The Strong Eleven. A title, the disciples of the sect had given the new disciples who managed to pass all the trials successfully, especially the Trial of Survival.

They deserved this title because their trials had been very, very intense, torturous, and more dangerous than previous years, mostly. What had made it even more dangerous was the Trial of Survival. It was so dangerous that more than two contestants nearly died. That was how dangerous it had been, so anyone who had survived it was very powerful.

The strong eleven were divided into the top three and the bottom eight.

The top three were Bahamut, Sel, and Lily, who had gone low-key for so long. The rest in order were Aerith, Rex, Exildra, Gabi, Yuka, Yuko, Wilson, and Aria.

Some of them had already fought, and their battles had been nothing short of legendary, even Wilson and Aria’s fight. So, seeing another set of the strong eleven right after Sel and Yuka’s battle made the audience more than hyped to watch it. This was a learning opportunity for many, as they would at least learn some skills the strong eleven used to survive their trials.

The current fighters were Yuko and Rex, the last two among the eleven who had yet to fight. Yuko was the meekest of the twins, and despite his ferocious appearance, which was even more wolverine than his brother’s, he looked scared. Rex, on the other hand, was, as usual, the quiet giant of a youth. He stood with his arms folded on his chest, his dark skin glistening under the sun, his muscles brimming with barely restrained power. He barely talked.

Yuko’s body also released cold air as his blue eyes glowed, awaiting the signal from Elder Hakar.

The arena hadn’t even recovered from the eerie calm of Sel’s battle when the atmosphere shifted again.

This time it wasn’t silent. It was tense.

"Start."

The moment Elder Hakar’s voice dropped, Yuko moved first: not forward, but back.

SKRRRT!

His feet slid across the arena floor as a burst of cold air exploded from his body, frost instantly spreading outward in a wide radius. The ground whitened, a thin sheet of ice forming in seconds as mist curled around him like a living veil.

His breathing was sharp and controlled, but his eyes... They were alert, fearful, and calculating. Rex didn’t move. He stood where he was, arms still folded, gaze locked on Yuko with a quiet intensity that felt heavier than any roar.

Then...

CRACK!

The ground beneath Rex’s feet split not from an attack, but from pressure. His arms dropped slowly to his sides. The air around him thickened.

"Come."

That was all he said. Yuko’s jaw tightened.

BOOM!

He shot forward. Fast. Faster than most expected from his timid demeanor. The ice beneath him propelled his movement, his body gliding with terrifying speed as cold mist trailed behind him like a comet’s tail.

SLASH!

His claws tore forward, coated in a layer of hardened frost.

CLANG!

Rex raised an arm and blocked it. Barehanded. The impact echoed like metal striking metal. Yuko’s eyes widened. What kind of body...

WHAM!

Rex’s fist came down. Yuko twisted his body mid-motion.

BOOM!

The ground shattered where he had been. He slid back, boots carving lines into the ice, his chest heaving slightly.

"He’s not human..." someone whispered in the stands.

Yuko didn’t hesitate again.

FWOOSH!

Cold surged violently from his body. The temperature dropped sharply. His fur bristled, glowing faintly blue as the frost thickened around his limbs, his claws elongating with jagged ice extensions. This wasn’t hesitation anymore. This was survival.

"HAH!"

He lunged again, faster, sharper, and more desperate.

SHIK! SHIK! SHIK!

A barrage of strikes rained down on Rex, each one layered with freezing force that attempted to slow, bind, and pierce.

This time, Rex moved. Not quickly, but decisively. His body shifted just enough to redirect the blows, his arms absorbing the strikes with minimal movement. Then, he grabbed Yuko’s wrist firmly and unshakably.

Yuko’s heart skipped.

"Too light."

CRACK!

Rex twisted. Yuko’s body lifted off the ground.

BOOOOM!

And slammed into the arena floor, ice shattering violently beneath him. Yuko coughed. Blood touched his lips, but his eyes didn’t dim. They sharpened.

"Not enough..."

The cold around him spiked. The entire arena floor began to freeze over at an alarming rate, thick ice spreading in jagged patterns as pillars of frost erupted upward around Rex.

Yuko rose slowly. His body trembled, but his aura... It surged. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"I won’t lose..."

The mist thickened until his figure was barely visible. Then, he vanished. Rex’s eyes narrowed slightly. A faint shift.

Then...

WHOOOSH!

Yuko appeared behind him, claws aimed at his neck.

CLANG!

Rex turned and blocked again, but this time, the cold bit deeper. Ice crawled up his arm. Yuko’s eyes lit up.

"Got you!"

BOOM!

An explosion of force erupted from Rex’s body, raw and unfiltered. The ice shattered instantly, the shockwave blasting Yuko backward as if he had been struck by a moving wall. He hit the ground hard, rolled, and stopped.

Silence.

"Again."

Yuko stood slowly and unsteadily. His breathing was rough now. His body was worn, but his eyes were still burning, still fighting. Rex watched him for a moment. Something flickered in his gaze. Respect.

Then, He stepped forward. The ground cracked beneath each step. The air grew heavier.

"Then come."

Yuko roared. Not out of confidence, but defiance.

"AAAAAAH!"

He charged.

Everything he had left poured into that final assault. The cold around him condensed into a dense, swirling mass, his entire body becoming a blur of frost and claws as he launched himself at Rex with everything he had.

Rex met him head-on. No hesitation. No retreat.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The collision shook the entire arena. Ice exploded outward. Stone cracked. Wind roared. For a moment, no one could see anything. Just a storm of frost and dust. Then it settled slowly, revealing two figures standing barely. Yuko’s claws pressed against Rex’s chest.

Rex’s fist buried into Yuko’s side. Both were frozen in place. Both were trembling. Both were at their limit. A drop of blood fell. Then another. Their eyes locked, but neither moved. Neither could.

Then, their bodies gave out.

THUD!

They collapsed at the same time. Silence filled the arena.

Elder Hakar’s voice rang out.

"Draw."

And this time, the arena erupted.