Chapter 18: The Fiery Eagle
---
Zaran
Zaran and his team, together with the centipede, were dodging the eagle's fiery bullets at unbelievable speed while drenched in stress and sweat.
Fiora: "Zzaaarrraaannn… iiittt kkkeeepppsss aaaatttttaaaccckkkiiinnnggg llliiikkkeee ttthhhiiisss!"
Zaran: "Shut up, I'm preparing my summon. I'm just thinking about what shape it should be!"
Giyoma: "It's fire, we should hit it with water!"
Zaran looked at Giyoma, a boy with black hair and piercing black eyes.
Zaran: "Waaaatteeerrrr!!!!"
Zaran's thoughts tangled together. He thought about water, a blue creature. Then sprouts of light formed beside him, and the crackling sounds revealed the tense atmosphere.
Then a fiiissshhhh sound appeared, and a snake made of water was created from the sprouts of light and wrapped around Zaran like clothing.
Zaran: "I'm going to make this snake bigger and bigger until it's the size of the eagle, understood?"
Fiora: "Uh-huh."
Zaran: "Giyoma, you're the main role. You have to create two stone giants at the same time so they can pin the eagle down."
Giyoma: "But I can't!!"
Zaran: "I'm counting on you, do your best!!"
Zaran: "Hey Fiora, to finish off the eagle I need your golden statue technique."
Fiora: "Uh-huh."
The fiery bullets continued bombarding the ground and surroundings with terrifying sounds, while Zaran and his group, riding on the centipede, fled from the explosions until—
Zaran jumped off the centipede and with difficulty stood on the lifeless gray ground. Giyoma also released his technique with a shout and created two stone giant summons. Zaran raised his hands, and along with him, the snake made of water rose upward.
The eagle, flying through the air like a meteor, suddenly stopped and briefly scanned the sudden movements of Zaran and his group.
Zaran: "Waaattteeerrr Cooonnnffiiinnneeemmmeennttt!!!"
Fiiissshhhhhh
The snake, now equal in size to the eagle, shot toward it like a high-speed bullet. The eagle released fire from its mouth, but it was too late. Like it had caught its prey, the snake wrapped itself around the eagle with the sizzling sound of evaporating water.
The eagle lost its balance and crashed to the ground with an ear-piercing sound. Its impact created a crater, and dust and charcoal spread through the air.
Giyoma: "Nnnooowwwww!!"
The stone giants emerged from underground and, with the grinding sounds of colliding rocks, grabbed the eagle's wings and body and held it in place. The eagle struggled, and the ground beneath everyone trembled.
Zaran: "Riiiggghhhttt nooowww Fiiiooorrraaa!!"
Fiora, standing hundreds of meters away atop the centipede, raised her hands and concentrated so intensely that her eyes trembled beneath her eyelids.
From nowhere in the sky, a golden statue shaped like a knight formed far above the eagle's head. Fiora's hands trembled from the massive size of her summon, but she was determined to perform this perfectly.
Fiora: "Taaakkkeee ttthhhiiisss, eagle idiottt!"
Dooooooommmmmmm
The statue fell from the sky and struck the eagle. Dust rose into the air. Ash, sand, lifeless dirt—everything mixed together in the air and burned the nose.
The kids approached with cheers and shouting. Zaran was bent over, staring at the gray ground with tired and hazy eyes, and the sound of his heavy breathing mixed with the kids' cheers.
Fiora: "Nice work, everyone!"
Giyoma: "That was awesome. If Zaran's snake hadn't worked, we would've been doomed."
Zaran: "It's not over yet. I thiiink we'll reach the crystal in the next area, so pull yourselves together. And also, I've got business with Mr. Eagle."
The stone giants, together with Zaran's snake and Fiora's golden statue, scattered into the air like beams of light and vanished. The eagle's body was revealed, spread across the ground like dough, and the aftershocks of its dying movements could still be seen in parts of its body.
Zaran approached, placed his hand on the eagle's head, and shouted: "Sssuuummmmoooonnnn!"
A whizzing sound formed, and beams of light slowly began emerging from the eagle's corpse.
Boooommmmm
The fiery eagle, formed from a halo of light, appeared. Compared to the eagle's size, Zaran looked like an ant before a human.
From sheer exhaustion, Zaran's legs gave out and he collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily.
The others stared at the eagle in shock, their mouths left open in amazement.
