Lord Of Beasts

Wolfy stood perfectly still, crimson eyes fixed on Storm as if inviting the Lightning Dragonfly to make the next move.

Storm obliged.

Its wings blurred, and the dragonfly shot forward in a burst of lightning, far faster than it had been moments earlier. Yet Ethan noticed something interesting: when Storm used Thunder Dash, its movement became more predictable, relying on a sudden linear burst of speed rather than the erratic, multi-directional manoeuvres it had been using before.

And that was exactly what Wolfy had been waiting for.

The instant Storm committed to the dash, the Fenrir exploded forward, not toward where the dragonfly was, but where it was going to be.

’It predicted it!’

Ethan’s eyes widened.

Cross Slash!

Both of Wolfy’s forelegs carved through the air, unleashing two intersecting arcs of condensed force that shot skyward. Storm reacted at the last possible moment, twisting violently as one razor-thin wing was clipped by the edge of the attack.

A metallic screech rang out.

Storm spiralled through the air before regaining control only moments before crashing into the frozen ground.

For the first time, it had been hit.

Talon let out an impressed cry from above, while even Spark paused its endless zooming to seemingly stare for a moment before immediately getting distracted again. Storm hovered silently, its wings buzzing louder as the air around it crackled with growing intensity.

Then it stopped moving altogether.

Not because it was tired, but because it was charging.

Kinetic Charge.

Every impossible aerial manoeuvre, sudden acceleration, and Thunder Dash had been feeding the skill. Blue lightning began dancing wildly across Storm’s exoskeleton, growing brighter with every passing second as the stored electrical energy became visible to the naked eye.

Ethan couldn’t stop smiling.

’That’s ridiculous... It really does get stronger as it fights, and I guess impact counts as kinetic energy too.’

Meaning that sustaining damage also provided it with specialised mana that could be used back into its attacks.

Storm’s body flashed.

Then it used the last skill that Ethan was expecting it to.

Chain Lightning.

BOOM!

A massive bolt erupted forward, striking Wolfy before immediately bouncing back into the Fenrir from another angle and exploding outward through the frozen landscape. Electricity surged across Wolfy’s entire body, and this time, it hurt.

The Fenrir’s muscles spasmed violently as its paws dug trenches through the snow to remain standing. Even with its incredible insulation, this wasn’t something it could simply shrug off.

’It used the attack meant to bounce between multiple targets to attack it from different directions and stack damage.’

Ethan was amazed and hadn’t considered such a possibility, already trying to figure out how it worked. Wolfy wasn’t nearly as pleased by it as smoke rose from parts of its midnight-black fur.

Storm didn’t waste the opening.

Thunder Dash.

Electric Blast.

Thunder Dash.

Electric Blast.

One attack flowed seamlessly into the next, using Kinetic Charge to significantly reduce the mana cost of every lightning technique.

Ethan was fascinated by it.

’The instincts of a predator are unmatched.’

He could attest to that after experiencing it himself while assimilated with it.

Storm wasn’t recklessly throwing mana around; it was constantly generating more through movement before feeding that energy back into its attacks. It was a terrifying fighting style, one that became more efficient the longer the battle continued.

Making it so that if it were a battle of attrition, Wolfy would struggle to hold out without sustaining serious damage.

But the Fenrir wasn’t finished just yet.

Its chest expanded, then...

Sovereign Howl!

The entire frozen wasteland trembled as a wave of primal dominance erupted outward like an invisible tsunami, similar to Beast Suppression. Storm’s wings faltered, its movements becoming noticeably heavier while its reactions slowed.

Its instincts screamed at it to yield to the monster before it.

But it didn’t.

Instead, the dragonfly let out a sharp clicking sound and charged anyway, the solitary predator refusing to bow.

Wolfy smiled.

Or at least, as much as a Fenrir could.

The two monsters collided.

Wolfy’s jaws snapped shut as Storm twisted around them, electricity exploding while claws tore through the air and lightning carved across the snow. Shockwaves ripped through frozen rock, yet neither beast was aiming to kill.

Ethan noticed that immediately.

The attacks were brutal but restrained. Storm deliberately veered away from Wolfy’s eyes and throat, while Wolfy’s crushing bites always stopped just short of becoming lethal. It was less a fight to the death and more two proud predators testing exactly where the other’s limits lay.

Still, things were escalating.

Storm’s electricity intensified with every passing exchange, while Wolfy’s Predator’s Frenzy continued amplifying its physical abilities. Neither wanted to back down, and neither wanted to lose.

The next clash wouldn’t end so cleanly, as the fight was quickly becoming more serious. But before either beast could commit, an overwhelming pressure descended upon the battlefield.

’Beast Suppression!’

Storm collapsed to the ground, while Wolfy’s legs stiffened beneath the spiritual pressure. Even Talon instinctively landed without meaning to, and Spark froze mid-flight before slowly floating away from Ethan.

The entire battlefield fell silent.

Ethan walked calmly between the two beasts.

"That’s enough."

His voice wasn’t loud, but it didn’t need to be.

"I’m stopping this here before either of you gets seriously hurt."

He looked at Wolfy first, then Storm.

"You’ve both proved your abilities and are both powerful beasts."

A small grin appeared.

"And you’re all brothers, so no hard feelings."

Wolfy huffed before looking away with obvious dissatisfaction, while Storm clicked its mandibles once, equally unhappy but unable to challenge its master.

Ethan laughed.

"Next time I’ll get the other two to B Rank, then we’ll have a proper royal rumble."

Just imagining four B Rank beasts fighting each other made him grin.

It would be absolute chaos, and he couldn’t wait.

But until then, he didn’t plan on pitting his beasts against each other and was hoping that this exchange had helped them to respect each other more. As for the question of who’s strongest, he now had an answer.

’I am, since I control them all, hahaha!’

It wasn’t the conclusion he had initially been looking for, and it was a cop-out of sorts, but there was no way to know for sure without things getting out of hand. And ultimately, all of his beasts were powerful in their own right, and all that power was his by extension.

With that, he was satisfied.

One by one, he recalled his summons, who were watching as he laughed to himself.

They couldn’t help but think their master was crazy, and they weren’t wrong either, but there was something about him they had no choice but to respect.

Talon vanished into an emerald gust of wind, Spark disappeared in a burst of flames, and Storm dissolved into crackling lightning. Finally, Wolfy gave Ethan one last proud look before fading back into the tattoo across his chest.

Silence returned to the frozen wasteland.

Ethan took one final look around before reaching toward the interface only he could see.

{Exit The Tower}

He was yanked out of the frozen world, and a moment later he was back in his bed.

But let’s just say he wasn’t expecting what he saw...