Chapter 26: Fangs and Iron
The moment the two beasts collided, the world seemed to tighten around them.
Kalen Owase moved like a storm given shape.
The massive black wolf slammed into the corrupted beast with terrifying force, claws digging into its thick hide as both creatures crashed across the village street. The impact shattered what remained of a wooden fence and sent sparks flying from a nearby burning roof.
For a moment, the students could only stare.
Kairo slowly pushed himself up from the dirt where he had been thrown. Pain burned along his ribs, but he barely noticed it. His eyes were fixed on the fight.
So that's what a real Owase warrior looks like…
Kalen twisted his body and bit down hard on the creature's shoulder. The beast roared in fury, swinging its horned head sideways. The blow clipped Kalen's flank, forcing the black wolf to slide across the dirt before regaining his footing.
The two circled each other.
One born of the wild.
The other twisted into something unnatural.
Nearby, Tarek Mensah raised both hands slowly.
The battlefield responded.
Every loose piece of metal—broken nails, shattered blades, bent wagon wheels—began to tremble. The fragments lifted into the air, gathering around him like a silent swarm.
His voice remained calm.
"Clear the line."
The instructors and village defenders moved instantly, pulling the wounded back and creating space.
Tarek exhaled.
The storm of iron shot forward.
Dozens of metal shards slammed into the corrupted beast's side with brutal force. Several pierced its hide, drawing thick dark blood.
The creature staggered.
But it did not fall.
Instead, it roared louder than before, its red eyes burning with furious rage.
Across the battlefield, Elder Nasha Adua struck the ground with her staff.
The earth answered.
Thick roots burst upward around the monster's legs, twisting like living chains in an attempt to trap it in place.
For a moment, the vines held.
The beast struggled, its muscles straining as it fought against the living prison.
"Now!" one of the instructors shouted.
Kalen Owase lunged again.
The black wolf moved with lethal precision, leaping onto the creature's back and driving his claws deep into the base of its neck.
The corrupted beast thrashed violently, smashing its massive body against the ground in an attempt to throw him off.
The impact sent tremors through the village street.
Watching from behind the defensive line, the students felt a mixture of awe and fear tightening in their chests.
This was nothing like the controlled battles of the academy.
This was raw survival.
Jaro Owase let out a low whistle.
"…And we thought Kairo was impressive."
Kairo didn't answer.
He was still watching Kalen fight.
Watching every movement.
Every strike.
Not with admiration.
With hunger.
Nearby, Amara Mensah tightened her grip on the short spear she carried.
"They're not killing it," she muttered.
She was right.
Even with three powerful bloodline warriors attacking at once, the creature refused to fall.
Something about it kept pushing it forward.
Aren stood a little apart from the others.
The whispers in his mind had quieted slightly, but they had not disappeared.
Now they pulsed softly like distant echoes.
His gaze remained fixed on the corrupted beast.
The dark veins beneath its skin moved unnaturally.
Almost like they were alive.
A cold realization crept through him.
The beast wasn't just corrupted.
It was being driven.
Something was forcing it to keep fighting.
As if it were a puppet.
Before he could think further, the creature let out another violent roar.
With a sudden burst of strength, it tore free of the roots binding its legs.
The vines snapped like brittle rope.
Elder Nasha staggered slightly as the connection broke.
"Impossible…" she breathed.
The beast spun violently, slamming its horned head backward.
The blow finally threw Kalen from its back.
The black wolf landed hard several meters away, skidding through the dirt before rising again.
For the first time since the battle began—
Kalen looked serious.
The corrupted beast lowered its head.
Dark blood dripped from several wounds, but it still stood strong.
Behind it, the remaining lesser beasts began to howl.
Not in rage.
In response.
As if they were answering a call.
Tarek Mensah's expression darkened.
"That thing is leading them."
Master Ilyara stepped forward slightly.
Her voice was quiet.
"Then we end it here."
The warriors prepared themselves.
Metal lifted again.
Roots trembled beneath the soil.
Kalen's massive form lowered into a hunting stance.
But before they could move—
The corrupted beast suddenly froze.
Its red eyes shifted past the warriors.
Past the burning houses.
Toward the line of students standing near the edge of the battlefield.
Toward Aren.
For a brief moment, the world seemed to go still.
Aren felt the whispers surge again.
Louder.
Clearer.
Not fear.
Not confusion.
Recognition.
The creature roared.
And this time—
It charged straight toward him.