Ren was still stomping…

His opponents from other teams were the usual ones. The same students he'd been facing since the first exams of first year, familiar faces whose capabilities he'd studied extensively.

Their beasts were obviously also the same companions they'd bonded with during that ceremony. Only more developed now through months of cultivation and combat. Higher ranks than when they'd started this journey together.

It was an impressive progression for fifth-year students who'd accelerated beyond normal development curves.

But unnecessary to observe in detail because the outcome was predetermined...

Because against opponents of similar or even superior ranks, when team strategies reached their natural limits against superior individual force...

Ren's mantis entered the field.

And everything ended in seconds that felt anticlimactic to spectators expecting longer confrontations.

The only thing the last few battles accomplished was finally making everyone realize something that some had suspected but was now undeniable to even the most casual observers.

The mantis could use all natural elements with equal proficiency.

Fire that burned hot enough to melt stone.

Water that extinguished flames or eroded defenses.

Earth that trapped opponents or provided defensive barriers.

Wind that enhanced mobility or cut like invisible blades.

And even the wood element that few beasts outside specialized plant species could access.

It'd demonstrated each one at some point during the battles. Not ostentatiously through wasteful displays. Not spending mana on unnecessary demonstrations that would reveal more than needed. But when she required a specific counter to the opponent's strategy, when the situation demanded a particular element...

It appeared, used with a level of control that suggested mastery rather than some basic competence.

It still hadn't used the advanced combinations that some observers anticipated… lightning formed from fire and wind working together, or ice created through water and wind fusion.

But many students and adults watching had a growing presentiment about what remained hidden.

If the mantis dominated all natural elements with such ease...

What about light and darkness?

The rare elements that were difficult to control even for experienced tamers. The ones that only noble bloodlines usually accessed consistently.

Nobody had seen the mantis use them yet during any confrontation.

But the question floated in the air like a constant pressure building toward an inevitable release.

And the next battle...

The next battle might finally force him to show those hidden capabilities.

♢♢♢♢

CONVERSATION IN THE STANDS

Julius observed the field from an elevated section reserved for professors and high-ranking nobles with attention that seemed divided between present and distant concerns.

Selphira sat beside him, both waiting for the next confrontation to begin while making conversation that appeared casual to observers but carried an undercurrent of tension.

The organizers were announcing names while preparing the arena. Setting up barriers that would contain stray attacks while allowing clear observation.

Julius frowned slightly, looking toward the distance as if he could see beyond the academy walls to a territory where Victor should have been completing his mission.

"Victor still hasn't sent any message," he commented in a low voice that only Selphira could hear despite sitting in a crowded section.

She glanced at him sideways. "Should he have by now?"

"It's getting to be about time," Julius responded with a worried tone suggesting his concern was justified. "Though he's disorganized about communication... He should have emerged already with some information about what he found. Even if he's being too meticulous exploring every chamber, the time elapsed is..."

He didn't complete the thought because finishing it would make the worry explicit.

But the implication was clear enough between them.

Something might not be going according to plan.

Julius made a subtle gesture with his hand. One of his assistants approached immediately with deference that came from years of service.

"Send a message to Arturo," Julius ordered in a voice low enough to avoid being overheard by nearby nobles. "Have him use the fastest scouts available to check the situation in the Goldcrest territory. I want to know why Victor hasn't reported on schedule."

The assistant nodded once and withdrew rapidly to execute the order without requiring additional clarification.

Selphira sighed, her expression relaxing slightly into something resembling exasperated amusement that came from long familiarity with Victor's personality.

"Victor is somewhat impulsive," she said with a fun tone suggesting this was a considerable understatement. "He's probably making the local nobles cry with his aggressive questioning. You know how he gets when he's excited about something. He likes to... press harder than strictly necessary for information extraction."

Julius didn't look completely convinced by that explanation despite its plausibility. "Even so..."

"Everything should be fine," Selphira continued with more seriousness creeping into her tone. "Thanks to Ren's contributions, Victor is now almost as strong as your father was during his prime."

It was a significant statement that carried weight beyond simple power comparison.

Victor was already considered the kingdom's most powerful tamer in terms of sustained raw force output.

Though he wasn't completely at the level of possessing two true Platinum-rank beasts or decades of real combat experience and refined control over every aspect of his power that Dragarion had accumulated...

Victor still approached that legendary level after only completing the Thousand Day Method through the absurdly expensive additional cultivation that the treasury opened by Ren's small and weird creature had made possible...

It was a testament both to Victor's natural potential and to the incalculable value of those resources that had seemed impossible to obtain in sufficient quantity.

"Dragarion had more experience," Selphira admitted while making a fair assessment. "Better control over his power because he'd been at that level for much longer, understanding nuances that only come through time. And he had better synergy having two legendary beasts of the exact same rank working in perfect tandem through the fusion that his ring enabled... But Victor might well already be in a similar power category now, even if he's like a 'rookie Dragarion' still learning."

Julius nodded in agreement with that evaluation. It was an accurate description of the current situation without either understating or overstating Victor's capabilities.

"Victor isn't far behind at all," Selphira concluded with confidence born from intimate observation. "And there shouldn't be anyone with a force big enough on that side capable of confronting him seriously. The double tamers they always keep defending their territory are competent, yes, but none anywhere near the level necessary to threaten Victor with genuine danger."

"Then why..." Julius began, concern not fully alleviated despite reassurances.

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