Lord Of Beasts

Vroooom!

The motorcycle roared to life after Ethan finally managed to start it.

"There we go."

He couldn’t help grinning.

"Still got it."

They rolled forward out of the airfield and toward the exit gates as Ethan got his bearings. But once they were on the road, he picked up the pace massively, and Elara’s arms immediately tightened around him.

The city blurred past as the wind rushed against their faces.

Neither of them wore helmets, and ordinary people would’ve been insane to ride like this, especially with his right hand in the state that it was.

But as durable Titled, it was a different story entirely.

They would have to get hit by a truck at full speed, and maybe then they might sustain some serious damage. But Ethan had no plans of crashing, and he was confident they could react in time if that somehow came to be.

’She can just teleport us out of the way, or I can assimilate with Spark and use Flare Drive.’

Of course, Elara had similar thoughts, but that didn’t make it any less scary.

"S-Slow..."

Her quiet voice was swallowed by the harsh winds.

"Huh?" Ethan shouted. "What was that?"

"Slow!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, which still wasn’t very loud.

"Speed up?"

Ethan twisted the throttle to its limit, and the motorcycle surged forward.

"W-Wait-!"

He burst out laughing.

’She can fight A Rank Beasts with death beams that can incinerate anything, but she’s scared of motorcycles.’

The irony made him snort.

Her grip tightened even more as they leaned into another corner, and honestly, it was almost starting to hurt. She was so strong that she might even accidentally crack one of his ribs as she squeezed even more.

But he simply laughed harder, especially after she realised he kept speeding up and weaving between cars just to get a rise out of her.

She lightly pinched him.

"Meanie."

He smiled genuinely and liked seeing this cute, pouty side of her.

"Okay, I’ll slow down."

Ethan did exactly that, coasting along as a comfortable silence settled between them. Elara loosened her grip and rested her forehead lightly against his back.

"W-Where?" she asked.

Ethan grinned, answering without hesitation.

"We’re going to get our money."

He thought back to Harold’s promises aboard the plane about bonuses, retainers, and how Titled should never have to worry about money.

"If the pay is anywhere near as good as the old man made it sound..."

His grin widened.

"...then we’re going to be loaded."

With that, the motorcycle disappeared into the New York traffic, with one of the odd duo enjoying the joyride much more than the other...

-

The Association Headquarters towered over downtown Manhattan just as it had the first time Ethan had walked through its doors. But while the building remained the same, the man in question had changed entirely.

In his first entry, he’d been told he wasn’t even a Titled. In his second, barely twenty-four hours later, he’d returned after awakening the Lord Of Beasts and had been registered as an E Rank.

Now, he returned to the very same headquarters after clearing an A Rank Gate, not as an E Rank rookie, but as a B Rank alongside an A Rank star. Elara’s arms were wrapped tightly around his waist as the motorcycle roared across the plaza outside.

Ethan completely ignored the designated parking bays and instead drove straight up the broad front steps.

The engine growled.

Tyres bumped over the stone staircase, one step after another, before finally stopping directly outside the main entrance.

Several nearby Association employees stared.

"..."

"..."

One of the Black Suits pinched the bridge of his nose.

’Not again.’

The only other person to do something so outrageous was Kaela, and just like with her, all they could do was be patient. Ethan swung one leg off the bike before casually tossing the keys toward the stunned employee.

"Look after it for me."

The man caught them automatically.

"Y-Yes, sir."

He recognised exactly who Ethan was, and all black suits had been alerted about him. That was only done for special Titled, and that wasn’t only because he was now B Rank, but because of how unique he was.

His rate of progression was one thing, but the connections he had formed, especially with Elara and Kaela, made him even more dangerous than he realised. Ethan was also noted to be a volatile character, so correcting him for driving up the front steps definitely seemed like a very poor career decision.

Besides, compared to the destruction that other Titled caused, a few scuffed stairs weren’t worth mentioning.

Ethan grinned as he helped Elara off the back of the motorcycle.

’Being a famous Titled definitely has its perks.’

That’s when an onslaught of camera flashes began going off.

"That’s them!"

"Ethan Crowe and Elara Veyne!"

