Dominion of The Beast Masters

257  Game Over

Arin stood alone in the middle of the battlefield's destruction.

To her left, Iris was frozen, her body encased in a crystalline prison of ice. To her right, Silver was equally immobile, trapped in a glacial cocoon. In front of her, Nyx stood completely frozen, her feral rage extinguished.

Scattered among the rubble were Bastian, Seraphis, Kiora, and Aelric, all unconscious and battered from the relentless onslaught.

A sudden blast echoed across the battlefield. Arin turned just in time to see Lira collapse to the ground, her body convulsing briefly as sparks of electricity danced over her.

The air felt heavy, and Arin trembled as she looked down, gripping her arms to steady herself. A chilling sensation crept up her spine.

She felt it before she saw him.

Right behind her, Eratz stood. His crimson eyes glowed faintly, and his presence loomed like a shadow of inevitability.

Arin turned slowly, her body trembling with fear and frustration. Her gaze met his, and in that moment, defeat seeped into her soul.

"I was too stupid…" she muttered, her voice breaking. "I should have secured the points first…" Her words faltered, her head lowering slightly.

She glanced behind her. Raya stood immobile, her katana pointed toward her direction. Between a rock and a hard place, Arin knew she was done for.

She sighed and glanced back at Eratz.

"How did you get so…"

Before she could finish, a fiery blast erupted in front of her. Flames roared, and Arin screamed, shielding herself from the searing heat. Eratz had unleashed a fire field spell, the ground around them glowing red with embers and ash.

The audience in the stands was on the edge of their seats, their collective breath caught in their throats.

From the Infinite Twilight locker room, Rex panicked.

"Arin!" he shouted.

Arin pushed through the pain and fear, her resolve returning as she jumped backward, summoning several beasts in a desperate attempt to turn the tide.

Creatures resembling puppets materialized around her, snarling and ready to attack.

But before they could move, an icy breath swept across the battlefield, freezing them solid in an instant. Raya stepped forward, her katana's tip touching the ground.

Frost glinted off several slashes on the beasts' frozen bodies and even on Arin herself.

Arin gritted her teeth, desperate to switch her element to counter Raya. She extended her hand, preparing to summon something new, but a sharp touch on her forehead stopped her.

Eratz's finger pressed against her forehead. A jolt of electricity surged through her, her body convulsing violently as she screamed. Frost spread across her limbs, the icy tendrils intertwining with the electric currents.

Her wide, terrified eyes met Eratz's one last time.

"You're… not… normal…" she whispered hoarsely before her body froze completely, encased in an unyielding icy shell.

Eratz lowered his hand, the fire dissipating as he ended his field spell. He tilted his head slightly.

"Bold coming from someone like you."

The battlefield fell silent. Every single fighter had been defeated.

The public erupted into a deafening roar, the sound shaking the coliseum to its core. Cheers, gasps, and cries of disbelief filled the air as Eratz and Raya stood victorious among the ruins.

In the Golden Cosmos locker room, the reaction was instant.

Colin and Milo jumped into each other's arms, shouting in joy. Mercury laughed loudly, pulling Kaida and Catarina into a group hug as they all celebrated.

Zara grabbed Victoria and lifted her off the ground, swinging her side to side as they both laughed.

Then, Zara froze, her eyes wide. She put Victoria down and stared at the screen. Slowly, she began calculating something in the air with her fingers, and suddenly, she screamed in stupefaction.

"We… we've won!" she shouted. "We've won the finals for sure!"

Colin and Milo stopped jumping, their heads tilting in confusion. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"What do you mean?" Milo asked.

Mercury, still laughing, wiped tears from her eyes.

"Yeah, Zara, what are you talking about? There's still the next round."

Zara pointed to the scoreboard on the giant screen:

[Golden Cosmos: 17

Infinite Twilight: 7

Azure Blades: 1

Blazing Horizons: 0]

She turned back to the group, her excitement bubbling over.

"The rules state that each fighter can only fight once. Mathematically, there's no way Infinite Twilight can score 11 more points! And even if they somehow managed that with another 4v4 battle, we still have the weapons to secure one or two more points. It's over! We've won!"

The room fell silent for a moment as her words sank in. Then, a shared 'UH?!' filled the space. Colin and Milo jumped up and down, hugging each other tightly once more.

