eyes across the battlefield. ¡°Fight!¡± Without hesitation, the two threw out their gloves hands and summoned their first Minakai to the battlefield. Before Aurin appeared the hulking lump of blue metal that was Steambot and, before Luna, the boil and icicle covered frog, Frocean. Knowing that he would have to chip away at such a sturdy opponent, Steambot leaned over and let rip a pressure cannon from his pipes, while Frocean had a similar thought and conjured a pair of powerful icicles and hurled them at Steambot with incredible force. The two attacks collided in the centre of the battlefield with the water tearing the icicles apart, but they succeeded in halting the momentum of the pressure cannon. To take the rest of the high-pressure blast, Frocean hurriedly brought forth an icicle wall and merely got sprayed by the water that made its way over the blockade. As he retracted the wall, he let out a croak of surprise as Steambot launched himself at him with a raised fist. He threw out his belly which absorbed the attack, giving him enough guttural force to spit out a wave of chilling frost from his mouth that caught Steambot¡¯s joints. The metal titan tried to back away to thaw himself, but Frocean unleashed a burst of icicles from his boils that pierced Steambot¡¯s torso before knocking him over. The large frog gave a ribbit of satisfaction, revelling in victory, only to be toppled over by a water jet cast by his downed opponent. With an icicle sticking out of his chest, Steambot stood up. He grabbed the frozen spear and pulled it free before flipping it around the throwing it at Frocean, who was impaled in the side by his own weapon. Injured as he may have been, Steambot darted forwards and grabbed the dazed frog between his hands. He groaned and clanked as he lifted him above his head, holding him on top of his pipes. Suddenly, there was an eruption of hot water that sent Frocean flying into the air and melted his boils and the icicles upon his back. He looked to already be unconscious as he fell, but slamming down hard on the ground made sure of that and guaranteed that he was out of the battle. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°And Aurin claims the first victory, but his Steambot isn¡¯t looking so great with his pierced armour,¡± said the announcer. ¡°He¡¯s weak!¡± called Luna, sending out an orb of blue light that materialised her Doripper. The many-finned and many-toothed shark summoned a wave of water that carried him towards the heaving Steambot, who braced himself to stay on his feet. As the wave swept past him, Doripper sank his teeth into his fellow water elemental and began bashing his tail against Steambot¡¯s screen. Aurin¡¯s Minakai bashed his fist against the ferocious fish¡¯s side, but he was failing much more quickly than his opponent, especially with his weak spot being struck to viciously by the endless thumps of Doripper¡¯s tail. With a loud shatter, the screen cracked and Steambot toppled over, leaving Doripper free to finally unclench his jaw and release his defeated opponent. ¡°And Luna has evened up the playing field quickly!¡± yelled the announcer. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can counter this,¡± called Aurin, holding up his hand and focusing on a metallic-grey summoning stone. ¡°Bring it on!¡± replied Luna with a determined grin. Dolissile appeared on the battlefield and sped towards Doripper, who was eager to sink his razor-sharp teeth into another chunk of metal, but Luna couldn¡¯t let her water elemental get too eager. ¡°It¡¯s a feint!¡± she warned her Minakai. In the nick of time, Doripper shot himself into the air with a geyser as a heavy pulse erupted from Dolissile, who had veered to the side. With his opponent now in the air, he tilted himself upwards and shot a burst of metal spikes towards Doripper, who knocked each of the sharp projectiles away with well-placed water jets. ¡°I remember when she used to scoff at her Doripper, back when it was a Dopefish,¡± said Kyle to Hunter, while watching Dolissile and Doripper continue to exchange attacks while manoeuvring around the battlefield. ¡°Many do scoff at such an unassuming little monster,¡± said Hunter, ¡°but she eventually looked beyond that and saw the potential.¡± ¡°She did,¡± agreed Kyle, recoiling slightly as Dolissile was sent spiralling upon being struck by Doripper¡¯s tail. ¡°Now he¡¯s become one of her strongest fighters.¡± ¡°Indeed, but we¡¯ll see how¡ª¡± Hunter stopped dead as Dolissile rammed Doripper in the side, sending the fish flying through the air and spinning around as rapidly as he had done seconds before. ¡°You were saying?¡± asked Kyle. Hunter exhaled and shook his head. ¡°I was saying that we¡¯ll see how Aurin counterattacks, but¡­well, you saw it for yourself.¡± ¡°Now!¡± called Aurin as Doripper hit the ground. Dolissile exploded towards Doripper, who conjured a dozen poorly aimed geysers in a rapid chain, hoping to stop Dolissile, but it was no use. The cybernetic dolphin rammed his foe in the side one again and flung him into the walls of the stadium. The concrete cracked from the immense force and Doripper dropped down unconscious. ¡°We won¡¯t let him get away with that now, will we?¡± Luna asked, summoning her Rabbafat next. Aurin cocked his head to the side, wondering what she was thinking in summoning a neutral elemental that couldn¡¯t hope to match Dolissile¡¯s intensity. He knew he had to be cautious as there was clearly something afoot and Luna¡¯s devious smile didn¡¯t make him any less concerned. ¡°Ready?¡± Luna asked her Rabbafat. ¡°Hold off!¡± Aurin called out as Dolissile readied himself to jet towards the rotund rabbit. With a deep inhalation, Rabbafat tensed herself and her fat redistributed itself around her body, giving her hulking arms and a much leaner lower body. Aurin¡¯s mouth was agape, not knowing that such a technique was even possible. He now wished that he had struck and not given Luna the chance to prepare her Minakai, but he had to do something. ¡°Metal wave!¡± Aurin ordered and Dolissile sent out a sharp wave of elemental energy at his opponent from across the battlefield. Rabbafat, however, was prepared and summoned an invisible barrier that took the attack and left her unharmed. The pumped-up rabbit started hopping up and down while flexing her huge arms, as though to taunt Dolissile¡ªsomething which wouldn¡¯t work on such a focused and emotionally controlled Minakai like him, but it worked on his tamer. ¡°Show her that no matter where it moves to, fat isn¡¯t muscle!¡± Dolissile torpedoed forwards as Rabbafat cranked her arm. Upon Dolissile coming close, she swung for him, but the metal elemental was not going to simply walk into an attack and slowed himself. Rabbafat swung and missed as Dolissile burst past a second later and struck her in her now-unprotected side, sending her flying backwards. ¡°It¡¯s not that easy,¡± Aurin muttered while looking at Luna, who was looking nervous. ¡°Fusion fin!¡± Dolissile sped after Rabbafat, who was hurriedly moving her fat back to her centre, and his glowing wing struck her across the arm. As she winced and tried to stand up, Dolissile pivoted and shot out a pulse that knocked her back to the ground before exploding forward again and sending her flying across the battlefield where she landed near Aurin¡¯s feet. The incredibly robust Rabbafat stood up as Dolissile shot a barrage of metal spikes at her. She punched each of them out of the way, but upon striking the last one, she saw Dolissile following behind it. She closed her eyes as she was struck and knocked into the stadium wall before falling unconscious. ¡°And Aurin is claiming the lead!