Dominion of The Beast Masters

Eratz moved forward, each step heavy and deliberate, his aura seeping from him in thick, dark waves that spiraled out across the arena.

The ground seemed to tremble beneath him, and the stands erupted in gasps and murmurs as the energy rippled through the air.

Gabriel stood his ground, fists clenched, his eyes narrowing as he took in the ominous approach.

"So, you're finally going all out?" he called, his voice steady but tense.

Eratz's grin widened, a glint of pure intensity in his eyes.

"That's all I'm asking for," he replied, his voice a low, resonant growl.

He raised his hand, and unleashed a wave of energy that swept over the arena like a storm, shaking the very foundation.

People in the stands rose from their seats, some clutching each other, caught between awe and terror.

Victoria, watching from her vantage point, felt a rare shock settle over her face, unable to look away from the display of sheer power.

Eratz's gaze fixed on Gabriel, his irises an unearthly, piercing white, mirroring the eyes of his beasts behind him.

The Terrakrus let out a thunderous roar that reverberated through the stadium, the Thunder Lycaon's howl crackling with electric fury, while the Aetheri pulsed with an eerie glow, their combined auras merging with Eratz's own.

"I have great expectations for you," Eratz intoned, his voice carrying a weight that seemed to press down on Gabriel. "And I'm sure you can live up to them."

He pointed two fingers together, his eyes narrowing as energy gathered at their tips. In a flash, he unleashed a beam of pure light, the energy tearing through the air.

Gabriel barely had time to react, sidestepping at the last second as the beam grazed past him, leaving a trail of searing heat in its wake.

Not wasting a moment, Gabriel summoned his Phoenix's power, the beast flying above him in a blaze of crimson and blue flames, its feathers ignited in a fiery glow.

Gabriel clenched his fists, channeling the Phoenix's essence into himself, his own body emanating a fiery aura as he fused with its energy.

The beastification completed, flaming wings on his back and his eyes gleamed with the same fierce, burning intensity as his Phoenix.

With a fierce shout, Gabriel launched himself forward, his entire body covered in flames as he closed the distance, his fist aimed directly at Eratz.

But Eratz's grin only widened as he raised his hand to meet Gabriel's attack, his arm snapping sideway like a whip.

Their fists collided, sending shockwaves through the arena.

The impact pushed Gabriel to the side, his body hurtling through the air before he righted himself, skidding to a halt.

The two locked eyes, Gabriel's jaw clenched in determination, his entire body tense and ready.

In front of him, Eratz stood relaxed, his grin cold and dangerous, an almost feral look in his white-glowing gaze.

In a heartbeat, they roared and charged at each other, the raw power radiating off them a spectacle for the audience.

At the same moment, their beasts mirrored their masters' intent, the Terrakrus thundering forward, shaking the ground with each step, the Thunder Lycaon flickering in and out of shadow as it closed in on Ignarix, and the Aetheri hovering above, its gaze locked on the Sylphara.

Gabriel's flame-covered fists collided with Eratz's, the fiery light meeting the shadows and light swirling around Eratz's fist, their blows filling the air with shockwaves.

The clash between Gabriel and Eratz escalated into a storm of raw energy and relentless power, each strike reverberating throughout the arena.

Flames and shadows and light, twisted together as Gabriel fought with the fierce, fiery strength of his Phoenix, Ignarix, his fists blazing with searing heat.

Every punch he threw left streaks of flame in the air, creating waves of intense heat that washed over the battlefield.

But Eratz was an unstoppable force. Each of Gabriel's fiery strikes was met with an unyielding counter, as Eratz drew upon his arsenal of elemental and physical attacks.

With a brutal swipe of his hand, he summoned a crackling bolt of lightning, sending it shooting toward Gabriel.

Gabriel barely dodged, his flames flickering in the electric glow, but Eratz closed in, raising his arm in a sweeping motion that called forth the ability of creating earthquake.

Stones and debris rose at his command, the ground beneath Gabriel trembling before exploding upward in a cascade of rock.

