Ferris scratched the back of his head awkwardly before immediately recounting everything that had happened.
From Kael’s arrival.
To the S-rank assessment.
And finally...
To the disaster currently unfolding beneath the Association.
Jonas listened without interrupting a single time.
However, the more he listened, the deeper the crease between his brows became. By the time Ferris finished speaking, his expression had become thoroughly unpleasant.
He stood there silently for several seconds as though trying to process what he had just heard.
Finally, he looked at Ferris.
"So you’re telling me... all this commotion was caused because that freak is fighting the boy?"
Ferris instinctively wanted to correct him.
They’re both freaks...
That sentence almost escaped his lips.
In the end, however, common sense prevailed.
He simply nodded.
Jonas frowned even harder.
"So he’s already capable of fighting her..."
The old man’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Scarlet Fist was not someone to underestimate.
Even among S-rank Hunters, there existed enormous differences in strength. Reaching S-rank merely earned one a seat at the table. It didn’t mean everyone sitting there possessed equal power.
And Scarlet Fist...
She occupied one of the very top seats.
Even Jonas himself, a man publicly acknowledged as one of the strongest S-rank Hunters alive, had never once dared to underestimate her.
Not because of her combat experience.
Not because of her martial skill.
But because of the sheer absurdity of her ability.
At the beginning of every battle, her strength remained around the level of an ordinary S-rank Hunter.
Then she fought.
The longer the battle continued, the more excited she became.
The more excited she became, the greater her battle intent grew.
The greater her battle intent became, the larger her body swelled, the hotter her skin burned, and the more terrifying her strength became.
It was a frightening cycle.
One that continuously fed itself.
Eventually, she stopped resembling a human being altogether.
She became something else.
A walking natural disaster.
A living weapon of mass destruction wrapped in human flesh.
The frightening part was that nobody truly knew where her limit lay.
Not even Jonas.
He had sparred with her before, but every single time she somehow managed to become stronger than the last.
It was precisely because of that terrifying growth that he had rushed over personally.
If the battle continued much longer...
Forget the underground training hall.
The entire Association building, together with several surrounding blocks, might very well disappear from the map.
Jonas let out a slow breath before turning toward Ferris.
"Come with me."
Ferris blinked.
"Me?"
His finger pointed toward himself in disbelief.
Go down there?
Into the middle of that?
Jonas shot him a glance.
"Who else?"
With that, he turned and strode toward the Association building without another word.
Ferris stared at his retreating back before letting out a helpless sigh.
He had absolutely no desire to get anywhere near those two lunatics.
Unfortunately...
He also had absolutely no choice.
...
Meanwhile...
Far beneath the Hunter Association, completely oblivious to the chaos they were causing above, Kael and Scarlet Fist continued their relentless exchange.
Scarlet Fist suddenly exploded forward.
Compared to several minutes ago, her body had expanded even further. Towering muscles rippled beneath her crimson skin while waves of scorching heat distorted the surrounding air. Every step she took crushed the already fractured alloy beneath her feet.
She swung.
A massive fist swept across the battlefield like a blazing wrecking ball, the surrounding air igniting from the sheer friction.
Kael reacted instantly.
He ducked beneath the sweeping punch before chopping downward with the edge of his forearm.
BOOM!
His strike crashed into her elbow with enough force to shatter reinforced steel.
Yet Scarlet Fist merely frowned.
She barely felt it.
Before Kael could follow up, her opposite arm whipped around.
A vicious cross slammed squarely into his chest.
BOOM!!
The impact launched him across the room like a cannonball.
His body smashed into the reinforced wall with enough force to cave the alloy inward before the concrete behind it exploded into fragments.
Dust filled the air.
Blood slowly trickled from the corner of Kael’s mouth.
The strike had managed to injure him internally.
Fortunately...
Only slightly.
It was nowhere near enough to slow him down.
The instant his feet touched the damaged wall, he kicked off with explosive force.
The wall behind him burst apart.
He became nothing more than a blur.
Within a heartbeat, he crossed the entire distance separating them.
His fists erupted into motion.
Jab.
Cross.
Elbow.
Palm.
Hammer fist.
Every attack flowed seamlessly into the next, forcing Scarlet Fist backward for the first time since activating her transformation.
She raised both arms, blocking the relentless barrage while searching for an opening.
It didn’t take long.
With a violent roar, she reclaimed the initiative.
The two immediately resumed exchanging devastating blows.
BOOM!
BOOM!!
BOOM!!!
Every collision shook the underground chamber.
The floor had long since become unrecognizable.
Jagged slabs of broken concrete protruded in every direction while twisted alloy plating littered the battlefield like shattered mirrors. Dust continuously rained from the ceiling as enormous cracks spread across the walls, groaning beneath the overwhelming strain.
The reinforced combat arena was slowly dying.
Yet neither combatant spared it a single glance.
Their entire world had shrunk until only one opponent remained.
Eyes locked.
Fists flying.
Bodies battered.
Of the two, Kael had undoubtedly suffered the greater injuries.
His jacket had been burned black in several places despite his earth-energy barrier.
Blisters covered portions of his exposed skin.
The earlier strike to his chest still lingered as a dull ache with every breath he drew.
Scarlet Fist wasn’t unscathed either.
Her specially designed combat outfit had finally begun showing signs of damage.
Several tears had appeared across the reinforced fabric.
Dark bruises were beginning to form beneath her crimson skin, silent proof that Kael’s attacks had indeed been affecting her despite her monstrous durability.
Then...
Something unexpected happened.
The swelling across Scarlet Fist’s body gradually receded.
The oversized muscles shrank.
The crimson hue faded from her skin.
The furnace-like heat pouring from her body slowly disappeared until she once again resembled an ordinary woman, save for the destruction surrounding her.
The chamber remained unbearably hot.
But the source of that heat had vanished.
Scarlet Fist rolled her shoulders before looking directly at Kael.
A broad grin spread across her face.
"Not bad."
Kael wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth before smiling back.
"You’re not half bad yourself."
She laughed.
"Honestly, I’d love to keep going."
Her gaze drifted across the devastated battlefield.
"But I don’t think this place can hold out much longer."
Kael finally looked around.
Silence briefly filled the chamber.
Only now did he truly notice the extent of the destruction.
The floor was ruined.
The walls were collapsing.
The ceiling looked one powerful collision away from giving way entirely.
They had thoroughly destroyed the underground combat arena.
He nodded.
"Yeah."
"I think so too."
Just as both of them appeared ready to end the fight...
An irritated voice suddenly exploded throughout the chamber.
"What bullshit is even this?"