ALL OUT WAR! A King's Resolve & A Brother's Rage!

Aleria’s scythe carves through flesh like a knife at his neck...

Aerin's blood splatters across the ground, and he rolls to his feet away from Aleria as she twirls that Blood Weapon free of his neck blood. Her grin of elation flashed again...

"The doggie can dodge! Oh, so NICE!" Aleria cheers with a twisted smile before attacking again! Already fixing her posture to continue their dance….

"But are you good enough to go and try dodging THIS TWICE!?"

She rushes Aerin while wildly swinging her two-handed Blood Weapon with reckless abandon; her fighting style is all offense. Aleria’s unorthodox scythe sparks and crashes against Aerin’s sword in a loud, metallic, and whooshing display of Black Fire mixing with His energy. Said energy staves off Her Flames from Burning him but does little to dampen her aggression and skill.

Aleria swipes for his neck, her scythe's polearm stalled as it crashes into Aerin's raised sword, but he forgets about the curved edge hooked around his upper torso, and their glowing eyes meet again. She grins, yanking her scythe toward her with all of her strength, trying to take his head off.

Aerin ducks under the pulled scythe, a fierce wind-shearing sound accompanying the weapon when it narrowly missing his neck in a follow-up. Aerin braces: a burst of energy thrusting at Aleria’s neck with his Warwolf Blade, the sword infused with his magic. Aleria's swift, yet taunting energy as she dodges Aerin's four-fold combo at her, irritates him. Were all Vampires so strong? He's outmatched...

He suddenly realizes he's zoned out in thought; Aleria takes advantage!

"DON'T IGNORE ME!" She growls and slashes Aerin’s flank with her weapon, carving out his flesh and spilling his blood; a CRITICAL HIT. Aerin suddenly falls forward, and a deep gash drenches his black clothes. His blood pressure plummets within seconds, and weakness takes his body.

"Damn..." Aerin curses, his consciousness fading. His last thought is that She's coming again...

"You dogs are so weak, you're disappointing, no fun!" Aleria scoffs, going for the kill...

"So just die here. You're boring. I'm sick! YOU'RE DONE!"

A sudden PULSE of Beastial Strength fills Aerin’s soul; Kraven's Emboldening Howl reaches him...

Aerin suddenly knocks away Her killing blow...

His wounds are now healed and his resolve is to WIN...

She swings that cursed blade again at his neck for the KILL...

But They bat it away with a swing of their blade, HIS WILL!

His STRENGTH HAS RETURNED. HIS WILL, REBORN!

"FENRIR!"

The sky SCREAMS with His Primordial Awakening, and a departed soul hears his brother's call. HIS KING Calls!

"AWAKEN!"

The silhouette of Fenrir's Avatar manifests behind Aerin; Kraven's Battle Cry temporarily breaking his limits and unleashing a mere fraction of His true strength. She, however, still smiles, absolutely ecstatic!

Aleria aggressively flourishes her Blood Scythe in excited anticipation of fighting Their Chosen. She’s almost drooling while watching Aerin's wounds heal; one singular, orgasmic thought on Her mind.

"I wAnT tO EAT HIM!!!!"

Her scythe burns black like Her blood...

And, Her magic burns as black as Her soul...

They rush each other!

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Across that now black wall of BURNING BLOOD...

Another rests His foot on Anesthesia’s skull...

Fenrir’s Gaze can't see Her ...

The young, tall, and unimpressed Vampire casts His red-eyed gaze toward Her Cursed Fire, creasing his sharp and icy features before shaking snow out of his messy black hair. His hands rest in the pockets of his expensive black and silver-furred coat, and his heavy-toed black snow boots push Anesthesia's head deeper into the solid ground; He shows zero concern for her pained yelps; His eyes still looking at those Burning Flames. He's disappointed.

"I ordered her not to transform!" He seethes behind a controlled scowl. Then, he pauses, hearing Kraven's Battle Cry again. "Lahavera and Serah will you shut that DAMNED DOG UP BEFORE I SLAUGHTER YOU ALL!" He snarls. Anesthesia can't help but hyena laugh in her wounded Beast Form, and the dark-haired man stomps on her head again. "You will be silent."

The man again turns His eyes upward at the suddenly erupting flashes of Black Fire clashing with Primordial Energy. The rushing bursts of Their power continuously displace the spaces around them, sending shockwaves of air blasting throughout the mountains. It's a symphony for a time that's long past. The young man sighs again, still unimpressed with the display. He glances the dog's way and speaks as if talking to himself. His eyes looking through Anesthesia’s beaten and bloody form as if she’s not even there.

