…
Late at night.
After May, thoroughly exhausted, fell into a deep sleep—
Leon, very much awake and in excellent spirits, pulled out Bast's Collar from his System Storage.
Smooth transition.
Round Two began.
"System."
"Grant access."
The scene shifted instantly.
Leon's consciousness projected into Bast's Spiritual Domain—the familiar endless mist rolling across a shadowed landscape.
"Come here, my little baby~"
The teasing tone immediately enraged the Black Panther Goddess.
"ROAR!!!"
A massive shadow lunged across the fog in a blink.
By the time Leon's brain processed the incoming figure, Bast's gleaming claws were already less than a centimeter from his face.
In the past—
That strike would have left visible damage.
But—
Times change.
Leon closed his eyes.
Emptied his mind.
He did not think.
He did not calculate.
He simply moved.
A seamless backward lean—his upper body bending almost parallel to the ground—let Bast's claws slice through empty space.
Missed.
Bast's eyes narrowed.
She recognized it instantly.
That state.
That path.
But she didn't hesitate.
Her assault intensified.
Wind screamed.
Claws that could rend Vibranium tore through the mist with sonic booms.
Yet—
Aside from shredding a corner of Leon's clothing—
She couldn't touch him again.
And Leon wasn't even fighting seriously—he was testing.
Testing Ultra Instinct.
When he confirmed that, at full health, his Ultra Instinct rivaled Peter Parker's future Spider-Sense in pure defensive reaction—
The "cat hunting lion" game reached its turning point.
Leon attacked.
But now it was Bast evading.
Most of his strikes met empty air.
The few that landed failed to deliver decisive damage.
Energy beams were too slow in such close-quarters tempo.
They clashed.
Ground to sky.
Sky to ground.
Mist churned.
The black earth split and sealed again.
Time lost meaning.
Neither depleted.
Neither overwhelmed.
"…Still need work," Leon thought.
At full health, Ultra Instinct granted flawless defense—
But offense remained limited.
Not yet effortless.
If he wanted to make her cry—
He'd need to escalate.
Leon halted midair.
Surveyed the mist.
"Playtime's over, darling."
A powerful BGM erupted seamlessly—
"Ultimate Battle".
Now—
The Fool would fight.
…
Perspective snapped.
When Leon regained awareness, he was no longer in Bast's domain.
He was back in reality.
The sensation was akin to lost time—
As if combat had been skipped entirely.
Before him—
Kneeling respectfully—
Was a tall woman with coffee-toned skin, silver-gray hair cascading down her back, long elven-like ears, and an undeniably commanding presence.
Bast.
In human form.
The system chimed.
[Notice: "Bast's Collar" information updated.]
Leon checked.
Bast's Collar
Status: Bound to Bast, the Panther Goddess
Effect: Having been subdued by your strength, she offers eternal loyalty
Quality: Indestructible
Note: The master accepts, the cat remains forever
Bast may be stored within System Storage along with the collar.
Leon looked back at her.
Her attire was minimal.
Below: black shorts accentuating powerful, panther-like legs.
Above: a dark fitted garment beneath a loose, shoulder-baring top that emphasized rather than concealed her form.
She raised her head, expression cool—but her voice burned with intensity.
"Master. Teach me."
Her gray-blue eyes held something raw.
Not fear.
Not submission.
Aspiration.
Leon crouched before her.
Lifted her chin lightly.
"Tell me."
"Can you seize your future?"
Bast clasped his hand firmly.
"This body belongs to the Master."
"I have already seized my future."
Leon smiled faintly.
"Good."
He tapped her cheek lightly.
The Panther Goddess—
Tamed.
…
Leon discovered that although the collar could not be removed—
It could be hidden within the body or manifested anywhere externally.
Bast, displaying surprising aesthetic sense, chose to manifest it as a thigh ring.
Stylish.
Elegant.
Powerfully symbolic.
Time passed quickly.
Very quickly.
…
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