Whitefield: Shattered Realms

Hunters. Agents. Lycan.

Chapter 18

~~ Hunters. Agents. Lycan. ~~

“What the h*ll!?”

Peter, Marc and the rest of Agents were utterly stunned. Their eyes were opened wide in bewilderment. They were more of confused than surprised though.

They had caught a full glimpse of the Mystic Wolf the other night when Ian was attacked. So, there wasn't much surprise there. But for the fact that some people actually had the guts to face it head on with just swords, didn't make sense to them. They felt left out; there were things surrounding this 'killings and attacks' that were left in the dark.

And weren't they supposed to meet Ms.Selene at this location? Or maybe they took the wrong route.

Peter moved his neck left and right like a camera, scanning the terrain for his daughter. He knew they've come to the right place. This ongoing battle before them couldn't just be a mere coincidence. Maybe Ms.Selene could somehow manipulate the Mystic Wolf or something. He wasn't sure, but knew she and Avery were close by.

~

Over ten metres away, the Mystic Wolf roared as it leapt off a tree and lunged at the hunters.

The hunters repelled from each other, jumping to either sides, and the Wolf landed between them, its claws tearing through the soil.

Tadashi made the first move, dashing towards the Wolf - that was still in a crouch. Whilst running, he brandished his katana before raising his arms over his head and slashed down swiftly.

Swish!

The blade curved down in a vertical arc, only to be plunged into the soil. The Mystic Wolf had evaded in a blur. It was now standing behind the stunned Tadashi, its crimson eyes beaming with ferociousness.

Tadashi had slouched too close to the ground due to the miss, when he perceived the beast's presence behind him, causing him to jump into a forward roll. But before all that could take place, with a loud growl, the beast brandished its claws and swiped down to cleave Tadashi's head off.

In a slower perception, Tadashi had lunged his body forward just a little before the claws could come down completely. He was luckily slashed in the back, blood spilled. His body dropped to the ground afterwards. He didn't let out a grunt, like he couldn't feel pain.

Asuma had already burst into a sprint when she saw the Wolf aiming to take Tadashi's head off, but it happened faster than she could get close. Luckily, Tadashi had acted fast too. So as she got in proximity, behind the Wolf, she hopped forth and cut the air with her katana from left to right.

But then again, the Mystic Wolf, vanished in a blur. She expected this to happen. She only attacked so it would leave her injured husband alone. So, as it blurred out, she immediately, and with flawless flexibility, rolled her body in the air into a forward flip and landed close to Tadashi's head.

With keen senses, she half-turned from left to right, her hands firmly wrapped around the katana's black hilt, looking to see if the Mystic Wolf was nearby. Affriming that it was not close by for now, she brought out a tiny bottle out of her side pouch and bent beside Tadashi. He rolled over on his own and took the bottle from her; they had always planned for situations like this. Greenish liquid filled the tiny transparent bottle, exuding a dim luminesce in the dark environment. He flicked the lid off with his thumb and emptied its contents in his mouth. He felt his throat burn as he swallowed, causing him to cough.

The crouched Asuma still had her eyes scanning the place while Tadashi drank the liquid that was meant to heal his wounds and rejuvenate him. Little had time passed, when she heard an abrupt shift in the wind by her side. She caught the sight of the approaching Wolf from the corner of her eyes.

Even with her heightened perception as a hunter, she could barely keep track with its speed. Normal humans won't even see it coming.

She and Tadashi jumped to their feet, and made battle stances as the beast circled them on all fours, like a predator around its preys.

“You ready?”, Tadashi asked in a whisper, standing back to back with his hunter wife.

“Let's finish this!”, Asuma replied with a focused demeanour and they scattered to different directions, hoping to catch the Wolf off-guard.

Swish! Swish!

Asuma got to the Mystic Wolf first and began swinging her sword diagonally, in an expertise manner and speed. Her hands moved so fast, silvery arcs followed each swing from the katana's blade.

Clang! Clang!

The Wolf blocked and parried with its two inch long claws, that stalemated the density of the silver blades. Sparks seldom flickered as they continuously gnashed their weapons against the other.

