Swosh! Alcott swung his blade at Hank, who deflected the attack with his axe as if it was nothing. “You think I’m a werewolf now?” Hank growled, “You can’t give a rest, can you?”
The two moved apart, glaring at each other, “I can smell that dog in you. It doesn’t matter if you don’t transform,” Alcott pointed his greatsword at Hank with a smile.
“Alcott, stop! He might not be the werewolf,” Arad shouted, but Alcott shook his head.
“He is the werewolf. Don’t let him deceive you!” Alcott swung his sword down. CLANG! Hank deflected the strike with his axe, kicking him in the guts.
“Fine!” Hank stepped forward, “I will bury you in the ground with your stupid accusation!” CLANG! Hank swung his axe at Alcott with two hands, which Alcott blocked with his sword.
GRWAAA! Hank shouted, putting more force into the strike and throwing Alcott back.
^This strength, isn’t normal,^ Alcott gasped, ^He is the werewolf,^ Thud! He landed on a tree, sheathing his sword and taking a deep breath.
[Action surge] [Adrenaline rush] [Action Surge] KABOM! Alcott’s body flashed forward, shattering the tree.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
Sixteen slashes at the same time. Hank only saw the brief shine of the sun reflecting on Alcott’s sword as it swopped forward. CLANG! Alcott landed behind Hank, sheathing his blade again.
Thud! Hank’s left arm fell to the ground, and Alcott smiled, “You’re a good one-hehe,” He then laughed.
Alcott’s shoulder exploded with a splash of blood. Hank faced him, “You aren’t the only fighter around here,”
Alcott smiled, patting his shoulder, “I cut your arm, and you only wounded my shoulder,” He laughed, “I guess you’re level eighteen or nineteen, a hair strand behind me,”
“That’s none of your business,” Hank looked at his arm. He doesn’t have much time left with such intense bleeding. “I will finish this here,” He pointed his axe toward Alcott.
“Why don’t you transform, beast?” Alcott stared at him with a smile. “Show me the real monster inside you. Or do you intend to play the human role to the end,” Alcott started taunting him, “At this rate, you will die from blood loss.”
“That is none of your business,” Hank stepped forward, lunging at Alcott with full force.
CRACK! BOM! The two monsters clashed across the forest. Arad and Aella ran away, fearing getting stomped.
“Hank is something,” Aella gasped as she saw him cleave a tree with a single swing, “He’s brawling with Alcott on equal ground,”
“He isn’t,” Arad replied, “He’s getting slower with blood loss. Soon, Alcott would win,”
Aella looked back, seeing Alcott leap from one tree to the other. His shoulder stopped bleeding. “Alcott is more prepared for such a fight,” She gasped.
CLACK! Alcott kicked Hank to the ground, plowing the forest with him. BLUH! Hank coughed blood, staring down at his body filled with gaping wounds, “This seems to be the end for me.” He smiled as Alcott’s blade raced toward his head.
***
After evacuating the village, Jack and Lydia stared at each other, “The noise in the forest changed. Should we go check on them?” Jack asked with a worried face. Alcott might be strong, but Arad and Aella couldn’t take a dragon on.
“Let’s head there.” Lydia replied, “I can provide healing, so even Alcott will find us useful.”
“You will only stand in his way,” Merida stared at them, and Jack glared at her, “What is your problem? Stop whining and follow us,” He rushed forward.
Lydia chased him, “Jack is right. Stop being annoying and get to work.” She glared back at her, “Will provide support, so hurry and start moving.”
Merida sighed, “Don’t cry when the dragons take you as hostages. They are smart, sneaky monsters.” She was right. Dragons are strong, prideful, and even shameless. They won’t mind hiding behind hostages to secure a victory if they need it.
The three rushed toward the forest, “I saw something!” Jack shouted as he saw the trees shake, “Didn’t the dragon fly away?”
“I saw nothing,” Lydia replied, staring at the sky.
“I didn’t see it as well,” Merida added, “Are you sure?”
“No, I might be wrong. Just keep an eye with me on the forest.” Jack said, “It would be bad if we walked into the dragon’s attack,”
***
Back in Alina, Ginger washed the dishes while humming, looking out the window with a smile. “What a beautiful day.”
