NOVPUBBack at the glowing heart of the Vornis Competition, the mist of the last round had just cleared.
The crowd's energy was back to full mode.
Cheering, laughing, and waiting for what was next.
Fiona hovered high above the stage, her visor reflecting the sunlight.
"Alright, Luxoria fans!" she said with a bright smile.
"Let's keep the show going!"
She spun in the air once.
"Now, please welcome… our sixth contestant!"
The arena gates opened.
A tall figure stepped through, calm and quiet.
He wore a long black coat and a mask that covered half his face.
The crowd leaned forward.
He walked with no hesitation, stopping right in the center.
Fiona tilted her head.
"Oh? A masked man?"
She floated lower.
"And you are…?"
The man looked up at her calmly.
"Miss Fiona," he said, his voice steady and low.
"My name is… irrelevant. But I come not with one Vornis... but five."
The audience gasped.
Fiona blinked. "Wait. Five?!"
He nodded. "All contracted. All customized."
Fiona looked back at the crowd, then returned to him.
"Well… that's amazing…" she said slowly.
"And also this is a beauty contest, so it should be okay..."
She gave him a look. "But it might be a little unfair to others."
The masked man—Donnie in disguise—nodded politely.
"I understand. That's why I'm asking."
"I will follow the rules, no matter the result."
Fiona paused. "Hmm…"
Then she had an idea.
She floated up a little higher.
"Alright, Luxoria fans," she called out with a grin.
"I can't make this call alone."
She pointed at the arena's floating scoreboard.
"So how about… We let you decide?"
The scoreboard blinked and displayed:
"Poll: Should this contestant be allowed to showcase all 5 Vornis?"
[YES] or [NO]
Fiona laughed. "Let's make this fun! Voting starts now!"
---
[Luxoria Castle App – LIVE CHAT]
@GemGazer: FIVE VORNIS?? LET HIM SHOW!!
@BreezeTune: i mean it's a beauty contest… more vornis = more fun
@FluffBurn: he's polite too LET HIM COOK
@SilverFlick: i wanna see them all
@SkySpice: i voted YES in 0.1 sec
---
In the arena, the votes flooded in.
The bar filled up quick.
Fiona laughed again.
"Wow… okay, okay! Voting just closed."
She pointed at the result flashing on the screen.
"RESULT: YES – 80% APPROVED"
The crowd cheered.
Fiona nodded at the masked man.
"Well then, mystery man—you're in. Show us what you've got."
Donnie tilted his head slightly.
"Thank you," he said calmly.
Donnie then raised one hand.
A dark blue portal opened behind him.
Out of it, five Vornis stepped forward, one by one.
The crowd fell silent for a moment.
Even Fiona hovered lower, eyes wide.
The first Vornis roared as it appeared.
A massive steel lion, its armor cracked with glowing red flame.
Heat shimmered off its body.
Its mane blazed like a wildfire, and flames danced across its claws.
Fiona pointed. "That one's Flame Vornis."
The second came next.
It was much slower, much heavier.
Its body was thick with stone and metal, each leg wrapped in rock plating.
The claws were jagged and stone-tipped, and dust rolled off its feet with every step.
Fiona nodded. "Earth. No question."
The third Vornis was sleek and fast, wrapped in blue-steel armor.
Parts of its plating shifted gently, almost like flowing water.
Its claws looked like sharp harpoon blades, and its tail ended in a long, curved, serrated fin.
"Oooh," Fiona whispered. "Water!"
The fourth beast followed.
Its frame was built from bark, roots, and vines.
Its body twisted with living wood, and its mane flowed with green tendrils.
Thorns coiled tightly around its legs and tail.
"Wood," Fiona said. "That's Wood Vornis!"
Then came the fifth—and it looked… familiar.
It had the same shape as the base Vornis, but every detail had been perfected.
Its steel armor shined like silver, each plate flawlessly interlocked.
It moved like a machine tuned by a master.
No flames. No roots. Just refined metal at its peak.
Fiona whispered, "Metal…"
Then she flew up slightly, her voice echoing across the crowd.
"Everyone! Do you see this?!"
She pointed to the five beasts, now standing in formation behind Donnie.
"These aren't just random Vornis builds."
"He customized them to match the five basic elements!"
---
[Luxoria Castle App – LIVE CHAT]
@IronSip: WHATTT FIVE ELEMENT VORNIS?!
@FlareRoot: I LOVE THE WOOD ONE
@ShatterFin: the water one just became my fav
@MagmaStride: bro the flame one is LITERALLY ON FIRE
@CleanCore: that metal one is TOO CLEAN it's perfect
---
Fiona turned back to Donnie, still floating midair.
"Tell me, mystery man," she said.
"Did you really design each one for the elements?"
Donnie looked up at her, still calm.
"I did."
He gestured toward them.
"One for each element: Flame. Earth. Water. Wood. Metal."
"I built them," he continued. 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝖈𝖔𝔪
"Not just for battle but to show balance. A full cycle of force and form."
Fiona blinked. "You even talk like a philosopher…"
She laughed and pointed at the scoreboard.
"Well, Luxoria judges... You saw it."
"Five custom Vornis. Five full elements."
"Let's get those votes in!"
---
[Luxoria Castle App – LIVE CHAT]
@CoreBurn: voting 10 right now
@PetalTail: wood one gets my vote it's SO pretty
@StoneClaw: earth was sick but flame was scary
@StreamSpark: can we vote for all five??
@LightBite: he deserves a bonus score JUST for the idea!
---
Fiona floated midair, about to tap her screen to start the voting.
"Alright, Luxoria fans! Let's begin—"
Suddenly, Donnie raised his hand.
"Wait."
Fiona paused. "Hmm? What happened?"
Donnie's voice was calm but firm. "It's not over yet."
She blinked. "Not over?"
He nodded. "There's something else."
"Something that makes these five Vornis even more special."
Fiona's eyes lit up. "Oh? More secrets?"
"Yes," Donnie said.
"That's why I asked to show all five. They're not just individual builds."
"They're connected."
Fiona smiled wide. "I see. So this wasn't just for show."
She looked at the audience. "Everyone…"
"It looks like there's still more coming!"
She twirled once in the air, full of energy again.
"Alright then!"
She pointed to the five Vornis.
"Let's begin."