Spotting an opening, Asuma quickly capitalised and jumped with her legs stretched foward, kicking the beast repeatedly on the torso. But its body was too taut, each kick felt like hitting a dense wall. She then performed a back flip to gain some distance from it. She landed on her feet, her body a little slouched to the ground.

The Mystic Wolf roared loudly and bolted at the female hunter. Asuma flaunted the arm wielding her sword to side and also rushed at the beast. Both of them yanked their arms at each other, the crescent moonlight reflecting off the surface of their weapons as they came close.

Clang! Spark!

A loud clang proceeded alongside a dim flash of light as the Wolf's claws kissed the side of Asuma's blade. Asuma proceeded to shift her blade a little and it rested on the Wolf's paw. She cleaved down immediately.

Slash!

The Wolf's paw skin tore, and blood splattered out like squirted fluid. It roared in pain. Asuma, in quick succession, withdrew her sword and turned on her heels completely. Coming back, she slashed the Wolf's chest, causing another tear.

The Mystic Wolf staggered back in pain. Though, its wounds were beginning to close up.

Asuma jumped back and shouted, “Tadashi, now!”

Out of the blues, Tadashi seemingly appeared over the healing and pained Wolf, his sword raised above his head. The katana's blade was engulfed in a green crackling flame, the insignia had also morphed to the shape of a flame.

For a second, his muscles became taut as he gripped the hilt tightly. Then he eased his muscles, curving down his arms in a swift downward stroke as he descended towards his target.

The Wolf's precognitivr senses kicked in and it turned his head up to see the hunter swinging down his green blazing sword at it. It quickly jumped back to evade, but Tadashi had already gotten near.

Swish!

The flaming sword sliced down, along the arm of the Wolf, from tricep to claws. If it hadn't jumped back in time, it's body would have been caught in a diagonal half.

A blur of green light followed the flaming blade down its curved path to the ground. Amid the dark landscape that was fairly illuminated by the blue moon, the green flames and green blurs were a resplendent spectacle to behold.

Both parties jumped back from each other. Tadashi stood beside Asuma, who had her eyes closed. Her Katana began to quiver as the insignia on the blade rewrote itself into the shape of a flame. And the blade got engulfed with blue crackling flames.

‘So humans know magick?’, Selene the Wolf, pondered as she witnessed the light up.

But she was wrong. The hunters didn't use magic, instead they displayed a deeper aspect in the use of their internal energy, which they've cultivated during training. It was a family thing in the Hashimoto bloodline, passed down form generation to generation. They called it the BLAZING RADIANCE.

Still thinking it was magic, the Mystic wolf formed two runic circles in the air before her. They shrunk and shrunk till they fit a space on her paws, sticking to them.

‘No mundane magick can be greater than mine!’

Like they had one mind, the hunters and the hunted lunged at each other with only one goal in mind - To kill!

Swish! Swish!.

The hunters attacked simultaneously, swiftly swinging theirs swords skillfully. The Wolf also swung its hands rapidly, its claws poked out like needles. They made first contact and...

Boom!

The hunters were repelled like swatted bugs, crashing and skidding back on the ground roughly. The Wolf's claws exuded red hues, that emamated from the tiny runic circles embedded in its paws. It was both a defensive and attack mechanism.

Without giving them a chance to recuperate, it lunged at them with a ferocious speed. The hunters quickly got on their feet and evaded its rushing claws. Then they sprung for another attack, their swords blazing bright and hot.

Once again, the Wolf blocked with its claws and the hunters were sent flying many feet back, crashing on the ground and against a tree respectively. Their blades flew out of their hands and the flames died down. They hunters tried to get up, but couldn't as their stamina was drained completely. Whatever the beast hit them with had also sucked all their energy.

The Mystic Wolf roared and moved fast in a blur. It yanked Tadashi from the foot of a tree and flung him across the place. The latter collided hard with the ground and his arm bones snapped from the impact.

