In less than ten minutes, Prince Aureth and Kaiden were sprawled in defeat, their pride dented harder than their armor. The only one still standing was Tempest—of course. Her duel looked less like a sparring match and more like the prologue to the apocalypse.
Tempest had drawn her deathblade, its edge humming with lethal promise, and now clashed against her perfect version. Every swing was a thunderclap, every strike a miniature cataclysm that threatened to reduce the battle arena to rubble.
She was close—achingly close—to her complete form. Endless hours in her spatial training chamber had honed her blade mastery to terrifying precision. But her footwork? Still a little clumsy, like a goddess who hadn't quite figured out how to dance.
The spectators could only gape as the arena cracked and splintered beneath her fury.
"Dang! Our goddess is truly terrifying," Trevor blurted, eyes wide with admiration.
"To be on par with her perfect version… that's beyond terrifying," Kaiden muttered, narrowing his eyes as though squinting might help him comprehend the madness.
"She has a weakness though," Master Crimson intoned, skeletal fingers tapping together. "It's subtle, but it's there."
"That's why she can't quite catch up to her perfect version yet, isn't it?" Prince Aureth assessed, voice tight with awe.
Master Crimson nodded, then clapped twice, the sound echoing like bones rattling in a tomb. "You've made a very good friend. You'll rely on her more than you know."
The comment left the group blinking in confusion. They already knew Tempest was terrifying—living proof of it was currently demolishing the arena. They had sworn long ago never to cross her, so why the reminder?
"She's not just a friend, teacher," Kaiden said softly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "She's family."
The duel ended not with victory or defeat, but with Master Crimson's skeletal hand raised in command.
"Such an outstanding student! Our Dark Scales courtyard is truly blessed this time!" he declared, his hollow voice ringing with excitement.
"Class dismissed. Go explore the academy, get familiar with your new home. And if anyone dares trouble you—remember, your teacher has your back."
"Thanks, teacher!" they chorused, voices overlapping like a ragtag choir.
The skeleton chuckled, a sound halfway between amusement and graveyard wind, then shooed them away.
Tempest and her companions stepped beyond the courtyard walls, where three colossal dragons loomed—north, south, and west—like living fortresses. Their scales shimmered with starlight, their eyes scanning for threats.
Sky Domain Academy itself floated upon its own star, a world brimming with beasts meant to temper students through battle. The dragons stood sentinel, ensuring no high-level monsters devoured the fledgling cultivators before they could even learn to swing a sword properly.
As the group marveled at the defenses, a sudden commotion rippled through the academy. A tide of students rushed past, their excitement palpable.
Trevor snagged one by the sleeve. "Oi, what's the fuss?"
"The top student from Azmin Star is trying to tame a fourth-level Mortal Beast!" the boy exclaimed breathlessly.
The group exchanged looks.
Beast ranks were no laughing matter. Seven tiers divided the hierarchy: Mortal, Blessed, Sacred, Celestial, Divine, Mythic, and Eternal. Each rank split into ten levels, with gaps so vast they might as well have been chasms.
And now, someone was bold—or foolish—enough to wrestle with a fourth-level Mortal beast.