The Crocodile's Cruel Game

Dust still lingered in the air from the force of Jack's last kick, but the moment for triumph passed in a heartbeat.

Jack, Lancelot, and Joshua surged together toward Sawyl. Their synchronization was seamless now, a trio of blades and fists and fury. Lancelot struck first with a diagonal slash, but Sawyl met the blade cleanly with his own, countering with a brutal left hook. The punch crashed into Lancelot's jaw. He staggered, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth but his glare never wavered.

Joshua followed, leaping with a plunging strike aimed for Sawyl's head. Sawyl deflected it with expert ease, stepping inside Joshua's guard. A heavy overhand left slammed into Joshua's forehead, but the young werewolf grit his teeth, stayed on his feet, and refused to break eye contact.

Then came Jack.

A horizontal swing, parried. Sawyl's counter punch crashed into Jack's jaw, sending him tumbling across the battlefield. Disappointed, Sawyl sneered.

"How disappointing, kiddo. Your friends are outshining you."

Jack rose slowly, blood at the corner of his lips, but a strange calm steadied him.

(He's right… I'm not as strong. But I've been working on something else.)

He spoke clearly, voice steady despite the pain. "Hey, Sawyl. You might be right. I'm not as strong as those two. But I'm going to show you something even they can't do."

He reached for the weights around his wrists and ankles, then held them up.

Sawyl scoffed. "Weights? That's basic..."

The weights dropped. They crashed into the earth like boulders, forming craters and kicking up clouds of dust. Sawyl's sentence died in his throat as his eyes widened.

Jack's smile twisted into something feral. "Now I can move freely!"

He vanished.

Lancelot and Joshua struck from the right, Sawyl blocked them with a grunt. He raised his arm to counter then Jack appeared on his left, a blur of motion. A flying kick slammed into his guard. Sawyl spun to retaliate, but Jack had already disappeared, reappearing in the air above with a spinning stomp aimed at his face. Sawyl blocked again, barely in time.

Blades lashed out. Joshua and Lancelot struck low, carving shallow cuts across Sawyl's ribs. He growled in pain, eyes flashing blue.

Sawyl swung wildly in retaliation, but Jack reappeared beneath him and kicked his leg. Off balance, Sawyl missed.

A pair of kicks from Joshua and Lancelot smashed into Sawyl's stomach, launching him backward. As he stumbled, Jack flew forward, his knee crashing directly into Sawyl's jaw.

The giant collapsed to one knee, blood streaming from his mouth.

Jack appeared behind his allies, throwing his arms over their shoulders, grinning like a rogue.

"Hey Sawyl, why you on the ground?" he mocked.

Joshua smirked. "He probably dropped something."

Lancelot crossed his arms. "I know what he dropped, his pride."

The trio laughed, reveling in their triumph.

But Sawyl... Sawyl wasn't finished.

(This is dangerous. Even if I awaken... against their combined force, I might lose. I need to break their rhythm… and I know how.)

Without a word, he lunged, ignoring the trio and grabbed James by his hair, yanking the chained, battered boy to his feet. Sawyl's blade pressed against James' neck.

Their laughter vanished.

The three swordsmen tensed, their stances sharp, expressions deadly.

"Ah-ah, kiddos," Sawyl grinned darkly. "You wouldn't want me to kill him now, would you?"

Blood trickled from a small cut on James' throat.

"JAAAAMEEEES!!" they cried in unison.

James stirred in Sawyl's grasp, blinking through exhaustion and pain. His voice cracked. "You guys… came to save me?" His eyes welled with tears. "Thank you. If I don't make it… tell Sam I love her."

"Don't say that," Joshua said, voice tight with emotion. "You can tell her yourself, you..."

But before he could finish, Sawyl's sword flashed.

James' head flew.

Blood sprayed through the air. His lifeless body collapsed to the ground beside it.

Silence fell.

The three warriors stared in horror, their faces frozen in disbelief as James' severed head rolled to a stop in the dirt.

"Hahahahahaha! Who's laughing now?" Sawyl cackled.

Their gazes turned from the body to Sawyl, burning with pure, unfiltered rage.

Joshua and Jack dropped their swords and fell to all fours. Their bones cracked, bodies twisting. Claws extended. Teeth grew into savage fangs. Their eyes glowed, green for Joshua, blood red for Jack. Saliva dripped from their jaws. They looked less like men now and more like beasts of vengeance.

Lancelot stood tall, sword trembling in his grip as his muscles bulged with raw fury, golden light burning in his eyes.

Sawyl licked blood from his lips, stepping forward slowly.

"That's more like it."

He raised his sword, blue eyes gleaming.

The battle was far from over. It had just become a war.