I am Just an Average Tamer-Chapter 154 - 141 updated

The air was heavy.

Not with magic.Not with cheers.But with tension.

A hush rippled through the crowd as Kai and Cassian stood at opposite ends of the marble arena. No beasts had been summoned yet. No opening spell cast.

Only two fighters, both built to kill, watching... measuring... calculating.

Cassian broke the stillness first—his stance shifting low, twin blades drawn, one in a reverse grip and the other forward. His movements were clean, fluid, efficient.

Kai remained still. One hand near the hilts of his twin daggers, his posture deceptively loose.His eyes were sharp. Focused.

Then—

Clang!

Cassian surged forward in a blur, his right blade aiming straight for Kai’s shoulder in a thrust so quick it barely left an afterimage.

Kai stepped into it.

Pivoted.

Clash!

Their blades met in a metallic shriek. Kai’s right dagger caught the strike at just the right angle to redirect it—not block, but deflect. His left hand moved instantly for Cassian’s ribs.

Cassian twisted. Brought the reverse-grip blade upward in a brutal arc—forcing Kai back with a burst of raw momentum.

They separated again. Neither landed a hit.

The audience didn’t cheer. They watched in stunned silence. This wasn’t a flashy duel. It was a knife fight in a cage. Every move was sharp. Minimal. Clean.

Kai narrowed his eyes.

Cassian adjusted his grip.

Then they moved again—this time together.

A flurry of motion.Steel clashing.Blades flashing in tight arcs and brutal counters.

Kai dipped low, trying to slide under Cassian’s guard—only to find a boot aimed at his face.

He dropped to his back, rolled, and hurled a senbon coated in paralyzing venom.

Cassian swiped it from the air with his left blade—like he saw it coming a mile away.

"Nice try," he murmured. "But I’ve fought assassins before."

Kai didn’t respond. He just vanished.

Ghost Steps.

Cassian instantly twisted—his left blade whipping behind him to counter.

Ting!

Kai’s dagger met it.

Both twisted again, exchanging a brutal series of slashes and parries in half a heartbeat. This time, Kai got close—his knee smashing into Cassian’s thigh.

Cassian grunted but didn’t break form. He retaliated with a slash aimed for Kai’s neck—but Kai ducked under, let himself fall, then kicked upward in a brutal axe motion.

Cassian leapt back, landing in a low crouch.

For the first time... his breathing hitched.

"He’s... adapting," Cassian muttered.

Up in the stands, Professor Kael leaned forward.

"They’re reading each other’s styles in real-time," he said quietly. "Both are holding back. This is testing. Measuring."

Another professor nodded. "But not for long."

Kai raised one hand.

"Vex."

A ripple in the air—and the Phantom Lynx emerged, low and sleek, yellow eyes glowing.

Cassian didn’t hesitate.

From the edge of the arena, a blinding silver beast leapt forward—a Moonfang Panther, sleek as glass, claws shimmering with energy.

Vex snarled.The panther growled.

They clashed in a blur of shadow and moonlight, fangs flashing, claws raking the air. Vex used its stealth—phasing in and out, leaving afterimages. The panther matched it in speed and sensed it through sound.

A masterclass in beast combat.

Meanwhile, Kai and Cassian charged again.

This time, Kai took the lead—blades flashing in a crisscross of lethal strikes. He ducked, twisted, moved like liquid shadow. His senbon flicked from his fingers mid-combat—each one aimed for pressure points, exposed flesh, unguarded gaps.

Cassian countered it all. His swordplay was beautiful—defensive but surgical. Every strike was precise. His blades moved like flowing water.

But Kai was faster.

And dirtier.

He suddenly dropped a small vial at his feet—

Poof!

A burst of thick black smoke exploded outward.

Cassian spun back—coughing once, just once—

And that’s all Kai needed.

He surged forward through the smoke, twin daggers aimed for Cassian’s ribs.

Clang!

Cassian blocked—but Kai wasn’t aiming to kill.

He used the block.

Pushed Cassian’s arm upward—and delivered a solid elbow strike straight into his solar plexus.

Cassian gasped.

Kai followed with a sweep kick that barely missed—Cassian backflipped away, barely regaining balance.

Both fighters were bloodied now.Kai’s lip was cut.Cassian’s chest armor was cracked.

Still, they stood.

Still, they circled.

Above, the judges watched in silence.

"This is insane," muttered Headmaster Elaron. "They’re both Apex material already."

The nobles whispered, exchanging looks, scribbling names, passing notes.

But down below... the two fighters weren’t thinking of contracts.

They were locked in a battle of instinct.

