Boom!
The alpha's claws slammed into Wise's daggers with so much force that the daggers were almost thrown out of his hands.
He had rotated too quickly so his footing was weak, as a result, both he and Taryn were tossed backward, their bodies skidding on the floor before coming to a halt.
Wasting time on the ground, Wise suddenly sprung to his feet and lifted Taryn up as well. He felt something warm dripping down his chin and only when he reached out to it, did he realize that it was blood.
"Good boy…" Wise praised the monster. "Now let's see you do that again."
The alpha stared at him the way a dog would stare down at a rabbit and once again blended with the darkness.
This time, Wise closed his eyes and listened.
He could hear Taryn's heart pounding in her chest with such an intensity that he feared she would die of a heart attack rather than being hit.
He could hear the chatter of the crowd as well as their complaints about how dim the arena was.
He could hear his own breathing as well as the gentle rhythmic hum of air rushing into his lungs.
But that was not all, he could hear them, two wolves racing towards him.
The crowd stood at the edge of their seats, confusion etched on their faces.
"Why isn't he moving?"
"He has given up!"
"Move damn it!"
But Wise remained still.
Whoosh!
A dark claw suddenly cut right past his face, missing him by just a few inches—with his eyes closed, Wise took a step forward completely evading the second attack.
There was a low chilling growl just as he evaded another beast, Taryn in tow.
He took the elf's hand in his and placed his other hand on her waist to make moving easier for her.
And then he danced.
As they charged at him, their bloodlust in full display, Wise evaded every one of them as though he had eyes at the back of his head.
The crowd soon erupted in cheers but Wise remained utterly focused.
He was humming a tune, an old classic piece that he had heard far too many times in his past life. Canon D' Major.
Unlike Wise, Taryn's eyes were very much open. She watched as the jaws of a night wolf sped past her, moments away from splitting her head in half.
She watched as a wolf's claws reached towards Wise's eyes only to miss by a few millimetres.
His grip on her waist was delicate and he moved with consideration for her bad leg, making sure to avoid any complex manoeuvres that would cause her pain.
As they danced with death, Taryn soon found herself ignoring the wolves— and instead staring at Wise.
Staring at the way his dark hair shimmered in the faint lightning, at the gentle smile on his face, at the pleasant tune that emanated from his lips.
His confidence was so great that it was contagious. As she watched him, Wise slowly opened his eyes.
He smiled at her and Taryn who had been terrified soon found herself smiling back, completely lost in the moment.
Booom!
Taryn blinked and found herself between Wise and the Alpha, her ears ringing from the sound of the impact.
He had his daggers outstretched, stopping the wolf's claws from tearing into her back, the daggers and the claws were unleashing sparks each second, each one trying to overcome the other.
As the two foes separated, a small shockwave spread through the arena, causing the stage to rattle.
"You're very quiet for someone your size," Wise said, pointing his dagger at the alpha.
It was the only wolf he could not completely sense.
"Shall we finish this?"
As though it understood Wise's challenge the wolf lifted its head to the moon and howled.
A dark aura surrounded its body from head to toe, shimmering with sparks, so much so that it appeared as though the stars were traps within its skin.
The five wolves that were hidden immediately appeared, surrounding them. Like the alpha, the wolves joined in the howl and the same aura spread around them.
Wise braced himself for what would happen next but even he was oddly surprised by the result—
The bodies of the wolves blurred and then they shimmered, just before they split.
Each wolf gained a perfect clone including the alpha.
"Illusions?"
No…
Wise closed his eyes for a second before opening them.
He smiled. "Fascinating." Just like the originals, these wolves have everything, a beating heart, functioning lungs and even an aura of their own.
'Is it because of the full moon?'
It was not strange for some monsters to get buffed in certain unique situations.
'Well, it's not like it matters.'
Wise returned his daggers to their sheaths, deciding to use his bare hands instead.
"What are you doing?" Taryn asked, the realization of how dangerous this fight was returning to her like a terrible nightmare.
"Six I can handle with these, but Twelve? I won't be able to keep you safe with them."
With twelve wolves attacking him, it would only be a matter of time before Taryn got injured or worse.
That was why he had to use it…
'Daphne forgive me… allow me to burrow your abilities for a bit.'
Wise lifted his hands slowly at his sides and the crowd was left stunned.
Throughout the Power games, they had seen many people express their abilities and yet not once had Wise used anything save for his brute strength and speed.
But now…
The shadows surrounding the area suddenly stirred. those that clung to the edges of the stange crawled over to him like slithering serpents.
The shadows cast down by the overhead lights moved, those hiding in cracks abandoned their homes and they all raced toward him.
The night wolf seemed just as transfixed as the crowd. Who would have thought that a child of shadows would meet a master?
Daphne stood from her seat and leaned at the very edge, trying to get a good glimpse at the stage.
A chill ran down her spine. "I-impossible…"
Meanwhile, Wise laughed, his laughter befitting a villain from a horror story.
"Let's try this again shall we?"