Regal looked at his bleeding arm. The Cut wasn’t too deep thanks to his mana, fur, and muscles. He still could use his arm without any problems. Yet, he was angered. Someone just dared to make him bleed. And not just anybody. His own blood he abandoned because he thought he was weak.
“You are still alive.”
Regal scoffed at bloodied Arslan. His forehead was bleeding heavily.
“Ama, are you okay?”
Despite his brother’s growls, Arslan didn’t even look toward him. He was looking at Ama. She didn’t have any visible wounds except bruises on her neck and hands. She coughed before answering:
“I am fine.”
She stood up. Regal looked at the duo in front of him. Then he started to laugh.
“Hahahahah! I see! I see! That’s a nice mate you found, Arslan.”
Amaterasu glanced at her partner. She wondered how this man knew him. Then it hit her. They were related. Arslan was always closed about his past. Was this the reason? Regal took a step forward. Amaterasu felt the same oppressive mana pressing down on her shoulders.
“Let me teach you it again. What happens to those without strength!”
He leaped towards them.
“Magic Barrier.”
Amaterasu didn’t lose a second. A red semi-transparent barrier blocked Regal’s path. It took him just one punch to break it but it was enough time for Amaterasu and Arslan to move to his sides. Arslan from his right and Amaterasu from his left. Arslan swung his mana-covered swords while Amaterasu cast her magic. Despite their attacks being strong enough to create immense shockwaves, Regal blocked all the attacks with minor scratches.
Regal planted both of his feet on the ground and roared. His roar, mixed with his mana sent both Arslan and Amaterasu flying back.
“Weak. So weak!”
Regal punched in direction of Arslan. He jumped into the air as something hit the ground, raising dust and sending rocks flying everywhere. Despite his failure to hit Arslan, Regal let out an unimpressed snort and started to punch like crazy. Seeing this Arslan’s eyes widened. However, he planted his feet on the ground and started to slash air in front of him.
Invisible blows clashed with his swords. For the first 20 or so blows, Arslan was able to block. However, he wasn’t able to keep up. Countless blows, each one strong enough to make a fist-sized crater on the ground hit Arslan. He tried to guard his vitals but each strike threw him off balance. He fell to the ground, bleeding profusely.
“Solar Blast.”
A huge explosion hit Regal’s back. The smell of burnt fur and flesh spread in the air. Regal screamed in pain and tried to turn toward Amaterasu.
“Solar Blast.”
He stumbled back.
“Solar Blast!”
Another explosion rang out.
“Solar Blast!”
Before she cast her magic, Regal struck his claws to the ground and lifted large amounts of rock and dust to the ground. While it didn’t block all the force spell carried, it weakened it enough to not make it flinch Regal. He tanked the hit and leaped toward Amaterasu.
“Magic Barrier.”
Just as he was about to reach her, Amaterasu created a barrier.
“Weak.”
Regal punched through the barrier and hit Amaterasu right at the solar plexus. She took several steps back before falling on her knees while holding her stomach. She couldn’t breathe right due to the impact she received.
Regal took a slow step forward her. He grabbed Amaterasu by her hair and lifted her to his eye level. She couldn’t even scream even though she felt immense amounts of pain.
“You are strong. I want you.”
Amaterasu couldn’t cast magic. Even for a mage like her, casting magic at least required one or two words. Even though she could circulate her mana, casting wasn’t possible.
Arslan ran as fast as his damaged body allowed.
No.
He pushed his broken body above its limit.
He leaped into the air and swung his swords, aiming for Regal’s head. Regal on the other hand caught him by the throat with one arm without looking at him.
His throat being grabbed while running full speed crushed Arslan’s throat. Despite it, he kept swinging his swords. His aim was affected. But his will wasn’t.
His swords cut through Regal’s mane and cut his trap muscles. Regal growled with pain as he bled.
“You pest!”
Regal tightened his grip, crushing Arslan’s throat further.
“I am going to rip your head off your shoulders and take your mate as my own! I will show her things you can’t even ima- “
Before Regal could finish his sentence his left arm which held Amaterasu combusted into flames.
Regal screamed in pain.
Unlike his previous screams when he was wounded which were filled with anger, this one was filled with terror.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.The fur and skin on his left arm were fully burned.
The pain he felt was so great that he let go of both Amaterasu and Arslan and jumped to create distance between them.
