The arena was bursting with energy, the challengers buzzing in excitement as the battle between Eratz and Ryder was about to begin.
Cheers erupted from all sides, and among the crowd.
Roger shouted
"Good luck, both of you!" His voice was strong, but there was a hint of concern.
He had seen Eratz's power, but Ryder had been showing impressive skills.
Mercury stood nearby, arms crossed, her face serious as she analyzed the upcoming fight.
"This is it," she muttered to herself. "I'll finally get to see their true level... if Eratz doesn't completely crush Ryder first." She sighed.
She felt Eratz had the potential to make this battle easy if he tried, but she wanted to hope that Ryder would push him a little bit to see his true abilities.
As the match began, Ryder took a deep breath, summoning his three beasts instantly, an earth serpent covered in jagged rocky scales, a sleek wind lycaon with glowing eyes, and a water drake with translucent, rippling fins.
Eratz immediately felt something shift in the air.
Danger
His instincts kicked in, and without hesitation, his shadow stretched out like a living entity at his fert. From that darkness, dozens of beasts materialized: Vulpans, wind birds, wolves, and the varied creatures he had tamed during his time in the forest.
Gasps echoed through the crowd.
"Whoa!" A challenger leaned forward in disbelief. "Look at all those different types!"
Eratz's ability to control multiple species of monsters at once was rare. Typically, beast masters using a whole group of monsters specialized in a single type of creature, but Eratz wielded diversity with ease.
His monsters darted in every direction, a chaotic storm of claws, fangs, and elemental power.
Ryder, however, didn't seem fazed. In fact, he smirked.
"You think that'll work on me? I'll show you what real control looks like!"
His beasts charged.
The wind lycaon was the first to strike, darting forward at blinding speed. It let loose a fierce blast of wind, knocking back several of Eratz's beasts before they could react. The water drake followed up by spewing torrents of high-pressure water, slicing through the ranks flying. Meanwhile, the earth serpent burrowed underground.
The crowd erupted into cheers.
"Ryder's dominating!" someone shouted.
"Look at those elemental attacks! He's got total control!" another added.
Eratz's beasts were scattered, some torn apart by the wind lycaon's relentless assault, others soaked and crushed by the drake's water attacks.
Still, Eratz remained calm, though his eyes narrowed slightly.
They're stronger than the forest's beasts?
Suddenly, one of Eratz's wind birds swooped down from the sky, aiming for Ryder's exposed left side. But Ryder was ready. His third creature, the earth serpent, shot up from the ground just in time to intercept.
The serpent's tail smacked the bird down, sending it crashing into the ground.
"You're going to have to do better than that!" Ryder shouted confidently. He smirked and added, "You really thought you could catch me off guard with such a simple trick?"
A loud crack echoed through the air, followed by a swift gust of wind. Ryder spun around, eyes wide. There, standing amidst the chaos, was Eratz, locked in a fist clash with Ryder's wind lycaon, wind against lightning.
The beast had barely managed to block Eratz's sneak attack, its body vibrating. Ryder's heart pounded as he realized just how close he had come to losing right there.
The crowd gasped again.
"That was close!" someone exclaimed. "He almost took him down just at the beginning of the battle!"
Zara, observing from the stands, leaned forward, eyes gleaming.
"Really close. If you don't pay attention against him it's over. It's like he's fighting on instinct."
Mercury couldn't take her eyes off Eratz. "I've never seen someone move like that. One lose of focus and you're done. He's really dangerous."
Ryder took a step back, reassessing the situation. His beasts, though powerful, were getting tired by the relentless attacks. He gritted his teeth, frustration creeping in.
"I have to take control again," he muttered under his breath.
Eratz's thoughts raced as he surveyed the battlefield. His beasts were being overwhelmed, his strategy was effective as Ryder's beasts were losing a stamina battle, but he didn't feel the need to focus on that.
If I touch him once, it's over. It was his sole focus.
"These guys aren't still enough, even the ones I tamed yesterday… they're not ready to handle this kind of opponents... Guess I'll rely on my aces."
He stepped back, far away from the clash of beasts, his gaze locking onto Ryder. The crowd murmured, unsure of what was happening.
"Is Ryder cornering him?" someone asked.
Eratz's shadow pulsed, and in an instant, all of his beasts vanished. The arena went dead silent. Then, slowly, the ground beneath Eratz began to darken, spreading like ink on his sides.
Ryder's beasts growled low, standing in front of their master.
From the stands, Zara's breath hitched. She leaned forward, eyes gleaming with both excitement and dread.
"Here we go…" she muttered, barely audible, her heart racing in anticipation. This is the moment they've all been waiting for.
"Those are..." Milo murmured.
Roger couldn't help but smile, despite his earlier concern.
"This is it..."
Mercury unfolded her arms, letting them drop to her sides
"His true team."
Suddenly, a crackling sound erupted, and a blinding flash of lightning split the air. The crowd gasped collectively, eyes wide as the Thunder Lycaon burst forth, its sleek form illuminated by arcs of electricity that danced along its fur.
It landed with a fierce howl, sparkling with electricity, electric-blue eyes locking onto Ryder, radiating raw energy.
As the crowd processed the arrival of the Lycaon, an aura of calm swept through the arena.
A gentle wave of energy rolled from the depths of the shadow, and the Aetheri emerged, enveloped in a soft, mystic glow.
Its shimmering form resembled a baby in angel disguise, casting a soothing light that stood in stark contrast to the ferocity of the Thunder Lycaon.
"... Oh my God..." Zara gasped, her voice barely above a whisper, captivated by the Aetheri's mighty cuteness.
A murmur of awe rippled through the spectators, even Jaden and Sia were focused on the spectacle. The boy had become famous here for his abnormal raw strength, and now he revealed what all considered as the hidden face of the moon.
Mercury's eyes widened, her usually composed demeanor giving way to genuine excitement.
"This is it! This is what we've been waiting for!" she exclaimed, unable to contain her enthusiasm.
Ryder clenched his fists, his earlier confidence now wavering as he absorbed the sight of Eratz's formidable beasts.
"Finally getting serious? Bring it on!"