"It appears that your king still has strength despite his curse and his sacrifice," He remarks without praise before kicking the defeated woman across the snow with less than effort. Anesthesia tumbles, eventually losing enough strength from His Blood that she falls out of her transformation, yelping in pain moments after black chains strap her already helpless form into the snow.

"It's nothing I can't handle. Still, I suppose that it's my error for bringing them. Little Sister has been begging to play with that dog," He wonders aloud, not even bothering to look the struggling Anesthesia's way as she curses at him; her voice is weak, exhausted, and fading. She's dying. With Him here and Cyrus dead, she can't help but feel hopeless for her allies across the wall of Frozen Blood battling them.

"Even i-" she never gets the words out as Something skewers her open...

"Who gave you permission to speak?" He asks in rhetoric; But, she's no longer alive to respond...

Those chains vanish, eating away the corpse...

He spits at the ground while those Cursed Chains dissipate, then faces the wall of Black-Flame Blood, listening to the clashes of battle going beyond the nuisance of an obstacle. He raises his hand and prepares to snuff it out, but a sudden BURST of energy erupting from a defeated Lycan catches his eyes. Then, His eyes flicker with surprise at the Reborn beast. Yet, the rebirth didn't catch His curiosity, but that splash of energy in Their soul. It reminds the Vampire of...

"Oh...?" He hums, grinning.

Cyrus roars...

All understood the Lycan's MESSAGE TO HIM!

HE'LL SLAUGHTER HER KILLER!

"You'll die trying!" the Vampire smirks before the Beast attacks!

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHH!"

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Across the wall of Frozen Blood...

Ryn joins forces against them...

And, one Vampire seems surprised that She's ...

Serah engages up close; her flourishing and spinning twin-blade sprays pink blood across the snow and through the air; every missed swing inching closer and closer to the surprisingly agile Human. Ryn stays on her feet, trying to keep her head away from that slicing Bloodletter Blade, each missed swing raising Ryn's stress levels; she's fighting for her life, yet it looks like She's playing...

Serah's Bloodletter carves a trail of blood over Ryn's backward-swaying upper half, the woman's eyes barely able to admire how it glows in the moonlight. When Ryn's back hits the ground, Serah lunges at her from above, Bloodletter crashing into a suddenly appearing Blastwave that effortlessly launches Her back! Ryn hops on her feet, already gathering and amassing energy for her next spell. She's made her likely only opening to finish this quickly. Those markings glow BRIGHT, rapidly decreasing the charging time of her casting and surrounding her with bursts of Arcane Fire that coalesce into a drawn-back flaming arrow nearly overtaking her form. Serah corrects her airborne posture and slashes her wrist across Bloodletter's Blade, bracing for what's coming.

Serah’s too slow; She's underestimated this Human's power...

"Star-Eater Arrow!" Ryn says, releasing her Ultimate Attack.

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The sky burns Azure. Searing Her in its brilliance...

The swirling torrent of Arcane Energy torches the sky for several seconds...

She's overwhelmed...

Then, Ryn collapses to her knees...

Her transformed state ends as those flames dissipate, and She plummets from the heavens, unconscious and severely burned...

Ryn gasps for air; she’s exhausted. "I'm spent..." she chokes, nearly passing out in fatigue; but she can’t rest now. She’s got more work to do. The young woman forces herself to her feet again, and a vision of Him accompanies a rush of energy that shatters those thorns and Her ice...

And those FREED Lycans join Kraven and Her battle...

But, Lahavera is anything but out of this fight...

Lahavera's Titanaboa summon disappears into Fleeting Mist over to her plummeting and burned sibling. The summon reappears and snaps away with her into the air. With her incapacitated and inexperienced sister out of her way, Lahavera rises away from a swarm of attacking Lycans emboldened by Kraven. They snarl at Her rising and increasingly chilling form. Her hair and skin were now as white as the snow. She sparkles like diamonds in the moonlight...

That frail and weak Lycan realizes what's coming; She has to protect Them. But with her old age and weak form, she no longer has the strength. There’s only one option left…

Ymir knows what she has to do...

"Unlike last time, Ymir..." Lahavera whispers as the wind picks up and the sky ices over. She awakens into a Goddess. "I'm strong enough to kill you all now that you're coalesced into one place...” Killer Frost says in a dual voice while raising her hands to...

Ymir ACTS!

"Sparkle like diamonds..." Killer Frost says, snapping her fingers and freezing them all...

