Blood Assimilation

357  Shadows Versus Flames[II]

A popping sound, reminiscent of heated corn, filled the surroundings as he infused flame-attributed mana into his bulging legs. Once his legs were fully charged, with an explosive sound, he swiftly lunged forward to confront his prey.

As he closed the distance between himself and Brawler Randy with a remarkable speed incomparable to his speed before, Flame Legs leaped into the air, delivering a powerful kick aimed directly at Brawler Randy's midsection. The flames around his legs roared furiously, promising destruction to anyone in their path.

But Brawler Randy's eyes flickered with a purple light as the attack approached. When the kick connected with his body, Flame Legs smiled in victory. However, his expression suddenly changed. He felt no resistance, only a burst of shadowy sprites flooding his vision. The prey he had struck appeared to have dissipated into the air like misty shadows.

"How is that possible?" He uttered in disbelief.

Shadow Swap!

Before he could land after missing his target, Brawler Randy had already materialized behind him, his fists already in motion. He drove a crushing blow toward Flame Legs' spine, his face a mask of ruthlessness.

Shocked, Flame Legs exclaimed: "What?!"

At that critical juncture, Flame Legs' survival instincts kicked in just in time. With remarkable reflexes, he twisted his body mid-air, narrowly avoiding the lethal attack aimed at his spine.

Boom!

He unleashed a fiery explosion beneath his feet, creating distance between himself and Brawler Randy. He landed a few meters away, breathing heavily, his eyes wide with the realization of how close he had come to defeat.

He was in an extremely precarious situation, and his survival instincts had taken over, maneuvering him away from an attack that would have spelled his doom. This near-death experience left him terrified but also more determined. If he wanted to ensure his survival, he needed to fight with everything he had, no holds barred. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Exhausted, battered, and bruised, Flame Legs rose to his feet, determination burning in his eyes. He channeled all his remaining energy into his legs, the flames intensifying until they blazed blindingly bright.

With a bestial roar, Flame Legs launched himself at Brawler Randy with remarkable speed, catching him off guard, his eyes widening at the sudden increase in Flame Legs's speed. Flame Legs aimed a devastating kick at Brawler Randy's stomach, the concentrated flames threatening to turn him to cinders.

However, contrary to Flame Legs's expectation, Brawler Randy had anticipated his attack and was merely faking his surprise. With a cunning smirk, he sidestepped at the last possible moment, and Flame Legs's strike hit nothing but air. As he stumbled forward with the momentum of his attack, Brawler Randy appeared behind him with lightning speed, his fist glowing with rippling power.

Before he struck, Brawler Randy grinned fiercely and muttered: "Nice try, flame wolf. But this ends now!"

Void Rippling Punch! Full Power!

With absolute precision and no holds barred, he delivered a crushing blow to the back of Flame Legs's head, a cracking sound reverberating through the air. The impact sent Flame Legs crashing to the ground, rolling a considerable distance before coming to a halt.

The flames around his legs flickered one last time before extinguishing as he lost consciousness. Observing the blood oozing out of his orifices, dying his orange fur red, it appeared as though a powerful chaotic force had run amok inside his head.

He had perished before he could fully comprehend the attack that sealed his fate.

Back on Liena's side...

Liena heard the sounds of intense battle behind her and turned, intrigued by the commotion. At that moment, Flame Legs had gathered an immense flame-attributed mana into his legs for an all-out attack. She watched as he charged toward Brawler Randy, but squinted when Flame Legs' attack failed to land.

"Shadow skill…?" Liena muttered, watching as Brawler Randy countered the attack with a shadow skill similar to hers. She observed as Brawler Randy followed up with a brawling move, effortlessly striking down Flame Legs and ending his life.

She wondered what kind of skill it was — its shockwave effect was unlike anything she had seen before. As a professional assassin, Liena had encountered many techniques, but this one was new to her. By her assessment, it didn't appear to be conceived from an innate affinity like her shadow skills.

Meanwhile...

While Liena pondered, Flame Claws sensed the death of the last remaining member of his pack, Flame Legs. A wave of sadness clouded his mind, his eyes turning bloodshot.

Liena's taunting words echoed in his head, especially her remark that Flame Legs was more suited to be the leader of their pack. Now, with Flame Legs dead, his heart was filled with rage and indignation.

The topic of who should lead the pack had long been debated within their tribe. Many had proposed Flame Legs for the position, but he always refused.

