As the tension thickens, Williams narrows his eyes at Arata, a smirk dancing on his lips. "Tell me, boy, do you really think you can handle this? A mere child, stumbling into battles he barely understands," he mocks, his voice dripping with condescension. “I have lived over a century, watching young fools like you come and go, barely grasping the powers they toy with.”

Arata tightens his grip on the rings, masking his nerves with a steady gaze. "You say that, but I haven’t felt much from you yet. Wolf, Leopard, and Lion... they’re the ones who sense it. They say you’re dangerous," he retorts, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

Williams chuckles, the sound low and dark. "Ah, yes, the precious rings you so conveniently stole," he sneers. "You think that makes you special? Those rings belong to me. And I will be taking them back—along with whatever nerve you have left."

Arata clenches his jaw, his confidence wavering. "Sorry, that’s not happening," he forces out, but his mind betrays him, racing with doubt. "Damn it... how did I get into this? I didn’t think someone like him would actually show up here…"

Williams steps forward, a towering figure of poise and unshakable confidence. “Oh, you poor, deluded boy. Do you even understand the depth of the powers you hold? The centuries I’ve spent mastering them? You’re but a spark in a storm, Arata.” He pauses, his tone softening with a kind of vicious pity. "Run along before you get burned."

Arata glares, but his heart hammers with uncertainty.

Arata's mind races, scanning for any possible escape, yet he finds none. Every exit seems blocked, every plan too risky. His injuries throb with every breath, a grim reminder of just how vulnerable he is. "I can’t let them both stay here," he thinks, desperation edging into his thoughts.

Through their mental link, Arata reaches out. "Angela, can you take Elio and get out of here?"

Angela's voice echoes back in his mind, tense with worry. "What are you thinking, Arata? You know you can’t take him on, especially not like this. Even if you used me, he’d tear you apart."

Arata forces a smile, trying to mask his own uncertainty. "I know... but it’s not about that. Just go. Get him out safely."

Angela hesitates, her presence buzzing with reluctance. Finally, Arata turns to her, nodding firmly with that same reassuring smile. Her gaze lingers on him, worry flashing in her eyes before she lets out an exasperated hiss. "Tsch!" With visible reluctance, Angela takes off, carrying Elio away as quickly as she can.

“STOP!” Carly and Lila’s voices ring out, both of them lunging to intercept Angela’s escape. But before they can get far, Arata steps in, blocking their path with a steely determination.

"You’re not going anywhere," he says, his voice steady despite the chaos inside him.

As Carly steps forward, her body begins to shift, taking on the sleek, deadly shape of a vulture. Her arms extend, stretching into powerful wings with razor-sharp feathers, her nails elongating into talons that gleam with a dangerous edge. Her eyes narrow, focused on Arata with predatory intent, each movement calculated and agile, like a bird circling prey.

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“Think you can stop me, Arata?” Carly taunts, her voice now a harsh, echoing rasp.

Arata remains calm, his gaze never leaving her. With a subtle flick of his fingers, he channels his wind magic, the air around him shifting, swirling with a growing force. He knows he’ll need precision to bring her down quickly—any hesitation could mean his end.

Carly lunges at him, her wings slicing through the air as she dives with terrifying speed, aiming to pin him down with her talons. But Arata is ready. He raises his hand, and with a powerful thrust of wind, he redirects her mid-dive, forcing her to swerve off course. The gust is sharp, precise, sending her crashing back several steps.

Enraged, Carly recovers quickly, flapping her wings and summoning a whirlwind of dust and debris to obscure herself. In the haze, her silhouette darts forward and back, wings slicing through the cover she’s created. She’s trying to confuse him, make him lose track of her.

But Arata focuses, feeling the subtle shifts in the air. He can sense her movements even through the dust, his wind magic allowing him to "see" the way she displaces the air. Just as she closes in for another attack, he clenches his fists, pulling the wind toward him and creating a powerful vortex around his body.

As Carly gets caught in the pull of his vortex, she struggles, her wings beating furiously to free herself. But Arata doesn’t let up. With a final, concentrated burst of wind, he directs the full force of his magic straight at her, knocking her off balance. Carly is sent hurtling backward, crashing to the ground with a harsh thud.

Arata steps forward, watching as she tries to regain her footing, clearly stunned. With one last wave of his hand, he conjures a wall of air between them, keeping her down just long enough to keep moving.

As Arata steadies himself from his encounter with Carly, he watches Lila step forward, her expression hardening as she grips her spear. In an instant, her form begins to morph, her body shifting into a sleek, sinuous shape as she transforms into her Eel Ringmaster form. Her skin takes on a glistening, scaly sheen, crackling with faint currents of electricity that arc along her arms. Her movements become fluid and unpredictable, like a serpent in water, every muscle coiled and ready to strike.

“Think you can handle this?” Lila taunts, twirling her spear with ease. Her voice is now laced with an eerie echo, amplified by the electric charge coursing through her.

Arata watches her carefully, aware that any misstep could lead to a brutal counterattack. He braces himself as Lila darts forward, faster than before, her spear aimed with deadly precision. Sparks fly from the tip of the weapon as she swings it in a rapid arc, aiming straight for his torso.

With a quick sidestep, Arata dodges her attack, then deftly catches hold of her spear, gripping it tightly. Lila snarls, her eyes narrowing as she pours more of her electric power into the weapon, attempting to shock him. But Arata, anticipating her move, channels his own energy, neutralizing the shock just long enough to wrench the spear from her grasp.

Now armed with her own weapon, he spins the spear around, testing its weight. “You thought you’d have the advantage, didn’t you?” he says, smirking. “But you forgot one thing—I can handle myself just fine, even without any transformations.”

Before Lila can react, Arata lunges forward, using her own spear to deliver a sweeping strike. She barely has time to evade, her eel-like body twisting in an attempt to dodge. But Arata anticipates her movement, using her weapon to hook around her slippery form, locking her in place. With a powerful twist, he brings the spear down, pinning her against the ground.

Electricity crackles around her as she struggles, her eyes widening in surprise. But Arata presses down with the spear, keeping her subdued. “This fight’s over, Lila,” he says firmly, meeting her gaze.

Just then, he senses movement behind him and turns to see Williams charging forward, his stick raised to strike. Without hesitation, Arata pivots, raising Lila’s spear just in time to block the blow. The clash of weapons rings out as he holds firm against Williams’s force.

“I might not look like it,” Arata says through gritted teeth, pushing back against Williams’s strength, “but I’m much stronger than you think—even without transformations.”