Chapter 173: Death And Rebirth
Karl threw himself forward, fire roaring from his claws, his body a streak of molten fury across the broken street. His laughter cut through the smoke, ragged and wild, a man daring the world to bury him.
The wolf met him head-on.
Karl’s claws slashed for his throat again, but this time the wolf was ready. His scarred jaw clenched, his aura flaring hard, and his clawed hand caught Karl’s wrist mid-swing. The grip was iron, the pressure brutal. Karl snarled and swung with his other hand, fire snapping, but the serpent was already there. Her coils looped his arm, her green energy digging into his flesh, numbing the fire crawling up his veins.
Karl roared, the sound tearing his throat raw. He yanked, trying to burn free, but the wolf drove his knee up into Karl’s ribs. The crack was sharp, clean. Karl’s breath snapped out of him, fire stuttering.
Then the boar came.
His axe was gone, shattered, but he didn’t need it. His massive fist, tusks gleaming, swung in from the side. It crashed into Karl’s jaw, snapping his head sideways, blood spraying from his mouth. Karl staggered, nearly broke free, but the serpent tightened her coils and the wolf’s grip crushed harder.
The boar didn’t stop. He swung again, each blow like a hammer against an anvil. Karl’s face split, his lip tore, one of his fangs cracked. His flames surged, sputtered, tried to fight, but his body was slowing, his fire bending under the sheer weight of three relentless enemies.
Karl spat blood, his grin twisted and stubborn. "Is this... all you’ve got?" His words slurred, half swallowed by the blood running down his throat.
The wolf didn’t answer. He only drove his claws into Karl’s shoulder, piercing through flesh, pinning him like prey.
Karl screamed, his flames exploding out in a desperate burst, throwing all three back for a breath. He staggered free, chest heaving, his body shaking under the strain. Burns and cuts streaked him, his ribs ached with every inhale, his knees buckled under him. Still, he laughed, hoarse and broken. "Come on! I’m not done!"
They came again.
The serpent struck first, her coils snapping around his legs. She yanked hard, slamming him onto his back. Karl hit the stone with a crunch, the impact cracking the road beneath him. Before he could rise, the wolf was already on him, claws tearing across his chest, leaving deep gashes that smoked under the heat.
Karl swung up, claws blazing, catching the wolf across the face. Blood splattered, the wolf staggered, but he didn’t fall. The serpent twisted tighter around Karl’s legs, pinning him in place.
Then the boar stomped forward. His tusks hooked, his eyes blazing with fury. He lifted Karl by the throat with one hand, dragging him up from the ground like a ragdoll. Karl clawed at him, fire scorching the boar’s arm, but the beast only grunted and slammed Karl into the wall of a ruined house. Stone shattered, dust choking the air.
Karl tried to push back, tried to summon another burst of fire, but the wolf’s claws dug into his side again, tearing deep, ripping through skin and muscle. Karl howled, blood pouring down his body.
The serpent hissed in his ear, her voice cold. "Your fire is dying."
Karl snapped his head sideways, smashing his skull into hers. Blood streamed down his brow, his vision blurred, but he spat in her face, flames sputtering with the last of his strength. "Not yet."
But it was slipping.
The boar slammed his tusks into Karl’s side, piercing flesh. Pain exploded through him. He coughed blood, his body jerking under the impact. The wolf drove a final claw across his stomach, opening him further, and Karl’s fire guttered, dimming to embers licking across his skin.
He collapsed to his knees.
Blood soaked the stone beneath him, dripping from every wound. His claws trembled, his breath came shallow. Still, his grin twitched at the corners, stubborn even in ruin. "Three of you," he rasped. "And still... you can’t kill me clean."
The wolf loomed over him, one eye swollen, his throat cut but not broken. His claws flexed, ready to strike again. The serpent coiled tighter, her green glow pulsing against Karl’s neck. The boar raised his fist one last time, blood dripping from his tusks.
Karl swayed, fire flickering faint, his body barely upright. He laughed once, weak and hollow. "Do it, then. See if the King smiles at you for killing his castoff."
The wolf’s claws slashed down.
Karl’s body jerked, blood spraying fresh across the broken street. His grin faded for the first time, his eyes dimming under the weight of exhaustion. He collapsed forward, the stone cracking under his fall.
The serpent loosened her coils, watching his flames sputter out until only smoke curled from his wounds. The boar stepped back, chest heaving, his broken axe still clutched like a phantom in his fist.
The three of them stood over Karl, their breathing harsh, their bodies bleeding, but alive.
Karl lay still. His fire was gone. His claws twitched once, faint, but no flame followed. Blood pooled beneath him, seeping into the cracks of the ruined road.
The wolf spat blood to the side, his voice low. "He’s finished."
The serpent tilted her head, her tongue flicking, tasting the smoke. "Not yet. But soon."
The boar grunted, planting his foot against Karl’s back, pressing him into the stone. "Then let’s make sure."
Karl coughed, blood spilling from his mouth. His vision swam, his ears rang. Every part of his body screamed, torn and broken. He could barely lift his head. The world blurred in flame and shadow.
Still, deep in his chest, the fire smoldered. Small. Weak. But alive.
He bared his teeth in the dirt, his voice little more than a whisper. "I’m not... done."
The three above him didn’t hear.
They only pressed closer, ready to end what Kael could not.
And the night closed tighter around Karl, his fire flickering on the edge of death.