And Kai—

He suddenly stopped.

Then closed his eyes.

Tssshhh...

A hiss. From the dagger.

Cassian’s eyes widened.

Poison. He activated the venom.

Kai’s next move was a blur. He didn’t rush. He walked. Calm, steady, like a shadow.

Cassian gritted his teeth. His panther was now bleeding from a clawed eye—Vex had disappeared again.

He was alone.

And Kai—he was no longer fighting to test.

He was fighting to win.

Cassian surged forward, twin blades in a deadly arc—

Kai met him.

One step inside the swing.One dagger aimed low.The other rising for the throat.

Cassian crossed his blades—caught the attack.

But Vex reappeared.

From the shadows, the Phantom Lynx lunged and swiped Cassian’s back.

Riiip!

His armor tore. He staggered forward.

And Kai’s dagger slid to his throat.

Silence.

Then the chime sounded.

DING!

Victory: Kai Valkros.

The arena was silent for a long moment after the chime rang.

Kai stood still, dagger pressed against Cassian’s throat, breathing slow but controlled. He didn’t move, didn’t gloat, didn’t even look around for recognition.

Just a quiet exhale.

Cassian met his eyes.

There was no anger.

Only acknowledgment.

"...You win," he said, voice hoarse.

Kai nodded once and stepped back, flicking his poisoned dagger to the side before slipping it into his sheath. Vex melted into the shadows without a sound.

Cassian sheathed both his blades slowly, wincing slightly from the claw marks along his back. Blood dripped, but nothing fatal. His panther limped back toward him—eyes narrowed, defiant even in defeat.

They’d fought well.

No—they’d fought like killers.

❖ Scene: The Crowd Reacts ❖

Then came the sound. Not a roar.

But applause.

Slow at first. From one of the professors seated in the higher balcony.

Then another. Then nobles.

Then it swept through the entire coliseum in a rising wave—thunderous, not out of showmanship, but out of sheer respect.

"That," someone whispered in awe, "wasn’t a battle. That was a duel between predators."

Even the most arrogant noble sons and daughters who had scoffed at Kai earlier now sat wide-eyed, whispers spreading like wildfire.

"He’s from House Valkros, right?""No wonder he was calm... Did you see how he used his own block to strike back?""He moved through the smoke like it was water...""That lynx—Phantom class. That explains the stealth tactics.""Cassian didn’t even use his full Beast Bond—he was forced to stay on defense."

Kai ignored it all. The cheers, the whispers, the glares.

He turned and walked off the arena stage, footsteps light, almost eerily soundless despite the stone beneath his boots.

❖ Scene: Professor Gallery – Discussion

Behind the viewing crystal, the academy’s faculty and staff watched through enchanted projections replaying critical moments of the duel from multiple angles.

Professor Kael leaned forward, hands steepled.

"That boy’s instincts are elite-tier," he said. "He doesn’t just react—he guides his opponent’s choices."

Professor Silvanna, the beast mastery expert, nodded. "And his bond with the Phantom Lynx is remarkable. Not even verbal commands. Pure synchronization."

Another staff member spoke, adjusting his glasses. "But he didn’t summon the Thunder Drakelet or the falcon. He was holding back."

Elaron—the Headmaster—rested his chin on his knuckles.

"No. He wasn’t holding back," he said quietly. "He simply chose efficiency. A kill-class assassin strike paired with strategic beast support. Minimal effort. Maximum result."

A long pause.

Then Elaron continued, voice low. "Keep an eye on that one. His methods... they’re not just tamer-based. That’s battlefield training. Maybe even black ops."

A heavy silence followed.

He tilted his chin toward one of the far stone pillars where a scrying orb pulsed faintly—a noble family’s mark glimmering across its edge.

Down in the prep corridor near the infirmary, Corrin leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching Kai approach.

His crescent blade rested on his back, still nicked from his own battle earlier.

He gave Kai a small smirk. "Nice moves. You finally used your poison."

Kai raised a brow. "Didn’t need it before."

Corrin chuckled. "Still brutal. You baited him like a wildcat—then jumped him like a shadow fiend."

Kai gave a ghost of a shrug. "He was strong. Smart too. But not fast enough."

Corrin’s grin faded into something more serious.

"You could’ve killed him."

Kai’s eyes sharpened. "But I didn’t."

The rogue-warrior hybrid stared for a moment longer, then nodded slowly. "Good. Because people were watching. And not just from the stands."

He tilted his chin toward one of the far stone pillars where a scrying orb pulsed faintly—a noble family’s mark glimmering across its edge.

Kai didn’t respond. But his jaw tensed slightly.