Dominion of The Beast Masters

The room was shut silent, Victoria's words hanging like a storm cloud over everyone.

All eyes were on her, some filled with disbelief, others with shock.

Cassie was the first to break the tension. Her voice trembled, tinged with both disbelief and rising anger.

"Victoria, what are you even saying?" Cassie asked, stepping forward. "You're telling us that Eratz is in danger because of… those two? This is ridiculous. It doesn't make any sense!"

Victoria's sharp eyes turned to her, steady but exhausted.

"It makes sense," Victoria replied firmly. "If you know what drives people at that level. What I've just told you..."

"No." Cassie's voice rose, cutting Victoria off. "This is absurd. You said they are important people who are already the best right? Are you listening to yourself? Why do you bring something like that? A murder?!" her voice cracked, trembling with fury.
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Roger held a calming hand on her shoulder, but Cassie shook him off, her frustration spilling like a torrent.

"You're telling me my... Eratz... is the target of people like that? Do you realize what you're saying? Do you realize how insane this sounds?"

Cassie's eyes glistened with unshed tears, but her anger remained. She pointed a finger toward Victoria, her voice rising to a near shout.

"I refuse to hear his name associated with being murdered, Victoria. I won't stand here and listen to you paint this nightmare scenario about my family!"

The tension in the room escalated as Cassie's words echoed. Colin stood frozen, her hands clutching the edge of her robe. Milo shifted uncomfortably beside her, his gaze darting between the adults, unsure of what to do. The others exchanged uneasy glances.

"Cassie, stop," Roger said firmly, stepping forward to place his hands on her shoulders. "This isn't helping."

Cassie spun around to face him, her eyes blazing with anger and fear.

"How can you be so calm, Roger? They're talking about Eratz! How am I supposed to just stand here and..."

"Cassie," Roger interrupted gently, his voice steady. "I understand. But let her finish."

Cassie's shoulders sagged slightly, but her glare remained fixed on Victoria. The room felt like it was holding its breath as Victoria took a slow, deep inhale, her exhaustion evident.

"You'll understand," Victoria said quietly, her tone firm despite her obvious weariness. "The reason he's in danger… is in his blood. So, as a beast master too, Colin too is in danger."

The words sent another wave of silence through the room. Eratz's eyes narrowed, and Colin tilted her head, confusion flickering across her face. This time, even Mercury, frowned deeply, her arms tightening across her chest.

Victoria leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table, her fingers interlaced as she spoke.

"Their blood," she repeated. "The race of people closer to beasts than humans. The ones who see what no one else can. The ones who can decide if a beast is worthy or not, and more than anything, the ones who can, as Eratz has already shown us, track down unique beasts."

Eratz's expression darkened, understanding her words. Colin's lips parted slightly, as though she was on the verge of asking a question, but she stayed silent, watching Victoria with wide eyes.

"You're talking about the Ishtarians," Eratz said, his voice low.

Victoria nodded.

"Yes. The Ishtarians. Your people. Your bloodline."

Cassie stepped back, her anger now mingled with confusion.

"What does that even mean?" she asked, her voice quieter but no less urgent. "What does our blood have to do with any of this?"

Victoria's eyes moved to Cassie, softening slightly.

"It's not just about your blood, Cassie. It's about what someone with Ishtarian blood is capable of. In Eratz's case, it's about what others want to do with him. To fully understand this, you need to know something about Tamara Regalia and Kallistra Dyscordia."

Victoria leaned back in her chair, her gaze distant, as though the memories were playing out vividly before her eyes. Her voice softened, carrying a wistful tone.

"When I started as a beast master, I was ordinary," she began. "I didn't come from a prestigious family or have incredible talent. My first beasts were common ones, reliable, but nothing that turned heads. I was satisfied with that."

She chuckled softly, her expression warming.

"I wasn't a prodigy. I wasn't special. But I loved it, bonding with my beasts, growing alongside them. Step by step, I worked harder and climbed the ladder in my region. Before I knew it, I had become one of the top beast masters there."

The room was silent, drawn into Victoria's story. Even Cassie leaned forward, her anger momentarily replaced by curiosity.

"One day, everything changed," Victoria continued. "I was recruited by a top agency, far beyond anything I'd experienced. And there, I met the two people who would become my best friends: Tamara and Kallistra. Back then, they weren't the legends they are today. We were just three young beast masters chasing dreams."

Her voice softened with nostalgia.

"Tamara was already the best. She dominated every field, especially beastification, which she took to unimaginable levels. Her relentless drive reminded me of you, Eratz."

Eratz's expression hardened slightly. Victoria's gaze shifted.

"Kallistra, on the other hand, wasn't as naturally gifted. But she was brilliant, her ability to analyze powers and strategize was unmatched. Together, the three of us were inseparable. Tamara led us on adventures, dangerous zones, hidden training grounds. It felt like nothing could break us... But one day, something changed. We were tracking a special beast, but what we found was unlike anything we'd ever seen."

Victoria's tone darkened.

