Dominion of The Beast Masters

253  Impass

The crowd outside the coliseum erupted in cheers, their voices rising in unison as they celebrated Infinite Twilight's victory.

Banners waved in the air, chants echoing through the streets. Amidst the jubilant chaos, Cassie and Roger exchanged worried glances.

Nearby, Tamara seemed unphased, her arms crossed, her masked face betraying nothing.

She knew better than anyone what kind of battle they would have once Rex was on the field.

On the battlefield, Sia dusted herself off, brushing debris from her shoulders. Her sharp eyes scanned the scene of destruction.

Beneath the rubble, Kaida lay buried, the aftermath of Rex's overwhelming power. Sia's expression remained composed, but her thoughts raced.

For someone to handle her so well was impressive, even unsettling.

"So there are others at this level," she murmured, her gaze lingering on the rubble.

For a moment, she wished it wasn't a team fight, but another thought dawned on her.

This was the level of Kaida, someone she only knew as a name, but beyond her, there were still the three powerhouses.

This win had a bad taste, but even so, her focus shifted to Rex, who was calmly checking on Milo's condition.

"The power of a world-tier beast master," she whispered, "really is something else."

In the Golden Cosmos locker room, the atmosphere was heavy. The team sat in silence, troubled by their defeat.

Not only had they lost without scoring a single point against Infinite Twilight, but they hadn't even managed to finish off the remaining fighters from the other teams.

The scoreboard felt like a glaring reminder of how far they had fallen behind.

Mercury exhaled slowly, her eyes fixed on the screen showing Milo, Kaida, and Catarina being carried off the battlefield.

The tension in her posture mirrored the unease in the room.

"It's narrowing our chances," she admitted, her voice steady but low. "And there's still this damn 1v1."

Eratz leaned forward, his brows furrowed in concern.

"Rex… took Kaida down so easily," he said. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Among them, Kaida wasn't the strongest, but she was very far from being weak, even better than average.

They knew it was almost impossible against Rex, but not that she'd be defeated in a single attack.

Mercury nodded, her tone shifting to something more optimistic.

"True, but… we've seen their strongest now. That means the others are likely less dangerous."

The group remained silent, mulling over her words. After a moment, Colin nodded shyly.

"It's true... And... we still have Eratz, Mercury, and Raya," she said quietly, her voice growing steadier. "You three are really strong."

The slight praise gave Mercury a faint smile, and she nodded.

"Thanks, Colin. We'll take this loss and learn from it."

As they processed their loss, the announcement of the third battle echoed through the coliseum.

The group braced themselves, trying to shake off the disappointment and focus on what lay ahead.

Zara suddenly sat upright, a realization dawning on her.

"Wait," she said sharply, drawing everyone's attention. "The rules say that you can't fight twice in a single round, but there's only three of you left: Eratz, Raya, and Ryder. How the Hell is there going to be a 4v4?"

Before anyone could answer, the results of the draw appeared on the screen.

The screen lit up with the results for the next battle:

[Infinite Twilight vs Blazing Horizons]

4v4

Gasps rippled through the arena as the announcement settled over the audience. Whispers of surprise and confusion filled the stands.

In the Blazing Horizons locker room, the tension was suffocating. For them, this news was a nail in the coffin. The odds felt insurmountable, and despair was written on the faces of the team members.

In contrast, murmurs among the crowd shifted from confusion to realization. Some began to piece together the logic behind the pairing.

In the Infinite Twilight locker room, Kallistra tilted her head, her sharp eyes narrowing slightly. She was quick to understand the reasoning.

"We have more fighters available than the others," she murmured, her tone neutral. "It's not surprising, really. It also confirms that the draw isn't entirely random. Someone's pulling the strings to ensure a good show… or perhaps rigging it to give Leonidas' maw a better chance."

22:10

Leonidas groaned, rubbing his temple but said nothing. His silence, however, carried weight.

Finally, he spoke, his voice low.

"This might be to our advantage. We can put some distance between us and the others."

