Shishi and The Mysterious Woman.

Kazel clapped his hands, slipping his sword into his sash before making his way toward the cave entrance. Saya stood there with her arms crossed, her sharp gaze locked onto something in the distance. Behind her, Rui and Lina waited, their expressions a mix of excitement and anticipation.

The sun was already high, bathing the forest in golden light. As Kazel approached, Yiren beside him, he let out a lazy yawn. "What's all the fuss about?"

"We found it," Saya said simply.

Kazel arched a brow. "Found what?"

"The Spirit Beast," Rui answered.

Lina smirked. "The hunt."

Kazel's tired expression shifted into one of intrigue. "Really?" Yiren, too, seemed curious.

His sharp eyes scanned beyond the corpses littering the ground, searching for any sign of movement. But he saw nothing. "Where is it?"

"Wait for it," Saya muttered.

And then, the bushes rustled.

Emerging from the dense foliage was a creature unlike any Kazel had ever seen. It had the sleek, agile build of a dog, but its presence was anything but ordinary. A thick, regal mane framed its head, flowing like a lion's but somehow softer—almost ethereal. Its large jaws curled into an eerie, permanent grin, giving it an unsettling yet oddly majestic look.

The most striking features, however, were its eyebrows—wispy and cloud-shaped, as if the sky itself had settled upon its face. Its fur was a shimmering gold, adorned with elegant white streaks that ran down its muscular frame. Despite its beastly nature, it was no towering monster; it was only the size of a medium dog.

But Kazel could tell.

It was no ordinary creature.

"That's a Shishi," Saya muttered, her brows furrowing. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. "A Rare Spirit Beast… I never expected this."

"It's unusual to see a Shishi in a forest," Rui added, his eyes narrowing.

"Be careful," Lina warned, gripping her spear more tightly. "Shishi are beasts with… a love interest."

Kazel tilted his head. "What do you mean by that?"

"They often come in pairs," Yiren explained, her tone grave. "If you see one, there's usually another lurking nearby. And if you kill one? The other will fight to the death."

Kazel's lips curled into an intrigued smirk. "A dangerous and rare beast, huh? Sounds fun."

"Don't let its size fool you," Lina added, adjusting her stance. "They're deadly predators. Fast, agile, and smart. If it's alone right now, that means—"

Before she could finish, Kazel had already taken the first step forward.

"Let's go."

His figure blurred as he charged, moving faster than any of them could react. The golden-furred Shishi met his approach with equal swiftness, its claws flashing as it lunged.

Blade met claws.

Kazel's sword slashed through the air, but the Shishi twisted mid-leap, narrowly avoiding the edge. Its claws scraped against Kazel's shoulder as it passed, but he countered instantly, pivoting to drive his blade toward its exposed flank. The beast somersaulted away at the last second, landing with unnatural grace.

"Tch!"

Saya rushed forward, swinging her blade to assist—

But the Shishi reacted too fast.

It sidestepped effortlessly, twisting in a blur before launching itself into the air. It flipped clean over her strike, avoiding her sword by mere inches.

Saya's eyes widened in disbelief. "What—?!"

The Shishi landed gracefully after its aerial maneuver, but instead of retreating, it launched itself forward again—this time, straight at Saya.

She barely had time to register its movement before—

BAM!

The beast's head slammed into her midsection like a battering ram, lifting her off the ground. Her body twisted midair before she crashed head-first into a nearby tree, the impact echoing through the clearing.

"Oof," Kazel spared her a glance, his smirk unwavering. But there was no time for distractions—the Shishi was already aiming the same attack at him.

With a swift pivot, he sidestepped just in time. The beast's head barely grazed past his ribs.

( Not so fast. )

His smirk widened. ( This is fun. )

Their dance continued—a relentless exchange of speed and instinct. A clash of stamina, a clash of steel and claws. Neither faltered, neither gave an opening. Both were testing each other, baiting one another into a mistake.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the clearing—

Lina caught a flicker of movement. A bush rustled. Something was coming.

Her grip on the spear tightened.

The moment she saw the shadow dart forward, she struck first—her spear flashing toward the figure.

CLANG!

Her attack connected—but not as intended. The second Shishi had leaped from the underbrush at an impossible speed, turning its body just enough to deflect the spear's momentum instead of taking a direct hit.

It landed a few feet away, its sharp eyes locked onto Lina. The second one had arrived.

"Damn it," Lina muttered.

Before she could react again, Rui rushed to her side, his stance already set.

"You're not handling this one alone."

Lina exhaled. "Good. Because I doubt this one will be content with just my spear skills."

A few feet away, Saya groaned and pushed herself off the ground.

Her head throbbed. Her vision blurred for a second, but when she shook it off, her eyes sharpened into a glare as fierce as a predator's.

Behind her, a faint manifestation of a Two-Tusk Boar flickered into existence.

She exhaled sharply. No hesitation.

Then, she charged back into the fray—this time, joining Kazel in his deadly clash.

Saya swung again and again, but each slash met nothing but empty air. The Shishi twisted and dodged with impossible agility, its golden fur shimmering under the sunlight as it weaved through her attacks.

Kazel, however, was different. He wasn't struggling. He was contending. Matching the beast blow for blow, reading its movements, pushing it toward a mistake.

Meanwhile, Yiren stood still, her gaze sharp, observing both battles with an unsettling calm. She wasn't rushing in—she was analyzing.

Then—

Something flashed past her.

A streak of energy zipped through the air, one to her left, one to her right. Faster than her eyes could follow.

Kazel, in mid-air, felt his stomach drop. His instincts flared as his pupils shrank, watching the piercing light tear through the spirit beast in front of him.

The moment he landed—it was over.

Both Shishi collapsed, lifeless.

A gaping hole marked their bodies, clean and precise. It had taken just one instant.

The battlefield, once filled with movement, was now eerily still. Five people, frozen in shock.

Kazel slowly turned around, a deep frown forming. He didn't kill them. Neither did Saya. Neither did Lina, Rui, or Yiren.

Then who—?

His sharp gaze locked onto a lone figure standing at the edge of the clearing.

Draped in a thick cloak, its fabric rippling in the wind.

Their face was hidden beneath a plain white mask, devoid of features. No markings, no embellishments. The kind of mask one could buy from a street vendor, unremarkable and ordinary—

Yet in this moment, it felt anything but.

The figure in the cloak moved forward, their steps slow yet deliberate. The presence they carried was neither overwhelming nor oppressive, yet it commanded attention.

Yiren, despite her usual confidence, instinctively stepped aside. Something about this person told her not to block their path.

Lina, Rui, and Saya also found themselves hesitating, their bodies shifting away without even realizing it.

But one person moved forward instead.

Who else but the conqueror himself?

Kazel smirked, his nose twitching as if catching a familiar scent. He crossed his arms, tilting his head ever so slightly.

"We meet again, mysterious woman."

The words were casual, yet held an edge—a knowing certainty.

The cloaked figure halted.

For a brief moment, silence stretched between them.

Then—she met his gaze.

Through the mask's empty expression, two green jade eyes locked onto him. Unwavering. Calculating. Familiar.