Dominion of The Beast Masters

Chapter 71: Calamities



The sky was dark, heavy with clouds that churned and sparked with lightning. The air felt thick, almost hard to breathe.

A deafening cry echoed through the forest. The students froze, looking up at the sky, their eyes wide with fear.

From the swirling storm clouds, the massive bird descended, its body crackling with electricity.

Every flap of its enormous wings sent bolts of lightning crashing into the ground, lighting up the sky with flashes of bright yellow.

The bird's feathers seemed to glow, pulsing with energy, as if it were made of pure lightning. The thunderbird screeched again, and this time the trees around them began to shake from the sound. Thunder rumbled, rolling through the forest like a drumbeat.

"Run!" someone screamed, but no one moved.

The sight of the massive lightning bird had stunned them all into place. Some students fell to the ground, others just stared, mouths open, unable to understand what they were seeing. The power of the creature was too much to grasp.

Then, before anyone could make sense of the first bird, another ear-splitting screech came from above.

Through the clouds, a second bird appeared, even more massive than the first, its body swirling with water and wind.

The rainbird's wings spread wide, casting a shadow over the forest on its path. As it flapped its wings, torrents of water poured down like a flood, and the wind howled, bending the trees. Its body shimmered with blue, waves of rain and wind swirling around it like a living storm. The two birds locked eyes for a moment before charging at each other, their collision sending shockwaves through the air. Lightning met water, and the entire forest shook as their battle began.

Destruction followed in their wake, trees snapped, the ground was torn up, and the wind whipped violently in every direction.

"Run! Now!" the guide shouted again, but the students were too scared to move.

Everyone stood frozen, watching in disbelief. None of them had ever seen anything like this. The power of the two birds was unlike anything they'd ever faced.

Before anyone could react, a ball of lightning shot down toward the students. Lisa gasped, unable to move, her body frozen in fear. Clara screamed and threw her hands up in a desperate attempt to shield herself.

But before the lightning could strike, a figure leapt forward, intercepting the attack with nothing but his own body.

Eratz.

The lightning hit him hard, and his entire body tensed, muscles rippling with the sheer force of the impact. Electricity coursed through him, his white hair crackling and sticking to his rain-soaked skin. His red eyes burned through the storm as he took the hit head-on.

He stood there, his chest heaving from the force, steam rising from his soaked skin. But he didn't fall. He simply groaned, his voice low and steady.

"... Felt that one."

For a moment, there was only stunned silence. Everyone's mind was racing, struggling to comprehend what had just happened.

Lisa, her heart pounding in her chest, stared in shock. She could barely manage a whisper. "... Eratz?"

Her voice trembled, as if speaking his name might shatter the fragile reality she found herself in. She hadn't been so close to him in what felt like an eternity.

And now, out of nowhere, he was standing in front of her, taking a blow that would have destroyed anyone else. Protecting them, protecting her.

Kenny's heart raced, his pulse quickening with every second. His gaze locked onto Eratz, disbelief and anger fighting for dominance inside him.

But before he could process his emotions, something else pulled his attention.

From the edge of the forest, another figure burst into the clearing, Mercury.

Her entire body covered in a blue aura, she raised her arms and summoned a field spell.

Water surged from the ground, swirling around them before solidifying into a protective dome, shielding the students from the destruction outside.

Kenny's eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat. Seeing Eratz was one thing, but Mercury? Here? Now?

His mind was a whirlwind of emotions, unable to comprehend how both of them, the two people who had come to dominate his thoughts, were standing in the same space.

On one hand, Eratz, the boy who had cast him into the shadows, stoking his hatred. On the other hand, Mercury, the object of his desires, the one woman who had filled his dreams with fantasies of power, of her submitting to him.

And now she was right here, her rain-soaked clothes clinging to her skin, every detail of her toned figure visible in the dim light.

His stomach twisted painfully with a mix of desire and disbelief, his mind barely able to function. He couldn't tear his eyes away, no matter how hard he tried.

