Shuja and Olhos waited until Dawn teleported to the marksman, sniping them at the dam's tower. When the blue light shined out through the tower's windows, the two sprang into action. They leaped out from their cover and rushed towards Rook.

Olhos howled before tackling Rook and grabbing him on the waist. He tried to lift Rook to the air, but the weight of his opponent's body exceeded his muscle's strength. "Rakakaka!" Rook laughed, "You're not only trying to carry my body but my armor too. Carrying us over the shoulder is like trying to lifting the world."

"Fine!" Olhos bit down Rook's shoulder.

Rook grabbed Olhos' by the neck and choke slammed him to the mud. Olhos kicked him on the knee and rolled back on his feet. Rook dropped on one knee. "You got a strong kick," Rook told him.

"And I got a good aim!" Shuja yelled. She shot an explosive arrow that exploded once it hit Rook. Olhos took this is as his opportunity to attack. The plan was simple, attack nonstop. Olhos attacked Rook with endless fury. His claws continued to slash and tear on Rook's armor.

At first, Rook was amused by Olhos' foolish attempts to break through his impenetrable fortress. But his fury was relentless, and it continued to eat through Rook's mana. Rook raised his fist and placed nearly all his power into them.

Shuja shot an explosive arrow that landed on Rook's fist. The explosion was not strong enough to knock Rook off his feet, just enough to push his hands away from Olhos. This continued for several minutes. Olhos' attacks did not stop, and Shuja's arrows continued to block his attempts to counter. "How do you like it now?" Olhos roared, "Not so fun when you keep getting shot at by someone you can't even touch."

Rook began to boil inside. But anger will not give him victory. He must use his mind in order to escape Olhos' savagery. Rook looked deep in his mind, searching for an answer to his dilemma. And the deeper he searched, the louder a certain annoying voice came to be. Bishop's bombastic voice echoed in his mind, making Rook even angrier.

But that anger was the solution he was looking for, and by using a similar technique Bishop used to transform his voice into a living weapon, Rook opened his mouth and bellowed out his frustration. A red soundwave crashed through the muddy floor, pushed Olhos away from him, and blocked Shuja's arrows.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Rook's armor turned blood red, and the atmosphere around him got hotter. But this did not deter Olhos, who sprang into action. He raised his claws against the angry giant, exchanging blows. Rook punched him in the snout and jaw. Blood covered Olhos' face, but he did not stop. He scratched through Rook's armor and punched his helmet. The animal within him exploded out from his chest. "Olhos," Shuja called out, "Stop, your losing too much blood."

"No! I need to beat him!" Olhos kept his eyes on Rook. His bold red armor reminded Olhos of the troll that attacked their tribe. "I need to beat him, even if it means turning into a monster myself!"

"Shut up!" Rook yelled. "Annoying little cunts." His fist sparked into flames, "Burn!"

The fire burned his fur to cinders, but the lust for violence continued to surge through his veins. The werewolf curse grew stronger in his soul, and his wounds healed faster than ever before.

"It looks like his mana spiked up!" Shuja draws three arrows. "But the armor is starting to thin. Now's my chance!"

Shuja released the volley of arrows. They hovered above the two flying monsters like vultures before striking down Rook's armor. The first arrow bounced off the shoulder plate. But the second arrow pierced through the armor and exploded. Rook's body shook from the shockwave, distracting him from Olhos' rampage.

Olhos grabbed his chest plate and tore it off, and the last arrow dived down and stabbed Rook's chest. Olhos pushed the arrow deeper with his paw, impaling Rook's heart. "We did it!" Shuja celebrated. Rook roared for one last time. His voice exploded, and the shockwave expanded across the river, carrying debris. The mud and rocks buried Olhos and Shuja while Rook stood in the middle of the battlefield with an arrow sticking out of his chest. They managed to dig their way out of the mud and saw the Rook's sturdy body. They were at awe at Rook's stubbornness.

Dawn saw the battle end through the slit window on the tower. "They did it!" She exclaimed. "Now it's my turn." Dawn climbed up the spiral stairs. The goblins stationed by the pawns tried to stop her, but the aura around her protected her while she ran up the stairs like a bullet train.

Upon reaching the top level, a large red conqueror stood before her. He punched her barrier but could not break through it. She grabbed his fist and threw him through the wall and out the tower. Hinde, a brown-haired pawn, was leaning against the wall. Her blood poured out from her arm and her legs quaked in fear. She brought with her Morgan and Rockefeller, the two largest pawns in case Rock, the one that broke her spirit, goes after her. But instead, a different monster came for her.

Dawn grabbed her by the neck and pinned her on the wall. "Why did this happen to me?" She whispered to the heavens.

"No hard feelings." Suddenly, Rock's body fell through the roof, and the room caved in. Dawn dropped Hinde on the floor. "Love!" She ran to him and hovered her hands over his chest. The sound of thunder and lightning could be heard above them.

"Dawn?" Rock touched her cheeks. "Why are you here? Am I dead? Are we dead?"

"No, we are not dead."

Hinde took the opportunity to crawl away while Dawn was busy using a healing spell on Rock. But the rest of the roof fell on top of them. When the dust settled, Hinde saw a magnificent sight. Their King has returned and he dragged Smoke's body by the ankle. The broken roof tiles scratched Smoke's skin. King stood as the beacon of victory for the city, and he alone can tip the balance of the war in their favor.

Dawn lunged out from the dust clouds and punched King's face, but he did not flinch from the attack. He grabbed her wrist and pinned her to her knees. "It's time I end this."