Then it happened.
A surge of Beastial Qi burst forth from both of his hands, radiating with incredible energy. The beam, shimmering silver like the light of distant stars, lit up the entire Luminous Abyss as if a star had just fallen from the sky. It shot straight toward the pile of rocks he aimed at, crashing into it and releasing a dazzling flash.
When the brightness faded, all that remained of the rocks was a fine layer of ash.
Elias stared at the ash, his eyes darting to his palms. "I did it! Did you see that? I actually did it!" he shouted, excitement bubbling over.
Celestia watched him, her lips curling into a genuine smile as he bounced around like a kid who just got the best gift from Santa. "See, I told you!"
Elias turned to Celestia, his mind racing with thoughts. He was stunned to realise he had been hiding his triggering emotion— protection — all along, which had held him back from moving forward.
A spark of determination lit up his eyes, revealing his eagerness to embark on this journey. The journey to become the Beast Lord.
"Celestia, we need to get started! This time, I won't hold back like before!"
"Oh, so you were holding back? My bad for underestimating you!" she teased, her playful tone fueling Elias's drive to push himself even harder.
And just like that, the intense training kicked off!
—
Elias was standing on the cracked, glimmering surface of the Astral Realm, panting heavily. His muscles were sore, and his limbs shook from exhaustion. For the past year and a half, he had been pushing his limits, training tirelessly under Celestia's watchful eye, honing a variety of combat skills and techniques. He dabbled in different martial arts like Karate, Judo, Muay Thai, and even some new styles that blended boxing and taekwondo.
When he looked at himself now compared to before, he felt like an unstoppable fighting machine. After countless battles and many defeats, he had finally reached a point where he could hold his own against her, even scoring a few victories, when she was in her humanoid form.
Battling with her beast form seemed impossible.
Celestia, in her human form, crossed her arms, her gaze cool and unimpressed. "It's decent, but not quite there," she remarked. "You still haven't unlocked your first unique ability."
Elias looked at her, confusion written all over his face.
"Not quite there?"
Before answering, she let out a deep sigh.
"My goal was to help you awaken your first unique ability. The Beast Lord possesses unique abilities that no one else in the universe can harness. Those powers are what define the Beast Lord."
"So, if I don't unlock those powers… I can't become the Beast Lord? Is that what you mean?" Elias asked.
Celestia nodded, her expression serious.
"I don't think the time is right yet! Did I set my expectations too high?"
Elias took a moment to think. He remembered how thrilled he felt when he duelled with her to grow stronger! There was no way he could back down now! He had to keep pushing forward, no matter the cost!
"Then stop holding back!" Elias retorted, frustration creeping into his voice. "I need to face you at your full strength. Transform into your beast form! I've been itching to fight you in that state!"
Celestia's eyes narrowed. "You have no idea what you're asking for."
But he did. His determination was unshakable. He needed to awaken his power, no matter the cost. Without another word, Celestia's form began to shift. Her skin rippled like water, expanding and elongating. The air crackled with energy as she transformed into her true beast form.
Once again, the massive silver serpent with glistening, armoured scales emerged, towering above him. Her golden eyes, now even more piercing, seemed to judge him. The ground trembled beneath her weight as she coiled, preparing for the inevitable clash. Massive high-tech cannons along her sides glowed with barely contained power.
"Last chance to back out," her voice boomed telepathically, vibrating the air around him.
"No." Elias clenched his fists. "I'm not stopping until I fucking get it!"
Without warning, Celestia lunged forward with blinding speed. Elias barely had time to roll away as her tail crashed down where he stood, sending debris flying. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the ground, knocking him off balance.
He didn't have time to recover. Celestia whipped around, her massive tail catching him across the side. Elias felt a bone crack as he was flung into a nearby rock formation. He hit the ground hard, gasping for breath, pain shooting through his ribs.
"I haven't even gotten started! If you're really looking to push yourself, get up and stop wasting time!"
