The explosion came first.
**BOOM!**
Light swallowed everything.
But it didn't end there.
From within the blast, **lightning spears erupted**—sharp, blinding, violent.
They tore outward in all directions, including straight toward her.
But the ape had already moved. No hesitation. No delay.
A sword flashed into existence beneath its feet.
It stepped on it, launching itself into the air—clean, precise.
The lightning spears tore through where it had been, missing by inches.
Wind screamed past as it ascended, weaving and dodging.
Above—control. Below—destruction.
Then, from the fading explosion, she walked out. Unharmed.
Lightning crackled around her body—not wild, but **contained**.
Dozens of talismans floated at her side, each one humming with unstable energy.
Her eyes lifted, locking onto him. Calm. Interested.
*If I use the Ghost Banner…*
A fleeting thought.
*This ends instantly.*
Her lips curved slightly. "…Boring." She dismissed it.
Above, the ape didn't speak. Didn't taunt. It simply watched, balanced on the flying sword, alert. Its red eyes tracked every movement below.
Then it moved again. Another talisman—gone. Another shift in position—clean, controlled.
Below, the fox didn't wait. Her paw lifted, and she launched.
Lightning tore upward—**CRACK!**
A focused strike, fast enough to split the air.
The ape reacted instantly. Its sword tilted, sliding across the sky, dodging the strike by a razor margin.
Another bolt followed. Then another. Relentless.
The sky lit in flashes of white and blue.
The ape kept moving—not faster, smarter.
Its hand dipped into its storage again, emerging with two things: a brown staff and a jade disc.
The staff spun once, then was caught by its tail—perfect control.
Meanwhile, its hands worked the jade disc, rotating it, channeling energy through it. Each movement precise, timed with its dodges.
Lightning passed by—missing. Again. And again.
Below, the fox watched. Not annoyed. Not pressured. Just observing.
"…You want to stay up there?" Her voice was calm, even, eyes narrowing slightly. "…Then I'll come to you."
Her body shifted, and then—**CRACK!**
Lightning burst across her form—not an attack, but an enhancement. Her fur spread outward, individual strands lifting, each lined with crackling arcs of electricity.
Her body armor activated. Refined. Amplified.
The ground beneath her feet cracked slightly—not from force, but from energy buildup. Her muscles coiled, energy condensed.
Above, the ape's pupils shrank. *Fast type. Close combat. Dangerous.*
It tightened its grip—staff ready, disc active, sword steady beneath its feet.
Below, the fox bent slightly—and then **disappeared**.
Not invisibility. Speed. Pure. Explosive.
The air detonated beneath her as she launched upward—a streak of white and lightning—closing the distance instantly.
The ape's eyes widened. *Too fast.*
It reacted on instinct—staff swinging, disc flaring, sword shifting.
The gap between them collapsed.
But the ape didn't panic. It reacted. Instantly. Its fingers twisted the jade disc, a sharp pulse surging through it.
A barrier formed. Not thin, not fragile. Solid. A curved shell of jade light wrapped around its body just as—**CRACK!**
The fox arrived. Momentum slammed into it, lightning tearing across the surface.
But she stopped—not by choice, by force. The barrier held perfectly.
For a split second, they were face to face. Her lightning crackling, his barrier humming.
Then the ape smiled. "…Got you."
The staff moved. It had never stopped spinning—balanced along its tail, gathering momentum.
Now, its hand snapped forward, gripping it tight. And it **swung.**
**WHOOOM!**
The air bent under the force. The staff carved a brutal arc straight toward her—fast, heavy, precise.
Her eyes sharpened. No panic—only calculation.
Her body twisted mid-air, trying to redirect, but she was still within range, still at the barrier's edge.
The staff connected. **BOOM!**
The impact rang out, a shockwave bursting outward. Lightning scattered. Her body was thrown back, spinning through the air—but not broken. Not even close.
She flipped once, twice, then landed, sliding across the ground, claws digging in. Stone cracked beneath her.
Silence.
Above, the ape steadied itself on the sword, breathing controlled, barrier flickering slightly but intact. Its eyes locked onto her. "…You're fast. But not untouchable."
Below, the fox remained still within the armor's protection. Slowly, she straightened, wings falling back into place, faint sparks dancing off her coat.
She rolled her neck once. "…Hah." A quiet exhale. Then a smile—wider this time. Excited. "…Good."
Her eyes lifted again, locking onto him. "…You hit harder than I expected." Her tail swayed, lightning building again. "…Now it's actually fun."
The air tightened.
Above, the ape adjusted its stance, grip on the staff tightening, mind racing. *She took that… head-on… and she's smiling?*
Below, the fox bent slightly again, energy coiling. "…Let's go again."
The moment stretched—and snapped.
The fox didn't waste it. Her paw flicked, and two massive jade blades tore into existence. They moved—fast, cutting through the air in sharp arcs toward the ape.
Above, the barrier flared. **CLANG!** The first blade struck, ripples exploding across the jade shell. Then the second followed instantly. **CLANG!** No hesitation. Relentless pressure.
The fox's control tightened. The blades shifted mid-strike, angles changing, probing for a break.
Above, the ape's eyes narrowed. The staff spun once, then came down. **BOOM!** It struck one blade mid-air—not to destroy, but to **interrupt.** A strange pulse traveled through the weapon. For a split second, the blade hesitated.
That was enough. The ape's free hand snapped forward, grabbing the second blade's trajectory—not physically, but through the same pulse. Both blades **vanished.** Pulled straight into its storage pouch.
Silence hit. Below, the fox froze—a fraction of a second. Eyes narrowed. Sharp. Focused. "…You—"
Above, the ape chuckled low. "…Fine tools," it said calmly, almost pleased. It tapped its pouch lightly. "…I'll be taking those."
The fox didn't respond immediately. Her gaze locked onto the staff—not the ape. The **staff.**
Her mind moved fast. *Not brute force. Not destruction. Interference.* Her connection was severed. Clean. No resistance.
Her tail stilled. "…That staff…" A quiet realization.
Above, the ape tilted its head slightly, smirking. "…You shouldn't think too much. You'll just make it easier for me." Staff spun once more, low hum building.