Chapitre 23: The Moment Of Truth

In the massive, brightly lit room, the atmosphere was filled with tension. Hundred of beast tamers from different backgrounds gathered, and at the front of the room, a group of staff members stood, dressed in formal uniforms.

One of them, a tall man with a graying beard and sharp eyes, stepped forward. His voice rang out across the hall, silencing the chatter.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. Today marks a significant milestone in your path as beast tamers, one that will test not only your strength but your skill and adaptability. Over the course of today's trial, each of you will engage in three distinct battles. This event is not a mere competition of brute force. We are not here to crown a victor, but rather to evaluate your mastery, strategy, and connection with your beasts. In the first round, your opponents will be assigned at random. In the second, the winners will face those who lost, and by the third round, we will match the strongest among you against each other, while those still honing their abilities will face similar opponents. Your performance today could open doors, those who impress us will have the opportunity to secure a contract within the arena. So, show us what you are capable of. Prove to us that you have what it takes to be more than just a tamer, but a true master of the arena."

The tamers exchanged glances, the weight of the challenge settling in. This was their moment to prove they were worthy of integrating the arena, potentially securing contracts with sponsors or agencies. For many, this would be their shot at glory.

Ryder's eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Three battles? That's perfect! I'll show them what I'm made of!" he whispered, clenching his fists.

Eratz, standing beside him, felt a different kind of calm. He'd already secured a contract, now, it was just about getting that official license.

"You think they'll throw anything serious at us?" Milo asked, bouncing on his toes as if gearing up for a sprint.

Ryder grinned, rolling his shoulders.

"Man, I hope so. I'm ready to go all out."

Meanwhile, in the observation room, Mercury stood by the large screen showing the arena, her arms crossed. Her sharp eyes flicked between the tamers below, assessing them.

She wasn't here for the spectacle, she was here because the agency was counting on them. Without new recruits, without proving that they had real talent, the future looked bleak.

"Ryder's ready. Milo's too antsy," she remarked, her voice carrying a calm, almost indifferent tone. But there was a sharp edge underneath, like a blade hidden in a velvet sheath.

Zara was leaning against the wall, quiet as ever, though her eyes glinted with interest.

"I'd say Milo just needs to find his groove, I trust Ryder to pull something, but Eratz… oh, I can't wait."

Mercury raised an eyebrow, glancing sideways at her.

"You're too confident. He hasn't shown us anything yet. All that hype, and we still don't know if it's justified. They need to win, the agency's future depend on them getting a license today."

"Don't worry, Mercury. I know you've never seen Eratz fight, but when he will step into the arena, you will fight me to be his number 1 fan."

Mercury let out a slow breath. They all believed in him. She wanted to, too. But she hadn't seen Eratz fight like the others. All she had was their word.

In the main hall, the random draws for the battles began. Names were displayed on the screen. The first rounds consisted of 64 battles, and the excitement only grew as new opponents were revealed.

Eratz, Ryder, and Milo were all drawn to fight against unfamiliar opponents. They waited their turns, watching intently as the battles commenced.

The first battle featured a tamer with a towering creature, a beast resembling a large armored crab, its shell gleaming like steel. Its opponent, a lithe woman, commanded a large feline beast with electric yellow fur.

As soon as the battle began, the crab-like creature launched a barrage of stone spikes from its shell, but the feline zipped around the battlefield, dodging and releasing pulses of electricity that danced across the arena. The stone spikes couldn't reach the beast under the pressure of this creative electric shield, and within moments, the feline's speed overwhelmed the bulky crab.

The beast rushed to the crab and after a series of monstrous electric bites on the joint areas, the crab fell down.

The first victory was quite long, but the finesse of the battle left the audience in awe.

The second fight paired a young man, a little nervous, against a woman whose beast was a massive serpent with sapphire scales. His creature, a bird of fire, flapped its wings and sent waves of heat crashing into the serpent.

