The atmosphere in the arena was electric. The tension was palpable, and some challengers held their breath.
A murmur rippled through the crowd, eyes glued to the two radiant beasts standing by Eratz.
Among them, one of the staff members narrowed his eyes.
"That's… an Aetheri," he whispered, shock evident in his voice. "I thought they were extremely rare... how did a rookie find one?!"
The crowd was in uproar at this revelation. An Aetheri, an elusive creature very rare was now on the battlefield.
Excitement mixed with disbelief as the audience wondered how the battle would unfold, but just when everyone thought they were about to witness a fantastic battle of beasts, a new phenomenon reminded them why Eratz was the center of attention.
Eratz's aura, previously simmering under the surface, exploded outward. A pulse of energy radiated from him, a mix of lightning and shadow enveloping his body.
"What is this?" someone muttered.
Mercury's brow furrowed.
"Wait... this is what he did against Milo, but... it's more complete this time."
Gasps and murmurs spread through the crowd like wildfire. All eyes were fixed on Eratz, whose body was now covered in black marks, lightning crackling across his skin.
The aura he exuded was far more controlled, more potent.
Jaden whispered, his eyes widening in astonishment.
"This guy..."
Sia's eyes narrowed slightly.
"... Beastification."
Zara clenched her fists, staring intently at Eratz. "At this level... He's pulled that with a Thunder Lycaon. This is insane."
Milo, watching from the edge of his seat, felt the tension rise in his chest.
Everything he saw from the beginning of this selection was an alien language for him, but he could at least see when something was too abnormal.
Eratz stood tall, his stance eerily similar to the Thunder Lycaon beside him.
His eyes snapped open, glowing electric blue, crackling with the same energy that surged through his beast.
"It isn't wise to wait for your opponent."
Ryder's eyes widened. The aura surrounding Eratz sent a chill down his spine. He had never faced something like this. His instincts screamed at him to prepare for a storm.
"Cover me!" Ryder roared to his beasts. His three monsters moved swiftly.
In an instant, Eratz's eyes flashed.
With a sudden burst of lightning, he dropped one hand to the ground, his stance low, muscles tensed like a coiled spring, and then, with a destructive force, he launched himself forward and crashed in a flash, shattering the ground, a shockwave of lightning and shadow exploding outward, tearing through the battlefield.
The flash was blinding, the noise deafening. A wall of smoke and dust rose, obscuring the arena in a thick, impenetrable veil.
Ryder staggered, throwing his arm up to shield his face from the upcoming blast.
His beasts roared, struggling to hold their ground against the sudden onslaught.
The arena fell deathly quiet, everyone standing, eyes wide, wondering what had just happened.
Was Ryder defeated? Had Eratz taken him out in one move?
The smoke began to thin, and as it did, the scene that emerged left the entire audience in stunned silence.
Eratz stood in a crater, his hand firmly gripping the head of Ryder's Wind Lycaon, pinning it to the ground.
The Thunder Lycaon, meanwhile, loomed over Ryder's Water Drake, the massive beast lying unconscious beneath its paws.
Eratz's glowing blue eyes cut through the haze, locking onto Ryder.
"Next."
Ryder's heart raced, panic bubbling up inside him. His beasts, his very main team, had been utterly destroyed in the blink of an eye.
He raised his arm, summoning two more beasts. A bull-like creature, its horns glowing with a fierce red light, appeared first, pawing at the ground. Beside it, a lightning bird crackling, its wings sparking and fluttering.
Ryder's sweat fused as he shouted his last command.
"Go! Attack! Don't hold anything back!"
His beasts charged forward, the massive bull's hooves pounding against the cracked earth as its glowing horns aimed directly at Eratz, overhead, the lightning bird soared, sparks flickering along its wings, preparing for an aerial assault.
But Eratz didn't move. Everything felt slower, unnaturally slow.
His senses heightened, he could see the subtle twitch of the bull's muscles, the faint flicker of panic in Ryder's eyes, the anxious energy the young tamer was unconsciously pouring into his beasts.
'I feel... different', Eratz thought.
He was lighter, calmer. It was almost like his first experience when he trained his spirit with his Aetheri.
'Hmm... I was right trying with you.'
At that moment, a clear path unfolded before him, every movement, every reaction mapped out in his mind.
His body moved on instinct, stepping smoothly to the right as the bull charged straight at him, narrowly missing his figure.
He paused, his eyes tracking the lightning bird as it swooped in, and with an effortless sidestep, he dodged it entirely.
For Eratz, time seemed to crawl, each motion calculated and precise.
To everyone else, it was like Eratz crossed the two beasts in the blink of an eye covered by lightning.
"Holly... Did you see that?!" Mercury leaned forward, eyes wide with excitement.
Sia's cold gaze barely wavered, but the slight raise of her brow betrayed her surprise.
Ryder's heart pounded as he scanned the field. His beasts were still moving, but Eratz had disappeared, and then, in an instant, the boy was there, two meters in front of him.
Ryder froze, his muscles locking in place from the shock. He couldn't react, couldn't even breathe, but then Eratz paused, eyes narrowing as if he'd sensed something.
He leaped back, just as the ground erupted beneath him, and a rocky snake surged from the earth, its jagged body coiling toward him. Eratz's gaze hardened. 'As I expected.'
