What was happening was one man single-handedly pulling their entire background to the forefront. Because of the young boy, the baron clan had come into prominence.
This was why vasilis were greatly valued by any family with the resources to back them up. They could single-handedly raise the status and prestige of a clan.
Just someone showing up in a prestigious competition could garner a lot of attention and prestige. This could turn around and benefit the background, power or family he hailed from.
In the baron's case, the baron did not even have the qualifications to partake in the competition. However, this boy had been gathering many accolades.
In some previous competition, he won the fire tiger cub in a competition. This was precisely the beast that was in the show. He had painstakingly raised the cub for exactly this moment. Even if he did not win the competition, he had already won something big just by participating.
As people were discussing the fire tiger, a majestic horse stepped forward. In the presence of such majestic beasts, it was shocking to see a horse. However, the rider, Muron, was well known.
The son of the Lord of the Tongu clan, Muron was well known by many people. The Tongu were famed for their horse-riding expertise. In the military, they were masters of calvary, with many famous formations.
It was said that when a child was born in the clan, they would be assigned a young cot to grow together with. This was how they ended up with such close ties with their horses. They also had secret techniques of raising warhorses, setting them aside from host people.
This was how the clan had risen to prominence, and power. The ancestor had been a great general for the
Muron was a brilliant protege and a torch bearer for the next generation. In the entire clan, no one among the younger generation could hold a candle over his prowess, his charisma, and powerful abilities.
The horse he was riding was famous. It was a prize won in a bet against a prince. It had the royal insignia imprinted on it, and the accompanying heritage.
The next beast was somewhat less intimidating. It was a Wind wolf the size of a bull. The giant looked intimidating and awe-inspiring, but compared to others, it seemed less.
The only other construct in the competition was a chariot attached to what looked like a blend between a boar and an armadillo. It looked like a moving tank. The animal obviously had tough defenses, but would it perform at this level?
People were very fascinated by this competitor, but no one had any hopes for them. Their choice of mount was the problem. What was needed was an animal that could move very fast for long, not one that could take a lot of hits.
Moreover, it seemed counterproductive to attach a chariot to a mount in a race. Wouldn't the weight of the chariot slow down the animal?
"Could be, they are going to try something," someone remarked offhandedly.
"Something like what?" their friend asked.
"You know, knock out the competition until they are the last one standing," he replied.
"They would have to catch them first," the friend replied laughing.
Just like that, several contestants lined up. The last being Kassid and his massive basilisk. Keita was shocked to see the beast. He had thought it would be just a massive snake, but the scales, the fierce spikes, made it seem much more frightening, the stuff of nightmares.
The moment it arrived, all the other mounts moved slightly, scared by the terrifying monster. If it weren't for the rules and the enforcers at every corner, even some contestants wouldn't get into the same competition with that thing.
In the midst of all these monsters, the bicycle looked inferior to them, and even the confidence that Keita had begun to wane. As he looked at his brother, he silently prayed.
In his heart, he couldn't help grumbling. How come everyone had conveniently forgotten the rule? They were supposed to bring the young versions of the mounts. All these were fierce beasts, mighty.
The only thing about them that fulfilled the requirements was that they did not have vasili powers. Nevertheless, they seemed extremely mighty. He seemed to have conveniently forgotten that he too had made a larger version of the bicycle specifically for the race.
It was not that big, much the same size as the adult-sized ones. However, given the one riding it was a boy barely twelve years old, it seemed quite big.
A powerful announcer stepped forward, and with a voice brimming with authority, he gave the signal.
In that instance, all the animals shot forward. Surprisingly, the one at the lead was none other than Lima and his giant fire tiger.
Just behind him was Zukov, closely followed by his nemesis, Matti. The small chariot was at the back, with the mount feeling reluctant to chase after a basilisk.
However, despite the great start, the giant tiger seemed to slow down some, unable to maintain the fierce momentum it had started with. As a feline, the giant cat was not built for endurance.
The one riding it seemed to also slow it down some, as a way to conserve its strength. He had gained the head start, so now it was all about seeing it through to the finish line.
Behind them all was Kassid. He had not shot forward with the others, but remained behind, staring at them with a crooked smile. The look he had was one who was above everything, as if everything was within his grasp.
Miss Naya, seeing that looked, sighed sadly. She knew her brother well, and if he was like this, he had already won the race.
Meanwhile, Zukov instantly whizzed by. His feet were moving so fast as he pedaled the bike. The one advantage he had was his stamina, but it wouldn't last forever. Despite all the hours practicing, he had to manage his strength. Hence, he was riding at a steady rate. Not too fast to tire himself, and not to slow to be out of the race.
Matti suddenly blew past him, his elk gaining ground. He had been waiting for this moment, and when he passed Zukov, he felt as though he had won the race. Deep down, he wanted to embarrass the Rono clan much like they had embarrassed them.
Suddenly, the crowd gasped. As they watched, the one in the back started to take action. Impressively, the mighty beast moved super-fast, despite the fact that it was slithering. As it did, it produced soft, but incredibly loud sounds.
Anyone who heard those sounds seemed to freeze, and this was not just limited to spectators. Even the contestants seemed as though they were affected.
A raspy sound came from behind Zukov, and before he knew it, a gigantic serpent was behind him. Other mounts that it had passed were lagging behind, unwilling to get anywhere near the beast.
Further forward, the elk was doing all it could to keep as far from the basilisk as it could. By now, it had stopped listening to the rider, much like other mounts, and it was fleeing for it's dear life.
This was the power a divine beast had. Just by its roar, the other beasts and monsters would be scared witlessly. Moreover, if the beast managed to unlock its power and gain multiple Tiers, then just by its aura, anyone would come to a standstill.
The only reason Zukov was holding on was because he was a Tier 2. This granted him certain resistive abilities from such auras.
Seeing the little human challenging it, the beast was incised. With another roar, it sped up, gaining ground on the little boy with a bicycle.
Luckily, Zukov was a Tier 2, while these mounts were all at Tier 0. Hence, he started gaining ground.
Matti almost cried in agony when he saw his enemy gaining ground. His elk was already showing signs of tiredness, and the race was not even properly underway. All he could do was keep urging the beast forward.
Suddenly, the elk jumped to the side and crouched low, allowing its hated enemy to whizz past it. The basilisk was not something it could confront. Unfortunately for its rider, by allowing the basilisk to pass, it was allowing Zukov to get ahead.
This drama made the crowd burst with laughter as they spectated. The race was proving to be quite interesting.
The first part of the race seemed to have set the tone for the rest of the race. The elk, the wolf, the tiger, the basilisk, they all seemed pretty fast, and Zukov looked to be struggling to maintain his position.
For a time, this position was held. From Keita's estimate, they were moving at speeds of up to 40 to 60 miles per hour, just to give you an idea.
This was a lot closer than was anticipated.