Cybernetic Beast Taming In A Game-like World-Chapter 41: Turned to a Spectacle

Jethro materialized beside Kekius once again, his gaze immediately dropping to the battleground where Durn now stood alone with his mechbeast. The look of disgrace and frustration on the boy’s face was cathartic, but even better, Jethro’s plans were going smoothly.

So far, he was the one with the highest points for House Faction. At least amongst the first years.

But something felt strange. Around him, it seemed like everyone was especially quiet. When he glanced around, he caught eyes darting away from his, whispering to their friends behind their palms things Jethro couldn’t hear.

It only bothered him for a moment before he decided that it probably had something to do with him winning the match. Though he didn’t expect his victory to be that shocking.

But then his gaze stopped at Kekius beside him, who was staring at him like he no longer recognized him. Like Jethro had ascended to some kind of god.

"Why didn’t you tell me?" Kekius asked, appearing thoughtful.

"Tell you what?" Jethro said with a frown.

"About you and the Conqueror," Kekius whispered. "You’re the one who survived."

A look of realization painted itself over Jethro’s face. His eyes swept the amphitheater and understood now why they were all staring at him and whispering.

Jethro had never thought of it before. He hadn’t actively tried to hide it. He simply wanted to forget about it. Instinctively, he wanted everything about that day to be forgotten. Buried.

Jethro had no idea that no one else knew. He never even bothered to think that they would act differently if they did know. That he would turn to a spectacle.

But now, from the looks on all their faces, Jethro knew for sure that the way they would act towards him would be different. Except now he would always be reminded of the reason. The slaughter that killed his first ever team but spared him... and someone else.

His crimson eyes drifted across the amphitheater to where Padva was. Their eyes locked at that moment, as though they were both thinking about the same thing.

"For our next participants...!" Professor Xan’s voice thundered through the chaos of whispers. "We have two exciting prospects facing off in Skarion Zentara... and Padva Darlstarc!"

Jethro’s gaze broke slightly as the energy tube appeared and scooped Padva off the crowd. He quickly glanced down at the battleground where she had reappeared, standing across from the shadow-dressed Skarion Zentara.

Both their mechbeasts were with them. Padva’s Doomsday Panther stalked beside her while Skarion’s Shadowfiend Raven perched quietly on his shoulder.

"All you fledglings should pay close attention to this sparring match up!" Professor Xan commanded. "It will be your introduction to the level of competition to expect in a fight between two mechbeast tamers. Learn what you can from the skills these two are about to showcase."

The shield rose once more, sealing both contenders inside the battlesquare. Skarion gazed at Padva studiously, while she looked at him with no intent in her deadpan eyes. Just sternness.

"Let us have a good match, Princess Padva," Skarion said, acknowledging her with a nod. Padva didn’t even move.

"Commence!" Xan roared.

Skarion didn’t hesitate to explode into action. "Umbrax!" He commanded his mechbird. "Shadow Shriek!"

The raven launched itself skywards, wings wide and let out a loud shriek that was followed by a wave of powerful, discordant darkness. At the same time, Skarion sped forward, his palm summoning a ball of shadow energy, eyes locked on his target: an unmoving Padva Darlstarc.

She didn’t appear to be bothered at all by the attack. If she was, she didn’t show it.

She only remained still, and expressionless, watching Skarion and his raven’s attack get closer.

Just as Skarion shot the shadow ball, she and her Panther were both sucked into a tiny space, vanishing. The attacks struck her previous position, causing a few puffs of black smoke to cover the space.

Jethro’s eyebrows raised in surprise. ’So she can warp independently now. Without the help of her Panther.’

"Would you look at that!" Professor Xan raved like a football commentator. "Skarion Zentara just demonstrated advanced command synergy with his mechbeast! But it seems the Sector Twelve princess has gotten some very tasty powers from her Doomsday Panther!"

Skarion turned around, his dark hair whipping against his face as he searched for where Padva had reappeared to. Suddenly, he saw a shadow form over him, and when he spun his gaze, his dark eyes widened at the sight of the princess lunging at him with a fist burning with a dark purple energy.

CRACKKKK!

The fist connected with his jaw, rocking his head to the side. Padva warped again, reappearing to his left and punching him once again. This energy punch rocked him so hard he skidded backwards on the metal floor.

Relentless, Padva warped once more, reappearing behind him as he was still recovering. Then she delivered a spinning kick that struck him hard on the side of his head, sending him spinning multiple times in the air before finally hitting the neon shield.

Everyone gasped.

"She’s ruthless. Completely dismantling him."

"But his mechbeast is Black Rank. Hers is Platinum. How’s she doing this?"

"You idiot! Don’t you ever listen to anything you’re taught?! She’s using minimal aether for maximum effect!"

Jethro also shared the same surprise as the rest of the crowd. He knew that Padva was highly skilled and powerful from the way she fought inside the Rift. But even he had not expected this.

She must have gotten that warp skill recently and yet she was using it like an ability she’d had since birth. And the power behind her punches and kicks. The skill. What kind of training did she go through to get this good?!

A screech filled the air as Umbrax, Skarion’s Raven twisted around Padva, studying her body for an attack. But her mechpanther, Shadow, immediately came to her rescue.

It leaped up and its baby claws extended out of its paws, glinting with void energy. It caught the Raven by the wing, but the mechbird spun around quickly, shrugging the panther off.

Skarion saw his opening. As Padva’s focus returned from the disengaging mechbeasts, she caught Skarion swinging a shadow fist towards her face. But she caught it late.

Still, somehow, she was able to stop him with her palm, blocking the punch from connecting with her chin. But the shadow energy accompanying the fist was stronger than she had anticipated.

It imploded violently outward after charging up in between their hands, and it blasted right up at Padva, pushing her off her feet. She tumbled end over end across the arena floor, striking the hard surface multiple times before skidding to a painful, crumpled stop near the shield’s edge.

"Yes! Yes!" Professor Xan exclaimed in excitement. "This is what I want!! Zentara just utilized implosive shadow conversion! A high-grade technique!"

Students in the stands stared in astonishment. "What kind of punch was that?"

"The kind that Black-Rank tamers throw." another one said.

"But still... he’s only Class D, right? And his mechbeast just hit the Juvenile Stage. What happens when he and that thing actually grow stronger?"

One student scoffed. "You just make sure that he never has to punch you."

Back in the battleground, Padva was struggling to get up. Her Deathclaw and Skarion’s Silverbeak were locked in a fight, snarling and shrieking. Skarion, breathing heavily but focused, was already gearing up for another attack.

He extended his hand, and from his palm, a burst of black feathers erupted into the air, fluttering fast towards Padva. She had only found her footing when she sensed the danger. She didn’t know what the feathers could do, but when one nearly clipped her, she warped out of the way.

She reappeared a few yards away, just in time to see the feather hit the shield and explode on contact.

Padva realized then that they contained shadow energy, the same thing that he had just punched her with. And right in front of her was a whole barrage of them: glistening black feathers tearing through the air like shuriken shadow bombs.

Hungry for impact.