Flame Claws wasn't naive. He knew why Flame Legs declined. It wasn't out of a desire to avoid competition, but because he didn't want to strain their relationship as childhood friends. Flame Legs had often said he preferred staying in the background, giving instructions rather than taking the role of leader in the foreground.

Understanding Flame Legs's true reasons made Flame Claws feel as though his own position as leader was unnecessary, his role becoming redundant.

Even worse, during critical moments, the entire pack — including Flame Claws himself— would instinctively look to Flame Legs for guidance. This wounded his pride deeply, though he never voiced his feelings. Now, with Liena deeming him unworthy of leadership and openly claiming Flame Legs would have been a better leader, his bottled-up emotions surged like a raging storm.

His rage soon turned to bitter resentment upon sensing Flame Legs' death at the hands of that strange human. As the pack leader, witnessing the deaths of all his pack members was not just painful — it was a disgrace, a mark of his incompetence.

Flame Claws growled in fury, his body transforming much like Flame Legs's had during his battle with Brawler Randy. His form was now wreathed in flames, but unlike Flame Legs' streamlined transformation, which focused on speed, Flame Claws's new form was bulkier and sturdier, greatly enhancing his physical strength. His strength was nearly doubled.

The downside to this transformation was apparent. His movement, already slow before, had now become even more sluggish, eliminating any advantage he once had.

Aware of this weakness, Flame Claws compensated by igniting the flames around his legs, much like Flame Legs, using them as propellers to maintain a speed comparable to his humanoid form. In addition, he now moved on all fours, having shifted to a quadrupedal stance.

Boom!

With a sharp focus, Liena effortlessly sidestepped the attack, her movements fluid and precise. However, the heat from the strike still grazed her shoulder, leaving a burn mark. Her nonchalant expression turned serious as she realized Flame Claws's attack range had increased beyond comparison.

Recognizing the threat, she began pacing herself more carefully. She adjusted her stance, gauging Flame Claws's reach and attack patterns. Soon enough, she deciphered the attack range and pattern and, once again, found herself unimpressed with Flame Claws.

Flame Claws, realizing he was losing his advantage once again, roared angrily: "Stand still, you coward!"

He swung his arms in a wide, sweeping motion. Liena ducked under the attack, her body bending in an almost unnatural way. With a swift spin, she slashed from a distance, sending a crescent-shaped shadow blade toward his side—a dagger technique powered by her innate shadow skill.

Flame Claws barely managed to avoid the strike, stumbling sideways with a frustrated snarl. Regaining his footing, he resumed his reckless assault. This time, he planned to lure Liena in by remaining stationary.

Noticing his lack of movement, Liena moved with blinding speed, darting around him in a blur and striking at his exposed areas. Each attack was precise, probing his defenses and searching for weaknesses in his new, enhanced body.

'Keep attacking just like that. Once I figure out your pattern, I'll crush your feeble skull and feast on your flesh as revenge for my fallen pack members!' Flame Claws thought with boiling animosity, watching as Liena landed a series of light but calculated strikes across his sturdy body.

With his enhanced state, even if he couldn't defeat her immediately, he could withstand her attacks, receiving little damage. He was gambling on taking the hits to analyze her attack pattern, waiting for the moment he could strike back with one decisive blow to settle the score.

All it would take was one hit from him to pulverize his prey. After all, his prey might be quick on her feet, but her body was much weaker than his normal form, much less his transformed state that doubled his physical strength.

Liena, unaware of Flame Claws' plan, continued to strike and weave around him. Her expression remained almost bored as she seamlessly dodged his powerful but clumsy swings.

'What is he doing? Has he given up, or has he lost his mind again?' Liena thought, assessing Flame Claws' erratic and increasingly ineffective attacks. The rage and focus he had displayed earlier seemed to have faded, leaving only desperation.

From an observer's perspective, Flame Claws' frustration was palpable. His movements were slower, his attacks becoming more desperate. In contrast, Liena remained calm and composed, weaving around him like a ghostly shadow, her movements fluid and unnatural.

After a while, Flame Claws suddenly saw an opening — or so he thought. In a sudden burst of power, he roared and unleashed every ounce of his strength he had left.

With a beastly cry, he swung his massive, flaming claws in a wide arc, aiming directly for Liena's midsection. The scene eerily resembled Flame Legs' final, desperate strike.

However, Flame Legs, in the end, failed in his attempt, losing his life tragically. As for whether Flame Claws would fare any differently, only fate could decide the outcome.