Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

"That is how we solve things here. If a tribe has a problem with the other, they send their best warriors, and the winner decides how things will be," The beast king declared. "If you want to stop all the tribes from joining the war and forgetting what you humans did to your honor, you will have to defeat all of them. Do you accept these terms?"

"Naturally," Rain replied.

"You have the numerical disadvantage, so we will let you fight all of us one at a time," The beast king explained. "If one of us loses, the next can face the same tribe leader, but if all of you three lose against the same tribe leader, then we will do what we want. Even if you lose against one, the loser can face the others."

"Simple enough," Rain nodded.

Things weren't so simple enough, actually. Rain and the others would carry out the damage to the other fights, but so will be their adversaries. It was simple enough for him, who was planning to defeat everyone by himself.

Jori and Reca wondered if Rain was going to let them fight… it would be a bit annoying if he tried to solo everything. It also would be pretty insane since they didn't know the power levels of the beast tribe leaders.

The first leader from the beast tribes to step into the arena was an avian woman, resembling a harpy in some aspects but with a more refined and less monstrous appearance. She possessed a graceful and imposing presence, combining human and avian features. Her attire was practical, consisting of strategically placed armor pieces that provided protection without sacrificing her agility.

These finely crafted armor pieces reflected her status as a formidable warrior.

The avian leader possessed a striking appearance. She had a lovely face with sharp, intelligent eyes radiating determination. Her skin had a warm, rich tone, and her hair cascaded down her back in a yellow tone, resembling feathers in shades of brown and gold.

Her wings, emerging from her shoulders, combined both beauty and functionality. Adorned with vibrant blue and green feathers, they resembled a tropical paradise. When she moved, her wings fluttered gracefully, enhancing her charm.

She stood confidently, assessing her opponents with a keen eye. Rain realized that Reca and Jori might face a challenging battle against this avian leader, especially considering their limited long-range attack options. This encounter promised to test their combat skills and adaptability to the fullest.

"I will deal with her. I have more cards against flying enemies," Rain declared.

"What about the others?" Reca asked. "I am going to kick your ass if you say some nonsense like you are going to face all of them by yourself."

"I suppose that I won't," Rain shrugged. "Just stay sharp and don't kill them when you have the chance."

Jori and Reca moved away from the arena while Avian woman and Rain got in the middle of the place. The entire area grew silent in anticipation of the fight… Although they were wild like beasts… the beast people had many traditions, and they knew when it was time to make noise and when it was time to shut up.

In the next moment, the beast king raised his right arm while he was standing at the top of one of the walls of the arena, and in the next moment, he swung it down, declaring the start of the fight.

The woman jumped away while flapping her wings to gain distance from Rain, but she also fired several Wind Blades at him. Rain stepped to the sides and avoided those attacks, but they easily pierce the ground, leaving deep marks of their power and shape on it.

Rain looked to those without paying much mind to it, and the adversary began to fly around the arena while firing those projectiles. Rain immediately understood that despite not literally fighting on equal grounds, the beast people still were following their idea of honor… Their honor required them to use their best attacks and go all out no matter the way they had to fight.

"I suppose I have to leave a deep impression here just in case they try to ignore their words later for any reason," Rain thought.

When the adversary fired more wind blades, Rain raised his arms and blocked them with his forearm guards. The impacts of the attacks pushed him back for a short while, but soon, he stopped moving and looked at her. The tribe leader looked at Rain, surprised since his forearm guards were completely unscathed…

While she was surprised, Rain jumped with all his might and reached her in two hundred meters of height in a single moment. She quickly flapped her wings to move away from him, but Rain used his wing magic to create a small explosion under his feet to chase her.

By blocking her wind blades again, she reached and punched her in the stomach, making her body bend forward while an expression of pain was formed.

In the next moment, Rain grabbed her leg and began to spin himself in the air while he was falling. He eventually began to turn so fast that she was unable to flap her wings to slow down. She didn't even have time to recover… in the end, Rain tossed her toward the beast king's direction and then made her hit the wall under his feet.

The wall cracked just a bit, and the woman fell on the ground… still, she soon began to tremble and tried to get up… her eyes eventually turned white, and she passed out.

The audience was utterly shocked by what they saw. It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck the entire arena, leaving everyone in a state of disbelief. No one had seen such a swift and one-sided victory coming. The collective gasp of astonishment reverberated throughout the arena as people exchanged incredulous glances. All their prior expectations had been completely overturned.

Seeing Rain emerge from the battle unscathed while his opponent lay defeated left the spectators in stunned silence. This was a moment that would remain etched in their memories for years to come.