(FUCKING BASTARDS!)
Rocky gritted his teeth in rage. It appeared they had squeezed her lifespan dry. At this moment, he could tell that his big sister was already in the last years of her life.
They used her as a tool and tossed her aside like trash when she didn’t have any value anymore.
His eyes were bloodshot.
The fury boiled in his veins, unconsciously triggering his skill. In that moment, each muscle began to swell. The murderous intent leaked out, even causing Scarlet to get goosebumps for a second, yet he quickly took pills from [Inventory].
He chewed the pile of pills to calm himself down. His body quickly returned to that of a normal cat.
(Stay calm... I’ll just kill myself if I go maniac.)
He needed a plan. He quickly jumped off Scarlet’s shoulder and drew her attention toward the balcony.
Scarlet frowned in worry. She quickly followed him because she knew Rocky wanted to tell her something important.
5 minute later.
Scarlet returned to the hall with Rocky on her shoulder. She approached Ross, who was viciously battering the old woman.
"Young Lord Ross, may I ask a favor of you?" Scarlet said. She glanced at the old woman, whom Rocky called his big sister.
Diana Stephens.
She remembered her very well—the last time, at her first banquet. A beautiful woman with sharp features, perfect from every angle.
Moreover, she possessed a good personality... always loving her younger siblings. Clinging to them every time, even making Scarlet jealous.
Why couldn’t she have a family like that?
She was the kind of person Scarlet always wanted to become... However, alas.
Ross spat saliva at Diana, then smiled brightly at Scarlet. His once contemptuous expression shifted into that of a gentle man, someone who always treated women as precious beings that needed protection.
"Lady Scarlet, how may I help you? I’m sorry about this old hag. It seems her groans have caused you unpleasantness."
Ross roared,
"Old bitch, kiss her shoe!"
Diana struggled to stand with her battered body. She staggered toward Scarlet, but quickly fell down again.
Scarlet swiftly rushed to her and gently helped Diana up. She asked softly,
"A-Are you alright?"
Rocky quickly jumped down and checked on his big sister. At that moment, he lifted his blue eyes to her face.
He froze completely.
His heart shattered into pieces.
Because his big sister’s eyes were completely soulless. She was still alive, but he could tell she was nothing more than an empty shell.
Diana slowly looked down, her hollow eyes quickly catching Rocky. At that moment, she seemed to gather a bit of strength.
She rushed toward him and embraced him, trembling as she screamed,
"M-My beast... don’t leave me."
Jeff scowled.
"Tch. My father will bark at me if the banquet is ruined by that hag."
He commanded Joe, Shawn, and Cuthbert,
"Toss her into the stable."
However, Scarlet quickly spoke up. Her voice held pure disgust toward them.
"My favor is to buy this woman... How much? I’ll pay it all."
Ross rubbed his chin for a moment, then nodded without hesitation. If he sold that hag to Scarlet, he might gain a favorable impression from her.
Moreover, that hag didn’t have any value to them anymore. His father had given him full authority to deal with her—even kill her.
(She still has a lot of value for me, even after we’ve completely drained her lifespan... Hahahahaha.)
"Of course, if you want, I can give her to you for free—"
"No, brother... it won’t be free." Jeff cut Ross’s words off. He pointed at Rocky, who had frozen in Diana’s embrace.
"If you want her, you’ll have to beat me in a beast match. I mean a life-and-death match. Of course, I want my opponent to be that cat... that dirty trash killed my underlings’ beasts."
Joe, Shawn, and Cuthbert nodded nonstop.
Ross frowned, but his tense expression quickly relaxed when Jeff leaned in and whispered in his ear.
"Don’t worry, big brother. If you step in to convince me in front of her after I finish that dirty worm off, you’ll even increase your impression with her."
Jeff cleared his throat.
"Do you agree? Don’t tell me you’re afraid."
Scarlet hesitated for a moment, but when she glanced at Rocky’s bloodshot eyes, she let out a quiet sigh.
"I accept."
***
In the vast arena belonging to the Stephens Clan, where their beasts often trained and held matches,
The nobles sat around the stands, observing the two beast tamers standing in the fighting yard.
One of the nobles said happily,
"Indeed, a fine view to watch."
Another replied,
"Yep, we’re about to see a fight between two beasts representing the Great Clans."
"A dragon and a behemoth."
Ross and Jeff’s underlings sat leisurely in the stands. They chatted happily as if Jeff had already won.
Austin held his head in tension as he looked at his granddaughter below the arena.
"I knew it... Damn it. After this mess, I’ll ground her for a week."
Simson sat on the throne, calmly watching the scene. He believed his son would finish the match easily.
Jeff chuckled as he stepped onto the fighting yard, wearing the fur coat—Rocky’s dog skin. To him, that coat wasn’t just a trophy, but also a lucky charm.
He could already tell he had won the moment he put it on.
His beast1 jumped off his shoulder, revealing its true form... a creature the Stephens Clan had always had the highest compatibility with in the beast world, on par with the dragon of the Kirk Clan.
Even within the Stephens Clan, only a few people were capable of taming a behemoth. Only Rocky’s father—and their father. Him and his big brother.
As for him, anyone unable to tame one was nothing but useless trash.
Especially Rocky. The son of a great Clan, yet he had only tamed a Shiba dog. He was the disgrace of the Clan.
Only he, Jeff Stephens deserved to stand in that place... the place of a genius in this world.
He was a genius.
A/N: I changed Larissa’s name to Travis.