She didn't answer. She just moved.

Her figure blurred, then snapped back into existence right in front of me. My body reacted before my brain caught up.

I shifted left on instinct—

—and the world went black for a heartbeat.

Too late.

When my vision slammed back, a razor-thin line of light filled my sight, so close I could see my own reflection trembling along its edge. The glint of her blade. Aiming straight for my eyes.

"You're too young for that miss.." I grunted.

Shadow surged up on command, dense and violent. The blade shrieked as it struck my barrier, sparks skittering across the room like fireflies. The impact shoved me back a full step, boots carving trenches into the floor.

I didn't waste the opening.

'Metamorphosis'

The shadows folded inward, swallowing me whole—bones snapping, muscles swelling, heat ripping through my veins.

This time, the transformation went far deeper than the last.

Clang.

My claw met her katana mid-swing.

A shockwave ripped outward, obliterating what was left of the hotel floor. Concrete exploded upward, the entire level collapsing as if a bomb had gone off beneath us.

Glass, steel, dust—everything vanished in a roaring cloud.

Gravity gave up.

We were airborne.

I twisted, using my tail to stabilize, claws carving through empty space as her silhouette flashed in and out of existence.

Slashes screamed past me, invisible blades tearing through the air itself. One caught my shoulder.

Blood sprayed, dark against my fur. I snarled, muscles tensing—not from fear, but excitement.

So that was it.

Her ability was an improved version of Alexa's, and it wasn't just her movements—even her attacks could bend space at will.

Whether that power came from her own ability or from a celestial weapon… that, I didn't know.

She reappeared above me, blade already mid-swing. I crossed my arms, shadow hardening over my forearms just in time.

BOOOOM!

The strike punched through, carving deep grooves into my hide. I felt the cut bite into muscle.

She could actually hurt me in this state. What a terrifying woman. No wonder she was recognized by Master Tang.

And her eyes… they were filled with one-sided killing intent. Her only goal was to take me down. There were no unnecessary thoughts, no hesitation, and that single-minded focus made her attacks far deadlier.

We clashed again—claw versus slash, shadow versus the unseen. Each impact cracked the air, sending pressure waves spiraling outward.

Buildings below shattered windows as we danced through the sky like colliding meteors.

She moved like a killing machine. No wasted motion. No hesitation. Every strike aimed to kill.

I adapted.

Shadows lashed outward, not to attack—but to feel.

The darkness rippled every time space warped, mapping her invisible cuts a fraction of a second before they landed.

I ducked under a horizontal slash, fur splitting along my back, then twisted and counter. My claw tore through empty air—

—and she flickered, reappearing behind me.

Her blade stabbed forward.

I twisted at the last second. The katana punched through my side instead of my heart, sliding between ribs.

"RGGGG" I roared, the sound shaking the sky, and slammed my elbow back.

It connected.

She grunted as she was hurled away, spinning through the air before hitting a rooftop .Blood dripped from her lip. She wiped it away with her thumb.

My regeneration kicked in instantly, bones and muscle knitting themselves back as I landed a few meters away.

There was no point in keeping my distance—she could reappear out of nowhere anyway.

"Your movements are good, but it feels like you're relying too much on your Celestial Weapon," I said, trying to gauge her reaction.

Her grip on the katana tightened, saying more than words ever could.

"Oh, so that cute little thing is your trump card. Is that why your attacks keep appearing out of nowhere?" I added.

Again, her expression changed. She was easier to read than I expected. That confirmed it—she really was Hai-Min's sister in this regard.

"I don't want to waste my time with a criminal. If you don't have anything meaningful to say, then die!"

Invisible slashes tore toward me from six different angles, so fast they blurred together.

I pushed off the ground, shadows exploding beneath my feet, barely clearing the first strike as the second carved a deep gash through my side.

Pain erupted from different parts of my body—but just as quickly, it faded.

I landed hard, claws digging into the shattered floor, fur already knitting itself back together.

She didn't slow down. Didn't blink. Her blade flashed again, space bending around it like glass under pressure.