His legs coiled, and with a burst of power, he launched forward. His hand came down in a thunderous slap against the snake's head, sending a shockwave through the air.
The impact cracked the ground, and the snake's body trembled before collapsing in a heap, motionless.
"Holly shit!" someone in the crowd shouted.
"I was wrong," Zara muttered, her eyes wide. "He's better than I thought... Mercury, look! Look, he will really save our agency."
The bull roared, turning around to attack again, but the Thunder Lycaon struck first.
A blur of motion, its claws crackling with electricity as it slashed the beast several times in rapid succession, each blow accompanied by a sharp crack of thunder. The bull faltered, its strength fading under the relentless assault.
Eratz stood at the center of the chaos, the thunder lycaon was his doppelganger, and the Aetheri was the tower control giving them all the information they needed.
The audience was stunned face to this team working as a single organism.
Ryder, breathless and covered in sweat, began to understand the truth, it was pointless, he had no chance.
His lightning bird hovered above, but it was useless now.
"... No... I can't let it be like that... I can't give up... Not yet!"
He clenched his fists, desperately focusing, his eyes focusing on Eratz with his new form.
'... If I have no chance... then I have nothing to lose! I'll try it. I have to do it!'
He closed his eyes, summoning every ounce of energy he had left, hoping to initiate the same beastification Eratz had mastered.
But before Ryder could even make his move, Eratz landed softly, almost casually, on his feet in front of him.
His act alone was enough to send a message to Ryder: He could finish him anytime.
Ryder stumbled back, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. Flashbacks of Eratz's words rang in his head:
- It isn't wise to wait for your opponent.
He felt a sad smile pull at his lips, a defeated acceptance sinking in. Slowly, Ryder lowered his arms.
But then, something stirred within him. His promise to Eratz.
- You count on me to give you a challenge? I'll give it everything I have, don't think you have already won.
Ryder's eyes widened.
'I promised him a real challenge. I can't just quit here!'
His determination reignited, and with a fierce clench of his teeth, Ryder jumped backward, shouting.
"I won't give up!"
The crowd, who had been holding their breath, started to murmur in surprise.
"He's still going?" someone whispered.
Zara had a grimace, while Mercury smirked.
Ryder yanked off his jacket, tossing it into the air as he prepared to launch one last attack. The fabric swung up, briefly blocking his vision as it passed in front of his face. But the moment it hit the ground, Eratz was gone.
"!!!"
But only from Ryder's point of view.
Eratz was moving, sliding from Ryder's blind spot, following the path created by the falling jacket. And before Ryder could react, Eratz was beside him, his palm lightly touching Ryder's chest. A pulse of electricity surged from his hand, coursing through Ryder's body in an instant.
Ryder's body seized up, his eyes going wide as the shock overtook him. He collapsed, rolling to the ground, unconscious before he even hit the dirt.
The arena fell silent, the sound of Ryder's fall echoing through the space. For a moment, no one moved, no one spoke. Eratz stood tall beside Ryder's still form, his glowing blue eyes fading back to normal. The calm after the storm.
A slow rumble of murmurs began to spread through the crowd, disbelief giving way to awe. The staff, who had been too stunned to speak, finally found their voice.
"Ryder is... unconscious! The match is over! Eratz Pandora is the winner!"
For a brief moment, the arena remained utterly silent, everyone processing what had just unfolded. Then, almost hesitantly, the first clap echoed, a slow, deliberate sound cutting through the still air. Others soon followed, joining in, until the applause began to spread like wildfire.
At first, it was scattered, but soon, it swelled into a powerful, unified round of applause. Slowly, people rose to their feet, one by one, acknowledging the talent and strength they had just witnessed. The sound grew into a thunderous roar, the beast masters now fully on their feet, clapping in unison.
Mercury clapped vigorously, her grin wide with genuine admiration.
"Now that's what I wanted to see! Damn, Eratz!" she said, shaking her head in disbelief. "He's the real deal, You've got an eye for talent, Zara. Good call on recruiting him," she said, clapping her friend's shoulder.
Zara, still a bit wide-eyed, managed a smile, shaking her head.
"... Maybe I should have signed a three year contract instead."
Milo, who had been quiet throughout most of the match, was now beaming, his hands clapping almost too loudly.
"I knew he had it in him!" he said, unable to hide his excitement. "Whatever he did... it was superb!"
Roger watched the scene with a look of quiet amazement. Seeing everyone's genuine appreciation for Eratz filled him with pride.
"They finally see what you're made of," he muttered to himself, a smile forming on his face.
All around the arena, faces filled with awe and respect. People applauded with full-hearted admiration. It wasn't just recognition, it was respect.
Sia crossed her arms at first, but then, a slight smile crept onto her lips. She began to applaud gently with the tips of her fingers.
Jaden, on the other hand, let out a groan, frustrated. He stood up quickly, mumbling something under his breath before heading for the restroom.
In the middle of the crowd's overwhelming reaction, Eratz stood tall, soaking in the moment.
His Thunder Lycaon howling on a side, his Aetheris rubbing its face behind, his heart swelled with pride as he watched the standing ovation unfold before them.
The applause wasn't just noise, it was a reward, a confirmation that his hard work, his struggle, his journey, had led him to this point.
He allowed himself a proud smile.