The first strike came fast.
A blur of silver and red.
Ekkor-71 lunged again, claws charged with electricity, slicing a storm of sparks across the cobblestone.
But Axel had already moved.
With a roar of turbines, his calves flared red...
FWOOM.
He jetted forward and spun sideways, Iron Howl carving a half-circle as it slammed into Ekkor's guard. The shockwave sent both men sliding across the plaza. Ekkor grunted as his boots skidded through a wall.
"You owe me two jawbones now," the rogue hissed.
"Come earn 'em," Axel snapped back.
He turned just in time to deflect the next strike...
CLINK, CLINK, SWISH!
Vessa-42 blurred into existence, daggers flashing like shadows under moonlight. Her Ghostframe flickered as she slashed low, high, then twisted midair, aiming for his visor.
Axel ducked, felt her blade nick his helmet, and retaliated with a backhand punch laced with kinetic discharge.
CRACK!
Vessa's stealth shimmer broke as she flew backward into a fruit stall.
"Cute toys," Axel muttered, flexing his gauntlet. "Try harder."
A whistling hum cut through the moment...
PING! A sniper shot grazed his shoulder.
His HUD flared red: [IMPACT - LEFT PAULDRON - 67% INTEGRITY]
Axel spun toward the rooftops.
*"Windlock active."
Telric-18 stood steady, railgun glowing.
Axel drew his pistol Last Word in a blink...
BLAM, BLAM, BLAM!
Telric dodged the first two shots but the third grazed his side. Sparks flew.
"I missed that shot," Telric muttered. "Not twice."
Before Axel could react...
Kreeva-66 descended.
Silent as breath. Deadlier than a guillotine.
Her Kiss of Silence daggers struck from behind...
CLANG, CLANG, SHHHHTK!
One blade pierced under Axel's arm, but his armor sealed the wound before it reached muscle. He spun, catching her mid-kick and flinging her into the lake fountain.
"Nice try, Seraph."
Kreeva swam out, snarling. "Still fast… damn it."
Then came Xarin-09.
The ground trembled with his approach. His cloak of nano-filaments danced like liquid shadow. His halberd hissed as he twirled it once.
"Execution Window."
Axel saw the glow pulse behind the skull-helm. He knew that look.
Time slowed.
To Xarin, the world became molasses. Everything dulled except Axel.
But Axel wasn't just a soldier. He was the one they trained to lead killers.
And his instincts screamed...
MOVE.
Axel launched upward, boosters flaring.
The halberd strike missed by inches, carving a crater where he had stood.
BOOM.
Axel countered in midair, drawing back Iron Howl and releasing a charged energy slash.
HHHHRRAAARGH! VRMMMMM, SLAAAASH!
The shockwave crashed into Xarin, forcing the Dusk Tyrant back ten paces.
Axel landed hard. Rolled. Came up swinging.
Their blades met in a clash that shook the village.
BOOM, CLANG, BOOM!
The witches and wizards nearby scrambled for cover as the two titans exchanged blows.
"You always were the best of us," Xarin said, laughing beneath his mask. "That makes this fun."
Axel snarled. "You know what makes it fun for me?"
He ducked, stabbed forward, shoulder-tackled Xarin into a wall...
"I don't have to hold back anymore."
Xarin surged up, halberd spinning. "Neither do we."
Suddenly, Blood Reign regrouped.
All five surrounded Axel.
He stood, breathing steady, armor scratched, glowing faintly red.
Kyra watched from behind a tree, her little hand gripping the bark in terror.
Axel took one step back, then looked to her.
And smiled.
"Black Wolf, system lock. Priority Kill Zone."
His HUD lit up.
Target markers appeared on all five enemies.
"Let's dance."
Then the fight truly began.
The wind stilled.
Five red reticles blinked on Axel's HUD. His exo-core pulsed hotter. Black Wolf was alive, breathing fire.
Across from him, Xarin-09 raised a hand.
"Enough play."
The squad froze.
"Formation Delta. We're facing the Black Wolf."
For the first time since the fight began… they moved as one.
A click. A pulse. A shimmer.
And suddenly Axel was in hell.
KREEVA-66 blurred first, vanishing from sight, her Heartbeat Veil pulsing the air like a drumbeat of death.
Axel pivoted...
TOO LATE...
Slash!
Her heel blade raked across his lower backplate. Sparks flew, pain warning flashed.
"Behind you," her voice whispered like venom.
Axel swung, missed...
CLANK!
VESSA-42 dropped in from above. Ghostframe active. Her Whisperthorn chain-daggers danced like serpents, one wrapping around Axel's arm, the other slicing across his left thigh.
He grunted, countered with a punch...
She phased through it like smoke. Then spun-kicked him into a building column.
HUD DAMAGE WARNING – KINETIC BALANCE DROPPING
EKKOR-71 crashed in a moment later with a teleporting Spasm Step, chain-claws humming with volts.
"Ravager's got you!"
His claws slammed into Axel's torso, shorting his shield.
Axel gritted his teeth and headbutted him, dazing the rogue, then slammed Iron Howl down.
BOOM.
The blade carved through ground but TELRIC-18 already had the shot.
BANG!
A rail-round punched through Axel's right shoulder. Blood misted behind his armor.
He staggered. Dropped to one knee.
"Windlock complete," Telric muttered. "He's tagged."
And then...
XARIN-09.
The Dusk Tyrant came like a god of death.
"Execution Window."
Axel tried to parry...
CRACK!
The Sundering Fang halberd struck his ribs, vibrating through his suit.
Then again...
CRACK!
To the knee. The leg buckled.
Again...
CRACK!!!
To the chest. The shockwave launched him backward through the enchanted garden wall.
Axel hit the stone, slid down, coughing, vision red.
His HUD screamed alerts.
He raised his hand weakly, Last Word barely clinging to his grip...
But it was shot out of his hand.
Xarin loomed on the other side, breathing calm through the skull-like mask. Red filaments on his cloak danced like blood ribbons in the air.
"You were always a legend, Axel. But legends die like everything else."
He raised his halberd high, energy crackling along the blade's length. As he began walking towards Axel.
"Any last words, Black Wolf?"
But then...
"STOP!!!"
A small green blur ran between them.
Kyra.
She stood arms wide in front of Axel, eyes wet, teeth bared, trembling.
"Please… please don't hurt him."
The blade paused mid-swing.
Xarin tilted his head.
The entire squad froze, stunned.
Kyra's voice broke.
"He's not one of you anymore! He doesn't kill for fun! He saved me! He plays guessing games! He shares food even when he's hungry! He gives me his bed and stays awake all night keeping watch! He… he…"
She looked down at Axel's barely conscious form.
"…he's my pack."
Axel, eyes flickering under his cracked helmet, whispered hoarsely.
"Kyra… move…"
She shook her head fiercely.
"No."
The silence that followed was heavy.
Even Telric lowered his rifle.
Then Kreeva said, quieter than ever before, "…she's protecting him."
Xarin walked towards Kyra.
The fight was far from over.