"Yo!"
At the sound of the voice, both the wolf and the man tensed. A new competitor meant trouble, especially since both were injured. Reassessing the situation, almost in sync, the man and the wolf turned their heads to look towards the sound of the voice.
On a tree branch, overhanging the flames that the wolf had set, which were dying out due to humidity, a man lay lazily. His eyes were closed and his face was carefree, but both the wolf and the man knew he had strength. Or at least stealth. There was no way he would have gone unnoticed otherwise.
The man jumped down over the flames and landed in the clear area next to the cave. His head turned between the two adversaries before focusing on the man.
"Name's Illus. Need some help?"
A myriad of emotions passed on the man's face. Hope and joy at first, but then it slowly lessened as he seemed to be considering something. Illus assumed he was thinking of whether or not he would betray him.
"Don't worry. I was here for the wolf before you. I'm a disciple of the Heavenly Sect and this wolf in particular has been causing some trouble. Nothing more."
Illus leveraged his disciples robes to try to ease the man's mind, but the man's expression didn't change. He glanced between the wolf and Illus and slowly staggered to his feet. He wasn't seriously injured, more that he got knocked over and wasn't able to recover in time. The wolf was worse off, missing a limb, but considering it's original strength, the man guessed that they were about equal currently. There was 50-50 shot for him to win alone, he guessed. Not a risk he wanted to take, but working with the man offered an even more terrifying alternative.
This was not because he expected the man to betray him. If the man wanted too, he guessed, he could have stealthily killed the wolf shortly after the man was finished off, proving the fact that the man valued human life. No, what worried him more, was who would kill the wolf.
In order to be given even a chance to achieve his dream, the man was assigned a mission. A rogue spirit beast of similar strength had been experimented on by the enemies of humanity. Slay the beast to prevent further casualties and to delay the experiment results. This was the easiest mission that had been offered. There were others, but they were far too out of his league currently. He needed to complete this mission in order to receive training, then he could attempt another. However, if someone else took down the beast, he didn't know if he'd receive the credit.
'I need an opportunity.'
The man came to a conclusion quick. He needed to kill the wolf, inflict the final strike and end it. But he also needed Illus in order to ensure his victory. He was not inclined to take a coin flip to decide his life or death. He'd have to risk it.
"Let's work together."
Not letting Illus offer to do it himself, the man proposed that he would still fight despite his injuries. Their conversation took only a couple of words, but they found themselves at an understanding.
The wolf growled. It was clear from their words that he was at a disadvantageous position. He had been almost driven mad by the men in the masks that had found and captured him deeper in the forest. Their plan had seemed to be to make him into a berserker without consciousness, but they had failed. However, their experiments had made the wolf both stronger and had ramped up it's bloodlust to almost uncontrollable levels. Combined with the wolf's natural anger at humans, he had started his slaughter, but now that he was cornered he only had one option. One option to at least take down some despicable cultivators with him and that would free him from the anger and pain that were his constant companions.
*Roaaaaaaaaaar*
The wolf howled again and it's body swelled. A trump card, one that convinced the man that he had made the right choice by accepting Illus's help. It's leg, which had been severed, reformed and it's veins swelled. Fire spilled from all aspects of it's body as it stood, menacingly.
Illus smiled. He was glad the man was here now. Though he was a bit wary due to observing the man's reactions, there was no way he would get out unscathed against that form.
"You good?"
The man nodded, offering his name.
"Name's Yang."
Yang stood and started to circle to the left. Receiving his message, Illus did the same to his right, surrounding the wolf and avoiding collateral damage. They both had the same thought.
'There is no way he can hold this form for long.'
They were just wasting time. They knew the wolf had to make the first move. And move it did.
Lunging at Yang, due to his injuries, the wolf snapped his flaming jaws. Wincing from the heat, Yang dodged and retreated. The wolf pursued, only to feel a pain on his flank. Illus cut down, not going for a fatal injury and putting himself at risk, but just trying to sap at the wolf's stamina.
The wolf bellowed, but did not pause to the pain and instead sought retribution. Gathering itself, flames spewed from it's maw, pluming towards Illus. However, Illus was no longer there. He vanished and retreated, having read the wolf's intentions.
The wolf growled, but then it's instincts flared up. Instinctively dodging, a slash that aimed for the wolf's neck came whistling past. Unlike Illus, Yang was desperately trying to preserve his chances. However, he was injured and his all out attack caused him to stumble, something the wolf did not miss.
The wolf turned towards Yang and opened it's jaws wide, but just as he was about to take the man's head in his mouth, he fell.
'What?'
This thought ran through both the wolf and the man's mind before noticing the blood spilling. Collapsing to the side, it was only then that the wolf noticed the both the legs on the left side of it's body were gone. His limbs, still spewing blood, lay near, staining the ground.
Illus smiled. He looked at the knife in his hand, something he kept hidden in his robes for a rainy day, and raised it high.
"As all things with intelligence do, you have my respect. Peace."
Standing over the wolf, he sought to drive it down, but just as he began, a sharp cry rang out.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO."
Illus, sensing Yang's intentions even before the cry, sought to move out of the way. However, he was too slow and could only look down as the blade stabbed into his side. Not a fatal wound, necessarily, but enough to knock him down.
Illus fell, and as he did, he registered the blade leave him. However, he did not think for long as the pain rushed through him, blanking out his thoughts until he got used to it.
"Haah, Haah."
Yang breathed out harshly. Covered in burns and scrapes, he looked like shit. However, his eyes shined. He had panicked when he saw Illus about to slay the beast, and had sought to end him. Fortunately, Illus had noticed, so he hadn't inflicted a fatal wound and instead just prevented the killing. He didn't want to kill him, necessarily. He was only here for the wolf.
Yang smiled and swung his sword, all the formality that he had shone earlier lost upon him as he stood before the dying wolf.
"Die."
Severing it's head, he began to laugh.
"Hah ha hahahahhahahahahahHhHAHAHAHAH AHA."
He continued on, joy enveloping his being and blanking out his senses. He had done it. He was one step closer. Nothing would stop him.
Until something did. Hearing a sound behind him and feeling an unsettling presence, he turned, only to see Illus, his face scratchy and annoyed, with his eyes opened and his fist drawn back, bearing down upon him.
Panic ensued in Yang's mind, but he did not move. He knew he couldn't avoid the punch, and due to the condensation of qi energy, it was a fatal blow. However, Yang did not worry.
'I did it. I completed your mission and proved myself. Heaven knows I am worthy. My journey will not end hear. Besides, Illus will probably unconsciously draw back. I saw his empathy when he saved me earlier. He won't kill me now.'
But Heaven didn't save him. Illus didn't hold back.
He crushed his skull, a bit pissed that he had been stabbed and might die.
Illus stood, holding his side and wincing in pain before looking down at the dead figures of both the wolf and Yang.
'Shit.'
He dropped to a knee. The stab had definitely hit something important as blood poured out of his side and white enveloped his vision. Yet, despite this, Illus, on the last of his consciousness, smiled.
'Fuck this shit.'
The last thing he saw before losing his battle within him, was a man with weird hair flickering before him with a weird look on his face.
[A/N: Interlude tomorrow of something that was happening while this fight was going on and then backstory the next day. Real story will be explained and start after that.]