Dominion of The Beast Masters

250  The Show Begins

The arena buzzed with electrifying energy, every seat filled with fans eager to witness the pinnacle of competition.

As the giant screen above the battleground flickered to life, four emblems appeared: Golden Cosmos, Infinite Twilight, Azure Blades, and Blazing Horizons.

The crowd erupted into cheers, their excitement building as the faces of the team members shuffled rapidly, creating a dazzling display of possibility.

With a dramatic pause, the first team was revealed: Golden Cosmos. The emblem glowed brightly, igniting deafening cheers.

Fans waved banners and shouted support for the powerhouse team. Among the crowd, Cassie clapped enthusiastically, beaming with pride as she nudged Roger.

In another section, Tamara leaned back in her seat, her masked face hiding a faint smirk as her eyes followed the screen.

The shuffle resumed, faces and emblems blurring. Moments later, the second team was revealed: Azure Blades.

The crowd's reaction was mixed, with cheers mingling with gasps of worry from Azure Blades' fans.

Catarina's tail flicked as she smirked.

"Nya? Didn't we already face them before?"

Raya's calm voice followed.

"Hm? What's the result of the draw?"

The mood in the Azure Blades room was more subdued. Zane, a short man with white hair, broke the silence, exhaling sharply.

"Of course, it had to be them."

Dorian Kael crossed his arms, his jaw tight.

"Maybe this whole rule idea wasn't great after all."

Erynn, their ace, forced a grin.

"Luck's always been our ace in the hole, right? All we need is the right conditions, and this might not end as badly as it looks." She chuckled lightly.

Zane snorted but said nothing, his fists clenched tightly.

The screen shifted again, displaying the possible battle types: 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 4v4. The crowd leaned forward, murmuring as the options shuffled.

Suddenly, the screen stopped on 2v2 in bold letters. A ripple of surprise spread through the audience, this format had never been used in the finals before.

The screen transitioned to the participant selection, names spinning rapidly before stopping one by one. The results appeared:

Golden Cosmos:

Mercury Banks

Colin Alondra

Azure Blades:

Zane Frost

Selene Arctis

Colin's eyes widened, her heart skipping a beat.

"Me? I'm fighting first?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

A knot of anxiety tightened in her chest, she could feel the pressure of opening the show and the eyes of the roaring crowd bearing down on her, amplifying her nerves. For a moment, she hesitated, her mind racing with self-doubt.

Was she ready for this? Could she handle the pressure of being the first to fight on such a grand stage?

Her hesitation didn't go unnoticed, and the others gathered around her. Milo leaned forward, his cheerful voice breaking through her thoughts.

"You're so lucky to go first. You've got this, Colin! Show them what you're made of," he said with a broad grin.

Mercury stepped closer, placing a steady hand on her shoulder.

"Stay close to me, we'll take them down together," she said, her calm tone grounding Colin.

Kaida smirked and gave her a light pat on the back.

"You've got this, girl. Just do what you always do."

Finally, Eratz approached, his gaze steady as he extended his fist.

"Why are you even hesitating? It's you."

Colin blinked, her earlier fear dissipating under their encouragement. With a small, determined smile, she bumped her fist against his and straightened her posture.

"I'll do my best," she said, her voice more confident.

On the opposite side, Azure Blades were having a less motivated reaction. Zane groaned, running a hand through his hair.

"The Ocean Goddess... This is it. We're screwed."

Selene's lips twitched into a nervous smile.

"Seriously, why are they all so big? It's impossible..."

Erynn leaned back, her grin unwavering.

"Look... on the bright side, it's only 2 points."

Dorian chimed in.

"On the dark side, the Pharaoh and the Blind Swordsman aren't picked yet. What did you say about luck?"

Outside, the battleground shimmered as the special condition was revealed:

[Time Limit: The match must conclude within 5 minutes.]

Gasps rippled through the audience as the gravity of the rule sank in. A time limit meant urgency and flawless teamwork. In this kind of competition, it was a unique event.

The announcer's voice boomed across the coliseum.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the first battle of the finals begins now! A 2v2 clash featuring Golden Cosmos' Mercury Banks and Colin Alondra against Azure Blades' Zane Frost and Selene Arctis! Let's hear it for our fighters!"

The crowd erupted into cheers as the fighters stepped onto the battleground. Mercury exuded calm confidence, while Colin's determined expression spoke volumes about her resolve. Across from them, Zane and Selene exchanged tense glances before taking their positions.

"Let the greatest show of the finals begin!" the announcer declared, and with that, the battle commenced.

The crowd's roar reached a crescendo as the match began. Zane and Selene jumped backward, summoning their beasts with fluid motions. From Zane's side, a towering creature emerged: a sleek, scaled serpent wreathed in frost and a massive tortoise with a rocky shell glistening with earthy dampness. Selene mirrored his actions, summoning a shimmering, misty hawk and a bulky feline crackling with static electricity.

Selene wasted no time. Her lightning beast pulsed with energy as she activated her beastification. Lightning streaked through her body, illuminating her with a dangerous glow.

