Veil was constantly on the move, keeping the Corvaros busy while dodging the unpredictable attacks of the subterranean monster. Every motion cost him more energy than the last, but he couldn’t afford to slow down. His eyes flicked repeatedly toward the surface of the water, scanning for any sign of the Hydreon.

  But the aquatic beast had vanished below once more.

  Veil narrowed his eyes, breathing hard.

  “What are you planning down there…?” he muttered warily.

  The idea that it might be charging up for an even more devastating attack made his blood run cold. He forced himself to look away and searched the battlefield for Alynia.

  What he saw made him freeze.

  Alynia was seated calmly on a rock, slipping off her boots and peeling away her torn tights. She set them down beside her with a still, impassive expression—but something in her gaze betrayed an unusual hesitation.

  She knew the cost of what she was about to do.

  She knew too well the crushing exhaustion that would follow. But with enemies that dominated every terrain, there were no options left.

  Her only chance to fight back… was the power she kept hidden.

  She pushed herself halfway upright, settling into a low stance. Her knees bent, fingers pressing against the ground, body ready to spring forward. But she didn’t move. Her eyes closed. She stood completely still.

  Veil’s brow furrowed.

  “Alynia…?” he called out, tense, concerned.

  But she didn’t answer.

  She couldn’t hear him anymore.

  She had severed all external awareness, pouring her focus entirely into her mana flow. She channeled it inward, into her heart—forcing its rhythm faster, and faster… and faster.

  All doubts vanished. There was no more room for them.

  She plunged into a state of pure, focused clarity, purging every distraction from her mind.

  Veil, still doing his best to survive, dodged another bolt of lightning from the Corvaros and felt the rush of air as a rock—launched by the underground monster—narrowly missed his head. He was about to launch another counterattack when a shiver ran down his spine.

  Something had changed.

  Something had shifted.

  And he wasn’t the only one who felt it.

  In a sudden, heavy silence, the Corvaros steadied its flight, wings folding slightly, as if hesitant to strike. The burrowing beast, which had just emerged from the earth, did not immediately dive again. And the Hydreon—rose abruptly from the lake’s surface, its long neck swaying with nervous tension.

  None of them were focused on Veil anymore.

  Every one of their gazes turned toward a single presence.

  Alynia.

  Veil turned—and his breath caught in his throat.

  Raw energy radiated from her, like an invisible current rippling through the air. Her mana was no longer contained—it flowed out of her in waves, wild and vibrant, almost tangible.

  But what stunned him most… was her appearance.

  Her claws had lengthened—sharper than usual, the metallic glint at their tips revealing a newfound power. Her limbs were subtly different: tenser, more flexible, as if even her bones had reshaped themselves into something more feral. Her back had arched slightly, shifting into a feline posture—ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

  Around her mouth, just near her nose, fine vibrissae had appeared—barely visible, but sensitive. They quivered with every current of air, detecting the slightest shift around her.

  But what truly unnerved him… was her gaze.

  She raised her head and opened her eyes.

  Her irises had dilated, swallowing nearly all of the whites, leaving behind only a razor-thin vertical slit. Their color had changed—an intense, luminous yellow, almost unreal, glowing with predatory focus.

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  She didn’t blink.

  She calculated.

  Her tail lashed the air—quick, precise, betraying complete control over her balance. Her ears twitched ever so slightly, capturing everything—the drop of water falling somewhere behind her, the hiss of the wind, the scrape of claws on stone beneath the surface.

  Veil couldn’t stop himself from swallowing hard.

  He had seen Alynia fight with surgical precision before.

  But this…

  This was something else entirely.

  Then suddenly, her glowing yellow eyes locked onto the Corvaros.

  Still hovering in place, the creature shuddered. It understood. A surge of primal fear gripped it—instinct screaming that it had to act now, or die.

  In a desperate reflex, it launched a bolt of lightning toward Alynia.

  But before the strike could even hit the ground, Alynia vanished.