"Massive, metallic scales glowing like embers. Crystalline wings sharp as blades. Its speed defied its size, and its intelligence was chilling. It was chaos," she continued. "Tamara and I fought with everything we had, our beasts, beastifications, every strategy. It felt like we were fighting a living attack. But then, in the heat of battle, everything shifted."

Victoria's gaze locked on Cassie.

"Tamara's eyes turned red."

Cassie gasped, clutching Roger's arm.

"... Wait… you mean…"

Victoria nodded.

"Yes. Tamara Regalia, the strongest beast master in the world, is an Ishtarian."

"Tamara? Ishtarian?" Cassie stammered, turning to Roger, who looked equally shaken.

"You didn't know?" Ryder asked, his tone tinged with disbelief. He glanced around at the others. "I mean… she's the best beast master in the world. Everyone knows she's Ishtarian."

Kaida crossed her arms, her expression serious.

"Yeah, it's no secret. Makes sense if you just look at her... wait... does that sound racist?"

Catarina's tail flicked nervously as she leaned closer to Colin.

"Don't worry, you have Boss' family pass."

Colin said nothing, her eyes wide as she clutched her hands together. Victoria pressed on.

"After Tamara's awakening, the beast, so powerful it felt invincible, was defeated in moments. What had been a desperate struggle became her decisive victory. The beast, that massive, formidable creature, fell at her feet. We were stunned, amazed... and relieved. We thought it was over, that Tamara would naturally assimilate it as the victor. But then…"

Victoria's voice dropped, her tone growing heavier.

"Tamara made a choice. A choice that none of us could have foreseen. She decided not to take the beast for herself. Instead, she handed it to Kallistra. And that decision… changed everything."

The room was silent, save for the faint crackle of Raijinara's energy.

"For Tamara, it made sense. Kallistra was struggling back then, and having a creature of such immense power in her arsenal would help her grow. At first, I thought it was impossible. Everyone knows the rule: to tame a beast, you must defeat it yourself. The bond is forged with that battle. But Kallistra… she managed to do it."

Ryder leaned forward.

"She could assimilate it? How? She didn't even fight the beast."

"We didn't know," Victoria admitted. "And we didn't try to understand. We were just relieved she succeeded. With that beast, Kallistra soared through the ranks. She became the third strongest in our agency. It brought us closer than ever. Kallistra pushed Tamara to hunt more unique beasts, and Tamara loved it. For a while, we were unstoppable."

Victoria's voice grew colder.

"But as years passed, things changed. Kallistra became insanely strong, while Tamara ascended to the world tier. Their philosophies diverged, and the bond we'd built began to fracture."

Victoria leaned back in her chair, her eyes clouded with memory. "As we grew stronger, Tamara and Kallistra's paths began to diverge. At first, it was subtle, small differences in how they approached their goals. But as time went on, it became clear their philosophies were fundamentally opposed."

She paused, glancing around the room.

"Tamara was in love with the wonder of nature. She didn't just want to master beasts, she wanted to preserve their mysteries, to protect the balance of the world. To her, the unknown was sacred, a gift meant to inspire awe."

Her voice lowered.

"But Kallistra… Kallistra was different. She became obsessed with taming stronger, rarer beasts. For her, it wasn't just about power, she was obsessed with their variety, and unicity. The more she grew, the more she craved. And that hunger drove a wedge between them."

Victoria's shoulders sagged slightly as she continued.

"In the end, their views became irreconcilable. Tamara refused to keep searching for unique beasts, seeing it as exploitation of the world's wonders. Kallistra saw it as wasting potential. Their bond began to crumble under the weight of their differences."

She hesitated, her expression pained.

"It all came to a head in a confrontation neither of them wanted but neither could avoid. They argued endlessly, each trying to convince the other. But when words failed, they made a deal."

Victoria's gaze darkened.

"If Kallistra could defeat Tamara, Tamara would stay by her side as a radar for unique beasts. But if Tamara won, Kallistra would leave the agency. It was a challenge that neither took lightly."

The room was silent, the weight of her words settling heavily.

"They chose an isolated island for their battle, a place where they wouldn't be disturbed. No one witnessed what happened there, it was just the two of them. But when the battle was over, the island itself was gone, wiped off the map."

Victoria sighed deeply.

"Tamara was undefeatable by then. She was already a world-tier beast master, her strength unparalleled. The result was inevitable: Tamara won the battle."

She looked down, her tone softening.

"The following day, Kallistra left the agency. The news caused a huge stir, everyone was talking about it. But for those of us who had been close to them, it wasn't just news, it was the end of an era."

Victoria leaned forward, her voice tinged with regret.

"I was so broken by how they had lost themselves, by how something so pure had turned into this... I couldn't stay. I left the agency soon after. It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made, but I couldn't bear to watch the aftermath."

Her eyes flicked to the group, her voice growing heavier.

"It was a difficult time for Tamara. She lost her closest friends, her team, and the agency she'd called home. She carried the weight of it all. I know she felt she'd done what was right, but it must have been unbearable."

Victoria exhaled slowly, her gaze distant. "I still regret the way it all fell apart. We were family once, but when power and ambition got in the way, there was no turning back."