But the serpent was clever, slithering between the bursts of flame, waiting for its moment. When the bird tired, the serpent coiled around it, squeezing with terrifying strength until the fiery bird disappeared in the shadow of its master.

The third and fourth battles followed similar paths, each with beasts showcasing unique powers: a plant-like creature wrapping its thorny vines around a rock golem, slowly crushing it; a bird with wind manipulation sending a shockwave that disrupted its opponent's movements. Every match brought new strategies, new challenges, and new excitement to the room.

By the time the eighth battle was called, the audience had been treated to a whirlwind of creative tactics, elemental powers, and incredible displays of beast mastery. Then came the moment.

"Eratz Pandora vs Selic Vanor!!"

As Eratz stepped into the arena, the atmosphere shifted, and the massive crowd seemed to blur in his peripheral vision. The arena was bathed in a hazy glow, the air charged with tension and the weight of expectations.

His entrance was calm, his long white hair catching the light as his red eyes scanned the battlefield. It felt surreal, as if time slowed around him, the world fading away, leaving only the battle ahead. This was his moment, and he knew this battle would change his life.

From their room, Mercury, Zara, and Roger leaned forward. Ryder clenched his fists with excitement, while Milo's restless energy stilled.

Mercury crossed her arms, trying to keep her cool.

"This is it."

Eratz's opponent stepped into the arena with a smug look, summoning a swarm of bat-like creatures that filled the sky like a dark, living cloud. Their shrill screeches echoed through the open space, creating an unsettling atmosphere.

With a flick of his wrist, Eratz summoned a single Vulpan. The sleek, black fox creature materialized at his side, its dark fur blending seamlessly with the shadows.

Mercury frowned, her arms crossed.

"Wait… that's it? One monster against a whole swarm?"

Zara leaned forward, a mix of worry and anticipation.

"Maybe it's a strong little monster?" she whispered, fists clenched tightly in front of her face.

The bats swarmed toward the Vulpan, their wings beating furiously as they closed in from all directions, aiming to overwhelm.

But Eratz remained still, his eyes narrowing as he followed their movements effortlessly. Every shift in their flight pattern, every chaotic dive, became clear to him in an instant.

The crowd, unsure of what to expect, began to murmur. Whispers of doubt floated through the air.

"Is he seriously going to fight that swarm with just one beast?"

Milo, seated beside Ryder, fidgeted impatiently.

"C'mon, do something!"

Eratz's expression remained calm, almost too calm for the chaos unfolding. He could see through his opponent's plan: exhaust his Vulpan with numbers, forcing a retreat or making a mistake.

The strategy was simple yet effective for those who couldn't keep up with the speed and number of the bats.

Eratz immediately reabsorbed his Vulpan, leaving the battlefield empty.

A collective gasp rippled through the audience.

"What's he doing?" a scout blurted out in her room.

Mercury's brows furrowed.

"Wait… what?"

Then, Eratz's shadow deepened, and the ground beneath him trembled. A new creature materialized in the arena, a massive, armored beast with thick, impenetrable scales and a spiked tail. Its size alone drew gasps from the crowd, but its body, built like a heavy spiky defensive tower left everyone in awe.

"Whoa…" Milo muttered, eyes wide.

The armored beast let out a low growl, its posture defensive. Every movement of its spiked tail sent ripples through the air. It was a creature built for endurance, a wall against any incoming attacks.

In the stands, Roger couldn't hide his pride.

"That's Eratz's doing..." he whispered, barely able to contain his amazement.

Selic, however, wasted no time. He commanded his bats forward again, their screeches cutting through the air. But this time, their attacks fell harmlessly against the beast's rocky armor. Bat after bat collided with the creature's tough exterior, some of them even injuring themselves in the process.

The audience was enthralled. Spectators leaned forward, eyes glued to the arena.

"It's like they're hitting a brick wall." someone said.

Zara grinned widely, her face lighting up with excitement.