CLING! She felt it, Alcott’s wild blood boiling, “Alcott?” She gasped, dropping the dishes.
As they shattered, Alcott’s mother heard them from upstairs and came to investigate. She then saw Ginger looking out of the window with a worried face.
Alcott’s mother stared at her, “Are you okay?” 𝒃𝙚𝙤𝙫𝒆𝒍．𝙘𝒐𝙢
Ginger stared at her, “Nothing, everything is…”
“Is it Alcott?” His mother said, staring at her, “Go. I will be fine on my own. He needs you by his side.”
“Thanks,” Ginger gave her a gentle bow before rushing to her room and picking up all her magic items.
Inside her room, she opened the closet where she kept her coffin. CREEK! The moment she opened the lid, a rush of blood covered her body, sinking deep into her skin as she smiled, “The werewolf showed up, and it is stronger than I expected.” She grabbed her staff and wore her robe. “The more time they fought, the more the beast agitated Alcott’s sleeping blood. At this rate, he will transform again, and that will never be good,” She rushed out of the front door and leaped on her staff.
***
Alcott’s mother stared at her, sighting as she walked inside the house to clean the mess. “The young ones are too energetic those days,”
“Mother, it’s been a while.” She froze, hearing the cold voice call her. As she looked into the living room, a woman, hodded in black sat there, “You! It’s been years! Alcott searched for you for years!” Alcott’s mother smiled.
“Sorry, but I had other things to do. Even now, I will be leaving immediately,” The woman replied.
“You promised him to leave a child! But you left immediately!” Aloctt’s mother stared at her.
“I kept my promise, believe me.” The woman replied, standing up.
***
Ginger used her staff like a witch’s broom, flying across the city like the winds. “OI!” One of the guards cried as she passed by him at a tremendous speed, “You damned mage!” He shouted.
Ginger didn’t care about anyone. Her only care was about getting to Alcott before he transformed.
^It isn’t about winning. Alcott would win if he transformed, but he might never return to his humanoid self,^ she thought, flying across the forest road, leaving a trail of dust behind.
^Alcott mastered his bestial blood in the past, reaching the level of a progenitor on his own.^
Ginger thought ^He wasn’t born an Alpha. He plowed his way to the top.^ She smiled, ^I remember him rushing me with a happy face, speaking of how he could call wolves with a howl. Or how he was able to do flips in his werewolf form. Most people saw that as a curse, but to him, it was just another power for him to play with.^
She frowned, ^But now, it has become a real curse.^ She stared at the sky, ^With how powerful Alcott’s blood became, even the traditional curing process failed him.^
Ginger’s fangs grew longer as hundreds of bats flew from her body into the forest, “Clear my way, Kill any monster before it could stall me down,” She growled at her familiers.
^Please endure it until I come, don’t let the beast withing out!^
***
Alcott watched Hank smack on the ground, bleeding, “This is the end,” He shouted, swinging his blade down at fast as he could.
“HANK!” A voice came from the forest, and Alcott stopped, looking at the trees.
From the thick forest, Hank’s wife stared at them, leaning on a tree with one hand. “Get back!” Hank yelled at her.
“Sorry,” Alcott said, “But your husband must die,” He swung his blade down. Alcott faced multiple battles like this in the past. Leaving his opponent alive always bit him in the ass.
THUD! THUD! CLANG! Alcott’s sword shattered into pieces as he stared down in shock. Hank’s wife has covered the long distance in the blink of an eye, catching his strike with her bare hand.
“I told you to let me fight,” She stared at Hank, smiling.
SWOSH! Alcott swung his fist at her immediately, ^I was wrong. She is the real monster.^ CRACK! In one swift move. She swung a back fist at Alcott’s face, sending him rolling away.
Arad and Aella stared at her, confused momentarily before the realization hit him. “Aella, she is the werewolf.” Arad rushed to catch Alcott, “Are you all right?”
Aella pulled her bow and fired three arrows at the ground before Hank’s wife, “Stop right there,” She shouted, but her words fell on deaf ears.
“Aren’t you the monster?” Hank’s wife glared at Alcott, her eyes flashing red.