Her Alter Form

However, the cat-man, ever agile, leaped backward with a swift, nimble motion, narrowly evading the deadly arc of the blade.

The missed strike left Mattheos momentarily off balance, his blade cutting through the air where his opponent had been mere moments before.

With him being left vulnerable, it was time for Kyle's partner to strike. Dragging out her silver war axe, Celia aimed at Mattheo's open side, only to be met with a clash of a bright shining scarlet blade.

"I get that my partner might've jumped into this fight a bit too soon, trying to take you both on alone. My sincerest apologies for not stepping in earlier. I should've had his back sooner, and I hope you can cut us some slack for that."

"But rest assured, I won't be making that mistake again," growled Mavislin as she dropped her blade in favor of doing a roundhouse kick toward Celia's face.

Kyle was frozen stiff like a deer in headlights as his partner flew past him and slammed into a heavily bricked wall, missing his body by inches. He couldn't tear his eyes off the sight, the being before him.

He might have accessed his Alter form, but the power he wielded was insignificant compared to the overwhelming force Mavislin was radiating at that moment.

The scene was etched into his memory, haunting him with the vision of a dragoness enveloped in a swirling shroud of black and violet, her aura pulsing with an intensity that was both mesmerizing and terrifying.

Mattheos felt his blood run cold as well, upon seeing Mavislin in such a state. Wait… Since when did she ever have an Alter form?! Her once beautiful wine-stained hair had been replaced with a long sea of silver with black highlights.

Her scales and horns had been tainted by her element of darkness, coloring them in ebony. From her temples emerged two long, elegant black succubus horns, arching downward in a graceful curve.

They extended nearly to the length of her hair, their dark, polished surfaces catching the light with an almost otherworldly sheen. Mavislin's eyes were no longer blood red or had its limbal ring.

Instead, two chartreuse phosphorescent orbs took their place, accompanied by a blackened sclera. Her attire was visibly altered, now encased in near-complete black armor etched with luminous violet cracks.

The deep purple fabric that hung from her tassets was ragged and worn, its edges fraying and shifting as if caught between reality and some ephemeral dimension, giving the impression that it was flickering in and out of existence.

"Mav… is?" squeaked Mattheos, as he reached out to the transformed girl with his opened palm.

The rabbit may have been older and had witnessed his fair share of surprises in the world but one thing that struck him to the core was seeing people tapping into their Alter forms.

Only those who had forged a pact with a being of unfathomable power or a legendary entity from ancient tales could manifest an Alter form. These individuals were known as Guardians.