Lord Of Beasts

Ethan felt like an announcer at a fight club as he continued aloud, "Introducing the contestants..."

With a wave of his hands, he summoned all of his beasts one by one.

"The Fierce Fenrir!"

Wolfy landed first with a heavy thud that shook the frozen ground.

"Next up is the Wind Warrior!"

Talon descended elegantly from the sky, folding its wings as it perched atop a nearby ice-covered boulder.

"Third, we have the Blazing Ball!"

Spark burst from Ethan’s arm like an excited comet, buzzing excitedly around his head.

"And last, but not least..."

Crackle!

Blue lightning danced through the air as the Lightning Dragonfly materialised several metres away from the other beasts.

Anyone would think Ethan was crazy after speaking aloud in this frozen wasteland, and he very well may be, but he was most of all excited. He had been meaning to introduce his newest beast to the others as well as answer that crucial question.

’Who’s strongest?’

The disappointment of two failed evolutions had disappeared, as he admired his newest beast that hovered in front of him. Its razor-thin wings beat almost silently, keeping its body perfectly still despite remaining airborne.

It made no sound at all, and instead almost seemed calculating, as its compound eyes took in the three beasts.

And there was one in particular that it was wary of...

-

Objectively, only two of his beasts were really part of the conversation.

Wolfy was the complete package.

It was powerful, balanced, and experienced.

Every instinct had been forged through countless life-and-death battles beside Ethan. It knew how he fought, how he thought, and how to adapt in the middle of combat.

Storm, on the other hand, almost everything about it felt unfair.

Its speed bordered on ridiculous, its mana reserves were absurd, and its skill set was terrifying. Even as a recent Juvenile, it possessed raw gifts that few beasts could ever hope to match.

’But I’d still give the edge to Wolfy.’

His head made him think Storm, since it had aerial and ranged attacks, but his heart was with his Fenrir, literally. And many a time he had achieved things that defied logic, so maybe Wolfy would be able to do the same.

’It’s hard not to be a little biased since I’ve had it longer and Storm’s a bit of an asshole, but either way it’ll be an interesting fight.’

Fights could always go either way, so there was only one way to be sure. And neither of the beasts needed to be signalled to face each other.

Without warning, Storm’s wings blurred.

Wolfy’s ears flattened as the two apex predators locked eyes.

The air itself became heavy.

Above them, Talon circled silently, hawk-like eyes fixed on the battlefield below. It looked almost disappointed that it wasn’t the one being tested, watching every movement like a warrior studying future rivals.

Meanwhile, Spark couldn’t have cared less.

The tiny Cinder Wisp continued zipping around Ethan in excited circles, occasionally darting off to ignite little patches of snow before quickly extinguishing them again. If anything, it simply thought everyone was playing.

Ethan folded his arms.

"Mark and I beat the shit out of each other growing up, and we’re still brothers. Maybe this’ll bring these two closer too."

With that, he stepped back and gave them the space they definitely needed.

The frozen wasteland exploded into motion.

Storm moved first.

Its four translucent wings became invisible as they beat at impossible speeds, the Lightning Dragonfly accelerating so quickly it seemed to vanish from existence. Blue arcs of electricity danced through the air wherever it flew, tracing erratic paths that only it seemed capable of following.

Wolfy answered with a deep, rumbling growl.

The Fenrir lowered itself before launching forward.

Boom!

The snow beneath its paws detonated as the enormous wolf crossed dozens of metres in an instant.

Storm was already somewhere else.

Zap!

An Electric Blast erupted from above.

Compressed lightning slammed into Wolfy’s shoulder before exploding outward in a violent burst of blue electricity.

Crack!

Lightning crawled across the Fenrir’s crimson-black fur, but instead of penetrating and jolting the beast, the electricity barely had an effect. Wolfy merely shook it off before continuing forward.

Ethan’s eyes widened.

’Just like I thought...That fur is insane.’

The dense coat naturally dispersed much of the current before it reached Wolfy’s muscles. It wasn’t immune to electricity, but its incredible fur acted almost like living insulation, causing much of the voltage to spread harmlessly across its body instead of deep within it.

Storm didn’t seem discouraged.

Its compound eyes analysed every twitch of Wolfy’s muscles, every heartbeat, and every electrical impulse travelling through its body using its passive skill.

Thunder Dash.

The dragonfly became a streak of lightning, evading the incoming attack.

It shot beneath Wolfy’s jaws before instantly changing direction, looping around its flank and firing another Electric Blast almost point-blank.

Boom!

Another burst of electricity exploded against Wolfy’s ribs.

The Fenrir skidded sideways across the snow, but Storm refused to stay still for even a second. Its wings changed angle independently, allowing it to stop, reverse, dart sideways and pivot at impossible angles.

It wasn’t merely fast; it was entirely unpredictable.

Watching it almost made Ethan dizzy.

’So this is how it naturally fights. It’s intercepting rather than chasing.’

Exactly like he’d experienced while using Partial Assimilation, every movement was calculated and every angle chosen before Wolfy even committed.

It looked less like combat, but it was more like mathematics.

Wolfy couldn’t keep up.

At least not at first.

But instead of growing frustrated, its crimson eyes narrowed.

Predator’s Frenzy.

Mana surged through its body, and its muscles visibly tightened as primal instincts completely took over. Every miss sharpened its reactions, and every failed leap taught it something.

Storm zipped past again.

Electric Blast.

Wolfy twisted just enough for the attack to graze its side.

Again.

Thunder Dash.

Storm flashed overhead.

Again.

Electric Blast.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Until Wolfy suddenly stopped chasing altogether.

It simply stood there.

Storm hesitated for the briefest fraction of a second, as if questioning its actions, then it attacked anyway. But the instant Thunder Dash carried it into striking range, Wolfy exploded forward...