He looked at his charred arm and howled with anguish. He couldn’t move it.
“You bitch! You fucking whore!”
Amaterasu stepped forward. Her hair was longer. Her face had horizontal red lines and claws adorned her hands. Her dress was mostly torn, revealing red fur and a muscular frame. She opened her mouth to growl, which was now covered with sharper fangs.
Two beasts growled at each other.
“So you can really use Primal Evocation! I want you even more now!”
Regal looked back at his burnt arm.
“But first I am going to teach you how to treat your superiors!”
“Ama, no! Don’t lose your control!”
That is what Arslan wanted to say. But his throat was so damaged that he only could cough from where he was lying. He tried to get up but he was hurt badly. His body refused to move. The only thing he could do was watch Amaterasu run toward Regal.
Seeing her mindlessly run towards himself, Regal let out a chuckle.
“You can’t even control yourself when you transform?”
Amaterasu swung her flaming claw toward Regal. He countered it with his golden fist. Their clash created shockwaves but neither of them lost balance. Amaterasu kept swinging her flaming claws while Regal countered each one with his golden fist.
They seemed to be in equilibrium until Regal’s fist hit Amaterasu. Her nose was broken and she was knocked out.
“You can’t maintain your sanity in an imperfect form? Hah! Pathetic.”
Even though he mocked Amaterasu his voice was now weaker. He breathed rapidly and his steps were slow.
The last time he had to push himself this far was when he met with "that man".
He walked towards Amaterasu. His man must be finished rounding up slaves. The only thing he had to do was grab Amaterasu and get out.
“How funny.”
Something pierced his thigh from his back. Regal swung his fist to his back but he hit the air.
“I searched for you for a year but I couldn’t find you anywhere. But now I stopped searching for you, here you are.”
Regal looked at the figure in black.
“Traitor. Slaver. Scum.”
Her voice was filled with contempt.
“Morrigan Blackclaw.”
Regal said as he looked at the golden eyes staring him down.
“You did well hiding from me. But now here we are.”
She rushed forward to him. He punched her but she ducked and stabbed his extended arm with her black daggers.
“Fuck you! You think you can judge m-“
Regal tried to talk but a kick shut him up. Regal watched Morrigan’s hands turn into claws.
“You think you are the only one that can use Primal Evocation?”
Morrigan smashed his sides with her dagger handle.
“You arrogant bitch! You can only fight me because I am already wounded!”
Rather than answering him with words, Morrigan hit him again. And again. And again.
“Wow, she really does have repressed anger issues. Anyways. Can you move? Do I need to carry you? Okay, firstly open your mouth, I need to give you this health potion.”
Arslan forced himself to look at the person talking to him. It was a human with violet hair. Arslan was startled. A human? Was he one of the guards? He also carried Amaterasu on his shoulders.
“Don’t worry, I am with her.”
He pointed toward Morrigan who was beating the shit out of Regal. He then shook the glass bottle in his hand. It was filled with a red liquid. Arslan hesitantly opened his mouth and he poured some of it. Arslan felt warm as his bleeding stopped. He coughed.
“Prisoners! His man is kidnapping them!”
Arslan said weakly. Man shook his hand.
“You don’t have to worry. We got them before coming here. That’s why we were this late. Uh, a bunny beastkin told me to say they will meet with you at the predestined location.”
“You held on well.”
He laid Amaterasu on the ground. He gave her some of the potion.
“You held on well.”
He said while smiling. For some reason, tears flowed from Arslan’s eyes.
“Are you okay? Is pain too much?”
Arslan straightened his body to the best of his ability. He looked at Amaterasu.
“Thank you.”
“It is okay, frien-“
Suddenly mana, far surpassing Regal’s was felt. Everyone’s face changed in an instant.
Morrigan, who was about to finish off Regal was thrown away several meters.
“You said it was an easy job, Regal.”
A giant man wearing bulky armor stepped out of a black portal.
For someone watching him that armor shape was familiar.
“I am sorr-“
Regal knelled in front of him
“I am beyond your excuses.”
He grabbed him and threw him into the portal. Before he followed Regal into the portal he stared in the direction of the violet haired man. The Portal was closed as soon as he entered it.
Arslan took a deep breath of relief. But when he looked at his helper he saw he was making a face full of hostility.