Dominion of The Beast Masters

254  The Great Hunt

Every fighter on standby, Eratz, Raya, Aelric, and Lira, had been placed in cells located in each corner of the massive battlefield.

These cages shimmered with magical restraints, ensuring their containment until the five-minute limit was reached. If Ryder and Caius could survive, the cells would unlock, and these fighters would be unleashed, turning the tide of the battle.

But for now, all the attention rested solely on Ryder.

The atmosphere in the arena was suffocating. Every other fighter's gaze was fixed on him, not with admiration or respect, but with a mixture of pity and cruel anticipation.

To them, Ryder was the sacrificial lamb of the Golden Cosmos, a black sheep caught in the jaws of an unforgiving system.

Ryder felt their stares, their unspoken judgments, and for a moment, it weighed on him. His chest tightened as self-doubt began to creep in.

But then, as he stood in the center of the battlefield, his resolve steadied. A wry smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he whispered to himself.

"This isn't a coincidence. There's a time to hold them, and there's a time to fold them. Now's the time to show why I'm in this team."

He murmured words to convince himself, to gain confidence. It wasn't impossible, there were no Frost Empress nor Goldust.

The problem was that everyone wanted his head.

In the Golden Cosmos locker room, the mood was grim. Kaida, Catarina, and Milo had returned, their injuries patched up as they joined the others to watch the match unfold.

Kaida, still stinging from her defeat, sat with her arms crossed and an irritated scowl.

"How fast do you think he can run?" she muttered bitterly.

Milo frowned at her, his worry for Ryder plain on his face. Catarina's usual playful demeanor was absent; even her tail swished nervously as she watched the screen.

"The good question is how long?" Mercury sighed.

Back on the battlefield, the announcer's voice boomed across the coliseum.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Warrior of Steel match is about to begin!"

From a distance, the scene looked almost absurd. Ryder stood alone in the middle of the battlefield, while every other fighter, without exception, even Caius, turned toward him.

Their intentions were as clear as the sun overhead: eliminate Ryder before the five-minute mark and ensure that Eratz and Raya never stepped onto the field.

The commentator observed the scene, feeling as if his voice was the announcement of Ryder's demise.

"May God have mercy on him," he murmured, watching the absurdity of the scene.

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The crowd fell silent. The air was thick with tension, the kind that seemed to freeze time itself. Every spectator, fighter, and teammate held their breath, waiting for the inevitable.

Then, with the crack of the signal, the battle began.

The battlefield erupted into chaos as every fighter unleashed their long-range attacks simultaneously. Blades of light, torrents of energy, and streaking elemental blasts converged on Ryder's position.

For a moment, all he could do was blink, his eyes widening as he stared at what looked like a wall of light descending upon him.

Then came the impact.

A deafening explosion shook the arena, the shockwave rattling even the farthest corners of the coliseum. The blasts didn't stop, a relentless barrage continued as every fighter poured their strength into ensuring that Ryder had no chance of standing again.

The ground beneath the assault cratered and cracked, smoke and dust billowing upward in a dark, suffocating cloud. The onslaught seemed endless, a continuous roar of destruction.

In the stands, the crowd watched in stunned silence. Cassie and Roger exchanged heavy glances before lowering their heads, their expressions a mix of resignation and sorrow. Tamara crossed her arms and sighed audibly, her masked face betraying nothing.

"Just like that," she muttered.

The sentiment rippled through the audience. For many, it felt less like a battle and more like an execution. Every blow seemed designed to snuff out any glimmer of hope, and the atmosphere grew darker with each successive attack.

Finally, the fighters ceased their assault, their energy spent. The arena fell eerily quiet, the thick cloud of smoke hanging heavily in the air. Iris smirked, crossing her arms in satisfaction.

"There," she said smugly. "No Pharaoh."

The fighters began to turn their attention toward each other. With the Cosmos out of the way, it was time for the real battle to begin. But just as the tension began to rise between them, Arin flinched. Her sharp gaze darted backward, her instincts screaming.

In the heart of the smoke cloud, a shadow moved. The fighters froze, their eyes narrowing as they strained to see through the haze. Slowly, a massive form began to emerge, its outline imposing and monstrous.

"What is that?" someone whispered.

As the dust settled, the figure became clearer. Standing amidst the devastation was a creature unlike any they'd ever seen.

Its form resembled an enormous turtle, its shell adorned with mirror-like structures that shifted and shimmered in a mesmerizing display of colors. The mirrors reflected the light around it, their hues constantly changing, giving the impression of a creature in perpetual transformation.

Arin's eyes widened as her power activated, revealing the name of the beast.

Name: Chameleona, the Shifting Veil

Affinity: -

Rank: Calamity Abilities:

Shapeshifter: Gain abilities depending on the form taken

Arin's horrified shout cut through the tension, her voice trembling.

