The sphere blazing above in the sky.

My energy formed into a secret technique. As I squinted at the Fire Wheel Star,

I looked down at the opponent, who had rolled across the ground in the distance.

'What?'

The power was different. Until now, the attacks had been difficult to connect properly.

The speed of my arm's extension and the power within had completely changed.

Sway.

My tail moved. I had always had a sense of it, but the sensation was now several times clearer than when I had created it with sorcery.

'...This.'

It was certain.

'My body has suddenly changed.'

The body of the Moonlit Night Tribe.

The racial blessing said to be received when the moon rises.

I could feel a greatly strengthened body and heightened senses.

'What?'

How could this have happened so suddenly? It should take about half an hour from now for the characteristics of the Moonlit Night Tribe to fully manifest.

Strangely, my body was already in a state of having awakened the tribe's traits.

'Is it real?'

I looked at the Fire Wheel Star.

If there was a starting point for °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° the change, it was definitely that. Shortly after activating the Fire Wheel Star, my body transformed.

'...Why?'

Why would that be?

I was filled with questions, but it wasn't the time to ponder them.

"Grghh-!"

Thud!

The opponent, who had been flung away, groaned as he got up. His expression was clearly pained.

"This bastard... Cough!"

Whether he had been hit properly in the solar plexus, he was spitting blood.

The blood flowing from his mouth soaked the ground.

"Despicable... to induce complacency..."

"...Not really." Given the circumstances, it could seem that way.

I had been accused of hiding my power just a moment ago.

However.

Watching the opponent struggle to rise, a thought about the anomaly crossed my mind.

'He hasn't gotten stronger.'

In contrast to my body, which had awakened the traits of the Moonlit Night Tribe,

The opponent didn't seem to have changed.

'If he had changed, he wouldn't have been taken down so easily.'

Including being hit in the solar plexus and now struggling to stand.

His body must not yet have encountered the night.

Then.

'...It means I'm the only one who's changed.'

Looking at the situation, I observed the Fire Wheel Star again.

'...What's the reason?'

I had merely brought forth a secret technique.

Although it resembled the moon, the Fire Wheel Star was different. If anything, since I had condensed heat, it was more appropriate to view it as the sun.

'Hmm.'

I stroked my chin, hidden behind a mask, as I considered the state of affairs.

The situation was unclear, but ultimately, one thing was evident.

'I can use it.'

And the opponent cannot.

That was what mattered at the moment.

Thud.

I moved. Stepping forward, I appeared right in front of the distant opponent.

As he saw me, his eyes widened. He hurried to move, but—

Crunch!

My hand had already grasped his wrist.

After binding him so he couldn't create distance, I struck his solar plexus with the opposite hand.

Thump-!!

"Cough!"

He was shocked, his body lifted off the ground. Unfortunately, he couldn't fly away.

The arm I held prevented it.

Continuously, I struck him down.

Bang! Bang bang!!

As if something was breaking, the beating commenced.

Unlike before, when he could block and dodge well, this time he couldn't regain his senses.

"Choke!"

I thwarted every attempt at resistance. The increased speed and strength allowed me to accomplish what was otherwise not possible.

This significantly contributed to attacking the opponent.

After beating him for a while.

Whooosh--!!!

I condensed flames in my palm, forming a flaming orb. I then embedded it directly into his solar plexus and released it, exploding as I let go of the held arm.

"Gurk-!"

Boom!!!

Engulfed in flames, the opponent was blown into the air by the explosion.

Crash!!!

He flew backwards, shattering the ground all around.

The speed of his flight was so fast that his screams were cut short.

I had sent him flying too quickly.

'Hmm.'

Should I approach closer? As I was contemplating,

"This bastard...!"

The sound grew closer.

The opponent had quickly reappeared.

It was miraculous how quickly he returned, but the state he showed was not good.

'It seems the attack worked.'

The flaming orb I had embedded. It had hit correctly, digging deep into the explosion site.

It hadn't penetrated, but the aftermath was certainly not minor.

Blood pooled over his upper body, and bones were visible within.

If he were human, he would have been long dead.

"...Are you mocking me?"

Instead of dying, the opponent burned with anger.

Disgustingly, in response to this, the injured upper body was rapidly regenerating.

"I like the spirit."

Hiding my dismay, I spoke.

"Still, the performance is no different. General. Is that all?"

"Grrrr."

Provoked by my taunt, the opponent scowled.

Then, all the wounds on his body healed.

"Arrogant fool."

His hand extended, claws growing. Simultaneously, his fighting spirit swelled.

"Think you're the only one who hasn't shown his strength?"

He sneered, implying he hadn't really fought yet.

I was incredulous.

'The moon hasn't even risen yet, and you had that much power hidden?'

That meant.

'What happens when he receives the blessing?'

