Chapter 40 Playing with Illusory Ravens and Wargs II

"How are your powers, Rose?" Vincent asked enthusiastically.

Rose widened her eyes in excitement and spoke quickly and passionately, "They're incredible, Vince. Let me show you."

She closed her eyes, her excited expression returning to a neutral state, as if she were looking deep within herself, searching for something. And when she found it, she smiled faintly. The young girl's body expanded to over two meters, her limbs transformed, making way for a silver-gray, furry body. Feet and hands gave way to sharp claws, now supporting her in a quadrupedal stance. Prominent canine fangs accompanied sharp teeth in her mouth, and a majestic horn emerged gracefully on the top of her head like a crown. She had become a kind of very large wolf, a Warg.

Vincent looked on in amazement at the transformation. He had seen this a few times since their contract, but it was always impressive. The wolf exuded an aura of majesty, savagery, and grace. He finally gave in to his impulse and approached Rose. The contrast in their forms was fascinating and even somewhat unsettling. A cruel predator of over two meters and probably 250 kilograms, facing a "human" child of just over 90 centimeters and less than 12 kilograms – a scene that would unsettle even the bravest of men.

After finally approaching, Rose lowered herself onto her paws and lay down in front of Vincent, who approached her and touched her fur curiously. The texture was soft as silk, comforting. Finally, he asked, "Rose, can you still speak?"

"Yes, though it's strange," replied the Great Wolf in a deep, hoarse version of her own voice. Vincent, on the other hand, simply nodded as he looked into her golden eyes with pupils as dark as obsidian.

He smiled as if stars were emanating from his gaze, finally expressing his inner feelings. "This is really cool. You look like the giant wolves from the myth that chase the sun and the moon, Hati and Skoll."

"Mom used to tell stories to Sera and me when we were kids. I loved Norse mythology stories, Hati and Skoll, two titanic wolves, sons of Fenrir, Loki's grandson. Skoll chases the horses Arvákr and Alsvid, who pull the chariot carrying the sun, while Hati chases the moon. The legend says that during Ragnarok, they will finally fulfill their purpose by devouring the sun and the moon, bringing darkness to the world," Rose commented on her mythological knowledge, though she exhaled hot air toward Vincent from her large mouth, grumbling unhappily. "They are wicked wolves from mythology, and I don't want to be wicked or destroy the world!"

Vincent embraced her neck and spoke softly, "You're the coolest person I know, and you won't destroy the world." Although in his mind, he thought with a sly smile, 'If anyone is at risk of destroying the world, it's him, the demon.'

After they calmed down, he asked, "Rose, what can you do in this form?" Finally, he got up from the tall grass covering the clearing's green floor.

She thought for a moment. "I... well, I'm very fast, strong, and I can naturally hunt as if it were my second nature."

To prove her point, she made various movements in the clearing, leaping, running, advancing, and performing acrobatic movements on all fours, displaying a kind of wild grace. Finally, she made an extremely fast advance, leaping onto a tree, and with her claws, she cut through the trunk as if it were made of paper, toppling the large ash tree as if it were nothing.

"You're very fast and incredibly strong. I doubt a witch or mage could react if caught off guard. Is this your maximum speed?" Vincent asked as he watched the demonstration.

Rose shook her head. "No, I can be much faster, but that's not the most surprising part." She manipulated the shadows around her, reducing her presence while blending into the vegetation. Vincent looked, trying to find her, but there was no sign of her. Finally, she jumped out very close to Vincent, surprising him with a "Boo," which made him instinctively lean back onto the grass, falling to a sitting position.

"Hahaha."

"It's not funny, Rose," he replied.

She just laughed. "Yes, it is. You should have seen your face."

He finally calmed down from the prank and returned to the purpose of their outing. "Rose, what else can you do in this form?" Finally, he got up from the tall grass covering the clearing's green floor.

Rose thought for a moment and replied, "I can use the shadows in various ways. I used them to mask my presence in a kind of camouflage this time. But I can also use shadows for many purposes, like infusing them into my claws, increasing their power. I can run faster by infusing shadows into my body, and I'm discovering other uses." She then added, "But the shadow essence is limited to what you provide."

Vincent nodded. "I see. That could be a problem since you can't use the demonic essence without me." He remembered another ability he had seen her use and asked about it. "So, Rose, tell me about that other ability, the 'Fear Aura.'"

