The match was over. The audience was disappointed. They chatted, waiting for the Arbitrators to call it. It was only after thirty seconds that they noticed something wasn't quite right. The surface of the arena seemed very calm indeed, but something was going on below.

The large creature was moving, thrashing back and forth. It was as though it had gone mad. First, it dived into the depths, wiggling the entire time. Then it swam in circles. And finally, to the astonishment of all, that sharp tail turned and stabbed into its own belly. Not once, not twice, but repetitively.

What the knives could not penetrate, the own creature could. But why it would do so, the audience could only guess. Something within the Lochmar was causing it to mad in extreme pain. Black liquid seeped from the stab mounds, permeating the water around as the creature continued to wriggle, the intent of inflicting itself with wounds in an attempt to get rid of something more terrifying. Apparently, this creature was not as smart as some had thought.

The Kalits who had only just gone dormant woke up like a pack of ravenous devils. The water churned as they charged toward the Lochmar. Like a tornado of small sharp knives they swarmed, sharp teeth latching onto their new target as soon as they reached it.

A mournful bellow sounded in the water and the black liquid surrounding the Lochmar increased, turning the very water black and hiding the battle within.

The audience's full attention was on this event, eyes glued to the screens that showed water so dark they could see little but an occasional thrashing sharp tail.

And then, the Lochmar performed an act non had witnessed before – it breached. The beast jumped as high as its large body would allow, tail swinging, black liquid dripping, and Kalits hanging from its flesh.

The moment the Lochmar reached the peak of its flight, a soft purple light emitted from within. An explosion ripped through the air, the force kicking up waves in all directions and causing water to hurtle at unimaginable speeds as the created tsunamis rushed forth. Flesh, blood, scales, and Kalits tore apart with the sudden shockwave, raining towards the water.

In the center of it all, a figure flipped, once again falling.

The crowd was silent as they watched it all splatter into the water. The tsunami waves hit the forcefield separating the arena from the audience. Water sloshed a few times before calming down. A few waves followed up, but the next moment it all went silent,

Eyes turned to the counter. There were still five minutes left. The competitor was supposed to try and survive in that time at all costs, but not the stage had been defeated and there was still time on the clock. For the briefest moment, several hearts couldn't help but wonder if the scenario had simply been too easy or the competitor too strong.

The silence broke as the crowd roared. The big screens showed the explosion over and over again in slow motion while the crowd went crazy.

Not hearing it from within the arena, Ash pulled herself from the water onto what was left of the glass bridge. She wiped a hand across her face, leaving a streak of blood and ick. She put her hands back and rested on them, tilting her head back to bask in the fake warm sun while swinging her legs in the water.

It painted quite the picture. A girl sitting on the water, wet from head to toe. All around her was a cloud of black with chunks of flesh, hiding anything that could be lurking within. Yet she showed not a care in the world, her senses having already ruled out any danger. It was both strangely calming and terrifying at the same time.

The timer continued to tick while Ash waited, and the crowd excitedly discussed the match.

Keegan straightened and turned away.

In the commentator's box, the group was discussing the speed of the clearance while giving their expert opinion. Dara smiled and joined in. Beside her, Cristopher's smile was somewhat more forced. A hand reached for his and squeezed.

The other competitors of Dragon Bane watched the replay, emotions complicated. They had watched the match like all others with the hope of understanding a possible future competitor better. However, Ash had not only defeated the stage with ease, but she'd hidden within the very creature meant to kill her, keeping how she had done it from prying eyes. It gave not only a sense of mystery but also told others that she was someone they needed to keep on their radar.

Unseen to all, a finger pressed down on a button.

The screens lit up with the words: Bonus Round!

The timer paused and then began to rapidly count backward.

"What is this?" Hansol exclaimed as he sat up, his voice was projected to anyone watching on a screen. His fellow host, Seriya, raised her eyebrows.

Keegan froze on his way, as though sensing something was up.

The other competitors sat straighter; eyes glued to the screen.

The audience began to chat, excitement rippling through the air.

The water around Ash began to rapidly drain, alerting her something was up.

Oh? Callous popped back.

