Chapter 468: Let’s test… Again.

In an instant, the creature charged. It wasn’t a frantic sprint like the other bulls; it was a precise charge, its entire body braced for impact.

Vergil only moved when she was a meter away. A sideways step, fluid as water, and his hand brushed the cow’s flank—not to injure her, but to feel the muscular tension as she ran.

She passed straight through, swung her hind legs in the air, and landed facing him, ready for another attack.

Rize, at his side, held the blade to her side, but didn’t move without command.

Vergil touched the Yamato’s scabbard. “Good speed. Good reading of movement.”

The cow snorted, almost as if understanding she was being assessed. Then, without warning, she ran in a zigzag pattern, each change of direction accompanied by a dull thud of her hooves on the ground.

Vergil followed her with his gaze, his fingers relaxed on his sword, but he didn’t draw it.

“Master… she’s trying to tire you out,” Rize said, her tone almost admiring.

A smirk appeared. “Clever, too…”

Suddenly, the cow leaped.

It wasn’t an ordinary leap—she dug her hooves into the trunk of a fallen tree and used the momentum to launch herself straight at him, horns aligned with the center of her chest.

Vergil took a small step back, dodging at the last moment, and the tip of his index finger connected with the base of her right horn. The force of the touch was enough to unbalance her movement, causing the creature to land heavily on its side.

She rose quickly, but now her breathing was heavier, and her eyes glowed like embers lit to the fullest.

“And yet she won’t give up…” Vergil murmured, almost with satisfaction.

Zuri finally spoke up: “Great. Another insane project for your collection…”

Vergil didn’t even deny it. His gaze narrowed, and he spoke softly, almost as if sharing a secret with himself: “If it had a humanoid body… it would be a perfect weapon.”

The cow seemed to interpret this as a challenge, as it lowered its head again and began to walk in circles, keeping him always in the center.

Vergil followed its steps, each one as calculated as the beast’s.

Rize took a deep breath, her eyes still alert. “So, master… should I capture it or should we continue the test?”

Vergil didn’t look away. “No.”

The silence that followed was thick, as if the forest were waiting for his next move. Then he added, his voice firm and low: “Just make sure no one interferes.”

Rize frowned slightly.

“Understood.” She took two steps back, twirling the blade in her fingers before assuming a guard stance, her gaze scanning the surrounding shadows. If any other bull or beast approached, they wouldn’t have time to reach their master.

Vergil finally relaxed his arm and let his hand rest on the Yamato’s hilt. “I want to test its strength.”

Zuri, still curled around his shoulder, sighed with a weariness that sounded almost human.

“That means you’re going to tease it until it completely loses control. Perfect…” she murmured, the irony clear.

The cow took a step forward, the weight of its body making the ground tremble slightly. It snorted, and black vapor escaped its nostrils. The tension in its muscles was visible, every fiber ready to explode into motion.

Vergil remained still, waiting for it to make the first move.

And it did.

In the blink of an eye, the cow bolted, its hooves digging craters into the ground, its body like a living projectile. It wasn’t just speed—there was a fierce precision, as if every strike was calculated to kill.

Vergil waited until the tips of its horns were less than two feet from its chest before moving. With an almost lazy turn, he dodged to the side, the Yamato’s sheath brushing against the creature’s shoulder.

The impact with nothing caused the cow to brake with a violent scrape against the ground, kicking up dirt and stones. It immediately turned, roaring in rage.

“Good acceleration,” Vergil muttered to himself. “But I want to see more.”

He charged forward.

Not running, but walking with a firm stride, enough for the cow to interpret it as a direct challenge.

The response came quickly: she spun around, trying to strike him with her hind legs. The hooves passed inches from his head, and the displacement of air sounded like a whip. Vergil leaned slightly, avoiding the blow, and his hand lightly slapped the creature’s thigh.

The sound of the impact wasn’t of ordinary flesh and bone—it was denser, heavier. Almost like hitting stone covered in tense muscles.

“Hmm… interesting…” he commented, taking two steps back.

The cow seemed to interpret this as a signal to redouble her efforts. She backed away slightly, lowered her head, and this time, lunged forward, trying to crush him in midair with her own body weight.

Vergil spun to the side, but didn’t completely avoid it. His left forearm found the horn, blocking it just in time. The force of the impact cracked the ground beneath his feet.

He stared at the point of contact, his arm braced against the beast’s immense pressure. “Brute strength… top-notch.”

He shoved her aside with a sharp movement, and she staggered, but kept her balance. As soon as her paws touched the ground, she spun and attacked again, this time in quick succession, trying to force his body against a nearby tree.

Vergil didn’t flinch. Instead, he planted his feet in the ground and took the impact head-on, Yamato still sheathed. The sound of the collision echoed like thunder, and the tree behind him was uprooted by the shockwave alone.

Zuri glanced sideways at Rize.

“And you thought I was exaggerating when I said he befriends the most dangerous things possible…”

Rize, without taking her eyes off the battle, replied in an almost amused tone: “It’s not friendship. It’s taming.”

The cow reared back, snorting loudly. Black steam now came out in rapid jets, and there was a brighter glint in its eyes—not just of anger, but of something almost predatory.

Vergil noticed. “You’re starting to get serious… good.”

He stepped to the side, his body relaxed, as if inviting her to attack again.

She came.

Not in a straight line this time, but with curved movements, alternating the sides of her horns to test her defense. Vergil dodged with minimal precision, letting the thrusts miss by inches, each time touching a different spot on the beast’s body to feel the tension and resistance.

Finally, she tried a sideways strike with her left horn, quick as a steel hook. Vergil grabbed the horn in midair, twisted, and used her own strength to throw her to the ground. The impact caused the earth to give way, creating a shallow crater.

The cow leaped to her feet, roaring, and this time didn’t even back away to gain space—it lunged forward immediately, trying to crush him to the ground with its front hooves.

Vergil blocked with his arms crossed, the pressure so strong that the ground beneath him sank a few inches.

“Excellent…” he murmured, almost smiling.