The sky cracked.
Wind howled across the battlefield as Ren lunged—no, vanished—forward. His foot dug into the earth, erupting the ground behind him as he closed the distance in less than a breath. Vali's eyes widened—but only for a second. He was already moving.
Their fists collided.
A shockwave ripped through the forest. Trees bent outward. The cliffside split. A dome of compressed air ballooned around them, flickering like broken glass before shattering into light.
Vali was driven back ten meters, boots skidding against the stone. He grinned.
"Fast."
Ren cracked his knuckles as he exhaled, steam rising from his arms. His muscles twitched unnaturally—evolving, adjusting.
"Adapted."
He dashed forward again. This time, he spun low, feinting a right hook before shifting into a rising elbow. Vali barely blocked with his armored forearm, but the force sent him airborne.
Ren followed.
In mid-air, they exchanged dozens of blows per second. Punches, kicks, elbows—each strike echoed like thunder. Albion and the System inside Ren began calculating trajectories, movement arcs, energy densities.
[Adaptation Matrix: Martial Style – Heavenly Dragon Combat Codex][Mimicry Initiated][Threading Sequence into Garou-Style][Blending Active…]
Ren's foot shot out in a snapping arc—a fusion of dragon strike and beast stance—cracking into Vali's ribs. Sparks erupted from his armor. Vali grunted and retaliated with a reverse backhand charged with aura.
It connected, sending Ren hurling into the mountainside. The cliff exploded in a cloud of shattered rock.
Dust. Silence.
Then Ren walked out.
His jacket was torn. A gash ran across his shoulder—but his smile? Unshaken.
"You hit like a dragon."
Vali's wings flared wide. "I am one."
"Partner," Albion's voice warned, "his growth rate is unnatural. He's reading your every move."
"Then I'll stop holding back."
The white armor flared with power. A glyph appeared beneath Vali, ancient and writhing.
"Juggernaut Drive—Initiate."
The sky went black.
Power flooded the valley like a tsunami. Vali's armor mutated—twisted and more dragon-like. His presence tripled. The sheer pressure bent trees and cracked the earth without him moving.
Even from their hidden vantage point, the watchers flinched.
"Juggernaut Drive already?!" Akeno gasped.
Azazel raised an eyebrow. "Kid's serious."
Ren didn't back down.
Instead, he inhaled.
Deep.
And smiled.
[Cosmic Garou Template: 78% Synced][Instinctual Rage Mode – Unlocked][Physical Restrictions Removed][Emergency Adaptation Core Activated]
His body bulged. Not grotesquely—but like a beast tightening its coil. His eyes narrowed, now glowing with primal brilliance—silver fire laced with violet threads. When he took a step, the world groaned.
And then they clashed again.
A storm exploded from the impact. Trees were vaporized. Mountains quaked. The air screamed.
Fist met claw.
Aura met will.
Time itself seemed to slow as their techniques pushed further. Ren's martial arts weren't just fighting styles—they were expressions of evolution. Every hit improved him. Every graze rewrote his muscles.
He began to outpace Vali.
Not in power. Not in heritage. But in growth.
"I see it," Vali muttered mid-combat, blood trickling from his mouth. "You're becoming something that doesn't exist yet."
Ren spun low, feinted, then broke through Vali's guard with a wolf-fanged palm strike to the chest. The Juggernaut armor shattered halfway.
"I don't need to exist," Ren whispered. "I need to win."