Chapter 3: The True Enemy

"So, you are the infamous ripper? I must say, you don't disappoint."

The amount of power he carried in his voice was enough to send chills down Alexander's spine. It isn't possible; he can't be human. Feeling no threat from Alexander, the Huntsman walked over to his wounded comrades and gave each a strange pill. After, he walked to the men Alexander had killed.

"Impressive. A single blow to the base of the skull, with enough force to send fragments through the brain. Yet again, I wouldn't expect anything less from Jack the Ripper. Oh, my apologies, I almost forgot; you left that name behind. You go by Alexander these days, yes?"

"Who are you, and how do you know my name?" Alexander demanded.

"I must ask that you excuse my rudeness; I nearly forgot to introduce myself," he bowed, "I am Sidero, leader of the Huntsmen."

Before Alexander could question him any further, Sidero rushed him. He narrowly managed to evade the first attack and did not notice that he had drawn his sword. Sidero's attacks were difficult to read and near impossible to evade. Alexander could not understand how this man was so fast; he was sure he was not supernatural. Yet, his speed was equal to, if not surpassing, that of a werewolf.

The barrage of attacks kept coming so much so that Alexander lost count. Suddenly, the flurry of attacks was interrupted by a piercing shout.

"That's enough, Sidero."

When Alexander looked towards the familiar voice, he saw the white wolf, and he was not alone. The clearing was quickly filled with werewolves. The wounded Huntsmen struggled to their feet and bared their weapons. Alexander thought it admirable that they would stand so bravely; however, even a fool could see they were outmatched. But Sidero did not seem bothered by the number of werewolves surrounding them. His gaze was fixed on the white wolf.

"It seems you have us surrounded, Beast King," Sidero smirked.

"Withdraw immediately," the white wolf replied sternly.

"What a shame; I had hoped to finish this one before leaving. Guess it can't be helped,"

He signaled his men to follow him, and they disappeared into the forest. Alexander gave the white wolf a look of fury. He let the Huntsmen go even though they were outnumbered. Before Alexander could voice his protest, the white wolf interrupted him.

"You fool! Don't you have enough sense to tell when you are outmatched? Of all the Huntsmen you could have challenged, you chose their leader!"

"Why did you let them escape? If he is truly as dangerous as you say, why didn't you kill him while we had the advantage?"

"You must have realized by now; that is no ordinary man. He could have killed all of us without breaking a sweat."

Alexander paused for a moment, reflecting on what the white wolf said. Is he really that strong?

"Then why did they fall back?" he asked, confused.

"If he decided to attack, his men would have been killed in the fight. That wouldn't have been good for his reputation. You are lucky he didn't kill you before leaving."

"I don't understand. Can one really be so powerful?"

"Yes, that man is nothing short of a force of nature."

"So, to stop a force of nature, I must become a force of nature. I don't care how many lifetimes it takes; I will bring him to his knees," Alexander growled.

The white wolf smirked, "I was hoping you would say something like that. I know of a way you could obtain that kind of power; however, there comes a risk with that power."

"I don't care about the risks; just tell me."

"There is a chance the power will consume you and kill you," he warned.

"I no longer fear death. What will happen if it doesn't kill me? Alexander demanded.

"I can't say for sure. None have been able to survive the transformation."

"Then I will be the first."