Wolves at War

Brakka collapsed.

Her massive body fell like a toppling mountain, blood still trailing from her temple. But before she could hit the stone...

"Brakka!!"

Kyra darted forward, catching the ogress's head with both arms. Her tiny frame trembled beneath the weight, but she managed to gently lower Brakka into her lap.

"Please be okay…" she whispered, brushing blood-matted hair from Brakka's forehead. "You were amazing."

The ogress smiled faintly, lips parting.

"…soup... better be spicy…" she murmured, before passing out completely.

Kyra laughed through her tears. "Dummy."

Behind them, Axel stood unmoving.

Kaizer groaned and sat up from the broken stone wall he'd been launched into. Blood streaked down from his mouth and nose, staining the white of his armor.

Then, with a soft hiss, his helmet retracted.

The battlefield froze.

Sylthea gasped. Even Korrak's eyes widened.

He looked…

Young.

Like Axel, but cleaner, more pristine, skin untouched by war, short white hair slightly curled, and eyes that burned with cold purpose.

"Axel..." Sylthea murmured, stepping beside Korrak. "That's his brother."

Korrak narrowed his eyes. "His real family."

They both watched as Axel walked forward, his movements slow but steady.

Sylthea spoke again, quiet but sharp. "If he chooses his blood over us... we'll lose him."

Korrak's jaw clenched. "Unlike us. We're just pretending to be family."

Kyra's hands tightened around Brakka's, her wide eyes fixed on Axel's back.

She didn't blink.

Didn't breathe.

Afraid.

Afraid he was leaving her.

But inside Axel's suits comms… something snarled.

Black Wolf's voice thundered.

"How dare he. He hurt Brakka, the woman you love. And he made Kyra cry. The girl who matters more than your own blood."

Axel kept walking.

Kaizer opened his arms, smiling with bruised lips.

"Come home, brother," he said gently. "I missed you. I always knew you'd come back."

Axel stood before him, face unreadable.

Kaizer stepped forward.

And...

BOOOOOOOM!!!

A punch.

Devastating.

Axel's fist slammed across Kaizer's jaw, the impact rippling with red kinetic energy. The force sent Kaizer flying like a rocket, crashing through the outer wall of the ruined kingdom.

Dust and stone rained down in his wake.

Axel stood, breath heaving, Iron Howl now locked to his back.

"I'm not here for a damn hug."

He turned his head slightly, speaking for all to hear.

"You hurt my pack."

He looked down at Kyra and Brakka.

"You made her cry."

His hand tightened into a fist, veins glowing red.

"You think you get to hurt them… and smile in my face?"

He snarled.

"I'm not your brother anymore."

Kyra's lips trembled but then curled into a smile of relief.

Sylthea exhaled softly.

Korrak's tusked mouth twisted upward.

"Now that's our Alpha," he muttered.

But the rubble shifted.

Kaizer stood again, brushing off blood with a scowl.

"You would turn against your family... for monsters?" he barked.

He raised his hand, and his helmet clicked back into place, the glowing visor snapping on.

"You're not thinking straight. That suit corrupted you. So I'm going to beat the sense back into you."

Axel reached behind him.

Iron Howl hissed into his hand, glowing with runic fury.

Black Wolf's voice was low now, cold.

"Let me off the leash. He won't touch what's ours again."

Red eyes lit the battlefield once more.

"Come on then," Axel growled.

Kaizer spun Steel Howl once, its energy screaming in the wind.

Both Exterminators crouched.

One clad in white.

One cloaked in black.

And then...

The wolves charged.

SHRAAAK!!!

Steel Howl clashed against Iron Howl in a titanic spray of sparks. Kaizer's blue energy veins pulsed violently as his Overdrive engaged, Full Moon Mode: 3%.

His movements became a blur.

Axel met him head-on, activating Lone Fang Mode, his entire body igniting in a blazing fusion of runes, red, green, gold, blue, white, brown, all surging at once.

Black Wolf's voice echoed in his helmet.

