Dominion of The Beast Masters

Chapter 65: Alliance of Power



The evening sun was starting to set, casting long shadows across Victoria's office.

The bright room now felt quiet, with the last rays of sunlight under the curtain creating a soft glow on the polished wood desk.

Zara leaned back in her chair, letting out a deep breath. She was relieved. After the tough negotiations with Kaida and Catarina, things had finally settled down.

"Well, I'm just glad we got through that without too much trouble," Zara said, glancing over at Eratz and Victoria.

Victoria sat behind her desk, her fingers lightly tapping the surface. Eratz was across from her, arms crossed, looking as calm as ever.

Neither of them had spoken much since the negotiations ended, and the silence was starting to make Zara feel uneasy.

She shifted in her chair, unsure why the room felt so tense.

"But we still have to figure out how we're going to deal with the salary cap. Adding two regional fighters on top of our roster is going to stretch us thin. Even with the league fees handled, we've still got the salary cap to deal with, and..."

Victoria interrupted her smoothly.

"That's already been taken care of."

Zara blinked, clearly confused.

"What do you mean? We only ensured that the agency wouldn't have problems with enrolling the fees for their league matches, but the salary cap issue still exists. We can't just pretend it's not there. We're overextending..."

Eratz cut in.

"It's only a problem if their salary is regular."

Zara frowned, not following.

"Wait, what? What do you mean 'regular'?"

Eratz smiled faintly, gesturing toward the contracts lying on the desk. Zara grabbed them, her face falling as she read through them more carefully.

Catarina's contract had no salary listed. Instead, she was only entitled to 100% of the revenue she brought in personally and the agency would pay the 5% fee for the league. As for Kaida, her contract listed her as an associate first, with no formal salary at all. In fact, she was technically indebted to the agency for any support they provided her during matches.

Zara's eyes widened, and she jumped to her feet, her voice rising in shock.

"This is insane! This... this can't be legal! This is robbing! You can't just rob them like this, they could sue us!"

Eratz held up a hand, signaling her to sit back down.

"Relax, Zara. It's not as bad as you think."

"Not as bad?! They're basically working for free! This is a trap, Eratz! How could you even..."

Victoria spoke softly, her tone soothing yet firm.

"Calm yourself, Zara. It's not what it seems. There's a plan here."

Zara turned to her, still flustered.

"How can you be okay with this? You're the head of this agency, Victoria! How could you let them sign contracts like this?! It's a disaster if it's known!"

Eratz sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"This is exactly why I wanted to keep the audience minimal. There's more to this than just the numbers, Zara. Let me explain."

Zara stared at him, her heart still racing from the realization of what the contracts entailed.

"We couldn't pass the salary cap with both of them on board, even with a loan. Their contracts needed to be structured differently. But that doesn't mean they're being robbed. It's only... temporary."

Zara was still reeling, her mind trying to catch up.

"Temporary? How? This is a huge situation!"

Eratz gestured to the contracts again.

"Look, at our current level, the reward for one match win is 100 Dyns. The agency gets 5%, and the league takes another 5%, leaving 90 Dyns for the fighters. Normally, we'd pay them monthly based on their match earnings. But now, with the structure we've set up, Kaida and Catarina will only receive the 95 Dyns per match win, nothing more."

Zara stared at him, still not getting it.

"And that helps us how?"

Eratz smiled slightly.

"With me, Mercury, Ryder, and now Kaida and Catarina, we have enough to bring in about 25 Dyns per match. To keep the agency running smoothly, we need to make about 125 Dyns per week. That means we need at least five wins per week. By the way, it's the minimum, we're going to do more than that."

Zara's eyes widened in realization as Eratz continued.

"With additional income from advertisements and future competitions, we'll solve our financial issues. Kaida and Catarina's situation will only be temporary. By the end of the month, we'll renegotiate their contracts. Until then, they get by with the bare minimum while we build up the agency's funds."

Zara sank back into her chair, stunned.

"So you're saying... you basically tricked them into signing contracts that pay them almost nothing?"

