From a single glance, it was made apparent that the fox was far from an ordinary light-born creature.

Not only had she awaited the perfect time to strike, but she had also managed to amass enough might to overwhelm the snake and the turtle, which were supposed to be at the top.

With the absorption of their cores, her power had soared to greater heights.

Opening her maw, a deafening roar fractured the surroundings, a proclamation of her superiority.

Then, without delay, she charged like thunder, bringing devastation in her wake.

Her burning eyes focused on the dark knights battling against the unicorn.

Spotting her, a few of them shifted their posture, ready to meet her in a frontal clash.

The fox had other plans.

Her hind legs bent, and she leapt gracefully into the air.

She did not land. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Instead, a semi-translucent platform materialized beneath her feet. Even though the fox ran, it looked as if she were flying.

The knights were unable to respond in time.

Flanking them, the fox’s jaws closed on the torso of a foe, reaching the core within by shattering its form along the way.

Two raised their weapons, ready to pierce her.

Only to be impaled by two swords that came into existence behind them, ending their lives prematurely.

With their formation in complete disarray, the remaining knights fell within seconds.

The fox’s body grew substantially, her fur becoming even silkier thanks to the increase in power.

She did not stop there. Next was the unicorn charging at her.

Snorting, the unicorn lowered its head, its horn ready to skewer her.

The fox responded in kind.

A sword materialized in her mouth. Sharply turning to the side, she slashed, effortlessly cutting the unicorn’s horn in two.

Taking to the skies, she ascended above the unicorn, her next slash splitting it in half.

The core was exposed, easing the absorption process.

Four more remained.

Brimming with greater power, the fox did not linger, her sight focused on her next foes.

Namely, the beautiful lion and the graceful wolf.

The two quadruped creatures had sensed that things had gone astray. In less than a minute, half of the supposed strongest light-born creatures had vanished.

An apex predator had entered the battle.

Baring their fangs, the lion and the wolf entered a temporary alliance, ready to face the fox, rapidly growing in size.

Opening their maws simultaneously, they let out a fearsome howl, trying to deter the fox from closing in.

Their attempt proved ineffective.

Staying close, the two beasts charged, paws slashing downward.

Their strikes barely grazed the golden fur of the fox. Any sustained damage healed in a heartbeat, with her core safely contained within.

Next was the fox’s turn.

Her pupils shone. From her mouth, a searing fireball erupted, trailing toward the lion.

When the explosion connected, the lion’s body gave in to the sheer force, exposing its core.

However, the wolf had other plans. If the lion was going to die, it might as well absorb the core, giving it a better chance to retaliate against the fox.

Predicting the wolf’s betrayal ahead of time, the fox was not taken by surprise, promptly intercepting the beast.

By now, the fox’s stature had changed significantly. Matching an elephant in height, she radiated a sacred presence that even the spectating Lords found hard to look away from.

Two remained.

The mischievous, golden-crowned monkey, which had followed Michael, and the towering colossal giant, which had leeched off Nicole.

Carrying a unique authority, the fox stepped closer.

While the rest of the light-born creatures had been focused on their duels, the primate and the giant had waited. Knowing that they were the strongest, their clash was meant to determine who was bound to be the last one standing...

Who would have thought that a third worthy participant would appear?

Positioned in the form of a triangle, the three stared at each other in a standoff.

The once all-out war was no more.

Instead, the millions of illusions, which had never stopped fighting among themselves, had frozen in place, their entire focus solely on the three creatures that stood before one another.

Instinctively, they knew.

The last one standing would be far beyond their grasp.

Becoming the apex in the Light Kingdom’s outer district.

Time slowed to a crawl.

And the monkey smiled.

Determining the fox to be the greatest threat, the ape focused on the giant instead. Its aim was to absorb the core, hopefully evening the playing field.

The colossal giant appeared to have come to the same conclusion.

Naturally, the fox needed but a second to recognize their reckless plan and charged in.

The giant swept with all of its limbs.

But the monkey was too nimble to catch. Using the beautiful staff in its hands, it tripped the giant, sending it toppling toward the ground.

Letting out a screech, the primate leaped onto the giant’s back, ready to tear off the core, but a sword sent by the fox forced it to retreat.

In desperation, the giant changed tactics and jumped over the fox, hoping that its enormous body would crush her.

However, the fox was not that much smaller by comparison.

Skillfully avoiding the giant’s body, she moved around it before extracting the core.

In a last-ditch effort, the monkey struck when the fox had turned her back, staff raised high in the air.

The fox’s instincts proved superior. She conjured a sword of light in her mouth. With a single slash, she cut the raised staff and the ape’s body vertically in one swing.

The shattered core of the monkey was absorbed the moment it came into contact with her sword, vanishing outright the next heartbeat.

"..."

Pin-drop silence covered the plaza before the gates, every illusion staring at the fox with a mixture of emotions.

She was the last one standing.

With the absorption of the cores, her frame had become even more striking. Golden fur spilling like a waterfall, so breathtaking it could cause a mortal’s heart to cease beating.

Reveling in the changes to her body, the fox admired her improved appearance before taking to the skies.

Climbing high enough to perceive the surroundings, she gazed upward and let out a thunderous howl that seemed to shake the entire star.

And in response, the plasma sea rippled.

The Guardian had awakened.