"Lone Fang active. All elemental channels synced. Rune-limit overload imminent."

The battlefield exploded into motion.

Kaizer vanished, then reappeared mid-swing, Steel Howl arcing downward.

CLAAAAANG!!

Iron Howl blocked just in time, and the ground beneath Axel cratered from the force.

Axel ducked low, water rune pumping through his veins, and slashed upward with a flame-sheathed Iron Howl, Kaizer twisted mid-air, narrowly dodging the fire arc and launched a spinning kick.

THOOM!

Axel slid backward twenty meters, boots ripping up stone, and planted his sword down to stabilize.

Black Wolf's voice returned.

"You're only barely keeping up."

"I can give you more power."

"But you'll start losing your humanity. You'll feel nothing but rage, misery, hatred. We'll stop being 'you and me.' We'll become one."

Axel's breath was ragged.

"…Not yet," he said through gritted teeth.

And Kaizer was already on him.

SLAM!

A punch to the ribs, powered by speed boosters.

CRACK!

A knee to the face.

Axel stumbled back, visor flickering.

Steel Howl screamed through the air, Axel blocked with Iron Howl again, runes flaring gold with Earth to soften the blow, but still...

CLAAAANG!

He was launched again, skipping like a stone across the stone yard, smoke and blood trailing behind.

Kaizer stood tall.

"4%," he muttered.

The blue veins burned brighter.

He blurred, and Axel barely raised his guard when Steel Howl came down...

BOOOOOOOM!!

It cracked Axel's shoulderplate, sending tremors through his entire frame.

Then Kaizer twisted, slashed, punched, every move surgically efficient. Axel tried teleporting, Spasm Step but Kaizer predicted it, catching him mid-phase and driving his fist into Axel's gut.

Axel dropped to one knee, coughing blood, panting.

His suit hissed. His systems screamed warnings. His body refused to rise.

Kaizer stood over him.

Voice… not cruel, but disappointed.

"Why?" he asked.

"Why are you doing this, Axel?"

Axel didn't answer.

Kaizer looked past him.

At Kyra.

Still holding Brakka's unconscious form.

Still crying.

Kaizer's eyes narrowed.

"…It's because of that little monster, isn't it?"

He raised Steel Howl.

And vanished, a silver blur charging toward Kyra, blade raised for the final strike.

Kyra's eyes widened.

"AXEL!!"

But before Steel Howl could strike...

CLAAAAAAAAANG!!!!

A black blade intercepted it.

Iron Howl.

Held by Axel.

His body was glowing with crimson and obsidian energy now, stronger than before, pulsing with unnatural heat.

Kaizer's eyes widened behind his visor.

"What…?"

Axel's voice was a low snarl.

"Black Wolf. Give me more."

"Understood. 5% Demon Core released. No humanity loss… yet."

Axel surged.

A thunderous blow of his sword launched Kaizer like a missile, sending him tumbling across the battlefield, crashing through columns and dust.

Everyone stared in stunned silence.

Axel stepped forward, smoke rising, runes glowing violently. A faint red mist surrounded him. His silhouette was terrifying, barely human.

Kaizer coughed blood and stood slowly, face cracked from the last blow.

He looked at Axel… truly looked.

And his voice wavered.

"Brother… you don't even look human anymore."

He lowered Steel Howl slightly.

"You'd go this far… for them?"

His voice broke.

"For monsters?"

Axel stood still. The red mist rippled.

And then...

His voice cut like a blade.

"Because they opened my eyes."

He looked toward Kyra. Toward Sylthea. Toward Brakka. Toward Korrak.

"They showed me kindness. Real kindness."

His visor flared crimson.

"More than any human ever did."

Kaizer's fists clenched.

Then, a howl of rage.

Steel Howl rose once more.

Axel readied Iron Howl, shoulder lowered, his fangs bared.

The sky itself seemed to tremble.

Brother against brother.

Wolf against wolf.

And the next clash would shake the world.