Eratz nodded, his expression unapologetic.

"Yes. But it's not about tricking them, Zara. It's about survival. They wanted to survive, and we needed to make sure we didn't drown in expenses. Once the salary cap issue is solved, they'll get proper contracts. Win-win."

Zara rubbed her forehead, still trying to process everything. Victoria spoke again, her voice calm and soothing.

"This was a necessary sacrifice, Zara. They need an agency to explore the full extent of the league, and we're giving them the chance to make that happen. This will also allow all of us to participate in team tournaments, so even better benefits for them. Their situation will be fixed soon, and by the end of the month, we'll make sure they're on proper contracts. In the meantime, this is how we keep the agency stable."

Eratz leaned forward, his voice soft but serious.

"It's a short-term sacrifice for long-term gain. We had to play the long game. Madam Victoria played her part perfectly, implying that we'd swallow Kaida's agency so that they'd focus on that instead of reading their contract. We'll just keep them busy so they don't think about it too much, and if they did, they'd be so happy with us that they wouldn't mind."

Zara's jaw dropped.

"You manipulated them... You, who refused to sign my lifelong contract, you tricked innocent

girls, how's that different?!"

Eratz shrugged lightly.

"It's only different because I noticed what you were doing, they didn't. It's okay, only for a month, madam Victoria know someone working for the league so we'll pass by him to make their contracts pass the controls and I'll personally pay for their needs if they need more

money."

Victoria's smile grew slightly, her eyes glinting with amusement.

"It's been a while since I've felt this excited, it's like a movie. I'm really good with mind games, and Kaida and Catarina will be fine, Zara. They're strong, and soon, they'll be part of

something even bigger."

Zara slumped back in her chair, shaking her head.

"You're both insane."

Eratz and Victoria shared an amused glance, both of them satisfied with how everything had

played out.

The next morning, the Crescent Moon agency felt alive with energy. The gym was buzzing

with activity as the beast masters prepared for their day.

Some were stretching, talking strategy, and getting ready for the matches ahead.

Mercury was off to the side, stretching her arms and legs, focused on her routine. She felt

clear-headed.

Eratz, walked up to her.

"You're ready? This time the loser pay for dinner."

Mercury rolled her eyes but smiled back.

"This time, I'm warning you, not before midnight."

Before Eratz could answer, the door to the gym swung open, and the whole room went silent.

All eyes turned toward the entrance.

Standing there were Zara, Kaida, and Catarina. Ryder's jaw dropped as he saw them.

"What the... what are they doing here? With Zara... No way... they..." Ryder mumbled, unable

to hide his shock.

Eratz, playing it cool, just shrugged and smiled.

"What is this abnormality?"

Zara stepped forward and cleared her throat, her voice loud enough to grab everyone's

attention.

"Listen up! There's been a change to the agency, and it'll be announced officially later today by the director. I'd like to introduce our two new members. Please give them a warm welcome, Kaida and Catarina."

The room erupted into excited murmurs and whispers. No one believe it. Kaida and Catarina

were well-known since the first fixture of the regional league, and now they were part of

Crescent Moon.

One of the trainee near Ryder couldn't contain his excitement.

"Kaida! I saw you fight in the tournament! You were incredible! I can't believe you're here!"

Another gushed over Catarina.

"Your cat spell was legendary! I can't believe we get to work with someone like you!"

Kaida crossed her arms with a grin.

"Thanks, but don't expect me to go easy on any of you. I'm here to fight just as hard as the rest

of you."

Catarina, her playful cat-like demeanor on full display, smiled and waved at everyone. "Nya~! We're excited to be here! Let's all work hard together, nya!"

As the room buzzed with excitement, the crowd around Kaida and Catarina grew larger.

Questions were thrown at them from every direction.

"What was it like at your old agency?"

"Do you eat only salmon? Can you talk with cats?"

"How old are..."

Then, the room suddenly quieted down when Mercury stepped forward, her gaze locked on

Kaida.

The memory of their fierce battle in the tournament was still fresh in everyone's minds.

