Alister then replied, ‘Unnecessary, he is in a threat at the moment, Darven.’
The male dragon, Darven, responded, ‘I understand, my lord.’
Alister then spoke up to Yuuto. “So if I understand what you said, we are basically playing a game of tag and all I have to do is catch you?”
Yuuto smiled. “Well, yes.”
“But your summon cannot use its flames and must not damage its surroundings.”
“What about moving beyond the boundaries of the arena, will that count as a penalty to call off our deal?”
“Of course, if your summon or you for any reason find yourselves beyond the boundary, then I would be the winner.”
Alister paused, his yellow eyes glowing slightly as he said, “Can I take that to mean there is a chance you could deliberately try to make me fail?”
“I mean, it wouldn’t really be fun if it was just a chase, right?” Yuuto said with a smile.
“A chase, huh?” Alister repeated, silently questioning Yuuto’s real goal behind this.
Murmurs filled the air as many talked about whether they were really going to do this.
“Is he seriously going to summon it here again?”
“Last time was a disaster. What is the guild master thinking?”
“Maybe Alister has better control now?”
“Even if he does, this still seems reckless.”
The team leaders all murmured, wondering what guild master Yuuto was up to.
“What’s master’s plan?” Hiroshi asked, scratching his head.
Kaida frowned. “I have no idea, but it seems like he’s wants Alister to have better control.”
Razorgrin gritted his teeth as he crossed his arms, eyes narrowed. “I still don’t like the fact that it seems he’s giving the boy free rein.”
Kaida turned to Ren. “What do you think, Ren? You haven’t said anything.”
Ren paused, adjusting his glasses before speaking. “I think he wants to train Alister to properly control his summon and explore more of its strengths.”
Razorgrin scoffed. “Since when is a display of brute force not a good display of strength?” “I mean, all the Drake has to do is burn down the monsters, right?”
Ren let out a sigh then said. “As master Yuuto said earlier, strength and speed can always be taken down with a well thought out strategy, I’m sure that is also what he’s trying to teach Alister.”
“Maybe a way to make him always be on his toes and not rely too much on his summon. After all there is no rule that prevents guilds from using underhanded methods to secure their victory.” fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
The other team leaders agreed, nodding in understanding. “That sounds logical,” Hiroshi said.
…
Yuuto turned his attention back to Alister. “I’m ready when you are.”
Alister took a deep breath, focusing on the the details of their spar.
“So, let me get this right,” he said, summarizing the rules. “No flames, no damaging the surroundings, and staying within the arena boundaries. So, basically, whoever gets to touch the other wins?”
Yuuto nodded, a playful glint in his eye. “Precisely. Let’s see what you and your summon can do, Alister.”
Alister then said, “Understood. So, sir, there is no rule that suggests I’m only allowed to use Cinder, meaning I can summon another dragon in her place.”
Alister’s words puzzled Yuuto. “Wait, what are you-”
“If it’s a game of tag then…” Alister’s yellow eyes glowed slightly, as he spoke the air around him seemed to shudder.
“Come forth, Darven,” Alister said, interrupting Yuuto. In that instant, a massive rift could be seen shattering open beside Alister, and with it came a massive oppressive aura and huge gusts of wind.
For a moment, everyone paused. Those who watched from beyond the protective barrier all felt uneasy as they whispered among themselves.
“Did you feel that? Something feels different in the air…”
“I don’t like this. It’s making my skin crawl.”
“Should we be this close?”
“Maybe… we should… step back a little?”
“This feels different from before. Was the air this hard to breathe when he summoned his monster last time?”
The team leaders exchanged uneasy glances.
“Do… the rest of you feel that?” Hiroshi asked, his eyes wide.
“Of course, this aura… It’s stronger than before.” Kaida muttered, her hair swaying in the wind.
Razorgrin gritted his teeth. “That kid must be up to no good!”
Goro called out with concern in his voice, “Alister, what are you doing?”
Alister responded calmly, “Nothing much, just called forth my summon.”
Lady Aiko, standing on the opposite side of the arena, yelled at Alister, “I don’t know what
you’re doing, but if you cause any serious damage to-”
Before she could finish, a figure streaked out of the rift. Their movements were so fast it created a gust of wind as they emerged, leaving everyone frozen in place.
As the winds calmed down a bit, everyone simply gazed in silence. The figure that had appeared looked more like a human than a dragon or drake, although there was no denying the tail and the two pairs of black horns it had.
It was clad in all black armor and stood at a height that made it seem slightly taller than Alister. Its glowing purple eyes could be seen through the visors of its helmet, and purple lightning crackled around its body.
The figure then slowly walked forward, turned around, and bowed before Alister as it said, “Darven pays his respects to his lord.”
The crowd behind the protective barrier murmured in a mix of awe and fear.
“I don’t understand… what is that?”
“Where’s the big one?”
“Is that… a dragon in human form?”
“Look at that lightning… it’s terrifying.”
“I feel like I’m going to get struck just standing here.”
The team leaders exchanged uneasy glances, their earlier apprehensions intensifying.
Hiroshi whispered, “I didn’t know dragons could take on human form.”
Kaida nodded, her expression serious. “Even if they could, that isn’t Cinder.”
“Seems he already summoned another one.”
Razorgrin, his face twisted with distrust, muttered, “So, apart from the kid having free reign he’s keeping secrets too? Who the hell does he think-”
Before he could finish, Darven shot him an intense piercing gaze, and in that instant his life flashed before his eyes, causing him to instantly fall silent.
Razogrin felt his knees give out, collapsing under the weight of Darven’s intense gaze. The other team leaders glanced over at him, with a confused yet curious look on their faces.
“Razogrin, are you okay?” Kaida asked, her voice filled with worry.
Razogrin stuttered, struggling to find his voice. “Y-yeah, I’m fine. Just lost my balance for a
moment.”
The others exchanged glances, knowing that was clearly not the case.
Meanwhile, in the arena, Yuuto smiled at Alister. “I must say, I’m impressed. You’ve obtained
another summon.”
Alister replied calmly as he narrowed his gaze, “You don’t seem all that suprised, considering
the fact it looks almost human.”
Yuuto shrugged, “Oh come now, when you’ve seen as may things as I have nothing really
surprises you anymore.”
Alister remained slient.
Alister then asked, “Can we start now?”
Yuuto nodded, a playful look in his eye. “Sure, anytime.”
Alister then said, “Darven, rise.”
Darven responded, “Yes, my lord.”
Alister glanced at Yuuto and said, “See that man over there?”
Darven’s gaze shifted to Yuuto, his glowing purple eyes narrowing.
“I want you to catch him for me,” Alister continued, “but you are not allowed to destroy the surroundings, and you are not to step beyond the edges of this stage.”
Darven nodded, his body tensing. “Understood.” He turned to face Yuuto, his muscles coiling
like a spring, purple lightning crackling around him.
“Prepare yourself.”
“My lord has requested your capture. Be honored.”