A mechanical voice echoed across the battlefield.
Cold.
Final.
"The teams that have passed Floor Four are—"
A pause.
"Team Two… with one ticket."
"Team Six… with one ticket."
"Team Seven… with two tickets."
"Team Ten… with one ticket."
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Realization settled across the battlefield.
Nearby—
Leonis stood still.
Breathing heavy.
Blood running down his face.
His fists clenched tightly.
"…This can't be right."
A pause.
"…We barely passed."
His jaw tightened.
"…We had three tickets…"
"…And still lost them at the last second."
Silence lingered.
Then—
Ravok spoke.
Still injured.
Still bleeding.
But calm.
"…You underestimated them."
Leonis didn't answer.
Didn't move.
Ravok continued.
"…You thought only strong creatures mattered."
A short pause.
His three canine heads faded.
His transformation slowly receded.
"…But strength alone means nothing."
A faint growl escaped his throat.
As his skin slowly shifted back to human.
"…It's not about the creatures."
Another pause.
"…It's about the vessels."
"Their willpower…"
"Their ambition…"
His eyes shifted.
Toward Ash.
Still bloodied.
Unconscious.
"…We wouldn't have made it without him."
Then—
Toward Nyro.
"…Or him."
Then—
Toward Korin.
Still shaking.
Still barely standing.
"…Even him."
A short silence.
"…He was scared."
"…Nervous."
"…But he didn't give up."
Ravok exhaled slowly.
"…That's what matters."
A pause.
Then—
He looked back at Leonis.
Calm.
Honest.
"…But you did beat us."
A short silence followed.
"…If this had been only about fighting…"
"…We would've lost."
Leonis watched him quietly.
Then spoke.
"…How can you trust them that much…"
A short pause.
"…when you just met them?"
Ravok didn't hesitate.
Didn't even think.
"…Because since the moment I met them…"
Memories flashed through his mind—
Ash shielding him from the rattlesnake during the trial on Floor Three.
Nyro stepping in,
Saving him from the wolf vessel.
Korin rushing forward,
terrified—
yet still charging toward the tickets.
"…Every single one of them has risked their life to save mine."
Silence followed.
Leonis didn't answer.
But something in his expression changed.
Understanding.
Respect.
For the first time—
He realized he had been looking at things the wrong way.
Then—
"…Tch."
Virella scoffed loudly.
Crossing her arms.
"…You guys talk like you're heroes."
Her eyes narrowed.
Cold.
Sharp.
"…It was just luck."
"…You got lucky."
"…Talk all you want."
"…Next time, we kill you."
"…Are you really that stupid?"
Soren's voice cut through the air.
Calm.
Cold.
Virella turned sharply.
"…What did you say?"
Soren didn't even look at her.
Instead—
He walked forward slowly.
Ash's broken body resting across his shoulder.
Carried carefully.
Not roughly.
Not disrespectfully.
Carefully.
"…This man…"
"…was injured."
"…And attacked without hesitation."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…I'm certain he knew he would lose."
Silence.
Heavy.
"…But he still came."
A pause.
"…Because he understood something."
His voice lowered.
Serious now.
"…If I had been free to speak…"
A faint trace of blood slipped from the corner of his mouth.
"…None of them would have stood a chance."
"…Not even close."
"…With my command…"
"…The fight would have ended instantly."
He looked down at Ash.
Studying him.
Respect visible now.
"…So he stepped forward."
"…Not to win."
"…But to buy time."
"…To become the sacrificial lamb…"
"…For his team's victory."
Silence filled the battlefield.
"…Even if it meant dying…"
"…He still moved forward."
Soren exhaled slowly.
"…That wasn't luck."
A short pause.
"…That was resolve."
© 2025 Moku. All rights reserved. The Tower of the Animal Kingdom is an original work by Moku. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution is prohibited.