Tournament - III

The final stage of the village's long-awaited archery tournament had begun. From the sixty who entered the field in the qualifiers, only eight remained. The air was thick with tension, each spectator leaning forward in their seat as the announcer declared the beginning of the one-on-one elimination matches. Every participant now fought not only for glory, but for pride.

Ark tightened his grip on his bow. His father, Karl, watched from the stands with arms folded and a flicker of nervous pride in his eyes. Delta, though still far from the stadium, was hurrying as fast as she could, her heart racing to see Ark compete.

Ark's was the first match. The clever-looking noble boy who had caught his eye during the qualifiers was his opponent. The boy was tall, arrogant, and showed confidence as he walked forward with the attitude of someone who thought he already had the victory.

The announcer's voice boomed:

"First match! Ark of the village, versus Leon,  son of House Valcrest!"

The crowd shouted.

Leon smiled and fired out an arrow with lightning speed before Ark could even lift his bow. How quickly! With the arrow flying past his face, Ark bent low. He rolled, went to one knee, and then immediately leaped back. Laughing as if this were all a game, Leon twisted aside with the grace of a dancer.

"Too slow! Did your father forget to teach you precision?" Leon taunted.

Ark didn't respond. He lost another arrow, then another-his shots weaving together in an unpredictable rhythm. Leon dodged the first, swatted the second out of the air with his own, but the third curved slightly, guided by Ark's control over mana. It struck Leon squarely on the shoulder.

The noble froze. His mark glowed, signaling elimination. The crowd chartered. Leon’s arrogant grin melted into shock.

"You-! You tricked me…” Leon angrily said.

Ark exhaled calmly, lowering his bow. "That was your mistake. You think I give time to recover you, are you really stupid?

The announcer declared Ark the winner, and the crowd thundered with cheers. Karl allowed himself a rare smile, said, "Good. That's my son."

Ark advanced to the semifinals. Three other matches played out, each fierce in its own right, until only four competitors remained. As Ark left for the restroom to regain focus, the announcer kept the audience roaring with commentary.

When Ark returned, he was told his opponent would be a girl known for her steady aim and calm spirit. She was graceful, her posture flawless. But though she fought with elegance, Ark's speed and sharp instincts overwhelmed her. Within minutes, she was eliminated. Ark's arrows struck true, leaving her no room to recover. 

With that, Ark had secured his place in the final.

And as if fate itself wanted the tension to rise higher, Leon-furious from his earlier defeat-had fought with renewed ferocity in his semifinal and crushed his opponent. The final showdown was set: Ark versus Leon, the noble boy.

By then, Delta had finally reached the stadium and hid her identity in the crowd.She squeezed through the crowd, clutching her chest as she searched frantically for Ark. Her tail swished nervously until she found a seat overlooking the field. Relief washed over her face. I made it... I'll see Ark win with my own eyes.

The announcer raised his arms. "Ladies and gentlemen! The final match of the archery tournament-Ark, son of Karl, versus Leon of House Valcrest!"

Cheers erupted, shaking the stands.

The duel began. Burning with humiliation, Leon fired his arrows full force. Influenced by desperation and pride, his shots were strong. However, Ark's relaxed attitude remained unchanged. He countered with accurate blows and dodged with smooth movement, keeping Leon on the defensive all the time.

Delta leaned forward, her eyes expanding and said. “ Ark, really amazing.”

Leon shouted, "I won't lose to anybody! I'm the heir of Valcrest!" His voice cracked with frustration as he unleashed a barrage of arrows, each one infused with mana. The attacks rained down like a storm.

Ark, however, moved calmly, almost quietly. His arrows wrapped as though they had their own wills, and he danced between them, returning fire at impossible angles. With each dodge, every counter, every show of instinct and control, the audience gasped every time.

Finally, Ark's last arrow struck true. Leon's chest glowed, marking his defeat. The noble boy dropped to his knees, face pale with disbelief.

Ark lowered his bow. His voice was steady. "Power means nothing without control. Remember that."

The announcer's voice thundered:

"The winner of this year's tournament-Ark of the village!"

The crowd erupted into wild applause. Karl stood proudly, clapping with tears in his eyes. Delta clutched her hands to her chest, smiling so brightly it almost hurt. He really did it... he won.

Ark raised his bow high in victory. But in his heart, he wasn't celebrating for himself. He was thinking of his parents, of Delta, and of the path that lay ahead.

This was only the beginning.

The broad platform in the middle of the tournament grounds served as the venue for the award ceremony. The shiny trophy, a representation of honor and victory, shined in the sunlight. The audience cheered again when Ark's name was called. Karl, his father, gave a proud clap, his  expression softened by sincere happiness.

"Congratulations, Ark," the organizer said warmly, handing him the trophy.

