Steve was arrogant and prideful, always considering himself above everyone else. That was also the reason he got mad when Kiona was appointed as the leader of the Pride.
In his mind, she was too young, too soft, a lioness who didn't belong in charge. And above all, a female. That fact alone was enough for him to seethe with hatred.
The mont he received a na, his ego had swelled beyond reason. He grew even more arrogant, gathering lions who shared his bitter ideals.
And because of his betrayal, the Diremane Pride succeeded in wiping out her entire Pride. Without him, the outco would've been very different.
Kiona hated the Diremane Pride. She hated the human who had caused the fall. But none of it compared to the hatred she held for Steve.
He was the reason she lost everything.
That was also the reason she let the conversation drag longer than she should have. She didn't usually taunt her enemies, she wasn't the type. But this ti was different.
She wanted him to see. To feel it. How superior she had beco. She wanted to burn down that self-righteous pride of his before setting his body ablaze.
Of course, she had another reason too, her brothers hadn't arrived when she landed, and fighting all five of them alone would've been suicide.
She was about to announce their nas, but it seed Steve was too disgusted by the idea that others now possessed what once made him unique.
He roared to the skies, and the air vibrated with pressure. A wave of ntal force slamd into their minds, dazing them for a second. But only for a second.
Kiona blinked the haze away and moved first. Her body blurred forward, leaving behind burning prints on the cracked ground.
Steve growled as she approached, raising his massive front paws before slamming his hind legs down. The entire terrain shook, sending cracks spidering out like shattered glass.
Chunks of earth blasted upward beneath Kiona's feet, but her face remained cold. She had once been a Flaclaw Lioness herself. She knew the limits and strengths of every skill in Steve's arsenal.
That was the power evolution gave her, not just new abilities, but understanding.
Still, Steve wasn't just a mirror of her old self. He was stronger and higher ranked. He twisted the attack at the last mont, shifting the impact zone just ahead of her.
A cheap trick.
But tricks didn't matter to soone who had Kael as her master.
She exhaled softly, her flas flickering low for a heartbeat before erupting violently again. "[Sunfang Waltz]," she whispered.
Her figure blurred, a crimson arc slicing the air like a curved blade. Fire spun around her in a dizzying ring, and her speed tripled in an instant.
To Steve, she beca a blur of motion. A searing mirage that danced just beyond reach, the ground igniting wherever her feet touched.
She didn't attack imdiately. She danced. Circling him, testing him, letting him stew in confusion and rage.
Steve snarled and spun, trying to catch her. But then he felt it, a whisper of heat against his flank.
His eyes widened.
Too late.
Kiona appeared for a flash of a second, her claws glowing like miniature suns. One clean strike and a thick piece of flesh tore away from his belly.
He let out a guttural groan, spinning around wildly, his eyes darting across the fire-tinted area. But she was already gone again, a phantom of fla slipping past his blind spots.
The pain bit deeper than expected. Not just from the wound, but from the insult.
"You've really turned into a coward!" Steve roared, rage boiling inside his throat. "Heh... This is why you never deserved to be Alpha!"
His laughter was cracked and bitter. But his rage was deadly.
"[Flawake Mane!]"
His golden mane erupted like a wildfire, dancing across his body in molten waves. The heat scorched the ground around him, and the flas coiled tightly, forming a living armor of fire.
Kiona narrowed her eyes. 'He's refined that skill more than I ever did...'
But she wasn't the sa lioness anymore either.
She let the last embers of [Sunfang Waltz] surge through her legs, shifting her rhythm. She moved in an erratic, asymtric pattern, no longer a graceful circle, but a jagged storm of movent.
And then...an opening ca in her sight.
She lunged toward his back, claws shifting mid-air into long, draconic blades of pure fla. She brought them down, cleaving into the sa bloody spot on his belly.
Steve roared, the strike landing hard
...hard enough to part the fla armor and dig deep into his gut. Blood sprayed, hissing as it evaporated on contact with the burning ground.
She landed and tried to retreat, instincts screaming.
Too late.
Steve ignored the pain and lunged forward, jaws wide.
The world slowed.
His maw lood above her, large enough to swallow her whole. She knew exactly how strong it was—strong enough to snap Arbitanium, one of the toughest tal known, like dry twigs.
She didn't hesitate.
"[Infernal Pounce]!"
At the sa ti, she activated [Sunfang Waltz]'s final burst, the hidden mark that turned into a chain explosion.
The fire erupted between them, slamming into Steve's face and blowing Kiona backward through the air.
But not far enough.
A fang grazed her arm. Her Flesh tore open and her Veins snapped.
She scread in agony.
The pain was instant and total, shooting through her like a spike of molten iron.
Her body rolled as she landed, and she forced herself to her feet, clutching her arm.
She looked down and saw it, a dark, jagged gash running from her elbow to her wrist. The veins were blackening. Poison? No, kg was sothing worse. Sothing burning her from the inside out.
She tried to purge it with fla, but her body scread back in agony even more.
Steve's voice rang out.
"Is that all? I expected more from soone at Rare-Stage Evolution."
She looked up.
He was walking forward, casually, his mane dimming back to normal. Blood still leaked from his side, but he acted like it didn't matter.
Because to him, it really didn't.
"What... is this?" Kiona hissed, her breathing ragged. She eyed her arm and thought, 'Should I just cut it off?'
Steve laughed. "Surprised that I have sothing you didn't know?"
He stood tall now, shadow looming over her.
"You're not the only one with a master. I was nad too. And I got my benefits."
Kiona didn't speak.
She pretended to stumble back, hiding her strength. She let her arm droop as if it was unusable. She knew Steve too well.
He always talked, always explained his plan. He wanted his opponents to know, he wanted them to feel the despair...just like he made her family feel.
And as expected, he didn't disappoint her.
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