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Luna has two Minakai remaining while Aurin still had four. It¡¯s going to be an uphill battle now, but I wouldn¡¯t count Luna out just yet.¡± ¡°Nor would I,¡± said a disappointed but determined Luna. Her tactical error had cost her, but there would be no more of those. She held out her hand and summoned her Cephelarock. As soon as the orange glow cleared, Cephelarock stuck his tentacles into the ground. ¡°Move!¡± called Aurin, but it was too late. Large tentacles of stone sprung from the ground around Dolissile and flailed wildly, battering his armour. He tried to twist and turn away, but he couldn¡¯t break past the relentless assault. He changed tactics and let loose pulse after pulse to try and shoo away the tentacles, but there were too many and coming from so many different angles that he couldn¡¯t keep up. Dolissile has exhausted himself battling Doripper and Rabbafat and felt the strain growing greater with each failed attempt at escaping. Had he been full strength, he might just have managed it but, in his current state, it was too much. A final strike to the head and he was knocked out of the battle. ¡°What a comeback!¡± called the announcer. ¡°See, folks? This battle isn¡¯t over yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s far from over,¡± said Aurin, determined to retaliate with full force. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± agreed Luna, giving him a thumbs up and a wink. ¡°Let¡¯s see what else you¡¯ve got.¡± Aurin nodded at her and raised his tamer glove, revealing one of his summoning stones. He called out his Minakai¡¯s name and sent out a burst of light, summoning his next monster into battle. Chapter 199 A cream-coloured orb of light appeared on the battlefield from Aurin¡¯s tamer glove and, from within, emerged a golden alien with four large fists floating beside him. Zenoman watched Luna¡¯s Cephelarock intently as the stone octopus wriggled his tentacles as though looking to lob a few boulders at his opponent. ¡°Rigid as he may look, he¡¯s a slippery one,¡± Aurin warned his Minakai, who let out a low echoing call of agreement. Cephelarock conjured four boulders in his tentacles and hurled them straight at Zenoman. As the heavy rocks flew through the air, the stone octopus put his tentacles in the ground. Rather than catch the boulders and toss them aside, Zenoman punched through them with his flying fists. As wildly flailing tentacles sprung from the ground around him, Zenoman grabbed them with his hands and floated away to safety. Luna had a smirk on her face as she watched the golden alien land on the ground and summon his hands back to him. All four soared across the battlefield and hovered around Zenoman¡¯s body with open palms, just waiting for another attack to come their way. ¡°Come on,¡± whispered Aurin. ¡°Make a move.¡± ¡°Three-move-manoeuvre!¡± Luna called, catching Aurin by surprise. The ground started to shake, startling Zenoman and breaking his focus on his fists. A rock cage then sprung up from beneath him, capturing his body and fists and keeping them held firmly in place. Suddenly, a stalactite appeared from above and fell straight towards his exposed head. The alien looked up and suddenly the stalactite shattered an inch from his head and the pieces fell to the ground. In an instant, the rock cage exploded into thousands of sharp fragments and Luna had a look of horror on her face as four mighty fists shot towards her Cephelarock. The stone octopus brought up a rock wall to shield himself and then burrowed underground, disappearing to safety as Zenoman¡¯s hands flew over the wall in search of their target. Luna breathed a sigh of relief at her Minakai¡¯s quick thinking and waited. ¡°Off the ground!¡± Aurin said to Zenoman, who levitated upwards as his fists returned to him. Had he not listened, it would have been devastating, for Cephelarock burst out from beneath him and leapt upwards, trying to wrap his tentacles around Zenoman¡¯s legs, but he was just out of reach. Instead, Zenoman¡¯s fists grabbed the octopus and lifted him high before releasing him. They did not simply let him fall to the ground and took it in turns to punch him, keeping him in the air like a volleyball being hit between teammates. Even when he encased himself in a ticker stone armour, Zenoman coated his fists in the same psychic barrier that he used to block the stalactite. As Cephelarock¡¯s eyes started to spin wildly and his eyelids drooped, Aurin¡¯s Minakai decided enough was enough and they two fists grabbed him by the tentacles and flung him back to earth, knocking him out and leaving Luna with only a single Minakai left. ¡°Things are not looking good for Luna,¡± said the announcer. ¡°Her last monster had better be her best one.¡± ¡°He is!¡± called Luna, casting a burst of blue light onto the battlefield and revealing Innogon. Aurin knew that he would see that smiling blue drake before long. He was also very much aware of how powerful he was beneath that cheerful exterior. He had to act quickly. ¡°Spread out and move in!¡± he ordered Zenoman. The alien obeyed without hesitation, sending his four hands out wide and then shooting them towards Innogon, but he wasn¡¯t phased by this distraction. He shot a high-powered water jet with laser-like precision and it struck Zenoman on the forehead, knocking him down and sending his fists veering off course. Upon sitting up, the alien refocused and kept himself moving, but Innogon remained smiling. Zenoman¡¯s fists closed in on him, but he covered himself in a bubble shield and was punched around like a hamster ball, giggling wildly as he rolled around. No matter how hard he punched, Zenoman wasn¡¯t able to break through the bouncy barrier that contracted and expanded to absorb all the force that sought to pop up. ¡°Now!¡± shouted Luna. Innogon conjured up a wave that carried him away in his bubble and submerged Zenoman¡¯s fists. He came closer and closer to Zenoman who tried to keep his distance, but he was running out of places to run as the water rushed towards him. Innogon leapt in the air and dissipated his bubble as he spun around wildly with his head fin glowing bright blue. Even with a newly erected psychic barrier was not enough to keep the tired Zenoman safe from the whirling fin of the spinning drake. The alien was cut across the face and chest before collapsing to the ground while his fists unclenched and lay stretched out on the soaking wet grass. ¡°And Luna is making a comeback once more, folks!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Aurin has two Minakai left, so what¡¯s it going to be next?¡± Aurin had a hurried debate in his mind. If he used the Minakai he had planned to be his fourth, it might not be able to stand up to Innogon who was almost at full stamina. The Minakai he wanted to use last however had an elemental weakness, but¡­he had been promised a chance to battle Innogon in a real test of strength and would be livid if he didn¡¯t get that opportunity. ¡°Shamtile, you¡¯re up,¡± said Aurin, sending out the masked earth elemental. Innogon yapped merrily upon seeing his friend while Shamtile gave him a quick salute before immediately flipping the ground from beneath himself and torpedoing towards the drake while encasing his fists in stone. