The Clash of Two Wolves

Alpha set the unconscious Siso aside and stood up again. Looking at his companions lying on the ground, then at Heart-Rending Wolf smoking in front of him, he calmly said, "You will pay for this."

"Oh? What price can you make me pay—" Before he could finish, sharp claws lashed out at him. Yet as if he had anticipated it, he made no other move, merely leaning back slightly to evade them. Before he could straighten up, a sweeping kick came at him. Heart-Rending Wolf reached out and grabbed Alpha's hand before he could pull it back, and the two fell to the ground together. The instant he hit the deck, Alpha rolled over and pinned Heart-Rending Wolf beneath him. His other hand clawed down, only to be caught as well. With both hands restrained, he could not move.

Heart-Rending Wolf said leisurely, "At least let someone finish speaking." He kicked Alpha in the back. With a whoosh, Alpha was sent flying again.

Heart-Rending Wolf flipped over and got back on his feet. Alpha climbed up as well. The two stared at each other for a moment, then charged. Fists and claws flew, their movements unbelievably fast.

"Too slow. Why are you so weak? I can see every move you make, and your strength is pitiful too." Heart-Rending Wolf spoke disappointedly as he seized Alpha's hands once more. This time, however, Alpha did not struggle. Instead, he opened his jaws and bit at Heart-Rending Wolf's neck. Heart-Rending Wolf clearly had not expected it. He quickly released one hand and swiped down with his claws. Alpha's freed hand also clawed at Heart-Rending Wolf's face. Blood splattered.

The two separated again, each covering his face. Alpha felt searing pain in his left cheek and guessed it had left a wound, but seeing the same wound on Heart-Rending Wolf's face made it worthwhile. Three claw marks ran across Heart-Rending Wolf's right cheek, one of them even passing through his right eye. The moment he opened it, agonizing pain shot through him, and all he could see was a dark red haze. Feeling his blood flow, Heart-Rending Wolf spat out the tobacco in his mouth and said in a hoarse voice, "You are the first person to injure me this badly. I can leave you an intact corpse." Alpha roared back without yielding, "The one who should die is you!" The two wolves tangled together again. Alpha attacked Heart-Rending Wolf as though he no longer cared about his life or the consequences, while Heart-Rending Wolf finally put away his former disdain.

Gradually, wounds appeared across both their bodies, from bleeding scratches to gashes deep enough to expose bone. Yet their speed only increased. With a boom, Alpha was smashed to the ground again. Just as he was about to get up, Heart-Rending Wolf stomped down. Even the once-flat deck sank slightly beneath his foot, and Alpha spat out a mouthful of blood.

Heart-Rending Wolf panted lightly. "You should be proud. No one has ever pushed me this far. Remember my name: Mensa. Don't go dying without even knowing who killed you. Now, you can die." He drew his fingers together, his long nails gleaming with a cold light as they thrust forward, only to stop at Alpha's throat. It was not that Mensa did not want to drive them in, but because a sharp sword was pressed against his own neck, while a massive hammer hovered over his head, as if the slightest movement would cost him his head.

Sensing the auras around him, Mensa said mockingly, "So there's a shadow priestess too. No wonder the two of you could block my senses. Shadow Word, was it? Interesting." He did not look like someone being threatened at all. Siso said unsteadily, "I'll count to three. We let go together. One, two, three." Before he finished counting, Mensa vanished from where he stood. When he reappeared, he was already at the edge of the ship.

Mensa said, "I've changed my mind. I don't plan to kill you. You're all interesting people, and I look forward to meeting you again. But if you haven't improved by then, you really will die. Goodbye."

With that, he jumped down and disappeared into the darkness.

The people aboard the ship breathed a sigh of relief. Siso and Peru collapsed to the ground again, while Alpha spat out another mouthful of blood mixed with a few fragments. Linda, the only one still able to move, hurriedly cast a quick healing spell. Just when everyone thought it was over, applause came from the stairway, followed by a pleasant female voice. "You really are impressive. You even managed to drive away the bodyguard I hired at great expense. But seeing you like this now puts my mind at ease. That money was not wasted." A woman with short black hair approached, surrounded by others. A red veil covered the lower half of her face, and exquisite leather armor wrapped around her curvaceous figure. Two sharp daggers were layered together at the back of her waist.

"It seems, cough cough, that you're the one behind all this. Cough cough. Who are you? Cough cough. What exactly do you want?" Alpha asked with difficulty.

The woman stopped and raised her brows. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Vanessa VanCleef. I'm sure you all know my father—Edwin. I inherited my father's will and inherited the Defias Brotherhood. As for what I want..." At this point, madness appeared in Vanessa's eyes. "Can't you tell from this iron ship? Of course I want to take Stormwind and avenge my father. Go! Surround them! If they resist, kill them on the spot!"

"You're as mad as your father was. He came to no good end, and neither will you," Peru said through gritted teeth.

As everyone was surrounded, Linda stood up and placed herself in front of them. "I won't let you succeed." She immediately closed her eyes and sang, "Great Holy Light, I am your most devout servant. In this moment of hardship, I pray for your descent. Please grant me the power to heal everyone. Holy Word—Little Angel." White light enveloped Linda.

Seeing that something was wrong, Vanessa immediately shouted, "What are you standing around for? Kill her, now!" One of her subordinates rushed forward, but before he could get close, he was sent flying with a whoosh. No one else dared to advance.

The white light grew ever more dazzling. Just as everyone was about to be unable to keep their eyes open, it faded. Linda had vanished, replaced by an angel. Yes, an angel. A massive body radiated soft light, while a pair of enormous white feathered wings spread behind her, keeping her suspended in midair. Yet for some reason, no one could make out the angel's face.

The angel silently waved her hands, and streams of white light drifted toward Siso, Peru, and Alpha. The wounds on their bodies healed at a visible rate. Strength flowed through their bodies again, and in the blink of an eye, they had recovered. Before they could come to their senses, a voice rang in each of their minds. Quick, go deal with them. I can't maintain this state for long. The three charged out almost simultaneously.

Before Vanessa and her subordinates could react, the three had already rushed in. More than half of their people were knocked to the ground, and cries of pain filled the deck.

Awakened by the cries, Vanessa drew her daggers and shouted, "Attack!" before charging forward as well. The thieves who had regained their senses saw their fallen brothers and went mad too.

Both sides became entangled once more. After all, Vanessa's side had more people. Alpha and the others were instantly scattered, each surrounded on all sides. But because of the angel's presence, any wounds they suffered healed the instant they appeared. Their stamina was endless, and their strength inexhaustible. The two sides were evenly matched. It was impossible to tell whether Vanessa's people would die first or Alpha and the others would collapse first.

The battle continued.