Bandi sat silently, his gaze fixed on Ronovan's still form.
Ronovan's chest rose and fell in shallow, shaky breaths, a fragile indication of life. His condition, however, was dire.
Bandi muttered, "So, this is Caroline's did," even though he hadn't seen the fight.
Judging by the devastation left in its wake—half of Letruish lay in ruins—the fight must have been brutal. Ronovan, though not a warrior like Terasvari, possessed considerable strength and was a threat.
Yet Caroline... she was unmatched, and none dared to confront her. Thankfully, due to the efforts of the three guests, Caroline was vanquished, and Letruish's fortunes were restored.
But if that's true, had he made the right choice in provoking war with Clementine?
"They're taking too long…" Rodeo muttered, glancing anxiously toward the entrance.
"Terwy, can you check on Alisa? I asked her to escort our guest — but she's not back yet."
"Terwy!" Rodeo snapped, smacking the sleeping werewolf's head.
Startled, Terwy jumped up. "Y-yes, Lord Rodeo!"
He quickly scurried out.
Bandi chuckled. "You're still the same, Rodeo. If you're that worried, why don't you go yourself?"
"Shut up," Rodeo scowled. "I can't just leave you and Ronovan here alone."
"Oh? You're worried about me now, too? Make a choice."
Rodeo growled and playfully smacked Bandi on the head. "Idiot."
Bandi's laughter echoed, and he turned toward Ronovan, but a prickling sensation of unease washed over him.
"The skies are darker now," Rodeo said.
"Really? Maybe it's going to rain."
Bandi got up to check beyond the curtain. "Huh… it's drizzling."
Suddenly, a face appeared right beside him, grinning wickedly. Fangs bared.
"Found you."
SLASH!
The surprise attack hit Bandi point-blank, sending him flying backward. Rodeo caught him just in time.
"You—Claudius!" Bandi growled, blood dripping from his mouth.
"Bingo! Still sharp as ever, Bandi. So it was you behind this whole mess, huh? No wonder I woke up in the middle of a war."
Claudius grinned and readied another strike.
But Rodeo jumped in, intercepting the blow. His form had already shifted into a hybrid — fur-lined ears, tail, elongated claws.
"Whew… not bad," Claudius smirked.
"So you're Claudius… I've always wanted to meet you."
"Sorry, I'm married," Claudius teased.
Rodeo didn't waste time. He lunged, clawing with a force that sent Claudius stumbling.
"I'll kill you, Claudius! I'll avenge my father, Geraldine!!"
He charged again, a blur of instinct and vengeance.
"Don't, Rodeo! He's not your match!" Bandi yelled.
Claudius grinned, untouched. "Listen to your friend, kid."
Then—he vanished. Claudius flickered, a lightning strike of movement, a crackling sound preceding each blurred step.
Rodeo tracked him, the scent of ozone sharp in his nostrils, his werewolf instincts heightening his senses. He slashed upward, muscles coiled tight, leaping for Claudius's core—a savage, precise maneuver.
BOOM! BOOM!
Smoke, acrid and stinging, erupted from the collision. Bandi flinched, shielding his eyes as the haze swirled. When it thinned, Rodeo loomed, a dark silhouette against the dim light, claws buried deep in Claudius's chest.
A chuckle, raspy and low, rumbled from the wounded man. "Wow, I'm impressed. you're better than I thought..."
Rodeo snarled, the metallic tang of blood in the air. If they continued, Ronovan was vulnerable. With a guttural roar, he seized Claudius, the rough fabric of the collar scraping his skin, and flung him through the wall. Bandi recoiled, the force of the throw a tangible shockwave. Rodeo, eyes blazing, vanished after him.
"Wait—Rodeo!" Bandi's shout fell on deaf ears. He couldn't just leave Ronovan behind, but his friend… his friend was charging to his death.
Claudius hadn't unleashed his second phase. If he did… Rodeo was doomed.
Bandi's fist tightened; an idea sparked. He scraped his palm with a claw, then offered his bleeding hand. "Blood Manipulation." Crimson droplets hit the floor, spreading, rising — a dome of protection over Ronovan's bed.
Bandi sprinted into the storm, rain a deafening roar. Lightning's flash revealed Rodeo, mud-caked, defeated. Claudius loomed over him, shirtless, barely marked. The air crackled; scars in the earth bore witness to a brutal fight.
