That MOTHERFUCKER!!!

Did he have the decency to wait until she had woken up?! Nope! All because Captain Bitch told him to come immediately with her and her troop!

Bah! Why was she so mad about it, anyway?! That meant she wasn't obligated to break her muscles into oblivion for a few days!

...Maybe it was that time of the month. Boy, Stella preferred to bleed through her gut again. Whoever deity designed the female body deserved a few spankings, to say the least.

The girl aimlessly strolled through Pantsti. Her feet kicked out a cloud of sand for no reason other than she wanted to see what would happen, drawing the ire of several bystanders. She wasn't in a caring mood, so fuck them.

None of the Lycan Squad was here to kill some time with. She really wanted another go at that zombie game. The subpar, cheesy voice-acting was everything she ever wanted and more.

Wait... Where was Lien?

The moment she crossed Stella's mind, she sprinted towards her hut. How could she have forgotten about her first friend?! It was preposterous!

She realized how she absorbed the Wolves' behavior when she opened Lien's door without knocking. Crime here must have been non-existent.

Rude or not, it mattered little. The pup wasn't home.

Shit, what now? The elder Wolf was with another class, so training would have to wait.

...

Well, part of it, at least.

Would that be reckless without Asra around? Of course.

Did she care? A little.

Would she do it, anyway? You know the answer.

Stella hopped with glee. A devious, crooked smile played on her lips as she cracked her knuckles with malicious intent oozing from her eyes. She was too enraptured by her own sadistic pleasure to see if the Monoke in the streets was concerned about her.

"Oh, Dwayne, my old friend..." She snickered to herself. "Today is the day of my reckoning..."

And so, the vengeful tween crossed the entire village to reach her fateful nemesis... Only to find him being lifted over and over by her best friend. Et tu, Lien?

"Ninety-one..." The pup groaned, putting on a strenuous effort as she squatted with the might of Atlas. "Ninety-two..."

Namadi's light... Lien was stronger AND knew how to count higher than Stella?! She was so hot...

If the Human asked to be carried like a princess, would she- NO! She had just cleansed herself from those tainted thoughts! She couldn't fall into temptation again!

"ONE HUNDRED!" Lien howled proudly, throwing Dwayne to the side. "Just in time, Stella!" She huffed. "Is the Knight coming?!" Her ears twitched.

"Didn't you hear? He and your mom went on a super-secret mission with the rest of the Squad." The girl's voice adopted a snarky tone as she made dramatic hand gestures for no one in particular. She was spending too much time with Asra.

"Really?!" Lien sighed, slumping her posture. "Aw, man! I was so pumped for today..."

Stella snorted. "Aren't you always excited, though? I never met a bigger action junkie than you."

The pup rubbed the back of her head with a sheepish smile. "You have a point," she giggled. "Sorry."

"Don't be." The Human reddened. "I-I really admire you for that, you know. You're so... passionate about everything you set your mind to!"

Oh, brother... What was she spewing? Lien would die from sheer laughter...

Speaking of who, her tail became stationary after the girl's cringey words. She wanted to curl into a ball and stay there until she died.

"You really think so?" Her milky eyes widened.

Stella awkwardly dragged her foot in the dirt. "Y-Yeah..." She clutched her own arm. "I think you're pretty cool..."

Her heart was brought into an insane pace as the Wolf wrapped her arms around her, squeezing her tight like a teddy bear.

"I think you're cool- No!" She pulled away, cupping both Stella's cheeks. "You're my coolest, most awesome friend, bar none!"

The Human was about to melt from such emotion. Her beating organ raced like a locomotive as her cheeks flushed even further.

"Geez, that sounds-"

"AND THAT'S WHY I'LL TRAIN YOU TIL YOU BECOME THE STRONGEST YOU CAN BE!!!"

...

Oh...

Lien backflipped away. "Let's take advantage of these free hours and polish your combat even further!" She eagerly pumped her fists in the air. "You're usually so exhausted when we do it."

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

For a second, Stella let her mind drown in her fantasies. She was such a fool...

You know what? Any time with Lien was a well-spent one in her book. Besides, she was rested and bursting with energy! She could finally spar with her, no holds barred.

A cocky smirk graced Stella's lips as she confidently pointed at her friend. "You're on, Wonder Pup! I'll knock you out for sure!" She put on a fighting stance, similar to Lien's. Fighting with her fingers bent into a claw rather than clenched knuckles was odd. Perhaps she'd have to adapt a few things.

Lien's body vibrated with sheer excitement. "Oooh! I love that name!" She took on her own fighting posture, most effective thanks to her natural weapons. "Alright! Show me how strong you've gotten!"

With each deep breath, more of Stella's energy sept through her pores, molding into an aura that clung onto her like an extra layer of golden skin. Her heart raced again, only this time from the overwhelming thrill of combat, accentuated by her choice of opponent. Lien flared her aura with a toothy grin shining under the afternoon Sun.

No further words to utter. It was time for action.

With a growl, Stella sprinted towards the pup, rotating her torso to gain enough momentum for a powerful punch. In a couple of seconds, she closed the gap that would've taken her twenty before. Lien's ears twitched as she blocked the strike with her forearm.

With a cocky grin across her face, the Wolf pup tried to knock her friend off her feet with a leg sweep, but the Human was well aware of her combat vices, effortlessly backflipping out of range. She couldn't believe how easily she pulled it off! Asra would be so damn proud!

