Ethan was hit with the insult that bothered him most.

But rather than lashing out and giving Mace the reaction he was looking for, he laughed.

’Partial Assimilation: Wolfy.’

The change was immediate.

Ethan’s posture dipped forward, centre of gravity lowering as his body tightened and coiled like a predator ready to spring. Muscles compressed, his frame becoming more compact, more explosive.

His fingers elongated into dark, claw-like extensions, sharp and reinforced, while his canines pressed slightly against his lips, lengthening into faint fangs.

A low growl slipped from his throat before he even realised it.

It was instinctive, like an actual beast.

’I was going to have to use some of my abilities to beat this fucker.’

Ethan was now taking this fight seriously, having a better gauge of his opponent’s abilities. Meanwhile, across from him, Mace observed the shift and felt the pressure.

And yet his grin widened.

"Finally," he muttered.

Without hesitation, he powered up as well.

The rocky texture across his skin spread further, thickening, layering over itself like natural armour. It wasn’t just skin anymore; it was plating. Cracks formed along his body as the transformation settled, completely reinforcing him.

Then...

Boom!

He stomped.

The ground fractured outward, cracks spiderwebbing across the arena floor as a miniature quake rippled through the space. But Ethan was already moving and not intimidated in the slightest by Mace’s power-up.

He sprang upward, flipping cleanly through the air before landing lightly on all fours.

The crowd reacted instantly.

"OOHHHH!"

"Rock Man VS Beast Man - who will come out on top?!" the announcer boomed, his voice cutting through the chaos with excitement. "Now THIS is what we’ve been waiting for!"

-

They stared at each other in a tense, silent standoff.

Mace tilted his head slightly.

"You some kind of werewolf?" he asked, eyeing the claws, the posture, the way Ethan moved.

The half-Ulfen didn’t respond, nor did he need to.

A low growl escaped him again, then he suddenly blurred forward.

’Cross Slash.’

His claws cut through the air in a sharp, crossing motion, just shy of physically connecting with Mace. But the attack extended beyond his reach as two compressed arcs of force tore forward and struck.

Shraaaak!

They raked across Mace’s chest, shredding through his clothing instantly.

But beneath, the result was underwhelming.

The rocky armour held and was barely scratched.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

’So it’s not just skin that’s being hardened... but he has natural armour too.’

Mace glanced down at himself, brushing off debris as the stone-like layer visibly repaired itself.

"Not bad," he said casually.

Ethan exhaled lightly.

"Yeah."

That was honestly impressive; Ethan hadn’t expected that level of durability.

’He could probably take bullets with that rock armour.’

Mace was among the C Ranks that would fare well against modern weaponry.

"The perfect ability for a bitch like you," he added bluntly. "If only you had it before your face was smashed in."

Mace’s grin twitched.

"Oh?" he replied, cracking his knuckles. "You think defending is all I can do?"

His fists suddenly changed.

They expanded and thickened as massive stone constructs formed around them, turning his hands into brutal, oversized weapons.

Then he charged forward.

He was fast, far faster than someone his size covered in stone should move.

Mace swung down with his arms like they were sledgehammers attached to his body. Meanwhile, Ethan dropped low, moving on all fours, his body flowing like a predator slipping beneath a strike.

Boom!

The impact hit the ground where he’d just been.

Instantly, the arena cratered with chunks of reinforced flooring exploding outward.

The crowd roared.

Ethan slid to the side, claws digging slightly into the ground to stabilise himself.

’Definitely a strength type,’ he assessed quickly. ’One of those hits lands clean, and it’s definitely going to hurt.’ 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

He observed Mace keenly.

’And that rock form probably drains MP over time... but I can’t assume I outlast him.’

His eyes sharpened.

’I need another angle.’

Mace didn’t give him time to think.

He attacked again, a horizontal sweep this time.

Ethan leapt over it, twisting mid-air before landing behind him.

"Too slow," he whispered.

Mace spun, swinging another punch.

Ethan ducked under it, claws scraping lightly against the ground as he repositioned.

Their back and forth continued.

Attack.

Evade.

Strike.

Slip.

The arena floor suffered for it.

Every missed hit from Mace carved out more destruction: craters, fractures, shattered ground.

Ethan, meanwhile, didn’t get touched again by his opponent.

The crowd’s energy surged.

"This is insane!"

"Look at that movement!"

"He’s everywhere!"

"And Mace is just tearing the arena apart!" the announcer shouted, barely containing his excitement.

Ethan dashed in, swiping quickly, then backed out again.

Another feint.

Another dodge.

He was always just an inch out of reach, frustrating Mace.

But it was starting to feel repetitive, leaving people to question Ethan’s abilities.

"He’s fast!" the announcer called. "Unbelievably fast! But can he actually do any damage?!"

That was the million-dollar question.

From the outside, it looked like a stalemate: Ethan couldn’t be hit, and Mace couldn’t be hurt.

But those with a keener eye could see the truth...

-

In the VIP suite, Kaela watched with half-lidded eyes, swirling her drink lazily.

"Your buddy is toying with him," she said.

Mark frowned, gripping the railing slightly as he watched the fight below. His heart was racing, watching the only man he cared about fight the man he hated most.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "He’s not doing anything. If he can’t hurt him, what’s the point?"

Elara remained silent beside them, her red eyes fixed on Ethan’s movements.

Kaela smirked.

"This is boring," she said bluntly. "It won’t be long now."

She took a slow sip.

"As soon as your friend takes it seriously..."

Her eyes sharpened slightly.

"...it’ll be over."

-

Back in the arena, Ethan exhaled slowly as he slipped past another attack.

He wasn’t rushed or pressured.

If anything, he looked relaxed and even now was talking.

"You always this predictable?" he muttered as he dodged another punch.

Mace snarled, swinging harder.

But Ethan had already figured out, mapped, and understood exactly what his armoured opponent could do and how to defeat him.

’I’ve got it.’

A plan had already formed in his mind.

Step by step.

Move by move.

Now, it was just a matter of executing it whenever he pleased.