"That's the Eratz I knew he'd be!"

Even Mercury, who had been doubtful from the start, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"I see… since he can't keep up with the speed, he's using a monster who will only defend but still do damages... smart."

Selic, frustrated, continued to throw his bats into the fray, but Eratz wasn't concerned. He didn't need to defend or counter with more monsters. His beast was enough, and he could see that his opponent was running out of options, yet, as this happened, something shifted within Eratz.

He could sense how easy it was, his opponent's movements, their vulnerabilities. It was as if the fight had slowed down around him.

He watched Selic with big eyes, He felt like he could strike him at any moment. It was a surreal feeling, a wide opening, and so, he decided to try it.

He focused on Selic only.

There, in the center of the battlefield, was the true target. His opponent had left himself open, too focused on directing the bats, too focused to see the predator glaring only at him.

The entire arena felt the transition. The energy in the air thickened, and those watching could feel it, a primal tension as if a predator was about to pounce.

Mercury leaned even forward, despite the distance, she could feel the bloodlust from Eratz.

"Something's...different," she whispered, her heart pounding.

Zara, usually quick to cheer, was holding her breath, the excitement building to an unbearable height.

With one fluid movement, Eratz's moved like lightning.

One second, he was standing still. The next, he shot forward in a flash, his body a streak of motion as he speed-blitzed across the battlefield. His opponent barely had time to blink before Eratz had already passed through him.

The impact hit like a thunderclap.

The opponent spun violently, his body twisting mid-air as if struck by a truck. His expression was one of pure shock, eyes wide as he crashed to the ground, unconscious before he even hit the dirt.

The entire arena seemed to freeze, the crowd collectively stunned into silence, unable to understand what had just happened.

As the dust settled, Eratz stood tall, the arena was enveloped in an eerie silence.

The crowd, frozen in awe, struggled to understand what they had just witnessed. Eyes widened, mouths agape, and breaths collectively held.

For a moment, it felt as though the entire stadium had paused, caught in the aftermath of Eratz's explosive display of speed and power.

A murmur rippled through the stands, hesitant at first. Whispers of disbelief.

"Holly shit..." someone murmured in a low voice.

"I didn't even see him move," another muttered, the tension rising with every second of silence.

The crowd's reaction was mixed. A few tamers clapped, acknowledging his skill, but most were quiet, exchanging uneasy glances.

They had just seen something far beyond the "theme of the selection", and the thought of facing him made them nervous.

Ryder, standing on the sidelines, was practically vibrating with energy.

"That was insane! That's what I'm talking about!" His eyes gleamed with excitement.

They were all beginners so they weren't all used seeing a tamer fight this way, taking down the tamer first before the beasts, but they all understood that Eratz wasn't a random fighter, this was the signature of the first big shot among them.

Milo, who couldn't see the attack, kept looking around.

"What... What happened? Did he attack? How?? When???" he shouted, still trying to wrap his mind around how Eratz won.

Roger, still seated but stunned, could only manage a slow shake of his head, his voice soft.

"What the… Eratz?" It was the first time he witnessed the power of his nephew.

Zara was clapping furiously, grinning from ear to ear.

"I knew it! I knew he would do it again!" she shouted over the crowd, her joy infectious.

Yet, in the growing excitement, Mercury's hadn't moved.

Her eyes were still wide, her hands gripping the edge of the observation room's railing. She hadn't expected him to be this powerful.

She was hoping for some level of competence from Eratz, because they had no other choice, but this was far beyond anything she had imagined.

Her thoughts froze for a moment as the applause continued to swell, and soon, Mercury's lips parted, but no words came out.

She stared at Eratz, her fingers gripped the edge of her seat, and though her face remained calm, inside, she felt a stirring of hope she hadn't fell in ages.

He wasn't just good, he was a miracle fallen from nowhere, and he had already signed in their little den.

Without meaning to, a smile formed as she watched him.

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