"Last time, Huo killed the monster with a single strike, piercing through its eye and straight into its brain, killing the monster from within. All I could do that time was to stabilize his heart and divert most of the backlash meant for his soul by taking it onto myself while he consumed his life force."
The revelation shocked not only Ziqian but also the other three guardians. Nia rarely spoke, and they had never known clearly what had truly happened that day. They had all just assumed that Nia was punished because he used his power to kill the five-horned monster.
What they hadn't expected was that it had truly been Huo—burning his own life force to gain that overwhelming strength—for one final strike that could kill the monster. Nia had only intervened to absorb most of the damage that should have torn Huo's soul apart.
Death had been the natural end waiting for Huo that day, but Nia prevented it, triggering the realm protection. That's why the white fluffball was punished.
Ziqian panicked.
He tried to rush toward Huo, desperate to stop whatever he was doing, but Xue caught him, holding him back with unyielding strength. Huo was in the midst of losing control. He was slowly losing his sanity, and there was no telling whether he could still recognize friend from foe.
Before their eyes, Huo's appearance began to change.
Huo's ears sharpened into pointed tips, his arms swelled with muscle as his hands elongated with sharp, gleaming claws, and black fur spread along his skin glistening in the moonlight.
It was a hybrid transformation—his human form still intact, but marked with beast characteristics. It's the best form for fighting because it's a perfect balance of agility and brute strength.
"Huo, calm down. Let's talk outside," Xue said, keeping his voice steady as he tried to draw Huo away. He didn't want Ziqian to be caught in the dispute.
But Huo couldn't hear him anymore—reason was already slipping through his mind. There was only one thought roaring inside his head.
Kill Xue.
Kill the person who takes everything from him.
Kill the man who took the sub-beast he loves.
If Xue died, then Ziqian would be his.
"DIE!" Huo roared.
He lunged at Xue, his claws extended and ready to tear apart anything in his path. The attack was swift and devastating, fueled by madness and raw strength.
The suffocating pheromones pouring from Huo crushed down like an invisible weight. It could paralyze weaker beasts and slow their reactions. Combined with the monstrous strength granted by his berserk state, his claws could easily rend flesh and bone.
If Xue had been an ordinary beastman, he would have been torn to pieces in that single strike.
But Xue was no ordinary beast.
He rushed forward and twisted aside at the last second, deflecting Huo's claws before retaliating with a powerful kick aimed at his brother's side. Normally, Xue should have avoided a direct confrontation with Huo now, but with Ziqian behind him, retreat was not an option. He could not allow Huo even a single step closer.
Huo raised his arms to block the impact against his forearms. At the same time, he countered, driving a far heavier kick toward Xue's abdomen with brutal force.
The impact of their clash sent shockwaves through the tent, pushing Ziqian back a few steps.
One moment, Huo had been standing at the entrance. In an instant, Huo was already in front of Xue, and they had exchanged several blows in the blink of an eye.
Everything happened too fast for Ziqian to follow.
His mind was still in a mess.
He couldn't even see clearly who struck first or who was bleeding. All he knew was the violent clash of bodies, the suffocating pheromones, and the terrifying possibility that one of them might not survive this night.
Ziqian's heart pounded violently, fear clawing at his chest. What if Huo exhausted his life force completely? What if he died?
But how was he supposed to stop them? His legs felt rooted to the ground.
And before he could think of anything, Xue and Huo were already locked in a brutal fight, their strikes growing heavier, fiercer, and more desperate with each passing second.
"Stop him!" Nia cried, his small body trembling.
"Ahh... Let's call for help!" Ero shouted.
"Right! Right, call for help!" Phi echoed, hopping in frantic circles.
Even the three guardians were panicking.
"Shut up!" Gae snapped at the three, fur bristling as he tried to stay calm. Then he turned to Ziqian, whose face had gone pale. "Ah-Zi! Breathe first. Then go to Lia and Bei to ask for help."
