What About My Proposal?

The guards stood at a distance, watching the three siblings.

"Are you ready?!" Christopher asked the two opposite him.

"Yeah!" Adonis said with a smile. Draki stood before him.

"We can take him down!" Katherine said, smiling.

"The Beast Competition you mentioned, what's it all about?" Christopher asked.

"Oh, it's a contest between academies... Our Tamer Academy will be going against Victory Academy... Whoever wins gets to enter the national competition where all the Tamers gather for the prize," Adonis answered, smiling.

"Prize? What prize?"

"Well... First place gets a Lotus flower, which, legend says, can increase a Tamer's Life Force 100 times beyond their usual amount... There's also a cash prize of $1 billion."

"Wow, this competition must be really important."

"Yes, Elder Brother. Second and third place get $500 million and $100 million... With that kind of money, anyone can live a good life... But a lot of Tamers are in it for the fame, recognition, and title... We're training to be among the winners, even if it's just third place," Katherine said.

'Hmm... Such high amounts for second and third place... The Lotus flower would be very useful to me... But how will I enter the contest? I think I'll have to participate from the Tamer Academy,' he thought, looking up at his siblings.

"Has the Tamer Academy ever won before?"

The two slowly shook their heads.

"The rules are: The winner of the last contest makes the rules, and we have to follow them... The Victory Academy always makes rules to make us lose... Then we have to wait another year... This year, we must win!" Adonis said, smiling.

Christopher nodded. "Come on, let's see if you two have what it takes to be winners."

He smiled.

"Yes."

The two nodded, and Adonis started.

"Draki! [Soul Penetration Beam]!!"

The red dragon opened its mouth and released a blue bolt of lightning towards Lazarus.

"Hmm... Lazarus doesn't have any defense skills, but..."

BOOM!!!

The lightning collided with Lazarus, who stood still. It didn't even take a step back.

"...But his defense is on a whole new level... Only continuous attacks from Mythical-stage Beasts could get through his defense," Christopher smiled.

"This?"

Adonis was stunned. [Soul Penetration Beam] was Draki's strongest attack... But it was completely ineffective against his brother's Beast.

"Leave it to me."

Katherine pointed a finger at her black lion:

"[Damage Boost]"

Green light flew from her finger, entering her Beast.

"Oh? An Intermediate-level Tamer... Impressively done, sister," Christopher smiled.

"I don't know how you suddenly know so much about Beasts and Tamers, but it's nice to get a compliment from you," she smiled, adding, "Lome! [Lion Roar]."

With the increased attack, the Legendary-stage Beast opened its mouth and roared.

GRRAAAAAAA!!!!!

After a minute of roaring, Lome stopped, staring at the two in confusion.

"How... Your brains should have been damaged... Don't take this the wrong way, Elder Brother, it's just—"

"—I know..." Christopher smiled.

"My turn." He looked at Lazarus standing in front of him and whispered, "Combat strength, Lv8."

Lazarus nodded in confirmation.

"Lazarus! Use [Ice Energy Beam]!!"

Lazarus opened its mouth and released a torrent of blue flames towards the two.

"What?!!" Katherine exclaimed in horror and yelled, "Lome! [Force Field]!"

"Draki! [Fire Wall]!!"

The two yelled and activated their strongest defense skills.

BOOM!!!!

The flame moved incredibly fast and split into two, heading towards them.

"Can a skill do that?!!" Adonis was stunned.

BOOM!!!!!

Katherine, Adonis, and their Beasts flew back several meters, colliding heavily with the ground.

"....."

The onlookers were dumbfounded.

"You guys aren't strong enough yet... Practice more and try to evolve your Beasts," Christopher said with a smirk, his arms folded across his chest.

Adonis and Katherine slowly stood up.

"We're lucky the defense skills reduced the impact," Adonis said.

"True, and that was only Lv8 combat strength," Katherine added.

Katherine stood up and took out a blue badge with a lion's head engraved on it.

"What are you doing?" Adonis asked, mildly confused.

"Just checking something out."

She walked towards Lazarus. 'That attack, I've seen it before,' she thought.

Christopher watched as Katherine stopped in front of Lazarus and tapped the Tamer badge in her hand... A blue light appeared. She then scanned Lazarus with it.

He watched as Lazarus's holographic details appeared above the badge.

