It was a standoff about to turn into a war.

  The tension in the atmosphere was becoming palpable. With each inhale and exhale, there was caution. With every beat their hearts made, there was anticipation. Who was going to make the first move.

  Her first words were quiet and said in a casual manner that made it seem like they weren't aiming for each other's necks.

  “Assimilation…”

  She closed her eyes, and when they opened again, they were glowing

  "First Step.”

  Upon hearing her words, Nyx and Morgan's eyes widened as they chorused "What?!"

  They both leapt back, boots slamming against broken earth as they widened the distance between them and Layla.

  Their faces were painted with disbelief.

  Assimilation wasn’t supposed to be her ability.

  That technique belonged to Beast Tamers, not Eternals like Layla.

  But rather than panic from the new uncertainty, Morgan’s lips formed a wicked grin, eyes glowing with a deep red. “I said it, you're freaking awesome? That’s more like it!”

  With a snarl, her claws extended long, black-tipped, and serrated for ripping through bone. Her gums pulled back as fangs lengthened, and her posture shifted into a crouch.

  Nyx, on the other hand removed her sunglasses and tossed them away. "Here I was, thinking this would be easy in our favor." Her eyes glowed with like a violet gem now fully exposed to the world. "But I guess Rakuzan has more to offer"

  A red aura now ran accross her blade like veins filling with blood. Heat gathered around the weapon, distorting the air.

  The fight was finally about to begin properly.

  But Layla stood perfectly still, shoulders rising with a deep breath.

  Assimilation, the ability of Beast Tamers. Mages who could form contracts with mana beasts, bind their essence, and even fuse with them.

  There were those who used symbiotic Contracts, where a tamer borrowed the beast’s powers, temporarily altering their own body to match. It was Safer, but weaker.

  And others used Core Fusion, a method where the beast’s core was merged into the soul of the mage.

  Mastery over Assimilation was measured in Steps, each representing the number of beast cores being used at once. The more Steps, the more abilities the mage could wield, but the heavier the burden. One misstep, and the beast’s will would devour the mage from within.

  And Layla had just declared her First Step.

  “So these are the type of monsters they hire at that school of yours?” Morgan asked, her grin growing.

  Layla didn’t respond. Her skin glowed slightly, and dark violet scales formed down her forearms. She had already initiated the first core, a Wyvern Soul core

  A gust of wind blasted outward as Layla vanished. She reappeared mid-air, slamming down onto Nyx with monstrous speed. Nyx blocked, but the force cracked the ground beneath her boots.

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  And that was how it begun.

  Nyx darted through the air, slashing faster than most eyes could track, each swing releasing deadly shockwaves. Layla twisted, her scaled limbs absorbing blow after blow, tail whipping around to send Nyx flying through a tree.

  But the situation remained two against one. Morgan leaped in from behind, claws ripping across Layla's back, only for Layla to twist and unleash a blast of corrosive wind from her palm, a side effect of the wyvern's breath.

  "Second Step!" She screamed, immediately switching to the second Step, the core of another B Ranked beast, a Frostfang Tiger.

  Her skin became pale, steam coming from her limbs as icy mist rolled from her hands. She slammed her palm into the ground, freezing the forest floor.

  Nyx who was already on the move to stop her, slipped and Morgan's movements were slowed.

  "Don't tell me you think it'd be that freaking easy!" Morgan yelled.

  They were both already recovering, but Layla moved faster.

  She cut down trees with a sweep of her frost-cloaked legs, launching frozen shards like missiles. Morgan took two to the chest, but ignored them like they were nothing. Nyx responded with a blaze of energy that tore apart the ice field, but Layla was already mid-air, descending like a comet.

  Nyx switched to block but her reaction was too slow.

  Layla's fist slammed into her ribs, sending her skipping across the field like a stone across water.