It dug its claws into Asuma's leg and lifted her with it. She screamed, her eyes bulging. Its claw poked out from the other side of her leg, blood dropping down. It casually tossed her aside, and her skin and leg bone ripped open as the claw came out of it. She landed and immediately passed out. Tadashi yelled in anger and pain.

He rose to his feet using the adrenaline built from his rage. His eyes were bloodshot. He had no weapon nor a form of defense but he still ran towards the beast to avenge his wife.

Slash!

Five claw marks appeared on his chest, his skin tore like foam and blood oozed out. He collapsed on his knees and dropped on his face, still as a log of wood.

The Wolf was about to continue its assault, when a foul whiff caught its sensitive nose.

““Mhorre hhummans!... TThey arre chllose thhe lhittle ghirl!””, it frowned before dashing away in a blur.

~

The Agents were taken aback by the gruesome rage of the Mystic wolf. Even the proclaimed Supernatural Hunters couldn't stand a chance. Who were they to think they could win? This was a terrible idea!

Peter noticed the doubt and fear from the men's faces. Some of them were sweating, some their limbs shaking. He couldn't blame them, he too was scared. But he couldn't back down now, not when he's this close to finding his precious daughter. He had sent out some men to patrol round were the fight was taking place, in hope that they'd find Avery.

And then, the worst thing happened, the hunters had fallen by the hands of the beast. It took them by surprise as it just ran away for no reason.

After a couple of seconds, the Mystic Wolf appeared before them with a gust of wind. Its presence sent a fearsome shiver down their spines. They were terrified, but couldn't even move a muscle. They were frozen with fear.

In the beasts hands were the heads of two Agents that had sauntered off to look for Avery. Their eyes were open with blood oozing out of their ducts. Their mouths were also wide open like they were still screaming.

Peter gulped down saliva, he too was frozen in fear.

““Whhere iis thhe Aeon?””, the Mystic Wolf asked calmly.

It took about a minute for Peter to regain himself and he answered, “W-We don't know... We don't even know what an Aeon is”

The Mystic Wolf chuckled and crushed the heads in its hands, blood and grey matter drizzling down like a shower of rain.

““Hhow iincognizant and sthupid!””

““Hhe's bheen witth yhou alll ahlong...””

Gasp!

The men gasped. What was it saying? That they actually knew the Aeon but didn't know he was the one? How is that possible?!

It chuckled again, ““Iht sheems ii whill hhave to shhed mhore blhood tto dhrive hhim outt””

The men gulped down. It was going to kill them anytime soon!

“Fire!!!”, Peter yelled and they all opened fire in unison.

Bullets flew fast out of their barrels in a frenzy, shooting towards the Mystic Wolf, that just stood on a spot. The sporadic bullets touched its skin but didn't make a dent, they all just fell to the ground like pebbles. The men didn't relent though, they kept firing with all zeal.

The Wolf roared and ran into the men, bashing their heads and tearing them apart with its claws. Heads were chopped and eaten like briskets. In less than a minute, 90% of the Agents were dead; they were unrecognisable as their bodies were scattered around.

Only Peter, Marc and one other Agent were left standing. Peter aimed his grenade gun at the Wolf, and pulled the trigger. An explosive bullet flew out like a miniature cannon ball.

Boom!

It collied with the Wolf's skin and exploded immediately.

Boom! Boom!

More shots were pulled, rapid explosions occurring around the beast till Peter was out of ammo.

A brief moment of silence ensued as the flames died down and thick smoke shrouded the Mystical lycan. The beast walked regally out of the smoke, totally unscathed.

It was at this moment that they knew... That they were done for.

The beast vanished out of their sight, and Peter stumbled to a fall, after getting hit by what seemed like a gust of wind. Staggering to his feet, his eyes dilated. He saw Marc and the other Agent laying sprawled on the floor, the Wolf's claws deeply embedded in their torso.

Peter's legs shook in freight, his lips quivering.

The Mystic Wolf slowly rose to its feet and turned towards Peter, its crimson eyes redder and brighter than before.

Peter could feel his trousers get wet as he unconsciously pissed himself. Who wouldn't at the face of death?

““Yhou're nhext!””

And Peter Rhodes screamed!