Huntress laughed coldly, her claws dripping with blood.
"Don't think you've caught me," she hissed. "Don't forget—you are the prey."
She screamed, her body twisting and cracking. The tiger fur melted into pale skin, silver hair fading into black. Her tiger form vanished—what stood now was purely human, but her power was ten times greater.
Sai's eyes widened. "She… she smells like Bestar. That scent—of hell. That form she used down there—"
Huntress smirked. "This is no form," she said softly. "This… is my true power."
She vanished.
Shi didn't even have time to react. Her fist smashed into his chest, sending him flying into the trees. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he collapsed, motionless.
"Shi!" Sai shouted.
Tai roared, sprinting forward. "Master!"
Before his punch could land, Huntress appeared in front of him. One clean strike—Tai crashed into the ground, dirt exploding beneath him.
Xei's eyes burned with fury. He saw Huntress turning toward Sai and leapt, intercepting the attack. Their fists collided, a shockwave ripping through the air. But Huntress' strength overpowered him—her next hit cracked his ribs and dropped him unconscious beside Shi.
Sai froze, staring at his fallen brothers. Then his gaze rose to Huntress.
"Why… why are you doing this?" he asked through clenched teeth.
She smiled, fangs glinting. "Because you're prey," she whispered. "And I'm hungry."
Her slap came like a thunderclap—Sai flew through the air and smashed against a stone wall, gasping for breath.
Amal watched in horror—anger boiling inside her chest.
The sight of her broken friends, the echo of Si's voice from the past—it all hit her at once.
Her eyes turned pure white. The ground around her shook.
Sai coughed, trying to rise. "Amal—calm down," he groaned. "If our minds aren't clear, we'll lose—"
But Amal didn't hear him. She vanished from sight.
"Let's dance," Huntress purred.
Huntress swung, but Amal slipped under the punch—faster, sharper. She released a cloud of ash from her hands, coating her leg and kicked upward, sending Huntress flying. Before Huntress could recover, Amal jumped, coating her fists with ash, and slammed her into the ground.
The air exploded with power. Amal extended her hand, shaping ash into the air itself. A small rock floated before her—she threw it.
It sliced through the earth, erasing everything it touched. Trees, boulders—gone.
Huntress' eyes widened slightly. "That could've killed me," she said. "But it didn't."
She flashed forward, grabbing Amal by the throat. "A great quick fight," she said. "But your rage blinds you."
She snapped Amal's neck.
Sai screamed.
Huntress turned slowly, blood dripping from her fingers. "Back on your feet already?" she mocked.
Sai's flames roared alive. His bones were cracked, body broken, but his will refused to die.
Huntress disappeared—then appeared behind him, kicking him across the ground. He rolled, coughing blood, but forced himself to stand again.
"Still weaker," Huntress said.
Sai's vision blurred. "Not… really."
She appeared again, gut-punched him, and sent him crashing into a tree.
"That should do it," she said.
Sai fell to one knee. His breath was ragged. Blood ran down his face.
Huntress stepped closer. "Just go down, man."
She kicked him hard in the face, dropping him to the dirt.
---
Amal's body lay still. Her soul drifted into a dark, endless space.
"Is this… hell?" she whispered.
"No," came a voice—smooth, ancient, and powerful.
Amal turned. "It's you…"
"Yes," said the figure. "I am the Snake Queen."
Amal's eyes widened. "How am I here? I died."
The Queen's glowing eyes softened. "Yes. You died. But I blocked your soul from leaving your body."
"Why?" Amal asked.
"Because your time is not up."
Amal's voice trembled. "That beast killed me… there's no way I can beat her."
"There is," the Queen said calmly. "But your friend—Sai—is the key."
Amal frowned. "Sai? How?"
"He is destined to free me," said the Queen. "He may be weak now, but when he faces the next Beast, his true power will awaken… in the moment someone dies."
"What does that mean?" Amal asked.
"The path to victory lies in your mind. When you wake, you'll know the system of ash. You'll know the five colors."
Amal blinked. "The… five colors?"
"Be gone," said the Queen.
Light consumed her.
---
Her eyes snapped open.
Her pulse beat again.
And the ash around her began to move on its own.