Naim pushed the essence from his massive core throughout his body—to his muscles, tissues, and a bit into his nerves and brain.
("Master, here I come!") came Ira's voice in his ear. Still, he felt a strange discomfort. He wasn't used to the girl—or the fox, whatever she was.
He laughed and charged forward toward the fox, who stood twenty meters away. The ground cracked beneath his feet, and in the very next second, he was in front of her right foreleg. He struck with a diagonal slash of his sword, but just as it neared, the leg retracted. Entering his field of vision was a long claw, like a dagger—it collided with his sword and knocked it back.
The moment he saw that, the claw swiped toward his face. He leapt back, widening the distance between them.
"You're really tough," he muttered. That exchange alone confirmed she was every bit as powerful as she claimed.
("Thank you for the compliment, Master, but please be careful!") Ira responded.
The two-meter-tall fox, as large as a bull, launched forward with a thunderous sound trailing behind. Her paw clashed with Naim's long sword. He stumbled back under the force of the blow—even with his body reinforced, he was no match for the fox in pure physical strength.
Three swords materialized behind him, hovering in the air.
Seeing them, the fox moved to the right. Naim tried to close in, but the swords shifted in the air and targeted her from different angles—from her legs to her back and stomach.
What!?
Instead of retreating, Ira transformed into a swirling snowstorm. The blades entered the vortex, and Naim lost his connection to them.
("So, Master… what do you think of me now? Am I worthy to be your companion?")
Naim laughed as he dashed toward the storm.
"Yes! Well done. That's exactly what I want—no weaklings by my side."
He halted near the storm and activated his third and fourth abilities. Cold surged through his body, forming ice over his muscles—strengthening him, making his skin harder and his flesh tougher to cut or pierce. Everything around him froze as a result of his third ability.
Naim stepped into the storm. He heard the screech of metal against ice, but he wasn't harmed. Still, the effort left him tired—the constant draw on his essence and the chilling drain of vitality sapped his strength.
But it paid off.
The snowstorm slowed… then stopped completely. From within it emerged a trembling white fox—soft and innocent-looking—shivering from the cold.
("M-m-m-master… I-I'm f-f-freezing…") Ira whimpered.
Naim smiled softly, hugged her, and wrapped her in his coat after deactivating his abilities.
"What do you think of it?" he asked her. "I call it ultimate Zero."
("I-it's… s-so c-c-cold…")