Chapter 322 [Event] [Dolphian Kingdom Under Ruins] [8] Bestial Form Werewolves
Chapter 322 [Event] [Dolphian Kingdom Under Ruins] [8] Bestial Form Werewolves
"Impossible..." Roda murmured, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief as she gazed at the transformed figures of the two Werewolves before them. Despite her incredulity, there was no denying the reality of what lay before her.
"Do you understand what's happening to them, Roda?" Victor, equally puzzled, asked, his eyes fixed on the Werewolves whose presence now exuded a potent Prana. Their sudden surge in strength seemed almost miraculous, considering their previous capabilities as elite individuals.
Roda glanced at her companion, sensing his curiosity, before slowly nodding. "We Werewolves possess what's known as Hidden Bestial Forms," she explained. "It's an innate ability within all of us, but accessing it and breaking through the cocoon of Prana to unlock these forms is exceedingly difficult. Even I and Uncle struggle with it," she added, casting a glance at Rodolf, who observed the scene in silence.
"If even you and Rodolf find it challenging... isn't it remarkable that those two are managing it?" Celeste interjected, her gaze drawn to the spectacle below.
"Yes, it is, but it's also concerning... they clearly can't control it," Roda responded, a hint of confusion creasing her brow.
"But they seem incredibly powerful, don't they? I can feel their Prana almost tingling on my skin... Are they safe?" Victor voiced his concern for his sister, Alicia, and Amael.
Roda remained silent, her skepticism evident as she continued to observe.
"In any case, they're several times stronger than before," Cylien remarked, her emerald eyes focusing on one person in particular: Amael. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
'Will you finally fight seriously?'
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she witnessed the figures of the two Werewolves begin to blur.
"Alicia–!" Victor's voice rang out, abruptly cut off as Amael shoved her aside, taking the brunt of the impending attack.
A shockwave of Prana, intertwined with what seemed to be Amael's Ruah, rippled through their surroundings.
"Woooooooaaaaah!"
The crowd, primarily composed of High Humans, erupted into cheers at the sight of Amael clashing and resisting the Werewolf's assault with his bare arms.
However, amidst the chaos, the Werewolves themselves seemed perplexed, perhaps even questioning whether Amael possessed Werewolf blood as well.
"He's still a High Human... he can't compete against a Werewolf in a Bestial Form," Roda shook her head, voicing her assessment.
True to her prediction, Amael was eventually forced backward until he collided with the stadium wall.
Then, to everyone's horror, the other Werewolf opened its jaws, Prana coalescing around its mouth in preparation for an attack.
"It's a... Moonbreath," Roda murmured, her shock palpable.
"Moonbreath? Are you serious? Isn't that one of the most powerful attacks Werewolves master after years of training?" Victor exclaimed, his disbelief evident.
"Yes, it is... I witnessed Monarch Jefer employing it once... things don't look good for Amael," Cylien remarked gravely.
An unexpected voice pierced through the tension.
"A-Amael!" Elizabeth, usually composed, betrayed her concern as she watched Amael's predicament.
"Wow... it's rare to see her this worried for someone other than Selene," Amelia remarked, her observation echoed by the others. Elizabeth wasn't even watching Selene's fight probably because their win was guaranteed contrary to Amael's group now maybe…
"Well, she is engaged to Amael, and they do love each other, after all," Victor chimed in with a grin.
"That's right... I forgot about that," Roda remarked with a wry smile, recalling the news of Amael's engagement.
"Yeah..." Celeste nodded, feeling a hint of discomfort at the reminder, though she couldn't quite place why.
Setting aside their thoughts, they refocused their attention on the unfolding scene with Amael.
-BOOOOOM!
A blinding, dark yellowish ray erupted from the Werewolf's jaws, carving into the ground as it surged toward Amael, who remained embedded in the wall.
Amael's form blurred within the intense light, while the very ground beneath them quaked and fractured, threatening to collapse.
The stadium fell into a stunned silence as everyone watched, mouths agape, the smoke now billowing across half of the battlefield.
None had anticipated the sheer force of the attack.
"I-Is he alright?" Celeste's voice trembled, echoing the thoughts of all present.
"Kuh! He was a weakling after all, huh?" Adrian Dolphis scoffed, his smirk mirrored by the Elves around him.
"H-How..." Leire and Martin gasped, their hands flying to cover their mouths in shock at the devastating power unleashed.
