Kevin stood in the center of the ring, gazing around, taking in the surroundings as if revisiting memories long buried in shadows.
Then he began to move his arms and shoulders, shedding the rigidity that had clung to him throughout his years of imprisonment. He opened and closed his fingers, and turned his neck deftly, until a crackling sound echoed throughout the ring.
He bowed slightly respectfully, placed a fist on his chest, and said in a deep, steady voice:
"I am Kevin… from the Kingdom of Dragons. It is an honor to meet you both."
His voice was strong, but devoid of arrogance, and he showed respect for his opponents.
At the other end, Saruto stood beside Lucien, both watching the man before them.
Lucien leaned towards him and whispered with a hint of sarcasm:
"He's more respectable than Ryan… and a hundred times more noble."
Saruto chuckled softly.
"That's right. Ryan should learn from him… he's not a savage like him."
They bowed, announcing their names to Kaven: "I'm Saruto from the Dark Family," and "I'm Lucian from the Ice Family."
Little did they know their voices had reached Ryan, who was sitting in the stands.
Ryan's face froze, and the dragon energy around him flared violently. Then he roared angrily, unleashing a wave of explosive energy:
"I'll crush you two bastards as soon as you're done with this fight!!"
Below, Kaven had finished his preparations. He stood firm, assuming his fighting stance.
The distance between him and Saruto and Lucian dwindled; the calm before the storm.
The two of them assumed their fighting stances, holding their breath, ready for their first move.
But… just as they were about to launch their attack, Kaven's image vanished before their eyes.
They didn't realize what had happened until they felt a hand grab their faces simultaneously.
Kavin lifted their heads… then hurled them with such terrifying force that the air itself seemed to crack open behind them.
They flew through the air, spinning above the arena like fragile dolls.
Sarotto regained control mid-air. In an instant, he vanished from his position… and moved directly toward Kaven.
But as soon as he reappeared, he was surprised to find the ground clear.
He looked up quickly, only to find that Kaven had completely ignored him… and was heading for Lucien, who was still suspended in the air!
Kavin reached out, grabbed Lucien's leg firmly, and pulled him toward him. In one swift motion, he slammed Lucien to the ground with a rock-shattering force!
A barrage of blows left Lucien no chance to catch his breath.
Lucien screamed in pain, the sound of the ground crashing down drowning out his cries.
The scene was agonizing for Princess Selena, who covered her eyes to avoid seeing what was happening to Lucien, while Kaven hadn't even begun to unleash his full power.
Saruto saw his friend trapped between Kaven's grasp and the ground, and teleported directly toward them.
But Kaven anticipated Saruto's appearance and lifted Lucien by his feet… then hurled him with devastating force toward the spot where Saruto would emerge.
As soon as Saruto's body appeared, he was shocked to find Lucien's body slamming into him with tremendous force!
He was instantly immobilized, and the two fell to the ground as one. Kaven didn't give them another second.
He opened his mouth, and light began to gather within… a deadly dragon flame, boiling and growing, which he then unleashed directly at them!
Lucien noticed the attack and spun around with lightning speed, forming a massive wall of ice with Saruto. The droplets froze in the air, forming a thick layer of ice that deflected the fire, but… the dragon's flames managed to pierce the wall as if they were mere vapor!
The flames surged toward them, but at the last moment, Saruto and Lucien vanished, moving to another part of the arena, dodging the fiery onslaught that consumed everything in its path.
The two stood panting, Lucien drenched in sweat, while smoke billowed from Saruto's clothes.
"Our attacks are disorganized… we need to alternate between attack and defense," Saruto said, catching his breath.
"Exactly! We should do the same thing we did to the professor in our first test, but can we really beat him? That idiot hasn't even shown a quarter of his strength yet!" Lucien replied irritably, wiping the blood from his mouth. Saruto smiled, that smile that held a hint of beautiful madness:
"Then… there's no escape. We have to give it our all… or we won't leave this arena alive."
Lucian smiled back:
"You know, Saruto, your crazy ideas sometimes scare me, but now I agree with this plan." They clapped their hands together and stepped forward toward Caven to end this fight.
And now, true hell begins.