Mercury clapped Kaida on the back as they both laughed in relief. Catarina spun around, her tail flicking wildly. Zara grinned, the stress of the competition finally lifting.

They were on the verge f losing, and now the tables had turned so much that they were already sure to be the winners.

In the Infinite Twilight locker room, the mood was the complete opposite.

Leonidas dropped heavily into his chair, his hands gripping the armrests as his wide eyes stared at the screen in disbelief.

Sia stood with her arms crossed, her jaw clenched tightly. Her eyes twitched with frustration as she glared at the scoreboard.

 "Kss…" She muttered.

Flinn leaned back in his seat, rolling his eyes with a resigned sigh.

 "This is fucking over now," he muttered, slumping in defeat.

The entire room was filled with tension and despair, their hopes crushed by the insurmountable lead of the Golden Cosmos.

For Golden Cosmos, the finals were theirs. But for the chairman of the league and his staff, this result posed a significant problem.

The last battle of the day was a 1v1 between Flinn of Infinite Twilight and Lyric of Blazing Horizons. The fight ended quickly, with every challenger having already fought, the special rule put no real constrain. Flinn's overwhelming power securing a swift victory, and the updated scoreboard read:

[Golden Cosmos: 17

Infinite Twilight: 8

Azure Blades: 1

Blazing Horizons: 0]

The first day of the finals ended with Golden Cosmos firmly in the lead, their dominance casting a shadow over the remainder of the competition.

Fans and participants alike dispersed from the arena, the energy in the air a mix of awe and inevitability. While the victors celebrated their success and others reflected on their performances, a storm brewed in the distance.

Thunder rumbled ominously across the darkened sky, yet no lightning illuminated the heavy clouds, only a strange white coloring the sky from time to time.

At the grand hotel Aquila Aurum, the mood was tense. In a conference room, the chairman of the league sat at the head of a polished table, flanked by his staff.

A mixture of frustration and concern filled the room as they reviewed the day's events.

"This format was supposed to maintain suspense," one staff member lamented, tapping a finger on the table. "Instead, it's practically over. The audience knows who's going to win."

The chairman leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled as he listened. Finally, he exhaled.

"It wasn't a bad idea. The problem wasn't the format, but our failure to predict Crow's endurance and the strategic dominance of Golden Cosmos."

"So what do we do now?" another staff member asked, his tone laced with desperation. "We can't just let this play out. The finals are supposed to be the pinnacle of excitement, not a foregone conclusion."

"We could reframe today as a qualification round," another suggested. "Tomorrow, we hold a single final match to decide the champion."

The chairman appeared to consider this, his gaze distant as the room fell silent. After a long pause, he shook his head.

"No. It won't work."

A low, smooth voice cut through the tension.

"It doesn't matter how you spin it. If the match goes ahead as planned, Infinite Twilight will lose."

The staff froze, their eyes darting to the corner of the room. From the shadows, a figure stepped forward.

"Who's there?!" one woman stammered, her voice trembling.

As the light revealed her face, a collective gasp rippled through the room.

"The Star Crusher?" the chairman murmured, his voice barely audible.

Kallistra stood before them, her silver-gray hair cascading down her back, her eyes gleaming with a quiet intensity. She wore an enigmatic smile that sent a shiver through the room.

Ignoring the startled reactions, she spoke, her tone measured and precise.

"Infinite Twilight's hope lies in Goldust and Sia," she began. "Individually, they can match the top members of Golden Cosmos. But there's a problem."

The staff exchanged uneasy glances as Kallistra's gaze swept the room.

"Golden Cosmos has more than just Eratz. They have three other pillars: the water girl, the Blind Samurai, and now, even the fire girl. If they play their cards right, one of them will dominate the 3v3, and the Pharaoh will seal the 4v4. Your precious finals will end in a child play."

"How do you know all this?" a staff member demanded. "And why are you even here?"

Kallistra ignored the questions, her smile fading as she turned her attention to the chairman.

"You didn't play with the rules just to have a pathetic final, did you?"

The chairman's eyes narrowed.

"And you didn't come here just to point out our predicament. What do you have in mind?"

Kallistra's expression darkened, the storm outside mirroring the intensity in her voice.

"I know a way to make this... a memorable final."