[Scenes of the battle of Tracey and ezren against Renji and Vera.]
Vera pressed her palms forward, wooden walls sprouting and locking tightly around Tracey, sealing him inside. She gritted her teeth, pouring every ounce of power into holding him there.
But then—
A pressure surged from within. A heat, raw and unrelenting, bled through the wooden barrier. Vera's eyes widened as the walls began to shake violently, splintering under the strain.
"What… what is this power…?" she thought, feeling the overwhelming force breaking through her control.
CRACK!
The wooden prison exploded outward in a storm of shards.
From the wreckage emerged Tracey—his body radiating with a vaporous steam, flames swirling like a living storm around him. His aura twisted the air itself, his figure floating weightlessly as if carried by the wind and fire. For a heartbeat, he looked less human and more like a beast unchained.
Tracey inhaled deeply, eyes glowing with savage intensity.
He smirked.
"Don't get lazy on me, wood girl…"
BOOM!
In the next instant, he vanished—his speed blinding. A fist collided directly with Vera's face, the force sending her flying backward like a ragdoll. Blood sprayed from her lip as the world spun violently around her.
Before she could crash against a jagged stone, Tracey was already there. His claws—no, his hands—struck her midair, slamming her in the opposite direction, sending her careening like a broken doll.
For a moment, Tracey stood in the battlefield's heart, steam and flame rolling off him like a monstrous aura. His presence alone radiated the essence of a pure predator—The Beast Master.
Vera coughed, pain searing her skull as blood trickled down her forehead. Desperately, she threw up a wooden shield before she hit the ground, the impact still rattling her bones. She staggered, wounded, her breath ragged.
But her eyes sharpened.
"…Wood Zone."
Her voice was low but commanding.
The earth rumbled.
Around them, the barren field transformed into a colossal wooden forest. Trees erupted skyward, their trunks stretching into titanic pillars, branches weaving together like a living labyrinth. The entire battlefield became her domain.
"Now…" she whispered.
At her command, roots writhed from the ground, and branches from every tree bent unnaturally, whipping forward in unison. They struck Tracey like a tidal wave of wood and bark.
The first few slammed into him head-on—thuds echoing through the forest as he grunted under the blows. But then Tracey's beastly instincts took over. He seized one branch mid-swing, his body twisting with feral grace.
Using the momentum, he swung upward, leaping from one branch to another, moving with uncanny speed and agility, like a wild predator in its natural domain. His eyes never left Vera, his ferocious grin cutting through the chaos as he bounded toward her.
Tracey swung from branch to branch, steam trailing behind him like a phantom flame. His movements were wild yet precise—more beast than man. Each leap brought him closer, his eyes glowing with the hunger of battle.
Vera narrowed her gaze. With a flick of her wrist, roots burst from the ground, weaving together into towering spikes. They launched upward, trying to skewer Tracey midair.
He twisted, planting his foot on one spike, using it as a springboard. The root shattered under the heat radiating from his body, embers scattering in the air.
"Too slow!" he growled.
In a blur, Tracey closed the distance. His clawed strike tore through Vera's wooden shield like paper, the impact forcing her backward. But instead of stumbling, Vera slammed her palm against the earth.
BOOM.
The trees behind Tracey came alive, hundreds of branches snapping like whips. They wrapped around him in layers, squeezing, twisting, pulling him down.
Tracey grunted as his body was bound in place. His flames hissed, burning through some bindings, but more layers wrapped him tighter.
"You're not the only one who can act like a beast," Vera said, her voice trembling but firm. "This forest is alive—and it answers to me."
The branches dragged Tracey down into the earth, half his body swallowed by writhing roots. For a moment, it looked as if Vera had him trapped.
But then—
A guttural roar ripped from Tracey's chest. His body flared, steam erupting in violent bursts. Flames exploded from his arms and back, the bindings hissing as they burned away. The air itself wavered with the sheer heat.
He burst free, landing on all fours like a predator ready to pounce.
"You really think wood can hold me?!" Tracey bellowed, his voice animalistic.
He charged, ripping through branches, each step leaving scorched imprints on the ground.
Vera raised her arms—massive tree trunks slammed down like hammers, trying to crush him. Tracey dodged, weaving between the falling giants, leaping from one to the other. With every movement, his flames carved black scars into the wooden battlefield.
Finally, he closed the gap again. A feral punch met Vera's wooden armor, cracking it. She retaliated instantly, wooden spikes shooting from her chestplate like jagged fangs. One tore across Tracey's shoulder, blood spraying.
He hissed in pain, but his grin only widened.
"That's more like it."
The battlefield descended into chaos—branches lashing, roots grappling, Tracey weaving through them with feral agility. Every strike he delivered tore apart Vera's defenses, but every counter from her drew blood or slowed his movements. It was a duel of instinct versus control, wild flame against rooted willpower.
At last, Tracey leapt high above, steam bursting from his body as flames coiled around his fists. Vera slammed both palms to the ground, and a titanic wooden colossus rose from the earth—a giant tree warrior, its massive arms reaching to catch him.
For a moment, the two forces clashed midair—beast against forest.