Ziqian nodded, but his body felt sluggish. He pinched his legs hard to regain his senses, and when he was about to run out, trying to avoid the two people fighting, a body flew past him—hurtling across the tent before slamming into the opposite side.
The impact was explosive.
The support poles splintered with sharp cracks. The woven hide above them tore loose, sagging before collapsing inward. Dust burst into the air, thick and choking.
Ziqian staggered back, and he dropped to his butt, palms scraping against dirt and splinters in the ground.
"Ahh!" he groaned.
Ignoring the pain, Ziqian wipes at his eyes with shaking hands, trying to clear the dust to see clearly what happened.
Ziqian saw Xue shove aside the broken posts and rise from the wreckage. Blood continuously poured from a deep gash on his pale chest that dripped onto the ruined ground.
"Xue!?" His voice cracked.
Ziqian crawled forward, his hands trembling, wanting to press against that wound to stop the bleeding.
Then Huo lunged again.
Blood streaked across his arms, his claws dark and glistening. His eyes were completely red now, with no gold left and no trace of reason. The symbol on his forehead burned like a violent light.
"STOP! Please, stop!" Ziqian screamed, tears streaming down his face. His voice is raw and desperate.
But Huo did not slow. The man could not hear him anymore.
Xue stepped forward despite the wound, positioning himself to defend against Huo's next attack.
The next clash shook the ground.
Blood sprayed, and a kick sent splinters flying. The scent of iron thickened, mixing with the sharp, suffocating pheromones of Huo.
"Stop it!" Ziqian cried again, his voice breaking. He felt useless.
The two men he cared for were trying to tear each other apart, and he stood there powerless, unable to help either one.
"If you don't stop Huo now, he will die, or Xue will."
Nia's words echoed in his mind.
~
The loud crash woke the nearby tents. People rushed out to see what was happening. Even the patrolling warriors hurried over.
And then they saw the collapsed tent.
Their young patriarch stood bloodied amid the wreckage. Huo, in his hybrid form, attacked Xue fiercely. And in the debris nearby, Ziqian, the god's messenger, sat helplessly, his shoulders shaking as he cried.
"What's happening?"
"Why are they fighting?"
"Is that Huo?"
Gasps and murmurs spread through the crowd as they struggled to understand what had caused the twins to fight like this.
"Call the High Priest!"
"Inform the Patriarch!"
Several people immediately ran off to call the high priest and the patriarch.
Two females bravely rushed to Ziqian's side, helped him to his feet, and carried him away while two warriors lunged at Huo from behind, locking onto his arms in an attempt to restrain him.
Huo roared.
With a violent twist of his shoulders, he flung both warriors away as if they weighed nothing. Their bodies hit the ground, skidding through dirt and broken wood.
That strength.
The oppressive pheromones pressed down on everyone nearby, thick and suffocating.
And on Huo's forehead, a mark glowed an ominous red.
Only then did everyone realize that Huo had gone berserk.
Ignoring the other beasts, Hou once again launched an attack at Xue.
Now that Ziqian was already taken to safety, Xue didn't need to just defend—he then met Huo head-on.
"Call Tul and the others!" one of the warriors shouted.
They needed more people to hold Huo down.
"Are they fighting because of Ziqian? Everyone knows Huo likes him."
"The young patriarch likes him too…"
The commotion draws more people from their tents. The whispers spread faster, and everyone's eyes darted toward Ziqian.
The louder the chaos grew, the more suffocating it became.
In the center of it all, Ziqian stood unmoving, staring at the two men.
Ziqian could not hear the gossip anymore.
He could not hear the warriors shouting.
He could not even hear the four fluffballs calling his name.
All he saw were two men tearing each other apart.
Because of him.
Tears streamed down his face without pause, blurring his vision until the world became nothing but streaks of firelight.
It felt just like before.
Everything was repeating.
Different world.
Different faces.
And now, here he was again.
Two men destroying themselves.
Because of him.
His fingers curled into fists. Back then, he had told himself he was not responsible, but now everything was clearly his fault.