When the wolf completed its transformation into Fenrir, Ash froze for a brief moment, genuinely caught off guard.
To be fair, perhaps he was the only one who would be surprised by such a sight. To anyone familiar with the fundamentals of Cores, it would have been obvious at a glance—this was the ability of a Core of Form user. The signs were clear: the distorted physique, the partial transformation, the instinctive control over a bestial shape.
But Ash was different.
He had never received proper instruction about the various Core types, let alone their specific manifestations. His growth had been shaped by survival rather than education, experience rather than theory. As a result, he lacked the basic knowledge that others would consider common sense.
Standing behind the tree, Ash watched Fenrir in silence.
And for the first time since entering this place, he hesitated.
If he stepped forward, he would have to face Fenrir directly—a classmate, someone he had crossed paths with countless times.If he stayed hidden, avoided eye contact, and slipped away quietly, perhaps this confrontation could be delayed… or avoided entirely.
His mind weighed the choices carefully.
But hesitation never lasts long on a battlefield.
Fenrir suddenly turned his head toward the dense shadows of the forest, his senses sharp and predatory. His eyes locked onto the tree Ash was hiding behind, and his voice thundered through the clearing.
"Come out, you hiding coward behind that tree!""If you don't, I'll kill you where you stand!"
Ash's eyes narrowed slightly.
So fast…
He hadn't expected to be discovered so easily. Letting out a quiet sigh, Ash stepped out from behind the tree and into the open.
Fenrir's body tensed instantly, his claws lowering slightly as he prepared to strike the moment the figure emerged. But the instant he saw who it was, his eyes widened.
That face.
That presence.
It wasn't a stranger.
It was the one person he had always wanted to defeat.
"…Ashfei."
The name slipped from Fenrir's lips like a spark hitting dry fuel.
In an instant, his caution vanished, replaced by raw excitement and burning battle lust. His breathing grew heavy, his stance shifting as adrenaline surged through his veins.
He had waited far too long for this moment.
Without wasting another second, Fenrir transformed his right arm completely, the flesh twisting and hardening into a massive wolf's claw. With a feral grin, he launched himself straight toward Ash.
Ash reacted immediately.
The spear appeared in his hands in a fluid motion, its shaft braced firmly as Fenrir's claw slammed into it.
Boom—!
The collision sent a violent shockwave rippling through the surrounding space. Leaves were thrown into the air, and the ground beneath their feet cracked slightly from the impact.
Fenrir stared at Ash with the wild eyes of a hunter who had finally cornered his long-desired prey.
"Today—right here—""I will defeat you, Ashfeiiiiii!!!!!"
His roar echoed through the forest.
Yet Ash's expression remained cold and composed.
That calm—so unnatural in the face of such madness—only drove Fenrir deeper into fury.
Their weapons pushed against each other for a brief moment before both were forced back, sliding across the ground to create distance.
When they regained their footing, neither rushed in immediately.
Instead, they began to circle one another, eyes sharp, movements measured.
Ash observed Fenrir carefully.
So he can fully transform… and partially alter his body as well, Ash thought.'Then all I need to do is aim for his weaknesses.''Besides… I don't want to kill him.'
Fenrir, on the other hand, felt the pressure building.
He knew almost nothing about Ash's abilities. All he knew was that Ash possessed a Core of Manipulation—but what kind? What range? What limits? The lack of information put him at a severe disadvantage.
'Caution,' he reminded himself. 'One mistake could cost everything.'
...
Outside the battlefield, High Commander Hildart stood alongside nearly four hundred instructors, all watching the confrontation unfold.
One was Rank 4.
The other had just ascended to Rank 1.
And both were students of the same class.
Hildart's lips curled into an amused smile.
"Well now… this looks like it's going to be quite the show."
Karl,remained silent, though a faint, he just standing said nothing. He only exhaled slowly, a heavy sigh escaping his chest.
....
Bang!!!
Fenrir and Ash lunged at each other simultaneously.
Claws and spear collided again and again, the sound of metal and hardened bone clashing ringing endlessly through the forest.
Fenrir transformed both arms into wolf claws, slashing relentlessly. Each strike carried terrifying power—enough to tear through iron as if it were soft clay.
Ash relied on precision.
His footwork was flawless, his spatial awareness sharp, and his reflexes honed by countless battles. Time after time, he intercepted Fenrir's attacks with the shaft of his spear, redirecting the force instead of meeting it head-on.
As the exchange continued, something changed.
Ash began to adapt.
Gradually, he found himself growing familiar with Fenrir's rhythm—his timing, his strength, the subtle pauses between attacks. What once felt overwhelming now became manageable.
Then controllable.
Before long, Ash wasn't just defending anymore.
He was counterattacking.
"Kuh—!"
Fenrir blocked a thrust with his claw and leapt backward, creating distance between them.
His chest rose and fell as he realized the shift.
At first, his attacks had forced Ash into constant defense. Now, Ash was stopping them with ease—and worse, pushing back.
It felt as if Ash was learning him.
Or perhaps… Ash simply hadn't shown his true strength yet.
Fenrir hadn't either.
Up until now, he hadn't fully transformed. He had only altered his arms, relying on technique and raw instinct.
But Ash standing calmly in place, eyes steady and unreadable, irritated him deeply.
That feeling—of being weaker than someone else—was unbearable.
Fenrir straightened his posture.
"Enough."
He activated his skill.
[Body Enhancement]
A dark, hazy mist instantly enveloped Fenrir's claws and body. His presence grew heavier, more oppressive.
This ability doubled all of the user's physical attributes. Strength. Speed. Durability. Even his claws became harder and sharper.
Fenrir vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared in front of Ash—faster than before.
Ash raised his spear defensively, but Fenrir twisted mid-movement, circling behind him in a blur and swinging his claw downward.
Ash reacted just in time.
He leapt upward, flipping over Fenrir's head and narrowly avoiding the strike. As he landed, he drove his spear forward.
Fenrir dodged to the side and counterattacked.
Ash swept his spear horizontally.
Fenrir blocked with his claw—but the impact was overwhelming.
With a surge of strength, Ash forced Fenrir back.
Boom!!!!
Fenrir crashed into a tree, the impact snapping it in half.
Ash didn't stop.
He lunged forward again, spear aimed straight at Fenrir's abdomen.
Fenrir twisted his body, barely avoiding the strike, and quickly retreated beyond Ash's range.
For a moment, silence fell.
Then Fenrir spoke.
"I'll admit it," he said slowly. "You're strong."
The madness in his eyes had faded, replaced by unwavering determination.
"But I will defeat you."
This time, Fenrir was serious.
He knew now—holding back would only lead to defeat.
[Skill Activation: Lycanthropy]
A violet-gold light burst forth, engulfing Fenrir's entire body. His form expanded rapidly, growing to nearly two meters tall before the light dissipated.
What remained was a massive black wolf, radiating terrifying power.
The pressure alone was enough to crush any ordinary Opener.
But Ash was no ordinary Opener.
A pitch-black aura erupted from his body, pushing back against the wolf's overwhelming presence.
The clash of their auras was so intense that nearby Semi-Spawns fled in terror the moment they sensed it.
One man.
One wolf.
They stared at each other in silence.
A true battle was about to begin.