Tracey roared, twisting his body mid-leap, steam and flame igniting into a vortex around him.
"BEAST FANG—CRUSH!"
His fist, wrapped in spiraling fire and steam, tore through the wooden colossus' arm, splintering it into thousands of shards. The force carried forward, the blow smashing into Vera's wooden barrier.
BOOM.
The shockwave ripped through the Wood Zone, trees splintering, branches scattering. Vera was thrown backward, skidding across the ground, coughing blood but still conscious. Her forest trembled, cracks running through the summoned domain.
Tracey landed heavily, steam rolling off his body, his chest heaving. His aura still burned, but his body showed wounds—cuts, burns, blood dripping down his side.
Vera, panting, rose to one knee. Despite her injuries, her eyes glowed with defiance. The Wood Zone still stood, though weakened.
Tracey wiped blood from his lip, grinning like a beast.
"This isn't over yet".
The battlefield fell silent for a heartbeat. Steam hissed from Tracey's body, flames still flickering around him, while Vera's forest groaned under the strain of sustaining the Wood Zone. Both warriors stood bloodied, yet unyielding, eyes locked on one another.
Tracey smirked, shoulders heaving with every breath.
"You've got guts, wood girl. But let's end this with one last blow."
Vera wiped blood from her lip, planting her hand on the earth. Her voice was low but commanding:
"Fine. One strike decides it."
The ground trembled violently. The remaining trees bent inward, roots knotting together into a monstrous wooden spear—towering, jagged, pulsating with her magic. The Wood Zone itself was funneling into that single weapon.
Tracey, meanwhile, crouched low. Steam boiled off him in furious waves, his claws tightening, flames coiling into his arms. His aura surged, no longer just wild but sharpened, as though every ounce of beastly strength was condensed into one strike.
The air grew heavy. The forest darkened. For a moment, it was as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Then—
"WOOD PIERCER—!" Vera roared, hurling her massive spear forward with everything she had.
Tracey launched at the same time, steam exploding beneath his feet.
"BEAST FANG—RUPTURE!"
The colossal spear shot through the air, tearing the ground apart as it raced toward Tracey. He weaved to the side at the last instant—the spear grazing past him, slicing into the earth with a deafening explosion, missing its mark by inches.
Tracey was already there.
His flaming fist crashed into Vera's chestplate, shattering her wooden armor into splinters. The force carried her backward, slamming her into the ground. Before she could recover, Tracey pounced—one clawed hand pinning her shoulder to the dirt, steam hissing around them.
Vera coughed blood, glaring up at him with defiance even as her body shook under the weight of his strike.
Both fighters were trapped, locked in each other's grip—Ezren's stone bindings crushing Renji's legs while Renji's shadows coiled tight around Ezren's arms and chest. Neither moved, both waiting for the other to slip, their eyes locked with unshakable resolve.
The battlefield grew eerily still.
Then the air shifted. A gust of wind swept through, rattling the broken earth. Renji stiffened—he felt it. His shadows weren't only crawling from Ezren's body anymore—they were spreading across the battlefield itself.
He looked up.
Above, a massive cloud had rolled in, smothering the sunlight. Darkness spilled over the land, and the shadow beneath Renji's feet deepened like an ocean.
Ezren's eyes narrowed. "Tch. This is bad."
But then—he grinned.
Using that split second of imbalance, Ezren twisted his body, forcing his stone magic outward. The weakened shadows cracked under the sudden push, and with a surge of strength, he tore himself free.
He exhaled hard, rolling his shoulders, stretching his arms as stone rippled across them like armor. "Finally… some breathing room."
With a stomp, Ezren summoned a massive stone hammer, larger than his own body. The weapon gleamed in the dim light as he swung it once before hurling it with brutal force toward Renji.
Renji reacted instantly. He snapped his hand upward, the shadow of the hammer twisting unnaturally. The colossal weapon froze in midair, swallowed and suspended by darkness.
But his eyes widened.
It was just a bluff.
From the front, Ezren was already upon him—stone fists blazing with raw power.
"Take this!"
Countless strikes rained down like an avalanche, every punch backed by the weight of earth itself.
Renji gritted his teeth, shadows flaring around him, desperately enduring the barrage. The ground quaked with each impact, explosions of rock and dust tearing through the battlefield.
Still—he refused to fall.
And then the clouds drifted away, the heavy shadow fading from the ground.
Renji took his chance—he caught Ezren's feet with his shadow and, with one strong pull, hurled him across the field.
Ezren lost balance, crashing hard onto the ground a short distance away. Dust rose around him as he skidded to a stop.
At the same time, Renji finally broke free from the stone trap, his body slipping out of Ezren's hold.
Now, both stood free again—breathing hard, ready to clash once more.
Ezren roared and charged forward, his steps shaking the ground. Jagged stones burst from the earth, flying toward Renji from both sides like a crushing wave.
But Renji only smirked, his eyes glowing faintly.
"Shadow Magic: Shadow Extraction."
The moment he spoke, the stones froze in midair, crumbling into dust before they could touch him. Ezren suddenly felt his body slow, as if something heavy was pulling at his limbs. Dark snake-shaped shadows slithered out of the ground, wrapping around him.