The screen transitioned, revealing the selected fighters for the match:

Infinite Twilight:

Nyx

Iris Draven

Arin Solara

Silver Caelum

Blazing Horizons:

Bastian

Orin Flare

Kiora Helion

Seraphis Dawn

The fighters gathered on the battlefield, their presence casting long shadows over the ground.

Infinite Twilight's team exuded an aura of intimidation, like an unstoppable force for any team.

Across from them, Blazing Horizons seemed already accepting their fate.

Then, the special condition for the match appeared on the screen:

[Warrior of Steel: One Fighter from each team in standby will be selected to join the battle. After 5 minutes, the teammates will join the fighter. If the fighter is defeated before others arrive, the remaining fighters are considered defeated.]

The announcement sent a wave of confusion and disbelief through the arena. Gasps turned to murmurs as spectators tried to make sense of the rule.

It was abnormal, unlike anything seen in previous matches, and the implications were staggering.

Whispers spread quickly, this wasn't just a battle, it was an all-in gamble that meant every team would be on the battlefield simultaneously.

"How does this make sense?" one fan exclaimed, echoing the bewilderment shared by many.

The fighters exchanged wary glances. This wasn't just a match anymore, it was a carefully designed spectacle with stakes higher than anyone anticipated.

The crowd roared, anticipation building as the screen transitioned to reveal the selected fighters for the Warrior of Steel battle:

[Golden Cosmos:

Ryder Crow

Azure Blades:

Caius Storm]

The mood shifted dramatically as the crowd processed the implications of the rule. In the Golden Cosmos locker room, panic broke out.

Ryder froze in place, his mind spinning with the implications of the rule. If he lost, both Eratz and Raya would be disqualified without ever stepping onto the battlefield.

His breath quickened, and the fear of wasting everyone's efforts gnawed at him, paralyzing his thoughts.

Zara paced back and forth, ruining her hair with the rage of her hands.

"This tournament is absurd," she muttered. "How can everything hinge on a single fighter? It's ridiculous! Ryder shouldn't have to carry this."

Eratz, who had been silent until now, took a deep breath. The room was heavy and everyone needed a good talk, even though it wasn't useful before.

He placed a steadying hand on Ryder's shoulder.

"Hey," he said with a faint smile, "it's a good day to be crazy, isn't it?"

Ryder blinked, confused, but Eratz's words carried a strange, grounding effect.

"Look," Eratz continued, gesturing at the screen displaying their dismal score. "The score's already bad for us. This isn't about you. We're here to fight, and that's the most we have to do. Win or lose, you're not letting anyone down."

He gave Ryder's shoulder a light tap before stepping back. Mercury followed, punching slightly Ryder's arm.

"You've got this," she said simply, her voice steady and reassuring.

Colin nodded shyly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Fight for yourself, Ryder. You can do it."

Raya, sitting quietly, finally spoke.

"This is your fight, don't worry about us," she said, her tone measured but firm. "If you fight for yourself, you'll come out of this better, no matter the outcome."

Ryder stayed silent, taking in the encouragement from his teammates. He nodded slowly, his resolve hardening as he straightened his posture.

Taking a deep breath, he turned and stepped toward the corridor, his heart pounding but his steps steady.

As he emerged into the light of the arena, the roar of the crowd surrounded him, but it wasn't just the enjoyment of the public or the shimmering heat rising from the arena floor.

It was the eyes.

Every beast master, from each team, had their gazes fixed on him.

At first, their expressions were unreadable, almost indifferent. Ryder wasn't the most renowned fighter among the Golden Cosmos, nor the most intimidating presence on the field.

To the others, he was not someone to be feared. They could have dismissed him entirely, yet with the Warrior of Steel rule in play, Ryder represented something far more profound than himself.

He was hope. He was an opportunity. He was a stepping stone.

For the beast masters on the battlefield, defeating Ryder wasn't just about securing a point; it was about escaping Hell.

A victory over him would mean dismantling the threat of Eratz and Raya before they even entered the fray.

To them, Ryder was a symbol of something both beautiful and brutal, the chance to topple a titan without ever facing it.

The tension was palpable. Ryder could feel the pressure in the air, heavy and unyielding.

His task was simple yet cruel: survive.