"Eratz, and ... Mercury?" Julian murmured.

Melcin, who had been acting so confident just moments before, now stood rooted to the spot, his face pale.

He blinked rapidly, trying to process what he was seeing. Eratz? Here? How? Why was this happening?

Crystal, standing a few steps behind Kenny, stared at Eratz, her mind blank with fear. She had framed him, played a role in his downfall, and now, here he was, stronger than ever.

She felt her heart race, panic setting in. She wasn't ready for this. She wasn't ready to face him. Her legs trembled as she watched him, her mind screaming at her to run, but she couldn't move. She felt like she was suffocating.

The students around them were too stunned to speak. Their brains couldn't keep up with what was happening, first the giant birds, and now Eratz and Mercury. No one knew what to say, no one knew how to react.

Inside the dome, the air was heavy with tension, thick with unspoken emotions and shock. Every eye was locked on the two figures standing in front of them, figures that had been missing from their lives, and yet here they were, larger than life.

Eratz, still feeling the sting of the lightning deep in his bones, lifted his gaze to the sky. The birds were still locked in battle, their immense powers ripping through the forest with every strike. The ground shook beneath them as thunder and wind tore through the trees.

"You're thinking about it, aren't you?" Mercury's voice broke the silence, calm and steady

despite the chaos around them.

Eratz, muscles still tense from the lightning strike, nodded.

"Aren't you?" he asked.

Mercury let out a short laugh, but her eyes were serious.

"You really need to learn not to bite off more than you can chew... Wait... One of them is a

water type?"

This detail reversed the choice of action.

They exchanged a quick glance, a wordless agreement passing between them. Everyone watching could feel the connection between them.

Eratz soared through the air, using the full extent of his beastification with his aces.

The thunder bird unleashed a devastating bolt of lightning, the air around it sizzling with

power.

Mercury's field spell spread wide beneath them, creating swirling a space like water that allowed her monsters to swim through the sky, but she was struggling.

Every time the thunder bird lightning hit the water, it propagated through her entire field, shocking her with searing bolts.

The electricity coursed through her body, causing her muscles to tense painfully. She grit her teeth, fighting through the pain as she tried to maintain control of the battle.

She dodged another strike, but the water around her betrayed her, conducting the electricity

directly to her body. Her beasts were suffering too, dissolving as they were overwhelmed by the relentless electrical assault.

Eratz barely had time to realize her situation as he was forced to dodge a burst of wind from

the second bird.

Water spun violently around the beast, forming powerful torrents that crashed against Eratz's

body, forcing him back.

He saw Mercury getting hit again by another wave of the thunderbird lightning, her body convulsing as the energy surged through the water field.

The thunderbird screeched, its massive wings sending gusts of wind strong enough to tear

apart trees.

Its lightning attacks were erratic, unpredictable, and every time they made contact with Mercury's water, the shockwaves reverberated across the field, hitting her and her creatures

mercilessly.

Eratz focused his gaze on the two calamities in the sky, trying to find an opening.

But it was chaos, every time he or Mercury made a move, the birds countered, their destructive synergy too much to handle together.

"We can't keep this up, Mercury!" Eratz called, his voice strained as he dodged a wind-

enhanced torrent from the rain bird.

Mercury gasped for air, her soaked body trembling from the constant shocks.

"We need to split them up," she repeated, her breath heavy. "... this lightning is going to kill

me."

Eratz's red eyes flickered. He knew she was right. The thunderbird's lightning attacks were too devastating when combined with Mercury's water-based field spell. They needed to take out one bird at a time, or they'd both be overwhelmed.

His aura bursting around him, Eratz pushed forward, his muscles aching as he called upon his

full force.

With a powerful burst of energy, he threw his fist forward, his knuckles burning with aura.

His punch landed against the thunderbird's head, the impact sending shockwaves through the

sky.

The bird screeched in agony, its body jerking from the blow as bolts of electricity flickered across its feathers.

For a moment, it felt like victory was near. Eratz had landed a real hit, and the monster flight

faltered.

But before he could press the advantage, the rainbird swooped in, its massive wings churning the air as a tidal wave of water crashed into Eratz's side.

The force was staggering, knocking him into Mercury's field spell. He struggled to regain control, his body tumbling through the sky until he managed to stabilize himself, landing heavily on one of Mercury's water beasts.

The impact rippled through the field spell, causing the water to shake around them. Mercury, fighting to keep the field intact, grunted as the thunderbird's lightning struck again.

This time, the electricity hit her directly, her muscles seizing up as she let out a sharp cry of

pain. Her beasts dissolved under the relentless assault, leaving her vulnerable for a brief but dangerous moment.

Eratz saw it, every lightning strike that hit the water field connected directly to her. He clenched his fists, realizing how dangerous this was for her.

"Mercury! You need to shut down the field! It's propagating his attacks!"

"I can't!" she shouted back, her voice barely audible over the thunderous roar of the storm.

"Without the field, we can't stay in the air!"

The rainbird dove in from above, sending a massive tidal wave crashing toward them.

"Dammit!" she hissed, her voice strained.

She forced herself back to her feet, summoning another wave of water to send crashing

toward the beast.

The bird twisted its body, dodging the attack before countering with a blast of wind so strong

it tore through Mercury's water defenses. She felt the gust hit her full force, her body whipped

backward into the storm.

Eratz, seeing her struggle, leaped toward the thunderbird again. His fists glowed with raw

strength as he charged, unleashing a flurry of powerful strikes that connected with the thunderbird's head, chest and wings.

Every hit landed with devastating impact, feathers crackling with energy as the bird screeched in agony.

The thunderbird retaliated, summoning a massive bolt of lightning that tore through the sky.

Eratz barely had time to react before the lightning hit, the electricity tearing through his body

like fire. His muscles spasmed, his body momentarily paralyzed by the sheer force of the

attack.

But he didn't stop.

Gritting his teeth, he pushed through the pain and charged forward again, his eyes locked on

the bird as he swung his fist into its wing.

The bone-crushing impact sent the monster spiraling through the sky, its screech echoing

through the storm.

Mercury, recovering from the wind blast, summoned her beasts once again. She hurled them at the rainbird, their water-infused bodies slamming into the bird with surprising force.

The bird shrieked as the water beasts bit and clawed at its wings, causing streams of water to pour from its body like blood.

But she wasn't done, it was time for revenge.

With a burst of energy, she summoned a massive torrent of water, sending it crashing into the

beast's side.

The bird let out another pained screech as the wave engulfed it, momentarily disorienting the

creature.

Seeing a window of rest, Eratz's eyes flickered. They had to end this, but every attack they made was countered by the other monster. They needed to change their strategy.

His eyes narrowed as he concentrated on the lightning bird, and suddenly, the stats appeared

before him.

[Name: Raijinara, The Thunderous Storm

Affinity: Wind/Lightning

Rank: Calamity

Abilities: Thunderous Wrath - Summons lightning storms of immense power, Windstorm

Mastery - Controls wind currents to create devastating tornadoes and gusts.]

Eratz clenched his fists, the realization hitting him hard. This wasn't just any monster. This

was a rank he never saw before, an incarnation of the storm itself. The sheer power it wielded

was beyond anything they had ever faced.

But there was another.

His eyes flicked to the water bird, the second force of destruction in the sky. He locked onto it,

and its stats appeared.

[Name: Zephyraquiel, The Deluge

Affinity: Water/Wind

Rank: Calamity

Abilities: Torrential Fury - Controls water to create powerful tidal waves and storms, Gale

Force Enhances wind speed and attacks.]

But the moment of peace was short-lived.

Raijinara recovered from Eratz's assault, its eyes glowing with fury as it unleashed a barrage

of lightning bolts that arced through the sky, targeting both Eratz and Mercury.

The lightning hit Mercury's field spell, the electricity surging through the water and striking

her once again.

She screamed, her body convulsing in pain as she was thrown back, the water beasts dissolving around her.

"Mercury!" Eratz shouted, his voice hoarse.

He lunged toward her, desperate to shield her from another attack, but Zephyraquiel swooped

in, its wind and water combining into a devastating whirlwind that slammed into him,

sending him tumbling through the sky.

Their attacks had real impact, Raijinara and Zephyraquiel were visibly damaged, but the

birds' power was too great.

Every time they tried to land a decisive blow, the other bird would intervene, and their efforts

were reset. It was like fighting two unstoppable forces at once. Raijinara screeched again, summoning a super bolt of lightning that lit up the sky, splitting through the clouds with a deafening roar.

The bolt struck Mercury's field spell, and the water exploded in a shower of steam and

electricity. She screamed in pain as the shockwave hit her once more, her beasts dissolving into nothing.

Eratz roared in frustration, his aura flaring as he charged at Raijinara again, but Zephyraquiel

blocked his path with another powerful burst of wind and water, sending him crash alongside

Mercury.

Colin and Milo, watching from below, were desperate.

"We have to help them!" Milo shouted, his voice breaking with fear.

Colin's eyes were wide with panic, her body trembling.

The students, watching the battle in stunned silence, gasped in horror as Eratz and Mercury

both fell. Kenny fell to his knees, his eyes wide with despair. He could never fight like that. He could

never match the power Eratz and Mercury wielded. The realization crushed him, leaving him hollow and defeated. "We're going to die," Clara whispered, her face pale with terror. Melcin stood in stunned disbelief, his hands shaking. He had never seen power like this

before. The reality of their situation was finally setting in, and it terrified him. As Eratz and Mercury hit the ground, the two birds let out simultaneous screeches, their

combined power creating a massive explosion of wind, water, and lightning that ripped through the sky. The storm intensified, and the ground trembled beneath the students' feet. Colin's heart pounded in her chest as she saw Eratz and Mercury fall from the sky, their bodies

crashing into the ground with a sickening thud. Her vision blurred, and her legs began to

move before her mind could even catch up. "Eratz! Mercury!" she screamed.

Her eyes were fixed on the broken forms of Eratz and Mercury lying motionless.

"...no...no..." she cried, her voice cracking.

She raced toward them, her small feet pounding against the wet earth, her heart burning with

desperation.

Every step felt heavier, the world around her becoming distant, muffled, as if time had

slowed.

The storm above raged, lightning flashing and thunder cracking, but none of it mattered. All she could see was Eratz and Mercury, now lying there, lifeless, and she couldn't bear it. Flames flickered at the edges of her vision, dancing along her skin. Her heart raced faster, her

blood boiling with a heat that was almost unbearable. She was running, but it felt like she was

on fire, burning from the inside out.

Her chest tightened, and her eyes flickered between blue and red. The fire within her was

growing, spreading, until it was all she could feel. "No... NOOOO!!!!"

She screamed, her voice echoing through the storm.

Her body erupted in a blaze of crimson fire, the heat so intense that the rain evaporated

before it could touch her. Her eyes switched from blue to a deep red, glowing, and the flames

around her grew higher, wilder, as if they were alive.

The others could only watch in stunned silence, too afraid to move, too shocked to

understand what was happening.

The air around her crackled as her eyes glowed a fierce red, and Melcin, watching in disbelief,

whispered.

"An... She's an Ishtarian?" Above, the birds, screeched in unison. The thunderbird called forth a storm of lightning bolts,

while the rainbird unleashed a cyclone of water, their combined attacks exploding against the

ground in a wave of destruction.

Colin reached Eratz and Mercury, Milo was running, and the ground erupted.

As the ground buckled, the battlefield was consumed by a final blast of energy, and everything

went darkn/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

***

Kenny awoke to silence. Blinking against the dim light, he found himself in a vast underground cave, the dripping of water echoing through the space. The air was thick and damp, but what captured his attention were the figures lying nearby. Eratz and Mercury, their bodies battered and bruised, lay unconscious next to Milo and Colin.