"Nice!" Lien beamed. "Keep it up! Keep it up!" She hopped side-to-side on all fours, approaching Stella. The Human's eyes were sharpened by dealing with her companion's unfair speed daily, granting her the skill to see her pounce coming soon enough to duck out of the way.

Her defense was leagues better than before. However, she couldn't keep this power balance for long. One opening and the girl could tip the scales in her favor.

Lien quickly recovered from the failed lunge by rolling into a ball for a second, keeping the momentum to run at Stella again.

Another pounce. Will the pup expect the Human to do the same evasive again?

Stella swung her right leg, gathering as much Saniya in that region as possible under that short window. As predicted, Lien was about to strike her legs, expecting her to crouch again. The Monoke hesitated, but it proved too little, too late, as the Human girl connected a fierce kick on her jaw, making her fly tens of meters, spinning like a top, before landing flat on her belly.

The Wolf took a little longer to stand up than usual. A drop of cold sweat dripped down the girl's face.

"Y-You..." Lien's body started to tremble as she rubbed her bruised chin.

Oh no... Stella had overdone it. Her friend was definitely-

The pup howled, her aura erupting like a raging wildfire! "YES! I KNEW IT! THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!"

The Human's heart skipped a beat. Even after such a devastating strike, Lien's smile shone brighter than before?! She had to admit that only drew her closer to the furry Monoke.

Right. Fighting time.

"I'm not holding back anymore, Stella! Let's see how you handle THIS!" The Wolf's aura swirled into a chaotic, powerful typhoon as she inhaled so much air her chest expanded to a concerning degree.

Shit! The Super Breath! The Human girl willed her radiating Saniya to shape and harden itself into a golden dome. Remembering her time in Grýla's lair, she touched the shielding layer, pouring extra energy into its foundation. She hoped this investment was ultimately worth it.

The Wolf released the spell, shooting a potent gust of wind that crashed against the magical construct! A deep crack formed on its golden surface, prompting Stella's heart to race with anxiety. Also, was it her nerves speaking, or had her wind spell changed since the last time? Previously, it was a generally powerful breath with no clear target. Now, it had a more concentrated zone of impact, acting more similarly to a piercing bullet.

That meant Stella wasn't the only one who had improved...

The cracks spread deeper into the shield, but Stella steeled her resolve, stretching her hands at her own spell! She poured enough Saniya to regenerate the damage just enough so it could endure the Wolf's near-invisible projectile. She thought it was a losing battle for the agonizing seconds it lasted, but in the end, Lien relented.

"W-Wow..." The canine gasped, putting her paw over her chest. Her aura had diminished into a faint glow. "You're a tough cookie to break, aren't you?"

Stella lifted the shield, dissolving into sparkly wisps that flickered through the breeze. "So are you..." She took the time to regain her breath as well. "I've noticed a little change to your air spell..." She huffed. "Wanted to impress me that much?" Her arrogant smirk still persevered through the exhaustion.

Lien chuckled, rubbing her snout. "You noticed, huh?" She opened her arms, eyes burning with determination. "This is not the only new trick I have, by the way!"

She jumped in the air, curling herself into a ball and spinning. When gravity claimed her and pulled her to the ground, her rotation didn't stop. In fact, it gained more and more momentum as the grass below her was shredded into pieces.

"Was she pulling a..." Stella narrowed her eyes in shock, muttering to herself. "No, there was no way..."

Well, life had a way of proving her wrong. The furry Monoke, still in her ball form, spin-dashed at the Human with uncontested speed! Her body slammed into the girl's torso, the cracking sound of her rib cage ringing in her ears!

Stella's body became too numb to defend or evade the subsequent strikes. Without breaking out of her curling formation, Lien rolled over her two, three, four times in a row! The Human's body quivered with the pain, her arms and knees too weak to support her.

Lien's voice echoed through her flickering conscience. "Sorry, Stella. But if you ain't on the ground, I'll keep putting you down!"

Oh, that was perfect! Stella only needed to lie down to end the suffering!

...

......

But something deep down in her soul was too stubborn to admit defeat. The girl clearly had a masochistic streak.

Her eyes focused on the dirt beneath her palms. She could feel each grain rubbing against her skin, a welcoming interaction. The words of Hōkō flashed on her mind.

"You must be as strong and reliable as the Earth."

"Make the ground react to your Saniya and respect your power."

It was, admittedly, a foolish, desperate move. However, it was either that or forfeit, and Stella was no quitter!

Pouring all her Saniya into her hands, she flared the golden light with the leftovers of her resolve, growing from tiny embers to a full-fledged flame as Lien's spin-dash digging into the dirt was heard louder and louder.

For a moment, the Human completely shook off her doubts, her limbs strengthening alongside her willpower.

The terrifying sound of the Wolf's technique ricocheting through the ground was nothing but a nuisance.

Stella was unflinching.

Stella was resolute.

Stella was...

...

......

.........

Still... awake...?

............

She turned her head forward. The first thing she saw was not the Wolf pup. It was... a sizeable earth pillar.

"I... did it?" The girl was slack-jawed. "I can't believe it!"

Her first elemental spell. Only hours after learning the basic theory around it. Be that natural talent or dumb luck, it didn't fucking matter anymore! She just commanded the earth! Just like Hanaken!

Namadi's light... How would Hōkō react? How would Asra? How would-

...What is this shadow looming over her? Why was it growing?

Looking upward, she saw Lien frantically waving her arms, clumsily spinning. "STELLA! HELP ME!!!"

Aw, fu-

CRASH!

Welp! The expected result. The wrong timing.