Renegade's Dominion

The battle had dragged on far longer than it ever should have. Kaiden, battered and bloodied from countless wounds, was clinging to consciousness through sheer willpower alone. Every breath was a labor, every movement a defiance against the crushing fatigue threatening to swallow him whole. Braham wasn't faring much better, his once sharp movements were slowing, exhaustion steadily wrapping its icy fingers around him the longer the fight stretched on.

Ty, however, remained steady. His breath came evenly, his muscles still carried power to spare. Stamina was not his problem, nor strength. Yet, across from him, the monstrous Bear stood as though time had not touched it at all. No labored breathing. No trembling limbs. Not a single sign of fatigue.

For Kaiden's and Braham's sake, this had to end now. And Ty had just the plan to finish it.

The Bear was a nightmare to deal with, not merely because of the density of its flesh or the hardness of its hide. No, the real issue was its maddening absence of pain. Injuries that would cripple any other creature were shrugged off as though they were nothing but a passing inconvenience. But, none of that should matter much in the face of dismemberment. No arms, no legs, no head, that would bring even this horror down.

Ty already knew he was stronger. At first, he'd sensed it when their auras clashed; now, after their prolonged exchange, it was undeniable. In his wolf form, his physical might eclipsed the Bear's entirely. Bite strength, agility, raw power, even the durability of his body, he surpassed the beast in every way but one. Endurance. The Bear's stamina, coupled with that infuriating immunity to pain, was unmatched.

Still, the answer was obvious. Remove its limbs, render it immobile, and the fight was theirs. Unless… unless it could regenerate. But Ty doubted it. The deep gashes, the puncture wounds, every injury they had inflicted still marred its body. Any ordinary creature would have died several times over by now. This thing was anything but ordinary.

Throwing back his head, Ty let out a piercing howl, a message, clear and commanding. Kaiden and Braham snapped to action, moving as one. They charged forward, weaving in and out of each other's path, switching lanes with practiced precision. The erratic rhythm forced the Bear into hesitation, its attention flicking between them, unsure who to strike first.

It made its choice, Braham. As the beast readied its strike, Ty was already behind it. His claw lashed out, cutting through flesh and bone with frightening ease. The Bear's right arm tore free at the shoulder in a spray of gore.

It didn't falter. Spinning to retaliate, the Bear's roar was cut short as Ty swept in again. Another savage strike, another arm gone.

Opportunity opened like a door. Kaiden and Braham lunged, each taking a side, their claws tearing into its hind legs. The damage was real, but incomplete as the limbs were still attached, though mangled. Ty closed the job in one brutal movement, severing both legs cleanly at the ankles.

The great beast toppled forward, its massive frame crashing into the dirt with a resounding thud.

"A stubborn one indeed…" Ty muttered between heavy breaths. It wasn't exhaustion of the body that pressed on him, but the relentless flurry of movement he had poured into the assault. Even his reserves had limits.

Kaiden and Braham were in worse shape, chests heaving, strength all but spent, yet they stood ready. The Bear, disarmed and dismembered, still lived. Still glared with feral defiance.

Somehow, impossibly, it writhed on the ground with a predator's determination.

Ty exhaled slowly, over to the beast with a leg rested calmly on its back as he likewise let the wolf fade. Coarse fur receded into bare skin, his towering frame shrinking back to human form. The crack of shifting bones echoed faintly as claws gave way to fingers, fangs to ordinary teeth.

He stood naked before the beast, whose snarls still carried menace despite its ruined body.

"Sigh… I really have to find a solution to this clothing problem," he muttered, eyes drifting up to the clear blue sky as one foot pressed lazily against the Bear's back.

Shifting between man and beast always destroyed whatever he wore.

The first transformation had been kind,, his garments had stretched, loose but intact. The second had been worse, his top stretched into a baggy, ill-fitting sack, trousers far too loose to stay without a rope to bind them. But this time? Nothing. Not a shred left. The transformation had stripped him bare.

"On second thought," he said with a dry chuckle, "probably not the best time to worry about my wardrobe." His gaze lowered to the still-struggling creature beneath him.

Yes, the Bear was without doubt the fiercest opponent he had faced since arriving in this world. Not because of sheer physical power. He bested it there, and in agility, and in every measure of martial prowess. No, what set it apart was something far more dangerous.

Tenacity. An unyielding will to keep fighting no matter what.

He'd suspected it from the moment he'd laid eyes on the beast, but now, face to face with it, he could see the truth. This was no living animal.

"An undead… is that it?" he murmured, half to himself. Then, shaking his head, "Here I am, getting carried away. Kaiden!"

Stepping forward, back turned, he called for his ally to deliver the final blow.

From the treeline, the Goblins, silent watchers until now, spilled into the clearing. Their shrill voices rang out in praise, eager to fawn over their victor. Ty's lips twitched into a grimace. He could have done without that. At the very least, they could have had the decency to allow him some privacy. Standing here naked, with their beady eyes fixed on him…

He sighed inwardly. Then again, Goblins had no concept of modesty. Not that it mattered—

"Slump."

Kaiden's claws sliced through the Bear's thick neck in one decisive stroke. The head rolled free, its gaping maw frozen in a silent snarl. But even in victory, Kaiden collapsed beside it, body finally giving in to the relentless strain.

Resignation, exhaustion, and the heavy quiet of an ended battle settled over them.