"I was about to get to that. As you know, I can induce a state of paralysis by releasing my demonic aura through a roar," she pondered for a moment. "Do you want me to demonstrate it?"

Vincent widened his eyes and moved away from her idea. "Here? It might not be an appropriate place. We're too close to others." After some thought, he asked Rose, "How about we play a game?"

"A game?" She looked at him curiously.

"Yes, like tag, but using our abilities," he explained.

"Okay, but who's it?" She asked.

He replied, "Let's decide with rock, paper, scissors."

She approached him and raised her paws. "I think rock, paper, scissors wouldn't work. Alright, you run, and I'll chase you, deal?"

"Deal," he responded. As he spoke, he was enveloped in a black mist that concealed him for a few seconds, revealing his demon form. He was now a good 1.55 meters tall, quite different from the first time she had seen him, where he would have been no taller than a seven-year-old. Now, he looked quite a bit larger. His baby fat had mostly disappeared from his face. Under the thin, pale skin that glowed with silver tones, his musculature, while not overly pronounced, was clearly visible. His bright purple eyes had slit pupils, and he had sharply pointed ears and horns adorning his white hair, which emitted a golden glow. His appearance was unique in his human form, but as a demon, he looked even more exotic and strange, although cute from Rose's perspective. She had a cute son, which made her want to pinch his cheeks.

He, in contrast, extended his muscles, reaching his arms as far as possible, performing a full-body stretch, and letting out an "ahhh, ah" of satisfaction. Once he felt at ease in his new form, he declared, "Let's get ready to start."

Rose nodded and replied, "Okay."

Vincent initiated the countdown, positioning himself a little over three meters away from Rose. "4... 3... 2... ready," he announced before taking off like a shot.

Frustrated by what she perceived as clear cheating (since everyone knows you go after one in a game of tag), Rose couldn't help but notice Vincent's astonishing superhuman speed. In the blink of an eye, he had covered more than eighty meters, leaving her trailing behind. Determined not to be outdone, she accelerated towards him.

Vincent moved gracefully through the vegetation, utilizing his small stature to his advantage, which enhanced his agility. Rose, despite her large Warg form, was no slouch in this department. She displayed remarkable agility. However, their contest reached an impasse; she couldn't get any closer. Sensing herself falling behind, she distributed the demonic essence throughout her body, veiling herself in shadows, rendering her nearly invisible and considerably faster.

Her predatory instincts flared, propelling her into a frenzy as she rapidly closed the gap. With a sudden, well-timed leap, she pounced, concealing her sharp fangs to prevent any harm to Vincent. But upon making contact, she felt nothing; it was as though he had vanished.

The figure that had been Vincent previously dissolved into a black mist, prompting Rose to rely on her sense of smell. She looked up towards the top of an oak tree.

"You almost had me," the figure said with a grin, starting to run again.

Rose growled in frustration, expressing herself, "Darn it, Vince, I'll catch you."

.

Some time later, they made their way back to the clearing near the tower, both now back in their human forms, as they settled down to rest.

Vincent teased her, "You're still not good enough to catch me in tag."

Rose gave him an exasperated look and used his full name in mock seriousness, "Vincent S. Greengrass, you cheated! Every time I catch you, you disappear, it's all an illusion. Even if I'm faster, I can't catch you."

He laughed heartily, clearly enjoying her complaints. "Haha, that was fun. Maybe we should do this more often."

Rose huffed playfully, "Only if illusions don't count."

......

Author's Note: Hi, everyone! In this chapter, I aimed to showcase Rose's abilities in a more dynamic way, distinct from Vincent's abilities, while steering away from a simple list format. Starting with the next chapter, I'll return to the ongoing storyline of this arc. I hope you enjoy it!

Rose's Abilities in Warg Form:

Transformation: She can morph into a Warg, enhancing her physical attributes, such as super strength, super agility/speed, heightened senses, and predatory instincts.

Fear Aura: Rose can induce a state of paralysis in her enemies by emitting her demonic aura through a powerful roar.

Shadow Manipulation: She can manipulate shadows in various ways, like using them for camouflage, enhancing her physical abilities, or imbuing her claws with shadow energy for increased lethality.