Dain disappeared from sight, using the changed terrain to his advantage, blending into the grasses.

Ego stood in the midst of the changed terrain, unable to see Dain but remaining vigilant.

Dain moved stealthily within the thick grass, knowing exactly where Ego was from the mark, which relayed Ego's position to him in real time.

With a focused gaze, Dain made his move.

He attained his fastest speed yet, shattering his previous record with explosive acceleration.

Dain moved at a speed 200 times the speed of sound, his movement to Ego taking only a split second in the heightened pace.

He launched the attack at the unsuspecting back of Ego, his claws extended to remove Ego's heart in one decisive strike.

Dain appeared behind Ego, his claws an inch away from Ego's back, but within that split second, Ego caught his hand firmly.

Dain stared at Ego with shock, unable to comprehend how he was caught despite his stealth.

"You see, buddy, no matter how much you try to get rid of your scent, my nose will always pick it up," Ego explained coolly, his grip unyielding.

He held Dain's neck tightly.

Utilizing a lot of force, he smashed Dain to the ground with bone-jarring impact.

Dain groaned in pain.

But Ego wasn't done with him, kicking him straight in the stomach with ferocious power.

Dain was sent flying from the kick, tumbling through the air.

Ego chased after him relentlessly.

Dain tried to steady himself and counter, but Ego wasn't going to give him that chance.

Ego appeared before Dain mid-flight, stomping him under his foot to the ground.

He raised Dain up in the air with one hand.

And with ruthlessness, he smashed Dain to the ground again.

Then he carried Dain up once more.

And smashed him to the ground again.

He continued again and again, creating an endless cycle of brutal slams.

Dain slowly lost focus a few times, his brain disoriented from the repeated brutal actions of Ego.

But with sheer determination, he remained focused, staring defiantly at Ego.

On the next move of being smashed to the ground, Dain opened his mouth wide, releasing a powerful roar.

His roar was an ability of his, Lion's fear, designed to instill paralyzing terror.

Ego froze for a split second, his movements halting involuntarily, before regaining himself.

But that brief window was enough for Dain to place his claws on Ego's chest and rip Ego's heart out.

Or rather, attempt to rip Ego's heart out, as the strike plunged deep.

Ego held Dain's hand still within his chest, and with growing annoyance, he tore Dain's arm off, preventing Dain from completing the extraction.

"Now that has pissed me off," Ego said coldly, staring at Dain with unbridled fury.

For the first time since the battle began, Ego transformed into his full werewolf form, his eyes locked on Dain with pure anger etched across his lupine features.

A low growl escaped his throat, starting as a subtle tremor and building into a deafening snarl that reverberated through the air like a primal warning.

His veins bulged prominently beneath his skin as if something wild and untamed clawed desperately to be free from within.

Then came the first snap—his spine arching violently as bones realigned themselves, elongating and twisting with a sickening series of cracks that echoed like breaking branches in a storm.

His shoulders broadened dramatically, tearing through any remaining fabric, and his chest heaved as thick cords of muscle rippled into place with raw power.

White fur burst forth from his pores, spreading rapidly down his arms and across his torso in a cascading wave of silken frost that gleamed under the artificial light.

His fingers stretched unnaturally, nails blackening and curving into sharp, predatory claws that dug deep into the ground beneath him, scoring the solid space.

His jaw unhinged with a guttural pop, reshaping into a elongated lupine snout as his teeth lengthened into gleaming, razor-sharp fangs that dripped with saliva.

His eyes, once holding some human traits, now burned with a fierce golden intensity, glowing like molten metal against the pale contrast of his fur, radiating feral hunger.

Ears sharpened to pointed tips, nostrils flared wide to capture every scent, and a chilling mist rolled from his mouth as he exhaled, the air around him trembling from the sheer pressure of his unleashed power.

When the transformation finally settled, Ego stood tall, towering in his monstrous and magnificent form, dominating the battlefield.

His snowy coat shimmered faintly under the battlefield's dim light, every breath rising like smoke in the cold, simulated air.

And through it all, his gaze never wavered, locked on Dain with an anger so raw and palpable it seemed to burn brighter than the moon itself.

Dain stared at the now fully transformed Ego in front of him with mixed feelings swirling in his mind.

It finally dawned on him that he hadn't even fought Ego at his best, the realization hitting like a cold wave.

"Why?" Dain asked weakly, his voice strained from exhaustion.

"Why didn't you fight me in your full strength from the very beginning?" He demanded weakly, staring deep into the werewolf's glowing eyes.

"I am Ego," was the reply Ego gave to Dain, simple yet profound in its arrogance.

His answer made Dain chuckle softly, a resigned sound, and then close his eyes, awaiting his inevitable demise with quiet acceptance.

"You fought well.

You at least annoyed me enough to show my form," Ego commended, opening his wide jaw with predatory intent.

With one brutal, decisive move, he bit off the head of Dain, the crunch echoing as he consumed it, leaving the headless body to fall limply to the ground.

The death of Dain signified the end of the battle, a profound silence settling over the isolated space as the life force ebbed from his form, the once-vibrant energy dissipating into the cold void like fading echoes.

The transformed terrain, which had shifted into a lush valley of tall grasses and deceptive scents under Dain's command, began to revert back to its original state with the death of the caster, the illusory landscape dissolving gradually, the grasses withering away and the ground smoothing out into the featureless solid expanse that Aaron had crafted.

Ego transformed back to his human form, his massive werewolf physique shrinking and reshaping with a series of subtle cracks and shifts, the white fur receding into his skin until he stood once more in his slimmer, more composed humanoid appearance, his golden eyes still glowing faintly with residual feral intensity.

He stared down at Dain's body, the headless corpse lying motionless on the solid spatial floor, blood pooling around the severed neck in dark crimson rivulets that gleamed under the distant starlight filtering through the barriers.

With one last look of being pleased, a subtle satisfaction crossing his features as he reflected on the hard-fought victory, he left the headless body behind, striding purposefully to a corner of the isolated arena where he could wait patiently for Aaron's next decision, his posture relaxed yet alert amid the lingering tension.

Mental fatigue? From the start to the end of the battle, Ego didn't feel even one ounce of fatigue, his primordial werewolf essence granting him an inexhaustible reservoir of stamina that pulsed through his veins like an eternal flame, leaving him invigorated rather than drained by the intense physical exertion.

---

"That wasn't such a bad battle," Aaron remarked casually, his voice carrying a tone of mild appreciation as he lounged deeper into his throne of coalesced shadows, the dark tendrils shifting comfortably beneath him like living cushions.

"Now the final one, and we go to the next round.

Honestly, I don't see how the android will be defeating all three clones one at a time.

Guess my entertainment may as well be coming to an end soon," Aaron said, sulking a bit, his expression turning slightly petulant as he crossed his arms, the thrill of the spectacles momentarily dimmed by the prospect of a predictable outcome.

[There's still one more battle.

Have some faith in the croc,] the system interjected, its digital voice laced with a hint of encouragement.

"Nah.

witch is one of the strongest bloodline within my codex. If not the strongest.

I hope it's not too one-sided," Aaron commented, his eyes glued intently on the final battle, anticipation building once more as he leaned forward slightly, the starry backdrop reflecting in his gaze like captured galaxies.

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