His Companion

PART 21

✝†✝

Third's POV

All eyes were fixed on Maduke as he maintained his grip on Muzaka's neck, choking the former lord. Muzaka, stunned by the revelation, showed no intention of breaking free from the Lord's grasp.

"Ah, I almost forgot to mention this," Maduke sighed before leaning in towards Muzaka, "Your daughter's mother was also engineered by humans at our behest. A werewolf Lord falling in love with a human... Have you no shame?"

A fierce growl resonated through the air as the ex-lord gritted his teeth in rage. Finally, he let out a scream, and an explosion erupted.

Muzaka managed to break free from Maduke's hold by forcefully pushing him away. Although he swung his fist, Maduke effortlessly blocked the attack. The fury in Muzaka's gray eyes only fueled Maduke's grin.

In response, Maduke slapped Muzaka, sending him sprawling. "Yes, that's what I'm looking for!" Without allowing Muzaka time to recover, Maduke delivered another punch, reveling in the struggle.

The gray werewolf landed firmly on the ground with a resounding thud, then lunged at Maduke. His mind flooded with memories of his beloved daughter, intensifying his anger. "No matter what happens, I will end you with my own two hands!"

Maduke absorbed Muzaka's blow, taken aback and seething with anger as the impact resonated through his body. Growling, he retaliated with a strike at Muzaka, but his attempt failed as Muzaka swiftly rose and launched a counterattack.

The two adversaries clawed at each other, each aiming to inflict harm. However, with time, Muzaka's strength intensified. The nobles observed in awe at his growing power, but only two among them watched with a sense of melancholy. Meanwhile, the other werewolf warriors witnessed Muzaka's might with a heavy burden of guilt, as they were only now discovering the truth.

Muzaka's punches inflicted peculiar wounds on Maduke's body. Despite Maduke's attempt to repel Muzaka with a punch, the former only seemed to grow stronger. Muzaka successfully slashed the side of Maduke's chest and followed it up with a powerful punch. The resulting blast was so formidable that the nobles had to shield themselves from the impact.

Catherine shifted slightly in front of Raizel, creating a protective shield around them to ward off the blast's impact. As the air cleared, she observed Muzaka standing, panting heavily, his body now adorned with blood.

Shifting her gaze to Maduke, she noticed his right arm was missing. However, her attention was drawn to the sight of a new arm regenerating slowly.

Maduke, paying little heed to his regenerated arm, trembled with anger. Despite evolving beyond their species, he realized he still couldn't surpass Muzaka. Growling, he asserted, "I am the Lord of our people!"

In a swift motion, he lunged towards Muzaka, attempting to attack with long slashes from his claws. "And I will continue being the Lord forever—Ugh!" His slashes proved futile as Muzaka countered with a powerful punch.

"No! I've cultivated this power for so long!" Maduke screamed in frustration.

Muzaka, fed up with Maduke's actions, growled and unleashed a powerful attack. The memory of what Maduke had done to his daughter fueled his strength, despite the injuries that adorned his body. Muzaka slashed and punched and did everything he could to beat Maduke. He was very fast until Maduke couldn't keep on the track. When Muzaka finally stopped attacking, Maduke fell to the ground with a loud thud.

Raizel and Catherine observed Maduke's battered body. Despite losing arms and legs, the regenerative cells had already begun their work. As Maduke started to recover, Muzaka approached him.

"Remember this before you meet your end," Muzaka growled with deep distaste, "The names of my daughter and my companion, whom you killed, are Ashleen and Eirin."

Catherine looked down, overwhelmed with sadness. She didn't want to end up like Muzaka, losing her companion. While she knew she would have to offer comfort to Muzaka later, she felt unsure about what to say to him. Hoping she would never experience the profound loss that Muzaka was currently enduring.

"W-What's happening?!" One of the warriors screamed, diverting Catherine's attention back to the fight.

Her eyes widened slightly as she saw Maduke had already healed. The warriors were shouting about their powers disappearing and experiencing pain in their chests.

Catherine observed the unfolding chaos with bewilderment, moving closer to Raizel. A sense of familiarity with the situation triggered a warning in her, signaling danger.

Raizel took hold of his companion's hand, guiding her to stand behind him. The energy emanating from Maduke prompted him to distance Catherine from the impending danger.