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. With a look of surprise, Innogon shot a jet of water from his feet and was thrown into the air and out of the way. Never one to let up, Shamtile landed on the ground and spun his arms around, hurling a barrage of conjured rocks at Innogon who desperately blasted them to pieces with his water jets as he fell back to the ground. ¡°On the offensive!¡± Luna ordered. Innogon conjured a geyser from beneath Shamtile, throwing him into the sky. The drake started shooting more water jets, this time being the one to attack his opponent in the air. Shamtile summoned boulder after boulder in front of himself to block the attacks before landing and immediately burrowing underground. ¡°We planned for this,¡± said Luna and Innogon gave her a nod. Suddenly the ground started rumbling violently and Aurin raised an eyebrow. It wasn¡¯t Shamtile who was causing the battlefield to shake, it was Innogon. Suddenly, a dozen geysers sprung up around Innogon and, in one, was Shamtile who had been caught out on his way to strike his friend from beneath. As he tumbled through the pillar of water, Innogon unleashed a pressure cannon that would have rivalled Steambot¡¯s in intensity and struck Shamtile, knocking him out of the water and sending him flying into the wall at the bottom of the tamer box. Hunter and Kyle immediately stood up and looked down, thinking that Shamtile was out of the match, only for him to fling a stone spear at Innogon who encased himself in another bubble shield and let the spear bounce off pathetically while pointing and laughing at the magical lizard. Shamtile threw another handful of spears as he ran towards Innogon, but the water elemental continued to laugh hysterically. Suddenly the laughter ceased as Innogon spotted a crystalline spear made of diamond flying towards him. He screeched, closed his eyes and braced himself as the diamond spear pierced his bubble and grazed his arm as it soared past. Upon opening his eyes, he spied Shamtile sprinting straight for him with his fists encased in diamond. Innogon threw himself aside to avoid a punch, but Shamtile was nimble enough to pivot and throw a follow-up jab that struck Innogon on the jaw and sent him rolling across the ground. Shamtile leapt into the air and drew his fist back, only to be struck by a water jet and threw off his angle and he landed beside Innogon who skittered away while Shamtile shook himself off. ¡°These two are relentless!¡± cried the announcer. ¡°And neither of them seems to be letting up even after using many powerful attacks. They¡¯re made of strong stuff, let me tell you, folks.¡± ¡°But one of them is stronger,¡± said Aurin quietly before calling out to Shamtile. ¡°Time to unleash our secret technique!¡± Luna had no idea what this technique was, but she knew that if whatever it was landed, Innogon was done for. ¡°Defend with all your might!¡± she ordered him. Shamtile placed his feet firmly on the ground and Innogon shot water jets at him, but he conjured stone armour to take the blows. As Shamtile raised his arms and waved them in a dance, Innogon tried to sweep him away with a wave, but Shamtile locked his feet in place by covering them in earth and becoming one with the ground beneath him. The entire battlefield began to shake and Innogon tried to flee to somewhere safe, but there was nowhere to hide. A large chunk of earth, thick and wide enough to crush a building with ease, was pulled from the ground and raised into the air. Innogon shot a pressure cannon to try and break it apart, but it was only enough to take out a couple of chunks. Harnessing the power of his element, Shamtile let out a warbling yell and threw the mass of earth at Innogon, but the drake wasn¡¯t going to let himself be crushed so easily. He summoned up all of his strength and unleashed a huge geyser that pushed against the stone and soil above him, stopping it in its tracks. Trying as hard as he was, Shamtile was finding it difficult to gain ground, even with gravity on his side. Innogon was in the struggle of his life as he strained and struggled against the monument to his friend¡¯s power that loomed overhead. He stole a glance at his tamer, who was watching him with faith and determination, and found the power to keep the force of his geyser strong. Shamtile looked to his own tamer and Aurin gave him a nod. Knowing what he had to do, Shamtile released his hold on the earth and watched as Innogon¡¯s geyser tore it to shreds. It flew apart, scattering in the air as some of it filled the large hole it had left while other parts littered the rest of the battlefield. As Innogon breathed a sigh of relief at withstanding the attack, he heard a sudden rumbling behind him and saw a diamond wall emerge from the ground. He turned back to face his opponent only to be met by a waving Shamtile who stomped one foot on the ground and flipped the earth up, catapulting Innogon through the air once more. With his energy spent and unable to slow his momentum, Innogon knew he had nothing left to give. His shocked expression turned to one of acceptance as he collided face-first with Shamtile¡¯s diamond wall before rebounding against it and flopping onto the ground. Upon Shamtile¡¯s command, the wall shattered and vanished into diamond dust while Innogon lay unconscious on the ground with water dribbling from his mouth. ¡°And we have our winner, folks!¡± called the announcer. ¡°Commiserations to Luna, who gave us one heck of a display against her fellow Hazelton qualifier, and a massive congratulations to Aurin who is the first competitor this year to qualify for the semi-finals.¡± Aurin and Luna walked across the battlefield to cheers, Aurin with a thankful smile on his face. Luna returned it with a hint of tears in her eyes, but she was not sad. Rather than the usual handshakes, she threw her arms around him and held him tightly. ¡°Remember how I kept saying I would win?¡± she whispered in his ear. ¡°You may have said that a few times,¡± replied Aurin. ¡°I knew I wouldn¡¯t, I just had to make sure that it wasn¡¯t easy for you.¡± ¡°Well, you certainly came through with that.¡± ¡°Who was your final Minakai?¡± Luna asked, knowing now that it wouldn¡¯t make a difference. ¡°Hmm,¡± said Aurin. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that a secret just to annoy you.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°No, not this time,¡± Aurin said with a laugh. ¡°It was Leonite. He wouldn¡¯t have been able to stand up to Innogon, that much is certain.¡± As the two pulled apart, they could hear the audience laughing. They looked over and saw Shamtile slapping Innogon on the face to try and wake him up, but the little drake was out for the count. Joining in the laughter, Luna reached into her pocked and threw a berry to Shamtile. The masked lizard scurried over to it and shoved it into Innogon¡¯s mouth, almost making him choke, but upon it sliding into his stomach, he opened his eyes and then sat up. Awake as he may have been, the damage wasn¡¯t undone and he rubbed his incredibly painful face to try and soothe himself. Shamtile screeched something at him only for the frowning Innogon to spit water in his friend¡¯s face before continuing to massage his nose. Not taking too kindly to the cheap attack, Shamtile thumped Innogon on the dome and the two started brawling again to further raucous laughter from the crowd. ¡°Should we break up their scrap?