Lord Of Beasts

”We can just take the bikes,” Kaela suggested casually. ”You double up with your ’girl’, and I’ll take your brother.”

She emphasised girl sarcastically.

Mark immediately looked less than thrilled, his eyes drifting from the Harley to Kaela, then back to the giant motorcycle. He wasn’t exactly eager to spend several hours clinging onto one of the country’s most notorious A Ranks.

Unfortunately, his ancient car probably wouldn’t even make it there, let alone the drive back.

Meanwhile, Ethan’s mind had already wandered elsewhere.

’I could just fly there.’

He had Flame Flight, and he could also summon his beasts to ride. Storm’s speed was incredible, and Talon could already carry impressive weight, so matched with Beast Recovery, it might just be possible.

The idea sounded amazing.

Riding across the country on the backs of his beasts, it would’ve been the coolest entrance imaginable.

Unfortunately, it was also one of the dumbest.

Flying openly across several states on summoned beasts would attract every satellite, military aircraft, and Titled Association branch in the country. He wasn’t quite ready for that level of attention, nor did he want to reveal the entirety of his abilities.

That was without considering that Storm likely wouldn’t volunteer to be ridden and would zap anyone who tried, while riding Talon wasn’t much safer for Mark.

Though driving didn’t make sense either.

Even without stopping, it would take far too long.

Eventually, he shrugged.

”We’re the Enforcers - we can just get the Black Suits to arrange something.”

-

One phone call later, the Association had already prepared a private jet waiting at a nearby airfield. It was almost unsettling how efficiently they operated, but they definitely weren’t complaining.

”Guess that’s one perk of working for them,” Ethan muttered.

They still had one problem, though.

”How are we going to get to the airfield?”

They all had their respective ways of moving at absurd speeds, apart from Mark, who slowly looked towards Ethan. His expression practically begged him to let him ride with him so he didn’t have to with Kaela.

Ethan immediately understood and smiled.

”I only ride with girls.”

He looked over his shoulder.

”And there’s only one girl for me.”

Elara couldn’t hide her smile.

Without saying a word, she walked over before effortlessly climbing onto the back of Ethan’s sport bike, wrapping her arms around his waist with a familiarity that felt completely natural.

Mark let out a defeated sigh.

His fate had been decided as he slowly turned towards Kaela.

She was already sitting astride the enormous Harley, grinning from ear to ear as she patted the seat behind her.

”Come on. And don’t worry...”

She smirked.

”I’ll try not to get you killed.”

Mark seriously considered walking or driving his shabby car instead, but eventually, he climbed on. At first, he awkwardly kept as much distance between them as physically possible.

Then, the bike exploded forward.

”Waaaiiittt!”

His pride lasted approximately half a second.

The moment Kaela rocketed down the road, Mark immediately grabbed onto her jacket for dear life.

She laughed over the roar of the engine.

”Try not to get too excited.”

The four of them shot through the city like they owned every road.

Traffic became little more than obstacles in a racing game, cars blurred past, and corners disappeared beneath leaning motorcycles.

The sound of roaring engines echoed between buildings.

With Elara holding onto him, Ethan found himself smiling more than he had in years. She rested comfortably against his back, completely trusting him despite the ridiculous speeds they were travelling.

It felt strangely peaceful.

And it wasn’t long before the private airfield appeared in the distance.

But there was one problem.

A tall security gate blocked the entrance, and Ethan and Kaela, who were racing, didn’t exactly feel like slowing down. Their passengers’ reactions were entirely different; Mark closed his eyes while Elara was completely relaxed.

She could use Instant Displacement to get them past the gate, but instead, she raised one hand and crimson mana flowed into existence.

A gigantic blood-red ramp formed ahead of them.

Ethan laughed.

”That’s fucking awesome!”

His motorcycle hit the ramp at full speed.

The front wheel lifted, then they launched into the air.

For several breathtaking seconds, they were completely airborne, soaring above the gate like something straight out of an open-world video game. Wind rushed past them, and below, the security guards simply stood frozen.

Kaela watched the stunt with open jealousy.

”Show off.”

She twisted the throttle even harder.

”If they can do it, so can we.”

Mark’s eyes widened.

”Please don’t-”

It was too late, as she followed closely behind.

Boom!

They launched off the crimson ramp, and Mark was absolutely convinced he was about to die.

”Aaaaahhhhhh!”

Kaela laughed the entire way through the jump.

”This is fun, right?”

She shouted over the wind.

Mark couldn’t even answer, too busy praying.

A second later, the Harley landed heavily inside the airfield before skidding sideways across the tarmac in a shower of sparks.

Somehow, against all logic, they landed perfectly.

By the time they came to a stop, several Association personnel were already sprinting towards them. One Black Suit stared at the figures on the bike, another looked at the enormous crimson ramp slowly dissolving into mana particles, while a third simply sighed.

”I’ll file the report.”

None of them even attempted to stop the group.

After all, one of them was the Riot Valkyrie, another was the Association’s Enforcement Unit leader, and the red-eyed woman was somehow even more intimidating. Trying to lecture them about proper procedure seemed rather pointless.

Within minutes, their motorcycles had been secured, and they were escorted onto the aircraft. The jet lifted into the sky, and while a normal commercial flight would’ve taken close to three hours, this aircraft needed barely half that.

The sleek jet tore through the clouds at incredible speed, leaving white trails stretching across the blue sky. And as everyone else settled in, Ethan opened the digital file Greg had sent him about the man he was looking for.

Only now did he finally learn his name.

’Darren... doesn’t suit that big ugly fucker at all.’

It was funny how he had known the man for years, yet didn’t know his name, but as he quietly read through the report, his expression gradually shifted. The man currently lived in a rundown property on the outskirts of Harrison, Arkansas. And apparently, he still maintained connections with the same white supremacist gang he’d joined while inside prison.

Ethan frowned.

But reading further, the story became far less simple.

The man hadn’t originally been a gang member at all. Years earlier, three local men had repeatedly extorted his elderly mother. The situation escalated into a fight, and before he knew it, he had killed three people.

’Perks of being an absolute unit.’

After that, he was charged with three counts of third-degree murder and was locked up with real monsters. Joining people from his hometown had been less about ideology and more about survival.

Prison forced people into impossible choices.

Very few people were insane enough to survive the way Ethan had, and even fewer walked out the other side still resembling themselves.

Closing the file, Ethan leaned back into the comfortable seat.

’I wonder what he’s up to now.’

A grin slowly spread across his face.

Whatever awaited them, it definitely wasn’t going to be boring.

After all, he had two ridiculously overpowered A Ranks travelling with him.

’And Mark, too.’

That thought alone made him laugh.

Looking around the cabin, he found Kaela already helping herself to the jet’s expensive drinks as though she’d paid for the aircraft herself.

Mark, meanwhile, had somehow convinced her to sample one of the cocktail recipes he’d been experimenting with for the bar, eagerly watching for her reaction while nervously explaining the ingredients.

This was only after he had come to terms with the fact that he was on a giant private jet.

Beside him, Elara rested comfortably against his shoulder, quietly watching the clouds drift past outside the window.

Ethan smiled to himself.

’My life is amazing.’