Dominion of The Beast Masters

Chapter 261: Selective Prey



Rex stood motionless, his piercing glare fixed on Eratz, who stood protectively in front of Colin and Catarina.

The wind shifted slightly, rustling the trees around them, but neither moved.

"There you are," Rex growled, his voice carrying the weight of his simmering fury.

In the arena, the entire crowd watched the scene unfold in real time through a network of high-tech drones hovering silently above the battlefield.

Their advanced sensors and long-range cameras transmitted every moment to massive screens surrounding the coliseum.

Gasps rippled through the audience as the two fighters faced off.

Zara, watching intently, leaned forward in her seat, her fingers gripping the edge of her chair. "No, no, not now," she muttered, her voice barely audible amidst the murmur of the crowd.

Victoria sat stiffly beside her, her normally calm expression betraying the slightest hint of tension.

"Very bad timing for this confrontation," she murmured.

Back on the battlefield, Catarina's legs trembled as she clutched Colin's arm. Her voice came out in a faint whisper.

"Gol... Goldust..."

Eratz stood firm, his stance shielding the two behind him. Rex noticed this, and a flicker of something almost resembling disappointment crossed his face.

"So even you can worry for your people," Rex muttered.

Eratz's expression didn't change, but his eyes narrowed slightly in intrigue. Rex's face softened, but only for a moment before hardening with resolve.

"I have no business with your friends," Rex stated. "I'm here for you."

Eratz blinked and frowned.

"What?"

Rex pointed to a path leading deeper into the forest.

"This way. Let's settle this far from the others. Just you and me."

Eratz tilted his head.

"Not interested in... Wait, you don't want to win the final?"

Rex's eyes burned with intensity as he clenched his fists.

"This is the difference between you and me," he said, his voice rising. "You're only interested in winning. That's all you see."

The crowd watched in stunned silence as Rex began his impassioned speech. No one could hear, so they only watched a deaf show while imagining the dialogues.

"You could've ended it quickly, but you didn't. You toyed with them. My friends, my team, you defeated them, but that wasn't enough for you. You made them cry, you broke their spirits, and for what? Just to prove how much stronger you are?"

Eratz's face remained neutral, but a faint flicker of surprise crossed his eyes as Rex's words echoed through the forest.

'This' was the reason of his anger?

"I'm not here to win the final," Rex continued, his voice steady but laced with venom. "I'm here to make sure no one ever feels that way again. To make sure you... pay."

Catarina's grip on Colin tightened as the weight of Rex's words hung heavy in the air. Both girls looked at Eratz with pleading eyes, silently begging him not to go.

Eratz looked over his shoulder at them, his gaze softening briefly. Then he turned back to Rex.

"Okay," he said simply, his tone devoid of hesitation. "Lead the way."

Rex smirked and turned on his heel. Without another word, he dashed into the dense forest, moving with practiced agility as branches and leaves blurred past him.

"We'll do this at the top of the castle ruins," Rex called out over his shoulder. "The highest spot on the island. It's the safest place for this."

He moved swiftly through the forest, weaving between trees and leaping over obstacles with precision. But after a few moments, a strange sensation crept over him.

Eratz was a genius, a powerful foe with probably no moral, and Rex was giving him his back. Rex slowed his pace and turned his head slightly, expecting to see Eratz trying a sneak attack. But there was no one there, no beast, no energy and certainly no Eratz.

Rex stopped abruptly, his body tense as he scanned his surroundings. His eyes darted between the trees, searching for any sign of movement.

"What the hell...?" he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Rex's mind raced. He replayed the moments before he started running, the confident way

Eratz had agreed to follow him. It didn't make sense.

Then... He remembered just as he thought a few seconds ago. Eratz was a dangerous for with probably no moral.

"No..." he murmured, his voice growing louder with disbelief. "He didn't."

Realization struck him like a thunderbolt. His fists clenched, his jaw tightening as fury surged through him.

"You... ran away?" he growled, incredulous. Rex's voice echoed through the empty forest, his rage bubbling over.

"Damn it, Eratz!" he roared, slamming his fist into a nearby tree. Bark splintered under the force, but it did little to quell the storm building within him.

Far from the scene, Eratz moved swiftly with Colin and Catarina, weaving through the forest. His expression was calm, his demeanor unbothered as he led his teammates away from the confrontation.

Catarina glanced nervously over her shoulder. Her tail flicked uneasily, and she let out a shaky laugh.

"Boss," she said, trying to sound casual, "are you seriously running away? You? The Pharaoh? Instead of fighting him?"

Eratz didn't break his stride, his eyes focused on the path ahead.

"I'm not running away," he said. "I'm ensuring a victory."

Catarina blinked, confused.

"You... what?"