  Faster than the lightning itself.

  A blur. She leapt from a nearby rock—and before the Corvaros could even register the movement, her claws were tearing through its flesh.

  In one brutal, fluid motion, Alynia twisted midair and hurled the bird violently against a jagged boulder. The impact was devastating. The crack of breaking bones echoed through the canyon, and the creature dropped like a broken puppet, its lifeless body crumpling in a cloud of dust.

  It was gone.

  In a matter of seconds, Alynia had reduced their enemies by one.

  Veil, who had only just begun to process what had happened, was snapped back to reality by another sudden movement.

  The subterranean creature—having witnessed the slaughter—felt Alynia’s gaze land on it like a weight. Its muscles tensed in alarm. Without hesitation, it dug its claws into the ground, trying to retreat underground.

  But it was already too late.

  Alynia lunged at it, letting out a feral cry as she grabbed its thick tail. Her arms trembled under the beast’s weight, but she held on—groaning with effort as she pulled the creature upward with raw force.

  “You’re not escaping!” Alynia roared.

  With a final shout, she hurled the monster into the air, cutting off any chance of escape beneath the earth.

  The creature crashed down a short distance away, its body bouncing from the impact.

  But Alynia gave it no time to recover.

  With a blinding leap, she pounced on the beast, her razor-sharp claws digging for a way through the thick stone armor covering its body. Veil stood frozen, teeth clenched as the deafening sound of cracking rock echoed across the battlefield.

  Then, with a thunderous crash, the shell gave way.

  Her hands plunged into the creature’s throat. Her feet pierced straight through its belly.

  A terrible, gut-wrenching scream tore through the night.

  The beast convulsed once… then collapsed, its head slamming against the ground in a final, shuddering spasm. A thick, coarse tongue lolled from its gaping maw, and a final puff of dust rose into the air as it released its last breath.

  Silence fell over the battlefield.

  Veil didn’t move.

  He stared, wide-eyed, speechless, unable to make a sound.

  Everything about Alynia had changed.

  This wasn’t the woman he knew. Not the firm but composed warrior. Not the careful, protective strategist.

  What stood before him now was something else entirely.

  A monster.

  A wild, untamed force.

  For the first time since he’d met her… Alynia frightened him.

  He opened his mouth—but no words came out.

  But the battle wasn’t over.

  The Hydreon was still there.

  And it understood, too.

  The waters around it began to churn violently. Veil caught a glint—light flaring beneath the surface. But the Hydreon wasn’t forming its next attack in its jaws this time. No… this was different.

  Its dorsal fins quivered, and between them, a massive sphere of water began to take shape. Much larger than anything it had launched before.

  And it kept growing.

  Then, with a piercing shriek, the Hydreon unleashed a sonic wave that forced Veil to clap his hands over his ears. The sound vibrated through his bones—and then the water sphere launched straight at them.

  Alynia moved in a flash.

  In a single motion, she grabbed Veil around the waist and tore him from the ground. The velocity of her movement made the world blur—the wind howled in his ears as the sphere detonated where they’d been only seconds before.

  The explosion roared through the canyon.

  The impact shattered the earth, blasting waves of water and debris in every direction. The corpses of the fallen beasts were swept away like twigs in a storm. Everything was consumed in a maelstrom of chaos.

  The Hydreon had understood.

  It couldn’t let her get close.

  This time, it formed a smaller sphere in its mouth and launched it instantly. Before the first could hit, another was already forming—firing again without pause. A relentless rhythm.

  Alynia dodged them all—her speed defied logic. She leapt, twisted, changed direction in the blink of an eye, slipping between attacks with terrifying precision.

  Veil, still clutched in her arms, couldn’t keep up. His stomach flipped from the constant acceleration, his vision blurred with every jarring turn. But beyond the sheer speed… something else was starting to unsettle him.

  She still recognizes me, Veil thought, disturbed.

  But… was she really safe?

