The air reeked of smoke and scorched concrete. Shouts and explosions echoed through the broken corridors of the Yazumèi mansion, now a battleground. The walls bled shadows and fire.
Jamie was the first to charge—his fury molding into form. Black energy surged from his arms, cloaking his fists in sharp-edged Shadow Gauntlets that pulsed with a deep violet hue. He slammed them together, the impact cracking the tile beneath him.
With a guttural growl, he slammed his fists into the ground. "Come."
A rift in the shadows opened—tendrils spilling from the abyss—summoning a Shadow Knight, towering in armor with a sword forged from sorrow, and three spectral shadow wolves with glowing crimson eyes. They growled in sync, forming a perimeter as Jamie led the assault on Alexandrov.
But Alexandrov—bleeding, bruised, yet grinning—merely rolled his shoulders. His massive white tiger frame shimmered in the smoke, eyes glowing with pure bloodlust.
Jamie threw the first punch.
Alexandrov caught it with one paw.
The wolves lunged, only to be swatted midair with such force their shadows dispersed mid-snarl, the knight charged swinging his sword at the beast but the blade shattered upon contact with Alexandrov. The knight met Alexandrov's claws and was cleaved in half with one mighty strike.
Jamie backpedaled, fury replaced with grit. He re-formed his gauntlets and dove again throwing a barrage of punches.
Meanwhile, Vali melted into the fight from the flanks. His body dissolved into veil mist, slithering low beneath Alexandrov's legs. His power—the Veil of Dusk—clouded senses, dulled light, and warped space. The mist wrapped around the beastman's head.
Alexandrov twitched. His ears flicked. His tail lashed once—then Vali struck from behind, a dagger formed from his dark mist humming with dark resonance.
But Alexandrov's instincts were a world sharper.
He spun, catching Vali mid-materialization, slamming him hard into the floor. Cracks webbed beneath him.
"Cheap tricks," Alexandrov snarled, voice like gravel through teeth. "Cowards hide in mist." he then took vali up by the leg ragdolling him across the room.
Sean Yazumèi stood behind the chaos, barking orders.
"Riko! Daiji! Toma—get them out! Get Kaz and Kimara to safety!"
His kids scattered to obey—but Toma hesitated. Her fingers twitched at her sides, eyes darting between Kaz's unconscious body and Alexandrov's rage.
She bit her lip.
Her conscience screamed. This is your fault.
She'd paid off goons to pick fights with Kaz. Stolen White Tiger shipments. Tried to sabotage Seamus in secret—wanting to make her own name shine in shadow. She hadn't expected this… this war.
Not like this.
Jamie was flung across the room. Vali didn't rise.
Toma's legs moved before her brain caught up. She threw herself toward Alexandrov, blades forming in her hands.
"No!" Sean yelled.
Alexandrov turned—eyes locking with hers.
A blur.
Sean appeared between them just in time—his dark aura flaring as black sigils exploded around them, a barrier of compressed power. Alexandrov's claw tore through it, slashing across Sean's chest and badly damaging Alexandrov's fingers which healed and set back in place in mere moments.
He coughed blood.
Toma froze, mouth agape.
"You idiot…" Sean muttered, falling to one knee. "You don't even know what side you're on…"
She caught him as he dropped, hands trembling. Guilt shattered something inside her.
You caused this.
Riko had vanished but the floor near Seamus exploded outward—rubble thrown aside as Riko emerged, dragging their uncle's broken body free. Seamus coughed hard, eyes unfocused. Still alive.
"You're not dying today, old man," Riko muttered, standing. His eyes flared as he joined Jamie, forming a flanking arc around Alexandrov.
Riko's Obsidian Fist glowed. "Let's tear this bastard apart, limb from limb."
Jamie nodded, spitting blood. "Together."
They surged forward again, attacks striking in tandem—Jamie's gauntlets locking Alexandrov's limbs while Riko's fists landed thunderous blows that made the air shudder. But even together, they weren't fast enough. Alexandrov tanked the damage, grabbing Jamie by the throat and throwing him like a ragdoll into the far wall, grabbing Riko's fist and squeezing it so hard the obsidian started cracking.
Riko reeled back a bloody punch.
And then—Daiji stepped in.
He had been quiet. Calm. But now, with Kaz slumped nearby and his uncle bleeding out, something in him snapped.
He raised both arms. Dark rings spun around his forearms, each one humming like a tuning fork on the verge of rupture.
"Let's see how sharp those tiger ears really are," he growled.
The rings pulsed—a concussive blast of dark energy and supersonic vibrations shot forward, slamming into Alexandrov's side. The beastman howled, staggering. Blood poured from his ears.
Daiji followed up with another pulse. Then another. Alexandrov clawed the air blindly, unable to track the attack.
But he didn't fall.
He roared—his muscles expanding, his fur bristling—doubling in size as his eyes rolled white with rage. His roars cracked stone, his steps cratered ground.
"Now you've done it," Jamie muttered.
The mansion shook.
Then—whup whup whup—rotors filled the sky.
Searchlights painted the battlefield. Military helicopters descended upon the grounds, soldiers fast-roping down in full combat gear.
Alexandrov snarled, scanning the courtyard.
"Insects…" he growled. "But too many."
"Grigorovich!" came a commanding voice from below.
From the smoke emerged Captain Kimiko Kuzunagi, clad in a reinforced exosuit, hair in a tight braid, katana slung at her back.
Her presence alone made the air colder.
"You've lost your mind," she said calmly. "Attacking the Yazumèi estate in broad daylight?"
Alexandrov growled. "No… not madness. Just timing. You should've stayed overseas, Kuzunagi."
He turned, leaping into the chaos as his remaining White Tiger goons laid down cover fire, retreating under a storm of bullets and energy blasts.
Toma knelt beside Sean, tears streaking her cheeks.
"Father—father, I'm sorry—I didn't mean—"
Sean lifted a bloodied hand. "No more lies, Toma…"
He passed out.
The battle was over.
But the war had only just begun.
Kimiko approached the fallen Seamus, eyes icy.
She stared down at his broken form, cracked ribs rising with effort.
"I can't believe," she said coldly, "I was naïve enough to think my daughter would be safe… with you."
The wind stirred the smoke around her.
Kaz stirred slightly against the wall. His fingers twitched.
The mansion smoldered.
The embers had only begun to burn.