The arena consisted of several different combat zones: a forest, a sandy plateau, and a rocky section of the mountain. Under the stone structure of the tiers, Mia could see five gigantic black iron gates leading to the plateau.

The place fell silent as a metallic sound echoed, amplified by the acoustics of the mountain. When the noise ceased, the blonde held her breath. She couldn't tell if it was the apprehension of what she was about to witness or if it was the excitement that was starting to grip her, an emotion that seemed to spread like wildfire through the spectators. A sense of unreality enveloped her as the competitors entered the arena.

Vampires, werewolves, centaurs, magicians, and vilas stepped onto the sand, each species in unison, at their own pace. Mia leaped from her seat and rushed to the railing, trying to catch a glimpse of her friend Arry. She recognized her red hair and silhouette as best as she could among the other magicians. Oz was by her side, tail wagging with excitement. They must have been at least seven hundred. Werewolves were the second most numerous with around four hundred individuals. Vampires were two hundred, just like the centaurs. The vilas numbered only five.

Mia sat back down, realizing she wouldn't be able to observe her friend more closely with the crowd of magicians around her. They had stopped in the center of the plateau, visible to all, facing the benches. Mia followed their gaze to a small balcony she hadn't noticed before. It was much higher than the tier she was on and contained only a few stone seats, on which sat individuals she had never seen before. Logically, the balcony was reserved for important people.

Probably the headmaster and some other professors, she thought, trying to get a better look at them.

She thought she recognized Vassili's blond hair, but at this distance, all she saw were abstract silhouettes. While observing, an individual stood up from their seat and stepped forward to face the arena. He had a slim silhouette and graying hair. She assumed he must be the headmaster of the school.

"Welcome, students, friends, and family, on this magnificent tournament day. May it unfold in honor and camaraderie, as in the previous ones. Students, I remind you that it is forbidden to kill your opponent and to harm the audience. The tournament is not a massacre, and anyone who violates these two rules will be punished accordingly."

His voice resonated against the walls of the mountain, filling the silent arena. Mia suspected that magic helped to amplify his words. She didn't know if it was possible, but it seemed extremely likely. His tone seemed light and cheerful, but his words were stern and severe. It was merely a reminder of what should not happen, and despite the confirmation that no tournament had gone awry before, the possibility that this one could escalate was very real.

There's no reason for it to go wrong, she reassured herself, quickly dispelling such thoughts.

"Now... Let the tournament begin!" roared the headmaster, raising his hands in the air and swiftly lowering them to signal the start.

Euphoria swept over Mia, just like the other spectators, as the symphony of horns sounded once again, signaling the competitors to scatter throughout the arena. Each species seemed to choose its favored terrain based on their abilities. The werewolves and centaurs sought refuge in the forest, while the vampires rushed toward the mountain. The magicians regrouped in small clusters and spread out across all the zones according to their type of magic, and the vilas followed the same pattern, dispersing everywhere.

They're already not very numerous, and they don't stick together either? she wondered, curious. Maybe I could ask the person behind me...

Mia quickly swallowed her question when she turned to face him, and he cast a stern gaze on her.

"What?" he sent her in a bored tone.

Okay, let's maybe avoid that.

She didn't even bother to reply and repositioned herself, her gaze fixed on the arena.

During the first two minutes, Mia could have heard a pin drop. There was no movement, no noise, nothing that indicated that creatures were about to face off against each other. Then the atmosphere shifted and became heavy, oppressive. If the sky hadn't been devoid of any clouds, she would have bet that thunder was about to roar. And she wasn't so far from the truth.

In a matter of seconds, several detonations sounded from various parts of the arena. Roars began to resonate, and chaos spread throughout the area. The battles had begun. The audience, intoxicated, roared in unison to cheer on members of their species. Mia felt like her heart was going to explode from the tension, but her mind was as captivated as the crowd.

Her eyes couldn't capture all the information they were receiving, but she learned a great deal about the species' abilities. Werewolves and vampires primarily fought with their fangs and claws, which was not surprising. It was what she expected, both for their abilities and their appearance.

The werewolves transformed into large and powerful wolves, creatures that were perhaps slightly larger compared to how they were depicted in her world. Vampires retained their humanoid appearance, except for their decomposed faces and complexion that gave them the appearance of the undead, and their fingers elongated, ending in sharp nails they used as blades.

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Centaurs were fast and powerful creatures who fought bare-handed, galloping through the forest and using their surroundings to their advantage to surprise their enemies. Their horse bodies gave them natural strength, allowing them to deliver devastating hoof strikes to their opponents. She caught glimpses of them in action when certain trees were uprooted, presumably due to some magical spell.

As for the vilas, she couldn't say because she couldn't recognize them. If they transformed into something other than their human appearance, she hadn't seen them. It was impossible to track them in the crowd of creatures thirsty for victory.