If he receives the blessing in that state, how much more will his power grow?

At this point, it wasn't just intriguing—it was frightening.

'To think I taunted such a creature.'

How impressive I had been, trusting in the power named "fate" in the middle of the night.

While I was regulating my breath, remembering that,

"Hehehe..."

The opponent suddenly laughed. What now? Why start laughing all of a sudden?

Puzzled, I tilted my head.

"I was puzzled at first. Now I'm sure."

His eyes suggested he had realized something.

What? Could it be...

'Has he recognized who I am?'

Despite wearing a mask and using voice modulation, could he really recognize me?

It seemed unlikely, yet his reaction was so clear that I tensed for a moment.

"You."

The opponent pointed at me and spoke.

"You can't use fate."

"...Huh?"

I was taken aback by his sudden statement.

"It was strange from the start. I wondered why you weren't using it... You can't use it, can you?"

"..."

"If you had used it earlier, this would have been over quickly. There must be some condition, right? Could it be... the night? Is it because the moon hasn't risen yet? Right?"

He continued talking, seemingly excited, his tone carrying a surety.

What to do?

'This guy, really, what to do.'

It was a good thing I was wearing a mask. Otherwise, he would have seen me laughing.

I hadn't been using fate on purpose, and he had misunderstood it as an inability.

Was he thinking that there was some condition preventing me from using it?

"...You're quick-witted. I commend you."

I managed to keep my laughter in check as I responded, and his smile deepened.

"Kekeke... So it was..."

His laughter was grating on my ears.

"General. Do you think knowing that will change anything?"

Being able to use fate only at night—what difference would it make for him to know that?

"Nothing changes."

Crack-!

I loosened my hand and reignited the flames.

Just as I was about to dive back into the fray,

"Let's see. Will it really?"

He spoke and then sharply honed his long claws.

Whoosh-!

"...Huh?"

He suddenly plunged them deep into his own chest.

Right where his heart was.

Was he attempting some form of ritual suicide?

"Pffft-!"

Blood burst from his mouth.

Of course, blood was also streaming from the hand embedded in his heart.

As I frowned behind my mask,

"Grrr..."

Gargle. Twitch-!

A low growl and his body began to transform.

Especially the flickering huge tail was strange.

I hadn't noticed, but there were two tails now, and fur was growing from his skin.

This was...

'Just like Gubong.'

It was similar to when Gubong transformed into a beast human under the moonlight.

'...It's rougher than the white.'

It felt more rugged than the night form shown by the white leader.

A chill ran down my spine at the sight of the transformation.

In terms of size, the white was bigger. However.

'The presence is on a different level.'

Size alone couldn't gauge it. The presence I felt from him was not just about visible size.

Involuntarily, I looked down at my feet. I was looking for his shadow.

Seeing it, I widened my eyes.

Until just now, the opponent's shadow had been huge, but it had significantly shrunk.

'It's changed.'

The size resembled a human. It was as if the shadows had switched places.

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrr---!!!"

The roaring from the shadow, now fully coming from his body.

Crack-!

He swung his two tails on the ground, lightly crushing it.

Beast.

And if we had to specify... um...

'What should I call this...?'

I wasn't sure. At a glance, it seemed bear-like.

It resembled a lion, a tiger, and also a bit like a dog or a wolf.

While the white could definitively be identified as a tiger, the opponent was not so clear.

Just a beast.

Or a monster.

Those words seemed to be the only way to succinctly put it.

"How long has it been since I showed this body..."

His rough and thick voice filled the space.

"They said you're Cheonma, right? You should be grateful. Not many have seen this form."

Grrrrug

As he crouched down, the ground was pressed down.

"It was last when that disgusting traitor tried to flee. What has it been, a hundred years? Anyway, around that time."

Disgusting traitor. My ears perked up.

It sounded like he was talking about Shin Noya.

"I've gotten hungry."

His tails flickered momentarily.

That instant.

"I will sate this hunger with you!"

Kwaaaa--!!

His massive body, fangs bared, charged at me.

"Hmm."

The torn mouth came close.

Seeing it, I let out a reluctant breath.

Apparently.

'This won't do.'

Looking at him, I knew I couldn't win like this.

Making that judgment, I gathered strength in my heart.

Fwsssshh---!!!

Behind me, a ring of fire formed.

Keeeeeeng---!!!

The ring began to spin as if it had been waiting.

Energy burst from my meridians.

Heat covered my body.

Through my clenched fist, I conducted a heating.

Though I hadn't tried it before, I knew.

"Extreme Fire Infant of the Five Elements."

As my father had shown in the North Sea.

"Extreme Fire Infant."

I too.

Through my fingertips, unleashed hell upon the world.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaa----!!!!

A blue inferno enveloped the opponent.