Ezren quickly covered himself in thick stone armor, but the shadow snakes sank their fangs into it. Instead of breaking the stone, they began draining it, pulling the life and magic out piece by piece.
Cracks spread across his shield. Ezren's breath grew heavy—his strength fading.
Renji's smile widened.
"This attack… it drains your magic."
Without wasting a moment, Renji rushed in, both his arms wrapped in swirling black energy. Dark spheres spun in his palms, buzzing with violent power.
Ezren's eyes widened—too late.
Renji slammed both spheres into Ezren's chest. A thunderous explosion erupted, sending waves of black smoke and dust flying across the field.
When the smoke cleared, Ezren was down on one knee, trembling as he tried to stand. Blood dripped from his chest, and two burned marks were scorched across his armor where the attack had struck.
On one side of the battlefield, the clash raged between Vince and Mirae against Seth and Isla.
The dust cloud from the cyclone's collapse hadn't even settled when Seth's voice cut through it, cold and sharp.
Seth: "You're quick… but speed won't matter when every move you make belongs to me."
His fingers twitched. From the shadows on the ground, dozens of thin, threadlike strings unfurled, glinting faintly with cursed light. Puppet Magic. They slithered like vipers across the floor, snapping upward toward Vince and Mirae.
"Stay sharp!" Vince barked, his hands slicing through the air.
FWOOOSH!
A violent gust burst outward, tearing through half the strings before they could coil around them. But Seth smirked—because for every one cut, two more threads shot forward, faster, hungrier.
Mirae's chains lashed out, intercepting them midair. Sparks screamed as metal met cursed string, the two forces grinding in a tug-of-war. Mirae gritted her teeth, her arms trembling under the invisible pressure.
Isla's eyes gleamed. "You're too busy, Mirae."
She flicked another card.
SHING!
This one expanded into a glowing square midair, a radiant sigil pulsing like a heartbeat. With a sharp clap of her hands, dozens more cards launched out, circling Vince like a cage.
"Card Magic: Heaven's Guillotine!"
The cards snapped inward all at once—glowing blades aiming to cleave him from every angle.
But Vince was already moving. He stomped down, a cyclone erupting under his feet, blasting him upward through the collapsing card cage. The blades slashed empty air—then detonated in a hail of sparks, the shockwave throwing him higher.
From above, Vince twisted his body and thrust both palms downward.
WHOOM!
Two enormous vortexes spiraled into being, descending like drills aimed at Seth and Isla.
But Seth didn't even flinch. His hand snapped upward—every single vortex froze midair.
Puppet strings had latched onto the winds themselves, binding them as though they were nothing but toys.
Vince's eyes widened. "He's… controlling the wind?!"
Seth's lips curled. "Your storms dance to my fingers now."
With a flick, the vortexes turned in the air—redirected back at Vince with double the force.
"Vince!" Mirae shouted, throwing both arms forward. Chains shot into the ground, embedding deep, then reemerged behind Vince like anchors. They coiled around his waist just as the vortexes slammed into him.
BOOOOM!
The entire hall shook. Dust and crystal fragments rained from the ceiling.
But when the smoke cleared, Vince stood half-kneeling, battered but not crushed, Mirae's chains glowing faintly as they held him steady against the storm.
"You good?" she asked through clenched teeth.
He exhaled hard, blood dripping from his lip. "Good enough."
The two stood shoulder to shoulder, battered but unbroken.
Seth's gaze darkened. "Stubborn little gnats."
Isla's grin widened. She snapped her fingers—dozens of cards orbiting her now like a halo, each glowing with a different sigil: fire, lightning, acid, and blades. "Then let's drown them in options."
The cards launched outward, filling the chamber with a storm of sorcery. Walls of flame roared up. Lightning arcs zigzagged like serpents. Acid splattered against the floor, eating stone.
The battlefield itself became a death trap.
Vince closed his eyes for a split second. The air around him quivered. Then his voice thundered:
"Wind Zone — Release!"
The chamber exploded with force. Air pressure collapsed inward, then burst outward in a dome of pure wind magic. The fires flickered, the lightning scattered, and the acid was swept into harmless droplets flung into the walls.
Mirae didn't waste the opening. She roared, slamming her chains into the ground. They erupted from beneath Isla, snapping shut like jaws.
Isla barely dodged, two chains grazing her arm and tearing through cloth and skin. Blood spattered, her grin faltering.
"You'll regret that," she hissed.
But Mirae's voice was cold. "No, you will."
She yanked hard—chains bursting from every direction, converging on Isla like a collapsing cage.
Isla's eyes widened.
At the same time, Vince gathered the compressed air swirling in his Zone, his entire body glowing with wind energy. He thrust both hands toward Seth.
"Tempest Breaker!"
A colossal spear of storm shot forward, so fast it tore the ground apart in its wake.
Seth raised both hands, puppet strings exploding outward in hundreds, forming a wall between him and the storm.
CRAAASH!
The spear slammed into the string wall, lightning flashing, winds screaming. For a moment, the hall was nothing but chaos—chains, wind, strings, and blades colliding in a maelstrom of destruction.