Dominion of The Beast Masters

Chapter 211: Ishtarian Encounter



As Kallistra walked away, her silver hair swaying in the breeze, Eratz's gaze lingered on her retreating figure.

The word she left behind echoed in his mind:

"Legendary."

He frowned, he knew too well what it meant, there was only one possibility since she was so sure to get his attention.

"Eratz," Victoria's firm voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Don't listen to her. And whatever you do, don't follow her wherever she wants to meet you."

Eratz glanced at Victoria but didn't respond. His focus shifted briefly to Tamara, whose expression had darkened as she watched Kallistra leave.

Tamara's hands clenched into fists, and a dangerous glint appeared in her eyes. Without a word, she stepped forward, heading straight to Kallistra.

But before she could move far, a hand landed gently on her shoulder.

"You can't go further, ma'am," a calm voice said. The newcomer's sudden appearance startled everyone. A man stood behind Tamara, his long hair tied back and his narrowed red eyes exuding both calm and indifference.

But what caught everyone's attention most was the meaning behind this combination of physical features, he was an Ishtarian.

Tamara's eyes widened and she sighed.

"Arvad," she said, her voice tinged with both surprise and irritation.

Arvad, a renowned continental champion from Valmera, gave a small nod.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"You're making quite the scene here," he said lightly. "Let's not escalate things further." Before anyone could respond, another presence made itself known. A second Ishtarian appeared seemingly out of nowhere, crouching right behind Colin. He poked her back gently. "What's that fire inside you?" he asked curiously, his narrowed eyes glinting.

Colin flinched and jumped away, her eyes wide with alarm. The man closed his eyes briefly, as if savoring a discovery, and murmured.

"That's something dangerous you're hiding there. For your age, it's something far too big to walk around with..."

His tone was light, but as he opened his eyes, he found himself face-to-face with two pairs of shoes Mercury's and Roger's, a split second before they struck.

Mercury's and Roger's powerful kick sent the man sprawling backward into the ground.

The intruder groaned dramatically, brushing dust off his shoulders as he sat up, unscathed.

"Hey... that wasn't nice," he muttered.

"Rylas," Arvad said, his tone carrying a mix of annoyance and exasperation. "Apologize to the young lady."

Rylas seemed intrigued, but eventually stood up and bowed to Colin.

"Uh... okay... Sorry I guess," he said casually.

Arvad turned back to Eratz.

"Apologies for the behavior of my boss and my friend," he said with a small bow. "We'll be taking our leave now."

Tamara rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. Rylas stood, stretching lazily.

"Uh... Aren't we forgetting something?" he said, scratching his neck.

Arvad's gaze fell on Eratz, and a spark of recognition lit his eyes.

"Ah, how could I..." he began, striding confidently toward Eratz. Extending a hand for a handshake, his smile was warm and inviting.

Eratz blinked, caught off guard.

"Uh?"

Arvad, completely oblivious to Eratz's confusion, clasped his hand firmly and grinned.

"It's always a pleasure to count a brother in the team."

"He's not," Tamara interjected sharply.

Arvad kept his pose for seconds then his brows furrowed in confusion.

"What?"

Tamara ignored him, her focus entirely on Eratz. She walked forward until she stood in front of him.

"I know what you're thinking," she said, her voice quieter now but no less intense. "I was just like you at your age."

Eratz raised a brow.

"What, you mean all Ishtarians are the same?"

Both Arvad and Rylas promptly shook their heads more confused than ever. Tamara, however, smirked.

"No, but I do know this. You're curious. You're driven by the will to grow stronger, to understand what's inside you. That curiosity is dangerous, Eratz. You're not even close to your prime yet, but people like you are easily lured by the promise of power. Kallistra knows that. She's found you, and she has all the time in the world to manipulate you."

Eratz's expression grew serious.

"You seem so sure about what I want and don't want," he said coldly.

Tamara's gaze didn't waver.

"I'm sure because I've seen it before. People like you... people like me. Power is tempting, but it comes at a cost. Kallistra is chill now because she thinks she's won you over. She loves you... like a dragon loves its treasure. If you want power, I can teach you. At least with me, you won't end up destroying yourself."

Her words hung heavily in the air, drawing the attention of everyone present. From afar, Genova's students watched the interaction with awe and envy, whispering among themselves about how Tamara Regalia, the legendary beast master, was speaking directly to Eratz. Kenny, standing at a distance, groaned in frustration and stormed off, unwilling to watch any longer.

Victoria's voice broke the tension.

"Tamara..." she murmured, but before she could say more, Eratz raised a hand, silencing her.

"I'll say this once," Eratz began, his tone lighter. "I'm not joining anyone. Not Kallistra. Not you, Tamara. My choices are mine and mine alone, and no one tells me what to do or what path to take." He paused for a moment, his gaze piercing the Queen. "I'm linked only to Victoria, and that's final. Whatever happens, I'll see this through to the end and take responsibility for everything I've started."

The courtyard fell silent, his words resonating deeply. Tamara studied him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Finally, she sighed, crossing her arms.

"You're annoying," she said, her tone harsh but oddly pleased. "Still, I'll give you this: at least you've got a spine. Too bad Vicky got you first... But I'm not giving up," Her smirk widened briefly before she turned to Victoria. "I'll stick around until the end of the event.

Dinner's on you."

Victoria blinked in surprise.

"Wait, what?" she managed to say in disbelief.

Tamara didn't elaborate further. She pivoted and began walking away, her two companions

falling in step behind her.

As she moved, Arvad glanced back at Eratz with a mischievous grin.

"Brother, do you drink Dyvaris?" he asked, referring to the sugary, potent traditional

Ishtarian drink.

Roger's eyes narrowed, as he recognized Cassie's favorite drink before Colin's birth. Tamara

glanced over her shoulder.

"It's what our people drink to settle a matter," she said simply. "Let's have some later,

Eratz."

With that, she strode away, her companions trailing behind. As they disappeared into the distance, Eratz watched them go, his expression unreadable, though his eyebrows raised slightly. He turned to Victoria, implying that she should follow her, but Victoria hesitated

before sighing.

"She said dinner, not walking," she muttered.

An awkward silence settled over the courtyard as members of Golden Cosmos and Infinite Twilight exchanged tense glances.

Finally, Leonidas broke the tension with a curt command to his agents.

"Let's go," he said. "No point in staying here."

As the two groups began to part ways, Leonidas lingered, his gaze fixed on Eratz. At first,

Eratz appeared to be looking away, his focus on the opposite side of the courtyard.

But then, Eratz suddenly flinched and turned sharply, locking eyes with him.

Leonidas froze, startled.

There was no way Eratz could have seen him from that angle, yet their gazes met with

unnerving precision.

Leonidas quickly looked away, his steps faltering briefly as he continued walking.

"Did he...?" Leonidas thought.