It was as if the air itself had grown heavier, and the fighters who had been buzzing with

excitement moments ago now watched with bated breath, unsure of what was about to

unfold.

Whispers spread through the room like wildfire, the trainees exchanging nervous glances. "Are they going to fight here?" one voice muttered.

"I don't know... it's only been a few days," another murmured. "You don't think they'll go at

it again, do you?"

Ryder, standing nearby, shifted

nervously, his wide eyes flicking between Mercury and Kaida.

"No way... This can't be happening, right?"

Catarina, sensing the tension too, fidgeted nervously with her jacket, her ears twitching as sheNôv(el)B\\jnn

shot Kaida a concerned glance.

"Uh... Kaida, maybe tone it down... Uh! nya?" she whispered.

Kaida, for her part, stood her ground, arms crossed and eyes sharp. Her usual fiery demeanor

was on full display, but there was something different about her now.

She wasn't sure what Mercury was about to do, but she wasn't backing down.

The gym's energy shifted, the tension thickening, the crowd held their breath, some

expecting an all-out confrontation, others hoping things wouldn't escalate. Eratz stood off to the side, watching.

Finally, Mercury stopped in front of Kaida, her expression unreadable. The room was deathly

silent, the air thick with anticipation.

For a long moment, the two women just stared at each other. Kaida's eyes narrowed slightly,

the fire in her gaze flaring.

Mercury's voice broke the silence.

"You put up a hell of a fight last time, Kaida."

Kaida's eyes flickered, her arms still crossed tightly over her chest.

"Yeah? That's the arena for you, not a playground, you didn't make it easy on me either."

There was a brief pause, and the fighters around them held their breath, unsure of where this

was going.

Mercury tilted her head slightly.

"I don't plan on going easy on you just because we're on the same team now. Now I have you available to correct what happened there."

A few trainees in the crowd exchanged nervous glances.

"Oh man, it's happening..." someone whispered under their breath.

Kaida, not one to back down, gave a small, defiant smirk.

"Anytime girl, I'm always ready."

For a split second, it seemed like the tension might explode, the atmosphere charged with

electricity. But then, Mercury's expression softened just slightly, and she extended her hand. "That being said... I'm glad we're on the same side now. Let's work hard for the agency."

The fighters watching blinked in surprise, the sudden shift in mood catching them off guard.

Kaida looked at Mercury's outstretched hand for a moment, clearly caught off guard by the gesture.

The fire in her eyes dimmed slightly, and for the first time since the confrontation began, her tough exterior cracked.

"... Oh...ehr... Hm! Well, that's nice..." Kaida muttered, glancing at Mercury's hand. She

seemed to hesitate for a second before her own expression softened.

"About the fight, I get pretty salty when my blood boils. Sorry if I said some things I shouldn't

have."

Mercury gave her a small nod, her hand still extended.

"Whatever happens in the arena, stays in the arena. Let's make this a good partnership."

Kaida's smirk returned, she finally reached out and took Mercury's hand, shaking it firmly.

"Yeah, let's work hard together."

The tension in the room melted away, and the fighters who had been on edge let out a

collective sigh of relief. Some of them even chuckled at how intense the moment had been. "Phew, I really thought they were going to throw down again," one trainee said muttered with a grin.

"Man, they're both badass, the agency will be so great!" another said, admiration clear in

their voice.

Eratz, watching from the sidelines, crossed his arms and gave a small, satisfied nod. Everything had gone exactly as he had hoped.

As the two women shook hands, the atmosphere in the gym shifted from tense to hopeful.

Everyone could feel it, Crescent Moon was stronger now. With Kaida and Catarina on board, their future was looking bright.

Mercury smiled, her eyes gleaming with determination.

"We'll show everyone what Crescent Moon is capable of."

Kaida grinned, her fiery spirit reignited. "You better believe it. We'll shake the world."

With the tension finally broken, the fighters around them relaxed, the gym returning to its

usual lively energy. But now, there was a new sense of excitement in the air. With the addition

of monsters like Kaida, and Catarina, Crescent Moon had taken a huge step forward.