Arata kept his gaze locked on Zahra, every muscle in his body tensing as the air thickened with tension. There was something unsettling about her presence—something far more dangerous than he had anticipated. The cold around them intensified, frost creeping along the floor, but it was the look in her eyes that unnerved him the most. She was completely calm, confident, and unbothered by the fact that he had already bested two of Usman’s wives.

“I suppose you’ve been waiting for this moment,” Arata said, narrowing his eyes. “So, what are you?”

Zahra said nothing for a moment, simply regarding him with a patient smile. Her fingers danced through the air, leaving icy trails in their wake. “What am I?” she echoed, her voice like a soft whisper, though it carried clearly in the frigid room. “I am the one you won’t defeat.”

Before Arata could respond, the air around Zahra shifted, growing denser with power. She raised her arms slowly, as if summoning something from deep within herself, and the temperature dropped sharply. Arata could see his breath now, fogging up the air in front of him, but it was Zahra’s transformation that stole his attention.

A pale blue glow emanated from her body, and Arata’s instincts screamed at him to brace himself. Zahra’s silhouette began to distort, the soft lines of her human form twisting and warping into something more primal. Her skin seemed to shimmer as a wave of energy rolled over her, and then—suddenly—her body began to change.

Her legs elongated, taking on a muscular, predatory shape. Claws extended from her feet, and a thick coat of sleek, snow-white fur covered her limbs. Her arms grew longer, more powerful, and her fingers extended into sharp, deadly talons. Her back arched as her spine extended, giving her a bestial posture, and a long, thick tail unfurled behind her, tipped with ice-like spikes.

Zahra’s face was the last to change. Her features twisted, her nose elongating into a wolf-like snout, her mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth. Her eyes, once human, now glowed a chilling ice-blue, devoid of warmth or mercy. As the transformation completed, Zahra let out a low, guttural growl that reverberated through the room, sending shivers down Arata’s spine.

She had transformed into a Ringmaster Snow Leopard—a fierce predator, born of ice and snow. Every inch of her exuded power, and Arata could feel the raw energy radiating off her.

“This,” she said, her voice now a deep, growling rumble, “is what I am.”

Arata’s heart pounded in his chest, but he didn’t flinch. He knew this fight was going to be a brutal one.

As Zahra's transformation completed, the room seemed to pulse with her new energy. Her once calm, almost delicate presence was now completely replaced by the raw, wild power of a Snow Leopard. Her fur shimmered in the dim light, reflecting an ethereal blue, and frost began to spread beneath her paws with every step she took. The once smooth floor was now coated in thin layers of ice, slick and dangerous.

Her tail lashed behind her, tipped with jagged ice that looked like it could tear through flesh with ease. Arata's eyes traced her form, assessing her new capabilities. Zahra’s frame, although now beast-like, retained a lithe and graceful quality. She moved like a predator stalking its prey, each step deliberate and measured, as if testing the strength of her new form.

Her eyes, now an intense, glowing blue, locked onto him. There was a hunger in them—a primal, animalistic thirst for battle. The room felt colder, almost unbearably so, and Arata could see small ice crystals forming on his skin.

Zahra stood tall, her fur rippling with each breath, and the energy she radiated was palpable. The very air seemed to bow to her presence, swirling around her in cold gusts. It was clear that she had full control of the battlefield now, and Arata knew that the icy environment would work to her advantage.

“Is that fear I see?” Zahra's voice was deeper now, a harsh growl that echoed through the room, carrying a weight of mockery and menace.

Arata remained silent, though inside, his thoughts raced. She was faster, stronger, and now wielded the power of ice with precision. It was going to take more than brute force to win this fight.

Zahra’s tail whipped sharply, sending a gust of cold wind toward him, but it was the subtle shifts in her posture that warned Arata of her imminent attack. Her claws flexed, digging into the icy ground, and in a flash, she lunged toward him.

Her speed was astonishing, even faster than before. In her transformed state, Zahra had become a blur of motion, her Snow Leopard form granting her unparalleled agility. She closed the distance between them in a heartbeat, her claws slashing through the air with deadly intent.

Arata barely managed to throw up a defensive stance, summoning the earth beneath him to form a barrier. The icy claws of the Snow Leopard collided with the stone, sending shards of rock and ice flying in every direction. The force of her attack pushed Arata back, his feet sliding on the frozen ground.

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He grit his teeth, knowing this was only the beginning.

Zahra's claws dug into the stone, effortlessly cutting through the earth barrier Arata had raised. She pushed forward with relentless force, forcing Arata to retreat as he tried to maintain his defenses. The ground beneath them trembled, but the ice that Zahra controlled had already begun to overtake the battlefield.

“I expected more from you,” Zahra growled, her voice dripping with disdain. She lunged at him again, her claws gleaming as they sliced through the air.