¡± chortled Aurin, enjoying the spectacle rather than being embarrassed. ¡°Sure,¡± said Luna, turning to the two Minakai and calling out to them. ¡°Cut that nonsense out or there¡¯s no post-battle milkshakes.¡± The two immediately hopped away from each other and stood up straight with their arms by their sides. They had a look of seriousness on their face that only the threat of losing out on their favourite treat could bring out in them. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you in the lobby,¡± said Aurin, smiling at Luna who gave him a nod in response. Aurin and Shamtile walked back towards their tunnel while Luna and Innogon headed in the opposite direction. All the while, they were being applauded by the entirety of St Michael¡¯s Stadium. Even though he had yet to win his next match, Aurin knew that Frederick would be his opponent tomorrow. Chapter 200 It was time. There was no more preparation to be had, no more calculating to be done. Aurin stood at the edge of the tunnel and was given the go ahead to walk on out and greet his opponent, who had won his previous battle¡ªAurin knew he would. Aurin cleared his mind and took his first step, feeling nervous. ¡°And his opponent today is Frederick!¡± called the announcer. ¡°These two contenders have given us an amazing show this year, folks, and I bet they will today. I remember commentating a battle between them back in Hazelton two years ago and they¡¯ve both come so far. It makes me nostalgic, I have to say.¡± Aurin and Frederick faced each other and shook hands. Neither of them blinked, but they both had faces filled with resolve. ¡°It will be a good battle,¡± said Frederick, knowing that he was up against an opponent that he couldn¡¯t afford to underestimate. ¡°It will,¡± agreed Aurin, noticing that Frederick stole a look at his tamer glove. The two separated and returned to their own sides of the field, steeling themselves before the countdown began. Aurin took a final glance and Luna who crossed her fingers while Kyle gave him a thumbs up and Hunter nodded at him confidently. ¡°Three. Two. One,¡± said the announcer. ¡°Fight!¡± Aurin and Frederick each cast a cream orb of light from their tamer gloves, summoning their Leonite to the field. Without wasting a moment, the two cobalt-blue lions raced towards each other and leapt into the air, each ready to tear the other limb from limb. The fierce cats collided in the air with Aurin¡¯s tearing a chunk of shoulder flesh from Frederick¡¯s with his teeth, receiving three deep cuts to the neck before landing. Blood had been drawn early and neither wanted to be the first to fall. They spun around and Fredrick¡¯s Leonite pounced at Aurin¡¯s, only for claw to be met with claw. Aurin¡¯s Leonite let loose a powerful roar, the force of which threw Frederick¡¯s Leonite onto its back. Aurin¡¯s Minakai bolted forwards and sliced a gash into his opponent¡¯s belly, leaving Frederick¡¯s Minakai crying with pain. It rolled over and forced itself back onto its feet, only for Aurin¡¯s Minakai to strike him in the jaw with a headbutt, dazing him. With a final ferocious swipe of his claw, Aurin¡¯s Leonite finished off his opponent. As Frederick¡¯s Minakai collapsed, the announcer boomed out. ¡°An early lead for Aurin brings him one step closer to victory. Having proven his Leonite to be the more powerful, what will Frederick have in store for him next?¡± Aurin knew he could not get overly confident as Frederick banished his Minakai, for that was not the strongest of the two Leonite that the man-formerly-known-as-Leo liked to use. The stronger of the two was waiting in the wings. ¡°He¡¯s already injured. Finish him quickly,¡± said Frederick as he threw forth a green orb of energy, summoning his Vinewolf to the field. Before the light even had a chance to fade, the green wolf unleashed the petals around his neck, twirling them around rapidly on their vines as they soared towards Leonite. Inches from being sliced up, the lion dove out of the way and rolled across the battlefield to avoid the cutting petals overhead. He threw himself backwards as one swung from above and plunged into the ground. Knowing that he was gaining to ground, he bounded over the vines and weaved towards Vinewolf as Frederick¡¯s Minakai retracted its petals. Leonite charged at full pelt towards his foe, but he couldn¡¯t outpace the vines and they struck him on the sides. The lion refused to let up, but the Vinewolf rammed his head forwards as Leonite reached for him, bashing him in the neck, where his wound continued to bleed. Leonite yelped as the vines continued to cut him, but he couldn¡¯t hold out for long and collapsed in defeat. ¡°Oh no!¡± gasped Luna. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± said Kyle, he can still make up ground.¡± Hunter looked concerned. ¡°If Aurin wants any chance at defeating that Abysarex that Frederick has on his bench, then he needs to have as many of his Minakai left as possible or he won¡¯t be able to exhaust him.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°We¡¯ve prepared for all eventualities,¡± muttered Kyle, glancing at Luna who still looked nervous. ¡°Let¡¯s see how he handles things.¡± ¡°You¡¯re up,¡± said Aurin, throwing forth a grey ball of light and conjuring forth Chopchop. The armoured insect twirled his blades and let out a guttural clicking noise as he assumed a defensive stance, fixing himself firmly on the ground. Frederick sneered as he watched what he took to be a foolish tactical error. ¡°Restrain,¡± he ordered Vinewolf. From the ground, burst thick vines that restrained Chopchop¡¯s legs and arms, leaving him wide open to an attack, but Aurin and his Minakai were undeterred, even as Vinewolf sent his petals speeding towards the metal elemental. ¡°Now!¡± cried Aurin, having lured Frederick into the cunning trap. Chopchop unleashed a burst of sharp spikes from his armour, cutting him free. He let loose a mighty swing of his blades and cleaved all six of Vinewolf¡¯s vines in half. The wolf howled in agony, dropping to his knees at having his primary weapons severed. The purple soldier ant sprinted towards his foe, holding his blades high, but upon swinging, Vinewolf dove out of the way and he struck the ground. The green wolf was livid and the saliva poured from his mouth as he looked at the bladed warrior. He was going to tear his arms off but, unlike the vines, they wouldn¡¯t grow back. Vinewolf howled and let loose a barrage of needles from his mouth, but Chopchop coated himself in a metal shield and walked backwards as the needles bounced off him. As Vinewolf¡¯s attack ceased, he dispelled the shield and swung his blades, sending a wave of metal energy from them that struck the wolf in the chest and knocking him down. Chopchop moved in for a follow-up attack, but Vinewolf did not stir. The loss of his vines had weakened him too much to withstand the metal wave. ¡°Yes!¡± cried Luna, pumping her fist in the air. Innogon danced merrily on the ground and spat water into the air, making it rain and irritating the others in the tamer box. ¡°Go!¡± Frederick roared, summoning his favourite Leonite to the field. It sped towards Chopchop, who raised his arms to defend himself. Leonite sank his teeth into one of the blades, taking a bite out of one of the steel blades and spitting it onto the ground. He drove himself forward, shoving Chopchop back. As the insect fell, he raised his arms and left himself open. Leonite leapt in and dragged his claws across Chopchop¡¯s face, cutting his eyes and making it almost impossible for him to see clearly. While Chopchop tried to recover, Leonite tore through the insect¡¯s armour and battered Chopchop so badly that he didn¡¯t have the chance to stand up. ¡°And what a quick turnaround from Frederick!