Chapter 64: Negotiations

Chapter 64: NegotiationsThe day was bright and bustling as Eratz sat in an outdoor café, casually glancing at his phone.

The city moved around him, the daily life moving at it's own rhythm.

Soon enough, Zara came rushing into view, panting, looking as though she'd just sprinted across town. She stumbled toward Eratz, almost tripping on a chair, before finally collapsing into the seat in front of him.

"Got your message!" she gasped, trying to catch her breath. "What is this about? What the hell is that?"

Eratz smirked and leaned back, completely unfazed.

"Relax, Zara, take it easy, get yourself a drink, my treat."

Zara stared at him, exasperated.

"Eratz, what's this about the contract in your message! What are you doing?!"

"Coffee, tea, maybe something cold?" Eratz asked, his tone teasing. "You'll want to be calm for this."

She gave him a skeptical look but signaled the waiter for the cheapest wine.

"Fine. But seriously, what do you mean by this contract you mentioned? You better not be messing with me."

Eratz leaned back in his chair, his relaxed demeanor completely opposite to Zara's.

"Follow the mood, Zara. Things are about to get interesting."

Before Zara could argue further, there was a loud crash nearby. Both of them turned to see someone stumble into a trash bin, sending it tumbling to the ground.

A girl untangled herself from the mess and walked over, brushing off her clothes.

"Catarina?!" Zara exclaimed, wide-eyed.

Catarina gave a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of her head.

"Oops, I tripped, hehe," she chuckled, straightening her jacket with an awkward laugh.

"You didn't see that, right? No one saw that, right... Oh... Hello, Boss."

"Hi." Eratz waved.

"... Um... Oh, yeah... Nya."

She gulped, then tilted her head.

Zara looked between Eratz and Catarina, clearly confused.

"Why is she here? What's going on, Eratz?"

Eratz sighed dramatically, giving Zara a pointed look.

"This is why I told you to calm down first."

He waited until Catarina was a bit more settled, then turned to Zara.

"Alright, so here's the thing. I want the agency to recruit Catarina."

Zara nearly choked on her wine, but didn't let a single bit drop.

"What? You want to recruit both of them? Right now?! After we registered you and Mercury and all the new rookies?! We can't totally do that right now! We're flirting with the red line with our current roster. Ryder's about to rank up. We can't add more people without now skyrocketing fees! We need more time!"

Eratz nodded, but his calm smile didn't waver.

"I know, but I found a workaround."

Zara narrowed her eyes.

"A workaround? You?!... Since when are you so invested in contracts?"

"Since someone tried to sign me for life, you genius. There's a way to make this work, but it involves you, and madam Victoria."

Zara blinked, her nerves kicking in. "Me?"

Catarina, now seated between them, fiddled with her fingers nervously.

"Um, about that... It's not just me, nya. There's Kaida too."

Zara raised an eyebrow.

"Kaida? The fiery one from the tournament?"

Catarina nodded, her eyes wide like a kitten in trouble.

"Yeah, we've been trying to start our own agency, you know, with all the passion we have, but..."

Her voice trailed off, and she twisted her fingers together.

"It didn't go as planned. We're basically a two-person agency, nya."

Zara looked from Catarina to Eratz.

"You're telling me that you want Crescent Moon to take on not one, but two more fighters, both of whom couldn't make their own agency work?"

Catarina pouted, her ears almost perking up defensively.

"It's not our fault, nya! We had a dream, okay? But... things went wrong. We put everything we had into it, and now we're running out of time."

Eratz leaned back, folding his arms.

"That's why I called you, Zara. We need them, and they need us."

Zara's expression softened slightly, but she still seemed conflicted.

"But we can't afford this right now. The fees alone..."

Eratz cut her off, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

"That's where you come in, Zara. I need you to handle the numbers. We have a way to make

this work, but it'll take some creative thinking."

Zara let out a long sigh, knowing Eratz was always up to something.

"I can't believe you're dragging me into this, Eratz. There's rules you know?

"This is where madam Victoria comes into the picture."

Catarina chimed in, her tone surprisingly upbeat despite the seriousness of the situation.

"It'll be fun, nya! We're a package deal! Kaida and I work best together."

A little later, they all gathered in Crescent Moon Headquarters. Victoria's office was an elegant mix of minimalism and sophistication.

Large windows covered by black curtains framed the room, flooding the space with little

light.

The walls were lined with subtle artwork, nothing extravagant.

A large, polished desk stood at the center, with soft leather chairs arranged in front of it. Behind the desk, a bookshelf filled with legal texts, and business management guides. Eratz, Kaida, Catarina, and Zara entered, each with their own mood feeling the space.

Kaida, with her arms crossed, stood firm, her eyes scanning the room with disdain, while Catarina trailed beside her, ears twitching nervously.

Zara, holding a folder filled with documents, glanced at Eratz, who seemed as calm as ever, quietly watching everything unfold.

Victoria sat behind her desk, her demeanor serene as always, a small smile playing on her lips

as she welcomed them.

"Please, have a seat," she said softly, her voice smooth and controlled.

Kaida snorted, not budging from her spot.

"I'll stand, thanks," she muttered. "Not here to get comfy."

Catarina, in contrast, flopped into one of the chairs, fidgeting nervously.

"Kaida, nya... don't be so uptight."

Kaida shot her a sharp glance, her expression fiery.

"We're not here to play nice, Catarina."

Victoria remained composed, her eyes glinting with understanding.

"I see you're quite passionate about this, Kaida. I admire your dedication to your agency."

Kaida's fists clenched.

