Lord Of Beasts

If those drugs were connected to the cult, and the Aryan Brotherhood had their hands on them, then this wasn’t just a road trip anymore.

This had become an investigation.

The two confiscated trucks rolled confidently towards the compound entrance. Neither vehicle slowed down, and neither made any attempt to hide what they were doing. The guards barely gave them a second glance.

After all, they recognised the vehicles.

The first was driven by one of their members, while the other was now driven by Kaela as Mark comically tried to hide in the back. After all, it would be hard not to draw attention as a giant black man driving into the base of a racist organisation.

By the time anyone realised something was wrong, both trucks had already rolled through the gates and parked up somewhere discreet.

For a moment, nobody moved.

The sudden silence felt almost strange after the long drive.

Then the doors opened almost simultaneously, and everyone climbed out.

The hostage was less fortunate.

Ethan grabbed him by the back of his jacket and dragged him out of the driver’s seat, throwing him onto the ground. The man landed face-first in the dirt, barely having time to catch his breath before Ethan stepped past him.

Instead of preparing for the fight that was about to begin, Ethan stretched leisurely and let out a long yawn. It looked less like they were about to assault a heavily fortified compound and more like he’d just arrived at a holiday destination.

Mark watched him in disbelief.

”How are you this relaxed?”

Ethan simply rolled his shoulders, completely unconcerned.

”I’m just built different,” he joked.

He then locked eyes with him, his expression becoming slightly more serious.

”You don’t wanna sit this one out?”

The larger man immediately shook his head.

”No, I’ve already come this way - there’s no point hiding now.”

Ethan studied him for a second before giving a small nod.

”Suit yourself.”

He then turned towards Elara.

”Can you...?”

She already knew what he meant.

A small part of her wanted nothing more than to charge in beside Ethan. She wanted to fight, let loose, and enjoy the chaos that was about to unfold.

But she also understood why Ethan was asking.

Her abilities made her the perfect person to protect Mark. If something went wrong, she could move him out of danger almost instantly, while still having enough power to join the fight whenever she needed to.

After only the briefest hesitation, she nodded.

”I’ll stay with him.”

Kaela didn’t wait for another word.

Her violet aura exploded into existence around her body.

”Finally!”

She launched herself into the air, and gunfire erupted moments later. Guards shouted as alarms began blaring across the compound, their harsh sirens echoing between the buildings.

Mark’s heart immediately began hammering against his ribs. Every instinct screamed at him to run, especially as armed men began pouring into the courtyard.

’What have I got myself into?’

Elara noticed his expression and smiled reassuringly.

Then she gently reached for his arm.

”Don’t worry.”

Before he could respond-

Blink!

The world vanished, and an instant later, they reappeared atop one of the compound’s watchtowers. The guard stationed there barely had time to blink before Elara struck once.

She watched him crumple silently before turning towards Mark.

”Take his rifle.”

She pointed towards the weapon lying beside the unconscious guard.

”I’ll keep an eye on you, but you should be safe up here.”

Before Mark could even react or thank her, she disappeared again.

Blink!

A crimson barrier blossomed around her body as she rejoined the chaos below, heading straight towards Kaela.

Meanwhile, Ethan remained standing beside the truck for just another moment. His gaze swept calmly across the compound, taking in the buildings, the armed men, and the growing chaos.

His expression remained strangely relaxed.

’Partial Assimilation: Wolfy.’

Mana surged through his body.

Dark fur spread rapidly across his forearms as the muscles beneath his clothes swelled. His fingers lengthened into wicked claws, while sharp fangs almost pushed past his lips, and predatory red eyes replaced his own.

The transformation completed in an instant.

Ethan bent his knees, ready to launch himself into the fray.

Then he paused.

A smile slowly spread across his face.

He looked down.

”Did you think I’d forget about you?”

The hostage looked up in confusion, then-

Crunch!

Ethan’s boot came down without warning.

The man’s leg folded grotesquely beneath it as bone exploded under the force. A scream ripped through the compound, but it was immediately overshadowed by the continuing gunfire.

Ethan didn’t even acknowledge it.

Without another glance, he burst away effortlessly.

-

Kaela had hit the ground in an opening in the compound with enough force to shatter the concrete beneath her boots. Dust and small fragments of stone scattered outward from the impact as she straightened slowly.

She rolled her shoulders while her violet aura continued to flicker around her body.

All around her, the compound erupted into chaos.

Men were shouting orders, alarms blared from speakers mounted on the buildings, and vehicles screeched to a halt as armed members of the Brotherhood poured from warehouses and barracks.

Kaela simply looked around with a grin.

”Come out, you inbred fuckers!”

Her voice carried across the entire compound.

For a brief moment, nothing happened, then dozens of rifles rose simultaneously.

Kaela’s grin widened.

’There we go.’

The first gunman pulled the trigger.

Then another.

And another.

Within seconds, the entire compound erupted in gunfire.

Bang!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A swarm of bullets tore across the open space towards her, but Kaela didn’t move. She didn’t dodge or even raise her arms, simply standing there.

She simply stood there.

The first bullet struck her shoulder.

Another punched through her stomach, while several more tore through her chest and arms. Blood sprayed across the concrete, yet Kaela merely tilted her head.

”Your aim sucks.”

Her violet eyes remained fixed on the men shooting at her.

Another barrage followed.

Dozens of bullets ripped through her body in rapid succession this time, shredding flesh and opening bloody holes across her torso. Her already scarce clothing was torn apart in places, and blood ran down her arms.

Still, she didn’t fall.

The wounds began closing almost immediately.

Flesh knitted itself back together as damaged muscle regenerated, causing the holes to disappear beneath rapidly repairing skin. Bullets that remained lodged inside her body were slowly pushed back out by the regeneration, clattering harmlessly against the concrete.

Kaela looked down at herself.

Then she looked back at the gunmen.

”That’s it?”

Her tone sounded genuinely disappointed.

Sustaining more damage amplified her power and activated her Valkyrie instincts, but several of the men had already begun lowering their weapons.

They’d recognised her - how could they not?

The Riot Valkyrie wasn’t exactly an obscure figure. Her fights had been broadcast across the country, her Title was known, and her reputation had spread far beyond the Gates she’d fought in.

More importantly, her rank was known.

A Rank.

Yet none of them ran or panicked.

They didn’t even appear particularly surprised, and instead began spreading out as more men emerged from the surrounding buildings.

Kaela slowly looked around, her smile fading slightly.

’Huh.’

There were far more people here than she’d expected.

Dozens had already surrounded the courtyard, and even more were still coming. But numbers alone didn’t matter, not against an A Rank like her. She’d fought monsters, beasts, and Titled far stronger than these ordinary men.

A few dozen armed Untitled shouldn’t have been enough to make her hesitate.

Yet something felt wrong.

They weren’t acting like men who had accidentally wandered into a fight with an A Rank, but like men who knew exactly what they were doing and had an ace up their sleeves...