Elias stumbled to his feet, blood dripping from a gash on his forehead. "I'm not finished yet!" He gathered all the Beasteal Qi he could muster, channelling it into a bright beam of light. He shot it straight at Celestia's face, and she didn't even flinch. The beam slammed into her snake-like cheeks, leaving not a mark.
"Oh, I nearly bit the dust there," she taunted with a hiss. Her eyes lit up as she unleashed a weak energy beam from one of her cannons. It wasn't lethal, but it struck Elias right in the chest, sending him sliding back. His vision swam, and his ears rang from the blow.
"Damn! What are you even made of?"
Elias gritted his teeth and forced himself up again, his entire body screaming in agony. He had spent a year and a half training, but nothing prepared him for the sheer destructive power of her true form. But he wouldn't give up. He couldn't.
"I have to... awaken it," he muttered under his breath, forcing himself to move forward.
Celestia watched him with a mix of disbelief and something close to admiration. No ordinary Beast Tamer would have gotten up after that last blow. But this one kept pushing himself beyond his limits.
' He really is our lord!' That was her thoughts at that time.
"Very well," she said. " I like it! I fucking like it when my enemy is not weak!" She roared with a new found enthusiasm. ' If I want to make him really strong, I also shouldn't hold back!"
She reared back, gathering energy into her cannons. The air crackled with raw power as she fired multiple beams in quick succession. Elias barely managed to dodge the first two, but the third clipped his leg, sending him crashing to the ground. The pain was unbearable, but he couldn't stop. He wouldn't stop.
Elias let out a scream, forcing himself to stand despite his injuries. "Come on, don't stop!" he shouted, trying to ignore the blood dripping down his side.
Celestia paused, her eyes narrowing. For a moment, there was something other than determination and pure enthusiasm in her gaze—something like... concern?
' But he is still weak! Is it really okay to continue?' Her thoughts wandered for a moment, but soon she dismissed them thinking, ' My lord shouldn't be weak!"
Once again, Celestia lunged at him, her massive body moving with the speed of a bullet.It was as if she had teleported. Elias tried to dodge, but she was too fast. Her tail struck him heavily, slamming him into the ground. The impact cracked the ground beneath him, and he felt his consciousness begin to slip.
'No... I can't give up!' vision began to disappear forming dark dots, his strength fading. But he refused to give in. He tried to pull himself up, but his body wouldn't respond.
Celestia loomed over him, her golden eyes filled with something he couldn't quite understand. "You've hit your limit, Elias," she said softly, her voice echoing in his mind. "You are just too weak. I think it's not the time yet!"
Elias coughed, spitting out blood. "I'm not fucking done, yet" He could barely get the words out.
Celestia's eyes softened for a brief moment, and once again they hardened. "Very well. One last attack," she said. "This is the last time… please do not die!"
She gathered an immense amount of energy into one of her bigger cannons, located on her head, the air vibrating with the sheer power she was about to unleash asit glowed with pure silver energy. Elias could only watch, unable to move, as the cannon began to glow brighter and brighter.
' So this is the power of a level 6 beast, right? Wonderful.' He stuttered back.
Then, with a deafening roar, the cannon fired. The beam of energy was massive, an unstoppable force of destruction. It was all Elias could do to raise his hands in a futile attempt to block it. The beam hit him head-on, and everything went white.
The blast was so powerful that it destroyed the entire ground where Elias had been standing. When the dust settled, Celestia shifted back into her humanoid form, rushing over to where Elias lay. He was lying in a pool of blood leaking from various wounds on his body.
"You fool!" she muttered under her breath, kneeling beside him. Her fingers gently brushed the blood painted forehead, with extreme care. Despite her harsh training and the gruelling battle, a strange warmth filled her chest as she looked at him.
"No matter if you become the beast lord or not, you will always be my owner" she whispered. Her expression softened, a mix of admiration and concern. She couldn't understand why, but she felt an odd sense of pride in him.