Takeshi’s lightning form shattered into sparks, his Jorōgumo Transformation dispersing as his Spirit Drive faded. Exhaustion washed over him the moment the teal glow left his body, but he forced himself forward. He knelt beside Sergeant Aoi, gently lifting her into his arms.

  She was unconscious, breathing steady.

  Carrying her out of the hunting ground, Takeshi met the medical team halfway. As they transferred her onto a stretcher, Aoi’s eyes fluttered open. Even in her dazed state, she managed a small grin and lifted her thumb toward him.

  Takeshi exhaled, relieved.

  “Thank you, Sensei.”

  Outside the arena, Kyle, Kael, Serafina, and Anya hurried over.

  “That was insane!” Anya exclaimed.

  “You were incredible, Takeshi!” Kael added.

  Kyle clapped him on the back with a proud smirk. “That form suits you.”

  Serafina nodded rapidly. “Congratulations! You actually knocked out Sergeant Aoi mid-attack!”

  Takeshi scratched his cheek, embarrassed but smiling.

  The cadets buzzed with excitement, celebrating one of the most explosive duels so far.

  Then, the atmosphere shifted.

  Cain stepped into the center of the training field, voice amplified with authority.

  “Next combatants, Serafina vs. Sergeant Min-Jae.”

  The chatter quieted instantly.

  Serafina stiffened, nervousness flickering in her eyes. Min-Jae was a formidable tank specialist, one of the academy’s toughest vanguards.

  Kyle stepped closer, placing a steady hand on her shoulder.

  When she looked up, he simply gave her a reassuring nod, calm, confident, grounding.

  “You’ve got this,” he said softly.

  Serafina inhaled deeply, squared her shoulders, and stepped forward toward the hunting ground gate.

  Serafina and Min-Jae stood before the massive gate of the hunting ground, the air humming with tension. Both raised their spirit card, their voices ringing out at the same moment:

  “Spirit Drive!”

  Light erupted around them.

  Serafina emerged first, her armor reshaping into a refined metal suit with golden highlights, plates flowing seamlessly like a lion’s mane. The proud lion motif glowed across her chest plate. In her left hand, she gripped a lightweight but durable gold-edged shield, and in her right, a long-reaching spear that shimmered with protective spirit energy.

  Min-Jae’s transformation followed, his sleek black armor locked into place, decorated with sharp silver lines and a bold rhino emblem carved across the pauldrons. His silhouette grew heavier, sturdier. In one hand, he hefted a massive single-handed war hammer, and in the other, a towering broad shield like a moving fortress.

  Before stepping inside, Min-Jae gave a friendly glance to Serafina.

  “Since we’re both running savannah-type spirits… want to fight on the savannah terrain?”

  Serafina nodded politely. “I’d like that.”

  With that agreement, the gates rumbled open.

  They entered together, the thick forest canopy swallowing them in shadow. Leaves crunched beneath their armored boots as they pushed deeper. After several minutes, the trees thinned, sunlight widened and the savannah biome opened before them.

  Golden grasslands stretched far into the distance, wind sweeping across the tall blades. Stony outcrops dotted the field, and scattered acacia trees cast sharp silhouettes against the horizon. The air was dry, warm, carrying the scent of dust and heat, perfect terrain for both of their spirit creatures.

  Serafina’s lion spirit stirred proudly within her core.

  Min-Jae’s rhino spirit rumbled in anticipation.

  Both combatants walked forward onto the wide-open savannah…

  …their duel about to begin.

  Serafina and Min-Jae faced each other across the golden savannah, the heat shimmering between them.

  Min-Jae lifted his hammer onto his shoulder and called out, “Serafina! Ready?”

  She swallowed her nerves, tightened her grip on her shield, and sank into her practiced stance.

  “I’m ready.”

  Min-Jae grinned, and charged.

  With his shield forward and body low, he rushed across the field like a full-grown rhino breaking into a stampede, dust exploding behind him. His footsteps thundered closer.

  Serafina braced herself, planting her heel into the dry soil.

  “Lion’s Pride!”

  A golden roar burst from her shield, loud enough to rattle the grass around them. A fierce aura wrapped her armor, boosting her defense and physical strength. Her shield glowed like a radiant mane.

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  Min-Jae slammed into her full-force.

  The impact roared through the savannah, but Serafina held. Her knees bent, boots digging trenches into the ground, teeth clenched, but she didn’t fall.

  Min-Jae followed up instantly, swinging his war hammer in a powerful arc meant to break her guard. Serafina caught it with her shield, sparks flying. She twisted her body and drove her spear forward—

  SHNK!

  The spearhead pierced Min-Jae’s shoulder plate, knocking him back a step.

  He winced, but then laughed. “That was nice, Serafina!”

  She nodded sharply, face determined.

  Serafina charged next, shield up, spear ready, her armor gleaming gold as the Lion’s Pride aura flared. Her steps grew louder, stronger, like a lioness charging to defend her pride.