"Before scattering like dust..." Her Frozen Blood cracks, offering no reprieve...

"By our FrostBlood, be undone..." She decrees, and then the sky shatters. Her Frost Magic is...

"As Shiva’s vessel, Our Judgement is One..."

Yet to Her surprise...

Ryn blinks in confusion because everything happens so fast that she can't keep up. How is she alive? She coughs before looking at the distressed Lycans mourning their Matriarch. What happened!? What's going on!? Ryn realizes she can't think about that; she's got an opportunity.

Ryn musters the last of her strength and clasps her hands together. That woman is likely weakened or needs to recharge before doing anything else. Ryn figures she's got about five seconds to come up with a spell to take that Vampire down, but she can't transform again. What can she do!? She's got less than a few seconds...

"HEY!" Ryn yells at the top of her lungs, surprisingly drawing Her attention...

"STOP BULLYING THE FUCKING WEREWOLVES!” She blurts out!

Absolute silence follows as all eyes settle on Ryn; her distraction worked!

... ... ...

"FUCK! I DIDN'T THINK THIS THROUGH!" Ryn freaks out. While she’s spazzing out, Lahavera's gaze sharpens on the Human. She's suddenly got the same bewilderment as her Sister.

Lahavera looks at the Human that defeated her sister with a sudden scowl. The Vampire is unable to exact her revenge, though as Kraven's Overcharged Form jumps into the air at her. Her eyes flash with surprise at that GIGANTIC BEAST aiming to crush her chest in his jaws.

Kraven slams into Lahavera’s hastily made wall of Frozen Blood that's too weak to stop Him. The sounds of shattering ice fill the air before Kraven slams Lahavera's injured form into the ground beneath his powerful limbs. He roars in her face, but she gives him no pleasure in reacting, merely accepting her fate as Kraven goes for the kill. Until Something crashes into him, taking them both for a tumble. It’s a black-furred Wolf Beast with Vengeful Rage. It’s Cyrus!?

He rebounds and rushes that smirking, bloodied Vampire…

Cyrus viciously slashes the air as he misses that man, The Lycan's claws burn the air, and his Enraged Form tears apart those rushing black chains. The two repeatedly clash with Cyrus keeping the advantage; he's got this Vampire on the back foot, and yet, thatVampire can't help but look entertained. The other Lycans cower at Cyrus's rebirth.

Fenrir's cry for his brother also awakened His...

"Garmr still lives..." the Vampire offhandedly remarks while vaulting over a Bleeding Slash at his midsection, twisting his form midair and smashing his fist into Cyrus's jaw. The impact shockwave staggers the Lycan, who breathes FIRE! The man vanishes in a rush of Black Blood as Garmr's Hellfire vaporizes the snow several meters in front of the Lycan. The Hellhound and Vampire square off again, with the black-haired man smirking in amusement.

"We might not need to wipe you all out anymore..." the Vampire sneers at the intimidating Hellhound snarling back his way. His pale-colored hands reach for and brush back his messy black bangs while he dons a conceited smile. "You'll do it for us eventually..."

"Lysander..." Lahavera calls out while appearing through a bursting fog at the taller man's side. "We should retreat. We've had too many unexpected surprises to continue risking this battle without Her losing too much control..." She pauses, eyeing Her next, and Lysander's eyes soon follow. He raises his brow...

"A Human?" He asks...

Ryn freezes in place...

Her bravado is all gone when He looks her way...

".... Very well..." Lysander agrees, relaxing but still keeping his eyes on Cyrus and Her. "I will recover Historia's Daughter. You are dismissed..." he says right as Cyrus rushes them again. HE'S NOT LETTING THEM ESCAPE!

“BE GRATEFUL, YOU DOG!" Lysander roars before a Cursed Blast blows back Cyrus.

"For your executions have been postponed..."

The Vampires vanish in Darkness...

Yet, Cyrus's rage remains, his carnage not done as his burning red eyes turn to the Human...

And Ryn turns and runs; she fears for her life...

"SHIT!" Ryn yelps, running for her life! Her hands reach ahead of her as she runs as fast as her tired legs can carry her. It's all in futility, though. Cyrus descends on her with fangs and claws to tear her apart.

Kraven blindsides Cyrus, the two tumbling in the snow.

