The final round began under the rising sun, the training ground alive with tension. Flags marked the territory, their gleam signaling both danger and opportunity. Dust still clung to the scorched earth from previous battles, and the air carried the faint tang of smoke and sweat. Every spectator-trainee, elder, and master alike-leaned forward, eyes locked on the field, waiting for the storm to break.
Nao, Yuta, and Itsuki took their positions, muscles coiled like springs. Each knew what was at stake. Across from them, Kaito, Reika, and Masaki stood ready-blades drawn, magic humming, eyes sharp and unyielding. Even in stillness, they radiated a lethal calm, the kind that made even seasoned fighters hesitate for a fraction of a second.
Yuta's crimson aura flared, swirling around him like liquid fire. He flexed his claws, a predator grinning before the hunt. "Hope you're ready for round three," he called out, voice low and dangerous.
Kaito lifted his katana, letting the sun catch on the steel. "I was born ready. Let's finish this."
Itsuki adjusted the tome at his side, its pages glowing faintly with ancient runes. He whispered a prayer under his breath, feeling the flow of mana hum through his veins. Nao's fists clenched as he raised his hand, drawing a deep breath. The earth beneath them responded, quivering.
In the center, Nao's command echoed through the ground. "Rise!"
A massive stone golem erupted from the dirt, its jagged fists smashing into the earth and sending tremors across the battlefield. Dust plumes rose with every movement, and cracks formed in the stone beneath its massive feet. The crowd gasped at the sheer size and presence of the summoned creature.
Kaito didn't hesitate. He dashed forward, katana gleaming, moving faster than most could track. "Stone or not, I'll cut through you!" he shouted. Sparks flew as steel met stone, each strike sending shivers of vibration through Nao's arms.
Nao gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his forehead. "Not so fast!" he barked, pushing the golem to counter. Its colossal fist rose, blocking Kaito's strike with a thunderous clang that reverberated across the field.
"You're not getting past me," Nao said, determination blazing in his eyes.
"I don't need to," Kaito replied coolly, leaping onto the golem's arm. He twisted midair, katana flashing in a perfect arc, slicing into the stone armor. Dust and small fragments sprayed like fireworks, but the golem staggered only slightly.
Nao's jaw tightened. "Then I'll give you more than just stone."
He slammed both palms into the ground. The battlefield shook violently, sending Kaito tumbling back. The golem roared, regaining balance, fists pounding as if challenging Kaito directly.
At the rear, Yuta clashed with Masaki. The demon's crimson aura crackled with infernal heat, illuminating his eyes with a dangerous glow. Masaki's holy sword shimmered like sunlight incarnate, arcs of blinding light radiating with every swing.
"You can't win against purity, demon!" Masaki shouted, holy fire burning along his blade.
Yuta laughed, low and feral. "Purity burns weakly against my fire!" Flames flickered along his claws as he lunged, swiping at the radiant light. Each strike met Masaki's sword with a thunderous clash, light and darkness colliding in bursts of gold and crimson. Sparks flew, and holy water hissed as it burned against Yuta's skin, but he pressed forward with reckless abandon.
Masaki's movements were precise, deliberate, and unwavering. "Faith over fear, always."
"Then I'll break it," Yuta growled, energy crackling around his fists. The aura of his demon blood flared higher, heat rippling outward in waves, shimmering across the field.
Meanwhile, Itsuki sprinted toward the opponent's flag, the ancient tome at his side glowing with runes that pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat. "One spell, one victory," he murmured under his breath. Concentration stiffened his spine, and his hand glowed with an intense amber light.
Reika's eyes gleamed with anticipation, strings sparkling between her fingers like threads of steel. "Not while my children are awake."
From the dust rose her puppets, mechanical beasts of terrifying design. Each one moved with uncanny precision, blades and spikes threatening every angle. Itsuki's pulse quickened, and he murmured the incantation that would decide the battle: "Ignis Vortex."
A spiral of flame erupted from his palm, sweeping through the first wave of puppets. Sparks and fragments flew as wood and metal melted under the heat. "You'll need more than toys to stop me!" he shouted.
"Oh, I've got plenty," Reika whispered, summoning her largest puppet-a towering creature with glowing red eyes. Its arms snapped forward, pinning Itsuki to the ground in a vice-like grip.
"Tch-release!" Itsuki hissed, calling upon sigils that glowed and flared, shattering the puppet's limbs in a blaze of light. But Reika's fingers moved faster, weaving more strings around his body. "Caught you," she said, a wicked smile tugging at her lips. The strings twisted, binding him like serpents, and Itsuki struggled against them, sparks flying where magic met steel.
Back at the center, Kaito's strikes had finally shattered Nao's golem. The shockwave threw dust and rubble into the air, and the ground trembled beneath the impact. Nao dropped to one knee, panting, but determination burned in his eyes.
Kaito wiped blood from his lip, breathing hard. "This ends now!"
Nao closed his eyes for a moment, silently calling to the spirit that had guided him since childhood. Father... guide me.
He slammed both hands into the ground, summoning the ultimate guardian: Titan. A colossal armored behemoth erupted from the earth, shield glinting in the morning sun, eyes glowing like molten metal.
Kaito's eyes widened. "What the-?!"
Titan swung its massive arm. Kaito's katana shattered under the impact, splinters flying across the battlefield. The second strike sent him crashing backward, dust and stone exploding around him as he hit the ground, unconscious.
Nao exhaled, muscles trembling from the exertion. "That's for underestimating me."
Turning, Nao saw Itsuki still struggling against Reika's strings. "Hang on, I've got you!" he called. Summoning a baby dragon, its scales gleaming like molten embers, he directed it forward.
"Go, Ignis!" The dragon roared, releasing a torrent of fire that seared through the strings. Itsuki landed lightly on the scorched ground, free at last, as Reika stumbled backward, shielding her face from the blast.
"Your puppets are done, Reika," Nao said, rushing forward, adrenaline and determination driving him.
Reika gritted her teeth. "Then I'll fight you myself!" she growled, straightening her stance.
She lunged, but Nao was faster. He sidestepped her attack, grasped the opponent's flag, and spun around with a victorious grin.
"Game over."
The battlefield fell silent, filled only with the crackle of fading flames, the tremor of dust settling, and the echo of crumbling stone. The morning sun shone down on the victors, golden light glinting off armor, blades, and scorched earth.
Yuta, panting but alive, watched Nao stand triumphant. Itsuki dusted himself off, giving Nao a nod of respect. Even Reika, defeated but composed, allowed a small smile to flicker across her face.
The final round was over. Victory belonged to Nao and his team. And though the crowd cheered, every fighter knew that this battle had changed them all. Skills sharpened, strategies tested, and bonds forged in fire-they were no longer the same trainees who had stepped onto the field hours ago.
For Nao, Yuta, and Itsuki, the sun rising over the battlefield was more than a new day-it was a promise of future battles, greater challenges, and the unyielding journey ahead.