Nex stared upward in disbelief at the behemoth looming above. Frick. He hadn't expected to face a monster this colossal in his first match of this ridiculous tournament.

  Yet there it was. Some overgrown, sky-swallowing snake-lizard acting like it deserved worship. Like it belonged on a pedestal. Fine. If that was the game, he'd meet it with his best from the start. Tch.

  He had planned to save his real techniques for his wretched mother. The one who betrayed him and his siblings, Viz and Rox. The same one who slaughtered their father like it was a performance. But holding back now would be suicidal. This dragon didn't just radiate raw power. He reeked of experience. It rolled off him in waves.

  A monster that had seen too many battles to count. Nex might have been yellow. Less seasoned. Maybe even jealous. But he could still recognize a high-tier threat when he saw one. Yasuya wouldn't be the last. That thought alone got Nex's blood pumping.

  Still, he didn't feel rattled. Not really. Sure, his neck bristled, but that was excitement. If anything, this Yasuya would become the perfect stepping stone. A loud, scaly milestone on Nex's path. He'd defeat the dragon. Gamuikaze too, if that little wind weasel thought he stood a chance. Nex the Nexburst would crush them both and step into the next round. No hesitation. He'd prove he was no less than KiAera. And one day, he'd surpass her all over again.

  She called herself the leader. That was a joke and an insult. Nex would take command of the Chimera Clan. He was tired of her shadow. Second place was an insult he refused to wear.

  He didn't hate her. Not personally. In truth, he respected her ability. Which was why he tolerated her. She was useful. That was enough. He shook the thought away. Less than ten seconds had passed, but his mind moved like lightning. All Nexperbax processed faster than the average monster. It was just how they were built.

  Viz had to be spiraling and panicking within his head. Thinking a thousand things at once. Hopefully, strategy was one of them. They were going to need it.

  "Any strategies, Viz?" Nex asked, his voice echoing with unnatural speed. Far better than wasting time talking the slow way.

  Viz flinched, then looked at him. "S-strategies?"

  Nex frowned. Seriously, he—

  "We'll hit Mr. Yasuya with every ailment we've got," Viz blurted out, saving himself from a lecture. Smart. Nex would never say it aloud, but his brother's tactics were often the edge they needed. Viz's brain was nearly on par with Loa's. Almost.

  That fact? It made Nex proud. A little. Viz had his domain. They were both prodigies, each in their own way. Rox used to say at least Viz was sincere.

  What did that mean? Nex was sincere. He had bled alongside them, trained just as hard. Talent meant nothing if you didn't sharpen it. Viz honed his mind. Rox mastered melody. Nex?

  Heh.

  Nex would show the world the glory of [Nexperjitsu]. His techniques would stun the beasts of Zeldritzon. It would all start here, now, with him and Viz in flawless synergy. A deadly duet of speed and precision.

  As they entered the arena, he saw Yasuya stir. That massive body shifted, rippling with muscle and menace.

  Then Gamuikaze moved. A flicker of wind and the weasel was spinning up cyclones. Nex noticed the subtle difference in how the vortex spun. They were beginning. That meant that darn fairy was about to screech her cue.

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  She did.

  "Let Round Two... BEGIN!"

  Gamuikaze launched two cyclones with reckless fury. No hesitation. Nex slipped past the first roaring twister before it could even graze him. Viz mirrored him, nearly matching his speed. The sky turned chaotic with spiraling winds. Nex kept his eyes on everything, especially Viz. Not because he needed to. But because he chose to. Losing sight of his brother wasn't an option. Not now. Not ever.

  They weaved through the air, leaving streaks of color in their wake. And those streaks? They mattered. Anything caught in them would feel a vibration deep enough to crack bones. It was a trick they had developed during their training with KiAera.

  Nex never liked working with her, but the results spoke for themselves. Ten cycles of that punishment had sharpened him beyond recognition. Now he could fight opponents that once seemed untouchable. He hadn't beaten her then, not yet. But he wore the scars of progress. He, Viz, and Rox had become weapons.

  Together, he and Viz broke the sound barrier and closed in on Gamuikaze. The weasel looked like an easy knockout. If Yasuya refused to move, then Gamuikaze became prime prey.

  Nex rose higher, catching a thermal and launching into the sky. Mach 10. Viz behind at Mach 9. They rocketed through the weasel's tornado maze, slipping through deadly arcs that twisted into slicing wind blades.

  But they were too fast. Too sharp. The cyclones couldn't catch them. They dodged in sync, dodging with inches to spare. Then they were in range.

  Time for ninjutsu.

  "Viz! Time to overwhelm!"

  Nex clapped his paws. Shadows pooled beneath his wings. [Shadow Dart], [Sound Needles], [Shadow Shuriken], all formed and launched with a single wingbeat. The sky became a storm of projectiles.

  Viz mimicked the motion, unleashing electric arcs that streaked across the sky. His lightning caught Nex's weapons, energizing them mid-flight.

  Gamuikaze tried to counter. He focused his tornadoes, drawing them tight to defend. But Nex knew the fool wouldn't stand a chance. Their combination technique was flawless.

  Until the wind shifted.

  Hard.

  A violent typhoon ripped through the air. Not from Gamuikaze, but from Yasuya. The massive dragon finally moved, sweeping through the sky like a force of nature.

  Nex and Viz twisted to avoid the blast. Not the dragon himself, but the wind he generated. It nearly tore their flight apart. Yasuya arched through the clouds like a serpentine titan. Then the clouds glowed.

  Beams of light sliced through the sky.

  "Nex!"

  "Let's move, Viz!"

  They tore across the sky as beams exploded behind them, lighting the world in fire and radiance. Nex didn't dare stop. If one of those blasts touched them, they'd be done.

  A beam screamed past. Nex spun out of its path, keeping his eyes locked on Viz. His brother dodged too, tight and clean. They stayed close enough to hear each other's hearts pounding.

  "I can barely see ahead!" Viz called out.

  Nex saw it too. Yasuya's blasts left lingering residue. Cloud particles clotted the air. Smoke mixed with storm. The whole battlefield shifted.

  Then he realized, these clouds were becoming storm clouds.

  "Watch out, Viz!"

  The skies unleashed divine bolts. Nex narrowly avoided one that singed past his ear. A sonic dive saved him, barely.

  "We'll head lower and..."

  His words vanished.

  The clouds split open.

  From the murk rose Yasuya, vast and terrible. His coils blotted out the heavens. His jaws opened wide, and a glow brighter than the sun gathered within.

  A beam fired. Not like before. Faster. Heavier. It dragged the sky with it. Reality bent around the blast.

  No time to think.

  Nex jerked sideways, but the gravity was already catching him.

  "Nex!"

  Viz slammed into him, hurling them both into a cloudbank. The beam roared past, shaking the world. Nex's body rattled. His ears rang. Everything spun.

  He blinked. Mist stung his eyes. Viz's claws dug into his shoulder.

  "Y-you were about to, about to..."

  "I know," Nex said. He coughed, still dizzy. He hated weakness. Hated it more when Viz had to save him. But he gripped his brother's arm for a second longer than needed. "Thanks."

  Outside, Yasuya's silhouette drifted through the clouds. Endless coils moving like he was part of the storm. No, he was the storm. The battlefield bent to him. Even Gamuikaze's cyclones now seemed like toys by comparison.

  Nex clenched his jaw. His wings twitched. His pride howled at him to fly out there and show the world who he was. Prove he was more than KiAera. Prove he was a commander in waiting.

  But a new voice whispered in the back of his mind. This was what it meant to fight one of Jalkra's Generals. They were just getting started.