"I don't care about his emotional damage," Eratz replied bluntly. "What I did to him and his friends wasn't personal. It's what I always do. If he's annoyed, he's free to stew in his feelings until I'm done here. Right now, my priority is making sure we win this final."

Colin, running just behind them, nodded.

"That makes sense... He's too focused on you, Eratz. Keeping him occupied is the best

strategy... that's it, right?"

An explosion sounded in the distance, but it was far from their location. Eratz glanced briefly in the direction of the noise.

"This is not a dual but a competition," he said. "The best way to cripple our chances is to keep us tied up, stuck facing one opponent. This is not the time for..."

Suddenly, the forest was bathed in blinding light. It spread like a wave, illuminating every shadowy corner and making the trio squint against its brilliance.

"Damn it," Eratz muttered, his jaw tightening. "He used his field spell again."

As the light receded, Rex stood directly in front of them, his expression a mix of fury and disbelief. His aura radiated anger as he took a step closer to Eratz.

"Coward!" Rex shouted, his voice echoing through the forest. "What kind of leader runs away? What are you trying to do, Eratz? Running? Hiding? How can you... how dare you..." He clenched his fists, his words tumbling out in a torrent of frustration. "You're supposed to be the Pharaoh, aren't you? Then why? Why are you running like this?"

Eratz tilted his head, unimpressed.

"Don't know, let me do it again."

Before Rex could respond, Eratz vanished in a flash of lightning.

Rex froze, stunned by the sudden disappearance. For a moment, he just stood there, his fists

trembling.

Colin and Catarina exchanged wide-eyed glances, unsure whether to move or speak.

Finally, Rex's head snapped up, and he let out a roar of frustration. His body surged forward,

dashing through the forest like a storm incarnate.

Eratz, now far ahead, felt Rex's presence closing in. He smirked, the thrill of the chase

burning in his eyes.

"As expected," he murmured to himself. "He only has eyes for me... Guess I can leave the rest

to them."

Rex's voice boomed through the forest.

"Eratz!" he yelled. "Stop running, damn you!"

Meanwhile, farther away, the sound of explosions reverberated through the woods.

Taryn, Kaelion, Lyric, and Jace from Blazing Horizons ran at full speed, their breaths ragged

as they pushed forward.

"The noise is getting closer," Taryn said between gasps. "We need to hide. Now."

They stumbled upon a cavern, its entrance dark and foreboding. Taryn motioned for the group

to enter.

"Here," she said. "It's better than

out in the open."

Jace hesitated, peering into the pitch-black void.

"This is a bad idea," he said. "We can't see anything. If something attacks us in there, we're

sitting dolls. This is stupid."

Lyric frowned.

"It's risky, but she's right. Outside is worse."

"Worse?" Jace scoffed. "Outside, we know where to run, here we are..."

"Amateurs." A voice cut through the darkness, cold and sharp.

The group froze, their blood running cold. The voice was low but carried a weight that made

the air feel heavy.

"Afraid of the dark?" the voice continued. "How sad. Allow me to show you... How to face the

darkness..."

From the shadows, a katana gleamed red. The group's collective fear turned to panic.

"The... the Shinigami!" Taryn stammered.

Before they could react, a powerful slash tore through the cavern, the force causing the walls

to tremble.

The ground shook violently, rocks crumbling as the cavern began to collapse.

Taryn and Lyric leapt out just in time, rolling onto the ground outside. Dust and debris

clouded the entrance as they scrambled to their feet.

"Jace?" Taryn called out. "Kaelion?"

Silence answered her. Jace stood up, his stance defensive.

"We need to stay together," he said. "She'll come for us next."

"No!" Taryn shouted, her voice cracking. "We have to run! We stand no chance against her!"

As they turned to flee, they came face to face with an ominous sight: puppet knights emerging from the shadows, their eyes glowing faintly.

The metallic creak of their movements sent chills down their spines.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Their screams echoed through the forest, fading into the chaos that consumed Solaris Haven.

Raya stepped out of the crumbling cave, her figure emerging gracefully from the shadows amidst the settling dust and debris.

Her katana gleamed faintly in the dim forest light, its red hue ominous against the backdrop

of the destruction.

She stopped her walk and raised her chin, the faint trace of a smile curling at the corners of her

lips.

"It's a bad habit to eat from someone else's plate," she said smoothly.

Not far from her, Jace and Taryn lay sprawled on the forest floor, unconscious and battered,

and just beyond them, Arin adjusted her glasses with a composed motion.

"If you can't finish your meal on time," Arin began, her voice sharp, "don't blame the

scavengers for doing your job, Blind Swordsman."

Raya's faint smile didn't waver, but her stance shifted subtly, her katana lowering to her side.

"I see. I'll be sure to correct that mistake." Raya mused.