Elem followed the armored man to a field at the backside of the hostel. It was a quiet night and apart from Sir Rolandus' clanking steps and the muffled conversations of the people inside, they could only hear the wind gently ruffle through the tall grass.

Once they reached a private spot, the two Summoners squared off, pausing for a second as their eyes locked into a respectful but serious stare-off. Elem felt calm, confident even. He was yet to win a real duel but given his recent progress, that was only a matter of time. This would be his first match since completing his training in the Wayward Woods and he was eager to test his newly developed summoning skills. Balthazar Flame’s training regiment had been nothing short of torture but he knew that all the sweat, blood and labor had only made him stronger.

“It will finally pay off”, he told himself while cracking his neck.

Without saying another word, Elem sunk deep into his summoning stance and began conjuring his external Essence. His legs may have been tired from all the cycling but his mind was still fresh and eager for a fight. Using Balthazar’s drip technique, the Essence came quickly and in large quantities. Within seconds, Elem’s entire being was bulging with energy.

“I summon the Kappa, Water Summon; mysterious protector of rivers! “

Sir Rolandus’ eyes lit up as the Kappa emerged from its liquid vortex. He seemed intrigued, if not excited to face Elem’s Summon. He unsheathed his sword and aimed the weapon at the Kappa as if he were to fight it himself, causing the Water Summon to answer with an aggressive hiss.

“I Summon thee, o marvelous creature of olde. Mine sword fighter extraordinaire!” the man shouted into the darkness. ‘I Summon the Donkeycorn! Earth Summon; Brave Vanquisher of Evil!”

The armored Summoner laughed, swung the weapon over his head, and landed its blade into the ground before him. The earth began to tremble, chunks of earth flew through the air and a broad chasm opened before him, producing a peculiar-looking creature.

Elem scratched his head as he examined his opponent’s Summon. He had never heard of a Donkeycorn before but the creature matched its namesake perfectly. It had the body of an average donkey but with a bone colored horn protruding from its forehead.

In all honesty, Elem thought the Earth Summon looked ridiculous, almost resembling a costumed animal masquerading as a Summon rather than the real deal. He knew better than to underestimate his opponent however, having faced Aja’s Bicorn so many times by now, he couldn’t imagine how the Donkeycorn could cause him any issues.

Aja had offered to serve as referee and stepped between the two Summons, raising her hands to either side.

“Duelists, are you ready? Begin!”

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His friend had only barely moved out of the way when Elem sent his Kappa to charge forward, determined to land the first strike. Recklessly lunging at the Donkeycorn was a risky strategy, especially since he wasn’t sure what it was capable of, but the sooner he could deal damage, the easier the rest of the fight would be.

The Kappa leaped into the air like a frog and seemingly surprised Rolandus’ Earth Summon with its speed. The Donkeycorn didn’t move and instead blankly watched Elem’s Water Summon tear its claws into its skin.

“Thee needeth more than that, mine friend!” Sir Rolandus chuckled.

Other than a few scratches on its cheek, Rolandus’ Summon was unharmed. Elem’s eyes widened. Considering how much Essence he poured into that strike, the Donkeycorn was showing a baffling sense of durability.

He decided to keep his foot on the gas. His opponent didn’t seem hurt yet but if he kept at it, the damage would surely build up over time. Maybe one big hit wasn't going to win him the match but a hundred smaller ones surely would.

“Keep it coming!” Elem shouted, prompting his Kappa to launch a series jabs at the opposing Earth Summon’s face.

The Donkeycorn answered with an annoyed groan, before returning the favor with a strike of its own. It aimed its horn at the Kappa and slammed its head forward like an enraged rhinoceros.

The attack was surprisingly fast. At least, way quicker than Elem had anticipated. However, the speed discrepancy between the two Summons was so large, that it still wasn’t enough to catch the Kappa off guard. The Water Summon simply spun around and blocked the Donkeycorn’s attack with its shell.

Elem took a deep, satisfied breath. The two Summons were at an impasse but at least his Kappa was doing more damage than its opponent was. If they kept going at this pace, it would only be a matter of time before he could chip away enough damage to take the Donkeycorn down.

It was a good match, he thought. A perfect training round.

The Kappa continued its assault; landing strike after strike while disengaging each time before the Donkeycorn could retaliate with one of its horn attacks.

But no matter how hard Elem’s Summon moved forward, the Donkeycorn stood firm. It was an impressive feat. What the Earth Summon lacked in speed and grace- especially when compared to Aja’s Bicorn- it made up for with sheer toughness and resolve.

The Kappa dodged another horn attack, moving to the side of its opponent and retaliated by digging its knee in its opponent’s stomach. In turn, the Donkeycorn ate the knee and used the momentum of the strike to shift on its axis and landed a kick with its hind legs so strong that it sent the Kappa into the air.

“What was that…” Elem uttered, watching his Summon crash into the grassland.

So far, his horned opponent had been incredibly slow but this kick had been quick and perfectly timed. What was going on? Elem stared at the Donkeycorn. The Summon was significantly larger than it had been before. In fact, it had taken up a monstrous form. Enormous muscles bulged from its frame, straining against its own skin. The creature’s legs had grown the size of tree trunks, each one throbbing with energy and pulsing veins.

The DonkeyCorn raised its head, the tendons in its neck strained as it locked the puzzled Kappa in its predatory glare.

“Hee-haw! Hee-Haw!”

Sir Rolandus triumphantly swung his sword around while simultaneously twirling his mustache like some strange parody of himself. “Oh we was simply biding our time! Now the real melee shalt beginneth!”