Keegan turned, eyes going to the screen to see the words flashing.

The water drained faster and faster, sucking away all evidence of the battle before.

"It looks like one of our panelists has used their vote to request an addition round!" Hansol spoke, eyes wide in excitement. "Apparently it was too short and easy of an event for someone's liking."

"Which one of you naughty folks was it?" Seriya wagged her finger at the commentators sitting together. "It's a bit early, isn't it?"

Glances and shrugs were exchanged, none owned up to it. The vote was, after all, to be submitted anonymously.

"It's not over?" Ash's feet dangled in the air.

As the waiter drained it revealed the glass bridge being held up by glass pillars. Parts of it were missing, shattered from the battle, but some still stood. The light from the fake sun sent an almost dazzling rainbow effect as it reflected from the glass.

I was thinking we got lucky this time, Callous noted. Looks like someone really doesn't want you to move through this smoothly. How about you take a random guess as to who?

Ash hummed, watching the remaining water drain to reveal the muddy ground below.

The timer reached fifteen once again. It stopped.

"The rules are the same," this time Hansol's voice was audible to even Ash.

"How unlucky," a fellow competitor murmured from the safety of the screen.

The clock started back its countdown as the ground shuddered. Ash could feel the vibrations through the bridge's pillars. Her eyes scanned the massive muddy arena below.

There was another shudder, but still, nothing was revealed.

The crowd held their breaths, waiting to see what had been cooked up this time.

A screen of metal sounded, and Ash's eyes darted to the area it came from. For the first time, she noticed the massive opening. The metal grid before it was pulling up.

Ash got to her feet, eyes narrowing. "You think they'll get more creative with what they throw our way?"

The monsters they release aren't my worry, she was told. I think we need to be better prepared for the monsters hiding among the other competitors. There are bound to be other contractors.

"I'm glad your thoughts are already at the next step. But shouldn't we consider the threat right here?" Ash asked.

The gate was fully open and there was another shudder. Every step that was taken resulted in another, giving a good guess that whatever was about to appear was indeed massive in size.

Then, to the delight of the audience, a brown snout appeared. The ground still shuddering, the creature revealed itself step by step. Razer teeth, bumpy, dried, ancient skin, small beady eyes, a short neck as thick as a trunk, two small arms, and large powerful feet. A tail bigger than a tree trunk dragged behind. This ancient creator was a carnivore only found in the most remote lands, yet here it was.

"It's a tressex!" Seriya's voice explained across millions of screens.

"It's been a while since I've seen one of those," Hansol noted.

Ash, once again, couldn't hear anything outside of the arena. From her high above in her perch, she watched as the predator raised its head and sniffed their air. Behind it, the gate clanged shut.

Catching the scent of its prey, the tressex let out a terrifying roar.

The crowd fell into a frenzy of excitement.

The creature began to move. Every step made a noise along with the shudder as mud splattered in all directions. The path of this monster was accurately headed for where Ash stood.

I don't think getting eaten by this one has a chance of survival, Callous teased.

Ash didn't reply. Though she looked to be safely out of reach, anyone could tell that glass would not stand up against a creature like this.

The Tressex reached the glass pillar. Though it could smell well, its small eyes made it difficult to accurately pinpoint its prey visually. Thus, it crashed against the first pillar. Glass shattered and the pillar was destroyed, not standing a chance. The next pillar followed suit.

Your plan? Callous asked.

"We fight this one head-on."

The Tressex crashed into the pillar holding up Ash's part of the bridge. She wobbled, the bridge surprisingly holding up. Unfortunately, the second time didn't yield the same result.

Ash fell, glass flying all around her. She turned, eyes on the ground. Through it all, a sigh escaped her.

The Tressex was already impatient smashing into the next, unaware that its prey was already falling. Though it was a great height, Ash wasn't bothered.

She flipped, landing on the ground in a crouch. A small crater appeared below her, mud flying in all directions. Glass rained down, but surprisingly, none of it hit the girl, as though being deterred by an invisible forcefield.

The Tressex noticed something. It turned, eyes landing on the small figure that now stood before it. It paused for a moment, sensing that though its prey was face to face with it, it seemed to be missing the scent of fear like so many others held.