  Morgan dashed in, her fists glowing red. She traded blows with Layla dealing several deep cuts and fractures. "What's wrong?" Morgan laughed. "Don't tell me it's over already..."

  Layla's stamina was burning rapidly. This was another disadvantage of assimilation when used with high ranking beasts.

  But suddenly she did the unexpected. She smiled and snapped her own neck, triggering a revival.

  Both Nyx and Morgan never anticipated that she would use her gift as an Eternal in this manner.

  Her body dropped mid way then snapped back up. Her stamina restored. "Of course, not. I made a promise to pay you back with interest, and I don't intend on defaulting!"

  Morgan’s eyes widened at this display. "You crazy bitch!"

  Layla grinned. "Third step! Void Serpent!"

  Her skin turned ink-black, her pupils became slit, and black flame-like energy coiled around her arms.

  She became faster now. Her arms warped in mid-strike, phasing in and out, striking from angles that didn't exist. Morgan took a punch to the spine and another to the face before she could blink.

  Nyx slashed with fury, finally catching Layla in the side. She separated Layla from Morgan and Blood sprayed, but Layla didn't stop. She dove forward, coiling her serpent-core around Nyx's limbs, draining her mana.

  A tail formed behind her, striking like a whip.

  Nyx coughed blood.

  Then Layla collapsed. She purposely placed too much strain on her body and killed herself again to heal her injury.

  Then she rose up again with all three cores active this time.

  Among Beast Tamers, activating three high-level cores simultaneously was an astounding feat. But the true limit was known to be Step Four. Unlike human spiritual cores, beast cores weren't harmonized with the body.

  Fusing four cores placed monstrous strain on the body. While it wouldn’t rip the soul apart, it shredded the physical form. And there was a forbidden step only two people in Astrovia’s history had reached and survived. Step Five.

  Layla was nearing that line. But she wasn’t there yet.

  "Fourth Step!" She roared, blood gushing out of her eyes. "Blazing Storm!"

  Wings erupted from her back in a blast of flame and thunder. She took off into the sky, wings beating like storms, and raining bolts of white lightning down.

  Nyx screamed as a bolt struck her blade, exploding her backward. Morgan dodged it but Layla took advantage of the gap and descended like a meteor, punching her into a crater.

  Nyx rose, bleeding heavily, her consciousness barely there with her.

  Layla landed gently, standing before Nyx. "I have to admit, you are crazy strong. I died each time I faced every one of those beasts."

  "But in the end," She raised a hand, dealing a strike to her neck. "You lose."

  Nyx collapsed, leaving only one opponent. The only threat Layla hadn't managed to do permanent damage on.

  She coughed out Blood, her body shaking.

  "I need a freaking one year vacation after this." She twisted her neck, killing herself again.

  Only this time, she didn’t get up immediately.

  Morgan's claw had slammed into her temple, sending her spinning across the field, knocking her unconscious. She held back enough to avoid Killing her

  Morgan wiped blood from her chin. "I told you, bitch... watch how you swing."

  Morgan thought it was all over, but Layla had done the impossible yet again. In that split second when Morgan's hand came colliding with her, she saw it but wasn't fast enough to react, hence, she instantly acted. She bit her tongue off, killing herself.

  "Well, that's a wrap with that one."

  As Morgan attempted to walk away, she heard a voice and turned around.

  There were only two individuals in the History of Astrovia who had used Step Five and survived. The first was the first ever Beast Tamer. And the second?

  It was none other than Layla.

  "Assimilation... Step Five!"

  Morgan's eyes widened with shock as she turned upon hearing these words. "Stage Five?!"

  She saw the crazy smile on Layla's face as her body rose up from the floor. Layla's eyes were glowing with a purple light, and her hair was standing on end.

  "Now how about we start round two!" Layla said, as she got up while laughing crazily.

  "I said it before and I'll say it again. Picking you wasn't the wrong move!" Morgan replied, following it with a loud laughter.

  "Come at me, bitch!"