Fight Begin

Yongrong also picked a slab for himself, revealing the number seven. When this number was called, a Green Dragon from the group stepped forward, holding a matching slab. Yongrong hadn't fought this dragon before and didn't know its name, but he recognized it as one that often stuck with other Green Dragons.

Being older and female, the Green Dragon was slightly larger than Yongrong, but not as muscular. She seemed surprised to face Yongrong as her opponent, twisting her neck and baring her teeth in a fierce gesture.

In the world of colored dragons, Green Dragons were tough adversaries. Unlike the arrogant Red Dragons or the weaker Black and White Dragons, the cunning and cautious Green Dragons inherited most of the Dragon Queen's strengths. Their only shortcoming was a slightly lower power ceiling than the Blue Dragons, but that wasn't apparent in their youth. The Green Dragons held their own among the dominant groups in the courtyard.

Yongrong glanced at the sky, more concerned about time than winning. The arena was large, but to ensure fair fights, he couldn't start multiple duels simultaneously. He chose a central area for the battles, allowing all dragons to watch, preventing any cheating or disruptions.

As the Green Dragon cautiously approached, her body tensed, ready to strike. Yongrong grinned, recognizing her intent to engage in close combat, leveraging her age advantage in strength.

"Come on," Yongrong nodded in acknowledgment.

As the Green Dragon lunged, Yongrong remained still, focusing his energy, bracing himself on his hind legs and tail. Kazan, watching from the sidelines, scoffed, "Foolish to take a hit head-on from a bigger dragon."

But Yongrong surprised everyone. As the Green Dragon charged, he suddenly ducked low, almost flat on the ground, then thrust upward, his head striking the Green Dragon's underbelly. Blood sprayed as she toppled over.

Hel, watching, recognized the move as a tactic Yongrong had used during a hunt, reminiscent of how a Spiky Beast had once overpowered a young dragon. Yongrong quickly pivoted, targeting the Green Dragon's wound with a heavy stomp.

"A dragon must capitalize on any advantage, showing no mercy," Yongrong thought, a principle from his dragon heritage. Though the fight wasn't to the death, he played by the rules – fight until the opponent is incapacitated or surrenders.

After the second stomp, the Green Dragon cried out in pain, but her screams were cut short as Yongrong clamped her jaws shut, preventing her from using her venomous breath. Eventually, she conceded defeat using belly speech.

The duel, though filled with actions, was brief and efficient. Yongrong released his grip as the Green Dragon lay gasping, more defeated in spirit than in strength. She muttered something before slowly getting up, covering her wound.

The onlooking young dragons murmured among themselves. Yongrong, who hadn't fought since before his last hibernation, had quickly defeated an opponent nearing adolescence.

Yongrong watched the Green Dragon leave, not wanting to add insult to injury. Her strength was commendable, but she had misjudged his prepared stance.

The subsequent battles were less interesting – either the older, larger dragons won, or those with more fighting experience. Yongrong was curious about Kazan's fight, but his opponent, a weak Black Dragon, was quickly overpowered.

...

On the castle above, the two adolescent dragons, Quis and Kayar, watched with amusement. "Let's bet, using the coins you've hoarded from the clan," Quis suggested. "You pick first."

"I'll bet on Kazan. Despite my reluctance to admit it, that half-blood is stronger than the others," Kayar decided.

Quis chuckled, "Then I bet on Akatosh, my protégé. One gold coin!"

"Scrooge," Kayar teased.

"Care to switch jobs? I'll pay you two gold coins a day," Quis joked.

"In your dreams," Kayar retorted, their banter continuing as they watched the ongoing duels below.