As the first rays of dawn peeked over the horizon, I stirred from my slumber, my eyes flickering open to take in the beautiful mountain vista that surrounded me. The sky was awash with brilliant hues of pink and orange, the mountain air filling my lungs with a refreshing chill.
With a mighty stretch of my wings, I yawned and lazily took to the sky, my form disappearing into the early morning mist. I still had some time before the tournament resumed, so I decided to fly over the peaks for a bit. I had not flown far when I sensed a presence nearby.
As I soared higher, I spied my quarry below - a massive, lumbering beast with thick, leathery skin and razor-sharp claws. It looked akin to a lion of sorts. It was undoubtedly a monster, albeit different from the mana beast I encountered before. The monster was resting in a deep valley, hidden from prying eyes, and unfortunately for it, it encountered me.
I was a bit disappointed it wasn't a mana beast, but still shrugged, "I guess you can be my breakfast," I mumbled before, I dove towards the beast, my jaws snapping shut around its neck before it could even register what had happened and took it up to the sky.
The monster tried to struggle, it thrashed and clawed at me with all its might, yet to no avail. It was unable to leave a single scratch on my scale, Its power simply was not a match to mine.
With a mighty heave, I hurled the beast into the air, its body tumbling and twisting in the sky before crashing to the ground below with a resounding thud.
I quickly followed after, landing beside my fallen prey with a contented growl, and began to feast upon my breakfast, the rich, succulent flesh of the monster filling my belly with warmth and satisfaction. As I ate, my mind drifted back to the battles of the previous day, and I wondered if today would be the same.
As I finished my meal, the sun had already risen higher in the sky, and I knew it was time to return to the tournament venue. I spread my wings and soared back towards the arena, the wind whipping past me as I flew.
As I descended upon the arena, I could see that the crowds had already gathered, their voices a low rumble of excitement and anticipation. I landed gracefully on the platform that had been specially constructed for me, my massive form casting a long shadow across the arena floor.
The humans below fell silent as they beheld me, their eyes widening in awe and fear. But I was not here to scare them - I was here to guide them. With a powerful roar, I lifted my head high and spoke.
"I have returned to continue the tournament that we began yesterday. I have seen the struggles and the triumphs of your mages, and I must say, I am impressed. But do not forget - there is still much to be done. So let us resume our games, and let the strongest and most skilled among you emerge victorious!"
As I finished my speech, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause, their voices echoing off the walls of the arena. I could feel the energy and excitement in the air, the palpable tension as the next round of battles began.
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*****
It didn't take long before the next contestants took the stage. The demon wind mage from the Yadour empire walked into the arena with confidence, her long silver hair flowing in the wind, and her horns curved elegantly behind her head. She wore a flowing white dress that hugged her curves, with intricate golden designs that seemed to dance in the light. The scales on her arms shimmered under the sun, as she walked with a proud and graceful gait.
As she made her way to the center of the arena, the crowd hesitated, before the Yadour fans erupted in cheers, admiring her beauty. Her violet eyes shone with fierce determination, and her aura emanated strength and confidence.
On the other side of the arena, the water mage from Zasal Dysnaty walked in with equal grace and poise. Her long dark blue hair flowed like a river, and her delicate features glowed in the light. She wore a tight-fitting blue outfit, with intricate silver designs that seemed to ripple like water.
Her eyes sparkled like sapphires, and her aura exuded calm and serenity. She walked with a light and fluid step, as if she was gliding over the ground. The crowd was in awe of her beauty and grace, and they quickly erupted into cheers and applause.
As the two mages faced each other, the air around them seemed to shift and stir. The wind and water elements were locked in a silent battle. The crowd held their breath in anticipation, waiting for the magic to unfold.
The water mage was the first to make her move, she quickly reached out to the water elements and summoned a small but fast-penetrating water ball, aiming for the demon's heart.
The demon wind mage, known as Azura, had been anticipating her move. As the water ball hurtled towards her, Azura swiftly twirled her right hand in the air, and a gust of wind emerged from the tip of her fingers. The wind ball, fueled by her magic, collided with the water ball and sent it flying back toward the water mage.
The young girl hurriedly dodged the incoming water ball, her movement was swift and graceful. She quickly retaliated by summoning the elements that readily answered her call as a larger water wave appeared. The wave raced towards Azura, who was momentarily taken aback by its sheer size, before she quickly regained her focus, she took a deep breath and reached out to her wind elements in an attempt to summon a windstorm to counterattack.
It didn't take long before the spell quickly formed around her, swirling with powerful gusts of wind. As the water wave approached her, the windstorm collided with it, and the two elements fought for dominance.
The audience held their breath as the windstorm and water wave clashed. Zasal's water mage was determined to overcome the attack, and so she poured all her mana, forcing more water elements into the large wave, forcefully growing it in size and power.
Azura, however, was not one to back down from a challenge. With a fierce determination, she did the same, albeit her approach seemed a bit less forceful, the wind elements simply followed her will and caused the windstorm to grow further in size before it began to envelop the water wave, and with a final surge of power, it crushed it completely, causing water drops to rain down on the arena floor, leaving the water mage shocked.
Azura quickly seized the opportunity and launched a a barrage of wind blades at the water mage. The girl did not hesitate, however, and with a flick of her wrist, she summoned a shield of water that blocked the incoming blades.
The battle between the two talented mages continued with intense back and forth exchanges of magic. The audience could hardly keep up with the lightning-fast movements of the mages, but they were thoroughly entertained by the display of magic and skill.