Among the nauseous and dizzy feeling, the girl named Ursa was battered up pretty badly. She couldn't even make up her enemy's movement. Only blur was in her sight.

And yet, her sense of danger didn't even go up. One single thing plagued her mind since the beginning of the fight. A very capital question that she needed to ask at all cost.

“Are those ears real?” Ursa finally spoke after barely gaining room to breathe.

In response, the so called cat ears on her opponent's head twitched. “Are you really asking that?” The person said annoyed.

She seemed to be around 19 years old, and had white long hair. Her clothes, despite the cold, surprisingly didn't cover much of her skin. And most importantly, unnatural fluffy pair of animals ears protruded from her head. At first glance, it seemed to be similar to that of a cat but with more observation it was definitely that of a fox. In addition to that, the voluptuous fur-covered tail on her back also couldn't be missed.

Anyone seeing her would probably judge her to be a ‘beastwoman’.

The thing is, though, there are no such a race in this world.

“Can I touch them?” Ursa shamelessly asked.

“...Go die.” The beastwoman responded, claw extending from her hand.

With tremendous force, the girl kicked the ground and clawed at her blonde enemy, missing her by a breath.

Ursa tried her best evading the incessant attack. Then she opened her mouth, still not letting go of the previous topic.

“Just a little is fine, please!!” She literally begged to her foe.

“Shut up.” The fox girl flatly rejected.

However, Ursa didn't give up. In this situation where the person was literally trying to kill her, all she could see was a fluffy amazing tail fluttering in the air. Something inside her just wanted to grab it. At all cost.

“Won't you become my pet then?” Ursa genuinely asked.

A kick in the stomach was her response.

“How about we become friend?”

This time it was a punch in the face.

“I'll pay you if you let me touch it!!”

Slammed into the ground, Ursa coughed a mouthful of blood. Pain coursed through her entire body but her objective didn't change.

“You really won't let me, huh.” Struggling to stand up again, she said. “This is my last offer.” Suddenly, the same fox ears and tail appeared on Ursa's body. “How about I become your pet?”

“...Won't you take this seriously?” The beastwoman responded, more than just irritated.

Considering it as a refusal, the older girl looked a little dejected. “Still no?” She asked a final time, a little hopeful.

It was pointless, though. Knowing it, the woman wiped a streak of blood from her face.

“Fine, then.” Ursa said, finally sounding serious. The aura around her changed into a dangerous one.

Sensing it, the fox girl readied her battle stance. Most likely, the real battle would begin from now on.

However—

“I'll touch it by force if necessary.”

—Ursa's new obsession didn't stop blossoming.

◇

“Three of you, huh.” A man said, surveying Stone, Flame and Aiden at the same time. “This works in my favor.”

“Who the heck are you, man?” Aiden asked, impatient.

Putting his hand into his pocket, the man locked eyes with the leader. A smirk appeared on his face.

“That is none of your busi— no, I guess it is, now.”

He aged around his late twenties and was rather tall. A hood covered his head but his feature could still be seen. He was bald and had deep dark eyes. Countless scar covered his face alone further adding to his intimidating aura.

“No matter. Aiden Bailey, I need you to come with us.”

“Ha?” Confused by his statement, Aiden let out.

“My mission is to bring the 'singularity of power-up' with me, even if I have to use forces. So just be obedient and follow me.”

Aiden was left silent at the word. He looked down at the ground, letting out a small chuckle. Then, with a sideway glance, he gave a silent order to Flame.

The red boy instantly moved with great speed. Hand covered in fire, he scorched the land where the man was standing. To his surprise, however, his target wasn't there anymore.

“Well, 'unchained' was going to be wiped out tonight anyway.”

Without so much as a single movement, the enemy was already a meter away behind the criminal group.

“It doesn't hurt to do some exercise some times.”

With absolute confidence, the man stretched his hand nonchalantly. Nonetheless, Aiden, too, didn't lose his confidence.

“Are you seriously going to fight us three at the same time?” A smile appeared on his face as he wondered. “You'll die, you know?”

Snorting at these questions, the man showed a sadistic smile. “Oh, don't worry. I actually am not alone.”

As if on cue, the ground began to tremble. Crack appeared on it before long and something entered the area. Something really big.

“...Wow, that's nuts.” Aiden muttered, a little surprised.

◇

*pant*pant*

Ed was breathing heavily, his stamina not coping. His forehead was bleeding, and his clothes torn. Hidden in a deserted area, he tried to recuperate as much as he could.

