The entire battlefield fell into stunned silence.
No one moved, not the professionals.
Everyone—Layla, Taejin, Thomas, even Rejected Winter—just stood frozen in shock.
Right in front of them, the colossal fox… had changed. Its monstrous form had compressed and reshaped into something humanoid. It now looked like a human with glowing amber eyes and fox ears sticking out of long flowing hair.
That was shocking enough.
But then, as if the world hadn't already flipped upside down, the humanoid fox shifted again—its body twisted, reshaped, and transformed into a beautiful female figure with fluttering tails, glowing softly like moonlight.
And just as people began to process this impossible transformation—
She struck.
With a blur of motion that shattered the air around her, she darted forward and unleashed a massive, glowing shockwave that smashed into everyone like a meteor.
The four professionals—Layla, Taejin, Thomas, and Rejected Winter—barely managed to raise their defenses in time.
The impact hit like a truck.
A searing pain exploded through their bones. Every nerve screamed. For a second, they thought their skeletons might actually crack.
If they'd held out even a second longer... they would've broken apart.
Panting, the four fell back several meters, sweat pouring from their bodies, eyes wide.
Now they understood.
The gap between a high-class Professional and a low-class King wasn't a gap.
It was a chasm.
A canyon of pain.
But none of them backed down.
---
Layla exhaled slowly.
She closed her eyes… and opened them again.
When she did, her pupils were gone—replaced by glowing crimson . Her hair ignited in divine flame. A fiery aura erupted around her, swirling with elegance and rage.
Her greatsword glowed… and then melted.
The molten metal swirled around her like a snake and reformed into a fiery armor that hugged her body.
Her lips didn't move. Her body did.
With a roar of heat and rage, she leapt forward.
Her fist cracked straight into the fox-woman's stomach, folding her in half with a brutal thud. A loud gasp tore from her lips, spit flying from her mouth. But Layla wasn't done.
Before the woman could draw another breath, Layla twisted her hips and smashed a right hook into her jaw. Bone crunched. The fox-woman's head whipped sideways, dazed eyes rolling. Layla stepped in with a flaming elbow that slammed into her chest, knocking the air from her lungs. Then came a knee—fierce and direct—driving deep into her ribs.
With a guttural growl, Layla gripped the fox's long, reddish-brown hair and yanked her upward like a ragdoll.
And then—
BOOM!
She slammed her into the ground.
BOOM!
Again.
BOOM!
Again.
The earth cracked beneath the blows. Pillars of flame burst outward from the impact, scorching the surroundings. Dust and embers flew into the air in furious clouds.
Layla's eyes blazed with wild red fire, her hair billowing like a banner of vengeance. She had fully entered her Bloodline Transformation State. Her body radiated molten heat, her strikes enhanced by fiery bursts that set even the rocks alight. She didn't care about elegance. This wasn't a duel—it was a storm of rage.
"You think I'm weak?" she shouted between strikes.
"You dare look down on me?"
She pummeled her enemy with everything—fists, knees, feet, elbows. Her fire danced like a living creature, wrapping around her limbs and exploding on contact.
The fox-woman, once elegant and agile, now looked nothing more than broken.
On the side, Taejin staggered up, blood dripping from a gash across his chest. His breathing was ragged, his body bruised, but his resolve burned brighter.
Without hesitation, he pulled a small vial from his belt—a glowing azure liquid swirling inside. With a flick of his thumb, he uncorked it and threw it back.
The effect was instant.
His wounds closed as if rewinding time. Muscles reknit. Bones aligned. His ribcage stopped screaming in pain. His energy surged, too fast and too violently to contain. His aura exploded outward in a shockwave of white-blue energy, ripping the grass from the ground around him.
His eyes snapped open—clear and burning.
Without wasting a second, he dashed forward, lightning sparking off his boots.
---
Layla sensed him. Without even turning, she snarled and seized the fox-woman's waist with both hands.
Then, with a furious spin, she hurled the woman through the air like a blazing meteor.
The ground cratered where her feet left.
The fox-woman, still barely conscious, flew like a comet streaking toward Taejin.
His fist clenched.
"Mine," he whispered.
Taejin clenched his fist and focused.
He poured 30% of his entire essence reserve into one arm.
His knuckles shimmered. His veins glowed white.
Then—
BAM!
He punched the flying humanoid fox right in the face.
The impact shook the earth. She smashed into the ground like a meteor.
But even before the dust could settle, she blurred again—vanishing and reappearing behind Taejin.
Her claws glowed purple.
But Taejin, Rejected Winter and Layla had expected this.
Two thick ice walls suddenly slammed shut on her like a vice.
She was caught between them.
Or so it seemed.
Because just as the ice finished locking, a black axe came crashing down from above.
THWACK!
Thomas had arrived, his black battle axe glowing with dark energy as it tore through the air and struck her straight on.
But…
She grinned.
Something changed.
