Ash staggered.
Blood dripped from his chin.
His breathing was uneven.
Fast.
Unstable.
WHOOSH—
A shadow moved.
Too fast.
A baseball.
CRACK—
His body slammed into the ground again.
Dust scattered.
Silence followed.
Then—
Participant Ash.
Dig's voice echoed calmly.
Do you wish to take a break?
Ash didn't answer immediately.
His fingers dug into the dirt.
Shaking.
Burning.
Then—
Slowly—
He pushed himself up.
His vision blurred.
His body screamed.
Still—
He stood.
"…No."
A breath.
Sharp.
Painful.
"…I'm just getting started."
Deep underground.
Miles away—
Fire flickered across the stone walls.
Heat filled the cave.
Heavy.
Suffocating.
Ravok stood in the center.
Sweat poured down his face.
His breathing was rough.
Unstable.
Flames surged around him.
Ravok staggered slightly.
"…Tch…"
He wiped sweat from his forehead.
His hands trembled.
"…Still unstable…"
A breath.
Slow.
Controlled.
"…But I'm getting the hang of it."
Days blurred into nights.
Pain turned into discipline.
Failure turned into progress.
And before they realized it—
Three weeks had passed.
Exactly at noon—
On the day the tournament began—
Ash descended from the sky.
Wind rushed past his wings as his eyes locked onto the structure below.
A massive coliseum stood at the center of the city.
Towering stone walls stretched high into the air, carved with ancient symbols and battle scars from countless fights.
Rows upon rows of stone seats circled the arena, rising like a mountain of spectators.
Massive banners hung from the outer walls, swaying in the wind.
The sound of thousands of voices echoed faintly from within—
Excited.
Restless.
Hungry for battle.
Ash narrowed his eyes.
Even from above, the arena felt overwhelming.
Ancient.
Heavy.
Like a place built for legends… and graves.
Then—
At the massive iron gates below—
Stood Ravok.
Ash landed lightly.
Dust shifted beneath his boots.
Ravok stood waiting at the gate.
Arms crossed.
Silent.
Ash smirked.
"…Miss me?"
Ravok snorted.
"…Don't make me laugh."
A faint grin appeared on his face.
Then—
They stepped forward.
CLASP—
A firm handshake.
Not formal.
Not distant.
Brotherly.
Ash studied him carefully.
Burn marks covered Ravok's arms.
Fresh.
Unhealed.
Ravok looked back.
Ash's eyes looked different now.
Sharper.
More animalistic.
Ash exhaled.
"…Three weeks."
Ravok nodded once.
"…Time to see if it was enough."
Ash and Ravok stepped through the massive outer gates.
The noise inside grew louder.
Voices.
Metal clashing.
Distant cheers.
The air itself felt heavy.
Like tension waiting to explode.
Ahead—
A guard stood near the entrance tunnel.
Tall.
Armored.
Watching every participant that passed.
His gaze shifted toward them.
Sharp.
Careful.
"…Are you two registered for the tournament?"
Ash nodded once.
"…Yes."
The guard studied them for a moment longer.
Silent.
Measuring.
Then—
"…Names?"
Ash stepped forward slightly.
"…Ash."
Ravok followed.
"…Ravok."
The guard reached toward a floating screen beside him.
Scanning.
Processing.
A brief pause.
Then—
"…Confirmed."
He stepped aside.
"…Proceed."
A short pause.
His voice lowered slightly.
"…The tournament begins in one hour."
Silence followed.
Ash and Ravok exchanged a glance.
One hour.
One final moment before battle.
© 2025 Moku. All rights reserved. The Tower of the Animal Kingdom is an original work by Moku. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution is prohibited.