Lyra stepped toward the center of the octagon after the referee's signal.
The lights were still blindingly intense, and the octagon—enclosed with bars and a roof—made her feel caged.
In her past, this would've been the moment she'd try to bolt.
Fighting a panther, trapped with no way out? You'd have to be a complete idiot or insanely strong to take that on.
Lyra knew it. Under normal circumstances, a fox feral would get utterly humiliated in a matchup like this.
But she wasn't afraid.
Quite the opposite—she was itching to see how far she could go. Her tail was taut, not from panic, but because she was ready.
The referee, a massive bear feral, began laying out the rules as both fighters locked eyes.
"No biting, no tail-grabbing," he said sternly. "No strikes to sensitive areas, no eye-gouging. Got it?"
Quentin smirked arrogantly, his muscles tensing with anticipation.
"We know the spiel, just start the fight," he snapped, earning a glare from the referee, who continued, ignoring him.
"And most importantly… any attempt at transformation means instant disqualification," the bear feral said. "You ready?"
Lyra nodded silently. Quentin did too.
"Good. To your corners," he announced.
Darius had taught her the etiquette for moments like this—she was supposed to extend her hands and tap gloves with her opponent.
But when she did, even the bear feral referee's eyes widened in surprise.
Quentin, on the other hand, scowled, clearly offended.
"What, did that trainer of yours convince you you're human? You're disgusting," he spat, practically hissing the words before stalking to his corner.
The feral crowd burst into laughter again, but the humans fell silent, some shooting disapproving looks at Quentin's attitude.
"She's gonna get crushed… but I'd love to see someone shut that panther's trap," muttered a human in the front row, Lyra's feral senses picking up his words crystal clear.
Lyra didn't fully get the reaction. Having spent so long hiding on the streets, she'd never had the chance to watch a BMMA fight.
But it still pissed her off.
'You're underestimating me way too much…' she thought, irritated, as she walked to her corner.
Her tail twitched anxiously, her eyes fixed on Quentin while she waited for the signal.
Darius shouted from the other side of the cage.
"Don't listen to him! Focus on the plan!" he said, sensing the anger starting to bubble up in Lyra.
Lyra took a deep breath, trying to shove aside useless emotions, and began hopping in place, shaking out her arms to release the tension.
Quentin, meanwhile, was seething after Lyra's attempt to tap gloves.
He had both hands on the ground, one leg braced against the cage, poised to pounce at any moment.
Lyra was startled, seeing a mirror of her old fighting style in him.
DING
The bell rang, and Quentin shot toward her, so fast she wouldn't have dodged if she hadn't anticipated his move.
Frustrated by the missed attack, Quentin spun around, throwing wild, sweeping strikes and claw swipes at blistering speed.
Lyra dodged them one after another, feeling them graze her hair.
'I can see it… He's predictable,' Lyra thought, surprising herself.
But even if she could read his attacks, they were still too fast.
Lunging again, Quentin grabbed Lyra by the waist, slamming her hard against the cage wall.
He unleashed a barrage of punches, Lyra throwing up a shaky guard, her arms feeling each blow like it was a boulder.
Lyra gritted her teeth, holding on where she could, never taking her eyes off her opponent.
That's when she noticed.
Quentin was just hammering away, aiming for her face despite her raised guard, completely neglecting his own defense.
Right before the next punch landed, Lyra knew it was her moment.
She spun quickly, deflecting the blow with her shoulder and aiming an elbow at Quentin's jaw.
But she didn't feel the impact.
She searched frantically for Quentin, who'd vanished from her sight for a split second, only to find him in the center of the ring, breathing heavily.
The crowd went silent, all eyes on Lyra in shock.
A feral had just used a human martial arts move.
Quentin had dodged the strike, but his expression screamed disbelief at what he'd just seen.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" he growled, pointing at Lyra.
Lyra didn't care about his words or the furious complaints erupting from the feral crowd.
She raised her guard again, closing in on Quentin slowly.
She didn't have to pretend—she knew it from the panther's reaction.
Even if her kind hated her for it, this was her way of fighting back. She'd finally found her strength.
Quentin took a step back, caught off guard by Lyra's determined stare.
'What the hell's up with this fox?' he thought, his tail twitching nervously.
"You think fighting like a human's gonna make you win?" Quentin snarled, charging again.
But this time, Lyra wasn't letting herself get cornered.
When he got within range, Lyra planted her left foot, spinning her body into a lightning-fast kick that smashed into Quentin's face.
The panther hit the ground, blood dripping from his mouth.
Lyra seized the chance, pouncing on him and raining down punch after punch.
Unlike Quentin's wild swings, her strikes were sharp and precise, no wasted motion.
After taking a serious beating, the panther finally recovered, shoving Lyra off with his feet and sending her crashing into the cage.
Lyra let out a pained groan but bounced back quickly, raising her guard again.
Quentin got to his feet, angrier than ever, ready to keep fighting.
But before either could close the gap, the referee stepped in.
"Time's up! Back to your neutral corners!" he announced.
Lyra trudged to her corner, where Darius waited with a chair, catching her breath.
"Not bad for your first go, but don't let him get that close again. That's why I taught you those moves," he said, his voice stern. "Still, nice work… That elbow was a solid try, and that kick was spot-on."
Lyra smiled, relieved.
"Thanks… but I didn't knock him out," she replied, rinsing her mouth with the water bottle Darius handed her.
Then something strange happened, catching both Lyra and her opponent off guard.
The human side of the crowd started cheering wildly.
"That's how a fight's supposed to look!" one shouted, grinning. "Those savages just throw random punches with no technique!"
Lyra turned to them, stunned.
'What just happened…?' she thought, realizing that in just three minutes, she'd managed to earn the ferals' scorn and the humans' support.