¡± boomed the announcer. ¡°Each time Aurin defeats one of his Minakai, he comes back twice as hard, but¡­it¡¯s not over yet folks. This Leonite is playing to win.¡± ¡°But he won¡¯t win,¡± muttered Aurin, summoning his next Minakai. ¡°I won¡¯t let him.¡± Lycavine appeared and howled loudly. As Leonite dashed towards him, he spat wads of sap from his mouth, but Leonite was too nimble and dodged each and every one of them. As Leonite leapt for him, Lycavine dove underneath him, whipping Leonite¡¯s belly with his two vines. As the two spread out, they turned to face one another. The wolf and the lion looked into each other¡¯s eyes and saw the fiery determination the other had to win. Much like their tamers, they would fight tooth and nail until the end to prove who was the toughest warrior. Lycavine howled at the moon and unleashed two purple rays at Leonite, but the cobalt lion knew better than to stand still. The rays missed as he leapt into the air, aiming straight for his opponent¡¯s throat with his claw. Lycavine suddenly spun around and whipped his flowery tail at Leonite, all the while it spun like a buzzsaw. It cut straight through Leonite¡¯s nails and sliced his fingers to the bone. ¡°Agh!¡± cried Luna, wincing and closing her eyes. ¡°Some medicine and he¡¯ll be fine,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Nothing I haven¡¯t seen before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, but I don¡¯t want to see it.¡± Frederick¡¯s monster rolled across the ground, nursing his badly injured paw as Lycavine struck him with his two petals, knocking him out cold and snuffing out the determination. Aurin¡¯s Minakai let out another howl, but this time in victory as he turned to face Frederick, who had his glove up already. ¡°Not giving up?¡± Aurin taunted Frederick, daring him to use his best Minakai. ¡°You think I¡¯ll take your bait?¡± replied the strong contender, throwing out another cream-coloured light. From within the light, emerged a much bulkier lion with a red mane and two large fangs. Leofang snarled and made for his opponent, taking on a barrage of razor-sharp leaves cast out by Lycavine. Undeterred and taking only minor scratches, Leofang headbutted the werewolf in the stomach as he tried to use his vines. The winded Lycavine gasped for air as the huge lion laid into him, but a lucky kick blocked Leofang¡¯s claw and gave him the chance to slip away. Lycavine brought forth a mighty root that grabbed Leofang by the leg, holding him in place, but Leofang ripped it from the ground with his teeth and hurled it at Lycavine, who ducked under it. Before he stood up again, Leofang was already upon him and pierced his large fangs into Lycavine¡¯s shoulders. Frederick¡¯s Minakai tossed Lycavine onto the ground and then bellyflopped on top of him before headbutting the wolf in the jaw and knocking him unconscious. ¡°And Frederick comes back strong again,¡± said the announcer. ¡°That leaves both competitors with two Minakai remaining.¡± ¡°Aurin hasn¡¯t got enough Minakai left to tire out Abysarex,¡± said Hunter nervously. ¡°I hope he¡¯s got a good backup plan.¡± ¡°He does,¡± said Kyle quietly, nodding his head. ¡°I just hope he¡¯s obedient enough to see it through,¡± whispered Luna to Innogon, who nodded fervently. Chapter 201 Aurin was breathing heavily as he watched Leofang stand up, leaving his Lycavine lying in the dirt. He had hoped to have more Minakai remaining at this point, but the situation was what it was. He had a backup plan in mind after carefully considering things with Luna and Kyle, but he knew that the untested backup was very risky. For now, he would have to rely on one of his toughest Minakai to deal with Leofang. ¡°Spikruption!¡± he called, bringing out his large red dinosaur. The fearsome beast snorted out a puff of smoke from his flared nostrils, looking towards the lion hungrily. To him, Leofang was simply a cat that got too bold for its own good and he would teach it a lesson. He would show the adoring crowd that he was the king of fire and a mere hairball was nothing compared to him. ¡°Show them what you¡¯re made of,¡± said Aurin calmly, having faith in the first Minakai he obtained from Harmony Tower. Spikruption stampeded forward before tucking in his neck and tail and rolling himself into a ball. Frederick smiled, having seen this move too many times. As formidable as the dinosaur was, Leofang knew how to handle this. In fact, they¡¯d trained for such an eventuality. Leofang darted towards his foe, but suddenly Spikruption became engulfed in fire and hurtled across the ground like a giant, flaming boulder. Leofang tried to dodge, but he wasn¡¯t as light on his feet as a Leonite and was knocked over by Spikruption. His tail had even caught fire and he tried to bat it out with his paws, giving Spikruption the chance to unfurl himself and unleash a fiery blast from his mouth. The lion roared as his fur burned up and his skin was seared by the massive heat. He steeled himself for the attack to end, but Spikruption refused to back down and pushed himself hard to continue the torrent of fire that he had conjured up from the back of his throat. Suddenly, Leofang fell to the ground and started twitching within the fire. Finally letting up, Spikruption took a deep breath and let the air fill his lungs. It was an exhausting attack to sustain, but it had let him end the battle quickly. He now knew what he would have to face next and was ready for it. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve certainly pushed me today, Aurin¡± said Frederick with a smirk, ¡°but the battle ends with my final Minakai. I¡¯m sure you know what¡¯s coming.¡± Aurin nodded as Frederick sent a turquoise burst of light from his most precious summoning stone. Standing before him was his cosmic elemental, Abysarex. The red lion with the purple mane stood tall, clenching his fists and letting his armour-tipped tail drift around behind him. His pale gold fangs shone brightly under the stadium lights, as did his head, chest and knee plating. ¡°Moment of truth,¡± said Luna, drawing in a deep breath while squeezing Innogon hard. ¡°Indeed,¡± said Hunter, putting his index finger and thumb to his chin as he watched intently. Kyle, however, remained quiet as he watched. He wanted to take in every second of this battle, having helped Aurin prepare to fight Abysarex. It would have been ideal if he had an additional Minakai in reserve, but having Spikruption be first in line to face the cosmic gave him a chance if the dinosaur could hold out for at least a little while. ¡°You know what to do,¡± Aurin told his Minakai, who nodded and grunted while Aurin shut his eyes. Spikruption let out a forceful roar and a burst of intense light shot into the air, making the audience cover their eyes while blinding Abysarex, who called out in frustration. Frederick himself rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his vision. There was suddenly a loud crash as Abysarex was knocked into the concrete wall of the stadium by a fireball from Spikruption. Before he could recover, the dinosaur has torpedoed across the battlefield and jammed his horn into the cosmic elemental, making Abysarex howl in pain. As Spikruption followed up with a swing, Abysarex suddenly vanished and the dinosaur¡¯s tail struck the wall. As Spikruption turned his head, a spectral entity flew towards him, shoving him into the wall. Abysarex warped before the incapacitated Minakai and started beating him brutally with his powerful fists. Each time Spikruption tried to escape, the brutal brawler thumped him back into the wall. ¡°Heat wave!