"Please come forward, Prince Parker Callan!" their HM called, accompanied by the screams of the women. He descended and went to the center of the arena.
Blaire focused her attention on the center and saw Parker's body illuminate. As the light faded, a creature appeared, known as a Hippogriff, a hybrid of an eagle and a horse. While swift on land, it lacked the formidable claws of its rarer and mightier relative, the Griffin. Instead, it relied on strikes from its beak and hooves. Among members of the celestial corps, it was a favored demon, standing second only to the Peryton. The Hippogriff possessed natural skills of flight, agility, and keen eyesight. Its methods of attack and defense involved pecking and kicking.
Blaire admired the creature facing them now. It ran and circled Parker. The scratches on the ground were visible due to the Hippogriff's front legs resembling an eagle's and its sharp claws. Everyone cheered as it flew to a corner of the arena.
Blaire furrowed her brow when the creature's gaze landed on her. She became even more confused when it flew towards her direction. Some students panicked due to nerves.
Blaire just closed her eyes and waited for the Hippogriff to attack. The surroundings fell silent except for the flapping of wings. She expected to be scratched, but nothing happened. She felt a breeze and slowly opened her eyes, meeting the creature's yellow eyes as her own eyes turned yellow. The breeze she felt earlier was from the Hippogriff's wings flapping in the air.
"I am pleased to see you, chosen one."
Blaire was surprised to be addressed by it. She hesitated to converse with it, but she thought there was no harm in talking to it, so she smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I am also pleased to meet you, magnificent being," she greeted it. Blaire heard the gasps of the students around her. She also felt a tap on her shoulder, but she ignored it.
The creature bowed to her, a sign of respect, and flew back to Parker, who stood in the middle of the arena gaping. Blaire's eyes returned to lilac, and she removed her hand from her shoulder. She knew it was Chaos, so she didn't bother to see who it was. She heard whispers around her.
"Gosh! What was that? Did she just talk to that creature?"
"Tss, who knows. Maybe just showing off."
"But did you see her eyes?"
"Yes, just like the creature's eyes."
Blaire couldn't dismiss those as mere whispers because of the loudness of some voices. She just didn't pay attention to them and focused on the front. The creature disappeared, and she knew it had returned to Parker's body.
"Impressive, Prince Parker! A Hippogriff, and it's incredibly powerful. It excels in battle due to the characteristics of your guardian. But we couldn't help but wonder because of what happened earlier. Hmmm... perhaps it was just a coincidence, so sorry," said the HM, looking at Blaire. The crowd applauded and cheered.
"Blaire, I'm sorry earlier," Parker apologized to her when he returned to their seats.
"It's nothing, Parker," she said softly. He just nodded at her and sat in his previous seat.
"The next summoner is Prince Miles Rowen!" the HM shouted, and the women screamed again. Miles teleported to the center of the arena.
He closed his eyes, and his body illuminated. A creature called Nanaue appeared, a humanoid, land-dwelling shark demon. Highly favored by orc shamans, it boasted vicious jaws, sharp claws, and remarkable agility. Sporting a posture resembling that of a chimpanzee rather than a human, this demon excelled at climbing and could leap impressive distances. It existed in various breeds mirroring its animal counterparts, with the great white, hammerhead, and tiger shark variations being the most prevalent. Its offensive and defensive moves included biting, slashing with its claws, and tail-swiping. It also possessed climbing and agility skills.
Blaire winced at the fierceness of the creature. Just its appearance was terrifying. It circled Miles with a menacing look around. But it was nothing to Blaire, unlike other students. It entered Miles's body, and the whole place erupted in cheers after overcoming the terror.
"Your guardian is very fierce, Prince Miles. That Nanaue is very rare. It's strong in water but even stronger on land. You may now return to your seat, Prince Miles."
Everyone applauded, and Miles immediately teleported to where Blaire and Scarllet were. A sweet smile greeted the young man from Scarllet.
Next was Acel's turn. He summoned a creature known as a Griffin, this rare demon occasionally ventures into Hominum's realm of the ether. It is the size of a horse, featuring the body, tail, and hind legs of a lion, along with the head, wings, and talons of an eagle. It possesses the skill of flight and employs talons and a beak for both attack and defense. It flew and returned to Acel's body.
"Impressive guardian. An honorable Griffin for the honorable Prince Acel," the HM declared, and everyone applauded and cheered.
"The next Summoner! Prince Kade Haines!" The women screamed, especially when Kade winked at them. He descended with his head held high. Blaire just rolled her eyes at the reactions of the women, who seemed like they might faint from excitement.
When Kade reached the center, he summoned a Peryton, the creature they encountered the day before. Blaire nodded in recognition, not expecting that the summoner of this creature would be their acquaintance, Kade.
The creature walked in front of them, seemingly sensing the movements of the students around. Its eyes also landed on Blaire's direction, and it bowed.
Blaire glanced at her companions when she felt their gaze on her. She gave them an indifferent look and then turned her gaze back to the creature, nodding. The creature returned to Kade's body amidst cheers and screams from the women.
"What a beautiful guardian, Prince Kade. Such charisma, just like its summoner. I have never seen such a creature before, and I believe it is also very dangerous. Thank you, Prince, you may now return to your seat." Everyone applauded, and Blaire's companions praised Kade upon his return.
Blaire immediately looked to her side when she felt a grip on her hand and saw Chaos's hand. She turned to face him and met his fiery red eyes. She felt confused as her heart rate quickened, and her eyes turned red. She tried to retract her hand, but he held it tighter.
"What?" she asked, her voice low and irritated.
She looked around when she felt someone watching them. She saw the malicious glares coming from the women. She just rolled her eyes and redirected her attention to Chaos.
"Let go of my hand." She tried to keep her voice cool to mask her current feelings. She became even more annoyed when Chaos's lips curled up slightly while he continued to gaze at her. Ignoring her, he tightened his grip, so she bit his hand that was holding hers.
He winced and quickly released her hand. "Why did you do that?" he asked incredulously.
"Tss, I told you not to, so don't blame me," she retorted. He gently rubbed his hand to ease the pain.
