Owlvine

"I'm glad you're confident."

Ash put down her pen and glanced at the freshly written notes on the Owlvine's characteristics.

She then highlighted a few key points for Larvanine.

After explaining the critical strategies, she put away her notebook and let Larvanine continue its pre-match warmup.

Dealing with Avis Spirit Beasts wasn't new territory for them.

Months ago, Ash had taken Larvanine to Azure Bay Mountain for extensive targeted training.

Today, it was merely a matter of fine-tuning their approach based on the current circumstances.

Thanks to the enclosed battle arenas during the exam and the rule that disqualified candidates are barred from re-entering the testing area,

So far, Ash's tactics have caught her opponents off guard.

However, Ash wasn't sure how many more victories this strategy could secure.

The further she advanced, the stronger the novice Beast Masters she faced became.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to achieve surprise victories at the precise moment the referee blew the whistle.

Moreover, as time passed, the arenas would no longer be limited to just referees and opponents.

The university professors and senior students who are scouting for promising newcomers would soon begin patrolling the examination venues.

In order to capture their attention, Ash knew she'd have to start revealing some of the new skills she had spent the past six months developing with Larvanine.

Ash had already secured her qualification for the Beast Master Department.

Now, every match was a stepping stone toward a better future.

She needed to prove to those selecting candidates for their institutions that, even though her starter Spirit Beast was a Larvanine, she was someone worth admitting and nurturing.

After Ash took a deep breath, she slowly exhaled and extended her arm toward Larvanine, who had just finished warming up on the floor.

"Let's go, Sunny... It's our turn to take the stage."

...

In the Afternoon, Zone D, Arena No. 21.

Ash and David Balfour stood at the midpoint of the short edges of the rectangular arena.

Although both of them had competed in numerous matches, the referee still went through the rules with tireless patience before declaring the match's start.

Particularly the emphasis on "friendship first, competition second, and stopping at the appropriate point" was repeated before nearly every match by referees across the venues.

As soon as the match began, both of them began quietly channeling their spiritual energy the moment the referee started speaking.

They want to seize the upper hand as soon as the whistle blew.

In particular, the Larvanine and Owlvine in the arena were natural predator and prey.

From the moment they locked eyes upon entering, it was as if sparks had been crackling in the air between them.

"If there are no objections..."

Seeing neither side raise concerns about the rules, the referee at the edge of the arena wasted no time.

He raised the flag and swung it down.

The sharp whistle pierced the air.

As it sounded, both Spirit Beasts moved in unison.

Ash's opponent, David Balfour, raised his right hand, preparing to channel his spirit energy to empower Owlvine, intending to finish off Ash's Larvanine in a single strike.

"Owlvine, use—"

Before David could complete his command, a flash of green lightning shot toward Owlvine.

It was the Larvanine who is darting forward without any command from Ash.

In a lightning-fast maneuver, Larvanine slammed into the belly of Owlvine just as it ascended into the air.

"Owlvine~!"

A pained screech escaped Owlvine as gleaming white silk threads wound around its slender neck.

Deep within Larvanine's dark, shiny eyes, a faint bluish-purple glow began to radiate.

The threads around Owlvine's neck suddenly sprouted countless fine, sharp spikes.

As the threads tightened, the spikes pierced the eagle's skin, injecting venomous spiritual energy directly into its body.

Without hesitation, Larvanine bit down on the silk threads, using the momentum of its downward fall to swing the paralyzed Owlvine from the air and smash it into the ground.

"Boom!"

The Owlvine hit the hard-packed dirt with a resounding thud, sending up a cloud of dust that swirled in the air.

As the dust began to settle, Larvanine landed alongside its opponent.

Not giving Owlvine any chance to recover, Larvanine immediately leaped again, empowered by the spiritual energy Ash channeled through their soul mark.

Encasing itself in dense, earthen energy, it delivered the final blow to Owlvine, whose wings hadn't even managed to rise.

"Owlvine~!"

The referee at the arena's edge blew the whistle, signaling the end of the match.

"Owlvine is unable to fight. Candidate 31143, Ash Bloom, wins."

The battle between Larvanine and Owlvine lasted no more than three seconds—so swift that David didn't even have time to finish his command.

His Owlvine lay unconscious, unable to continue.

Even the referee, momentarily stunned by the uncommanded blitz.

He couldn't help but cast Ash a second glance.

"Well fought," Ash said calmly, nodding slightly at David, who was still frozen in shock at his loss.

She then squatting down and allowed Larvanine to climb back onto her shoulder.

Her opponent's greatest mistake had been underestimating Larvanine because of its weak appearance.

Ash didn't linger in the arena.

After collecting her updated examination card from the referee, which now reflected her increasing win streak, she departed with Larvanine.

Outside, her name and victory count naturally appeared on the electronic leaderboard, proudly displayed for all to see.

Soon enough, Ash's name and win streak were pushed further down the leaderboard as new victors emerged.

Although her name only remained visible for less than half a minute, some observant people still noticed Candidate 31143 and her contracted Spirit Beast, Larvanine.

"Interesting."

In Zone A, a young man wearing sunglasses and chewing on a lollipop stood before the electronic leaderboard.

As he noticed Ash's name disappear beneath freshly updated entries, a knowing smile spread across his face.

Meanwhile, on a nearby street, a buzz-cut boy clad in the Balamb University team uniform was scanning his surroundings, as if searching for someone.

The moment he spotted the man with sunglasses standing by the leaderboard, his face lit up with excitement.