Oban stood beside Allisa, holding her carefully so she would not fall. Her body was weak, blood slowly flowing from her wounds. Her eyes were half open, her breathing uneven.
His hands were shaking.
Not from fear.
From rage.
He slowly lifted his head and looked straight at the one standing ahead.
Rakan.
The pressure coming from him was heavy, different from every werewolf Oban had faced before.
Oban's teeth clenched.
"So you're the one…" Oban said, his voice low and trembling, "…who did this to her, huh?"
Rakan looked at Allisa once, then back at Oban. A small, mocking smile appeared on his face.
"Another bat?" Rakan said calmly. "Huh. Come. Show me what you can do for me."
Oban gently laid Allisa down. His eyes never left Rakan.
Before moving forward, the system flickered in front of his vision.
[TELEPORTATION – TARGET SELECTED]
In the next instant, Allisa vanished in a flash of light, sent to a safe place deep inside the castle.
Rakan watched the whole thing without stopping him.
"…Terrible ability," Rakan said. "But useful."
Suddenly—
Rakan disappeared.
Oban's instincts screamed.
Behind him.
Rakan appeared right at his back, his attack already moving. Oban twisted his body just in time, the strike barely missing him. The force alone cracked the ground.
Oban didn't stop. He rushed forward, closing the distance instantly.
Rakan's eyes narrowed. "Impressive."
He raised his hand. "Attack."
Two werewolves charged in. One of them swung a massive hammer down toward Oban with full force.
The hammer smashed the floor.
But Oban was already gone.
He moved fast—too fast.
The hammer missed again and again. Oban slipped between their attacks, his movements clean and sharp. The Maru Dagger appeared in his hand.
Slash.
Slash.
The dagger cut deep into both werewolves. Their bodies reacted instantly, the wounds burning and refusing to heal.
They roared in pain.
Oban jumped back and slammed his hand onto the ground. Blood dripped from his wounds and spread across the floor.
The system activated.
[BLOOD MANIPULATION – MATTER PROJECTION]
The blood hardened instantly. The ground turned solid around the werewolves' legs, trapping them completely.
They struggled, but couldn't move.
Oban pulled out his ice mace.
Cold exploded outward.
Frost covered the trapped werewolves in seconds, freezing them completely. Their movements stopped.
Oban stepped forward and switched weapons.
The vampiric blade glowed.
He slashed again and again, striking the frozen bodies without pause. Cracks spread through the ice, shining like broken crystal.
With one final strike—
The frozen bodies shattered completely.
Silence returned to the battlefield.
Rakan had watched everything.
He didn't move. He didn't react.
Oban turned toward him, breathing hard.
"You aren't helping your partners," Oban said.
Rakan shrugged slightly. "I don't care."
He took a step forward.
"All I care about now," Rakan said calmly, "is finishing you with my own hands."
Their auras began to rise.
The air shook.
Dark energy wrapped around Rakan. Oban felt pressure pressing down on his body, heavier than before.
In that moment, Oban vanished.
He appeared behind Rakan, Maru Dagger raised, and slashed with full force—
CRACK.
The dagger broke.
Fragments fell to the ground.
Oban froze.
"What…?" he whispered. "How can that happen?"
Rakan slowly turned around.
Only now did Oban truly feel it.
This aura.
It was completely different.
Deeper. Heavier. More dangerous.
"…He's not like the others," Oban thought. "He's on another level."
Rakan smiled. "You finally noticed."
He stepped forward and punched.
Oban crossed his arms and blocked—but the impact was overwhelming. His body was thrown backward, smashing through several walls of the castle.
Stone broke apart behind him.
Oban slammed into the ground and struggled to stand.
His system flickered.
[ANALYSIS COMPLETE][WIN PROBABILITY: 27%]
Oban wiped blood from his mouth and looked up at Rakan.
"…Only 27%," he muttered.
Rakan walked toward him slowly, smiling.
End of Chapter.