The fight between Alphonse and Eugene has started to truly begin. The clash between the bull’s and hellhound’s attack was powerful. The clash of which had enough force to momentarily paralyze both summoners.

Seeing his chains stopped in its tracks, Ripley smiled. A wicked smile as if he was only amused. “Intriguing, even if my power is currently sealed, you’re able to stop my chains in its tracks.”

Both fell back as they readied themselves for another attack. Despite the intensity of the situation, Sife couldn’t help but keep his relaxed expression.

“Got to say, you are as strong as your horns show. ~”

A sweat started to drip from his head as the bull Beastman continued “Makes it all the scarier the fact it took all of us just to match your full strength going wild.”

Ripley raised one hand casually as he motioned Sife towards him as he summoned more chains, double the amount as before. “Ah yes, I remember how being rather excited from keeping my wild side from playing with you all. So why not entertain me a bit more.”

The demon sent his chains on an onslaught towards Sife, who instead of trying to dodge the attack opted to go straight towards his attacker. “Well, can’t go on disappointing everyone by not giving a good show now, can’t I? ~”

He lowered his head, ignoring the impacts of the chains slamming against his body, as he pointed his horns towards his target. “Bucking: Stampede!!”

Power started to burst from the tip of his horns as Sife’s speed started to pick up and some of chains merely bounce off of him. His eyes focused purely on Ripley.

“How interesting, but that won’t be enough break through.” He motions his hand as the chains started to circle around Sife, ready to restrain the bull’s stampede.

But before they could stop his attack a voice shouted out. “Strength Booster!”

Eugene had activated his card from his starting hand, having already drawn a new card. The power of Strength Booster had added its strength on Sife who felt his muscles expand as he bulldozed past the wrapping chains which only dispersed from him.

Feeling his power built up, Sife gave an uncharacteristic scream filled with excitement. “RRAARRGGGGHH Here I come!!”

“Wh-Wha-”

Before the Hellhound could respond, he was met with the full force of the charging bull while managing to mostly divert the Beastman’s horns away from his body with just a scratch at his side.

Seeing the damage Sife had inflicted, Ripley could only click his tongue in annoyance as he focused on keeping the bull at bay.

In the meantime, Alphonse was in the middle of writing a new attack. Not wanting to give him another chance, Eugene ran up to close the distance between them and prepared his Frost Breaker to punch the pen off of his friend’s hand.

But as he inches closer to the Fox Demihuman the same lines of chains from before had animated and started to target Eugene instead.

“Boss!!” Sife panicked as he tried to go to help only to find that his horns were held in place, Ripley deciding to keep him there to stop him from helping his summoner.

“Can’t have you doing that little bull.” The Hellhound mockingly said.

Sife struggled to get himself free but Ripley’s grip was strong, even with his power nerfed. The chains homed in and it was too late for Eugene to dodge it. Despite that the boy remained undeterred, simply holding out a card before calling out to the bull man.

“Sife! Keep charging!”

Without a second of a delay, Sife did as he instructed and put all his strength in pushing through his opponent despite that fact it did little in moving the Demon. This amused Ripley as he put more strength in gripping Sife’s horns more tightly, making sure that his efforts were in vain.

“Shadow Intercept!”

Stolen novel; please report.

In the next moment, Ripley suddenly found himself no longer holding onto any horns and instead holding onto empty air. The sudden change caused the Hellhound to lose his balance as he started to lean forward. Below him he was surprised to see not the bull Beastman before him but his summoner instead.

Alphonse himself was surprised when he suddenly saw Sife in front of him, who in turn was in the middle of a powered charge, all of which stopped the fox midway in his writing.

Both taking advantage of their confusion, Eugene prepared his ice gauntlets and gave a frosty right hook at the Hellhound’s belly as ice started to form in its place. Sife himself bulldozed through the oncoming chains as well as the wall of fire Alphonse hastily wrote into existence.

Unfortunately for him, there was little power in the wall of flames as it was quite easy for the Beastman to rush through. Feeling little heat coming out of it.

Both summoner and demon were forced back, giving Eugene and Sife time to reconvince together and get some distance between them. Eugene quickly drew a new card as they took the moment to catch their breaths.

