The creature moved like a nightmare.
In a single blur, it crossed half the arena.
Claws tearing through stone.
Fangs aimed straight for Aria's throat.
"MOVE!"
From the edge, Alpha Kael shouted.
Aria reacted instantly.
She jumped to the side—
BOOM!
The beast crashed into the ground where she had been standing, shattering stone and sending dust flying into the air.
Aria rolled and got back on her feet, heart pounding.
"Yeah… I definitely don't like this."
The creature turned slowly.
Its red eyes locked onto her again.
No hesitation.
No fear.
Just hunger.
Behind her, the steady tap echoed.
Tok.
Tok.
Ikechukwu spoke calmly.
"No panic."
Aria didn't take her eyes off the beast.
"I'm trying not to die first."
The creature lunged again.
Faster this time.
Aria raised her hand—
Silver energy burst forward.
BOOM!
The force hit the creature head-on, pushing it backward several meters.
Dust filled the air again.
For a second…
Aria thought it worked.
Then—
A low growl came from the smoke.
The creature stepped out.
Completely fine.
Not even a scratch.
Aria blinked.
"…You've got to be joking."
From the edge of the arena, Magnus watched with interest.
"That beast feeds on raw power."
His voice carried across the arena.
"The more you attack blindly…"
His smile widened slightly.
"…the stronger it becomes."
Aria's expression dropped.
"Oh, that's just unfair."
Kael's voice followed quickly.
"Then stop using force!"
Aria glanced at him.
"You could have said that earlier!"
The beast attacked again.
This time—
Aria didn't fire energy.
Instead, she dodged.
Barely.
The creature's claws sliced through the air where her face had been.
She stumbled back, breathing hard.
"Okay… think."
The crescent mark on her wrist glowed again.
But this time…
It wasn't surging wildly.
It was steady.
Controlled.
Like it was waiting.
Aria looked at her hand.
"Right."
She whispered.
"Control."
The creature charged again.
Aria didn't move immediately.
She waited.
Waited…
Waited—
"Now."
She stepped forward instead of back.
The crowd gasped.
Kael's eyes widened slightly.
"Aria—!"
The creature lunged.
At the last second—
Aria raised her hand calmly.
Instead of blasting power outward—
She redirected it.
The silver energy wrapped around the beast like chains of light.
The creature struggled violently.
Growling.
Snarling.
Trying to break free.
But the more it fought—
The tighter the energy held it.
Aria clenched her fist slowly.
"You don't need more power…"
Her voice was steady.
"…you need less."
The silver light compressed.
Tighter.
Stronger.
Controlled.
Until—
The beast collapsed.
The red glow in its eyes faded.
Its body went still.
The arena fell silent.
Complete silence.
Even the wind stopped.
Then the elder Alpha's voice rang out:
"The second challenge… is complete."
Murmurs exploded across the crowd.
Shock.
Respect.
Disbelief.
At the edge of the arena, Ikechukwu grinned.
"My sister don finish am."
Kael allowed himself a small smile.
"She adapted."
But Magnus…
Magnus didn't clap this time.
He didn't smile.
He simply watched Aria closely.
His red eyes darker than before.
Because now—
It was clear.
The Moon Vessel wasn't just powerful.
She was learning too fast.
Aria stood in the center of the arena, breathing heavily.
She looked at her glowing wrist again.
"Two down."
Then she looked up.
Her voice was quiet.
"…One to go."
The air shifted instantly.
The elder Alpha stepped forward once more.
His voice heavier than before.
"The final challenge…"
He paused.
"…will now begin."
And for the first time—
Even the Alphas looked uneasy.