Arata barely dodged, rolling to the side as Zahra’s attack struck the ground where he had stood just moments before. The floor shattered under the force of her blow, sending chunks of ice and stone flying in every direction.

He scrambled to his feet, summoning a wave of earth to rise up in an attempt to trap her, but Zahra was too quick. She leapt into the air, her powerful legs propelling her high above the battlefield. As she descended, she unleashed a blast of icy wind, her tail lashing out with lethal precision. The cold wind slammed into Arata, forcing him to shield his face as the freezing gust tore through his defenses.

Frost began to form on his skin, numbing his limbs as the cold seeped into his body. His movements slowed, his muscles stiffening under the relentless chill. Zahra landed gracefully, her eyes flashing with satisfaction as she saw the effect her power was having on him.

“You’re too slow,” she taunted, circling him like a predator stalking its prey. “You can’t keep up with me.”

Arata’s mind raced as he tried to think of a way to counter her attacks. His control over the earth element was strong, but Zahra’s ice was proving to be a formidable opponent. The battlefield was now her domain, and every step he took was met with resistance as the ground froze beneath his feet.

Zahra struck again, her claws slashing through the air with deadly accuracy. Arata summoned another stone wall, but Zahra tore through it with ease, her claws leaving deep gouges in the rock.

Arata grunted in pain as one of her strikes landed, her claws raking across his chest. The icy sting of her attack sent a shock of pain through him, and he staggered backward, blood staining his clothes.

“You’re not used to fighting in the cold, are you?” Zahra sneered, her voice filled with amusement. “This is my domain, and I will bury you in it.”

Arata wiped the blood from his lip, his eyes narrowing as he studied her. She was fast, strong, and her control over ice was absolute. But he couldn’t afford to give up now.

With a deep breath, he summoned the power of the earth once more, the ground beneath him rumbling in response. Stone pillars erupted from the floor, rising to form a maze of jagged rock. Zahra paused for a moment, her eyes narrowing as she assessed the new terrain.

“Trying to hide?” she asked mockingly. “It won’t work.”

Arata didn’t respond. He moved through the maze, using the pillars as cover to buy himself some time. He needed to come up with a new strategy, one that would allow him to overcome Zahra’s speed and ice.

But Zahra wasn’t going to wait.

With a snarl, she leapt onto one of the stone pillars, her claws digging into the rock as she scaled it with ease. She perched at the top, her eyes scanning the maze below, searching for her prey. And then, with a burst of speed, she launched herself

With a snarl, she leapt onto one of the stone pillars, her claws digging into the rock as she scaled it with ease. She perched at the top, her eyes scanning the maze below, searching for her prey. And then, with a burst of speed, she launched herself from pillar to pillar, her movements fluid and precise.

Arata barely had time to react as she came crashing down on him, her claws aimed for his throat. He threw up a stone shield, but Zahra’s claws tore through it like paper, her strength overpowering his defenses.

She slammed into him, knocking the wind out of his lungs as they tumbled to the ground. Her claws pressed against his throat, the icy cold biting into his skin.

“I told you,” Zahra growled, her voice low and dangerous. “You can’t win.”

Arata struggled beneath her, but the cold had sapped his strength, and Zahra’s weight pinned him down. He could feel the sharpness of her claws against his neck, the icy chill spreading through his body.

For a moment, he considered giving up. But then, in the back of his mind, he heard a voice—a voice that urged him to fight, to keep going, no matter the odds.

With a burst of strength, Arata threw Zahra off of him, sending her sprawling across the ground. He scrambled to his feet, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he wiped the blood from his neck.

But Zahra was already back on her feet, her eyes burning with fury. She moved faster than he could react, her claws flashing as she slashed across his chest again, deeper this time.

Arata staggered, his vision blurring from the pain. He collapsed to the ground, blood pooling beneath him as Zahra stood over him, victorious.

“You were never going to beat me,” Zahra said coldly, her voice dripping with disdain. She turned her back on him, confident that the fight was over.

But Arata wasn’t done yet.

As Zahra began to walk away, a strange energy surged through Arata’s body. His vision blurred as a sudden warmth filled his veins, pushing away the cold that had threatened to consume him. The pain in his chest faded, replaced by a burning sensation that ignited deep within him.

Arata's body began to glow, faint at first, but growing brighter with every passing second. The light enveloped him, surrounding him in a radiant halo of power. His eyes snapped open, and he felt the power of the earth and sky converge within him, unlocking a strength he had never known before.

Zahra froze mid-step, her eyes narrowing as she turned to face him. The air crackled with energy, and the ground beneath Arata trembled.

“What…?” Zahra muttered, her icy composure cracking for the first time.

Arata slowly rose to his feet, his form bathed in radiant light. Golden wings unfurled from his back, shimmering with divine power, and a white halo hovered just above his head.

The transformation was complete.

“I’m not done yet,” Arata said, his voice filled with newfound resolve. He had become Ringmaster Angel, and this fight was far from over.