Chapter 26: The Ant And The Predator
The remaining matches of the first tour flew by in a whirlwind of fierce battles. Each fight brought out the distinct styles and strengths of the competitors, and soon the matches concluded without much fuss.
With the first round behind them, the arena buzzed with excitation for the second round. This time, the winners were being matched against the losers,
The whole arena buzzed with the crowd's excitement.
The stakes were raised, some hoped to win again, sure to secure a contract that way, while others feared losing for the second time. The tension was thick, and everyone understood that the real battles were beginning.
The draws were directed by a supercomputer, checking the names randomly in the two set of winners and losers.
The process was a cheerful and enthusiastic moment building everyone's adrenaline, until the first draw appeared on the screen.
[Eratz Pandora VS Milo Ambrosius]
Instantly, the energy shifted. The vibrant atmosphere collapsed into a deep silence, like if the mood at switched from a party to a funeral.
"Milo? The kid?" someone whispered.
The crowd began murmuring in concern, faces turning pale. Milo, the youngest with a heart of gold, had been paired against Eratz, the terrifying prodigy whose raw power had already left them speechless in the first round.
No one had expected this. It was a cruel twist of fate, like watching a lamb thrown into the lion's den.
Mercury's heart sank immediately, her expression tightening. She gripped the borders of the screen, her head going down.
"Nooo… " she muttered with a sigh.
Zara's usual calm demeanor faltered, her brow furrowing. "That's... bad. I wasn't expecting our challengers to fight each others." she whispered with a grimace. "And it had to be against Eratz..."
Even Ryder's optimism vanished, replaced with worry.
"No way," he said, shaking his head. "Milo against Eratz? Damn... What were the odds?"
All eyes turned to a side of the stands. Milo, standing alone under the weight of everyone's fear for him, seemed impossibly small. Eratz, by contrast, stood composed, watching the draw with an almost impassive expression.
When the pairing was confirmed, he raised an eyebrow. He glanced at Milo, who seemed too fine for a prey destined to be put in a cage against a predator.
The audience grew even quieter, murmurs turning into whispered fears. Milo shifted on his feet, the pressure building around him like a crushing weight. He felt the eyes of the crowd on him, eyes filled with pity, with doubt.
Taking a deep breath, he slapped his cheeks, trying to summon all the courage he had left.
Despite the tension, a shaky grin spread across his face. He looked straight at Eratz, his voice wavering but defiant.
"I'm going to give this everything I've got!"
For a moment, silence hung in the air, and then, surprisingly, Eratz nodded, a smile on the lips.
"Good answer."
The two walked toward the center of the arena under the stressful gazes of the other beast masters, everyone knew what was about to happen, the outcome felt like an inevitability no one wanted to witness.
At the announcement of the speaker, the battle began.
Milo summoned five light fairies, four of them immediately rose into the air, forming a radiant shield around him, while the fifth flew in front of his shield, charging up an attack.
The fairy shot a beam of light, aimed directly at Eratz. He sidestepped easily, almost casually, the light grazing past him without any trouble.
The crowd gasped, surprised by the attack and even more impressed by Milo's coordination. Most feared that he wouldn't put up a fight like his first battle, but seeing his determination brought some people to start cheering for him.
"Wow, he's really going for it!" one tamer shouted.
Ryder, who had been tense at the beginning, allowed himself a relieved smile.
"He's doing better than I thought."
Mercury, meanwhile, remained silent, her brows knit with concern. She couldn't shake the anxiety that clung to her.
Milo, focused, directed his fairy to get ready for a second attack.
Eratz watched him from safe distance, far enough to see his attacks coming.
Milo's breathing was ragged, every pulse of his power fueling the glimmering shield around him. He blinked, and suddenly, Eratz was above him.
With a terrifying impact, Eratz's leg collided with Milo's shield. Sparks flew from the barrier, lighting the air with a fierce, electric glow as the shield flared violently.
The force reverberated through the field, but Eratz landed effortlessly on his feet several meters away, almost casual, like it was a warm-up.
