The Lion's Den
The hallway trembled beneath the ferocity of battle—marble cracked and scorched, air heavy with the scent of ozone and blood. Sparks rained from shattered light fixtures, casting jagged shadows across the ruined chamber where Remond and Jaimy clashed with bone-rattling force.
Jaimy Hoffmen—no, the monster he had become—loomed over him, eyes gleaming with feral gold beneath the mangled remains of his suit. Muscles bulged grotesquely beneath tawny fur, claws glinting with crimson where they had tasted flesh. A werelion—twisted and lethal.
Remond's breath came ragged, limbs numb and aching from the sheer brutality of each strike. His chest heaved, blood trickling down his brow, orange aura flickering erratically across his skin. Even in Mod 2nd, the gap between them was a chasm—Jaimy was faster, stronger, relentless.
---
Jaimy's snarl curled into a vicious grin, fangs bared and gleaming. "Is this it, boy?" his voice was a growl, mocking and dark. "All that bravado, all that fire—and this is the best you can do?"
He lunged with terrifying speed, claws slicing through air with a whistle. Remond barely deflected in time, orange aura flaring in desperate arcs. Shockwaves cracked the floor, boots skidding across marble as he struggled to hold his ground.
"Shut up!" Remond gritted, swinging wide with a right hook, aura igniting in a searing arc. The blow connected with a thunderous impact—but Jaimy caught it with one hand, grip crushing.
Golden eyes narrowed. "Predictable," Jaimy sneered. "I've already seen it all."
---
Then the pain came—blinding and brutal.
Jaimy's claws tore through his guard, fangs bared in a savage snarl as he drove a knee into Remond's ribs with enough force to crack bone. Breath left his lungs in a strangled gasp, vision fracturing white-hot with agony.
He crashed through a column, marble splintering in a cloud of dust and debris.
Every nerve screamed in protest as Remond forced himself to rise, knees trembling. Blood trickled warm and slow down his side, breaths shallow and pained. Focus—get up. You can't go down now.
But Jaimy was already advancing, eyes glinting with predatory satisfaction. "You're out of your league, kid," he mocked, claws flexing. "Give up."
---
But giving up wasn't an option. Not now. Not ever.
Remond's jaw clenched, aura flaring brighter, molten orange blazing with renewed resolve. "Not a chance," he growled, swiping blood from his chin. "I'm not done yet!"
His aura exploded in a fiery arc, kinetic energy surging with each movement. He blitzed forward, fists blazing with orange radiance—feints and jabs chaining into a ruthless barrage.
But Jaimy's eyes gleamed with smug disdain, every step a calculated response. Observation Hatsu—those damned eyes. Each strike was countered, deflected with effortless precision. Every move anticipated before Remond could even commit.
A gut punch folded him in half, claws raking fire down his spine. Remond's gasp was a choked snarl, aura flickering as he staggered, boots dragging over shattered marble.
"Is that really all?" Jaimy scoffed, claws glinting. "How pathetic."
---
Pathetic— The word dug deep, igniting something raw and furious. Remond's aura flared, orange glow bleeding brighter, heat pulsing with each heartbeat.
No. Not yet. His fists clenched, pain dulling beneath the surge of raw determination. There's got to be more. I can't—
A memory flickered—warmth and fire, a voice steady and firm.
"Your power isn't just about attack. It's about how much you can take and still stand. Endure, Remond. That's the key."
Endurance. The thought struck like lightning. His aura trembled, flickering at the edges, but didn't fade. He could take more. Endure more.
And beneath the pain, beneath the fire and rage, something shifted. The aura wasn't just energy—it was armor, waiting to be shaped.
---
Jaimy lunged again—fangs bared, claws gleaming.
Remond's eyes narrowed, focus sharpening to a blade's edge. "Not this time!" he snarled, fists blazing.
The orange aura pulsed—then solidified.
It wasn't just light anymore. It hardened, a molten shell that encased his limbs, darkening to a deep amber—a protective layer that rippled with raw power.
Jaimy's claws struck—and stopped dead.
The werelion's eyes widened, shock flickering behind feral gold. "What—"
Remond's smirk was lethal. "Your turn," he growled, and his fist drove forward, aura blazing.
---
The impact was cataclysmic.
Jaimy hurtled back, marble splintering beneath him, a snarl torn from his throat. The amber layer flared brighter, kinetic energy surging with each blow, each strike resonating with seismic force.
Punch after punch—ferocious, unrelenting. Remond's movements were sharper, stronger, aura-armored fists cleaving through defenses with brutal precision.
Jaimy's snarls turned to growls of pain, claws striking with desperate fury—but each blow glanced off the hardened aura with sparks and smoke.
For the first time, those golden eyes showed fear.
---
The final strike drove Jaimy to his knees, marble cracking beneath the force. Blood dripped from split lips, breaths ragged and shallow. His eyes were wide, dazed with disbelief and rage.
"How—" he choked, fangs bared in a snarl. "How is this possible—what are you?!"
Remond's glare was molten. "Someone who's done listening to your crap," he snapped, aura flaring in a searing halo.
Jaimy's snarl twisted into something desperate. But before he could move, a sharp voice cut through the carnage—cold and commanding.
---
"That's enough."
Remond's eyes snapped up, breath catching as Ho Dieng stepped forward, robes fluttering, eyes dark and lethal. In his arms, limp but breathing, Yuki—bloodied and unconscious.
And beside them—Hayato.
Remond's breath hitched. "H-Hayato?" The name was a broken whisper, disbelief flooding through him.
Hayato's eyes softened, guilt flickering beneath exhaustion. "It's… a long story," he rasped, voice raw. "But we don't have time for that now."
His gaze shifted to Jaimy—bruised, bloodied, but still breathing. Golden eyes met dark with venomous hatred.
"Our work isn't done yet," Hayato growled, voice cold and final. "Not while he's still breathing."