¡± called Aurin. Spikruption dug down, letting himself take the blows and then let loose an intense burst of heat that forced Abysarex to back away and brace himself. As fast as lightning, Spikruption pushed himself off the wall and thrust his head forwarded, headbutting Abysarex in the chest. ¡°He doesn¡¯t get to do that again!¡± barked Frederick. As Spikruption drew in breath, Abysarex appeared above him and let out a concussive blast that threw the dinosaur onto the ground. Performing a flurry of blows in the air, the cosmic spectral fists erupted from Abysarex¡¯s fists, pummelling Spikruption brutally and keeping him down. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Landing on the ground, Abysarex grabbed the downed Spikruption by the tail and swung him overhead before slamming him back into the dirt. Aurin¡¯s Minakai roared in pain, struggling to take the devastating beating he was taking, but he had to hold strong. Abysarex, however, would not give him that chance. He threw Spikruption into the air and then warped above him, punching him in the stomach and sending him back down to the ground. Before the dinosaur, Abysarex appeared on the ground and threw forth another spectral fist that struck Spikruption in the back and sent him flying across the battlefield where he landed in a broken heap. ¡°You did well,¡± said Aurin quietly, looking at his red summoning stone and banishing Spikruption back to Kyle¡¯s ranch to be taken care of by Sunny. Abysarex heaved up and down, the burly dinosaur having put up more of a fight than he had expected. Frederick was impressed, but he had seen the brown summoning stone in Aurin¡¯s tamer glove earlier and he knew who his rival was summoning next. As powerful as Shamtile was, he lacked the sturdiness to properly defend against an opponent like Abysarex. ¡°It all comes down to this,¡± said the announcer. ¡°A single Minakai each and with Aurin up against a cosmic elemental.¡± ¡°It all comes down to this,¡± Aurin repeated, looking at his tamer glove. ¡°So I had better make sure this one counts!¡± He threw forth his hand, casting an orange light onto the battlefield, but something was different. The crowd all gasped and Frederick was left wide-eyed at the realisation of what Aurin had just summoned. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡­¡± Frederick muttered in horror. ¡°What?¡± asked a shocked Hunter, seeing Aurin¡¯s Minakai appear from the glowing orange burst while Luna and Kyle watched intently and unflinchingly. Standing tall on the battlefield and letting out a roar that shook the stadium was Aurin¡¯s Zeera. It took one look at the red lion-like beast before him and stampeded towards him, swiping a claw and sending forth a boulder that Abysarex smashed through with a single punch. As the remnants of the boulder cleared, Zeera was already upon him and swung his other claw, cutting a large gash across Abysarex¡¯s arm and cracking his chest armour. As the cosmic Minakai flew backwards, he teleported behind Zeera and back to his feet, but the epic Minakai wasn¡¯t going to allow himself to be caught off guard. He whipped his tail at Abysarex, making him buckle and then spun around with his head low before ramming his horn into his opponent¡¯s shoulder. Abysarex roared in pain as Zeera grabbed him by the mane and tore a large chunk of hair out. Zeera freed his arm and moved to clamp his mighty jaw around his foe¡¯s neck, but Abysarex warped to the other end of the battlefield, standing with his back to Aurin. ¡°Can you believe this, folks?¡± asked the announcer to the enthused crowd. ¡°An extraordinary Minakai like Zeera up against the power of the cosmic Abysarex? It¡¯s been years since I¡¯ve seen such a pairing!¡± Abysarex was breathing heavily as Zeera snarled angrily. Much like his tamer, he had been expecting to fight a trickster like Shamtile rather than an immense brute. No matter, his master had prepared him for opponents like this. The cosmic elemental let out a snarl of his own and threw a flurry of punches, sending dozens of spectral bursts of energy at Zeera, who conjured rock walls to block them and shielded his arms with stone armour to deal with what made it through. As he was defending himself, Abysarex appeared from above and delivered a hefty punch to Zeera¡¯s forehead, enraging the grey dinosaur. As he reached for Abysarex, the cosmic elemental vanished before delivering a punch to Zeera¡¯s side. When Zeera lunged again, Abysarex appeared underneath him and kicked him in the stomach. ¡°Armour up!¡± ordered Aurin. As Abysarex warped and punched, he was forced to work harder to crack the thick stone that Zeera coated himself with. It took a lot out of Zeera to defend himself, but Abysarex was also tiring as he teleported in quick succession and was forced to back away into the centre of the field to compose himself. This was his chance; Aurin could see it. ¡°Bring it home!¡± he ordered Zeera. With a thick grunt, Zeera raised his arms to the sky. ¡°Stop him!¡± Frederick ordered, fearing what was in store. Aurin smiled as Abysarex fell for feint. The cosmic elemental teleported, but much more slowly than before. Zeera leapt out of the way, conjuring up rock bindings that held Frederick¡¯s Minakai¡¯s arms and legs in place. He reached up a claw into the air and swung it down with such force that it blew Abysarex¡¯s mane back. As his claw fell and the terrifying earth elemental retreated, a shower of meteors rained down towards the battlefield. Fredrick called for his Minakai to move out of the way, but he was out of energy and had to struggle physically against his bindings, unable to teleport any more. The meteors pelted at the braced Abysarex who screamed and roared before falling limp. The last of the barrage struck him as Zeera dissipated the restraints and Abysarex was sent flying across the battlefield, unable to as much as twitch. ¡°And Aurin has defeated Fredrick, advancing to the finals!¡± screamed the announcer, almost as excited as the crowd. Everyone on the stadium was on their feet, showering him with applause, but that was not the only one they were clapping for. They were cheering for Frederick, having astounded them with his own performance and the power of his Minakai. The two competitors walked into the centre of the battlefield, where Aurin held out a hand to Frederick. ¡°It was a good match,¡± he said. Frederick¡¯s solemn face let escape a faint smile as he accepted the handshake. ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°Yes, it was. I didn¡¯t expect you to use the tower guardian in our battle. I wasn¡¯t aware you hatched it.¡± ¡°Few were.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± said Frederick with a nod. ¡°In any case, good luck for the rest of the tournament. I would like to be able to say that I¡¯ve defeated the national champion in battle before.¡± Aurin laughed dryly. ¡°Not in the match that counted most though, eh?¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t deny that,¡± said Frederick, turning away and walking back to the tunnel. Aurin waved to the crowd and saw that Hunter was no longer in the tamer box with Luna and Kyle. His match was due to follow this one and it would determine whether or not he would be the one to battle Aurin in the tournament finals. As his tamer vanished into the tunnel, Zeera stomped after him impressively as the crowd marvelled at the powerful Minakai. Upon entering the tunnel, he vanished in a burst of orange and returned to Sule Scrin, where he would await being summoned into battle again. Volume 3 of Minakai coming to Amazon! We''re fast-approaching that time where another volume of Minakai: Monster Tamer hits Amazon and KU. Volume 3, covering Chapter 101 to 149, launches on 21st May 2025 and is available for pre-order at the link below! https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0DMPMR22S We''re nearing the end of Volume 4 here on Royal Road and Volume 5 is mostly written. Based on the performance of the series, it''s looking likely that I''ll conclude Minakai: Monster Tamer with Volume 6. If you''d like to see the story go beyond that, every pre-order, rating, review, and comment helps massively. My Amazon score took a nasty hit because someone falsely accused me of generating the story with AI, which stung considering the countless hours I''ve spent working on Minakai. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Keep in mind that if you''ve read Volume 1 or 2 here on Royal Road, you can still leave a rating or review on Amazon. No download or payment required and it''s the easiest way to help me out because Amazon score goes a long way with their discovery algorithm. Here''s a link in case you want to. Thanks all for reading so far! The next chapter arrives tomorrow as normal and I''ll leave you with a preview of the Volume 5 cover. Chapter 203 Aurin and Hunter summoned their next Minakai simultaneously. From within a yellow burst of light, came Skrow, and from within a green, came Treebot. One flapped his wings while the other stomped his feet as they faced each other. ¡°Only two more,¡± Aurin said under his breath. ¡°Two more Minakai and Hunter goes down. We can do this, we can do this¡­¡± Hunter¡¯s Treebot charged towards Skrow, shaking the ground with every thundering footstep¡ªnot that it affected the flapping black bird with the skull for a head. The brown-plated tank-like Minakai suddenly grinded to a halt and, from within his leafy top sprouted a flurry of seeds that planted themselves in the ground. ¡°Soar!¡± demanded Aurin, getting an ominous feeling from the strange technique. As Skrow flew high, the dozens of seeds erupted into towering columns of bamboo that sprouted branches as they ascended. Skrow swooped and twirled to avoid getting struck by the attacks, but the changed battlefield gave him much less room to manoeuvre. ¡°Chop them down,¡± called Aurin. Skrow beat his wings hard and sent a razor-sharp wind, cutting down half of the miniature forest instantly, but Aurin caught the small smile appear on Hunter¡¯s face for a split second. He realised that he had fallen into a trap, yet was not quite sure what that trap was. Treebot stamped his feet and wild vines burst from the ground, wrapping themselves around the felled trees and hurling them like spears with their sharp, severed tips aiming to skewer the undead bird. Skrow dove out of the way, but more trees kept coming and the remnants of the forest were difficult to navigate. He suddenly felt a thump on the back of his head as one of the spears that had gotten caught in the canopy fell back down and sent him plummeting a dozen feet. He steadied himself, but not quickly enough and one of the spears pierced his left wing and tore through to the other side. Aurin¡¯s heart sunk as Skrow spiralled to the ground and landed in a crooked heap of feathers. As Treebot stood proudly on all fours, he was caught off guard as a spinning razor of air elemental energy cut into his brown, bark-like plating. With the last of his energy spent on that attack, Skrow¡¯s head slumped and he lost consciousness. ¡°Skrow pulling out a last-second technique to injure Hunter¡¯s Treebot may be just the help that Aurin needs now that both competitors are down to two Minakai,¡± said the announcer. ¡°This is too close to call,¡± said Luna, squeezing Innogon so tightly that he spat a jet of water into the back of Moon¡¯s head, prompting the Ethruki tamer to turn around and scowl at Luna who swiftly apologised. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say other than¡­I agree,¡± said Kyle, watching Aurin raising his tamer glove. ¡°I hope he¡¯s got a solid strategy in mind for the rest of the battle or it¡¯ll be over as quickly as Skrow was defeated by Treebot.¡± Aurin summoned his Gorunze, who reared up onto his hind legs and let out a mechanical groan before drawing his arms up and pulling Treebot towards him. The magnetic pull the bronze golem elicited was enough to bring his opponent into melee range and Gorunze threw down his claws, swiping across Treebot¡¯s screen with one and scraping his armour with the other. Treebot lurched forward and headbutted Gorunze in the face, making the metal behemoth recoil and take a few steps back. The steps proved to be a mistake and Treebot seized his chance to summon forth a mighty root that grabbed Gorunze¡¯s hind legs while Treebot unleashed a nature beam straight into Gorunze¡¯s stomach, making the mechanical golem grunt in agony. As his opponent hurriedly charged another attack, Gorunze mustered up his strength and broke free from the roots. He threw himself aside and narrowly missed the beam that struck the wall of the stadium just beside Aurin. Gorunze tilted his head and shot his topaz lasers from his eyes, striking between the gap that Skrow had made in Treebot¡¯s armour and bringing him to the ground. Weakened and in pain, Gorunze stood up and put his all into ramming into Treebot¡¯s side. He jammed his claws into the same gap and his topaz nails went deep within the wound. He drew his arm out and flipped Treebot onto his leafy back before slamming his elbow into the nature robot¡¯s underbelly. Treebot spasmed, but was still moving. He tried to roll himself back over but Gorunze elbowed him again and again. As the wounded Treebot lay in a daze, Gorunze jumped aside and faced his opponent. Before he fainted, the last thing Treebot saw was a beam of topaz light striking him in the eye. Gorunze fell back down onto all fours and heaved up and down as he took a second to rest before Hunter¡¯s next Minakai was summoned. ¡°And it looks like you¡¯ve got your chance to prove yourself,¡± said Hunter, looking at a steely grey summoning stone in his glove. ¡°Let¡¯s show the whole world what you can do.¡± Aurin¡¯s eyes widened as he saw a hulking figure emerge from the grey light before Hunter. The Minakai revealed itself and the crowd were in awe, none of them having seen Hunter use this monster during the course of the tournament. He had been saving this one as a final surprise. The creature had grey arms and legs with steel bands around its wrists. Around its waist and chest were silver plates of armour that connected at the back while its stomach was uncovered for flexibility. Its steel pauldrons were large and round, almost as round as its domed head. And within that head, sat a diamond-shaped black screen with a glowing blue eye within. This evolution of Microbot was not native to Bretonia, Aurin knew as much, but he had yet to see one in-person before. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Macrobot, strike hard!