Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons

“You seem different,” commented Larissa during a brief moment when both caught their breath. “Did something happen?”

Luna didn’t respond verbally. Instead, a moment later, she disappeared along with her wolf in the shadows.

Larissa barely had time to reinforce her mineral defense before Luna reappeared to her left, launching a kick that almost penetrated her guard in the part where she had no mineral armor. Simultaneously, the wolf emerged from a different shadow, attacking from below and making it impossible to defend completely.

‘It’s much more annoying when she uses the wolf independently,’ Larissa complained, avoiding being completely caught by the creature’s jaws but receiving small cuts from the teeth on her leg. ‘It’s like fighting against two, against a second coordinated attacker.’

The strategy was devastatingly effective. Luna executed spatial jumps while her wolf moved through the shadows with equal fluidity, creating an attack pattern that her individual defense couldn’t completely contain.

“I underestimated you,” admitted Larissa, her voice barely audible as she executed her own spatial jump to gain distance.

Luna appeared almost immediately beside her, her eyes fixed on Larissa with a disturbing intensity. “Grave mistake,” she simply responded.

Larissa’s lynx provided her with considerable speed and reaction enhancements even if not manifested, but even with that boost, she found herself at a disadvantage.

The combination of Luna’s shadow wolf and light feline, though the latter wasn’t manifested either, gave her a speed superior to Larissa’s that became increasingly evident as the combat progressed.

Larissa frantically analyzed her options while countering another dual attack. Her usual strategy of solid defense combined with precise counterattacks was failing against Luna’s superior mobility and reaction.

She needed to change her approach.

‘Her attacks are fast but follow a pattern,’ she observed, noticing how the wolf always attacked from the opposite side to Luna, maximizing the division of attention required to defend. ‘If I could predict her next move…’

Instead of trying to defend on all fronts simultaneously, she could sacrifice some protection to ensure an effective counterattack, as she had done in the team battle or as Ren had done against Klein.

The two were getting tired and could no longer use mana to jump so frequently, so it was the perfect moment.

The next time Luna appeared, Larissa was prepared. She deliberately reinforced her defense to the point of being a bit heavy, leaving a calculated opening in her left flank and even projected her light to manipulate the position of the available shadows…

As anticipated, the wolf emerged precisely at that point, its jaws closing around her leg.

The pain was sharp but bearable thanks to the mineral protection. The important thing was that she now had the wolf momentarily immobilized and that Luna’s attack shouldn’t hurt too much from the other side.

With a fast movement, she directed her spear straight at the creature’s head.

“Got you!” she exclaimed, certain that the wolf, trapped in physical form and vulnerable, couldn’t evade the impact.

What she didn’t expect was the smile that appeared on her cousin’s face.

“No,” Luna responded softly. “I’ve got you.”

At the last instant, just when the spear was about to connect with the wolf, Luna appeared directly in front of Larissa, taking the weapon with both hands. Her eyes, now inches from Larissa’s, shone with challenging fury.

Larissa tried to free her spear, but Luna held it firmly. “Where’s the wolf?” she managed to ask, suddenly aware that the creature was no longer biting her leg.

Luna’s smile widened. “Behind you.”

Before Larissa could channel enough mana to jump again, she felt a chill run down her spine. Luna had deliberately created a shadow in front of her to change the area Larissa thought was safe.

The wolf emerged from the projected shadow, attacking directly from behind.

“I’m sorry,” Luna murmured in Larissa’s ear.

Larissa fell to her knees from the intense pain… Her back complaining about being, again, the target that the princess didn’t seem so good at covering, even with the lynx gifted by Ren.

Lin, who had attentively observed the combat from her position, advanced to the center of the arena. “Victory for Luna Starweaver!” she announced, her voice resonating throughout the stadium.

The applause was immediate and enthusiastic. It had been an extraordinary demonstration of strategy and speed, a combat that many thought would end differently based on previous battles and worthy of being counted as part of one of the best tournaments.

“Good match,” offered Luna when they had finished stopping the bleeding on Larissa’s back, extending her hand in a gesture of respect and friendship.

Larissa accepted the gesture. “Good strategy,” she acknowledged. “I never anticipated you would use my own light by projecting your shadow against me.”

“Being attentive to the position of shadows is already natural for me,” responded Luna, almost all of her previous annoyance vanished.

♢♢♢♢

Night extended over the academy while urgent meetings took place. Julius, moving with the efficiency that characterized him, had summoned his most trusted brothers.

Victor, the oldest of his brothers, had arrived with the speed that his position in the defensive forces allowed him. Arturo, the middle brother, had presented himself shortly after, marking the gravity of the situation, as it was quite uncommon given his tight schedule.

“Are you completely sure?” asked Victor, his deep voice resonating in the private chamber.

Julius nodded. “Abyssal energy in the kid Klein Goldcrest.”

“This goes beyond the usual transgressions with spies,” commented Arturo, his fingers gently drumming on the table. “It’s a blatant violation of the agreements established after the last war.”

Near them, Selphira had organized her own emergency council. Representatives of families allied to the Ashenways, their expressions varying between indignation and political calculation.

“We need to present a united front,” declared Selphira, her voice soft but unbreakable. “What happened today cannot go without a response.”

“And the leader of the Goldcrests?” asked an elderly man, his penetrating eyes fixed on Selphira. “What has been his reaction?”

As if answering his question, the doors opened to make way for a breathless messenger. After making a hasty bow, he delivered a sealed scroll to Selphira.

“Response from the main Goldcrest residence, Lady Ashenway,” he formally informed.

Selphira broke the seal, her eyes quickly scanning the lines written in the elegant calligraphy characteristic of the Goldcrest patriarch. Her expression remained impassive, though a slight tensing at the corner of her lips momentarily betrayed her reaction.

“He will arrive in three days,” she finally announced, rolling up the scroll again.