The fox didn't rush in.
She stopped mid-air—
Hovering just beyond the lake's edge.
Calm.
Untouched.
The **Ghost Banner** floated beside her, its surface rippling as runes glowed brighter with each passing second.
With a flick of her paw—
Three more figures emerged.
The souls of the demonic beasts they had just slain.
Distorted.
Obedient.
Bound.
"Go."
Her voice was quiet.
Absolute.
The ghosts surged forward instantly, joining the assault—phasing through the air, striking from impossible angles, clawing at the python's body and mind alike.
Below—
Chaos.
The seventh-layer puppet clashed head-on with the python, each collision sending waves crashing violently across the lake. The fifth-layer puppet struck from the flanks, while the ghosts harassed relentlessly.
But—
The python didn't retreat.
Didn't reposition.
Didn't chase.
Every movement—
Every strike—
Every coil—
Was centered around one thing.
The herb.
Even under pressure—
Even as attacks landed—
Its massive body shifted, coiling tighter, adjusting angles, intercepting blows—
Always placing itself between the attackers…
And the Blood Vein Herb.
The fox noticed immediately.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"…I see."
Her tail swayed once.
"You're guarding it that closely."
Another impact shook the lake—
The puppet drove forward—
The python lashed back violently—
But still—
It didn't move away from the center.
Didn't abandon its position.
The fox's lips curved.
Slowly.
"…Good."
Her voice softened.
Amused.
"Then stay there."
Because that—
Was exactly what she needed.
She raised her paw slightly—
Adjusting the flow of the battle.
"Don't push it away."
Her command flowed through the puppets and ghosts.
"Keep it occupied."
"Keep it focused."
The assault shifted.
No longer trying to overpower.
No longer forcing movement.
Instead—
They pressed.
Harassed.
Distracted.
All from the edges.
All from angles that forced the python to react—
But never leave.
Never abandon its position.
Above—
The lizard hovered silently.
Watching.
Golden eyes flickering as he observed every detail.
Every reaction.
Every adjustment.
*It won't leave the herb.*
*Even under pressure.*
A pause.
*That's a weakness.*
Not in strength—
But in behavior.
And behavior—
Could be exploited.
Around the lake—
Hidden in the shadows—
Other late-stage demonic beasts watched.
Unmoving.
Unintervening.
Their eyes locked onto the unfolding battle.
Waiting.
Calculating.
Because they all saw it too.
The opportunity.
But none moved.
Not yet.
Because right now—
The fox had made the first move.
And everyone else—
Was waiting to see—
If she would succeed.
Or die trying.
—
The fox hovered just above a branch—
Balanced lightly on all fours.
Her paws steady.
Her claws slightly extended against the bark.
The **Ghost Banner** floated beside her, responding to her will, its runes pulsing as it directed the ghosts below.
Her eyes never left the lake.
Never left the python.
Below—
The battle intensified.
The seventh-layer corpse puppet surged forward again, slamming into the python's coils and forcing a violent reaction. The massive serpent lashed out, its tail crashing like a falling pillar, shattering water and earth alike.
The ghosts surged in—
Phasing through scales—
Attacking its mind—
Disrupting its focus.
The python roared, its body twisting as spiritual energy erupted outward in a heavy wave, distorting the very air around it.
But still—
It didn't leave.
Didn't retreat.
Didn't chase.
Every movement—
Every strike—
Centered around the Blood Vein Herb.
Protecting it.
Guarding it.
Claiming it.
The fox's eyes gleamed.
"…Good."
Her tail swayed slowly behind her.
Low.
Controlled.
She lowered her body slightly on the branch.
Watching.
Calculating.
Then—
Another shift.
The assault changed again.
The ghosts pressed harder from one side.
The fifth-layer puppet struck from another.
The seventh-layer forced a direct clash—
Not to win—
But to draw attention.
To pull focus.
To overload.
To make the python react—
Again and again—
Without pause.
Without rest.
Above—
The lizard remained still.
Floating.
Invisible.
Watching everything.
*It's working.*
The python's reactions grew sharper—
But also narrower.
More focused.
More locked.
On defense.
On the herb.
Not the battlefield as a whole.
Not the surroundings.
Just—
That point.
That center.
That—
**Weakness.**
The lizard's golden eyes flickered faintly.
Below—
The python coiled tighter, its massive body shifting again to intercept another incoming strike from the seventh-layer puppet.
At the same time—
It lashed out at the ghosts—
Driving them back—
But never pursuing.
Never overextending.
Always returning.
Always guarding.
Around the lake—
The watching presences remained still.
Late-stage beasts.
Waiting.
Eyes locked onto the scene.
No one interfered.
No one moved.
Because right now—
The fox was testing the boundary.
Testing the ruler.
And everyone else—
Was waiting to see—
If that boundary would break.
Or hold.
—
Above the branch—
The fox's gaze sharpened further.
Her breathing slow.
Even.
Her tail stilled.
"…Almost."
Not spoken aloud—
But understood.
Because she had seen enough.
The pattern was clear.
The behavior confirmed.
The opening—
Was there.
And the moment she decided—
Everything would change.
—
The battle dragged on—
Relentless.
Unyielding.
The lake was no longer calm.
Water churned violently, waves crashing against the edges as spiritual energy collided again and again.
The seventh-layer puppet pressed forward.
The fifth-layer struck from the flanks.
The ghosts tore at the python's mind without pause.
And still—
The python endured.
But not without cost.
Its movements grew sharper—
More violent—
Less controlled.
Its massive coils tightened, then loosened erratically as it lashed out again and again, trying to break the pressure surrounding it.
Its eyes—
No longer calm.
No longer patient.
They burned.
Wild.
Desperate.
It understood now.
This wasn't a normal attack.
This wasn't something it could simply endure.
This—
Was a siege.
And the longer it lasted—
The worse it became.
—
Then—
It made a decision.
Its entire body shifted—
Suddenly.
Violently.
Ignoring the puppet.
Ignoring the ghosts.
Ignoring everything—
It turned.
Straight toward the Blood Vein Herb.
*Consume it.*
*Now.*
If it could devour it—
Everything would change.
Strength.
Power.
Control.
It wouldn't need to defend anymore.
It would crush everything here.
—
It lunged.
The lake exploded beneath its movement, its massive body tearing through water and force alike as it surged forward—
Straight for the herb.
—
Above—
The fox's eyes flashed.
"…Not happening."
Her voice was low.
Sharp.
Final.
Her tail snapped once.
Command given.
—
The seventh-layer puppet moved instantly.
A blur.
Faster than before.
It appeared directly in the python's path—
And braced.
—
**Impact.**
—
The python crashed into it.
Full force.
A collision that shook the entire lake.
Water blasted outward in a massive wave, the ground beneath cracking from the sheer force.
For a moment—
It seemed unstoppable.
—
But—
The puppet held.
Its body trembled under the impact—
But it did not move.
Did not give way.
Did not break.
—
The python's eyes widened—
Just slightly.
—
Blocked.
—
The fox's lips curled.
A slow—
Satisfied—
Smile.
Her turquoise eyes gleamed, reflecting the chaos below.
"…Got you."
Because now—
The python had revealed everything.
Its desperation.
Its priority.
Its weakness.
And more importantly—
It had committed.
Fully.
—
And in doing so—
It had left itself open.