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Vane took in the sight in front of him in an instant. He had left Kiren to hold off the creature while he went to destroy the tree, but now both Kiren and the beast were down, and a third person was left standing.
Kiren looked at Vane. Blood trickled down the side of his mouth, his arms bent at odd angles, but his eyes still burned with fire. The man looked at Kiren, then back at Vane.
"So you're who he's been waiting for," he said. He kicked Kiren hard, sending him sliding over to Vane. "Get up. You've been preventing yourself from regenerating so that I would think you've spent all your energy, while waiting for someone. And I'm pretty sure that is him."
Kiren stood up, his arms snapping into place. "Vane," he said cautiously, "we need to get out of here as fast as we can."
Vane turned to him. "If he's a werewolf, as I suspect, then there's no way we are going to outrun or even hide from him. Our only option is to fight."
Kiren shook his head. "You don't understand. That's Thane Skaros. He's one of Agaius Vulpin's nine warheads."
Vane appraised the man in front of them: short, close-cropped blond hair, a well-defined face, and toned skin. He wore a simple, skin-tight black shirt and a half-jacket with brown, straight pants. As he moved a hand to scratch his ear, his muscles were visible even through his clothing.
Looking at him, Vane didn't feel all that terrified, and Thane didn't give them a chance to run anyway. His muscles bulged, and fur sprouted all over his body. His teeth sharpened as his mouth elongated into a snout. His clothes tore as he grew taller, towering over both Vane and Kiren. Thane stood in front of them—a hulking nine-foot-tall monster. But the transformation didn't stop there; white plates grew from his skin, spreading until they encased his entire body.
The armor was a mass of interlocking, curved bones fused together, with a smooth, ivory-like texture. The bones varied in size and shape, but they all looked like extensions of his skeleton. His ribcage was surrounded by bony breastplates, and his shoulders were encased in gleaming white pads. His claws were long and curved, razor-sharp, seemingly made of the same bone-like material as his armor, giving them a sinister, jagged appearance. Finally, the bones shifted as chunks locked over his face, encasing it in a wolf-like mask.
Vane's eyes narrowed as Oscar set off a series of alarms in his head.
*"I never thought I would say this, but Kiren was right; we should've run."*
Vane snarled, **"Not helping."** Thane launched himself at Vane, but Kiren threw himself into the path. He crossed his arms over his chest as Thane threw a punch. The impact sent Kiren sliding back, but as he was thrown aside, Vane emerged from behind him, his left hand a vortex of purple fire. His fist connected with Thane's face, but it did nothing.
Thane threw a kick at Vane, but Vane dodged with speed. However, Skaros backhanded Vane, sending him flying.
Vane landed not far from Kiren, who was rising to his feet.
**"Werewolf hide is naturally immune to magic, and his armor is practically invulnerable to physical attacks,"** Kiren said grimly. **"We have no hope of beating him."**
Skaros looked at the duo.
**"I don't see why the king wants you alive,"** he drawled, slow and steady. **"But I suppose I'll follow orders."** He marched toward them.
Vane swung his hand, and black lightning shot out, bouncing harmlessly off Thane's armor. Kiren swung his arms rapidly, releasing pressurized air that slammed into Thane, but he kept walking forward.
Vane placed his hands on the ground, palms down, and the rocky earth rose around Thane. Clasping his hands, Vane caused the rocks to enclose Skaros in a tight cocoon.
Kiren leapt, drawing a gigantic breath and unleashing it in a primal scream. The force of the wind destroyed trees and everything in its path—except Thane Skaros.
Thane jumped, grabbing Kiren by the mouth and slamming him into the ground. But Kiren recovered quickly. He pushed his legs upward, spinning, and kicked Thane hard enough to send him sliding back.
Kiren kicked up, charged straight ahead, and the battle of endurance began. Kiren threw a punch, but Thane didn't flinch. Instead, he responded with one of his own, causing Kiren to spit blood. Thane drew back for a kick, but Kiren anticipated it. He grabbed Thane mid-swing, dragging him up by the leg, and slammed him into the ground.
Fur sprouted from Kiren's hands as he morphed his arms. He pinned Thane down and opened his mouth. This time, a ball of golden energy formed in his mouth, growing rapidly.
*"He's projecting his Ki outward,"* Oscar murmured, begrudgingly impressed. Vane watched as Kiren blasted Thane in the face—ineffective. Thane kicked Kiren back and rose to his feet.
He threw a punch, which Kiren didn't block, taking it dead-on. Kiren retaliated with a punch of his own, then kicked Thane in the temple. The two went back and forth—trading blows, no longer bothering to block.
*"He's going to lose a battle of endurance,"* Oscar said. **"His armor is protecting him from Kiren's strikes, while Kiren is left vulnerable. This is reckless."**
Vane examined the fight closely. *"Skaros' attacks aren't connecting—they were, but it's like Kiren's adapting. He's dodging every major blow and countering minor ones. Most importantly, all his attacks are amplified by Ki. He's trying to crack the armor."*
Kiren's eyes blazed with intensity as he continued to batter Thane. Thane was left with little room to respond, and the fight became one-sided. Kiren went in for a punch, but Thane caught him and threw him as hard as he could, desperate to create space.
Mid-air, Kiren flipped, mouth loaded with another Ki blast. He fired, but Thane raised his hands to catch it. Struggling, Thane pushed the blast back and crushed it between his palms. As Kiren landed, he smiled.
**"Finally. What took you so long?"**
Skaros looked up as storm clouds gathered overhead. While fighting Kiren, a storm had formed—ten times more powerful than the one Vane had used during the evaluation. In the forest filled with pure mana, this mana-infused storm was devastating.
Kiren rushed at Skaros, grabbing his arms as black lightning split the sky, striking both Kiren and Thane. Kiren gritted his teeth, feeling the raw power surge through him. Werewolf skin was immune to certain magic, but this was too much.
A deep explosion erupted as both Thane and Kiren were thrown back.
When the dust settled, Vane searched through the broken ground for Kiren. He found him buried under a fallen tree, bleeding in multiple places. To Vane's surprise, his wounds were healing—slowly, but surely. Kiren had pushed himself too far and needed time.
Vane flexed his fingers as he sensed the immense, raw mana coursing through the storm.
*"Pure mana,"* Vane muttered. *"More than I can normally channel."*
Suddenly, Ruble flew up, and from a pile of rocks, Thane Skaros rose again. His armor was cracked, his mask shattered into bone fragments. He let loose a howl, and Vane's heart sank as pieces of armor grew back.
Bones fused together, and within moments, Thane Skaros—The Iron Sentinel—stood unharmed once more. The fight was far from over