The air reeked of blood and rage.
Rowdy dashed toward Blake on all fours like a beast unchained, forcing the seasoned Alpha to stumble back in pure instinctive fear. With the grace and savagery of a lion pouncing its prey, Rowdy leapt. Blake swung down in desperation, attempting a vertical slash to cleave through Rowdy midair but Rowdy twisted in the air, flinging himself downward with a sharp pivot, narrowly dodging the strike.
With the speed of a phantom, Rowdy retaliated, launching a piercing claw-hand slash at Blake's exposed throat. Axel, watching keenly, reacted just in time, intercepting Rowdy's hand with the flat of his blade and swinging at him. Rowdy jumped back, skidding to create space as the standoff resumed.
Joshua, finally standing, let his eyes pulse green with fury. But before he could even step in, Rowdy snapped at him.
"JOSHUA, THEY'RE MINE! DON'T INTERFERE!!!"
Rowdy didn't turn to look, his eyes were locked on the duo, and his body crouched low in his beast-like stance.
Joshua simply picked up his crutches and watched in silence.
Blake smirked. "Looks like we just have to deal with this runt who looks like James. Lucky us. If Joshua joined in, we'd be screwed."
Axel nodded. "Definitely his brother. He's here for revenge."
That name was all Rowdy needed.
"HOW DARE YOU UTTER MY BROTHER'S NAME SO CARELESSLY!!" Rowdy roared, charging like a demon let loose.
His spinning axe kick connected hard with Axel's shoulder, knocking the Alpha off balance. Rowdy slashed at his face with his claws but Blake intercepted with his sword again, giving Axel a moment to retaliate. Axel's sword came fast in a horizontal arc for Rowdy's neck, but Rowdy flipped backward, barely dodging.
Mid-air, Blake stabbed upward. Rowdy blocked the sword with his claws and landed nimbly, the vicious rhythm of battle continuing. Rowdy attacking with ferocity, the two Alphas countering, slashing, missing by inches.
Joshua clenched his fists as he watched.
(He's strong... strong enough to keep up with two Alphas. But he's bleeding. His speed's dropping. They're starting to overwhelm him...)
The slums grew silent as civilians took cover. Only their wide, horrified eyes peered through broken doors and cracked windows.
Axel blocked another kick. Blake slashed, Rowdy dodged, barely. But the shallow cuts were adding up. Blood ran down his arms, chest, and legs. Every dodge became slower. Every breath more labored.
Then Blake landed a deep diagonal cut across Rowdy's chest. The pain made Rowdy stumble, but he caught the blade with his bare hand before it cut too deep. His blood drenched the street.
Axel roared and swung. Another gash. Rowdy was flung through the air, smashing through the window of a nearby shop. Blood splattered against walls and pavement.
Blake cackled. "Hah! He's dead! And fuck your brother!"
Axel laughed with him, turning toward Joshua. "Yeah, he was King Siegfried's bitch, getting raped daily! Hahahaha! Let's take Joshua's head now."
They advanced.
Joshua stood still.
Then he laughed, slowly, quietly, then louder. His eyes glowed an unnaturally bright green.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY...? JAMES GOT RAPED?" His laugh turned into a guttural, painful screech. "YOU MONSTERS... YOU WATCHED THAT HAPPEN?!"
He scratched his own face until it bled. Tears fell, mixing with the blood.
Blake smirked. "Look, Axel. I think we hit a nerve."
Joshua kept laughing, manic, broken. Then, suddenly, he stopped. His face went still. His green eyes burned calmly.
"...But there's someone who wants to kill you more than I do."
He pointed to the shop window where Rowdy had crashed.
Axel turned.
There was no body.
A scream tore through the air.
He whirled back, Rowdy was on top of Blake's lifeless corpse, his hands elbow-deep in his intestines, yanking them out in a gory frenzy.
"NO!" Axel charged, sword raised.
Rowdy stared at the blade coming for his neck.
(I have nothing left... I guess this is it...)
But then, he saw it, Joshua on all fours, his teeth lengthened, claws monstrous, green eyes like glowing emerald suns. He looked like a werewolf but no werewolf ever looked so human... or so terrifying.
"JOSHUA, HELP!!!" Rowdy cried.
Axel heard the words, too late.
Joshua was already in front of him.
In one motion, Joshua crushed Axel's throat with a sickening CRACK and threw him to the ground like trash. Axel's blade clattered uselessly beside him.
Axel gargled blood, choking, reaching out feebly.
Joshua climbed atop him, his mouth opening unnaturally wide.
Then he bit.
Axel screamed. Joshua kept chewing, biting again, and again. The blood drowned Axel's cries. The bystanders watching gasped, screamed, and vomited, but Joshua didn't stop.
He devoured Axel alive, until there was barely any flesh left on the bones.
When the madness faded, Joshua stood, breathing heavily.
His body was healed.
The casts on his limbs shattered. His muscles bulged slightly, stronger than before.
He turned to Rowdy, who was smiling faintly.
Joshua smiled back.
Rowdy's eyes lost their red glow, and he collapsed unconscious.
Joshua knelt, picked him up gently.
The residents emerged slowly, seeing the carnage, the monster covered in blood... with glowing green eyes.
They screamed.
"MONSTER!! MONSTER!! MONSTER!!"
Stones were thrown.
One struck Joshua's forehead. He bled again.
But he said nothing.
His glowing eyes never wavered.
He walked.
Calm. Silent. Unshaken.
He carried Rowdy like a wounded brother, as the world screamed and bled and cursed behind him.
But Joshua walked on, like a monster that had long since stopped caring whether he was one.