Their classmates in the meantime were silently watching everything unfold. More surprising that even Alphonse was holding his own despite his initial appearance implying otherwise.

Neither side was ready to give up. Even Alphonse was showing signs of wanting to continue.

“Hey kid! Hate to say this but you might need to unlock a bit more of my power here!” Ripley argued as he readied his claws.

The fox man looked at his Hellhound before nodding in agreement as he began writing. Ripley himself stepping forward as he conjured more chains in front of them.

“Well seems our friends here are going to take it more seriously what do you say boss? Got any ideas?”

Eugene quickly looked at his hand. Unfortunately, all he had was Recycle, Healing Circle, Cinder Blade, and Speed Booster. There was little need for healing or speed boost and while Eugene could benefit from Cinder Blade, he already had his Frost Breaker equipped. Its not like he could give them to Sife who would benefit more… Or could he?...

He decided to test it out and managed to take off the gauntlets out of his hands and passed it to Sife, who happily equipped them. Eugene was grateful that it was that easy and had to remind himself that this was reality.

“Right…just cause it plays like a card game doesn’t mean it necessarily follows the same rules.”

Eugene then quickly activated Recycle and replaced Healing Circle and Speed Booster, drawing Barrier and Fireball.

“Alright, I think I can make this work.” the card player told himself as he equipped the Cinder Blade in his hands.

He then looked to Sife as he began explaining an idea he had.

At the same time, Alphonse was finished with writing down unsealing part of Ripley’s powers. Jotting down his words on his book at a faster speed while at the same time one of the demon’s cuffs starts to loosen and open up as a small burst-

“- of power started to swell through his body, a part of his old strength was returning. One of his large, curved Horn had already regrown back on his head.”

Ripley started to revel on part of his power returning as he took a deep breath and stretch out his arms. “Always good to feel my own strength returning. Even if it’s only a small portion.”

No sooner did he finish speaking did his chains started to tremble as if in fear of his own power. They moved, ready to follow their master’s command as some of the metal chains wrapped around his hands.

“The ends of his chains then started to reshape themselves, twisting and sharpening into a pair of piercing tips.”

Alphonse finished writing down the new reality as he dropped to his knees in exhaustion.

“Ah a nice addition. I commend you, my summoner.” The demon said, giving rare praise.

“Well, isn’t this getting intense eh boss? So why don’t we go along with that plan of yours? ~” Sife encouraged, finding their current situation exciting rather than terrifying.

Eugene nodded, getting his sword ready as Sife got into his Bucking stance of getting on all fours and pointing his horns at his target. Eugene himself inched closer towards his Bull familiar. He seemed a bit embarrassed about something.

“Come on boss, it was your idea. Unless you need some help to get you to ride me~” Sife teased.

Everyone in the room was flabbergasted, enough so that it even got his opponents to stop what they were doing momentarily. But none as much as Ryuze, who in turn had his snout wide open while his face was flushing red.

“W-what is that stupid bull saying?!” the Dragonoid managed to finally say.

Eugene himself was looking down ashamed. “P-please don’t say it like that I’m coming!”

He finally got close to Sife as he tried to climb on his back while making sure his blade didn’t poke him. Then he properly showed what Sife meant by riding, as he pointed his sword towards his opponents.

“Let’s just go! Please? ….”

“Alright alright I got it boss ~”

With that weird exchange done, Alphonse and Ripley managed to get out of their shock. Ripley seemed extra mad, which was indicated by how tightly he was gripping his chains.

“Are you a clown or something?! Whatever, I’ll finish you off now!”

Both beasts charged at each other at full speed. Sife completely ignored the other chains that had already come to ensnare him even with his summoner on his back. Eugene had it covered, deflecting them back with his Cinder Blade while keeping himself steady so that he could go at him at full force. Ripley meanwhile had begun to rapidly spin both chains in his hands as they began to heat up, the tips that fox summoner seemingly pulsing of the Hellhound’s power.

But as they got within striking distance….

“Alright that’s enough! That is more than enough of a demonstration!”