After a fifteen-minute break, the second round of thepetition began.


    Just like the first round, the battles were arranged between contestants drawn in pairs. This time, however, the stakes felt higher, the tension in the air more palpable.


    The massive arena buzzed with murmurs from the audience, including students, teachers, and, most notably, the envoys from prestigious academies, who had their sharp gazes locked on the stage. Each battle seemed to promise surprises, but one matchup had drawn particr attention.


    "Are of ss One versus Steven of ss Two!"


    The announcement echoed across the arena, silencing the crowd instantly. All eyes turned toward the petite, confident figure of Are stepping onto the stage, her every movement radiating poise and power. Behind her, a shadow loomed, a beast of immense presence and strength—a Level 6 Silver-grade Symbiote.


    The arena erupted into whispers.


    "Isn''t she the one everyone talks about? The youngest in ss One to reach this level?"


    "They say her beast is an evolved cier Lion. It''s practically unstoppable!"


    The principal adjusted his sses, his expression unreadable, but his lips curled into a slight smirk. Even the envoys straightened in their seats, their interest piqued.


    On the opposite side of the stage stood Steven, a tall, muscr figure with a ferocious, scaled Symbiote—a Crimson Spike Wyvern. The dragon-like beast bared its fangs, its fiery aura casting shadows across the stage. Steven sneered, his confidence evident as he cracked his knuckles and smirked at Are.


    "Are," he said, his voice dripping with arrogance, "you might be in ss One, but don''t think I''ll go easy on you because of that. I''ll crush you."


    Are tilted her head slightly, her expression calm. "Big words, Steven. I hope you can back them up."


    The third elder stepped forward, raising his hand to signal the start of the match. "Battle begins!"


    The stage trembled as the battle erupted.


    Steven wasted no time. "Crimson ze!" he roared, his Wyvern''s wings spreading wide as fiery projectiles shot toward Are with explosive speed.


    The audience gasped as the fireballs streaked across the stage, their intense heat warping the air. But Are didn''t flinch. Her voice was steady as shemanded, "Frost Nova!"


    Her cier Lion roared, its icy breath sting forward like a tidal wave. The fireballs fizzled out upon contact, steam rising in dramatic plumes that obscured the battlefield. The temperature in the arena dropped sharply, sending chills through the spectators.


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    Steven''s eyes narrowed. "Not bad," he growled. "But let''s see how you handle this! Crimson Spike Barrage!"


    The Wyvern lunged forward, its massive tail bristling with spikes glowing red-hot. It whipped its tail,unching a storm of fiery projectiles at Are. The ground cracked and splintered as the spikes struck, leaving small craters in their wake.


    Are''s cier Lion leaped gracefully into the air, avoiding the barrage with ease. "cial w!" Are shouted.


    The lion''s paw glowed with an icy blue light before shing downward. A massive crescent of frost energy erupted, slicing through the air and freezing everything in its path. The Wyvern tried to dodge, but the attack grazed its wing, encasing part of it in solid ice.


    "Impossible!" Steven''s voice wasced with disbelief. "How can your beast''s frost pierce my Wyvern''s fire defenses?"


    The crowd gasped in awe.


    "Did you see that?" one student whispered. "She''s controlling the battlefield like it''s nothing!"


    "Her reactions are insane," another murmured. "Steven''s Wyvern is supposed to be a tank!"


    The envoys exchanged impressed nces. The representative from Crown Horn Academy leaned forward, muttering, "Such precision at her age. Remarkable."


    The principal, unable to hide his pride, nodded ever so slightly. Even the usually stoic envoy from Celestial Bond Academy, Envoy Kaeden, smiled faintly. "A prodigy, indeed."


    The battle intensified.


    Steven roared in frustration. "Enough games! Inferno Tail Strike!" The Wyvern surged forward, its massive tail engulfed in mes, swinging toward the cier Lion with devastating force.


    Are didn''t waver. "Ice Fortress!"


    A thick barrier of ice erupted from the ground, blocking the Wyvern''s tail mid-swing. The impact sent shockwaves across the stage, shattering parts of the barrier but leaving the cier Lion unharmed.


    Before Steven could react, Are counterattacked. "Frost Fang Assault!"


    The cier Lion pounced, its fangs glowing with frost energy. It mped down on the Wyvern''s neck, freezing its scales upon contact. The Wyvern roared in pain, its movements slowing as frost crept across its body.


    Steven''s eyes widened in panic. "No! me Overdrive!"


    The Wyvern''s body ignited, mes engulfing it entirely. The ice melted rapidly, steam filling the stage once more. The two beasts shed violently, their attacks sending shockwaves that rattled the arena.


    Are stood firm, her eyes never leaving the battle. "End this. Frost Howl!"


    The cier Lion reared back and released a deafening roar. A blizzard-like wave of energy surged forward, enveloping the Wyvernpletely. The mes sputtered out, and the Wyvern''s massive body froze solid, its tail mid-swing, its eyes wide in defeat.


    The crowd erupted.


    Cheers and gasps filled the arena.


    "She won! Are actually won!"


    "I''ve never seen a battle so intense!"


    The principal adjusted his sses, his pride unmistakable. "As expected of ss One."


    Envoy Kaeden leaned back in his chair, nodding approvingly. "Her mastery over frost abilities is unparalleled at her level. A true genius."


    Are turned to Steven, who was kneeling on the ground in disbelief. "You underestimated me," she said calmly, her voice carrying across the arena. "Never judge a beast—or its master—by appearances."


    She walked off the stage, her cier Lion following closely behind, its icy aura lingering in the air. As she passed by Ezra, who was waiting for his match, she gave him a sly smile.


    "Good luck, Ezra," she said, her tone yful. "Try not to disappoint."


    Ezra''s lips twitched. "I wouldn''t dream of it."


    She walked off the stage, her cier Lion following closely behind, its icy aura lingering in the air. As she passed by Ezra, who was waiting for his match, she gave him a sly smile.


    "Good luck, Ezra," she said, her tone yful. "Try not to disappoint."


    Ezra''s lips twitched. "I wouldn''t dream of it."