His red eyes glinted with quiet amusement as he glanced down, noticing a small burn on his pant leg from the shield's reactive energy.
The entire arena froze, stunned by what they had just witnessed. Eratz's speed, his raw power, it was unnatural.
The first time, there was a building with two monsters he summoned, but now it happened just like that, so casually. It was clearly a feet from the body itself.
Slowly, whispers exploded through the crowd.
"Did you see that?" one tamer gasped, wide-eyed. "He did that again!"
"How does anyone fight against that?" another muttered, fear creeping into their voice.
"He's not even using a beast, is this allowed?"
Ryder, who had been watching with anxiety, shook his head in disbelief.
"What is he even doing? How is he fighting like this without summoning anything?"
Zara and Cira exchanged knowing glances, the gravity of the situation sinking in. Zara. leaned forward and explained.
"In fact, it's perfectly normal. At the higher ranks when beast masters become strong enough, their bond with their beasts grows so deep, they can use their power as their own."
"But…" Mercury continued, her gaze locked on Eratz. "His form isn't complete... yet. It looks like beastification but... well, like you said, he isn't using a monster."
Milo's heart pounded in his chest, every instinct screaming at him to run, but there was nowhere to go.
The shield was all that stood between him and Eratz, and it was weakening. He couldn't even track Eratz's attacks, all he could do was waiting to be destroyed.
Another flash of movement, and then, CRACK!
The shield flared violently, barely holding together under the relentless assault. Milo's pulse quickened, fear tightening his throat as he fought to stay calm.
"He's too fast… I can't… I can't see him," Milo muttered, panic leaking into his voice.
His fairies hovered anxiously around him, their energy bolstering the shield, but they weren't enough. He wiped his brow, sweat dripping into his eyes.
"What do I do? What do I do?"
Eratz circled him like a predator, his movements fluid, calculating. He watched Milo closely, eyes sharp, yet calm.
His strikes had tested the barrier, yes, it was resilient, more than he'd expected, but it wasn't a threat. Still, there was something about that last strike, the shield had lashed out its energy, biting back.
He glanced at the burn on his pants.
It can strike back... But it's not dangerous for me.
Milo's hands trembled as he whispered to himself, trying to stay focused.
"I just need a moment... Just a little moment…"
The crowd was tense, their eyes darting between Eratz and the faltering shield around Milo.
They exchanged worried looks, whispering among themselves.
"Is this even a fair fight? This kid isn't really a beast master, right?" one murmured, watching Milo with apprehension.
"He's should just give up..." another said, their voice laced with dread. "This guy could seriously injure him."
Ryder, his knuckles white as he gripped the bars in front of him, could hardly bear to watch.
"He's got no chance… why does it has to be Eratz?... At least let him show off a little... damn it..."
Cira's face was pale, her lips pressed into a thin line as she watched the inevitable unfold. She shook her head slowly, resignation in her eyes.
"Milo won't win," she said softly, barely above a whisper. "I'm starting to understand what kind of person Eratz is... he is taking this seriously, he won't give him a chance."
Eratz vanished again.
Milo's heart nearly stopped. He spun wildly, searching the arena with wide, frantic eyes.
"Where is he?! Where is he?!"
CRACK!
The shield lit up again, this time on the opposite side. Milo flinched, his body stiffening as fear took hold of him.
"Stop! Just… stop!" he shouted, his voice cracking. His fairies' energy flickered, weakening under the weight of Eratz's relentless assault.
But Eratz didn't stop. He darted around Milo's crumbling defense, hammering the barrier from every direction, faster, harder, turning the shield into a shining sphere.
The attacks weren't managing to break the shield, they were instead breaking Milo.
He could feel the shockwaves increasing. Every strike rattled his bones, his nerves frayed and on the verge of collapse.
Eratz was calm, unhurried, each strike a calculated move. He was now sure that the rebounds of his attacks weren't dangerous for him. He could freely unleash himself.
The crowd watched in horrified silence as Eratz appeared in flash everywhere at once on the shield, each time in a striking pose.
"This is not even a fight," one tamer whispered, a tremor of fear in their voice. "this kid doesn't stand a chance."
