CHAPTER 188 - THE FINAL BATTLE
POV: HARVEY
We approached the witch, and Sophie was nearly unconscious. We let out a deafening roar.
“Beast, don't hurt her!” I warned the creature, emphasizing the importance of not touching my Luna.
“I have no interest in killing her, but the witch... Oh, we'll have fun with her!” roared the beast in my mind, eagerly.
In our werewolf form, we were possessed by a fierce demon, thirsty for blood and war. The dark witch shuddered subtly, summoning various creatures of darkness to attack us, in a desperate attempt to stop our advance towards her!
“Hold us back! I need time with the hybrid!” shouted the dark witch.
“Don't even think about it!” I exclaimed, leaping over the creatures and stopping in front of the she-wolf, who struggled not to completely faint.
“Alpha...” Sophie murmured with difficulty.
“Don't worry, we'll protect her!” Despite the mixture of voices, she smiled upon realizing that the Beast and I were working together.
“If you want my mate, you'll have to face us!”
“Ah, so be it. These creatures are useless anyway,” the dark witch rolled her eyes, laughing. “But this time, King Lycan, I guarantee you won't leave here alive.”
“Let's see who falls first!” I roared, threatening.
I charged at the witch, leaping in the air with sharp claws exposed. She raised a magical shield to protect herself, but I easily broke through it, forcing her to step back. Conjuring magic, the cursed dark witch began pulling creatures from all directions, hurling them against us. I managed to dodge some, but the beast tore others apart, exposing their entrails on the ground.
“Is that all you've got, witch?” we taunted in irony. “It seems like you've weakened!”
“Don't be foolish, Alpha. My shell is weakened, not my powers...” She retorted irritably. “You'll see my full capacity after I possess your Luna!”
Laughing, the witch launched poisoned dark spikes in our direction, but she always avoided throwing them near Sophie. It was clear that she wouldn't kill her to possess her! I leaped, grabbed her foot, and brought her forcefully to the ground, tossing her from side to side. The witch screamed in fury, intoning thorns that sprouted from her body, leaving the skin prominent and injuring my paw.
I growled in pain and soon felt something piercing through my back. I turned around and saw one of the creatures of darkness smiling, licking its claws filled with my blood.
“Damn it!” I exclaimed, grabbing the creature by the head, crushing its skull, and throwing the body onto the witch, pushing them both away. “Cowardly witch!”
“Oh, little wolf, don't be like that. I won't be naive to face you alone,” she laughed, seeing me injured. “Looks like it hurts. Manticore venom is extremely potent; your organs start melting, causing your slow and painful death from the inside out. Isn't it fun?”
“You know I won't die from this!” I smiled through my fangs, ironically.
“They didn't tell you, did they?” The witch approached, amused, along with her creature. “With your deal with fate, your healing won't be as effective against high-level shadow creatures anymore. In other words, King Lycan, you'll perish at the hands of the gods so they can enjoy the future as they please!”
“That's a lie!” roared the beast in my place. “If we fall, we'll drag you creatures down with us.”
“Do you really think the Shadow King didn't notice his brother's move? Don't be a fool!” Laughing gleefully, she manipulated the dark magic in her hands. “We wanted the gods to believe that making a deal with the cursed beast would seal our fate, imprisoning us back... We would end the cursed beast, further destabilize the delicate structure of this plane, and rule over powerful bodies!”
The witch jumped happily, petting the head of the creature by her side.
“Isn't it the most perfect plan you've ever heard in your life?” Smiling devilishly, the witch stared at me firmly. “Don't worry, Lycan, I promise to take very good care of your Luna and the little one!”
Slapping her hand on the head of the Manticore, she urged it to come forward. The creature was enormous, with a lion's body, a human head, bat-like wings, and a tail ending in sharp points. It came towards me, its absurd physical strength evident. I dug my claws into the ground to cushion the impact of the creature trying to bite my shoulders. Emitting a powerful roar, I dug my claws into the creature's neck, which dug its paws into my side and took off.
I tried to free myself without success; the Manticore's embrace was powerful, and its venom was starting to take effect; my muscles no longer responding.
“Alpha!” the beast shouted in my mind as a warning.
“I know...” I sighed. “Let's end this quickly and protect our hybrid!”
“If we're going to die, let's take these bastards with us.” The beast laughed in my mind.
“The final battle; time to party!” I smiled, aware of what we were about to do.
We clamped down on the creature's neck that held us in the air, making it roar. Its claws dug deeper into our flesh, injecting more venom. With the free paw from its strong grip that had loosened, I tore the creature's face apart, causing it to thrash. I tore through its belly, neck, and face until the monster lost strength and fell heavily onto my body on the ground.
“Wow, you killed my little pet.” The dark witch approached, pouting. “What a big bad wolf!”
“The next one is you!” I growled breathlessly, throwing the lifeless creature aside and staggering towards the cursed witch. “And how do you plan to kill me in the state you're in?” She raised an eyebrow, mocking. “Can't you see, King Lycan? You've already lost this war!”
“I'm known for my stubbornness, which; you should already know!” I exclaimed, hurling my body towards hers, catching her off guard. I grabbed her face with my hands and opened her mouth with my claws, spitting the venom extracted from the creature into the witch. “Hope you enjoy your poison!”
“YOU WRETCH!” She staggered backward, spitting on the ground and summoning more creatures to restrain us. “Now it will be your end.”
Raising her hands, the witch launched several dark spikes through our bodies. That minute seemed to have frozen... With the excruciating pain of the spikes piercing my flesh, the beat of my heart slowed down.
I sniffed towards my Luna, who lifted her head and screamed in despair, dragging her body towards me. I smiled at her, saying the words I had learned the meaning of from that human:
“I love you!” I smiled even wider, furrowing my brow at the brightness of the light in front of me. I turned my snout in her direction. “Destiny, so you've come... I'm fulfilling my part of the deal; keep my Luna safe!”
“I will keep my word, King Lycan...” resonated with the deity.
I closed my eyes, feeling my body fall to the ground. I felt her hands supporting me; they were as warm as her salty tears streaming down my face.
“Don't cry...” I whispered to my Luna, who was desperate, with my head in her lap. “It wasn't how I trained you.”
“Don't you dare die, you foolish alpha!” She shouted her pain amidst tears. “I told you that if you died, I would kill you. Don't you dare awaken my fury!”
“I've told you that your human phrases don't make sense...” I caressed her face with difficulty; my now-human arms were heavy. I coughed blood, feeling my body wither; the organs were failing. “Sophie, leave the battlefield. It's an order from your Alpha!”
“I never obeyed you; I'm not starting now... I will heal you; hold on a little longer!” She pleaded, looking around with a shield raised, while the witch and the dark creatures tried to break through to get her. “I can't live without you, without Conan... I, I don't want to!”
“Our pup needs you alive to rescue him from the shadows, my Luna... Be the light of our son, as you were mine!” I weakly smiled. “I love you, foolish human!”
I closed my eyes, feeling life slipping away.