I Only Tame Dragons

"That leaves the rest of us—me, Von, Lydia, and Frigid—to handle the fights," Horizon continued, his voice steady and confident. "Now, Frigid, I know you don't have offensive power, but I've got a plan to counter that."

Frigid raised an eyebrow, her expression unreadable. "As long as you've thought this through," he replied evenly. "I'll trust you."

Lydia, however, frowned and crossed her arms. "Wait. Why can't I forfeit too?" she protested, her voice tinged with frustration. "I'm not exactly a top-tier fighter, you know. I don't see how I'm supposed to help in this."

Before Horizon could respond, Von chuckled and leaned against the wall, his casual demeanor belying his seriousness. "Lydia, babe, we need all the points we can get," he said with a teasing grin. "And let's be real—you can fight. You're not a healer like Silphie."

Lydia shot him an annoyed glare. "Babe? Seriously?" she muttered under her breath, but Von just smirked in return.

Horizon placed a reassuring hand on Lydia's shoulder. "Von's right, Lydia," he said, his tone calm but firm. "You're stronger than you think. Besides, we can't afford to go in short-handed. Every point matters in this round. If we're going to take down everyone here, we need everyone to give it their all."

Lydia sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Fine," she relented, though her expression still carried traces of doubt. "But don't blame me if I mess up."

"We won't," Horizon assured her, his voice steady and confident. "Trust yourself, and trust us. We've got this."

"And don't forget to forfeit if your life is in danger, okay?" Von reminded with a grin, though his tone carried a hint of seriousness. "But don't throw in the towel for every match. Only if you're certain you don't stand a chance."

Lydia rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in mild annoyance. "I know, I know. But what if those elves try to interfere again, like they did last night?" Continue reading stories on empire

Frigid gave a sharp nod, his expression grim. "It's clear they want us out of the picture. Last night wasn't a random attack; it was deliberate."

Von sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "Of course, they want us gone. The stakes are higher now. Everyone's probably betting on the first-rate guilds, or worse, making secret deals behind our backs. To them, we're just a bunch of nobodies standing in the way of their golden tickets. We're an eyesore they want to eliminate as fast as possible."

The weight of his words settled over the group, a stark reminder of the uphill battle they faced.

Lydia frowned, her usual playful demeanor subdued. "So what do we do if they pull another dirty trick? We can't just sit around and let them walk all over us."

Horizon's voice cut through the tension, calm yet firm. "We can't control what they do, but we can control how we respond. Let's stay focused. No matter what they throw at us, we need to stay vigilant and sharp. Winning this competition is our priority."

Silence fell over the group as they mulled over his words. It wasn't just the remaining guilds they had to fight against—it was an entire system stacked against them.

"We're inside their territory," Horizon continued. "Calling them out without solid evidence would be suicide. If we accuse them and can't prove it, we'll get eliminated by default. That's exactly what they want. So, no confrontations. We play smart and keep our heads down."

Lydia sighed but nodded. "Fine. But if I catch one of them sneaking around, I'm not going to play by the rules."

Von chuckled, his earlier tension easing slightly. "That's the spirit. Just don't go overboard, me sweet Lydia."

Frigid crossed his arms, his icy demeanor unshaken. "The best way to deal with their tricks is to be unpredictable. They'll expect us to falter, to act rashly. Let's prove them wrong."

Horizon smiled, the faint glimmer of a plan forming in his mind. "Exactly. Let them think they've got us cornered. We'll show them that underestimating Nyx Guild was their biggest mistake."

The group exchanged determined glances. They weren't just fighting for survival anymore—they were fighting to prove that even the underdogs could rise to the top.

The team exchanged nods, a silent but mutual understanding passing between them. Each of them carried their own doubts and fears, but there was no room for hesitation now. Victory was within reach.

As they broke from their huddle, the announcement boomed across the arena, signaling the start of the match. The floating screens displayed the first competitors—a random selection dictated by the system. Silphie's name appeared on one side, paired against a cloaked assassin from Scarlet Blood Moon.

Their only solace was knowing that everyone would be paired with opponents within their own stat bracket.

The crowd erupted in anticipation as Silphie stepped forward. She raised her hand in a calm gesture of surrender, her voice steady as she declared, "I forfeit this match."

The audience buzzed with mixed reactions. Some cheered, interpreting it as a tactical move, while others jeered, dismissing Nyx Guild as cowards. Horizon and his team, however, remained unfazed. This was part of the plan, and every step mattered.

As Silphie walked back to the group, Horizon placed a hand on her shoulder. "Good job," he said with a small smile.

They couldn't afford to risk Silphie's life as they would need her in future battles.

She nodded, her expression bored as usual. "It's all up to you guys now."

They knew all too well that Scarlet Blood Moon was a guild of assassins—lethal, dangerous, and unforgiving. Sending Silphie out against them would be like offering up a lamb to the slaughter.

The real dilemma, however, lay in the fact that Horizon's team had only three viable fighters: Horizon, Von, and Lydia. Even then, Lydia's chances of securing a victory were far from certain, adding a heavy weight of uncertainty to their strategy.

The next match was about to begin, and all eyes turned to the screen to see who would be chosen next. The tension in the air was almost suffocating as Horizon watched the screen as Lydia's name was displayed.