Dominion of The Beast Masters

As the silence in the arena stretched on, everyone from Genova Academy turned their gaze to Kenny, their faces a mixture of shock, confusion, and disbelief.

The murmurs of his name grew louder, a wave of voices rippling through the stands, each one incredulous at what they'd just learned.

"Crystal…" Kenny murmured, voice shaky, barely audible.

He glanced toward her, seated several rows away, but she didn't respond.

She kept her head lowered, refusing to meet his gaze, her posture withdrawn and distant.

Kenny's face contorted, a raw, unfiltered reaction that reflected the immense weight of the accusations crashing down on him.

His usually composed demeanor fell apart, replaced by a desperate, almost haunted look. His jaw tightened, his eyes darting, and his skin grew pale.

The muscles in his face twisted under the pressure, almost as though they were physically unable to maintain his usual calm facade.

His whisper turned to a shout.

"Crystal!" He stood, his face contorting further, his expression ugly and wild, the desperation in his voice unmistakable.

"What the hell is this?" he screamed, his voice cracking. "This is a lie! I never did any of that!"

People in the crowd around him leaned away, startled by the raw intensity in his voice, the desperation painting every word.

He shouted again, his face twisted in an expression almost unrecognizable to anyone who'd known him before.

"This isn't true! Crystal, tell them! Tell them he's lying!" His voice grew hoarse, each plea sounding more broken than the last.

Around him, the crowd stared, a sea of judgmental eyes now fixed on him. Whispers and pointed fingers surrounded him, a circle of spectators closing in with their disbelief and disgust.

A camera focused on him, broadcasting his frantic, twisted expression on the giant screen overhead.

His face filled the display, a close-up of someone spiraling out of control, his features distorted by fear and shame.

"Stop looking at me!" he shouted, shielding his face with his hands as though trying to hide from the crowd's scrutiny. "I didn't do anything! I swear it's all a lie!" His voice cracked as he looked back to Crystal, the desperation climbing. "Please… Crystal, tell them!"

But Crystal didn't move. She sat silently, her head bowed, the weight of the accusations hanging heavily in the air between them.

"Crystal!" he begged, his voice breaking into a plea. "Please, say something! Don't just sit there! You know I'm telling the truth!"

The realization hit Genova's students hard, their faces shifting from shock to disgust as murmurs filled the air, each voice carrying the weight of their collective outrage.

Among them, Julian spoke up first, his expression twisted with anger and a hint of satisfaction.

"I always knew there was something off about him," he muttered, his gaze fixed on Kenny with pure disdain.

Clara, standing nearby, looked visibly repulsed, her expression a mixture of betrayal and horror.

She turned to Lisa, who had been sitting in stunned silence. Slowly, as if waking from a trance, Lisa shook her head, her face going pale.

"No… no, I didn't know. I would never have gone along with it," she said, her voice trembling as tears filled her eyes.

She seemed paralyzed, her body rigid with shame and disgust.

Realization struck, and she began to cry in despair, the horror of what she had unknowingly participated in overwhelming her.

The teachers exchanged puzzled, disturbed glances, trying to comprehend the full weight of what had been revealed.

Rowan, however, was consumed by growing fury. His voice cut through the whispers, sharp and angry.

"Kenny..." he called, his tone seething.

Kenny, tears streaking his face, whirled around, his expression wild and desperate.

"I'm being framed! Why are you all listening to him?" His voice was hoarse, breaking under the strain.

Desperately, he shouted Crystal's name once more, but she remained silent, keeping her head bowed, offering him nothing.

In a frantic move, Kenny rushed toward her, his desperation tangible as he reached out.

Before he could get close, Julian stepped in, blocking his path. His gaze was steely, a warning evident in his posture.

"Back off, Kenny," he said coldly, casting a glance around at the crowd. "If you lay a hand on her, I'll punch you. You monster."

Kenny's eyes flickered with anger and humiliation. He saw the way Julian glanced at the people, the way he seemed to be enjoying the moment.

"You're just trying to look cool in front of everyone," he spat, seething. "You're all..."