¡± Hunter ordered his enigmatic metal elemental. The hulking beast ran forward with his arms swinging wildly. He was heading straight for Gorunze who shot at his foe with his laser beam, but Macrobot raised an arm and encased it in titanium to block the attack. Tired and wounded, Macrobot knew he would have to deal with this hand-to-hand or risk depleting himself too much to land an attack. As Gorunze drew back an arm to strike, Macrobot conjured a metallic sword between the three fingers of his left hand and swung down, cleaving into Gorunze¡¯s head. Aurin¡¯s Minakai hit the ground with a battlefield-shaking thud and didn¡¯t move a muscle. ¡°Oh no!¡± gasped Luna, squeezing Innogon again. Moon instinctively ducked and the jet of water whizzed just past Frederick, who turned around with a murderous look in his eyes. ¡°Would you be careful, you imbecile!¡± he roared with the ferocity of his Leofang. The announcer called out. ¡°We¡¯re down to the final two Minakai. Aurin¡¯s got one last chance to defeat Hunter¡¯s Macrobot. Only one of these stalwart contenders will win and it will be decided in just a few minutes, folks. You can¡¯t see me, but I¡¯m on the edge of my seat right now.¡± Aurin let out a small laugh as he shook his head. He held up his tamer glove, revealing a green summoning stone resting within it. Hunter started laughing in response, seeing that Aurin had predicted he would have a metal elemental in his roster. How he could have possibly known, the incredibly experienced tamer could only guess, but he would ask him later. ¡°Desparee, let¡¯s win this!¡± Aurin called, summoning his tree-like Minakai to the field. The second the green glow faded, Hunter¡¯s Macrobot hurled a sharp metal spike from his free hand, but it was grabbed by an erupting vine from the ground and flipped around before being sent flying back to its owner who smacked it aside with his sword. Desparee hurled a barrage of razor-sharp leaves from his fingertips that sped towards Macrobot, only to be blocked by his shielded arm. Once the leaf storm ended, Macrobot discarded his shield and sent out a powerful metal wave that Desparee blocked by hardening his bark skin. Macrobot dared to run forward, but a cluster of sharp vines emerged from the ground and wrapped themselves around his legs, only to be cut by the brute¡¯s mighty sword. As Desparee tried to summon more vines, Macrobot drew back his arm and hurled his sword that was sent spinning through the air as it flew towards Aurin¡¯s Minakai. The vines retreated as Desparee ducked and, when he stood up, he could see Macrobot¡¯s blue eye focused on him and beginning to glow intensely. Knowing what was about to happen, Desparee held his hands together and moved them back. Harnessing the power of nature, his hands began to shake as a glowing orb of green light materialised within them. Sensing that his opponent was about to attack, he threw his arms forward. Upon Desparee unleashing the nature beam, Macrobot launched his own attack. The blue laser that shot from his eye to meet the nature beam and the two beams of energy collided in the middle of the battlefield, locked in a struggle for dominance as their originators focused as much of their elemental power as they could muster to push their attacks to victory. The mid-point of the attack was unwavering, but Macrobot found the strength to keep his attack stable and take a step forward. He took another and then another, moving himself closer while his beam only got shorter. He had a plan in mind and Aurin feared what that could be, but Desparee was unable to move. As Macrobot came within feet of the point where the beams met, he groaned as he strained himself and forced his blue laser forward. He groaned again, releasing a burst of energy and pushing his attack once again. All the while, he continued to walk closer to Desparee, who was struggling hard. ¡°Just a little longer¡­¡± whispered Aurin as Macrobot was only a couple of yards from Desparee. The metal elemental forced out one last surge of energy and Desparee dropped to the ground, letting his own attack dissipate. On the way down, his left arm was struck by the blue laser before it petered out. Desparee let out a wail of despair as he struggled to his feet, only to be met with a heavy fist to his other arm, which snapped at the elbow. ¡°I can¡¯t watch,¡± cried Luna, tucking her head behind Innogon who was biting his nails. ¡°He was so close,¡± said Kyle, wiping the sweat from his brow. Macrobot grabbed Desparee around the waist and gave him a tight bearhug, crushing his foe¡¯s torso against his sturdy metal armour. Macrobot stared at Desparee as he tried to tighten his core and remain strong, but the hulking metal Minakai knew that he outmatched his opponent who had been left with two injured arms. Desparee¡¯s sad eyes suddenly turned into a frown and his round mouth spat out a miniature nature beam that struck Macrobot in the centre of his eye, making him drop the tree-like Minakai and clutch his face. In anger, Macrobot grabbed Desparee and hurled him into the air. As Desparee flew up, Macrobot conjured a sharp spike in his hand but, before it could be thrown, he was met by a strong beam that shot, not from Desparee¡¯s unusable hands, but from his feet. The beam struck Macrobot in the screen once more and he dropped the steel spike on the ground. ¡°From his feet!¡± cried the announcer, marvelling at the unorthodox technique. Macrobot trembled as he drew his arm back once more and conjured another spike. As he started to throw it, he fell onto his stomach and the spike rolled aside before dissipating. Desparee hit the ground with a crack and forced himself to look up. His enemy lay unmoving a few yards away and did not stir. ¡°And the victory goes to Aurin!¡± howled the announcer as the crowd all leapt to their feet and delivered a deafening applause that could be heard all across Ludonia. Hunter stood with his mouth ajar for a couple of seconds before blinking intensely and joining in with the clapping crowd. Aurin too stood with his mouth wide open, amazed that he had managed to pull out a win against Hunter. Once he gathered himself together, he marched to the centre of the battlefield and met his friend. ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± he said, not sure what to say. ¡°Well done,¡± said Hunter, holding out his hand. ¡°Good match,¡± said Aurin, smiling as he accepted the handshake. ¡°How did you know about my Macrobot?¡± ¡°You want the honest answer?¡± asked Aurin with a sly grin. ¡°You guessed, didn¡¯t you?¡± asked Hunter, narrowing his eyes. ¡°It was a balance of probabilities!¡± exclaimed Aurin. ¡°I knew about the four Microbot evolutions you had and that left six more. I thought about it for a while and decided that Macrobot was the one I was going to play my strategy to.¡± ¡°Well, it worked,¡± said Hunter with a laugh. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯ll be able to suss out Tobias before the next match, eh?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Aurin, nodding and feigning confidence. The two parted ways as the crowd continued to cheer and the announcer sung their praises. Aurin was elated to have one, but would be the first to admit that he was a little surprised. He was at the top of the league and had won the national championships, but that alone would not grant him the title of national champion of Bretonia. To earn that honour, he would have to defeat the current national champion who would not even dream of making it easy for him.