The eagle once again vanished into the air like beams of light.
Fira said: "Woooow, I wish I could summon it too, but my brain can't handle it."
Zaran: "Even I barely managed to do it. I hope next time you can do it too. No, all of you."
In the stadium, Zaran's name tore through people's ears, and the scene of the eagle being summoned sent shivers through everyone.
Velor: "Hmmmm, not bad. Still has a long way to go before reaching me."
Nola: "Shouldn't you praise him?"
Velor: "Heyyy, why are you so noisy, girl!"
Nola: "Were you talking to me, sleepyhead?"
On the other side, in the instructors' section—
Line Knight: "Maaannn, that part where Zaran trapped the eagle with the snake was really cool!"
Naoul: "I liked the part where the eagle got crushed!"
Monila: "They're my students after all!"
Anne: "Heeeyyy, look at Fira!"
---
Fira
The boar, surrounded by a halo of light that cracked the ground, charged toward Fira.
Fira: "I'm hitting this thing with fire. You guys trap it again like before!"
Philo: "You can't just try the same thing again!"
Fira: "This time it's differ—"
The boar tried to strike Fira with its tusk. Fira formed fire around her legs and shot like a jet through the boar's jaws, dodging the attack.
Fira shouted: "Riiiggghhhttt nooowww!"
Philo, Jenia, and Nilo once again formed their attacks. Furious from Fira dodging it, steam poured from the boar's nose as it turned around with renewed force to launch another attack.
The ground beneath the boar trembled. Crack crack! Plant roots wrapped around the boar from all sides.
From beside the hills, Jenia bound the boar's legs with stone and held it in place. The boar once again tried escaping with its halo of light. Fiiissshhh, Fira leaped upward with flames.
Jenia: "Hurry up, Fira, we can't hold it anymore!"
Fira gathered dreadful flames in her hands and leaped downward directly above the boar's head. The pressure of the air shut her eyes, her fist forward and ready to strike.
Boooooommmmm
Fira's fist struck the boar's head. Flames scattered everywhere. The boar staggered a few steps and then crashed onto the ground with a loud sound and began dying.
From the impact of the punch, Fira herself was thrown away and landed several meters away on the ground.
Jenia: "Fiiiirrraaaaa!!! We did it!!"
Fira: "Owwww my hand hurts. I think one of my fingers is broken."
Philo: "Waaahhh, the boar fell!"
Nilo: "Uh-huh, we did it!"
The rest of the kids stared at the boar's corpse in amazement and praised the teamwork. Breathing heavily, Fira stood back up and looked at the scene of victory.
On the other side, in the instructors' section of the stadium—
Anne: "I think Fira did better than the others. Their teamwork was interesting."
Line Knight: "Fira's a good girl. Hardworking and thoughtful!"
Naoul: "I wish Miren cared about Arman a little more like Fira does."
Line Knight: "That idiot Demad lost his hand. Now how's he supposed to fight these guys, hmmm?"
Monila: "It's fine, the doctors will reattach his hand. Now we just have to see who reaches the crystal."
On the other side, in the VIP section, King Newk watched the screen with an analytical expression.
Nyok : "Zaran has the highest chance of becoming leader."
Queen Helen: "I say Fira, because killing the boss took less effort for her."
Nyok: "Miren's leadership was good too, but Demad shouldn't be underestimated either."
Hearing Demad's name again, the queen's face twisted once more, but she showed no reaction.
Queen Helen: "He lost his hand right from the start. He's not worthy!"
Nyok: "He sacrificed his hand for his friends. The kingdom needs people like that!"
The queen suddenly stood up and angrily shouted: "He's nothing but trash from a beggar village! Stop defending them for no reason!"
Nyok: "If you speak to me like that one more time, there will be consequences for you!"
The queen calmed down, sat back in her place, and stubbornly turned her face away.
On the other side of the stadium, we once again see the covered woman and girl.
Woman: "Hmmmm, I think we gathered enough information, right?"
Girl: "Not yet. The clash between those four with each other!"
Woman: "Those little chicks are nothing!! I meant Line Knight and the gods of the four classes."
Girl: "But Lord Zherathos said we should keep an eye on that boy, Demad!"
Woman: "Why that boy? If Zherathos said it, then he must be dangerous!!"
Girl: "Let's keep watching more. I want to see how it ends!"
Woman: "Okay!"