Ryn spins around and falls on her ass as her eyes watch Kraven and Cyrus fight. The titanic battle between the much larger and stronger Lycan against his smaller, but more dangerous Lycan adversary. Cyrus’s claws and fangs tear into Kraven’s hide, but his overwhelming strength and Overcharged Form eventually subdue the burning Hellhound with minor injuries. Cyrus burns out eventually underneath Kraven's strength, reverting to human form before passing out in the snow. Kraven reverts as well, his large, dark-skinned form quickly covered with falling snow as those sad, tired, and baffled eyes look upon Ryn’s approaching form. Kraven eyes her with suspicion, but his question is grander than his strength.

"Who are you... Human?" Kraven asks, and Ryn's eyes widen...

"Are you fated to change the world? Is it written in stone?" Marcus's words echo in Her head, and she smiles at Kraven as she responds...

"A friend to you Lycans..."

Ryn writes her own fate...

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On the other side of that Burning Black Wall...

Two of the Fated fight to their deaths...

Aerin lands on his feet with a backward slide, his sword impaling the ground and scarring it till he stops. He rips his Warwolf Blade out of the dirt, then courses Primordial Energy into the runic sword. The weapon screams with energy as Aleria rushes him again in a frenzied flurry of scythe swings aiming to bleed him out. Each swing of her Cursed Scythe splashes Black Fire everywhere upon clashing with Aerin's Primordial Energy. Their aggressive melee exchange causes blastwaves of fire out around them, but Aleria holds the advantage due to her unorthodox weapon, her aggression, and her martial skills.

She horizontally swipes at Aerin's midsection, her finesse with such an unwieldy weapon allowing her to flow with the weight of her swings, almost as if she's dancing when she attacks in the most twisted way. The scythe carves the air with every narrow miss and deflection against Aerin's sword, and he’s struggling to adjust to the range of Aleria’s attacks. His fast reflexes and natural talent are the biggest reasons he's keeping pace with this monster.

The two engage in another intense exchange of blows, clashing impact heating the air with energy and fire. Aerin wins this exchange, ducking under Aleria's careless swing and thrusting for her throat with his blade. The Vampire laughs while swaying backward from the rising sword into a vault through the air several meters away. Aerin sucks his teeth, and Fenrir's Avatar manifests behind him as His Spector.

"Irritating..." Aerin snarls, those calm, yet enraged eyes fixed on the taunting woman staring her down across the battlefield. He points his sword at Her as Aerin’s Beast God viciously barks at the Vampire. Aleria rapidly twirls her scythe in her outstretched left hand, the speed of her spinning weapon whips up gusts around her that quickly blaze black. She's beyond excited at this turn of events, those red eyes glowing now when she peeks into Aerin’s unaware heart. His intentions showing themselves.

"I need to get to Them..."

Her gaze suddenly twists with confusion...

Focus on ME!

"I don't have any more time to waste on you," Aerin's sudden words throw Her off again, and she catches her scythe mid-spin without looking. Her eyes see Aerin's intent, and Aleria's expression changes again upon discovering his attention isn't solely on her.

Pure. RAGE!

"DO NOT IGNORE ME!" She SCREAMS as a torrent of Black Fire erupts around her...

Aerin braces himself against the shockwaves of heated air blowing his way from this insane Vampire; he's at a loss for words. Don't ignore Her? He wonders what the hell her problem is for less than a few seconds before readying himself. Fenrir's Avatar amasses Primordial Energy and His Beast Form flows into Aerin's body, giving him his Full Strength without transforming or needing an ally. Regardless of Aleria's motives, Aerin plans to finish this in a single strike. His enemy shares his thoughts. She readies her Black Fire scythe against Aerin's Warwolf Blade. Then, they rush each other...

Until Black Chains rain down upon them both.

Aerin evades, but Aleria doesn't see them until it's too late...

The Lycan jumps back when those Black Chains crash into the ground, shackling Aleria to the ice and rock. Her scythe vanishes with her power until she's nothing more than a harmless woman. Those Smoking Chains seal away her strength as Lysander flickers into view from a rift of darkness, His eyes fixed on the King ready for another fight, and he smirks.

"I'll kill you another day," He barely acknowledges Aerin, then glances Aleria's way; he quickly notices she's still staring at Him. Lysander finds himself laughing a little harder than expected as if he's genuinely amused at Aleria's obsession. He turns and looks Aerin's way one final time while flaring shadows slowly take him and Aleria away into the void. "If She doesn't get you first," Lysander ominously remarks, finally fading away with Aleria. The woman's eyes stay on Aerin until They disappear, and the world falls silent at long last. Aerin rushes to his allies, his strength gone and a single thought on his mind.

"Please be okay, everyone!"

Next Chapter: Licking the Wounds...