Chapter 407: Victor

Thousands upon thousands of werewolves had gathered on the surrounding cliffs and hillsides. Warriors of the Eastern Alliance stood on one side of the valley, while the armies of the Western Kingdom occupied the other.

Today, the ancient Rite of the Moon took precedence over everything.

An elderly werewolf slowly walked into the center of the valley. His once-white fur had long since turned gray with age, yet every Alpha and King present respectfully lowered their heads. He was the oldest living elder in the Southern Argenti Forest.

"The Rite of the Moon has not been invoked for over three hundred years," his aged voice echoed across the silent valley. "According to the laws left behind by our ancestors, no one shall interfere. The victor shall inherit everything belonging to the defeated. The defeated kingdom shall submit without resistance."

He looked toward both sides.

"Do either of you object?"

"I do not," Vikram replied, stepping forward calmly.

From the opposite side, a figure hidden beneath a black cloak slowly entered the valley.

"I do not," came the answer. The voice was deliberately lowered, making it impossible to tell whether the Western ruler was male or female.

The elder nodded solemnly.

"Then... the Rite begins."

The valley fell into absolute silence.

Vikram removed his cloak and tossed it aside. His silver hair fluttered in the wind as his crimson eyes locked onto the mysterious Western King.

The cloaked ruler did the same.

Without another word, both vanished.

A deafening explosion erupted in the center of the valley as two claws collided. The ground beneath them shattered, forming a massive crater.

"So fast!" several Alphas gasped. None could follow their movements.

The two figures exchanged blows in a blur, punches, kicks, claws, elbows. Every collision sent powerful shockwaves rippling outward, cracking the surrounding rocks.

"They’re... evenly matched," the Mist King muttered, narrowing his eyes.

The Sand King silently clenched his fists.

Neither side had gained even the slightest advantage.

Vikram twisted his body, dodging a claw by mere centimeters before countering with a heavy punch. The cloaked ruler crossed an arm and blocked it head-on.

Both were hurled back dozens of meters.

Without pausing for even a breath, they charged again. Their figures blurred into countless afterimages as explosions continued to erupt throughout the valley. Ordinary werewolves had already lost sight of them completely. Only the Kings and veteran Alphas could barely keep up.

After dozens of fierce exchanges, both suddenly stopped.

They stood nearly a hundred meters apart, neither bearing a single injury.

The Western King spoke. "...You’re stronger than I expected."

Vikram smiled faintly. "I could say the same."

A terrifying aura erupted from Vikram’s body. Silver light burst into the sky.

His muscles expanded powerfully. Silver fur rapidly covered his frame as he transformed into a majestic Silver Werewolf nearly three meters tall. His sharp claws gleamed in the sunlight, and an overwhelming Alpha pressure surged across the battlefield.

Countless ordinary werewolves instinctively lowered their heads in submission.

"The Silver King..." someone whispered in awe.

At the same moment, golden light exploded from the opposite side.

The black cloak was instantly torn apart by the violent surge of energy, its pieces scattering like dark leaves on the wind.

A slender figure slowly emerged.

Long golden hair danced wildly in the breeze. Golden fur spread across her graceful yet perfectly toned body. Proud wolf ears rose above her head, and a magnificent golden tail swayed gently behind her. Her golden eyes, cold yet brimming with confidence, met Vikram’s silver gaze.

Silence.

The entire Valley of the Moon fell deathly quiet.

Even the wind seemed to stop.

The Mist King’s eyes widened. "...The Western King... is a woman."

Shock spread through both armies. Many of the younger warriors of the Western Kingdom were seeing their ruler’s true appearance for the first time, while only the highest-ranking officers remained composed, as though they had known all along.

Vikram stared for a second before a slow smile spread across his face.

"Well... no wonder your voice sounded so strange," he said. "I thought you were just trying to sound mysterious."

A faint smile appeared on the woman’s lips. "Oh? So you noticed?"

"I noticed something," Vikram replied, scratching his cheek. "I just didn’t expect the strongest king in the west to be this beautiful."

Several eastern warriors nearly choked. The Mist King covered his face with a groan. "...This brat."

The Sand King couldn’t help but laugh. "Still flirting during a duel?"

The Western King regarded Vikram with clear amusement before letting out a soft laugh. "So... is this how the famous Silver King distracts his opponents?"

Vikram shrugged innocently. "I’m simply telling the truth."

She tilted her head slightly. "Then allow me to return the compliment. You look better than the rumors described."

Vikram blinked. "Oh?"

"But..." Her smile suddenly sharpened. "I still intend to beat you into the ground."

Before the last word had even faded, she vanished.

Vikram’s pupils contracted. He immediately raised an arm.

BANG!

The instant their claws collided, a thunderous boom echoed across the Valley of the Moon.

A circular shockwave erupted outward, flattening the surrounding grass and hurling countless rocks into the air.

Both kings were thrown back dozens of meters. Before either could land, they vanished again.

The spectators could no longer follow the battle. All they saw were flashes of silver and gold constantly colliding across the valley. One moment they fought on the ground.

The next, both shot into the sky, their claws clashing again and again. Each impact sounded like thunder, tearing the clouds apart with violent shockwaves.

"They’re... fighting in the air?" an Alpha stared with wide eyes.

"No," the Mist King narrowed his eyes. "They’re using the force of each impact to stay airborne."

Every collision launched them apart, only for both to rush back at unbelievable speed.

Vikram drove his knee toward her abdomen. She twisted her waist effortlessly, avoiding the strike before sweeping her golden tail at his legs. Vikram leaped clear just as the tail smashed into the mountain behind him.

