Dominion of The Beast Masters

Eratz stood calmly as the room remained silent, the two beasts beside him radiating a powerful energy that filled the air.

Raijinara, with its crackling yellow lightning, was awe-inspiring on its own, but what stunned everyone wasn't just its presence, it was the fiery creature at its side.

Cinderblaze, with its ember-red glow and flames flickering across its ears, exuded a presence equally as strong as Raijinara.

For the first time, everyone could feel it: the two beasts shared a similar aura.

Kaida was the first to break the silence. She stammered, her usual confidence shaken.

"This thing... It's... no way... this thing's real?"

Her wide eyes were fixed on Cinderblaze as she struggled to find the words to match her amazement.

Raya's frown deepened, her uneven eyes seeming to focus on the fiery aura radiating from Cinderblaze.

"I see," she murmured. "I'm starting to understand why your soul seems deeper."

Ryder scratched his head, his usual carefree grin replaced with a look of confusion.

"Uh... are we missing something here?" he asked, glancing at Catarina.

Catarina's tail flicked uneasily, her ears twitching as she leaned slightly closer to Ryder.

"Yeah... I mean, Boss always pulls surprises, but this? Another beast with the same level of crazy power as the thunder chicken? How does that even happen?"

Victoria straightened, her expression calm and unreadable as she observed the scene. She crossed her arms, her sharp eyes focused on Eratz and his two beasts.

From the sidelines, Milo tugged at Mercury's sleeve.

"Hey, Sis... What's so special about Eratz's new beast? It's our butler, right?"
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Mercury glanced down at her brother, her expression soft but firm.

"You'll understand soon enough," she said simply. "Just watch and listen."

Kaida finally shook herself out of her stupor. Her stunned expression transformed into one of amazement as she approached Cinderblaze.

"That thing is amazing," she said, her voice filled with excitement.

She crouched slightly, her sharp eyes scanning the beast from head to toe.

Cinderblaze tilted its head, its bright orange eyes meeting hers with a look of playful arrogance. Flames flickered across its fur as it flicked its fiery tail, seemingly enjoying the attention.

Kaida grinned, completely captivated.

"Where did you find this thing?" she asked, turning to Eratz but not taking her eyes off the beast. "It's like your thunder chicken, but a fire bunny! And it's strong. Like, really strong! You have to tell me where you found it, man!"

Eratz chuckled softly, watching her reaction with a calm demeanor.

"It's pointless," he began. "Because beasts like this come in a set of one."

Kaida blinked, her mouth hanging open slightly.

"What? What does that even mean?" she asked, rising to her feet and gesturing toward Cinderblaze. "You mean, there's no chance of finding another one of these?"

Eratz nodded, folding his arms.

"Let me share something I've kept to myself until now, in a long, slow and very detailed way. So, when I focus on beasts, I can get... information about them. It's not something I learned, it's just something I've always been able to do. Names, abilities, even rarities, it all comes to me like flashes in my mind."

The room fell silent, everyone processing his words.

Victoria's usually composed face shifted slightly, her eyebrows rising ever so slightly in a rare show of surprise.

"Wait, wait," Ryder interrupted, stepping closer, his tone incredulous. "You're telling me you've just been walking around with this ability and never thought to mention it? What, are you keeping a beast encyclopedia in your head or something?"

Eratz smirked slightly, glancing at Ryder.

"We are. For example, Ryder, your rarest beast is the Stormward Lynx. A wind-affinity creature, known for its stealth and lightning speed. Easily deletable."

Ryder froze mid-step, his eyes widening.

"How do you even know that?" he asked, baffled. "I've never mentioned that beast to anyone... even I don't know its potential."

Eratz shrugged nonchalantly.

"I didn't need to hear it from you. I saw you using beastification with it once and checked."

Ryder's jaw dropped.

"Wait a second... I've only used that beastification once. Why would you memorize something so fast?"

Eratz raised an eyebrow, his tone calm but pointed.

"Keeping tabs on potential threats."

Before Ryder could respond, Eratz continued, his tone growing more serious.