Gabriel pushed through, igniting his entire body in flames, blasting through the earthen barrier in a burst of fiery light.

His fists crackled with heat as he launched another attack at Eratz, his movements swift, weaving through the rock and lightning.

Yet Eratz barely flinched. With a fierce grin, he dodged each punch and kick with effortless precision, his eyes glowing with an unearthly light.

When Gabriel managed to land a hit, Eratz countered instantly, unleashing a spirit beam engulfing Gabriel's body.

Meanwhile, the battle between their beasts raged just as fiercely, each creature fighting with unwavering loyalty to its master.

Ignarix, Gabriel's fiery phoenix, flared in the sky, unleashing torrents of flame upon the Thunder Lycaon.

But the Lycaon, agile as a shadow, disappeared into darkness, avoiding each fiery blast, then reappeared in an instant to strike with bolts of electricity, forcing Ignarix to swerve and dodge, flames flickering with each electric blow.

Below, the Terrakrus, bore down on the Verdara, the Verdara's antlers glowed with green energy as it tried to ensnare the black dragon with roots and vines, but the Terrakrus roared, smashing through the plant life with his sheer weight and power.

Each time the Verdara struck, Terrakrus's Rockbound Fury grew, amplifying his strength, his attacks becoming more lethal with every blow he received.

The Verdara was pushed back, its energy dimming under the onslaught of the Terrakrus's unstoppable force.

Sylphara swooped down in a fluid dance, spraying water to counter the Aetheri's psychic and elemental attacks.

But the Aetheri's mastery over elements was unparalleled, and it shifted effortlessly from beams of electricity to blasts of fire and earth, keeping the Sylphara at bay.

The dragon struggled against Aetheri's overwhelming versatility, its shimmering scales bearing the brunt of each attack as it tried to hold its ground, but the onslaught from Eratz's creatures was relentless.

Despite being outmatched, Gabriel's beasts held their positions, each one fighting with all its might under Gabriel's command.

Gabriel himself, though visibly struggling, remained unyielding. With gritted teeth, he pushed his limits, combining his fiery strength with agile dodges, trying to find a way through Eratz's relentless defenses.

His determination was clear, and the crowd, though awestruck by Eratz's power, found themselves rooting for Gabriel's resilience.

But Eratz had no intention of slowing down. He drew in his energy, focusing it into his fists, his aura darkening as he prepared for a devastating blow.

Gabriel saw it coming and surged forward, his body igniting in a blazing inferno, ready to counter with everything he had.

They collided in an earth-shaking impact, the energy crackling between them, but Eratz's strength overwhelmed Gabriel's flames, the located blast engulfed Gabriel and sent him crashing in a destructive explosion.

The impact echoed through the stadium, a blinding flash of energy engulfing the area where Gabriel had landed.

Dust and debris clouded the air as silence fell over the crowd, everyone staring in shock, holding their breath as the smoke began to clear.

For a moment, the audience watched in stunned silence, and murmurs began to ripple through the stands.

"Is it… over?"

"He couldn't have endured that…"

In the stands, Victoria's eyes were wide, her hands clenched in anticipation. Cassie, Roger, Colin, and Milo watched with bated breath, unable to look away.

In the crater formed by the last attack, Gabriel lay motionless for a moment before the flames around him reignited, swirling up in a fierce blaze.

Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet, his body still fuming with an unbreakable resolve.

The crowd erupted, their voices rising in a wave of admiration and support, cheering Gabriel's name.

Eratz observed with curiosity, his gaze lifting to the phoenix soaring above them.

The fiery beast let out a deafening screech, its call resonating with its peers, and in response, flames washed over Gabriel's beasts, rekindling their strength and igniting their forms anew.

Solarius rejoined the battle with a fierce growl, making it four against three once more.

Gabriel clenched his fists, his voice rising above the noise of the crowd.

"I'll never bow to someone who ignores the cries of the girl who saved him," he declared, his tone thick with emotion. "You might have abandoned her, but I won't. I fight for those who stand up for others, who put themselves on the line. Crystal deserves justice, and I'll give her that, even if it's with a single punch."

