Chapter 268: Birds Should Stay In The Sky - 2
Soon, the last-minute betting window opened.
Leon: 1.9 -> 2.1
Uraan Hurricane: 1.5 -> 1.45
Betting Pool
Leon: 678,890,879 AC -> 1,878,673,294 AC
Uraan Hurricane: 999,678,563 AC -> 2,000,768,689 AC
The numbers surged wildly in the final seconds, digits rolling upward like a storm tide swallowing the shore.
Miho once again shoved in the full 500,000 AC during the last window without hesitation. This time, it was Lily who had instructed her to hold the bet until the final phaseâespecially after Leo pointed out how low the bets on Leon were compared to Uraan.
It seemed the public didnât take Leonâs scar-ridden body as a symbol of experience.
They took it as a weakness. Maybe he is inexperienced and gets injured in regular basis. Maybe he is not srong enough to be able to afford healing.
When the betting officially closed, the Host noticed Leonâs hair, its unmistakable purple sheen
"Oh-ho! What do we have here? Our 2nd secret star shares some striking similarities withâcough, coughâ"
His sentence abruptly died as his phone rang mid-commentary. The sharp vibration echoed awkwardly through the mic. He glanced at the screen, and his eyes widened for a split second before he forced a smile.
"Excuse me, I guess I caught a cold from our previous tundra beast! So finally! We get to see our 2nd secret star! And what do we have here?"
He circled theatrically with one hand.
"It looks like our secret star doesnât like getting his body healed by magic! He prefers those scars! Or is it simply that he gets hurt so often he canât afford to heal them? Weâll know soon enough!"
"Tsk. I will kill that host," Katherine muttered coldly, her fingers tightening over the armrest. She did not appreciate the commentary on Leonâs scars.
Brant merely shrugged, arms crossed.
"He needed something to distract the crowd after that near slip."
Tarun silently slid his phone back into his pocket, lowering his finger from his temple. Apparently, he had been the one to send both the warning message and the telepathic nudge mid-commentary.
Down in the arena, wind began to gather faintly around Uraan.
He summoned his beast.
Hurricane Falcon (Low 3-star) â Noble Bloodline
The falcon materialized with a violent gust, talons scraping against the stone platform. The savage intensity in its red eyes had not dimmed in the slightest. The signature thin red line of feathers began at the corner of each eye, stretching all the way to the back of its sleek, aerodynamic body, giving it a predatory elegance.
Every feather looked like a sharpened bladeâdensely layered, compact, clearly meant to serve as both armor and weapon.
*pic*
And it didnât even wait for Uraanâs command.
With a powerful flap that sent cutting winds across the arena floor, it shot upward, spiraling high into the sky.
Leon, however, didnât summon his beast.
"Youâll fight me like this?" Uraan asked, one brow raised.
Leon smiled faintly, completely at ease.
"Is there some rule that states we need to summon our beasts at the start?"
Uraan grinned, though his eyes sharpened.
"No. There isnât."
By the time he finished speaking, the falcon had already reached optimum height, circling once before locking its gaze onto Leon below like a missile locking its target.
Andâ
Shing!
The air split as it bolted downward, slicing through the atmosphere.
Leonâs smile widened.
"Do you know something?"
Uraan narrowed his eyes, unease prickling along his spine.
"What?" he asked, a bad premonition creeping in.
"Birds are for the sky. They should never try to come to the groundâSingham!!"
Leon pointed upward at the descending falcon.
ROOOOAAAAARRRRRR!!!
A thunderous roar exploded across the arena.
The sound wave physically rippled through the air. The stone beneath trembled. Spectators instinctively covered their ears.
The falcon visibly faltered mid-dive, its wings twitching violently.
Even Uraan clutched his ears, face contorting in pain.
But the falcon was already within striking range.
And thenâ
Singhamâs full form manifested.
A 10-meter-tall frame burst into existence like a blazing sun rising from the earth. The sheer weight of its presence made the air feel heavier. Its bright orange fur carried a faint metallic sheen, reflecting the arena lights like molten gold. A flame-like mane crowned its head, flickering with majestic intensity.
Noble Lion (Peak 3-star) - Noble Bloodline
*pic*
Uraanâs eyes widened through the ringing in his ears as he saw the lion clearly.
Singham leapt.
The ground cracked beneath its paws.
In a single terrifying motion, it caught the falcon mid-air, jaws snapping shut around its neck, and slammed it violently onto the arena floor.
The impact thundered outward.
"No! Raven, go help Hurricane!" Uraan shouted hoarsely as he summoned his second beast.
A jet-black raven emerged from a swirl of dark mist.
Its presence alone radiated menace. Blood-red eyes gleamed under the light as it locked onto Singham with chilling focus.
Midnight Raven (Pseudo 3-star) â Super Bloodline
*pic*
"Singham, handle those two on your own. Let me deal with the person," Leon said casually, smirking.
He cracked his knuckles.
The sharp pops echoed faintly.
Then he dashed forward.
Uraan drew his sword in one swift motion.
Klank!
Leonâs aura-infused fist collided with the blade. The metallic ringing resounded sharply as if his fist were made of iron.
But Uraanâs personal strength was Pseudo 3-star and Leonâs was High 3-star.
The difference was not at all subtle.
The second punch knocked the sword clean out of Uraanâs grasp.
The following spinning elbow smashed into his jaw with a sickening crack.
Before Uraan could even regain balance, a side kick struck his ribs and sent him flying across the arena, blood spraying from his mouth as he crashed and rolled.
"W-what! So strong!" Even the Host couldnât contain his shock.
"Is this what our 2nd secret star is capable of?! People! Can you imagine how epic a fight between him and our 1st star would be?!"
The crowd erupted even louder, the Host already planting the seeds for future betting frenzy.
Uraan was a top contenderâstrong beasts, strong physique.
But Leon handled him like a child.
The same applied to Singham.
The falconâs head was still pinned beneath one massive paw, while one of the ravenâs wings was clamped tightly in the lionâs fangs. The Midnight Raven struggled violently, feathers scattering as it tried to wrench itself free.
Suddenly, the ravenâs beak began to glowâpale silver, like moonlight reflecting sunlight back toward earth. Its body twisted unnaturally, striking toward Singhamâs eye.
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A/N: Power Outage...