Skodul watched him take another, incomparably bigger and longer breath, which sucked in not just air but also the crimson aura. Her intuition then tingled in the back of her mind and her head snapped to the back to see Bryn shielding Ast’s group with a thin barrier. She immediately unfolded her wings and pressed them together in front of her to cover as much of her body as she could.

  And she did it just in time, as a fraction of a second later, an immense wave of heat crashed into her and a loud humming and sizzling noise filled her ears. A red glow illuminated her feet and the brass ground around them. It lasted only for about five seconds and retreated as fast as it had begun.

  With some lingering warmth tickling her feathers and body, she withdrew her wings and her eyes immediately turned wide. Asterios stood in front of a straight path of melted metal, with the almost liquid edges slowly losing their glow. The tunnel he had created reached the very end of the arena. As for its size, its diameter was wide enough for a person to comfortably climb through all the holes if they could somehow deal with the still-hot metal.

  “It looks like I’m getting better at controlling the spread,” Asterios mused and turned his face to the Valkyrie. “Do I have to go back and forth? I can cover this much distance in a flash.”

  “No… This will do…” Skodul replied, still partially in shock.

  “Also, I hope it’s alright. I kind of destroyed a decent part of your maze,” he continued while recalling his features back.

  Skodul shook her head, finally getting a hold of herself. “You don’t need to worry about that. The metal is self-regenerating. After I send it back under the arena, everything will be reformed in a few hours. Well, almost everything. The absorption mirror is an exception.”

  Selene chuckled softly. “Sorry.”

  Bryn came closer with the others and shrugged. “It is what it is. At least we are now aware of what its upper limit is and that it’s represented by black color.”

  “May I ask what that was? It didn’t feel like any spell I’ve ever seen,” their examiner asked.

  “Since it may be necessary to reveal to convince everyone anyway, I guess I can let you know that I’m supposedly a True Dragon. That back there was just a Dragon’s Breath. I’m not sure if that’s exactly magic or if it isn’t something completely different like an innate ability,” Asterios replied.

  “Dragons, huh? They exist only in the legends of the old world. Some academics say that the Scourge killed all of them off. It’s hard to imagine beings with the ability to fly and this much power being done by those creepy bastards.” She stroked her chin. “In any way, you passed. I can’t wait to see what you can do in a fight. Though, try not to cook any of our warriors alive. Even the defensive layers the arena can grant to the challengers won’t be able to stop these flames completely.”

  “I’ll be careful. Our aim is to gain more people, not reduce their number.” He chuckled.

  Afterward, everyone watched the older Valkyrie trigger the shuffle of the arena once more and they observed the various mechanisms and magical formations at work through the gaps in the floor. It was a stunning sight. Countless blocks and tiles moved around the intricate underbelly of the arena. Many elements caught the attention of Miria and Grea especially, the former because it was just so interesting, and the latter because it was just so ingenious.

  When everything clicked back into place, the destroyed ground and the damaged outer walls had been fully replaced while the broken pieces were being reformed and repaired. It looked as if nothing had happened in the last half an hour. Only they knew that one absorption pillar had been lost forever.

  With their job done, Asterios and the others returned to the residence he and the beastfolk girls had examined earlier. They made a brief tour inside with everyone present and went out to grab something to eat, deciding to try one of the places Bryn recommended.

  While eating, their Valkyrie friend explained the rules of the Power Division in detail. After the registrations would close, the contestants were shuffled and put into pairs. The arena was big enough to hold six to eight matches at the same time and that was how it would be conducted. Whoever lost in their match, would be eliminated from the entire tournament.

  It did seem a little harsh but the goal was to find the strongest person amongst them all so there weren’t really any brackets or leagues. If you ended up against someone way above your level, it just meant that you weren’t strong enough. It was that simple.

  In valkyrja culture, it rarely bothered anyone as their kind—at least in terms of women raised in Tyr—followed and respected a militaristic discipline. Everyone strived to grow more powerful, of course, but they didn’t really ridicule those below them. Helping each other out was a much more common practice. And learning from the better was a good way to hone oneself.

  Therefore, the War Games, and particularly the Power Division, was just one huge bracket where everyone’s opponent was predetermined from the start. Each person had their own path leading up. It changed only slightly, depending on who out of the two people fighting for the spot to compete against them won. In the end, the last matches were guaranteed to showcase the strongest contenders, and that was when most of the non-combatants came to watch.

  The other competitions had their own rules too, but the form of putting people against each other remained the same, to some extent. The contestants still competed against each other mostly in pairs, even in the Care Division.

  The exception was the Precision Division, which was open for any users of thrown and projectile weapons. That particular discipline focused on the individual’s physical ability and trained skills rather than their power, abilities, magic, or other things aiding them in a normal battle.

  As Bryn explained, there were a few smaller disciplines in that category, where the challengers aimed to score the furthest throw, the highest number of the most accurate shots, and similar feats. The arena allowed for many combinations and simulations that were exciting to watch and spectate. Precision Division was the category the valkyrjas considered pure entertainment for the audience, displaying the hard-trained skill of their defenders and warriors. Though, the entry wasn’t limited only to them, and even the non-combatants could give it a try.