Ark bowed slightly, gripping the trophy with both hands. For the first time, he felt the weight of his own growth-his father's teachings, his own determination, and the support of those around him.

Karl walked forward, resting a hand on his son's shoulder. "You've made me proud, Ark."

Ark smiled faintly. "That's my job , father.”

The crowd's excitement was still echoing when, on the edges of the stadium, Delta decided it was time to slip away. She had promised herself not to cause Ark any trouble, and being among so many humans made her uneasy. She quietly turned to leave, her black cloak fluttering.

But fate is cruel.

A careless villager carrying a tray of drinks bumped into her. Delta staggered, and before she could recover, her cloak slipped from her shoulders.

Gasps rang out.

Her wolf-like ears twitched in the open air, her fluffy black tail flicking nervously as she froze in place. For the first time, her true identity was exposed in front of the entire crowd.

"A beast human?!" someone shouted.

"How dare you walk among us!" another shouted, eyes filled with hatred.

A burly man stepped forward, pointing at her. "You disgusting animal! How dare you appear in our village? I'll kill you where you stand!"

Delta's chest tightened. She trembled under the hostile stares, her hands clenched at her sides. For all the courage Ark had given her, the hatred of the villagers felt suffocating.

At the other end of the ground, Ark stiffened. His heart pounded violently, as if something terrible had happened. He immediately extended his senses, activating his scanning magic. His eyes widened when he felt Delta's mana signature among the crowd.

Delta... she came here... and now... she's in danger!

Ark suddenly leaves the tournament ground stage and her father is also surprised by Ark action.

A voice whispered behind him as he ran through the crowd. Leon blocked his way, still dissatisfied with his loss.

" How can I, a noble, lose to a lower creature like you twice in one day? You're nothing!" Leon spat, drawing his bow as if to provoke Ark into another fight.

Ark's eyes blazed with fury. He didn't even slow down.

"You stupid bastard," Ark angrily said. "Get out of my way."

His words cut like a blade. Leon flinched, shocked by the raw anger in Ark's tone. By the time he recovered, Ark had already brushed past him, a force of determination no one could stop.

Delta was surrounded now. Villagers advanced, faces twisted with rage. Some held farming tools like makeshift weapons, ready to strike.

Ark arrived just as one of them raised a blade. Without thinking, he raised his hand.

"Domain-activate!”. In his domain time are totally freeze

Everyone on the tournament grounds suddenly stopped in during their strike. The air itself became heavy, like a piece of glass that was about to break. Time paused. In the wind, even the leaves hung in midair.

Ark struggled, sweat dripping down his face. His entire body shook; this was strong, forbidden magic, and it quickly depleted his mana.

He rushed to Delta's side.

"Delta! Listen," he said urgently, kneeling beside her. "Go-now! I can't hold this for long.There's a gap in the east wall, run straight to the forest. Don't stop until you're safe!”

Delta's golden eyes widened in shock.

"Ark... you used something this dangerous for me?"

His jaw tightened. "Of course. I won't let them hurt you. Now go!"

For a moment, she hesitated, her throat tightening with emotion. But seeing his trembling body, she nodded firmly. "I'll go. But Ark... thank you."

She turned and sprinted toward the gap he pointed out, vanishing like a shadow into the forest.

Ark exhaled heavily, his vision blurring as the strain consumed him. His Domain cracked, fragments of time breaking apart like shards of glass. With a final groan, the spell collapsed.

The villagers blinked, confused. Where the beast human girl had stood, there was now only empty ground. Murmurs filled the air.

"What...? Where did she go?"

"Did she vanish?!"

"Was it magic?!”

.

Their anger twisted into confusion.

On the stage, Karl's sharp eyes followed his son. He stepped forward, his voice firm. "Ark! Why did you rush off so suddenly?”

Ark cleaned sweating from his brow and settled himself quickly. With the trophy in one hand, he faked composure. “Sorry, Father. I was just... in a hurry.”

Karl raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "In a hurry? For what?"

Ark chuckled weakly. "I was missing Mom's food. That's all."

For a tense moment, Karl studied him. Then he burst out laughing, his booming voice echoing across the grounds. "Ha! Then let's hurry home, boy. I was thinking the same!”

The crowd began dispersing, their suspicions dulled by the distraction. The missing beast human was dismissed as a trick of the tournament's magic, or perhaps a monster's illusion. Few wanted to dwell on it too long.

Ark let out a quiet sigh of relief, clutching the trophy tightly as he walked beside his father.

Once again, he had saved Delta. But deep in his heart, Ark knew this wasn't the end. The hatred of humans toward beast humans wouldn't fade so easily.

And he also knew... he would stand against it, no matter the cost.