Ash kept her eyes on the creature. Ignoring her knives, she raised her hand to her side.

If you end it too soon, you'll disappoint the one who requested another round, Callous told her.

"Good." Purple static crackled from her fingertips. "Let's give them a glimpse of what we're capable of."

How many do you want? Callous asked lazily.

Just one.

The air shivered in the hand raised to the side and the disbelieving crowd watched a large Jian sword shimmer into existence. This sword had a dark matt blade that looked almost as though it had been charred into that state. Purple static flew from the sword to the fingers that curled around the hilt, grasping it steadily. The same light illuminated intricate patterns on the blade.

"A crystal-activated weapon!" several contestants exclaimed. Still, others narrowed their eyes.

The crowd went wild.

The tressex shook its head, beady eyes alighting on the food which had fallen from the sky. It let out a thundering roar. The earth shook as it picked up its tree trunk feet and charged, head a tail shaking in excitement at the morsel it would soon devour.

Ash faced it head-on, her own feet carrying her. Mud squelched with every step, but the sound was lost under the boom of the large monster charging at her.

The girl moved surprisingly easily, the wet ground not hindering her run. As the competitor and monstrous creature charged, the difference in their size was painfully obvious.

The crowd was on their feet. Millions of eyes were glued to screens that showed the scene from different angles, zooming in to the bared razor teeth to the calm face of the girl who'd already survived the previous stage when everyone thought it was over.

Breathes were held as the gap grew shorter.

Those in the commentator booth lapsed into silence, fully focused.

For Ash, there were several advantages in this scenario. Other than its lack of flexibility, the had only three ways it would attack. The first, its size. The second, its teeth. First, it would most likely not try to trample its prey, wanting to savor the crunch of its bones. The second, the lack of flexibility would make the creature fall over it tried to attack that way at the speed it was going. This left the third - its tail.

True to expectation, as the creature approached, it turned, whipping the tail at full force.

Ash's lips turned up as she leaped into the air.

Her lips moved, forming mocking words: "Predictable."

The tail had been on target, but the target had moved.

As it swung by, Ash lightly stepped on, using it as a launchpad to bring her higher in the air.

The tressex saw its prey fly up. It tried to snatch her from the air with its teeth, but was too slow, barely missing her.

Ash wasn't in the least bit bothered as she felt the close call of teeth snapping shut. She was already turning as she came down on her target, blade ready.

In plain view of millions of viewers, the black blade swung down in an arc and the air crackled.

The tearing sound that echoed across the arena was one that would make anyone's skin crawl. However, what had the attention of most was that the blade itself did not touch flesh at all.

A once charging tressex slowed, lumbering a few steps. Behind it, the small figure of Ash landed lightly on the ground. A mournful cry echoed as blood spurted from a gash that went from the tip of the tressex's head to its tail. The clean-cut almost split it in half, the blow deadly and sealing its fate.

As blood spurted, Ash's blade flashed once more. Whipping around to catch the droplets of red so not one stained her. As the creature crashed to the ground, she calmly flicked the blade once. Getting rid of the crimson on it. Then, she reached her hand back out to her side and the blade crackled before disappearing into the air.

A few seconds of silence were followed by a resounding roar.

The audience was beyond themselves and new bets flew on the talented competitor they had seen who had just taken on a tressex like it was nothing.

A heavy silence hung over the competitors who watched the replay the screen showed again and again. A formidable opponent had shown herself. The weak trembled. The strong felt the itch to fight.

Ash calmly turned to stare at the camera. She gazed at it. Then, a provoking smile spread across her face.

In the commentator's box, the men and woman were excitedly picking apart the scene they had watched. Yet two of them were strangely silent. Cristopher sat, staring at the figure smiling from behind the screen. Dara clenched fists relaxed. With a smile, she turned to join in with the conversation.

Ash wasn't able to observe at the moment as she calmly walked from the arena. She knew very well that while she'd exposed a strong performance, the amount of talent hidden amongst the other competitors was not small. She had little doubt that from here on out, things would get a whole lot more difficult.