But before he could finish, a handful of other students closed in, grabbing him to stop him from reaching Crystal. Kenny's voice broke into pleas.

"Listen to me! I'm telling the truth! I didn't do any of this!" he shouted, his voice becoming a wail.

But Julian, opportunistic, delivered a sharp punch to Kenny's face, silencing him momentarily.

The director, watching from her seat, muttered under her breath.

"Get him out of here. Now."

One of the teachers stood, stepping forward to take Kenny by force. Still, Kenny screamed, struggling against their grip, his eyes darting to Crystal with a venomous glare.

"She was the one who planned this all along! She wanted him expelled! I didn't want anything to do with Eratz anymore ! She's the one..."

Julian cut him off with another punch.

On the battlefield, Eratz watched the scene unfold, one eyebrow raised.

Beside him, Gabriel observed Eratz's reaction before speaking, his voice dripping with bitterness.

"Does this satisfy you?" Gabriel asked, his tone mocking. "This is the guy who cost you everything, Eratz. He wanted to make your life hell, but Crystal stopped him."

Eratz's expression didn't waver, his gaze calm and impressed as he observed Gabriel.

Gabriel's face hardened, anger flaring in his eyes.

"You think that's all? He's such a piece of trash he even fantasized about Mercury. Right in front of Crystal, he used her pictures to… to pleasure himself. Obsessed over her."

His voice grew more furious with each word.

The crowd gasped, a ripple of horror spreading through the spectators. Cassie quickly covered Milo's ears, her face a mask of fury and disgust, while Roger did the same for Colin, his own expression dark with anger.

Kenny screamed, twisting in the grip of the students who held him. Some of the girls who had been restraining him let go, backing away in disgust.

"Liar!" he shrieked, his voice desperate and unhinged. "You're all liars!"

He glared wildly around, seeing the looks of revulsion from everyone who once knew him.

Insults and jeers filled the air, voices of former friends and classmates who now condemned him.

Kenny's face contorted as he looked to the sky, eyes wide and panicked, pleading with a desperation that bordered on hysteria.

"Please! Someone… anyone… help me! God, please, don't let this happen! Save me!!!"

Julian punched him once more, hard enough to break his nose, and with a final push, a group of students began forcing Kenny out of the arena.

He continued to struggle, his screams fading as he was dragged further away, but no one moved to help him, their faces etched with disdain and contempt.

Gabriel lowered his arms, taking a shaky breath. His gaze softened as he looked at the ground.

"Crystal… I'm sorry. I know I promised not to bring this up, to keep what you did quiet, but I couldn't stand by and let you suffer in silence any longer. You deserved better than to carry this burden alone, especially when you did so much to protect him."

He glanced over at Eratz, the anger flaring up in his eyes. "Eratz, this is the person you should be furious at," he continued, his voice thick with emotion. "That disgusting excuse for a person, him, not her. She did everything she could for you, while he tried to ruin your life. And yet, you keep giving her the cold shoulder, the resentment."

Gabriel's fists clenched, his hands trembling.

"She's suffered so much, more than anyone should. She kept everyone from attacking you, stood by you in ways you don't even know. And now? Now she's the one carrying all this pain… for you. You should be begging for her forgiveness, not the opposite."

He shook his head, his voice breaking.

"It's unfair, all of it. The things she went through, the sacrifices she made… she doesn't deserve this. She deserves kindness, understanding, and recognition for everything she did. Open your eyes, Eratz!" His voice raised in a plea, eyes wide, as if hoping his words would finally reach him. "This woman saved you, protected you, gave up everything to keep you safe, and yet..."

Before Gabriel could finish, Eratz's fist met his jaw with a brutal force, sending him sprawling across the arena floor in an instant.

Gabriel crashed to the ground, stunned, his jaw in pain as he struggled to process what had just happened.

The arena fell into a stunned silence as the crowd collectively held their breath, wide-eyed and speechless.

Eratz casually shook his hand, massaging his knuckles.

"Child, when you're in a fight, you don't tell your life story."