"They’re here after clearing that A Rank Gate in Texas!"

"Look this way!"

People crowded behind the barriers outside headquarters, phones raised high into the air. Some shouted questions, others simply wanted pictures, but all eyes were on the two of them.

Just yesterday, Ethan had been another nobody walking through these doors, his fame from the ant gate quickly dissipating. Now, people looked at him the same way they looked at the Riot Valkyrie or Barrier Bastion.

And he hated it.

Meanwhile, Elara was even more sought after. Her flawless blonde hair, crimson eyes, and calm beauty made her impossible to mistake. Following the televised coverage of them exiting the Gate, her popularity had exploded even more.

She was rapidly becoming one of the Association’s biggest public figures, which made sense considering she was a powerful A Rank, a pretty one at that.

Though she didn’t seem to like it either.

Elara instinctively moved closer to Ethan as the cameras continued flashing, and while her confidence had increased massively, she simply felt more comfortable beside him. Ignoring the reporters, the pair entered the headquarters, with the black suits rushing to block the reporters and crowd from following after them.

The atmosphere inside had changed just as much.

Employees who previously would’ve barely acknowledged Ethan now respectfully stepped aside. Several offered polite nods while others watched them pass in quiet reverence.

It didn’t take long before they arrived at the payment department.

As they did, they both couldn’t help but feel deja vu and think about the last time, though it was at another Association Base. Behind the counter, the young woman who had been admiring her newly painted nails slowly looked up.

She’d clearly had a long day, but when she saw the two of them, her eyes widened.

"You..."

She immediately recognised them.

How could she not?

Their faces were literally on her computer screen with a bright red warning that they might show up to receive compensation and should be treated well. Not to mention that they could literally kill her with ease, and while it was very unlikely that they would, the possibility alone was enough to make her feel a deep, instinctive fear.

She took a moment, trying to regain her composure.

Then the woman tried to smile professionally, though her eyes betrayed her unease.

"Congratulations on your successful Gate clear. I’ll now confirm your authorised compensation."

She began typing rapidly.

"The base reward for participating in an A Rank emergency operation is substantial. Combined with the extended duration of the Gate, hazard bonuses, performance bonuses, emergency contractor compensation, and your special individual contribution-"

Ethan raised a hand, stopping her.

"We don’t need the details, just put everything for both of us in cash."

"Um..."

"And I trust you’ll give us as much money as possible."

Ethan didn’t need to threaten her, seeing how shaken she already was, and she didn’t benefit from offering them reduced compensation, so he trusted it would all be there.

But before she did anything, the woman turned to Elara as if to ask for her consent, to which the red-eyed woman nodded. Then, as if afraid of offending Ethan, she responded eagerly.

"I can certainly do that!"

It wasn’t that unusual a request, with some Titled requesting payment in gold bullion, gemstones, and even rare monster materials. If anything, a briefcase full of cash was refreshingly simple.

She disappeared into the secure vault, escorted by a series of black suits, some of whom were Titled. A few minutes later, she returned with a large black briefcase that she was struggling to carry.

It landed on the counter with a satisfying thud.

Ethan immediately noticed the weight and couldn’t help but smile.

’Now that’s what I’m talking about.’

She slid another set of documents toward them.

"As C Rank and above emergency contractors, you’ll now receive a monthly Association allowance regardless of Gate participation."

"Additionally..."

She looked between Ethan and Elara.

"Both of you have been placed on the Special Titled Registry."

"That status comes with priority access to Association resources, emergency funding, specialised equipment requests, and significantly increased compensation for future operations."

Ethan barely listened, though he understood one thing.

’I’m gonna be racking it in.’

And while it was a bummer that he couldn’t enter any more gates for the time being, Elara still could...

’I should just marry her now,’ he joked internally, imagining how much money an A Rank of her calibre could earn if she were constantly in and out of gates.

’Though on second thought, with that demon inside her, maybe that’s not such a good idea.’

Ethan laughed to himself, with both the receptionist and Elara looking at him as if he was crazy. He didn’t care and was just glad that he could go home now that he had collected his payment.

Although, of course, that wasn’t without its own obstacles...

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