>FWOOOSH< Dax lunged at Alfred, who did likewise. Their joint dash sent ripples of distortion radiating around, and a loud boom was heard upon impact. Both men hit themselves at the same time, blocking the assault of the rivaling party with their other hands. Cold air wafted around, as the intensity of the fight burned through the two werewolves. Dax gritted his teeth, matching the pace of Alfred who maddingly charged at him to completely obliterate the new Alpha. Compared to the other Alphas, Dax was considered weaker. After all, he had no Art since he was a Beta just moments ago. There was a ceremony to awaken an Art as a new Alpha, but Dax hadn't gone through that yet. Fortunately, Alfred's Art wasn't attack based, leaving the both of the lm only reliant on their physical prowess. In terms of combat ability and speed, they appeared to be equal, each trading equal blows and blocking at the same time. After roughly duking it out for some time, Dax leaped away from the commotion to catch his breath. However, Alfred wouldn't let his target out of his range as he quickly lunged at Dax's retreating figure to clash once more with him. 'This guy… does he have infinite stamina?!' His mind rang. Quickly twisting his body in midair, Dax made to give Alfred's rushing figure a powerful kick. This caused the Alpha to halt his approach, giving Dax enough room to secure a perfect landing. Once they were before each other once again, Dax huffed a little, feeling the sting of cold air as they entered his lungs. A bead of sweat dropped from his forehead as he glared at Alfred. Alfred didn't appear to be tired at all. Even though he was the one who exerted the most force In their little exchange. Dax was aware of the title Alfred possessed. Contrary to his mild name, the werewolf was known as a 'Mad Dog' die to his crude way of fighting and his killer instincts. The most dangerous aspect of him, however, was the large pool of stamina he had. He was always known to keep fighting his prey until he emerged victorious, not relenting till he won. "You know, I never liked you, Dax." Alfred growled, glaring at his new prey. Dax's face remained expressionless, though he wondered what such an Alpha would have against him. "There you go again, with that cold and unfeeling gaze. It's repulsive!" Dax was even more astonished. What concerned Alfred with his expression? "A Werewolf should be true to their instincts. Wild, savage, hot-blooded! But you, you're the opposite!" Alfred spat in disdain. "I'm afraid I don't follow…" Dax muttered. The stoic expression he had while saying such a statement vexed Alpha Alfred even more. "Just shut it! I've had enough talk with you! You're a shame to Werewolves… your cold expression disgusts me!" After saying this, Alfred readied himself once again as he prepared to dash at Dax. Dax took a deep, gentle breath and stared at his opponent with resolve. Once he had calmed himself, he breathe out, tightening his fist as he prepared for the next bout. From a distance, Larry watched the fight and he had already made his conclusion. "Dax may be keeping up with Alfred now, but it's only a matter of time. Alfred's stamina far surpasses his. Sooner or later, he'll find himself lagging behind, and that's when he will lose!" Larry grinned. Since it was Alfred who would win the match against Dax, that meant the three who would qualify to the second stage were all enemies of Asher. No matter the route taken, Asher would have already lost his potential successor to lead the community as Wolf King. Larry's gaze went in the direction of Asher, surprised to see that he wasn't looking worried at all. Instead, Asher gave a relaxed smile as he folded his hands, watching both men duke it out. 'Smile while you can, Asher.' Larry grinned. As for Asher, who watched the fight of his former Beta, he wasn't even anxious in the slightest since he already knew the outcome of the fight. 'Many people are bound to look down on Dax since he was a Beta not too long ago. Compared to the other Alphas, he is meant to be weaker…' He mused. However, title only meant very little in an actual fight. Alpha's were feared because of their strength and authority, however, it wasn't an ironclad rule that a werewolf couldn't become stronger than an Alpha. 'I was stronger than most Alpha's before I became one…' Asher thought silently. Since he was little, he had been unbelievably powerful, and the one who stood by his side throughout as his best friend, was Dax. The strong associates with the strong, and while the gap in their strength was large, Asher still recognized Dax's power to be strength. It was therefore only natural that his longtime subordinate and friend, even as a Beta of the Rockwood Pack, was already stronger than most Alpha's! >BOOOOOMMMM!!!< A loud sound echoed through the air, jolting everyone who watched the fight. The eyes of the spectators bulged in shock as they saw the impossible sight before them. It was Dax landing a solid hit on Alfred, while dodging the blow Alfred gave back. The first successful hit since the fight commenced, and it went to Dax. Even Alfred was shocked, his eyes widening in astonishment. 'He… got faster?!' Dax didn't waste time dawdling as he instantly leaped back a little, twisting his body as he gave a roundhouse kick. The stunned Alpha quickly put up his guard to block Dax's kick, sending a jolt throughout his body. 'His strength has increased too!' Alfred winced in pain. Dax regained his normal stance and out his fist up in an attempt to continue the fight. He was no longer out of breath, and his flustered thoughts had vanished. He was in the perfect state for a fight. 'It took a while, but I've finally gotten the hang of it… I feel much better now!' Dax smiled to himself. He only struggled against Alfred because he was rusty. But now, he felt energy well up within him, raring to go all out in his fight with the Alpha. Of course, Alfred wasn't going to let his challenge go unnoticed as he also put up his guard, ready to fight. "Brat, you're dead!" Dax didn't respond, but gave his usual cool gaze which was enough to infuriate the opponent. Both werewolves dashed at each other again, determined to end the fight. Alfred lunged with both hands stretched wide, pushing his claws out for a massive slash. It was going to be a fatal hit if it connected since he was aiming for Dax's head. However, Dax was not flustered. He put all his strength into his legs and fists, increasing his momentum as he sped. >FWOOOOOOOSH< They closed the distance in a moment and both Alphas used their last resort to attack. As Alfred slashed at Dax, he quickly reacted and bent his body, barely dodging the strike. A portion of his hair was shredded in the process, but Dax ignored it and went for his strike. Lifting his arm with all his strength, Dax gave an uppercut, sending Alfred's body flying high into the air. He wasn't done, though, as he built up the strength in his legs and jumped, easily towering higher than Alfred's body was. Now in midair, Dax stared at the flustered Alpha's face, watching it transform into rage, and then swirling his body to give a twisting kick. >BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!< Dax's kick connected, sending Alfred's body flying down and landing in a massive crash. The hill shattered, and the spectators could feel the reverb of the fight from their distance. Dax landed safely on his feet and glanced at everyone, raising his hands unenthusiastically to declare himself the winner. "Awooooooooo!!!" Cheers of victory burst forth from the crowd, commemorating the new Alpha's first victory.