Another crack, another burst of energy as the shield strained, flickering dangerously.
Milo could feel the walls closing in. The crowd's tension pressed down on him, the realization dawning on everyone watching.
Zara, worried, glanced at Mercury, the girl so pale that her tanned skin had almost changed color, the others barely breathing.
Milo's eyes darted wildly around the blinding shield, desperate for an escape, but there was no way out. He was trapped, and he knew it.
And then, with a final devastating blow, Eratz leaped back, retreating a full twenty meters. He stood still for a moment, surveying the damage, his chest rising and falling slowly.
The silence in the arena grew heavy.
Eratz exhaled, and the air around him shifted. His entire body began to hum, his aura flickering with raw, primal power. Shadows twisted and mingled with crackling bolts of electricity as he began to channel the latent energy of one of his strongest monsters: the Thunder Lycaon.
Zara and Mercury both gasped, their faces paling.
"Is that…?" Zara began, but her voice faltered.
Even the staff members on the sidelines widened their eyes, watching a special event.
Eratz's arms darkened, streaks of black veins crawling up his skin, and the air around him buzzed.
Lightning crackled at his fist as he prepared to deliver the mightiest blow till now.
Milo looked him, eyes wide with terror.
Eratz's body disappeared in a flash, only to reappear high above Milo's trembling shield.
It only lasted a moment, where both locked eyes. Milo's eyes were filled with despair, and through his despair he gazed into the big, terrifying, sharps eyes, widely open to devour him.
Eratz's fist came down like a thunderbolt from the heavens. A brilliant light exploded at the point of impact, a shockwave ripping through the arena with terrifying force.
The ground beneath Milo shattered, splintering under the sheer weight of Eratz's attack. The sound of the blow echoed, reverberating through the building.
The shield crumbled. Milo was thrown backward, his body ragdolling across the battlefield. His fairies blinked out of existence as his body stopped several meters away, unconscious but breathing.
The arena was still. No one spoke, no one moved. The officials, clearly shaken, took a moment to react, glancing at each other in uncertainty.
After what felt like an eternity, they flinched, quickly stepping forward to declare the outcome.
"Eratz is the winner!"
But the crowd hardly needed the announcement. Everyone had seen it. Eratz stood there, his body slowly returning to normal, the lingering energy around him dissipating. The match was over.
Mercury's group was frozen, their eyes wide. Zara turned to her, but before she could say anything, Mercury bit her lip and lowered her head.
Without a word, Eratz walked over to Milo's ragged body. He crouched down and carefully lifted the unconscious boy onto his shoulders, carrying him like a sack of flour.
The murmurs of concern from the other tamers followed him as he made his way toward his friends.
When Eratz approached the group, the atmosphere thickened. Each of them shifted uncomfortably, avoiding his gaze, unsure of how to respond to the intensity they had just witnessed.
Eratz scanned their faces, he raised his eyebrows.
"What did you expect? A miracle?"
Ryder let out a shaky laugh. He scratched the back of his neck, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Yeah, no… it's just, uh... You really did a number on him... After that speech of yours, I knew you wouldn't go easy on him, but… maybe you could, I don't know... ease up a bit on the weaker opponents next time?"
"I'm not going to make a fool of myself by toying with someone I took under my care."
He turned to Mercury.
"You're part of Zara's agency, right? Looks like we're in the same house now, I'll take over Milo's training after the selections. He's interesting. I think I can build a brick house out of him."
The group exchanged glances, still processing what Eratz had just offered. Zara was the first to break the silence, her eyes wide with surprise.
"You… you want to train Milo?"
"He has potential. He's a little clumsy but I like his head. He reminds me of someone precious I've met, and I'm a brother too, I can't let what the other guy said. Milo will rise and get revenge for himself."
Mercury blinked at Eratz's words. Her initial shock melted into something more contemplative.
After a beat, she let out a slow breath and nodded, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at her lips.
"Hm… why not? You don't seem like the type to be held back by sentiment, and Milo… he could use someone like you. Maybe you'll do better than I could."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone