A Cruel Lesson
Eratz walked toward the stands, a calm smile playing on his lips as he watched the faces of the other challengers. As he reached the waiting area, he saw Ryder and Milo heading his way.
"Eratz!" Ryder called a wide grin on his face. "That was incredible! You made it look easy out there!"
Milo, still looking confused by the earlier battle, stood quietly beside Ryder, shaking his head.
"I still don't get it. What happened? When did you win?"
Eratz chuckled softly.
"What is it, Milo? I thought my equal in this world would understand my strategy."
"Eh?... I... I was only saying that for dramatic effect! Like in movies when there's a side character hyping the main character!"
Eratz couldn't help but pat his little head, this boy really looked like his baby monster.
"I'm sure you're worth better than a side character. It wasn't that hard, honestly, You guys will handle it just fine."
Milo looked up, his chest bulking.
"Of course I will, I'll show them how creatures like us deal with problems!"
Eratz smiled at him, Ryder clenched his fists, his energy practically bouncing off the walls.
"Easy for you to say, but still, now I'm really motivated. I'm ready to give it my all. No holding back, Milo!"
Milo nodded.
"Yeah, we can do this."
Eratz nodded confidently at both of them. After all, if it was easy for him, it had to be a little for them too, right?
Up in the observation room, Zara nudged Mercury with a playful smirk.
"So... looks like I was right. He's definitely not your average beginner, huh?"
Mercury crossed her arms, her face unreadable at first, though the faintest trace of a smile tugged at her lips.
"He's... different, I'll give him that. That speed isn't the mark of a newbie, by the way, is he really a newbie? How did you convince him to join us?"
Zara triumphed, enjoying the rare moment of Mercury complimenting someone as her own victory.
"I'm the best scout, what did you expect? Remember that the salvation of our agency will come from me."
Mercury sighed, her attention drifting back to the arena.
"I'm curious to see more from him though... his monsters. He has only used that black fox, but he didn't..." Her words trailed off, and her expression suddenly became exasperated. "Wait...what if that's all he's got? What if he's just fighting with his raw strength and not his beasts? Zara...."
Zara waved her hand dismissively.
"Relax, hun, I've seen him use all sorts of monsters before. He's perfect, trust me."
Mercury wasn't entirely convinced but let the thought rest for now. There was still a lot to be seen.
The battles continued, the air in the arena growing more charged as each tamer adapted to the increasing intensity.
Eratz's earlier victory had set a new tone for the competition, and now the tamers were cautious. They realized that the arena wasn't just for their monsters, if they weren't careful, they themselves could become the target of an attack.
Most tamers adjusted their strategies, keeping monsters close to defend themselves while still trying to go on the offensive, yet from Mercury's point of view it was again another mistake.
"They're too scared of being attacked to go on the offensive. It's pointless if their opponent's as fast as him, he'll just turn around the beast."
By the time Ryder's name was called for the 41st match, the crowd had settled into a tense rhythm. Everyone was giving his all and the show was getting intense.
All eyes turned to the energetic young man as he entered the arena. Face to him, stood a young lady, her face a mixture of focus and worry.
Ryder took a little time to savor the moment he was waiting for so long, then, keeping his eyes on the crowd, looking for Eratz, he called out his main team, three beasts.
The first was a creature that immediately sparked a reaction in Eratz, a wolf-like creature with winds swirling around its paws, remembering him of his Thunder Lycaon.
Beside it, the second was a massive bull-like monster with glowing horns. Completing the trio was a bird crackling with lightning, its wings sparkling with energy.
The crowd murmured in awe at the sight of his monsters, there was a literal collection of beasts all around the selections, Ryder's beasts looked like living weapons, ready to destroy anything on their way.
The young lady, on the other side, swallowed nervously before summoning her own beast a sleek, panther creature with shadows swirling around it.
The battle began, and right away, Ryder took control. His trio of monsters moved with coordination. Each one covered the other, making it nearly impossible for the girl's panther to find an opening.
Ryder's wolf darted forward with high speed, circling the panther. His bull charged in with brute strength, shaking the ground beneath its feet, while the thunderbird swooped down, releasing crackling bolts of electricity.
The girl watched in panic, her hands trembling as she tried to direct her panther, but the power of Ryder's monsters overwhelmed her moves.
Her panther was fast, dodging and weaving through the arena, but Ryder's beasts were relentless. The wolf's speed kept it on edge, forcing it to keep moving, while the thunderbird's strikes left little room to breathe.
The bull, with its towering frame, was like an unstoppable wall, cutting off any escape route and ensuring that no attack could reach him.
The girl bit her lip, fear evident in her wide eyes as she realized how outmatched she was. Her hands shook as she desperately tried to issue commands, but her panther was tiring quickly under the relentless pressure. Every step it took seemed heavier, its movements slowing.
Ryder, however, never sent his beasts directly at her. Instead, he focused entirely on the panther, respecting the battle and letting her a chance to show everything she had.
As the panther faltered, struggling to dodge a final lightning strike, it collapsed to the ground, exhausted. From the girl's reaction, it was quite obvious that she had nothing else in reserve. Ryder's beasts stepped back immediately, their job done.
The crowd murmured in awe, watching as Ryder calmly recalled his monsters, a soft smile on his face. There wasn't a single scratch on him or his beasts.
The girl lowered her head, eyes filled with frustration and disappointment, but before she could walk away in defeat, Ryder called out to her.
"You fought well. You've got talent. Just believe in yourself a little more, and next time, you'll be unstoppable."
She blinked in surprise, looking up at him with wide eyes. His words caught her off guard. She has been ridiculous, she looked like a perfect beginner and she knew it, yet something about the honesty in his eyes made the frustration less painful. She forced a smile, she had at last escaped further humiliation.
The crowd, previously murmuring, began to nod in agreement. Ryder wasn't just strong, he had the heart of a true competitor, one who could lift others up.
As he left the battlefield, a few respectful claps echoed from the audience. Ryder, beaming with pride, gave Eratz and Milo a thumbs up as he returned to the waiting area.
Next, Milo's name was called. A hush fell over the arena as the young boy stepped into the ring. He was clearly the youngest here, and the sight of him standing so confidently in the arena drew murmurs from the crowd.
"He's just a kid," someone whispered.
"Is he serious?" another voice asked.
But Milo stood firm, his small figure deceptively calm as he summoned a light fairy. The delicate creature floated beside him, its glow casting soft light on him.
The crowd, perhaps taken by his courage, or perhaps amused by what looked like a joke, began to cheer for him.
He smiled, appreciating the support.
In front of him stood his opponent, a blond young man, around Erat'z and Ryder's age, who barely glanced at Milo as he summoned his own team.
To the crowd's surprise, the man also called out fairies, but these weren't like Milo's.
Milo's fairy had a soft, radiant glow, like an angelic creature pulled from a dream. In contrast, the man's fairies looked otherworldly, in a different way.
They were gracious, their wings shimmered with an multiple colors, casting soft hues of gold and silver as they floated gracefully into position, but despite their beauty, there was something unnerving about them, the way they moved with silent elegance, and how the very air around them seemed to change.
The entire battlefield was suddenly cloaked in a dense, mystical mist. The fog rolled in like waves, swirling across the ground, and within seconds, Milo and his fairy were barely visible.
The crowd leaned forward, straining to see what was happening. Unlike the usual chaotic energy of a battle, this one was eerily quiet.
The only sound was the soft fluttering of wings as Milo's fairy tried to navigate through the thick fog. His face tightened with concentration, but there was a growing look of worry in his eyes.
And then, several flashes of light crossed the mist, but the audience couldn't tell what was happening. All they could see were brief glimmers of movement, like shadows dancing in the fog, shadows vanishing in flashes of light, and the sound of objects falling on the ground.
When the mist finally began to clear, the scene was heartbreaking. Milo was on his knees, cradling his injured fairy in his arms like a baby, his face pale.
The creature looked small and fragile, its wings dimmed. His opponent approached with a slow, mocking grin.
"Is that what you call a fight? I barely had to try. You were practically begging to lose."
Milo, still shaken by the defeat, blinked in surprise.
"I... I just didn't expect that kind of attack," he stammered, trying to defend himself. "Your fairies…they're strong."
The teenager laughed, a sharp sound that echoed through the arena.
"Strong? That's the understatement of the century. What did you expect, playing around with your little light fairy? You thought you could actually compete with that? Look at it...pathetic."
Milo's face flushed with embarrassment.
"I… I thought I could handle it. I've trained hard, and my fairy..."
"Your fairy is weak. Just like you," the teenager interrupted. "You shouldn't even be here, kid. You're embarrassing yourself. Look around." He gestured to the watching crowd. "Everyone sees it. You're out of your league. Go back to playing in the schoolyard before someone really hurts you."
Milo's eyes darted to the spectators, who had fallen silent, watching the exchange. His lips trembled, and he tried to hold his ground.
"I'm not weak… I can get better. I just need more time."
The teenager leaned in closer, his voice lowering to a cold whisper.
"More time? There's no 'getting better' for people like you. You don't belong here. You'll always be a loser, no matter how hard you try. Quit now, before you make even more of a fool of yourself."
The crowd shifted uncomfortably. It was clear Milo had been totally defeated, but the way his opponent taunted him felt unnecessarily cruel.
Eratz and Ryder exchanged glances from their side of the arena. Eratz's expression remained calm, He hadn't expected the battle to end this way, nor the aftermath to be so harsh, Ryder, on the other hand, couldn't hide his anger.
"What a jerk," he muttered, shaking his head. "Milo doesn't deserve that."
The crowd murmured, some in disbelief at the man's harshness. Even those who weren't particularly rooting for Milo felt the sting of his opponent's words.
"That's too much," someone whispered.
"He didn't have to go that far," another voice added, echoing the sentiment of many in the audience.
Mercury, watching from the observation room, clenched her fists tighter to the point her kneckles were white. Her jaw was set, eyes narrowing as her anger built.
At first, she had tried to stay composed, but as the teenager continued his relentless verbal assault on Milo, her temper boiled.
"That... bastard..." Her voice trembled with barely contained rage.
Even Zara, usually quick to make light of things, was silent, her expression dark.
Milo, still on his knees, finally stood, wiping his eyes. He didn't look back at his opponent or the crowd as he quietly left the arena, holding his fairy close to his chest.