Alicia, however, remained fixed on the smoke, her grip on the rapier's handle tightening as she bit down on her lip.
James Raven swiftly descended onto the field, his expression etched with concern. "Call for a healer–"
His words were cut short as he too turned his attention back to the billowing smoke.
Alvara, who had remained stoic throughout the fight, now for the first time narrowed her eyes, a glimmer of twisted delight flickering across her features.
"RAGHHHH!" The Werewolf, having unleashed its Moonbreath, roared and charged into the smoke once more.
-BAAAAM!-
In an instant, it was violently repelled with a sickening crunch, its two longest fangs shattering as it coughed up a mouthful of blood before crashing to the other side of the stadium.
Emerging from the dissipating smoke, a figure engulfed in an ominous yet mesmerizing purple flame appeared before them. Gasps escaped their lips as they beheld Amael's form. Though a trickle of blood marked his forehead, his injuries seemed minor. However, what caught their attention were the few strands of his hair that had inexplicably turned white.
Despite that, Amael wore a small smirk. "Something interesting finally."
With those words, he vanished, hurtling toward the groaning Werewolf who struggled to its feet, readying itself to retaliate.
"GRAAAH!" Another Bestial Form Werewolf charged toward Amael, intent on delivering a devastating blow.
Amael paid it no heed, not out of indifference but out of confidence in his strong teammate.
"Ravenic Scorching Blood Wall!" Alicia's voice rang out as she plunged her rapier into the ground before sweeping it upward. A barrier of burning blood materialized, intercepting the Werewolf's clawed hand.
Though the Werewolf's hand pierced through the fiery barrier, it quickly began to burn and redden, causing the creature to recoil in agony. Enraged, it lashed out with its claws, illuminated with Prana.
"Ughh!" Alicia shielded herself with her rapier, but the force of the blow sent her staggering backward, drawing the Werewolf's attention toward her.
-BOOOOM!
Both Alicia and the Werewolf stood firm as another shockwave emanated from their clash.
Alicia's gaze shifted toward Amael, struggling to comprehend what she was witnessing: a Half-High Human holding his own against a Bestial Form Werewolf. Despite the Werewolf's powerful blows, Amael countered with his Ruah-infused fists, driving the Werewolf back.
"I never imagined there were guys like you capable of such feats! I must admit, I'm quite astonished," Amael said, landing a solid punch on the Werewolf's cheek, sending him sprawling to the ground.
-Bam!
"Enough joking," Amael's tone turned chillingly serious as he advanced, wisps of purplish fire crackling around his arm. "Explain to me how you accomplished that," he asked.
The Werewolf responded with a fierce Moonbreath, propelled at high speed.
Reacting swiftly, Amael extinguished his flaming hand, triggering a massive explosion that sent both combatants flying backward.
Meanwhile, Alicia engaged in a heated battle with the other Werewolf, deftly parrying each attack with swift thrusts of her rapier. With graceful precision, she traced beautiful mana circles in the air, countering the Werewolf's relentless assaults while delivering precise stabs to vulnerable spots. Though the Werewolf bled profusely from its wounds, it continued to attack unabated.
Even James Raven, familiar with Werewolves' Bestial Form, found the situation peculiar.
"Agh!" Alicia cried out as she was caught off guard by a vicious strike, tearing flesh from her arm. Another blow aimed for her stomach was intercepted by hastily summoned walls of earth, shielding her from harm.
Though the barriers crumbled quickly, Martin's intervention bought Alicia precious moments to retreat.
"I'll keep it occupied for a while!" Leire, though fearful, charged toward the Werewolf.
"It's too dangerous." Alicia said with a furrowed brow, but Leire pressed on, ignoring her warning.
Alicia quickly glanced down at her right arm, observing the wound as it began to close before her eyes, a testament to her vampiric heritage. However, she could feel the drain on her mana, a significant toll on her body. It dawned on her that the injury inflicted by the Werewolf was more severe than she initially realized.
'So, this is what a true fight looks like.' Until now, Alicia had never encountered an opponent who fought her without regard for her status, someone who unleashed their full power against her without minding about injuring her gravely. It seemed she had finally met her match, an adversary strong enough to push her to such a state.
As the wound on her arm healed, blood trickled down. Bringing her arm to her lips, she licked the blood, a gesture both primal yet unique for her.
"...!" It was merely her own blood, yet it stirred something within her, awakening a primal instinct long dormant. Her crimson eyes gleamed with a dark intensity as she locked gazes with the Werewolf.