Her goal was clear: to take advantage of Mercury's water field spell.

But Mercury didn't flinch.

Instead, she smiled with a calm, knowing expression that unnerved her opponents.

"Colin," Mercury said, her voice steady, "you lead the way."

Colin blinked, surprised by the directive.

"Me?"

Mercury nodded.

"Yeah, it's your stage. Show them what you've got. I'll handle the rest."

Taking a deep breath, Colin steadied herself. Her hesitation faded as she stepped forward, letting her focus take over. Her fire aura began to shimmer, a soft orange glow spreading around her. With each step, the aura intensified, and the air around her began to heat.

From Colin's perspective, the battlefield narrowed. The deafening cheers of the crowd faded into the background as she honed in on Selene and Zane. Their beasts shifted nervously, and for the first time, their confident expressions faltered.

"...She's the one using the field spell?!" Zane muttered, exchanging a glance with Selene.

Selene's lips tightened.

"What the..."

Colin's fire aura spread wider, creating a dome-like zone of intense heat. The misty hawk's movements became sluggish in the rising temperature, its mist evaporating. The frost serpent recoiled slightly, its icy scales losing their gleam.

"I can do it," Colin murmured, raising her hands as flames erupted around her.

Selene darted forward, her lightning beast crackling with energy as it pounced. Colin sidestepped, conjuring a fire pillar that intercepted the beast mid-air. It burst into sparks, momentarily stunning the creature.

Zane's tortoise began spewing a stream of muddy water at Colin. She reacted swiftly, twisting her fire into a spiraling shield that turned the attack into harmless steam. With a flick of her wrist, she redirected the steam toward Selene's hawk, further disorienting it. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Meanwhile, Mercury stayed in the background, her arms crossed and her face serene. She didn't move or use any attacks, simply observing the battlefield with an air of detachment.

This only heightened Zane and Selene's unease. They weren't the strongest of their team, so facing Mercury was a promise of losing. Yet, she was the most inoffensive of the two.

The frost serpent hesitated, its icy eyes flicking toward Mercury as if anticipating an attack that never came.

"Why isn't she doing anything?" Zane muttered, his voice tight with frustration. His eyes flicked toward Mercury, who remained motionless.

Selene's jaw clenched as she adjusted her stance, her gaze darting between Colin and Mercury.

"Why isn't she moving?" Selene said under her breath. "...If we could just stall them until the time limit, we might still have a chance... We just need to survive this."

Their unease grew as Colin continued her fiery assault, her attacks too powerful to ignore. Mercury's silence became a looming presence, more unsettling than any attack she could have unleashed.

Zane, Selene, and their beasts couldn't focus on anything, all their attention on the potential world-tier beast master observing them like a predator watching her cub toying with their prey.

Mercury glanced at the timer ticking down on the arena's edge. The 5 minutes were soon reached. She grimaced a little; she had wanted to let Colin win by herself to grow in confidence. But with the limit nearing, it was too risky, so she decided it was time to end the match.

"Colin, focus on long-range attacks. Let's finish this."

Colin's eyes sharpened, and she nodded.

"Got it."

Colin's flames surged higher, and Mercury pointed two fingers at Zane and Selene. The two synchronized their attacks effortlessly.

Mercury unleashed a barrage of water beams, each one detonating on impact with a thunderous explosion, sending cascading waves rippling through the battlefield.

Colin followed up with explosive fireballs, each detonation forcing Zane and Selene's positions further apart as they scrambled to evade.

The arena became a game of shooting, where Colin conjured a towering inferno that engulfed the area in searing heat, while Mercury's water beams cut through the smoke, erupting into massive geysers with each hit.

The merging elements created a chaotic burst of steam and shockwaves, the intensity shaking the ground beneath them.

Zane and Selene's desperate attempts to dodge proved futile. The relentless fiery blasts and explosive water beams cornered them, leaving no room for escape.

They were caught in the heart of the assault, screaming as the force of the combined attacks destroyed them and their beasts.

The five-minute time limit had barely been reached when the announcer's voice echoed across the arena.

"Match over! The winners: Golden Cosmos!"

The crowd erupted in a thunderous roar as Mercury and Colin stood victorious. The crowd's thunderous applause echoed like a storm, each cheer congratulating their teamwork.

Cassie and Roger were on their feet in the stands, cheering loudly. Even Tamara, hidden behind her mask, allowed a satisfied nod.

In the Golden Cosmos locker room, everyone erupted in jubilation.

Colin, barely breaking a sweat, glanced at Mercury. The older fighter's calm, approving nod was accompanied by a rare smile.

"See? It's easy, and we didn't even need to go hard," Mercury said.

She observed the crowd with apprehension, then placed a steady hand on Colin's shoulder.

"This is the level you're at now. You need to understand that."

Colin's chest swelled with confidence, her earlier nerves now replaced by the thrill of victory. Together, they lifted their hands to the sky, basking in the shared triumph as the arena celebrated their resounding success.