Boom!

Half the cliff exploded into countless fragments.

Before the debris could even begin to fall, Vikram appeared above her. His claw descended like a meteor. She crossed both arms to block.

The impact drove her straight into the ground, carving a crater nearly fifty meters wide. Dust billowed across the valley.

Several eastern warriors cheered. "He hit her!"

But Vikram’s eyes narrowed.

The next instant, the dust exploded outward. A golden figure shot upward. Her fist buried itself directly into Vikram’s stomach.

His body became a silver streak as he crashed through three hills before finally stopping.

Silence fell.

Everyone stared toward the shattered hills.

"...Brother Vikram!" Kara unconsciously took half a step forward, but the Mist King raised an arm.

"No. He isn’t finished."

As if to prove his words, the mountain exploded. Vikram calmly walked out from the rubble. Apart from a little dust on his silver fur, he was completely unharmed.

He rolled his neck and looked toward the Golden Queen. "That one hurt a little."

She smiled. "I was aiming to break a few ribs. I’m disappointed."

Vikram laughed. "I’ve got tougher bones than that."

She raised an eyebrow. "I can see."

The next second, neither moved.

Then both vanished at once.

The collision shook the entire valley. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground for hundreds of meters as their claws locked together. Silver eyes met golden eyes from only inches away.

For several long seconds, neither could push the other back. The muscles in both arms trembled from the immense force.

Vikram grinned. "So... you admit I’m handsome."

The Golden Queen snorted. "Your confidence is even stronger than your claws."

"I’ll take that as a compliment."

"It wasn’t." She suddenly leaned closer. "Although... you’ve lasted longer than I expected."

Vikram chuckled. "I was about to say the same."

Both smiled.

They simultaneously headbutted each other. The impact sent both kings flying backward once more. Blood trickled from Vikram’s forehead, and a thin line of crimson also appeared on the Golden Queen’s.

The valley became deathly silent.

The two rulers slowly wiped the blood away. Then, almost at the same time, they smiled with pure excitement.

The Golden Wolf Queen looked straight into Vikram’s eyes.

"I’ve changed my mind."

Vikram raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

She slowly extended one claw. Golden ripples spread across its razor-sharp edge, causing the surrounding space to distort. Even the air let out a sharp screech, as though reality itself was being torn apart.

"I’ve only used this ability once before," she said calmly. "And that opponent died."

A faint smile curved her lips. "If you can survive this attack... I’ll admit defeat."

The smiles on the Mist King’s and Sand King’s faces vanished instantly.

"...This is bad," the Mist King muttered.

The Sand King’s expression turned grave as he stared at the distorted space surrounding her claw. "That isn’t an ordinary bloodline ability."

The Golden Queen slowly raised her arm.

"This is my Royal Bloodline Ability..."

Golden ripples spread across her claw as the surrounding space distorted.

"Space Slash."

Vikram’s instincts screamed.

Every hair on his body stood on end. He felt genuine danger.

Without hesitation, he activated the Plant System.

[Sync Activated.]

[Phantom Treekin Ability Acquired.]

[Nether Veil — Transforms the body into a deeper shadow-mist state, drastically increasing evasion, stealth, and movement speed. During activation, physical attacks partially phase through the body, dealing no damage.]

Dark mist flowed around Vikram’s right arm until it gradually became translucent, as though it existed halfway between reality and shadow.

The Golden Queen noticed the change and smiled faintly. "So... you were hiding something as well."

Vikram simply beckoned with his left hand. "Come."

She didn’t waste another word.

With a casual swing of her claw, nothing happened.

There was no flash of light. No blade of energy. No explosion. Just a simple slash through empty air.

Yet every werewolf present instinctively felt death descend upon the valley.

The invisible attack reached Vikram in an instant. It passed directly through his phantom arm without encountering the slightest resistance before continuing into the distance behind him.

"...What?" Several Alphas widened their eyes. "It... went through him?"

The dark mist around Vikram’s arm rippled for a brief moment before returning to normal, leaving him completely unharmed.

Even the Golden Queen’s composed expression showed a trace of astonishment. "So that’s how you avoided it..."

Before anyone could react, BOOM!!

A deafening roar echoed across the valley. Hundreds of meters behind Vikram, an enormous mountain trembled. A perfectly straight line suddenly appeared across its center.

For a brief second, everything remained still. Then the mountain slowly split into two halves.

The upper half slid away and crashed into the valley below with overwhelming force, raising a dust cloud that blotted out the sky. The exposed surface was impossibly smooth, as though the mountain had never been broken but simply divided.

A chilling silence spread throughout the battlefield. Every werewolf stared blankly at the collapsed mountain, cold sweat trickling down their backs.

That attack hadn’t been powerful because it exploded. It had simply cut through space itself.

Had Vikram failed to activate Nether Veil, his arm would have been sliced in two.

The Golden Queen slowly looked from the ruined mountain back to Vikram. The surprise in her eyes gave way to open admiration.

"...Interesting."

Vikram flexed his right hand as the shadow mist gradually dispersed, then smiled once more. "I have to admit... that’s the most dangerous bloodline ability I’ve ever seen."

He met her gaze without the slightest trace of fear.

"But if that’s your trump card... I’m afraid you’ll have to try harder if you want my hand."

The Golden Wolf Queen stared at him in silence. Then, to everyone’s surprise, she slowly lowered her claw.

"I lost."

Silence. No one spoke. Neither army moved.

The only sound was the wind sweeping through the Valley of the Moon.

The ancient elder slowly stepped forward. His old eyes swept across both rulers.