  After Ast’s group was done eating and listening to Bryn’s explanations, they returned to their house for the night. Bryn stayed with everyone, though she took another room for herself, not wanting to disturb them with her presence. Asterios had a feeling that it wasn’t the whole truth but he didn’t want to push their friend out of her comfort zone.

  In the morning, Grea decided to return to Kraedorion and hole herself in her research back in Glimmervale. No one had any objections since they had to wait three days for the War Games anyway. Bryn chose to separate from them too after Asterios urged her to focus on her responsibilities and plans rather than remaining by their side just to entertain them as her guests.

  The rest of them, meaning Asterios, Miria, Selene, Tina, and Silvia, spent some time together or in smaller groups by walking around Bryn’s breathtaking flying city. They found out that moving in smaller numbers attracted a bit less attention and the valkyrjas living in the ARK were less wary of them.

  The person the winged women warmed up the fastest to was obviously Miria. The panthergirl’s cheerful, excited, and always curious nature captured hearts at a rapid pace. Other girls didn’t have it that much harder considering the fact that, except for the lack of wings, they weren’t that far off Bryn’s race. But when it came to Asterios, they had to often explain that he wasn’t a monster and what exactly a man was.

  Most of their conversation partners grew a bit more comfortable after comparing him to their Valkyrs, just with a slightly different body shape and a flat chest. It was the closest to the male representatives of both races. To some extent, Asterios was an ugly duckling, just like Bryn, but on the other end of the spectrum. While Valkyries were considered unattractive with bigger chests, Valkyrs were the opposite, with smaller sizes being the less desirable ones.

  Besides sightseeing and interacting with the residents, Asterios and the girls visited the arena numerous times and at different hours of the day. They managed to catch some individuals training while under the careful watch of Skodul, who managed the battlegrounds. Now and then, they even caught the entire units of valkyrjas practicing together. That allowed them to gather some information on their opponents in general.

  After three days passed, the time to head to the arena for the first matches finally arrived. Grea rejoined them to watch their attempts. Since Asterios and the other girls would spend most of their time in the section prepared for the contestants, Bryn invited her to the VIP lounge. As one of the Council members and the person partially responsible for the competition, she obviously had the best spots available. But, Grea decided to follow them anyway and sit with everyone whenever they wouldn’t be in the waiting room.

  The ground was split into eight even rectangles, separated by thick metal walls and additional spiritual barriers. The walls were low enough for even the people in the bottom rows to comfortably observe the entire place from their position. Though, the audience still moved around and shuffled to get closer to particular fighting blocks when a better-known contender was going to show up.

  A speaker kept announcing the pairs and the locations of their fights. Out of everyone in Ast’s group, it turned out that Miria would have the first chance to spar with her opponent. She snuggled into Asterios lovingly and coaxed some fluffy kisses from him before jogging away to her own, small arena. The others followed shortly after her and awaited the battle, observing the upcoming event from the lowest row of seats just at the top of the outer walls, which was reserved for participants.

  Before the pair began duking it out, a referee signaled to Skodul, and a thin, magical membrane of barely visible green tint covered their bodies. It was the barrier Bryn had mentioned to them during her explanations. A loss was confirmed when one of the contestants surrendered or their safety shield broke. It was supposed to stop a critical attack, but naturally, nothing was fully guaranteed so all the participants had to be aware that accidents could happen.

  The very moment the referee started the fight, Miria’s opponent soared into the sky as far as the upper barrier allowed for it, taking a defensive stance against the unknown enemy.

  “No fair!” Miria stomped angrily while glaring at the winged woman.

  The Valkyr she was facing, judging by her quite hefty chest, smirked at her from above. “There’s no such thing as playing fair in a real battle. Utilizing your advantages is the very basics of fighting.”

  “Fine…” Miria grumbled under her nose. “I wasn’t planning to use it this early but it looks like I have no other choice without Master’s assistance...”

  She curled into herself while the confused Valkyr watched and then roared into her surroundings, spreading her limbs wide. The beastly howl echoed through the arena as black fur quickly crawled up Miria’s skin. After drawing enough of her bloodline out, Miria lowered herself into a crouch and locked her eyes on her flying opponent.

  The poor woman barely uncovered her ears when she saw the tough, metal tile under Miria’s feet bend inwards, and the panthergirl shot towards her like a cannonball. She didn’t get to make a single flap of her wings before a fist smashed right into her stomach and her back crashed into the top segment of the spiritual cage, causing the magical webbing to glow brighter.

  Both women began falling towards the ground right after; the limp body of the Valkyr spiraling down like a fly smacked out of the air, smashing into the tough floor with a loud thud. Miria landed with the gracefulness of the feline that she was and showed her tongue to her fallen opponent.

  A moderate cheer caught her attention and she turned her face towards the audience, where a bunch of valkyrjas were applauding her performance. Of course, amongst them were also Asterios and the other girls, smiling at her happily. She grinned back at them and showed the victory sign with her fingers before slowly heading off the stage, passing by the healers rushing towards the unconscious Valkyr.

