Kai knew Austin was in trouble, serious trouble. He ran as fast as he could without stopping, his legs pumping, mind focused. Gary was still helping the others, but Kai had been given a different mission. Deliver the package. Deliver it as fast as possible. And now, he'd arrived, just in time to witness what might have been the worst possible moment. Austin could barely stand, let alone fight. The Altered hunters looked like they had lost all will to keep going. And Edvard… he was vulnerable, struggling to put on the armor. Damn it! Kai cursed internally. I was hoping I could just drop the package, then get the hell out of here! He turned his eyes toward the battlefield, and there, Lupus. You want me to fight him? But this wasn't a request. Edvard had already moved toward the crate that lay open on the ground, beginning the process of equipping the armor. Lupus, however, was already charging forward. "There's only one thing I can use to my advantage right now," Kai muttered to himself. Without hesitation, he broke into a sprint, then leapt into the air, and midair, his form shifted. Fur erupted from his skin, bones cracked and realigned. In seconds, Kai had transformed into his full wolf form. "What's going on?" Joy asked, eyes wide. "Isn't he like the others? Like Lupus? Why is he helping us?" "Don't worry," Trixie replied, struggling to catch her breath. "He's on our side." On all fours, Kai dashed across the cracked ground and sprang toward Lupus. The Alpha turned just in time to see a blur of grey fur coming at him. Reacting on instinct, Lupus swung his arm. But the strike missed completely, cutting through only air. A chill washed over him as the wolf passed. "I missed?" Lupus blinked, surprised. He turned his focus away from Edvard and toward the nimble wolf circling him. "This chill… interesting. You're quite unique. A shapeshifter?" His tone shifted, curious and cruel. "I don't think I even have one of your kind in my pack. How strange… The world really is unfair sometimes, isn't it?" Lupus tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. "A member of his pack arrives. So tell me… where is he?" Kai said nothing. He didn't growl, didn't posture, he simply stood still, waiting. Then, the moment Lupus moved, so did Kai. He broke into a sprint, weaving in tight arcs, circling the Alpha. His speed was unlike anything the hunters had seen, fluid, silent, precise. Faster than Gary, perhaps. Faster than most. Kai knew full well, there was no winning this fight. But winning wasn't the goal. He was here to buy time. Time for Edvard. Lupus followed his movements, eyes tracking the blur, and lunged, but again, he missed. Frustration flickered across his face. Then, suddenly, Lupus stopped. And then pounced. His body rocketed forward like a bolt of lightning, and in an instant, he was right beside Kai. Before the wolf could react, a heavy swing struck him in the ribs. Kai felt bones crack. His breath vanished. The force sent him skidding across the floor like a ragdoll. But there was no time to recover. Lupus was already above him. He slammed a hand down, gripping Kai's furry throat, and crushed him into the ground. "If I kill you… will he come?" Lupus growled, squeezing tighter. Kai gasped. His vision blurred. Then, a voice cut through the chaos, cool, confident, and unmistakably familiar. "Now you're making me feel jealous." Lupus looked up, and froze. There, standing tall, was a man clad in deep crimson armor. His presence alone was suffocating. Before Lupus could even react, the man's arm moved in a flash, so fast it blurred, impossible to track. Lupus tried to block it, but he was too slow. The armored fist connected with his chest. Blood aura exploded outward on impact. Lupus's body twisted unnaturally from the sheer force. He was flung backward like a missile, crashing through a building in the distance. Then another. And another. Until, finally, one of the larger buildings buckled and collapsed entirely in a roaring crash of metal and rubble. Dust billowed into the sky. Kai coughed, violently, blood dripping from his mouth as his body shifted back to human form. He collapsed onto one knee, hand gripping the ground to steady himself. "You did as I asked, young one," Edvard said calmly, stepping forward in the crimson armor. "Now, you can rest. Go back to the others. This is my fight now." Kai looked up, still wheezing. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The armor Edvard wore clung tightly to his body, almost as if it had grown around him rather than been worn. It didn't look like any metal Kai had seen before. It had an organic, ancient feel to it—imperfectly crafted, with jagged points and smooth curves, like the fangs of some ancient beast. But more than its design, was its power. Even just standing near Edvard, Kai felt it. The weight. The pressure. It was like staring down a predator older than time itself. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦 This… this is what the vampires wanted us to deliver to him, Kai realized. No wonder. No wonder they thought this could help him win. The armor's origins were unknown to most. But one fact was widely accepted across the vampire community: only Edvard could wear it. It responded to him, only him. Some believed it was tied to his ability, his strange, supernatural luck. When activated, the armor would sync with him, and amplify his power beyond normal limits. But that power came with controversy. So powerful was Edvard in this form, that many within the settlement protested him using it. Even the Vampire King himself had forbidden its use in day-to-day affairs. But this? This was no ordinary situation. Given the overwhelming threat they now faced, the King had granted Edvard permission, to unleash the armor's full might and eliminate the threat before them. Edvard raised a fist, blood aura curling around it like smoke. "Come on, Lupus," he said, voice echoing. "I know you're not done." **** **** For updates for MWS and future works, please follow me on my social media below. Instagram: Jksmanga P.a.t.r.e.o.n: jksmanga When news of MVS, MWS or any other series comes out, you will be able to see it there first, and you can reach out to me. If I'm not too busy, I tend to reply.