‘What the heck is that girl!!’ he cursed but didn't dare to voice it out loud.

For the first time in a long while, he felt fear. His enemy's appearance was just that of a little girl. However, he couldn't see her that way.

Lifeless eyes devoid of feeling. Movement backed with no will. She seemed just like a puppet. A devilish puppet.

She wasn't human, yet wasn't a monster either. She wasn't an Elite but possessed their same strength. She wasn't alive but wasn't dead either.

Those were Edward's impression of the white haired entity. He didn't have proof to justify these statement. Nevertheless, he believed—no, he knew it was true.

The thing pursuing him right now, is something that should have never existed. His enemy right now was a taboo, and he doesn't stand a chance against it. That's why he needed to run away.

Even if he couldn't do so, he needed to at least get help. From Aiden, from Ursa or even from Rin. His personal feeling didn't matter at this point. He wanted to survive. No matter what.

“Target located.”

A chill ran down Ed's spine. He reflexively blocked his abdomen with his two hand. And immediately after, he felt a terrible pain creeping up at the same place. Crashing blood, he was violently blown away.

“Resuming elimination.”

Under the moonlight, Edward Warray, for the first time, regretted entering the underworld. Never in his life had death stared so closely at him.

◇

Cold blood ran into the beastwoman's body.

The singularity of illusion. Every person in the underworld knew of this power. However, it wasn't because of its phenomenal capacity, it was because of the person wielding it.

Ursa Saith. A name feared and dreaded by all. If the question ‘what kind of person she was?’ were to be asked, every one, without exception, would respond ‘A crazy woman!' without hesitation.

No one wanted to be her enemy. In fact, her presence alone was what maintained ‘unchained’ in place. Of course, that didn't mean Aiden and the others were weak. But, with how much enemy they had made around the world, it wouldn't be surprising to see them be destroyed overnight.

Ursa was preventing that from happening. Yes, the majority of people, whether it be from the underworld or from even Ark itself, was afraid of her. After all, her strength alone was dangerously nearing the Rank I tier. Blindly attacking her would result in an unsightly death.

She was 'unchained's strongest member and an unpredictable variable.

‘Reality crusher’ was the title given to her in consequences.

And right now, the fox girl, Igris, was her victim.

“This girl is just too much for me.” The white haired teenager said, gulping her saliva down.

She knew it wasn't real. She knew the thing she was seeing was an illusion. Something brought about by Ursa's power.

And yet, she was completely paralyzed by it. She just couldn't ignore it. It felt way too real that even her instinct screamed danger.

After all, the thing falling at her was a meteorite. Massive, bright red and approaching at an insane speed. Death was the only thing she could imagine.

Then, as if the time had slowed down, she was engulfed by it. Except shutting her eyes, she wasn't able to do anything.

“Fluffy.”

After a minute had passed, those words brought her back to her senses. Opening her eyes with hesitation, she confirmed that she was alive. Not only that, her entire surrounding didn't receive any damage.

‘Right’ She thought with immense relief. ‘Illusion can't be real after all.’

This was the natural result. Her previous fear was just a fallacy caused by the unnaturally vivid sight she had seen. Obviously, something that didn't exist couldn't hurt her. So, she didn't feel anything.

From the meteor at least.

Regaining her calm, Igris finally sensed the disgusting person behind her.

Ursa was vehemently rubbing her cheek against her fox tail. At some point, the woman even began drooling.

“Grrr” Growling a little, a bulge appeared on Igris's face. “Get away from me!!”

With extreme velocity, she turned around and smashed her feet against Ursa. Never before in her life had she kicked someone this strongly, she was sure of that. Helplessly tossed away, the older woman cried in dissatisfaction.

“Ehhhh! Let me touch it some more!!” Ursa said after she stood up.

Igris's eyes glowed violet shade in response. Her claw growing out of her finger again. “That's it! I'm gonna kill you!” She expressed in anger.

Ursa, on the other hand, just shrugged it off. She had touched the tail, now she wanted the ears. That was all she could think about, despite the fact that she was the more injured of the two.

‘This is fun!’ Her expression seemed to transmit.

Essentially, this was why everyone was so afraid of her. Her action just couldn't be predicted. She would toy with those that she like and, inversely, she would break those that she didn't.

This was how she was. Nothing less and nothing more than a madwoman.