  Asterios chuckled wryly as Miria disappeared into a tunnel underneath them. “I’m getting really worried about this tournament now.”

  Chapter 12

  First Round

  After a few minutes, Miria showed up next to the spot where Asterios and the others sat together to watch her performance. She stopped in front of them and grinned with her hands on her hips.

  “Good job.” Asterios smiled at her and the girls nodded alongside his words. “You are getting quicker at using your bloodline, aren’t you?”

  “That’s right, Master! Still, I thought I would be able to go for a few rounds without using it, but it would be too troublesome to reach her so high.” She sighed softly.

  “You got her good, kitty girl. She didn’t even know what hit her.” Grea snickered. “Your other opponents might not be as clueless now.”

  “Don’t worry! That was only a small part of my bloodline! And I have a few other tricks under my sleeve.” Miria puffed out her chest. “I realized a long time ago how dependent on Master’s support I am when compared to everyone else. This is a great opportunity to test what I have learned and come up with in a safe environment. Right, Master?”

  Asterios extended a hand to Miria and pulled her onto his lap. “Definitely. I’m excited to see what you are going to do. You make yourself sound weak without my spells but we all know that you can kick some serious ass all on your own.”

  She giggled happily and nuzzled her face into his cheek as Asterios caressed her ears. They watched the next matches together, analyzing the contestants and their moves. It became clear that, while magic was present in the ranks of valkyrjas, techniques closer to martial arts and enhancing one’s body and weapons were predominant in their case. There was no rule saying which side had it easier, though, as all contestants were well-trained and skilled.

  Half an hour later, the announcer called out Silvia’s name and they all stood up to head closer to her appointed battleground. Reaching the stairs leading under the audience section, they stopped for a brief moment and Asterios squeezed Silvia’s palms for good luck. She left a chaste peck on his cheek and departed with a warm smile on her noble face.

  Finding a few free spots, which wasn’t that hard considering the fact that the coliseum was filled only about halfway, they turned their attention to the pit in front of them. Silvia made her way into it first and stretched her body a little bit while waiting for her opponent. Glancing up at the audience, she waved at them softly.

  The other contestant arrived shortly after her. She ended up against a much more armored valkyrja. The winged woman she would be facing wore full plate armor which looked quite heavy. Her movements didn’t seem to be inconvenienced by it in any way, though. In her hands, she held an impressive kite shield able to cover almost her entire body, and a long, sharp lance.

  Moments after the referee signaled the start of the fight, the winged woman soared into the air.

  “This again.” Miria groaned. “It’s going to look like that’s the only thing they can do.”

  Tina chuckled quietly next to her. “You can’t fault them for choosing that as their first move after seeing their opponent’s lack of wings.”

  “I know but still. Even though she can’t fly, I don’t think Silvia will have too many issues with that since she can use incredible magic. But, will she be able to complete her dances in time? I wonder what she will do. What do you think, Master?” Miria turned her face to Asterios.

  He smiled at her mysteriously. “Just watch and see. She is definitely going to put up a good show for us.”

  In the meanwhile, the calm princess hadn’t made any meaningful moves. The armored woman kept hovering near the upper border of their spiritual cage, changing positions regularly. Now and then, she used her magnificent wings to launch a dive toward Silvia with her weapon aimed straight at the princess. None of those attempts succeeded but she didn’t seem to have any intention of coming down for a longer period of time.

  Therefore, Silvia could do only one thing.

  Asterios and the girls watched how an impressive aura gradually enveloped their friend’s body with amber energy. Piece by piece, the familiar, translucent spiritual armor materialized over Silvia’s clothes, covering her in overlaying defensive plates. The beautiful, flaming tiara showed up above her hair and hung there just as usual.

  But, that wasn’t all.

  Miria gasped after noticing a few other things that came into existence. The first one was the thick, long tail coming out of the manifested armor covering the back of her black coat. It wasn’t as thick as Ast’s, but it was quite obvious that it imitated his draconic appendage to some extent. Additionally, two sharp horns sprouted from the sides of her head, extending past the tiara. The thin, rectangular tiles of her armor then switched shapes into big, scale-resembling plates. Everything was made of the fiery, orange aura, of course.

  The next time the valkyrja lunged at her with her lance, Silvia suddenly disappeared with an amber flash right before the weapon pierced into her. The woman came to a halt, confused, but everyone else could see the princess hovering in the air just above her, without the use of wings or any other appendages. She just stood in the middle of the sky and traced a few symbols with her black staff.

  Asterios smiled to himself. After she had become his mate, Silvia put a lot of effort into her training to see if their deepened bond affected her in any way. It didn’t take even a day before she could utilize her Aura Manifestation to a similar level as her father. She had no issues recreating a few of his techniques either.

  The current form of her manifested armor had come to be after she had adjusted her mind and body to the new power alongside Asterios. She liked it much more than the initial version, especially since she could actually control the tail and it was just so much fun to do so. Her apparel closely resembling draconic themes felt just right after she had bonded with a True Dragon.