  Min-Jae lowered his center of gravity, setting his shield like an immovable wall.

  Her spear struck—

  CLANG!

  The tip failed to break through. His rhino-fortified shield refused to budge.

  In a heartbeat, Min-Jae countered, swinging his war hammer downward with terrifying force.

  Serafina reacted instantly.

  “Quick Guard!”

  Her shield shimmered with a burst of speed-enhancing spirit energy, letting her reposition faster than her body normally could. She raised her guard just in time, the hammer slammed into her shield, rattling her bones but failing to break her stance.

  Using the momentum, she twisted and thrust her spear again—

  PIERCE!

  This time she caught Min-Jae in the side, pushing him back.

  Outside the hunting ground, the tension around the viewing screens thickened like fog.

  Kyle stood rigid, hands clenched so tightly his knuckles turned pale under his gloves. His eyes never left the feed focused on Serafina and Min-Jae.

  He had seen Min-Jae’s raw power before… but now, watching the rhino-themed sergeant clash head-on with Serafina, he felt something twist painfully in his chest.

  Worry.

  Not for the duel—

  but for her.

  Takeshi nudged Kyle lightly with his elbow.

  “Relax. She’s tougher than she looks. She’ll win, just like you.”

  Kael added with a confident grin, “Serafina trained harder than any of us. If anyone can push through Min-Jae’s defenses, it’s her.”

  Kyle didn’t look convinced. He kept staring down, shadows covering his eyes.

  “I… I hope so,” he muttered quietly. “I really do.”

  Natalia smirked from a few steps back, arms crossed. She caught the tremor of worry in Kyle’s voice but said nothing, for once letting the moment stay serious.

  The next second—

  CLAAAAAAAAANG!!!

  A deafening metallic crash echoed from the speakers and rattled the air.

  Even outside the hunting ground, the impact reverberated through the walls, making multiple cadets flinch.

  Their heads snapped toward the screen.

  Inside the hunting ground…

  Serafina and Min-Jae were locked in a furious exchange.

  Her spear clashed against his hammer, her shield slammed into his, their movements creating shockwaves that kicked up dust and swayed the tall grass of the savannah.

  Each blow sent sparks flying—

  each step cracked the earth beneath their feet—

  each collision grew louder than the last.

  Even through the camera drones, their duel felt like a thunderstorm of metal and spirit energy.

  A lion's roar of golden aura clashed against the gray, earthen force of a charging rhino.

  Outside, the cadets swallowed hard.

  Kyle whispered, almost breathless,

  “Serafina… please hold on.”

  Serafina braced behind her shield, but the rhythm of Min-Jae’s attacks was relentless.

  BANG!

  CLANG!

  THOOM!

  Her shield trembled with every impact, metal ringing like a war drum.

  A final hammer strike knocked her spear from her hand and sent it skidding across the savannah ground.

  Min-Jae’s eyes sharpened.

  “There it is. Your flaw.”

  He stepped forward, pressing the advantage.

  Serafina lifted her shield just in time—

  WHAM!

  Another strike.

  WHAM!

  And another, heavier.

  The force pushed her back step by step, grinding her boots into the dirt.

  She had no openings.

  No angles.

  No weapon.

  She was forced into pure defense—

  and Min-Jae was not slowing down.

  He towered over her, hammer raised.

  “Serafina! If you can’t fight back, you WILL lose!”

  The words hit her harder than the hammer.

  Inside her head, thoughts raced—

  I must not lose.

  I need to pass—

  I need to grow stronger—

  To protect my friends—

  To protect my sister—

  To protect… Kyle.

  Her heart pounded.

  Her breath trembled.

  Her spirit roared.

  Her eyes flashed—

  Red, then gray.

  KA-THOOOM!!!

  A massive grey pillar of spirit energy erupted from her body, blasting wind outward in a wave.

  Min-Jae, caught off guard, slid back several steps, his boots digging into the dirt as he steadied himself.

  Outside the hunting ground, the instructors leaned forward.

  Nikolai let out a low whistle. “Mid-battle evolution… impressive.”

  Beatriz crossed her arms and smiled proudly. “That girl’s spirit creature just ascended, she’s a natural vanguard.”

  Even Cain’s brows rose.

  Kyle’s jaw dropped.

  Within the savannah environment, the dust slowly settled…

  Serafina stood tall at its center.

  Her armor’s metal plating had darkened, swirling with streaks of golden highlights. Her shield radiated a faint lion’s roar, deeper and more primal than before. Her hair fluttered from the residual energy, and her pupils glowed unmistakably gray.

  She raised her hand—

  And from across the field, her discarded spear trembled, then shot through the air, spinning toward her.

  She caught it without looking.

  Step by step, she walked forward, every motion steady, grounded, resolute.

  Min-Jae watched with a wide grin, hammer resting on his shoulder.