"And it doesn't stop there. The stronger I get, the more details I can see about the beasts. Their abilities, their strengths. But the most important thing I've discovered is their classification."

He paused, his words hanging heavily in the air.

"Everyone knows the standard beast types: common, rare, special, and legendary. It's a universal truth. Common beasts are everywhere. Rare beasts are mostly seen with professional beast masters. Special beasts are few and far between. And as for legendary beasts…"

Eratz's gaze became distant, as if searching for an answer in his own thoughts.

"No one's ever seen one. Not officially, anyway," he continued. "But if this class exists, someone must have seen them at some point, right? Someone at some point knew something about them."

His words sent a ripple of unease and curiosity through the group.

"Which brings me to this," he said, motioning to Raijinara and Cinderblaze. "These beasts aren't just rare or special. They're something entirely new."

He turned to Raijinara, his hand gesturing toward the thunderous bird. "This is Raijinara. Its full name is Raijinara, The Thunderous Storm ."

Gasps rippled through the room, but Eratz wasn't done.

"And this," he continued, gesturing toward the fiery rabbit, "is Cinderblaze, the Son of Fire. Both of them belong to a new classification. Something I've never seen written or spoken of anywhere before: Calamity."

The air seemed to leave the room as everyone processed his words. The term Calamity echoed in their minds, a concept that redefined everything they knew about beasts.

Kaida took a cautious step back, her hands gripping her hips as she stared wide-eyed at Cinderblaze.

"Calamity..." she muttered, her voice quiet. "What does that even mean?"

Ryder shook his head slowly, his eyes darting between Raijinara and Cinderblaze.

"Are you telling me these things are... beyond legendary?" he asked, his tone low with disbelief.

Eratz let out a brief chuckle, crossing his arms as he replied.

"I would be disappointed if they were stronger than legendaries. I expect a lot from 'world builders'."

Catarina's tail flicked nervously, her wide eyes fixed on the two beasts. She opened her mouth to speak but seemed unable to find the words.

Raya tilted her head, her expression contemplative.

Meanwhile, Milo stared at Mercury, his face scrunched in confusion.

"What's so special about 'Calamity'? Is it like... bad luck or something?"

Mercury sighed softly, placing a hand on her brother's shoulder.

"I don't know, Milo. I think of it as a force of nature. Something like a natural catastrophe. I have one too, and Eratz said that Sia too has one."

Milo blinked at her explanation, his confusion giving way to a spark of curiosity.

"So, it's like... you guys have living catastrophes?"

Cassie and Roger exchanged stunned glances, both wondering if their presence was necessary for this moment.

Cassie and Roger, standing off to the side, exchanged a glance.

Cassie whispered.

"Do you think we're... even needed here?"

Roger's faint shrug was his only reply.

Eratz cleared his throat, reclaiming the room's attention.

"Mercury's right. But there's more to it."

The group turned back to him.

"I've discovered that these Calamity beasts aren't one-of-a-kind. Kaida, you won't find another Cinderblaze, but you could find another fire calamity. These beasts are scattered across the world, hidden and waiting. I've been tracking them... and I'm still are, technically."

Kaida blinked, her eyes and smile widening.

"You're saying there's more? A whole bunch of these Calamities just out there, waiting to be found? And even fire ones?!"

Eratz nodded.

"Correct. But for what I'm planning, we have a little problem on the road. Weeks ago, when I went hunting..."

Before he could finish, a loud crash echoed through the gym, cutting him off.

Everyone turned sharply, startled. Victoria had fallen from her chair.

"Victoria!" Zara and Mercury were the first to move, rushing to her side.

They knelt down, Mercury gently placing a hand on Victoria's arm while Zara supported her back.

"Are you alright?" Mercury asked.

Victoria raised a hand to her forehead, her other gesturing to wave off their assistance.

"I'm fine," she muttered, her voice calm but her breathing uneven.

She fixed her gaze to Eratz, her expression shifting into something so unexpected that it rendered him speechless, her composed demeanor cracking in a way he had never seen before.

"You..." she began, her voice low. "Do you even understand what you're saying?"

Her words hung in the air, the weight of their meaning pressing on everyone as the room fell silent once more.