CHAPTER 195: THE FINALE OF THE CLAN COMPETITION

After the King of Werewolves and the others were seated in the VIP section, Fiona signalled to Xavier Raynor, the referee for today’s match, to begin. Without wasting any time, Xavier stepped forward and started the match.

Standing at one side of the arena, within the protective array, he raised his voice... amplified so the entire stadium could hear.

"Today, we are gathered here to witness the duel between the two finalists of the Raynor Clan competition. These two have fought through every challenger among the Raynor youths and proved their worth to stand here. I present to you... Ethan Raynor and Gary Raynor!"

As if on cue, from opposite ends of the arena, the floor split apart and both Gary and Ethan rose simultaneously from underground platforms.

The crowd erupted with cheers, supporting their favourites. Or they placed a bet upon. Xavier waited for the noise to settle before continuing.

"Many Raynor Clan fighters are skilled in weaponry. However, the variety in grade and quality could create unfair advantages. Furthermore, the purpose of this competition is to select a representative for the Trial of Yggdrasil... where no weapons can be brought. Only your physical and mental strength will accompany you. Therefore, this competition prohibits the use of weapons. Only your body and claws will be allowed. If one of you faces mortal danger, I, as the referee, will intervene. Otherwise, the match continues until one surrenders. Let the best wolf win. Now... fight!"

Ethan and Gary remained motionless, still standing at their respective positions, eyes locked in silence. The crowd also fell quiet in anticipation.

Gary broke the silence first. "Ethan! I am the strongest. I will win today!" he shouted.

With those words, Gary’s upper body swiftly transformed into his wolf form, and he lunged toward Ethan. As he charged, his claws elongated and then shot forth like projectiles. This was his special ability. Gary Raynor had the rare talent of firing his nails during combat, and they would regenerate after a short time.

Ethan, caught off guard by the incoming nails at the start of the fight, knew he couldn’t dodge them all. He too transformed his upper body and swung his claws rapidly, attempting to deflect the projectiles. He managed to knock down about six of them, but the remaining ones pierced his skin.

They didn’t cause severe damage, but the pain was enough to threaten his concentration. Through sheer effort, Ethan focused again... Gary was already in front of him, closing in fast. Ethan lashed out with a punch aimed at Gary’s abdomen.

At the last second, Gary twisted to avoid it, but Ethan’s foot lashed out in what seemed like a wild kick to empty space.

Some in the gallery, those who didn’t know Ethan’s power of calculated prediction, scoffed at the seemingly misplaced attack... but their laughter quickly faded. From their perspective, it looked as though Gary had jumped directly into the path of Ethan’s kick.

Sensing the danger too late, Gary tried to adjust mid-air, but Ethan’s kick still connected. The impact sent him flying several metres. He rolled to absorb the blow, then sprang back to his feet and faced Ethan once more.

But Ethan gave him no time to recover. He lunged forward and aimed a direct punch to Gary’s chest. Gary responded with a punch of his own.

A dull thud echoed across the stadium. Both fighters were forced several steps back. In terms of raw strength, Gary appeared to hold the advantage... Ethan was pushed back farther. Blood trickled from the corner of Ethan’s mouth. Gary’s desperate counter had injured him internally.

"I’m impressed. You’re stronger than I expected," Gary said, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "You’ve clearly used these last few years to grow stronger. No wonder you beat Lucian Gerymoore in that duel. That must’ve given you a taste of feeling invincible. But make no mistake... there’s still a vast gap between us!"

"Brother Gary!" Ethan called out. "You’re a Delta... a born warrior. I respect your strength. But don’t you think you’re underestimating me, an Alpha?"

Gary scoffed. "You’re just lucky to be born an Alpha. Until you prove your worth, you’re no different from a Beta like me. This is a fight, not a council debate. I’ve trained over twenty years longer than you, and I’ve never slacked off. Now... defend yourself!"

With that, he launched another barrage of furious attacks. Ethan dodged what he could and parried the rest.

Time passed. The two exchanged blow after blow, attack and defence. Their bodies were bruised, bloodied. Sometimes they transformed fully into their werewolf forms, sometimes partially, and occasionally back into their human form. They had fought for nearly half an hour, and still, no victor was clear.