The crowd roared, caught in the fervor of his words, moved by his courage. Faces filled with emotion, cheering him on.

Unphased, Eratz raised a single finger, his gaze fixed on Gabriel.

"Raijinara," Eratz said softly.

In an instant, the sky split open, bolts of lightning descending like a furious storm.

Jagged strikes of thunder rained down in disorder, striking each of Gabriel's beasts.

Ignarix, Solarius, Verdara, and Sylphara were each struck, their fiery bodies flickering out in violent blasts, one by one succumbing to the unrelenting assault of Raijinara's storm.

Gabriel dodged and weaved, desperately trying to evade the cascading lightning, but one bolt struck him squarely, throwing him back into the ground, his body crackling with residual energy.

Before Gabriel could gather himself, Eratz pointed two fingers at the phoenix falling, firing a piercing beam of light that shot straight through its fiery body.

The bird screeched, flames dimming as a shimmering bubble enveloped it, containing its power.

Eratz's voice echoed with finality, his gaze fixed on Gabriel.

"Now it won't interfere again," he said, his tone as calm. "Show me how you plan to land that punch."

Gabriel struggled to his feet, groaning as he looked around, realizing that all his beasts lay defeated.

He cast a helpless glance at his phoenix, trapped in the bubble, its fire struggling against the confinement.

As his hope wavered, Eratz summoned his three beasts once more, their imposing forms surrounding him like guardians of destruction.

Gabriel clenched his fists, forcing himself to think, to come up with a plan. But as he tried to focus, to decipher Eratz's next move, his opponent closed the distance in an instant.

Eratz became a bolt of lightning and crashed into Gabriel, striking him with the force of thunder.

Gabriel's body slammed into the ground with crushing intensity, the impact sending shockwaves through the arena.

Eratz placed his foot heavily on Gabriel's head, pinning him to the ground with an air of effortless dominance.

Gabriel gritted his teeth, struggling to push himself up, but Eratz only sighed, looking almost disappointed.

"You're strong, child, but there's a problem," Eratz began, his tone almost casual. "First, you're just a child. You've got skill, but your style is all over the place, it's too complicated. You're giving too many commands, trying to control every move. It's making your beasts dependent on you instead of letting them fight in sync, and in opposite, it's making you more vulnerable and way too easy to read."

His foot pulsed with electricity, sending shocks through Gabriel's body. Gabriel clenched his jaw, a pained scream ripping from his throat.

"And second," Eratz continued, his tone hardening, "you're too naive. You came in thinking you were on a mission, that you could play the hero against the big bad villain." He shook his head, looking down at Gabriel almost pitifully. "I would have liked facing you on neutral ground. I could try to explain the whole story, but you've already chosen your enemy, haven't you?"

He raised a finger to the sky, and in an instant, lightning crashed down, pooling around his hand as it mixed with his own spirit energy, forming a crackling sphere of power growing in size.

The crowd's fear spilled over, with panicked screams filling the stands.

"Gabriel, get up!" someone yelled, their voice shaking.

"Gabriel!" others cried, their desperate voices joining together.

Eratz's gaze didn't waver as he spoke to Gabriel.

"Come back when I'm in my citizen mode. Maybe then we could…" He trailed off as Gabriel's eyes opened, blazing with renewed defiance.

In a flash, Gabriel activated his dragon's beastification, with a body with serpentine features, he was able to slip free from under Eratz's foot.

He rolled away, catching his breath.

But just as he thought he'd found an opening, he heard Eratz's cold voice, dripping with satisfaction.

"See? That's exactly what I told you."

Eratz vanished, appearing in a streak of lightning directly above Gabriel, his charged hand aimed down.

Gabriel looked up, his eyes widening in horror as Eratz's hand fell on his face, releasing the charged energy in a blinding explosion.

A sphere of raw power erupted from the contact point, the shockwave tearing through the arena, shaking the ground beneath the spectators' feet.