"It's a unique beast!"

The words sent a ripple of shock through Infinite Twilight's team. Nyx flinched, her confidence faltering for a split second, while Silver clenched his fists, his expression darkening.

Next to them, other fighters from Azure Blades and Blazing Horizons clenched their teeth in frustration.

"How did he resist that?" Iris spat.

Bastian roared, his voice carrying over the battlefield.

"Get him! Quick!"

The fighters didn't hesitate. They surged forward, some already summoning their beasts. Energy crackled in the air as field spells began to activate. All their attacks converged on the monstrous turtle-like beast, Chameleona.

But as the first wave of attacks closed in, the beast's mirrored shell shimmered brilliantly, and its form began to shift.

In an instant, Chameleona transformed into a massive rocky serpent, its body rippling with stone-like scales. It burrowed into the ground with terrifying speed, leaving behind a swirling cloud of debris.

The combined attacks struck the crater where it had stood moments before, reducing it to rubble, but Ryder was nowhere to be seen.

"He's escaping!" Bastian bellowed, slamming his fists together in frustration. "Stop him!" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Nyx's grin twisted into something feral. She activated her beastification, large metal claws extending from her hands, glowing faintly as she dug them into the ground.

With a roar, she summoned a pack of underground beasts, their sleek, shadowy forms darting beneath the surface to hunt Ryder down.

Silver followed suit, summoning a colossal plant-like beast. Its gnarled roots spread rapidly through the earth, seeking out their prey. The battlefield pulsed with energy as every fighter worked to trap Ryder.

The ground churned and rumbled, but then…

Ryder erupted from the ground, his form now resembling a massive mole, its thick, fur coursed by different colors.

Before anyone could react, Chameleona shifted again, wings sprouting from its back as it morphed into a sleek, flying beast. Ryder soared into the air, evading the swarming roots and shadowy beasts below.

"What the hell is that thing?" Orin growled, his eyes narrowing as he tracked Ryder's movements.

"A lucky bastard," Iris quipped, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "But not for long."

She pointed her fingers toward him and shot a fire beam turning into a fire monster.

The fire bird soared toward Ryder, flames licking at his wings, but just as it collided with Chameleona, the Calamity beast glowed and shifted, its body becoming water-like, extinguishing the flames as it dove toward the ground.

Caius wasted no time and summoned a feline beast that bounded after Ryder's form, agile and relentless.

Chameleona adapted again, transforming into a long-legged bird that dashed across the battlefield with incredible speed, narrowly avoiding the feline's pounce.

Nyx cackled, clearly enjoying the chase. She lunged with her metal claws, aiming to strike Ryder directly.

"You're a slippery little thing, aren't you?" she teased, her voice laced with excitement.

Ryder barely avoided her attack, Chameleona shifting into a smaller, more agile reptilian form to dodge her blow.

"Focus!" Arin snapped, her voice cutting through the chaos. She pointed sharply. "He's heading west! Cut him off!"

Nyx abruptly stopped mid-chase and glared at Arin, her claws digging into the dirt.

"Where the hell is west?! He's heading left! Stop being a smartass!"

Arin's eyes narrowed, her tone icy as she retorted.

"Then stop being an idiot-ass."

Silver shouted at Arin and Nyx, his frustration boiling over.

"Stop playing around you idiots!" he barked.

With a sharp motion, he activated his own field spell, unleashing a torrent of water across the battlefield. The deluge rushed toward Ryder, engulfing him and forcing Chameleona to adapt once more.

The calamity beast shimmered and shifted into a water-based form, its fluid body gliding through the rising currents with ease.

"Kill him!" Arin roared. "Everyone, lightning attacks, now!"

The fighters reacted instantly. Beasts and masters alike unleashed a barrage of lightning-based attacks, the air crackling with electricity. The strikes converged on Ryder, electrocuting the water-based Chameleona with violent intensity.

For a moment, it seemed like the assault had succeeded. But then, Chameleona glowed again, its form twisting into an electric beast that absorbed the currents coursing through the air.

With a burst of speed, Ryder shot forward, evading another strike from Nyx's claws and continuing his relentless escape.

Bastian roared in frustration.

"He's not fighting back!"

"Because he doesn't need to," Iris muttered. "Slippery little coward."

The chase continued, every fighter throwing their best at Ryder. Explosions rocked the battlefield, flames roared, and lightning crackled, but each time, Chameleona adapted.

Against fire, it became water; against electricity, it became a grounded beast. Ryder dodged, evaded, and endured, refusing to be cornered. Beasts clawed at him, energy blasts grazed him, but he pressed on, his focus unyielding.

Arin's voice trembled with frustration as she barked orders.

"Keep at it! He can't keep this up forever!"

But as the five-minute mark loomed closer, she began to realize the truth: Ryder might just outlast them all.