"Rodeo!!"
"You should've let me be," Claudius said calmly. His hand sparked with violet lightning.
"You know my technique, don't you, Bandi? The rain is my ally."
"Wait! Rodeo—don't!"
Claudius turned—just as Rodeo roared and rose again, body steaming from the rain and injuries.
'Don't tell me… full beast mode?!'
"Rodeo, stop! That's too dangerous—"
His howl drowned Bandi out.
Rodeo's body shredded apart, bones cracking, muscles expanding. Fur replaced skin. A hulking, feral form emerged, towering and monstrous.
A full beast werewolf.
He roared, the sound tearing through the rain like a war horn, and charged again.
Claudius grinned. "That form… Ahh, I see now. So you're Rio's son."
Bandi watched, awestruck and terrified, as the form before him embodied pure rage, vengeance, and chaos.
In such a state, most werewolves succumbed to their primal instincts, but Rodeo was beyond mere anger.
His howl echoed, summoning others, and soon more werewolves swarmed the scene, including Terwy, who had been searching for Alisa.
The ensuing battle shook the very earth, each clash sending reverberations through the air, followed by thunderous impacts. Amidst the pandemonium, Bandi heard Claudius mutter.
"Something's… happening."
He looked down. The earth beneath his feet was cracking.
The fissures cracked open, and a surge of water erupted, carrying the scent of damp earth as it flooded outward.
"Shit!" Claudius leapt back.
Bandi lunged, muscles straining as he yanked werewolves from the cracking earth. The flood roared, a tangible force against his skin, until the rain eased.
In the distance, a light bloomed, a searing white tear in the trees. Blinding, alien. Turning, Bandi saw Rodeo sprawled, his fur gone, body limp. Claudius was missing. The light... it sliced through the storm, a promise of doom for vampires.
"Check the rift origin," Bandi ordered to a werewolf beside him, his voice sharp and commanding.
Terwy appeared, Rodeo's limp form draped over his back. They burst into the meeting hall, only to find it violated. The air was thick with the coppery tang of blood where the shield had been.
Claudius stood beside Ronovan's bed. "Claudius!!"
"Hey, Bandi. Good instincts, I bailed, too. That sunlight? Ugh. Even with the anti-sun potions, best to avoid it."
"You're powerful, Claudius. But are you really fine being Clementine's lapdog?"
Claudius tilted his head. "Lapdog? I never received an order to take Ronovan."
Bandi narrowed his eyes. Claudius was injured — badly. That fight had taken its toll.
"Bandi, are you thinking of fighting me now?"
Claudius gave a razor smile. "You're probably thinking this is your chance to win — because I'm hurt. I wouldn't."
He stepped forward."You've got guts coming here alone."
BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions outside shook the hall.
"What now?!" Bandi flinched.
"Ohh—don't tell me that's the one who caused that quake earlier…" Claudius whistled.
"Terwy! Stay here. Keep Ronovan and Rodeo safe!"
Bandi rushed out. Claudius followed. "To be honest, I've been trembling this whole time… I feel something strong out there."
Rain lashed their faces as they sprinted across the slick courtyard. A flash of movement, and then they saw him.
Lumino, a broken figure with clothes clinging heavily to his frame, dragged himself forward. His wild eyes reflected the dim light as he stared at the werewolf before him, who had already lost a hand. "Did you do it? Did you kill Alisa?!" he demanded.
What…?
A werewolf nearby was attacked by Lumino, and its leg snapped with a dreadful crack. Lumino prevented another from run by knocking them down.
A red barrier flashed around him — protecting him from an ambush.
"Wait—what do you mean Alisa is dead…?" Bandi whispered, stunned.
He looked to the side. Claudius had disappeared.
'When did he—'
CRACK!
Claudius struck Lumino from the front — eyes glowing crimson, fangs bared, power flaring.
But—the attack didn't land.
A blood-red shield blocked the strike, and Lumino didn't flinch.
Turning to Claudius with a tear-stained face, his voice quivered, but it was also menacing.
"Don't… interrupt me."
BOOM!
As he got thrown backward, Claudius coughed blood while clutching his stomach with his hands.
He turned toward Bandi, eyes wide.
"Bandi… what kind of monster are you hiding here?"
'I don't know either…'