  What if she lost control? What if she turned on me? the doubt crept in again.

  He didn’t know anymore. He didn’t know if she was still herself—or something else entirely.

  Then, amidst her dizzying movement, Alynia suddenly called out:

  “I need your help,” she urged.

  Veil flinched at the sound. Even at this speed, even in the middle of battle—she was speaking to him. Counting on him. He shook his head, trying to chase away the uncertainty, but it clung to him, deep and persistent.

  Is she really still… her? he wondered, shaken.

  He wanted to believe it. But a part of him still hesitated.

  “I can’t hold this form much longer. This is our only shot,” she added, sharper now, impatient.

  Veil took a deep breath. He knew she was right. He was at his limit—and so was she.

  “Alright… What do you need me to do?” Veil asked, resigned.

  “Focus your mana into your hands. As much as you can,” Alynia replied, quick and clear.

  Veil blinked, caught off guard.

  “Why? I can’t hit it with mana…” he said warily.

  “I can’t jump that far. You’re going to launch me,” she said, still fast, still composed.

  He froze.

  “Wait… what?” he breathed, pale.

  “As soon as I jump, blast me forward with your mana. I’ll let go right after—you’ll stay on the lakeshore,” she explained, voice sharp like a blade.

  Veil hesitated. It was risky. If he got it wrong, she might land badly. If he released too early—or too late—he could launch her straight into the Hydreon’s jaws. Or worse.

  But… did he really have another option?

  The Hydreon was going berserk, hammering the area with nonstop attacks, making it impossible to close the gap. They couldn’t last much longer.

  Veil clenched his fists, his jaw tight.

  “…I hope you know what you’re doing,” he muttered.

  He pointed his palms to the ground and closed his eyes. Mana surged into his hands, vibrating with pressure. After a few long seconds, he opened his eyes, panting.

  “Ready,” he gasped.

  Alynia gave a single nod and sprang up onto a rock, bringing her momentum to a sudden stop. Her legs coiled like drawn bows, muscles taut and brimming with force.

  Then—she launched.

  “Now, little wolf!” Alynia shouted.

  Veil released everything.

  A violent blast of wind exploded from his hands, kicking up a dense cloud of dust. The shockwave cracked against the ground, propelling Alynia through the air like a missile.

  Her speed was instantaneous.

  She let go of Veil mid-flight with surgical precision. He hit the ground hard, tumbling across the rocks, his head spinning from the impact. His vision blurred for a moment before gradually steadying.

  Then he looked up.

  Just in time to see Alynia reach the Hydreon.

  Her claws pierced the monster’s right eye, driving deep into the back of its socket. Her feet slammed into its throat, and with a sickening crunch, the thick, nearly impenetrable scales cracked under the sheer force of impact.

  The Hydreon’s scream split the air—a shriek of searing agony that echoed across the lake. Its tail lashed out in every direction, smashing into rocks, reducing them to rubble.

  But Alynia didn’t let go.

  She drove her claws into several points across the beast’s head, clawing for control. The Hydreon thrashed wildly, its long body twisting in spasms of pain. Its massive tail whipped the air in blind frenzy. The sound of its anguish vibrated through the water—a scream of pure torment.

  Still, Alynia held on. Every strike she delivered dug deeper. Every slash chipped away more of the monster’s armor. The Hydreon fought back with all its strength, desperate to break free.

  But she gave it no escape.

  Then… the Hydreon collapsed.

  Its cry faltered into a choking gasp, its gaping jaws still seeking one last breath. Its massive head dropped with a thunderous crash, slamming into the ground with earth-shaking force. The impact cracked the terrain, sending plumes of dust exploding outward. The shockwaves rippled through the lake, driving waves up against the shattered rocks.

  Alynia was thrown from its body, rolling violently across the ground before coming to a stop several meters away.

  Silence fell.

  It was over.

  The monsters had been defeated.

  But the cost would be heavy.