Dominion of The Beast Masters

Chapter 259: The Last Call



The following afternoon, Solaris Haven was ablaze with excitement.

The final day had arrived, the day the champion of the team battles would be crowned.

Fireworks painted the afternoon sky in dazzling colors, their bursts mirrored in the sparkling waters surrounding the island.

The crowd filling the colossal arena cheered wildly, their energy infectious. Every seat was occupied, the noise of chatter and excitement blending into a cacophony of anticipation for the final day of the tournament.

In the center of the battlefield, the four teams stood, each reacting differently to the weight of the occasion.

Azure Blades and Blazing Horizons bore expressions of defeat, their spirits already crushed by their catastrophic first day.

For them, this tournament had devolved from a dream into a public humiliation.

Infinite Twilight, standing tall but noticeably subdued, frequently glanced at the Golden Cosmos team with unease.

The confidence they had displayed earlier in the tournament was now replaced by uncertainty and fear, for whoever would be sacrificed to face Eratz or Raya again.

Kaida, ever sharp, noticed their wary glances and smirked.

"Look at them," she whispered to her teammates, her tone dripping with amusement. "They're like sheep heading to the slaughter. It's so great."

Catarina joined in with a chuckle, her tail swishing lazily.

"Nya, yeah, poor kittens. Hey, maybe I'll volunteer for the 1v1. I feel like I could beat anyone today."

Ryder raised an eyebrow.

"Sacrifice yourself? Oh... how sad. How about letting the cannon fodder take care of it, again?"

Catarina's ears perked up, and she flinched slightly at the jab.

"Nya! Ryder, you're no cannon fodder," she reassured, her voice a touch higher-pitched than usual. "Not today, anyway..." She trailed off with a nervous laugh, earning a smirk from her teammate.

Before the banter could escalate, the chairman of the league stepped forward onto the grand stage.

The crowd quieted almost instantly, their attention drawn to his commanding presence. He raised a hand, and his voice boomed across the arena, amplified by the speakers. "Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "today marks the culmination of one of the most extraordinary tournaments in our league's history. We have witnessed moments of unparalleled skill, unwavering determination, and the indomitable will to fight."

The crowd roared in agreement, their applause echoing through the stadium. The chairman smiled, pausing briefly to let the excitement settle.

"Every fighter who stands here today has proven themselves to be more than competitors. They are champions, each one inspiring us with their efforts, their passion, and their drive to surpass their limits."

He took a step forward, his hands gesturing to the teams assembled before him. "But, as with all great stories, this one must have an ending. And this final day will be different from anything we've ever done before. To honor the effort and resolve of each champion here, the league has decided on a single, defining rule for the final round."

A murmur rippled through the crowd, confusion and curiosity sparking among both spectators and fighters.

The chairman raised his voice, cutting through the whispers.

"This final round will not be like any other. To maximize everyone's chances, the last round will consist of... a single match."

Gasps erupted from the stands, followed by waves of murmurs.

"What does he mean, a single match?" someone in the crowd wondered aloud.

The chairman held up his hand again, commanding silence.

"Allow me to explain. This final match will be a royal rumble... across the entirety of Solaris Haven."

The giant screen lightened, displaying a detailed map of the island. Several areas were highlighted in red, while the rest remained green.

The chairman continued, his voice steady.

"As many of you know, Solaris Haven has a rich history as a land of battles. Several zones across the island were designed specifically for combat, and these will serve as our battle zones, marked in red on the map. Fighters can traverse through the wilderness connecting these zones, but only battles within the red areas will count."

The audience buzzed with excitement, their imaginations running wild. The fighters exchanged glances, some intrigued, others visibly tense.

"Each team will deploy all their fighters," the chairman added, his voice rising slightly. "This means the maximum available points for this round should have been thirty-two!"

The murmurs grew louder as realization dawned. This format could completely overturn the standings.

With so many points, everything was still possible.

But the chairman wasn't finished.

"To make this event even more thrilling," he continued, "we will introduce a special rule: a bounty system."

The arena fell silent again, the tension palpable. Zara's eyes narrowed as she exchanged a glance with Victoria, who raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued.

"Each fighter will carry a bounty, a value based on their performance throughout the tournament. This bounty represents the number of points their defeat will earn the victor's

team."

The screen changed, displaying a list of names and their respective bounties. Gasps and murmurs swept through the crowd as the numbers appeared:

Eratz Pandora: 8 points

Kobayashi Raya: 8 points

Rex Goldust: 8 points

Sia Verizion: 6 points

Mercury Banks: 6 points

...

Most of the powerhouses were around 4 to 2 points, and fighters from Azure Blades and

Blazing Horizons were marked with 1 point each.

The fighters stared at the screen, their reactions varied.

The chairman's voice rang out once more.

"Every fighter, every team, has a chance to claim victory. This is your moment to rise. Embrace it, and together, let us create the greatest final in history!"

The crowd erupted into a deafening roar, their excitement shaking the very ground.

The teams exchanged glances, their emotions running the gamut from excitement to dread.

Azure Blades and Blazing Horizons initially looked motivated, their spirits lifting at the

thought of redemption.

For a brief moment, the glimmer of hope returned.