"Yeah? Well, I'm not about to let you or anyone else swallow up what we built. We've worked too damn hard to just roll over and sign whatever contract you wave at us."

Eratz, who had been observing in silence, finally spoke up.

"No one's asking you to give up anything, Kaida. We're here to discuss possibilities."

Kaida shot him a glare.

"Possibilities? Like what? Signing away everything we've worked for so we can be part of your

team? No way in hell that's happening."

Zara, sensing the tension rising, jumped in, her tone cautious.

"Kaida, I get where you're coming from. But Crescent Moon isn't trying to take over. This is

about partnership, not takeover. We can work together."

Kaida scoffed, leaning forward slightly, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Partnership? Is that what you call it when one side holds all the power? I'm not dumb,

alright? You want to recruit us and make us part of Crescent Moon, but in the end, we're the

ones losing control. Our agency will disappear."

Victoria, unfazed, leaned forward slightly, her gaze soft but direct.

"I understand your hesitation, Kaida. But consider this, your agency is struggling. You don't

have the resources to compete with larger agencies. You're putting everything on the line, but

without proper backing, how long can you survive?"

Kaida's eyes flashed with anger.

"Survive? We're doing just fine without your help. We might not be rolling in money, but

we're standing on our own two feet!"

Catarina, trying to ease the tension, chimed in.

"Kaida, nya... we've been struggling a bit. Maybe this could help. We wouldn't be alone."

Kaida's voice rose, her frustration boiling over.

"Struggling doesn't mean giving up! We've fought for this, Catarina! You want to throw it all

away?"

Victoria remained composed, her soft smile never faltering.

"No one's asking you to give up. We're offering support. A way for you to grow, to expand

your agency's reach." Kaida's fists slammed onto the desk, her fiery temper finally exploding.

"Support? You think you can just throw money at us and call it support? That's not how we do

things! I'm not about to be some pawn in your game!"

The room fell silent for a moment, the tension thick in the air. Eratz glanced at Zara, who

nervously murmured.

"Throwing money? We're almost drowning..."

He then turned his attention back to Kaida.

"Kaida, no one's trying to buy you off. I wouldn't have called you here if that was the case. But

we both know you're up against the wall. You've got talent, no doubt about that, but talent

only gets you so far." S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Kaida's eyes narrowed, her jaw clenched as she glared at him.

"So, what? You're saying we need to sell out to survive?"

Eratz shook his head, his tone patient.

"No. I'm saying there's a better way. Why does it have to be one or the other? Why does

joining Crescent Moon mean you have to give up your agency?"

Kaida frowned, her fiery temper still smoldering.

"Because that's how this works, isn't it? You recruit us, and we become part of your team. End

of story."

Eratz leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with quiet confidence.

"Not necessarily. What if there was a way for you to keep your agency alive while still working

with Crescent Moon? A partnership. We take you on loan, you stay independent, but we both

benefit."

Catarina's ears perked up, her eyes wide with excitement.

"That sounds... pretty clever! We get to keep our agency, but we also get Crescent Moon's

backing! Eratz, you're so smart!"

"Ehem..."

"Oh, I forgot... Nya!"

Kaida blinked, clearly caught off guard by the idea.

"A loan? Like... we still run our agency, but we fight for Crescent Moon?"

Eratz nodded, his smile widening. "Exactly. You stay independent, but with the support and resources of Crescent Moon. You

fight for us, on our agency's name, but you get the backing you need to keep your agency

existing."

Zara, finally relaxing, added,

"It's a win-win. You wouldn't be giving up anything. You'd be working with us, not for us."

Kaida leaned back, her arms still crossed but her expression less aggressive. She was clearly thinking it over, weighing her options.

"I'll admit... that's a clever idea. But what's the catch?"

Victoria's calm voice cut in, her eyes soft but direct. "There's no catch. I have a project in mind, but for now I prefer focus on our current situation.

We'll sign a partnership with your agency. You remain in control until you decide otherwise."

Kaida took a deep breath, the fire in her eyes dimming slightly as she looked over at Catarina, who nodded enthusiastically.

"I guess... it could work."

Eratz gave her a reassuring smile.

"It will work. Trust us."

It seemed like the decision had been made. Kaida was ready to give in, Catarina was

practically glowing with excitement, and Zara had finally relaxed. But just as Kaida was about to agree, a pang of hesitation crossed her face.

Victoria, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke, her voice steady and reassuring.

"Kaida, you're not giving up. You're making the smart choice. But I'll offer you one final thing, when Crescent Moon has the resources, when the time is right, I propose we merge our agencies. You won't just be working for Crescent Moon, you'll be an associate. And your agency will live on, stronger than ever."

Kaida's eyes widened, the weight of Victoria's words sinking in.

"A merger?"

Victoria nodded, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Yes. But only when it makes sense for both of us. Until then, you stay independent, with

Crescent Moon's full support. Live your experience with us, and one day I'll ask you the same question, and if you accept, we'll combine our agencies into a big one."

Catarina's face lit up like a child's at a carnival. "That's perfect, nya! We get to stay us, but we also get stronger!" Kaida, for the first time since entering the office, smiled. It wasn't the fiery grin of a fighter,

but something softer, more hopeful.

"I'll admit... that's more than I expected. You've got a deal."

Victoria's smile widened, a quiet triumph.

"I'm glad to hear that. Welcome to the future of Crescent Moon."

Kaida, Catarina, and Zara exchanged glances, the battle of wills had ended in victory for both

sides.

As they signed the paperwork, Eratz couldn't help but smile to himself. Everything had played out exactly as he'd planned, and he knew that with Kaida and Catarina on board, Crescent Moon was about to enters a new world.