Eternal Freedom's Ascension

Chapter 194: Midnight Howl

At that instant, something in the air shifted.

Kaiser frowned when he sensed it. It felt like an otherworldly pressure. Like something solid was spreading through the air, pressing against the skin with increasing force.

’This...’

His blue eyes glinted with something unrecognizable.

Meanwhile, another transformation was happening to Logan.

His bones cracked and grew, popping out of place and enlarging.

His spine shifted, rising higher as his ribs also widened. The silver fur embracing him darkened slightly into a dull, metallic sheen.

His yellow pupils also shrank, becoming small and intense.

His broken canines were pushed out, replaced by new, sharper, and longer ones.

On all fours, he now stood even taller than Kaiser, his keen yellow eyes boring down on the boy like a promise of pain.

Suddenly, his head snapped up, and an ear-numbing howl escaped his maw.

The howl was loud, threatening to shatter the soundproof system of the training room.

’The midnight buff.’

Kaiser exhaled, realizing that the task had just gotten harder.

Although he was still confident that he could restrain Logan even in this form, he knew he couldn’t do that unscathed.

’Ah, what a hassle.’

He complained inwardly, then dismissed the Deathstalkers.

To avoid accidentally killing Logan, he decided not to use any weapon.

Under his gaze, the hulking creature moved.

Kaiser only saw a blur of silver, and something slammed into him.

’Freedom from impact.’

He hastily activated his ability, dispersing the force of Logan’s attack.

He casually skidded to a stop, then looked at the lycanthrope again.

"Although it would be exciting if we could trade blows without worry, I’m afraid I’ll have to deal with you using unconventional means."

His eyelids dropped slightly.

"I’ll be careful not to cause grave injuries or death."

Logan didn’t hear any of it. He charged at Kaiser, his claws extended to pin him to the wall.

’Freedom from impact.’

This time, Kaiser didn’t let Logan’s hit land.

He casually raised his hands, then swatted the claws aside.

It felt effortless.

Logan slammed into the wall, his claws ripping an entire portion of it away. He didn’t pause or linger.

He bounced off the wall, hurling himself towards Kaiser with the intention of biting his feeble neck.

’Nuh-uh. Freedom from reach.’

Logan’s jaws clamped shut... on nothing. Kaiser’s neck was just a few inches away, but he never reached.

The beast’s yellow eyes blinked in confusion, then disregarded the strange occurrence.

Now in close proximity to him, Logan lashed out with his claws.

Kaiser reacted immediately.

’Freedom from—’

["Distancê cannõ#? Gnāw."]

The armor’s whisper interrupted him with a sharp pain in his head.

Kaiser winced, then felt Logan’s attack land cleanly.

Bang!

He was sent flying, crashing into the opposite wall with so much force it caved in.

Deep claw marks stretched across his armor, and he could feel his lungs struggling to draw air in.

’Ah... this... is very annoying.’

Logan followed up with a downward swipe that was meant to crush Kaiser’s head.

The boy reacted instinctively, crossing his arms just before the hit landed. The ground beneath his feet caved in, and his knees buckled.

However, Kaiser was unharmed.

A straight kick slammed into the little gap between Logan’s lower ribs, rupturing his internal organs.

The lycanthrope was forced back, his maw twisted in a pained snarl.

Kaiser detached himself from the wall, then took a stance taught to him at the early stages of his life.

When the large, furred creature came close, he struck.

It wasn’t a punch, but a simple palm strike.

It landed on Logan’s throat, instantly forcing a retching reaction.

As his maw opened, Kaiser put his arm into the mouth.

Logan’s yellow eyes narrowed, and he immediately clamped shut on Kaiser’s arm.

However, Kaiser’s expression remained unchanged.

Spreading his fingers inside Logan’s mouth, he reached for his epiglottis and squeezed.

The reaction was instantaneous.

Logan spat out Kaiser’s arm, retreating with pained wheezing and whimpers.

He continuously coughed, as if trying to force something imaginary out of his throat.

Meanwhile, Kaiser shook off the saliva that had stained his armor.

After some time, Logan stopped coughing, raising his head to glare at Kaiser.

A low growl rumbled from his throat as he stepped forward, claws digging into the floor.

Then, he lunged.

It was a fast leap, slamming into Kaiser’s crossed arms and sending them crashing against the wall again.

Cracks spiderwebbed outward as Logan’s massive frame pressed forward, his claws screeching against the vambraces shielding Kaiser’s face. The force behind the attack was monstrous, enough to crush bone and steel alike.

Yet, Kaiser didn’t buckle.

For a brief moment, his body felt... distant. Like it no longer fully belonged to the same flow of time.

Logan’s claws tightened, pushing harder, trying to drive through his guard. Then, Kaiser moved—not faster but earlier.

His arms shifted just before the pressure peaked, redirecting the angle of the claws by a fraction. It was a tiny adjustment, insignificant by all means, but it was enough.

The killing force slid past his face instead of through it, tearing into the wall above his head.

Logan’s yellow eyes flickered with confusion and frustration. Like a predator unable to catch slippery prey.

Growling, he attempted to crush him by tearing his claws through the wall and pressing him to the ground.

However, the blue-haired boy was a step ahead.

Still holding onto Logan’s arms, he used them as support and pushed himself away from the lycanthrope.

Kaiser’s feet touched the fractured ground and stopped completely.

There was no recoil, no stagger, and no forced step back.

It was as if inertia had lost its hold on him.

Then he moved, a moment before Logan could pull back from the wall.

His knee rose sharply, driving into Logan’s abdomen with precise force—not overwhelming, but perfectly placed.

A dull thud echoed in the room as Logan’s body jerked.

His claws were forcefully detached from the wall, and he stumbled to the ground, his body wracked with pain.

It wasn’t because the hit was strong, but because it landed at a moment his body wasn’t ready to absorb it.

Kaiser shrugged off the force in his leg, then calmly placed it on the ground again.

His expression never changed.