But as the full weight of the rules sank in, their hope began to wane. How were they even supposed to score a single point, let alone compete?

Their bounties were so low that they realized they would become easy targets for the

powerhouses.

Worse, they would inevitably become the game-changers for the top teams, hunted

relentlessly for their meager points.

Infinite Twilight, on the other hand, displayed a mix of resolve and unease.

They had tasted a painful defeat at the hands of Eratz and Raya, and the thought of facing

them again was unnerving.

Golden Cosmos exuded quiet confidence. Their advantage was all the motivation they needed, and after so many battles, they were confident in their power.

Following the announcement, the fighters were dispatched to various locations across Solaris

Haven.

The league's system randomized the placements, ensuring that the strongest wouldn't immediately obliterate the weakest.

Some members of the same team found themselves in close proximity, allowing them to

regroup quickly.

Across the island, small groups formed as fighters debated their strategies.

Some leaned toward bold offensives, while others argued over the merits of staying hidden

until the chaos thinned out.

In one particularly remote sector, Nyx was alongside Rex and Arin. Normally, her fiery demeanor would dominate the group dynamic, but now, her usual bravado was nowhere to be

seen.

She sat on a log, her shoulders hunched as she stared anxiously at the grass beneath her, half- expecting a predator to leap out and strike her down.

Her fingers tapped nervously against her knees, her eyes darting around as though she could

sense danger in every shadow.

"If a Golden Cosmos fighter shows up, I surrender. I'm not risking it," she muttered, her voice tight. Her trembling hands betrayed her unease.

Arin crossed her arms, her expression a mixture of exasperation and disappointment.

"You're not as motivated as you were last month," she remarked, her tone dry. "What

happened to all your fire, Nyx? You're acting like you've already lost."

Nyx's head snapped up, her face twisted with anger.

"What happened? You really want to know?" she snapped, her voice rising. She sprang to her

feet, showing her cheek still covered in bandaid. "That happened! Do you have any idea what

it's like to be humiliated like that? To think you're strong, to know you're strong, and then to have someone treat you like you're nothing?"

Arin's brow furrowed slightly, but her stance didn't soften.

"It only means you weren't strong. You just always faced weaker opponents. We've all faced

him and lost," she said carefully. "You're not the only one who's lost a fight, so stop acting

like a coward."

"This wasn't just a loss!" Nyx's voice cracked as she stepped closer, her eyes wild with frustration. "He didn't even use a beastification on me, four eyes! Not once! Do you understand how insulting that is? He didn't need to! He's so far above us that he didn't even break a sweat. It wasn't a fight; it was a massacre. He used me like a fucking punching bag."

Arin's gaze flickered with a hint of sympathy, but her tone remained firm. "So your solution is to give up? To surrender without even trying?" Nyx's hands balled into fists, her claws drawing blood from her palms.

"If it's him, yes! You don't get it! You weren't the one who got punched like that. You didn't feel it..." Her voice softened, trembling as if the memory alone was enough to send her reeling. "I'm not stupid enough to throw my life away trying to fight someone like that!"

The two women stood glaring at each other, their breaths heavy with frustration and

unspoken fears.

The tension between them was palpable, but then, a low, rumbling voice broke through their

argument.

"You don't have to feel scared."

Nyx and Arin turned to Rex, who had been silent until now. His head was tilted slightly

upward, his gaze fixed on the darkening sky.

His expression was unreadable, but there was an edge to his voice that made both women

pause.

"Nothing will happen to you again," Rex continued, his tone calm.

Nyx's anger faltered, replaced by confusion. "What are you talking about?" she asked, her voice quieter now.

Rex finally turned to face them, and they froze. His face was taut with fury, veins bulging on

his temples.

His eyes burned with an intensity they had never seen before, a storm of emotions swirling

beneath his clumsy exterior.

"I swear," he growled, his fists clenching at his sides, "I'll make him pay for what he did to

my family." The wind picked up around them, carrying with it a chilling sense of anxiety. Leaves rustled and dust swirled, the dark clouds above thickening ominously.

The chairman's voice cut through the tension, broadcasting across the entirety of Solaris

Haven.

"Attention all fighters," he began. "The final battle of the tournament begins now. Each of you is positioned strategically across the island, and the rules are clear: fight, survive, and claim your destiny."

The giant screens flickered, showing maps of the combat zones and the fighters' initial

placements.

The red-marked areas buzzed with potential confrontation, while the green wilderness zones provided a false sense of security.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The camera panned across the various zones.

Fighters from Azure Blades huddled together, their earlier determination crumbling into

quiet panic.

Members of Blazing Horizons crouched in the shadows, their eyes darting nervously toward every sound in the jungle around

them.

In other sectors, the strongest waited for the signal in quiet confidence, Infinite Twilight and

Golden Cosmos alike.

For them, the problem resumed in one or two fighters, so they had every reason to believe in

their chance.

Eratz stood alone on a rocky cliff, his white hair catching the faint light breaking through the

clouds.

His red eyes gleamed as he tilted his head back, gazing at the sky with a small, confident

smile.

The chairman's voice rang out one final time.

"Fighters, the eyes of the world are upon you. Let this battle decide who will rise as the ultimate champion. The final begins... now!"