Beast Evolution Forge

Chapter 107 Tournament 3

The arena buzzed with anticipation as Sara stepped into the ring, her famous lightning blade catching the sunlight. She moved with the fluid grace of a master swordswoman, each step precise and measured. Her silver hair danced in the wind as she took her position, hand resting casually on her sword hilt.

"Look at her stance!" someone shouted from the crowd. "She's not messing around today!"

"That rookie's about to learn what real speed looks like!"

Across from her, Vell shuffled into the arena with his now-familiar awkward gait. His cheap sword hung loosely at his side, and his armor looked even more worn than yesterday.

Sara raised an eyebrow at his appearance. "You should have quit while you were ahead, rookie. Yesterday's luck won't save you from my blade."

"Ah... maybe," he scratched his head, looking nervous. "But I'll try my best!"

Laughter rippled through the crowd at his response. Even Sara's lips twitched in amusement.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer's voice boomed. "In the red corner, ranked 47th in the realm, with over three hundred confirmed victories, the unstoppable 'Lightning Blade' Sara!"

The crowd erupted in cheers as Sara gave a graceful bow.

"And in the blue corner, yesterday's surprise victor, the rookie swordsman—Vell!"

Sara drew her blade in one smooth motion, its edge gleaming with a faint blue light—her signature enhancement technique. Vell pulled out his sword with considerably less grace, nearly dropping it in the process.

Henry spotted the beast girl from the bar in her usual spot, her eyes fixed on the arena with that same knowing smile.

"Begin!"@@@@

Sara vanished, reappearing behind Vell with her blade already in motion. He stumbled forward, barely avoiding the strike.

"Oh? Good reflexes," she said, her blade becoming a blur. "But not good enough!"

He yelped as he awkwardly parried her strikes, his movements looking more like lucky accidents than skill. "Wow, you're really fast!" he exclaimed, somehow managing to sound both impressed and terrified.

"Stop moving!" Her attacks grew faster, more intense. Each strike should have been lethal, yet somehow his clumsy movements kept him just out of reach. "This isn't possible!"

"What's wrong with her?" someone in the crowd shouted. "Just finish him already!"

"Maybe she's going easy on him?"

Vell stumbled again, but this time his sword accidentally caught Sara's sleeve, tearing it.

The crowd gasped.

"You..." Her eyes narrowed. Her blade began to glow with a brilliant blue light. "Now you've done it. Thousand Lightning Strikes!"

The air crackled with energy as her sword became a storm of strikes. Yet Vell continued his awkward dance, each near-fall and clumsy dodge somehow placing him exactly where her blade wasn't.

"Stop. Moving! Dammit!" Her composure finally cracked. Sweat dripped down her face as her attacks grew wilder. "Fight properly, damn you!"

Back in the fighters' quarters, Vell let out a long breath and slumped onto a bench. His hands trembled slightly, and he stared at them as if they belonged to someone else.

"I overdid it," he muttered, rubbing his face. "They're going to start asking questions."

From the shadows, the beast girl emerged, her expression a mix of amusement and reproach. "You think?" she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You shattered her blade. You made her doubt everything she's ever trained for. Subtlety, ever heard of it?"

He groaned, leaning back against the wall. "It's not my fault. She's the one who kept pushing."

"Uh-huh," she replied, crossing her arms. "And I suppose putting your sword to her throat was a calculated accident too?"

"It worked, didn't it?" He gave her a sheepish grin.

She sighed, shaking her head. "You're lucky people will chalk this up to a fluke for now. But if you keep pulling stunts like that, someone dangerous is going to notice—and not in a good way."

He grinned villainously. "Someone dangerous already has. Soon I will be ranked the highest in this city, its all a matter of time."

"I still don't get why we have to go through all this trouble, you could just-"

"Shh, don't spoil the fun, it will come together nicely, just keep doing your part."

"Well, I will carry out your orders, master."

---

Meanwhile, Sara sat in the healer's tent, clutching the shards of her broken blade. The tournament staff had tried to console her, offering reassurances about replacements and repairs, but none of it registered. All she could think about was the look in Vell's eyes.

It wasn't anger or arrogance—it was something far colder. Something dangerous and unrelenting.

Her hands clenched into fists. She had spent years building her reputation, perfecting her techniques, and rising through the ranks. To be humiliated like this by a rookie... no, she wouldn't let it stand.

"I'll find out what you're hiding," she whispered to herself. "And I'll make you regret it."

---

Elsewhere, high above the arena, a figure cloaked in shadows watched the aftermath on a crystal display. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the armrest of his chair, the faint glow of his eyes betraying his intrigue.

"Interesting," he murmured. "Very interesting. A rookie with no record, no history, and yet... such power."

He leaned forward, a predatory smile curving his lips. "Let's see how far you can go before you break, Vell."

Many guild masters also began to take interest in him while others were suspicious and wanted nothing to do with him. The vibe he gave off was just too weird for them to overlook.

---

As the second day of the tournament continued, the spotlight lingered on Vell, but the whispers behind the scenes grew louder. Henry, still shaken, couldn't shake the feeling that he was being drawn into something far bigger than he'd ever imagined.

And somewhere in the heart of the city, a storm was beginning to brew—one that would change the course of the tournament, and perhaps the entire city, forever.