Gary’s experience and diverse combat style gave him an edge. But Ethan had sharp instincts and precise timing, able to avoid lethal blows with uncanny awareness.

Though Ethan had taken the brunt of the damage, his endurance had sharpened through recent training under Elder Bedivere... kept him standing.

Suddenly, Gary leapt into the air, claws extended and hardened like curved blades. His nails had already regenerated and now looked like daggers attached to his fingers. He slashed downward, aiming to slice through Ethan’s head.

Ethan saw it coming. He leaned just enough to the side. The claw sliced past his ear with a chilling whoosh.

Before Ethan could adjust his position, Gary raised his free hand and shot out another barrage of nails. Ethan braced himself, using both hands to defend. This time, he fared better... managing to block most of them. But while he was still occupied deflecting the nails, Gary closed the distance and threw a powerful punch straight across Ethan’s face, whipping his head violently to the side.

Ethan reacted quickly. As he was spun mid-air, he used the momentum to somersault and delivered a strong counter-kick to Gary’s chest. The blow forced Gary to stumble back two steps, but he didn’t relent. Seizing the opportunity as Ethan landed from his flip, Gary launched a kick directly at Ethan’s abdomen.

To Ethan’s shock, Gary’s toenails had elongated mid-attack and stabbed directly into his stomach. Instinctively, Ethan partially transformed his abdominal area to brace for impact. He then struck Gary’s foot away, but the damage had already been done. Agonising pain radiated from his stomach, and he staggered several steps back to recover some distance.

But Gary didn’t give him the luxury of time. Without pause, he charged in and aimed a powerful punch at Ethan’s chest. Ethan, still reeling from the pain, clenched his fists and threw his own punch in return... colliding fist-to-fist.

A loud bang reverberated through the stadium as the blows connected. Ethan was sent skidding backwards several metres across the arena floor.

Gary was confident that the clash would leave Ethan severely injured, having poured all his speed and strength into the strike. But to his horror, a powerful force travelled from Ethan’s fist into his own arm... and then directly into his internal organs. Despite not being visibly hit, Gary was launched backwards several metres, crashing to the ground with a grunt. His internal organs churned violently.

In the VIP gallery, Sarika turned to Fiona with wide eyes. "Fiona, isn’t this the same attack Ethan used to defeat Lucian? Is it some kind of trump card your clan hides?"

Fiona replied calmly, "It’s not a final move or a secret technique. It’s a method our predecessors developed to utilise our bloodline ability. Very few in our clan can perform it flawlessly. We found it in an old manual left by one of our ancestors."

Sarika shook her head. "What a bizarre move. I felt the force of Ethan’s attack suddenly multiply at the moment of impact... and it bypassed the outer defences to strike directly at the internal organs. Without an ascendant’s protective shield, no one below that level could withstand this."

King Erevan, clearly impressed, added, "The key lies in the timing. Unless one fully understands the rhythm of energy flow, this attack would be impossible to execute. I believe only the Raynor Clan can wield this technique effectively."

The senior members of the Raynor Clan seated nearby exchanged glances, their eyes widening in quiet admiration. "He grasped the essence of the attack just by watching it once?" they thought in unison.

Back in the arena, Gary tried multiple times to rise, but his injuries overwhelmed him. At last, lying flat on his back, he exhaled and admitted weakly, "I... lose."

The crowd erupted in cheers. Supporters of Ethan shouted in celebration, while others cheered simply because they’d won their bets. A betting booth had been set up before the match by Madeleine Raynor, one of the Alphas of the Raynor Clan. The odds had been simple: 1:2. Those who placed their bet on Ethan were now walking away with double their stakes.

Xavier, standing nearby and breathing heavily, immediately signalled for the healers. A team of medical staff rushed onto the field, carefully lifted Gary onto a stretcher, and carried him off to the medical room for treatment.

Ethan turned slowly to face the VIP gallery. Placing his right palm against his chest, he bowed respectfully to the council members, clan elders, and the King of Werewolves. Then, without a word, he turned and followed the healers. His body, too, was battered... throughout most of the fight, he had borne the brunt of the blows.