The magicians, on the other hand... Expecting magic and seeing it in action were definitely not the same. Some were casting fireballs or lightning bolts, others were hurling rocks, while others transformed into eagles, tigers, wolves, bears... The more discreet magicians seemed to focus on strategic positioning and traps. She never saw them in direct combat action, but the results of their spells were impressive. Immobilization, blinding, explosions, miasma, projections, and so on. They had chosen the plateau as their preferred terrain, which they had littered with obstacles to allow for long-distance combat.

Shivers ran up her spine as she realized that all these attacks didn't seem as harmless as she'd initially thought.

It's because I'm a defenseless human, they're much tougher than they look.

A murmur of whispers began to form in the stands. The festive atmosphere of the tournament was transforming into a tense and nervous one. For Mia, who had never seen a tournament before, it was impossible to know why tension was rising among the spectators. Yet, something told her that the unfolding events were not as expected.

In the fray, Mia's gaze fell upon Arry, fighting alongside Oz and another magician. They had gathered on the plateau to escape the pack of werewolves that was chasing them. The combat zone was divided into two camps: the werewolves in their lupine form on one side and the magicians on the other. The two groups assessed each other for a moment, as if each side was waiting for the other to initiate hostilities. Finally, one of the wolves stepped forward and howled, a cry echoed by his comrades. They rushed toward the magicians, teeth and claws ready to subdue their opponents.

Mia hurried to the railing again to get a better view of the scene. Worry was beginning to freeze her brain as her friend prepared to counterattack. They were outnumbered: about ten magicians against thirty werewolves.

The magician beside Arry released a device that looked like a distant grenade, releasing a thick miasma onto the battlefield. They were now on their own. Mia could hear the protests from the audience, frustrated that they couldn't witness the confrontation. This did not reassure her.

In any case, I can't do anything to help Arry, except hope it'll be okay...

Explosions sounded, flames and wind dispersing the miasma in certain areas of the combat zone, but it wasn't enough to observe the battle. The opaque gas spread again, enveloping every corner of the plateau. Mia and the audience were completely blind to the unfolding events.

A howl rang out, followed by several deafening growls that sent shivers down Mia's spine. This didn't bode well. The few students next to her rushed to the edge of the area, agitated. A buzz was rising in the crowd, and panic seemed to be spreading.

Summoning her courage, she approached the group of students. They barely noticed her presence.

"Um... excuse me... What's going on?" she inquired, her voice trembling with apprehension.

The students turned their heads towards her for a moment but quickly looked away. Whatever was happening, it was apparently serious enough that they didn't take offense at the little human speaking up.

"The... the howl. A werewolf has fallen," a panicked young man responded.

Fallen? Do they mean... dead?

A lump formed in her throat as she returned to her seat, stunned. Not that she cared if a werewolf died, but her friend was in the midst of the melee, within reach of a furious pack of wolves that had lost one of their own. That couldn't bode well.

"Enough!" commanded the director in a thunderous and stern voice. "Cease all fighting and disperse this miasma! Immobilize those who resist!"

The message seemed aimed at the frenzied and vengeful wolves who had lost one of their own. The fights had ceased everywhere else, and the students were now gathering on the plateau to definitively halt the battles. The magicians were working to dispel the miasma from the outside and immobilize some recalcitrant werewolves.

Mia felt like her heart was about to explode as she searched for her friend. She must be in the center of the opaque cloud, still hidden from view, where the battle seemed to be raging on.

Suddenly, the heart of the black miasma transformed into red as something grew within it. The thing, increasingly red, seemed to stir the air around it, ready to launch forward. Like a concentrated fireball waiting to be thrown.

What...? It's heading towards... me?

When the realization hit her, every muscle in her body tensed. Incapable of moving, paralyzed by fear, she stared for a brief moment at the fireball approaching inexorably toward her position, which would seal her fate. Her eyes closed involuntarily as the intensity of the flames burned her retinas. It had happened so quickly that she simply couldn't do anything.

No second chance and no other world this time...

Her breath was cut short when she felt pressure against her body. Someone had grabbed her by the shoulder and encircled her with their arms. When her eyes reopened in shock, she saw nothing. Darkness surrounded her completely. A second later, the impact hit them. Her head was thrown back as hands held onto her shoulders. The heat of the flames surged, and her body was covered in a thin layer of sweat to cope with the rising temperature.

As the impact had torn her away from the arms of the stranger and pushed her back a few inches, she finally saw him. The vila who had been causing trouble since their encounter in the library. His face was contorted in pain, but that wasn't what shocked her the most.

The darkness in which he had enveloped them was dissipating. Holes allowing light and heat were forming. As she fell backward, she saw them. His wings. Magnificent black wings, resembling those of bats, except they stopped at the base of his back. The impact of the fireball had carbonized them, devouring them like a flame devours a piece of paper.

This image filled her with sadness for half a second before her head hit the bench behind her, and she immediately fell into unconsciousness.