Far away from Oliver and his group's campsite, the settlement of macaques growled in ecstasy as the night bled into dawn.
The forest floor reeked of sweat, musk, and the lingering haze of Yang energy. The soil itself seemed soaked, where sweat and other fluids had melted into the earth. The macaques lay scattered across the clearing in heavy, satisfied slumber, their chests rising and falling like beasts drunk on conquest.
The women were no different. Some lay curled into themselves, trembling but too exhausted to cry. Others leaned against one another, their breathing shallow yet steady.
The Eternal Ember had done its work.
The nesting grounds had become a den of debauchery, as Oliver had kept his word—teaching his pack the Yin-Devouring Yang Beast Technique. They had grown stronger through it, and for the first time, these primal beasts had glimpsed a new light of power.
Crack. Twitch.
The alpha's corpse spasmed. Its fingers clenched around the bow, the weapon glowing faintly as if stirred by intent. Jade whispers echoed from the wood, and at last—after lying still since Oliver had gone to rest—the alpha's eyes opened once more.
I was wondering if I could reconnect with this puppet, the alpha thought as he pushed himself upright. His gaze slid to the two women at his sides, lingering on their bare, marked bodies.
So she actually pulled it off, he realized, touching the cheek of the girl he had named his fifth disciple. Her body radiated a faint Qi flow, proof she had successfully used his dual cultivation technique on the woman still tangled in her embrace. He smirked, brushing back her hair, then shook the other woman awake with a careless nudge.
The disciple stirred, blinking up at him. He stretched his neck, bones cracking, and turned his gaze toward the distant nests—one covered in bones, another in leather—where the two remaining alphas resided. His lip curled.
"Having more than one alpha really bothers me," he muttered. Then he looked back at the girl, his expression softening with faint amusement.
"You know, I still haven't heard your name."
She hesitated before whispering, "…Koharu."
"Koharu," he repeated, rolling the name on his tongue. He leaned closer, his smirk returning.
"Tell me—what would you say if you had a reunion with your friends?"
Back at the campsite.
Oliver and Sana slowly pulled away from one another, both breathing heavily, flushed with heat and the remnants of their climactic release—while his mind drifted elsewhere.
Then that settles it. I'll slaughter the remaining packs and their leaders, he thought. Though I did look forward to manipulating the settlement in secret… I suppose fully assimilating it won't be a problem either.
His hands lingered on her curves, tracing the silk of her new kunoichi outfit, while her fingers toyed with the strands of his hair, a soft smile curving her lips.
"Feels… different waking up like this," Sana murmured, still pressed against him.
"Different, but good," Oliver replied, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. He helped her to her feet, and together they adjusted their new forms and clothing.
One by one, Takara and Kaede joined them. Takara swung her nagamaki with ease, testing her strength, while Kaede twirled her twin naginatas, each movement precise and commanding.
Oliver's gaze drifted upward to the peach tree towering in the center of the clearing. The translucent fruits shimmered faintly, shadows of half-formed infants visible within—some familiar, some strange and new. He felt the Qi humming through the trunk and roots, alive and responsive to him.
Without a word, he walked toward the massive tree. The others followed, forming a loose circle around the trunk. He sat down against it, pressing his back to the rough bark. His body tingled as he considered what he had always wanted—the ability to switch forms, to test his limits without constraint.
"Maybe… it's time to experiment," he murmured, closing his eyes.
A soft golden glow began to radiate from his chest, spreading outward. Slowly, his skin hardened, roughening as veins of bark crawled across his limbs. His body merged with the tree's trunk. The air smelled of sap and earth, and his consciousness extended into the tree itself, linking with the roots and branches.
The second largest fruit, the one that held the dormant Oni, began to swell and darken, pulsing as if awakening. Oliver felt the energy stir, ancient and raw. Slowly, the fruit cracked along its seams, and a towering Oni began to emerge. Its skin was mottled crimson and obsidian, horns curling like dark crowns, and its eyes glowed with predatory intelligence. An intricate polearm—half naginata, half jagged axe—materialized in its grip.
The air quivered under the weight of its presence. Oliver could feel the Oni's power coursing through him, a perfect fusion of his own mastery and the entity within the fruit. He flexed his enormous clawed hands, testing the strength now flooding his body.
He let out a low, rumbling roar that vibrated through the clearing.
"Fight me," he commanded, his voice carrying the resonance of both himself and the Oni. "I want to know exactly where you all stand."
Takara's eyes narrowed, her fingers tightening on the hilt of her nagamaki. Kaede's twin naginatas hummed with energy as she shifted into a battle stance, while Sana stepped forward, confidence flickering in her gaze despite the awe-inspiring form before her.
Oliver—now fully merged with the tree and transformed into the towering Oni—bent low, testing the limits of his new strength. The ground trembled with each movement, roots surging outward like sentient tendrils.
"Show me everything you've learned," he said, crimson eyes locking onto each of them. "No holding back. I need to know the truth of your power."
The wind rustled through the peach tree's leaves, carrying the scent of blooming fruit and the electricity of an impending battle. The group braced themselves, circling the Oni as their collective aura flared, ready to meet him head-on.
Oliver flexed, feeling the immense power coursing through him and the Oni weapon pulsing in his grip. This battle would reveal all—and he intended to push them to their absolute limits.
"Let's see what you're truly capable of," he murmured, a predatory grin crossing the Oni's visage, merging with his own.
"Fight me."