{Name Given: Lazarus.}

{Species: Rhino -- N/A.}

{Stage: Perfect.}

{Combat Strength: Lv3.}

{Skills (6): ??? [Reason: Your badge doesn't have the requirement to see this information].}

'Huh? Six? What is Lazarus's sixth skill? Or is it the rhino's?'

Christopher was confused.

'Master, my sixth skill is known as [Earth Defense],' Lazarus answered telepathically.

'Why didn't you tell me?'

'You didn't ask.'

"....."

"Mmm..." Katherine stared at the details and sighed. "I guess I was wrong," she muttered.

"With what?" Christopher asked.

"I thought... Never mind," Katherine shook her head, adding, "You won; I'm not fighting this rhino again."

She turned and walked towards the house. "Don't worry, we'll stick to the deal... Right, brother?" She turned to Adonis.

"Yes, you'll see the flower today," Adonis said, taking Draki back into his ring.

"Come on, Lome... Let me get you something to eat."

The four-foot-tall black lion quickly took its non-combat form and leaped into the air, landing on Katherine's right shoulder.

'Why can't I see his second species? Is that rhino the Beast I think it is?' She sighed and walked inside the house.

"Master, she's suspicious," Lazarus said in a low voice.

"I know... But without proof, she'll drop the idea," Christopher answered, adding, 'But we need to be careful.'

Lazarus nodded.

"Brother! Your Beast is one powerful guy... Come on, I know you have nothing scheduled, so let's have some fun!"

"You do know I won, right?" Christopher stared at Adonis with a slight frown.

"I know... But—"

"—When are we leaving?" Christopher smiled.

"Really?! Yes! We can leave right now!! I know a good place!!" Adonis was ecstatic.

Christopher rubbed his ring, taking Lazarus inside, and nodded at Adonis.

"Wait for me." He walked towards the villa.

Adonis stared at his departing figure until he entered the house and thought.

'I don't know what happened to you, Brother. But I like it! If Father knew what happened, that you defeated both Katherine and me, he'd be over the moon... Don't worry! I'll tell him!!'

[Half an hour later.]

Christopher walked out of the house, wearing a white shirt and pants, with white sneakers... Topping it off with a white jacket.

"Oh?! Brother, do you have something against white?!"

Christopher glared at Adonis, who was in a blue T-shirt, black leather jacket, and black pants... All designer outfits.

"Let's go."

Christopher walked towards the Lincoln and got inside, followed by Adonis.

"Wait for me!!"

"Huh?"

The two looked out the window, seeing Katharine rushing towards them... She was in a black skater dress, her hair styled in a ponytail.

They watched as she opened the door and got inside.

Seeing the looks she was receiving, Katherine asked:

"What?!"

"Nothing." They both shook their heads.

The Lincoln started and drove out of the villa, followed by two black Audis.

____

[City's Mall.]

"The Star Mall is the biggest mall in all of Cordelia; the other four countries don't have such a huge mall," Katherine said, smiling as she walked inside the mall, with Christopher and Adonis following behind. Ten bodyguards followed, keeping some distance from the siblings, all in casual wear.

Katherine continued, introducing everything about the mall to her two elder brothers.

"See how happy she is... This is practically her second home... If it weren't for the academy, I don't know if she'd ever leave the mall," Adonis whispered to Christopher.

Katherine glared at him over her shoulder, and he quickly raised his hands in the air.

"I said nothing."

"Good... Now, Brother, this is the jewelry store..."

"I told you," Adonis winked at Christopher, who chuckled under his breath.

"Who do we have here?"

The three siblings stopped, staring at the lady in a red bandage dress in front of them, with five bodyguards behind her... Clearly... They're all Tamers.

"Mind your own business, Mariana," Katherine said, staring at the blonde before her.

"What? Aren't we friends?" Mariana asked with a sneer.

Christopher observed the lady for a few seconds and nodded, finally recognizing her.

'Mariana Vanir, the young miss of the Vanir family, and also Adrian's younger sister... How nice,' he thought.

"No, we aren't!"

"Don't be upset about what happened before... I wanted to help you, not push you down," Mariana said.

"You!" Katherine gritted her teeth in rage.

No matter how mad she was, she couldn't do anything to Mariana... The Vanir family and theirs were on equal footing... Both looking for ways to get ahead of the other... Neither could afford to make a mistake.