The Rise of the Winter Wolf - Book 7 - Chapter 36 - The Clash of Ice and Illusion

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Wolf

Okay then, this battle isn’t as annoying as I was expecting it to be. At most Loki is still messing with everyone through the illusions. But thanks to the items and potion I got, Loki isn’t able to trap me into layers of illusions anymore. Which makes this battle far easier to win.

So Loki and I continue clashing over and over again with our Domains. With her Domain being stronger and denser than my own. Meanwhile my Domain restores itself thanks to the regenerative items and devouring more of her Domain with less energy.

Over and over again, our clash repeats. All while Loki laughs nonstop. Changing her appearance repeatedly with every few seconds that pass by.

But unlike me, she isn’t restoring her energy. So I very slowly decrease her energy closer and closer to my own.

And when her Domain decreases all the way down to about a third of its original capacity, with me getting down to my last three restorative items, Loki suddenly changes things up with a laugh while floating high in the air. Meanwhile the music suddenly changes and grows even more intense.

Almost like the final phase music of a boss in a video game.

Which is very clearly on purpose.

I wonder if Loki just really likes games or something?

Either way, Loki begins making massive illusions all around me with her Domain. Creating enormous attacks that charge straight at my Domain.

Entire stars that fall down towards me. Large meteors. Massive fists from some sort of giant creature.

And every time I have to counter them with massive amounts of my own Domain. Only to find that these attacks are too powerful for me to block.

So I switch it up and finally use my Blue Moon Armaments. Drastically increasing my power for a time before sending waves of my Domain through everything around me.

Blocking every single attack made by Loki as both of our Domains rapidly drain of energy.

And as usual, my Domain drains far faster than hers. Leaving me forced to use up the last of my restorative items.

But no matter what happens, Loki just continues laughing.

No matter how many of her illusions I devour, no matter how much of a frozen wasteland this place turns into, and no matter how intense her little music gets.

Her laughter never stops.

Well someone’s certainly enjoying this…

Honestly, I can’t help but let out a chuckle of my own. For some reason feeling amused by the situation myself.

Meanwhile Sapphire is just off on her own fighting against illusion monsters made from Loki’s Domain.

But things gradually begin to grow more and more serious as I finally run out of restorative items. Right as Loki is nearly out of energy herself.

My eyes narrow when Loki suddenly stops attacking entirely while laughing. Leaving me floating in the air facing her with my Domain held tightly to my body.

“This is great! I haven’t had this much fun in ages!!!” Loki exclaims with a laugh. “Thank you so much for this!”

I blink at that while tilting my head a little. Then I focus on Loki again when her form begins to flicker and turns into an enormous fox. One with white fur.

“After this battle, I will forever be your ally,” Loki says as her massive fox form grins at me. “So let’s finish this production with a spectacular ending!”

After a brief pause, I decide to follow her lead and turn my entire body into nothing more than my Domain. Then I expand my Domain out into the form of an enormous wolf with white fur striped with glowing pale blue streaks that match the light from the pale blue moon shining overhead.

Loki rushes straight at me with her mouth wide open as the music comes to a climax. And I rush at her as well, with both of our Domains shooting out in the form of missiles to strike at each other from every direction.

Only for our own missiles to counter each other in mid-air between us.

And finally, the two of us clash in the middle of it all. Sending shockwaves all throughout the area that completely shatter all the illusions Loki has made, along with all the ice that’s formed across the circus.

Even the circus itself begins to fall apart, revealing a pitch black void in its place.

But our clash doesn’t end there as we continue pushing at each other, our foreheads clashing at the center of it all with neither of us gaining any ground.

And yet, despite that, Loki has the largest grin I’ve ever seen on her fox mouth. Even as my Domain finally begins to win out ever so slowly against her own.

With her having just slightly less energy than I have, and my Domain being faster at decreasing her energy than hers.

After half a minute of the two of us pushing against each other, trying to break through with no success, we both jump backwards before going in and clashing over and over again. Claw against claw, fangs against claw, claws against fangs.

And with each clash, both of our forms gradually shrink more and more.

All the way until the two of us are on our last bits of energy.

At which point I begin to feel my form trying to return to its default state. Which is my neutral form.

And I’m not the only one as Loki’s fox form begins to flicker in and out until she finally blurs and turns into that very kitsune form I saw before.

Her true form.

[Wait a second…]

[excuse me?]

[it’s really true? That last bet odds?]

[So Loki really did…]

[holy shit.]

Loki’s true form is that of a humanoid kitsune woman with two white fox ears on her head and nine fox tails. She has slightly narrow eyes with slit pupils and is wearing a more traditional robe instead of her previous circus master outfit.

Kind of like what someone would see back in older Japan. One of those traditional outfits.

I don’t know their names.

But one thing is certain.

She’s having the time of her life as she laughs with an incredibly wide smile on her face. Even after returning to her true form.

I roll my eyes in some slight amusement before preparing to finish this battle.