The Beast Unleashed
The ground beneath Remond's feet quivered, cracks spider-webbing through the polished marble as he steadied his breath, fists aglow with kinetic energy. His heartbeat roared in his ears, drowning out the distant chaos of battle.
"You've made quite a mess," Jaimy Hoffmen sneered, dusting off his coat with a calmness that twisted Remond's stomach. The CEO's usually composed face was marred with a feral grin, eyes glinting with something dark and unhinged.
Remond's glare could cut steel. "It's over, Jaimy," he growled, each word carrying the weight of his rage. "Second Dawn's finished. Surrender now, and you might still have a chance."
Jaimy's grin widened, sickly amusement curling his lips. "Surrender?" He chuckled, the sound low and venomous. "Oh, I don't think so." His hand slid into his coat, producing a vial filled with a viscous, crimson serum that seemed to pulse with a life of its own.
Remond's eyes narrowed. "What—"
Before he could finish, Jaimy plunged the needle into his own neck, the serum emptying with a hiss. The change was instant. Veins bulged dark and twisted beneath his skin, his eyes flashing a savage gold. Muscles expanded, shredding through fabric, and bones snapped with sickening cracks, reshaping with grotesque efficiency.
His fingers extended into claws, teeth elongating into wicked fangs as golden fur sprouted, claws raking the marble. A monstrous, lion-like figure stood where Jaimy had been—a werelion, towering and rippling with lethal power.
Jaimy's growl was a rumble that vibrated the air. "You're in my world now, boy," he snarled, voice guttural and warped.
Remond swallowed hard, resolve hardening despite the icy chill of fear coiling in his gut. "Fine," he bit out, fists igniting with an orange glow. "Then I'll rip you out of it."
---
Elsewhere in the chaos, Yuki moved with deadly grace, blades glinting with the blood of those who crossed her path. Guards fell before they could even scream, her movements precise and fluid, eyes sharp and unrelenting.
She vaulted over a barrage of bullets, flipping mid-air with feline agility, her claws slashing through armor like paper. Landing, she kicked a guard into a wall with bone-shattering force, her mask cracked but her focus razor-sharp.
"Come on," she snarled, sidestepping a blade and driving her elbow into a guard's gut. "You're gonna need more than that."
---
Back in the main hall, Remond was flung against a pillar, the impact stealing his breath in a sharp gasp. Jaimy lunged, claws raking down with lethal force, and Remond barely rolled aside, marble shattering beneath those monstrous claws.
Pain flared hot and searing along his side, but he grit his teeth, channeling the energy coiling beneath his skin. His fist glowed brighter, kinetic energy thrumming with an angry orange light.
"Just die already!" Jaimy roared, swiping with lethal speed.
Remond ducked low, slamming a fist into the werelion's ribs. The impact sent a shockwave through the air, but Jaimy barely stumbled, fangs bared in a savage grin.
"That all you got?" he mocked, backhanding Remond with enough force to crack stone.
Remond's vision swam, pain splitting through his skull as he tumbled across the floor, gasping for air. Blood trickled from his temple, and his limbs screamed in protest as he forced himself up.
"I can't keep this up". The thought was fleeting, drowned by the deafening pulse of rage and adrenaline. "But I have to."
---
Across the hall, Yuki had just dispatched the last of the guards when a door slid open with a mechanical hiss. Her head snapped up, eyes narrowing as Lopart smirked from behind a panel of reinforced glass.
"Ah, Ms. Panther," Lopart drawled, tone condescending. "Enjoying yourself?"
Yuki spat blood onto the floor, stance low and poised to strike. "Enough games," she snapped. "Come out here and fight."
Lopart chuckled, fingers gliding over a series of buttons. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it," he purred. "But I do have a friend who's been dying to see you."
A press of a button, and the floor groaned—a chamber sliding up with a hiss of pressurized air. The glass walls cleared, revealing a figure bound in restraints, eyes glowing a savage red.
Yuki's breath caught.
No.
The restraints hissed and unlocked, releasing the figure—a werewolf, massive and scarred, with dark fur and eyes that glowed with a tortured crimson light. But beneath the beast's snarl, beneath the layers of monstrous rage, Yuki caught a flicker of familiarity.
A pair of eyes she'd thought she'd never see again.
"H-Hayato…?" Her voice was barely a whisper, shock flooding her veins.
The werewolf's snarl faltered, a flicker of recognition sparking in those crimson eyes. But it was brief—crushed beneath the weight of mindless fury as it lunged, claws glinting with lethal intent.
Yuki's heart shattered.
---
Remond blocked another swipe, kinetic energy flaring with every impact, but his limbs were heavy, movements slowing with each brutal hit. Jaimy was a blur of claws and fangs, a savage beast with strength to match.
"Pathetic," Jaimy snarled, eyes glinting with twisted glee. "You're just a boy playing hero—did you really think you could win?"
Remond's breath came ragged, eyes narrowed despite the blood streaking down his brow. His fists flared brighter, the orange glow searing hot, breaths shallow but steady.
"Shut up," he ground out, slamming a fist into Jaimy's jaw with a burst of kinetic energy that sent cracks spider-webbing through the floor.
Jaimy staggered, snarl ripping through the air, but Remond was already moving—ducking low and driving an elbow into the beast's ribs. A savage right hook followed, kinetic energy detonating on impact, sending Jaimy skidding back with a growl of rage.
---
Across the hall, Yuki's blades clashed against Hayato's claws, every impact echoing with a sickening crack. Her eyes stung, breaths shallow and tight with disbelief.
"Hayato, it's me!" she shouted, voice breaking. "Snap out of it!"
But the werewolf's snarl was mindless, eyes glowing with tortured crimson light. Claws tore through steel and concrete with savage force, each strike heavier, more desperate.
Yuki bit back a sob, blades deflecting another swipe. "Please," she gasped, blocking a lethal strike that sent her skidding back. "I can't—Hayato, please!"
But the werewolf lunged, eyes gleaming with mindless rage.
Lopart's laughter echoed over the speakers, cold and mocking. "Touching, really," he sneered. "But he's not your friend anymore, Ms. Panther. He belongs to us now."
Yuki's breath hitched, eyes narrowing with a fury that burned through the shock. "I'll kill you," she vowed, voice low and venomous. "I swear—I'll make you pay for this."
Lopart chuckled, fingers dancing over the console. "Oh, you're welcome to try."