The air shifted. No… it bent. Lily's body straightened slowly, her trembling ceasing all at once as if something inside her had clicked into place. Her head rose, strands of red hair parting just enough to reveal her face.
A mark… glowed. Right at the center of her forehead, a fox-shaped sigil, sharp and ancient, burned into existence with a deep crimson light. The arena fell into stunned silence. Her breathing steadied.
Her lips parted, and her fangs elongated. They grew, sharp and predatory, glinting under the sunlight. Her nails stretched into claws. Fine strands of fur spread along her arms and cheeks, blending into her skin like living flame. And behind her, her tail flicked once, and a second one appeared.
Not physical, but spiritual. A translucent, glowing tail formed beside the first, swaying with an eerie, almost divine presence.
Anwar's smirk faded.
"So you had this hidden, huh?"
Lily didn't respond. She looked at him, and vanished.
BOOM!