The female fox shattered like glass.
Standing in her place was now the male version—a taller, more muscular figure with feral eyes and an aura like a beast.
Without hesitation, he caught the battle axe mid-air with one hand.
His fingers crushed it slowly… deliberately.
Thomas' eyes widened in horror.
Too late.
The fox grabbed him by the neck, lifted him high into the air—and threw him like a ragdoll into a distant rocky cliff.
BOOM!
Thomas vanished into rubble.
Blood sprayed.
Seeing this, Layla, Taejin, and Rejected Winter charged in unison toward the male fox.
But his movements were far sharper than his female form. He dodged every attack with ease, twisting and turning like liquid shadow.
He smiled.
Then he grabbed Layla mid-air, and with terrifying speed, began punching her in the face—again and again—like a man possessed.
His fists were like hammers.
Layla's face, once graceful, now began to swell, blood dripping from her nose and lips.
And still… he said nothing.
He had only spoken once.
And now, he was silent once again.
---
Elsewhere, Kai and the other Fighter-level hunters watched in horror.
None of them could move.
Even Isu—the strongest among the fighter group—froze where he stood, fear choking his lungs.
The aura radiating from the male fox… was monstrous.
---
Meanwhile, Thomas was unconscious, lying among broken stone and dust, barely breathing.
Layla was still in the fox's grasp.
He kept beating her until her fiery aura flickered and faded.
Just as Taejin tried to intervene, the male fox grabbed Layla and threw her at Taejin.
CRASH!
The two rolled across the dirt, both groaning, bloodied and dazed.
Now… only Rejected Winter remained standing within range.
---
He stepped forward silently.
No words.
He simply covered his entire body in glistening ice armor.
The male fox turned.
The two locked eyes—less than a meter apart.
Then—
BAM!
They punched each other square in the face at the exact same time.
A crack echoed through the air as bone met bone. Their heads snapped sideways from the force, blood misting the air from split lips and bruised cheeks.
Both stumbled back a step, their feet digging trenches in the dirt.
But neither fell.
Neither hesitated.
Like animals sensing nothing but blood and instinct—they charged again.
CLASH!
Rejected Winter's knee slammed into the fox's gut, driving him backward with a choking grunt. But the fox was savage. Unyielding. He twisted in mid-air and drove his knee into Rejected Winter's lower spine—hard.
CRACK!
Rejected Winter's body arched, but he didn't collapse. He twisted with a snarl, ignoring the sharp jolt of pain running up his back.
BOOM!
A punch to the fox's stomach bent him forward.
THWACK!
A brutal uppercut snapped his head skyward, blood flying from his jaw like rain.
Before he could recover, Rejected Winter grabbed the fox's face with one hand. His fingers dug into skin, and then—
SLAM!
He drove him into the earth like a meteor crashing into the ground.
Dust exploded. The earth trembled. The impact left a small crater.
But before the dust could even settle, the fox's hand shot out—grabbing Rejected Winter's wrist.
With a growl, he twisted his legs up, wrapping around Winter's torso like a vice. Then with a mighty roll, he crushed him down into the dirt, slamming his back into the crater.
WHAM!
Cracks raced across the ground like lightning bolts.
Still—
Neither of them screamed.
Neither of them spoke.
Only their breathing was audible—shaky, deep, filled with rage and bloodlust.
Both slowly rose again, blood dripping from noses, lips, and knuckles.
This wasn't just a fight.
It was a war of wills.
Then, the male fox kicked Rejected Winter across the field, but before he could recover, the fox blurred and reappeared—ready to strike again.
But Rejected Winter caught his leg.
And began slamming him around like a ragdoll.
Left, right, ground, sky—BAM BAM BAM!
Just as he raised the fox for another throw—
A voice echoed.
Low.
Demonic.
"What's your name, human?"
Rejected Winter didn't respond.
He just kept slamming him harder.
But the fox chuckled.
"You've entertained me the most."
And then… something twisted.
The female form of the fox peeled out from inside his body—almost like a separate soul.
She appeared directly on Rejected Winter's arm and slashed across it with blinding speed.
His ice armor shattered.
Then came the pain.
His arm—broken.
Still, he showed no reaction.
Not a single emotion.
---
Then, without warning, both the male and female fox attacked at once.
It was like a blur of claws and energy.
Rejected Winter didn't even see it coming.
He flew back.
But before the dual strike could finish him, Layla and Taejin arrived just in time.
CLANG!
They blocked the attacks, flames clashing with fox energy.
Now the three stood together.
Back to back.
Breathing heavy.
Ready.
The male fox smiled faintly and stepped back.
He turned to the female version and spoke with a soft, amused voice:
"Baby, I'll leave the rest to you."
Then he folded his tails behind him like cushions, formed a couch out of them, and sat down, crossing his legs casually.
The battlefield went silent once again.
But the fight was far from over.
To be continued...