Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons

Luna raised her gaze toward Ren, who was offering his hand to help her up. She thought again about the hug, turned red, and thought he would mock her or her reaction… but she was surprised to find no arrogance in his expression, just simple respect.

“You were great,” said Ren sincerely. “It hurt a lot to receive your shadow claw; you surprised me with that last move.”

Luna hesitated a moment before accepting his hand. “How… how do you do it?” she asked quietly, so only he could hear her. “How do you so sincerely believe everything you say?”

“Believe what I say?” repeated Ren. “I’m not sure if I understand the question, but maybe the right answer is… because my parents were always honest with me…?”

Luna thought for a moment and then nodded slowly. For some reason, defeat didn’t feel as bitter as she had anticipated.

“Next time,” murmured Luna as she released Ren’s hand, “fight normally and don’t touch my belly.” But there was something in her tone, a slight hesitation, that contradicted the severity of her words.

Ren blinked, bewildered. “I don’t understand why you prefer me to hit you, it hurts, you know t…?”

“Just don’t do it!” Luna cut him off, a traitorous blush coloring her cheeks. Then, lowering her voice, she added: “You’re immune to social hints… impressive and interesting, Patinder.”

“What did you say I am?” asked Ren, confused.

Before Ren could insist, Luna quickly moved away toward the exit, leaving him confused in the middle of the arena while applause resonated throughout the stadium.

Ren stood staring at the empty space for a moment, his mushrooms pulsing with a rhythm that seemed thoughtful, before continuing his way to where his friends were waiting to celebrate.

As they both headed toward the exit, Luna couldn’t help looking toward the box where her father… was no longer there.

Sirius Starweaver observed from the shadows with an evaluative expression. His eyes briefly rested on the figure of the boy with luminescent mushrooms before sighing and heading toward where the other noble leaders were discussing slightly more urgent matters.

“Don’t think it’s over,” he murmured to himself, an idea slowly forming in his mind.

♢♢♢♢

The battle between Klein and Ren had felt like a more intense final; the first group final against Luna had been a bit more controlled, but…

What few commented on was that while the first group had captured all the attention more than expected, the second group had also been completely dominated by the Gray Wing boys.

Min and Liu, implementing revolutionary tactics as double tamers, had swept through their opponents in ways so effective they were almost anticlimactic.

Min had defeated all his contenders by becoming invisible and then launching a powerful water strike that knocked them out of the arena in a matter of seconds.

Liu, for his part, had perfected his technique to charge a devastating sound attack from the edge of the arena before his opponents could get close to him.

“Why doesn’t anyone talk about them?” repeated a fourth-year student observing the results tables.

“Because their battles are ridiculously brief,” answered another with a sigh. “They have too much advantage. There’s no tension, no drama… just one hit and it’s over.”

The Group 2 final had matched Liu against Min, generating great expectations among spectators. Two underdogs with such advantageous abilities promised a spectacle worth watching.

However, the reality was very different.

When Min activated his invisibility and launched himself against Liu, the latter simply used his sonar to locate him with millimetric accuracy. A single, devastating sound attack was enough to neutralize Min, ending the battle in less than 4 seconds.

The audience applauded politely, but general disappointment was evident. The potential confrontation between two innovative techniques had been reduced to a moment of anticlimax again.

The sound attack was too powerful.

“Victory for Liu Shiwang, winner of the second group!” announced Yang, while the audience exchanged bewildered glances.

♢♢♢♢

“You didn’t have to finish me so quickly!” protested Min as they headed to the arena for the grand final. “You didn’t even let me show my new aquatic figures technique!”

Liu shrugged. “It was our group’s final. I wasn’t going to hold back.”

“Even so,” insisted Min, “you could have let the audience enjoy a bit more. Now everyone’s talking only about Ren and the first group.”

Taro, walking beside them, tried to mediate. “Come on, Min. The important thing is that Gray Wing has dominated both groups. No one can deny our talent now.”

Min frowned, clearly not convinced. “I guess now I’ll have to support Ren with more enthusiasm against you,” he declared, looking at Liu with feigned indignation.

The last battle didn’t take long to start since Ren and Liu had no significant injuries.

“The first-year final promises to be interesting,” commented a professor. “Sound against light… Several jumpers and children of high nobility got beaten. I wonder what the following years will be like when we have to teach these kids with such rare elements in the same year.”

Another nodded. “I hope it’s indeed interesting. I want to see a good battle to close the tournament, not another anticlimax… I was told the first-years were showing good moments, but I only saw quick formalities.”

“Perhaps we should have arrived at this arena a few days earlier…”

The arena was completely full when the time came for the final battle.

“The grand final of the first-year individual tournament,” announced Lin, her voice resonating throughout the stadium. “Ren Patinder versus Liu Shiwang.”

Both competitors advanced toward the arena. Liu maintained a serene expression, confident in the effectiveness of his now fast charging sound technique. Ren, for his part, was taking an unusual running position, like a sprinter about to shoot out.

Liu was suddenly not so confident anymore and swallowed hard upon noticing Ren’s posture. His technique required at least three seconds of charging to reach its maximum power, and Ren’s position suggested he planned to eliminate him before those precious seconds. Liu moved away as far as possible.

“The final rules are the same,” explained Lin, studying both competitors. “Are you ready?”

Both nodded; the tension was such that everyone fell silent.

“Begin!”

What followed happened so quickly that many spectators could barely follow it. Ren shot out with an explosion of speed that surprised even those familiar with his capabilities. Liu, understanding that he wouldn’t have the necessary three seconds, tried to launch a poorly formed sound attack.

The energy wave, visibly unstable, advanced toward Ren, who fired his phantom light claws forward. The claws collided with the sound and mana attack, dispersing it as if it were mist.

The next second, Ren was already in front of Liu, smiling mischievously, his hand grabbing his friend’s mouth to prevent any attempt at sound. Liu, sweating profusely, looked at Ren with both surprise and resignation.

With a simple push, Ren made Liu fall backward outside the arena’s boundary, ending the combat without a single real blow.

The stadium fell silent for an instant, processing what had just happened… a final even faster than all the previous battles.

“Victory for Ren Patinder!” declared Lin, raising her voice above the clamor of the crowd. “Undisputed champion of first-year battle week!”

Min jumped in his seat, shouting enthusiastically while Taro applauded with a smile of pride. Gray Wing, the wing of the supposedly mediocre, had completely dominated the tournament in all categories.

Ren helped Liu get up, offering a hand that he accepted with a smile of resignation.

“I couldn’t even charge the attack, you damned monster,” commented Liu, shaking the dust from his uniform.

“You know that’s your weak point now,” replied Ren. “Three seconds is a long time in many battles… Practice until you can do it instantly.”

“Yes, yes… Next time I’ll reduce the charging time,” promised Liu, nodding with determination.

As both headed toward the exit, the applause continued. The semester had ended on a spectacular note for the Gray Wing.

Ren, however, was already thinking about what would come next. They would have just one free day before beginning the next school cycle. One day to try to contacting his parents.