She was relentless.

But so was I—dodging and blocking every attack that came my way.

I grinned, fangs flashing.

"You know," I said, rolling my neck as the last wound sealed shut, "you and I could actually get along pretty well. I'm betting our kids would be absolute geniuses."

She clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Disgusting pig! Do you even hear yourself? You're almost as old as my father!"

Damn it—I forgot she saw my clone's middle-aged face.

"Age doesn't matter," I said, trying to shift the conversation by going on offensive.

Her eyes narrowed—then widened in the same instant—as I closed the distance between us with sheer, raw speed.

The katana in her hand vibrated as she blocked, but the force of the impact alone sent her skidding back twenty steps.

Before she could recover, I pressed the attack, striking again and sending her flying once more.

She landed on both feet, using the momentum instead of fighting it.

Wow… even her landing was flawless—movie-worthy.

But her skill wasn't the only reason she could hold her ground.

Although my attack looked powerful, I knew she could take it—I was holding back far more than it seemed. My gentlemanly side simply couldn't bring itself to truly ruin such a lovely face.

My ears perked up as I caught the roar of helicopters approaching, along with the heavy footsteps of the other seekers.

I had overstayed my welcome.

"Save me a dance next time, miss. Hopefully we can start off on a better note… without me trying to dodge your sword."

"You think I'll just let you go? We already have a way to track you."

"Oh, I know." My lips curled into a sly smile as I jumped back toward the hotel's rooftop. I noticed a group of people there while fighting her, and if there really was a tracker, they would be the ones closest to my original hideout.

I smelled him before I even saw him—another seeker, and he reeked. A middle aged man with glowing red eyes, running away the moment he spotted me.

Hai-Yen pursued from above, slicing through the air, but I already knew her ability got a distance limit. Moving at high speed was more than enough to lose her.

When I landed, the man had guards with him, which told me he was important. They tried to buy him time to run, but I killed them without even breaking my momentum.

Then I grabbed the man by the collar and started jumping from one building to the next.

"Tell me how you were able to track me down if you don't want to die." I used my ability to influence him.

The height we were traveling at must have shattered his nerves, because he started talking through sobs, his words spilling out in a panicked rush.

It was a good thing I was dealing with someone so weak‑minded.

"P‑Please don't kill me," he cried. "We tracked you using Senator Rockwell's blood."

"Blood?" My eyes narrowed. I expected it to be through scent or an energy signature—blood never even crossed my mind.

"How does your ability work? And don't bother lying—there's no way you would survive a fall from this height."

The fear of death was the strongest force for breaking a person's mental defenses. While there were strong‑willed individuals who wouldn't be easily shaken, he was not one of them.

"W‑When you… you killed the senator, you left… traces of his blood on you, a-and I used that… to track you down! M‑My power only… only works while the blood is… is still fresh, so… so you don't need to kill me! I… I won't… I won't be able to track you again!"

I nodded in understanding. If that was really the case, then taking a bath at the hotel before going home was the right choice.

Still, a man with an ability like his would make a useful ally—but a very annoying enemy.

"Don't worry. I won't let you fall to your death."

He sighed in relief . "T‑Thank—"

I crushed his head with my bare hands, then hurled him away like discarded trash.

"See?" I muttered. "I'm a man of my words."

"You despicable monster!" Hai‑Yen finally caught up to me—though it would be more accurate to say I slowed down for her.

I needed her to keep chasing me.

Soon, it turned into an all‑out hunt. More Seekers joined in, all trying to bring me down—but none could hope to catch me.

One leap sent me flying at nearly two hundred miles per hour, leaving them far behind.

However, I knew I couldn't keep this up forever. I was nearing my transformation limit.

Landing on the street, I slipped into the alleys, using the narrow paths to my advantage.

Not yet…

Not yet.

I repeated it like a mantra. Then, once I was certain I slipped into a blind spot—I unsummoned the clone.

My consciousness snapped back to my original body, and I jolted upright in the bed.

Mission complete… and not a single soul knew I was the mastermind.

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