Deep inside the forest, the huge hidden beast stood completely still.

For the first time since it woke up, it was truly shocked.

"…What…what did I just witness?"

It stared in the direction where the humans were standing, its sharp senses still focused on them.

"That woman with violet hair…"

Its jaw tightened.

"To think that from earlier… I was already pulled into her illusion."

The beast clenched its claws against the ground.

"I didn't even realize it."

That fact alone made it uneasy.

"I am a strong third-realm demonic beast," it muttered. "And yet… I didn't notice when it started."

It replayed the moment in its mind. The strange delay. The confusion.

The feeling that something was slightly off, but never dangerous enough to trigger full caution.

"…Her illusion didn't attack me directly," it said slowly. "It blended into reality."

The beast snorted quietly.

"That level of illusion control… Is she a third realm cultivator?"

It paused and focused on the mana it sensed earlier.

"No. Her mana is still within the boundary of the second realm."

Its eyes widened.

"And yet she dragged me into her illusion."

The beast clicked its tongue.

"…Ridiculous."

Then its gaze shifted, as if looking for something it still couldn't fully grasp.

"And the other woman…"

Its expression darkened.

"That one is even worse."

It remembered the moment clearly. One second she was there.

The next second... nothing.

"She disappeared completely."

No movement, sound, or even fluctuation in mana.

"She wasn't hiding," the beast growled. "She simply wasn't there."

Its tail twitched.

"She left afterimages that weren't illusions."

It remembered trying to sense her presence, only to feel empty air.

"And when she reappeared… she passed through matter."

The beast's voice lowered.

"That wasn't deception. That wasn't trickery."

Its claws dug into the dirt.

"That was real."

It shook its head slowly.

"Invisibility. Intangibility. Afterimages."

It let out a short, bitter laugh.

"She's the most ridiculous one of them all."

Then its gaze moved again, this time settling on the woman standing calmly behind the others.

"…And then there's that one."

Dahlia.

The beast narrowed its eyes.

"Compared to the other two, she's more straightforward."

It paused.

"…But that doesn't make her weak."

It could still clearly remember the pressure she released earlier.

"Dragon traits," it said quietly. "Real ones."

Its expression turned serious.

"Not a lower dragon. Not a diluted bloodline."

It swallowed.

"True dragon traits."

The beast slowly straightened its posture.

"How can this be…?"

It looked around the forest, as if questioning the world itself.

"When did humans start producing monsters like this?"

Its gaze returned to the group one last time.

"…If these are only their second realm…" the beast said quietly.

Its lips curled into something that was not quite a smile and not quite a snarl.

"…Then humans have changed far more than I thought."

It exhaled slowly, then shook its massive head.

"No. This isn't something I can ignore."

The beast turned its body, thick scales brushing against trees as it moved.

"I need to talk about this with the others," it said in a low voice.

"If humans like these are appearing… then the balance is already shifting."

Without another word, the huge beast disappeared deeper into Demon Gate Island.

Its presence faded into the heavy demonic mana as if it had never been there.

Meanwhile, back on the battlefield, Dahlia crossed her arms and looked at Clara and Eliza carefully.

Her eyes were sharp, but there was a clear hint of approval in them.

"Good," she said.

"Your [Unique Physique] is strong. And not just strong but troublesome."

Clara stretched her shoulders and grinned. "Troublesome is good, right?"

Dahlia nodded. "Very."

She glanced between the two of them again.

"Honestly… yours are even better than the twins' and Arden's."

Clara blinked. "Oi. Aren't you being a bit harsh?"

Dahlia shrugged. "They're elemental types. Powerful, yes, but straightforward."

She pointed at Clara. "You mess with perception itself."

Clara's lips curled upward immediately, her shoulders rolling back as if she had just been praised in the best way possible.

Then Dahlia turned her head slightly and looked at Eliza.

"And you," she said, "mess with existence."

For a brief moment, Eliza didn't react.

Then the corner of her mouth lifted, just a little.

Clara, on the other hand, leaned forward eagerly.

"Oh? Is that your official evaluation, Senior Sister?" she asked.

"Because that sounds amazing."

Dahlia snorted. "Don't let it go to your head."

Clara straightened and stretched her arms.

"Too late."

She cracked her neck and grinned wider.

"Then it's time for some payback."

Eliza turned to look at her, one brow lifting slightly. "…Payback?"

Clara nodded hard.

"Don't you remember?" she said.

"The boys mocking us, saying things like, 'Oh, the girls still haven't awakened their [Unique Physique]?'"

She waved her hand, mimicking an exaggerated voice.

"'Maybe they'll awaken when they're old ladies.'"

Dahlia burst out laughing. "They really said that?"

Clara clicked her tongue. "Every single time."

Eliza's eyes narrowed a little. "…I remember."

Clara leaned closer to her, lowering her voice. "So yeah. It's time."

Eliza tilted her head. "Time for what, exactly?"

Clara straightened again, hands on her hips.

"To mock them back," she said proudly. "And teach them a lesson."

Dahlia raised an eyebrow. "You planning to beat them up?"

Clara shook her head quickly. "No, no. That's boring."

Her grin turned sharp. "We'll do it the fun way."

Eliza sighed softly. "…I already don't like where this is going."

Clara laughed. "Relax. We won't hurt them."

She glanced toward the direction of the other teams, eyes gleaming.

"We'll just make sure they never forget it."

Dahlia watched the two of them for a moment, then shook her head with a smile.

"…Those boys are doomed."

Eliza crossed her arms. "They brought this on themselves."

Clara snapped her fingers. "Exactly."

Elsewhere in the forest, far away from the others...

Rynar suddenly paused mid-step.

"…Huh?"

A strange chill ran down his spine. He rubbed his arm and frowned.

"Why do I feel like I just offended someone…?"

Not far from there, in a completely different area, Rynor sneezed hard.

"Tch... What the hell?"

He shook his head, glancing around the trees.

"For some reason, my body's screaming danger… but there's no beast around."

Both brothers, separated by distance and unaware of each other, felt the same unease.

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