79. Arthur's Howl.

Arthur glared at Xavier, his smug expression infuriating him. He longed to wipe that smirk off Xavier's face, but soon enough, Xavier departed with his group, leaving Arthur at the mercy of the humans.

The people surrounding Arthur reached out to grab him, attempting to restrain him. Despite the situation, Arthur couldn't help but laugh. "You need this many people to take me on?"

"We're humans, not savage creatures like you. You're a monstrous beast that shouldn't exist!"

To his surprise, they released their grip on him. Seizing the opportunity, Arthur delivered a powerful high kick, striking the apparent leader in the chest. He crumpled to the ground, catching Arthur off guard. He hadn't expected to incapacitate someone with a single kick. It dawned on him that they didn't consider this confrontation a serious fight. They hadn't anticipated a desperate blow from him. Did they believe it would be easy to eliminate an alpha king?

For a brief moment, the others hesitated, stepping back as the leader lay motionless. They all wondered if he was dead. Meanwhile, Arthur contemplated how to prevent their revenge, how to avoid whatever terrible fate they had in store for him. He had to emerge victorious now and forever; otherwise, he would endure a daily struggle that would only worsen over time.

Since Arthur had been six years old, he already understood the unspoken rules of honorable combat among men. It was forbidden to strike an opponent who lay defenseless on the ground; only an animal would stoop so low. And he refused to become one.

Arthur cast a cold gaze at the remaining individuals. "You might be thinking of teaming up against me. You might succeed in beating me badly. But remember what I do to people who try to harm me. From that point forward, you'll always be on edge, wondering when and how I'll come after you." He delivered a forceful kick to the leader's face, causing blood to splatter nearby. "It won't be as mild as this," Arthur declared. "It will be far worse."

However, they soon caught Arthur off guard, shooting something that seemed to be infused with wolf's bane into his leg. Just as someone was about to deliver a fatal blow, a human voice interjected, "Master, don't do this. Wait, let's keep him as a prisoner. We need not act hastily. Let's wait for a chance at redemption."

"No," another voice responded coldly. "My brother's blood cries out for vengeance. Slay him. I command it in the name of God."

Arthur stood tall, his back straightened. Fear no longer lingered within him. Shock overwhelmed him, numbing him to the impending doom. The sound of a sword being unsheathed filled the air. "So falls every beast before God," they uttered.

A hand seized Arthur's hair, forcefully tilting his head up, reminiscent of an animal prepared for slaughter. He closed his eyes, attempting to maintain his composure.

Arthur felt a sharp pain, but his focus shifted to the touch of a beautiful woman and the sparkle in her eyes as she teased him. Memories of the new life growing inside her belly flooded his mind, promising a future as a family. It felt like an eternity of love and connection, but suddenly, everything vanished.

A grin spread across Arthur's face as a powerful weapon descended upon him. He craved something mighty and impactful to inflict pain upon him. Deep down, he believed he deserved it, yet he remained devoted to his own fight. Rolling to the side, he groaned, realizing that victory was slipping away.

Darkness began to encroach upon his vision, his eyelids momentarily closing, but when they reopened, he knew the situation was dire.

Someone inquired, "What are you going to do?" They pondered for a moment before callously kicking her in the side. "I'm not sure yet," they shrugged.

Fear flickered in Arthur's eyes, a valid reason rooted in that fear. He feared that his own hatred had sealed his own fate. However, he wouldn't let it happen easily. Struggling, he reached up, attempting to grasp his opponent's leg, desperate to bring him down to his level. Alas, his efforts proved futile. Shifting his weight and moving to the side, he found himself devoid of any plans or strategies. The most deplorable option remained his only recourse: he would have to beg. Reaching out, he pleaded, "Please, don't do this?"

The other person taunted him, asking, "What would you do in my situation?"

"Fine, just get it over with," Arthur declared, fed up with the entire ordeal. He refused to give up anything more. He wouldn't beg any longer. He had provided the answer sought by his adversary. He wouldn't let him live.

"Maybe I want to wait," the person responded.

"Maybe you should just get this over with. If you wait any longer, I might find a chance to escape," Arthur retorted, desperately searching for a way to turn the tide of the fight, but to no avail. There was nothing.

"Come and get it!" the person sneered, charging forward, leaving Arthur standing on weakened and wounded legs.

As the opponent rushed toward him, Arthur unleashed a powerful right hook. Meeting him halfway, the man retaliated with his own right fist, striking faster and landing squarely on Arthur's mouth. Spitting out blood, Arthur swiftly grabbed the man and forcefully hurled him into the dusty ground, creating a cloud of swirling particles. Gasping for breath, the man rolled away, narrowly escaping the stomping feet of Arthur, who was intent on extinguishing his life.

The man scrambled to his feet, launching himself at Arthur, swinging his fists. Arthur, emerging from the dust, tried to jab the man's eye with a stiff thumb, but he evaded the attack. In response, Arthur unleashed a left hook to the man's midsection, followed by a powerful right punch that tore the man's ear, eliciting a torrent of blood.

The man charged at Arthur once again, landing two powerful swings to his head. Arthur's skull throbbed with pain, and dizziness threatened to overtake him. With a firm resolve, he braced himself and swung back in a blind rage, using every ounce of strength he could muster.

The two men met, their legs spread apart, engaging in a fierce slugfest. The man was bigger and delivered punches that packed a tremendous amount of force, albeit slightly slower. It was a close and brutal fight, each man fighting tooth and nail, pushing themselves to the limits of their stamina. The man, despite his battered face, pressed forward, countering Arthur's blows with sheer physical strength.

Arthur swiftly changed his tactics, his attack shifting with lightning speed. Missing a right hook, he followed through by throwing his weight behind it, sliding his arm around the man's thick neck. With his left hand, he grabbed the man's wrist and forcefully lifted his feet off the ground, attempting to break Arthur's neck. But the seasoned renegade, familiar with such moves, anticipated the counter. As Arthur's feet flew upward, the man shifted his weight forward and to the left, causing his body to fall partially on top of Arthur. The hold was broken, and they rolled free. Arthur quickly regained his feet, while the man, displaying cat-like agility, aimed a vicious kick towards his head.

Arthur rolled away, evading the kick, and launched himself at the man's remaining standing leg, executing a flying tackle. The big man tumbled to the ground, and as they scrambled to rise, Arthur landed a solid left and right punch, splitting the man's right cheek and causing his lips to pulp.

Despite being bloodied and battered, Arthur pressed on, his breath wheezing from exhaustion. The man jabbed a left punch into his face, then positioned himself and delivered a powerful right uppercut to Arthur's body, leaving him gasping for air. They circled each other, and the man relentlessly struck Arthur's body with successive right punches. Arthur's jaw hung open, his face marked by a dozen cuts and abrasions, bleeding profusely. The man closed in, measured his distance, and landed a right hook to Arthur's chin, following it up with two bone-crushing blows. Arthur staggered, desperately trying to regain his footing, but ultimately succumbed to the ground, sprawled in the dust.

Just as he believed his defeat was imminent, a voice erupted, shouting, "STOP! STOP IT! We need each other. Xavier is planning to come for both of us. Individually, we can never defeat him. They are stronger and have been scheming for a long time. We must unite as one to overcome him. This is exactly what he wants, to divide us while he executes his plans. We cannot allow him to triumph. Otherwise, we'll be crushed beneath his feet as he rules over us. That's his strategy. He orchestrated this deception, so we must set aside our differences if we want to survive. We are not enemies to one another; the true enemy is the vampire king. We must not let him win!" The voice reverberated loudly, and suddenly, everything came to a halt.