  “Now that’s the Serafina I’ve been waiting for. The one, now filled with a courage of a lion.”

  Serafina lifted her spear.

  Her shield lowered into a firm, lion-hearted stance.

  Her eyes locked onto her mentor—

  glowing with the strength of someone who had awakened for the sake of the people she vowed to protect.

  She was ready.

  “Round two,” she said calmly.

  And the air itself trembled.

  Serafina’s stance tightened, feet planted, shield raised, spear angled low.

  Min-Jae exhaled once, settling into the familiar rhythm of a charge.

  “Again!” he roared, slamming his shield forward like a battering ram.

  Serafina whispered—

  “Panthera Atrox.”

  The savannah trembled.

  A colossal aura burst outward, exploding into the towering phantom form of a prehistoric lion, larger and more fearsome than any living beast. its jaws parted in a silent, majestic roar. Grey spirit light burned across its spectral muscles as its hulking frame coiled protectively around Serafina.

  Min-Jae kept charging—

  his rhino aura flaring, earth cracking beneath his sprint—

  BOOOOM!!

  He collided with Serafina’s shield—

  And for the first time,

  he did not move her an inch.

  Not a step.

  Not a tremble.

  Not even a shift of weight.

  Serafina stood like a rooted mountain.

  Her shield didn’t even dip.

  Min-Jae’s eyes widened. “Impossible—!”

  Serafina didn’t shout.

  Didn’t strain.

  Didn’t hesitate.

  She simply moved.

  With measured calm, she adjusted her grip on the spear—

  —and thrust.

  The spectral Panthera Atrox mirrored her motion, its massive ethereal forelimb sweeping forward. The lion’s claw, wreathed in grey energy, tore through the air with devastating force—

  SWOOOOSH… KRAAASH!!!

  The impact smashed into Min-Jae’s shield, ripping furrows into the ground and sending shockwaves rolling across the savannah. Min-Jae was launched backwards, skidding across the dirt, his shield arm trembling from the raw, primal power behind the blow.

  He dug his boots in and finally stopped, breathing hard.

  But his face?

  A wide, wild grin.

  “That’s it, Serafina!” he shouted, lifting his hammer despite the stinging ache in his arm. “Show me the strength of your evolution, show me your will!”

  Across the field, Serafina lowered her spear into another stance.

  The giant prehistoric lion behind her lifted its astral head, eyes glowing with ancient ferocity.

  And Serafina’s voice rang steady, unwavering—

  “Then come at me again, Sergeant.”

  Min-Jae tightened his grip on his war hammer, knuckles whitening beneath his gauntlet. His rhino aura surged again, flaring into a bull-like silhouette behind him as he lowered his stance.

  Serafina inhaled slowly.

  Then she dropped into her stance, shield forward, spear set low, her entire body aligned like a drawn bowstring.

  Behind her, the titanic Panthera Atrox mirrored her perfectly, its spectral muscles rippling, claws curling with primal anticipation.

  The moment stretched—

  —and both warriors moved at once.

  THUNDERING FOOTSTEPS.

  CRACKING EARTH.

  ROARING AURAS.

  Min-Jae barreled toward her, war hammer raised, spirit energy exploding in a shockwave behind every step.

  Serafina sprinted to meet him head-on—

  each stride graceful, powerful, eyes sharp and steady.

  The massive prehistoric lion sprinted with her, its phantom paws shaking the savannah, dust spiraling in the wake of its spectral rush.

  As they neared—

  Serafina thrust her spear.

  Panthera Atrox swung its colossal claw.

  The attacks fused into a single devastating strike.

  BOOOOOOM!!!

  Min-Jae’s war hammer descended—

  —but Serafina’s spear found its mark first, piercing through his guard and tapping directly against the reinforced chestplate of his armor.

  Min-Jae froze—

  eyes widening not in pain, but awe.

  A half-beat later:

  DING—!!!

  The system’s clear tone echoed throughout the hunting ground.

  Winner: Serafina Oliviera

  Outside, the cadets erupted.

  “TOLD YOU SHE’D WIN!” Takeshi shouted, pumping a fist.

  Kyle’s eyes welled with proud tears he quickly wiped away, cheering louder than anyone.

  Anya and Natalia screamed in joy, hugging each other while the crowd of students erupted in applause.

  Even the mentors, battle-hardened elites, stood and clapped.

  Beatriz nodded with a rare smile. “That girl moved like royalty.”

  Nikolai exhaled a low whistle. “And struck like a titan.”

  Sergeant Connor laughed under his breath. “Another monster joins the roster.”

  Inside the hunting ground, Min-Jae fell to one knee, laughing breathlessly.

  “You’ve surpassed my every expectation… Serafina.”

  Serafina exhaled, collapsing to one knee too as her aura and the giant lion faded into glittering embers of grey light.

  But despite her exhaustion—

  she smiled.

  She did it.