The Alpha did not slow.
It never did.
Even as the battlefield fractured into noise and chaos, the massive beast pressed forward, claws tearing through stone, jaws snapping with relentless hunger.
And yet—
Garth was no longer laughing.
He swung again, a heavy, brutal arc meant to cleave into the Alpha's shoulder—
—but the beast shifted.
Not by instinct.
By interruption.
A lance of shadow struck its flank first.
The Alpha twisted.
Garth's axe slammed into empty air.
Stone cracked beneath the force.
His grin faltered.
"…You again."
Onyx stood just beyond him, blade lowered, posture steady. Silent.
The Alpha lunged.
Both warriors reacted instantly.
Garth leaned into the strike, raising his axe to intercept—
Onyx moved.
"Shadow Bind."
Dark tendrils erupted, catching the Alpha's legs mid-motion.
The creature stumbled.
Garth's attack landed—but not clean.
It scraped, glancing off muscle instead of biting deep.
"Tch—"
The Alpha tore free again, snapping wildly.
Onyx stepped in.
"Shadow Step."
He vanished, reappearing at its side, blade flashing.
Garth turned sharply.
"Stop doing that!"
No response.
Onyx simply moved again.
Steel met shadow as both warriors struck from different angles.
The Alpha lashed out, claws sweeping low—
Both were forced to leap back at the same time.
They landed, skidding across broken stone.
For half a second—
Just half a second—
They faced each other.
Garth pointed his axe.
"I said I've got this.!
Onyx did not answer.
He couldn't.
Instead—
He stepped past Garth.
The Alpha was already coming again.
Its claws tore through the ground—
Neither noticed at first.
Garth was still talking.
"I don't need—"
The strike came fast.
Too fast.
Both were caught off guard.
The Alpha's claw slammed into them.
They were thrown backward, crashing through loose rubble.
Dust exploded.
Garth groaned as he pushed himself up.
"…That was your fault!"
Onyx rose without a word.
Already moving.
Already fighting.
Garth stared at him.
"…Are you even listening?"
No answer.
Only motion.
Only battle.
Onyx dashed forward again, blade cutting through the Alpha's side.
Garth's grip tightened.
"Hey!"
The Alpha roared and retaliated, forcing Onyx to vanish again.
Garth exhaled sharply.
Then shouted—
"I'm serious!"
The Alpha lunged.
Garth met it head-on, axe crashing against claw.
The impact shook the ground.
"Five seconds!"
He shoved the beast back.
"Get out of this fight in five seconds or I'm quitting!"
The Alpha swiped again.
Garth ducked.
Onyx appeared beside it.
"Shadow Lance."
The strike landed.
The Alpha staggered.
Garth blinked.
"…Are you ignoring me?"
No response.
Onyx moved again.
Garth pointed at him mid-battle.
"I'm counting!"
He swung again, forcing the Alpha back.
"Five—!"
The Alpha lunged.
Garth blocked.
"Four—!"
Onyx cut across its flank.
"Seven—no, wait… three! Just—get out already!"
The beast roared, smashing its claws into the ground, sending debris flying.
Garth stumbled back.
Onyx advanced again.
"Two—!"
The Alpha snapped at him.
Onyx vanished.
"ONE—!"
Silence—
For half a heartbeat.
Garth looked at Onyx.
"…Wait."
He frowned.
"I said five seconds."
The Alpha lunged again.
Garth barely blocked in time.
"No, no—hold on!"
He shoved the beast aside and pointed again.
"I meant ten!"
Another strike.
He ducked.
"You've got five seconds left!"
Onyx didn't even turn.
He attacked again.
Garth froze.
"…You're actually ignoring me."
The Alpha slowed.
Just slightly.
Its six glowing eyes shifted between them.
Even it seemed—
Confused.
Far away, through the faint glow of the slave crystal—
Jeeves watched.
The rabbit adjusted his monocle with visible irritation.
"…What are these two bugs bickering about?"
Back on the battlefield—
Garth's face twitched.
His grin was gone now.
Replaced by something else.
Frustration.
"No… no, this isn't how this is supposed to go."
The Alpha lunged again.
Onyx intercepted.
Garth didn't move.
"…This was my fight!"
The Alpha struck Onyx, forcing him back.
Garth watched.
"…My prey!"
The beast turned toward Garth again—
And for a moment—
Garth didn't lift his axe.
Instead—
He threw it.
CLANG!
The weapon crashed against the ground, spinning across the stone.
The battlefield stilled.
Even the Alpha hesitated.
Garth spread his arms.
"Fine!"
He stepped back dramatically.
"I quit!"
The word echoed.
"I QUIT, I SAY!"
The Alpha blinked.
Actually blinked.
Then—
It turned.
Toward Onyx.
The easier target.
It lunged.
Onyx barely raised his blade in time.
The impact drove him backward.
Theo, watching from the ruins, finally snapped.
"What are you two doing?!"
No response.
The Alpha attacked again.
Onyx fought.
Alone.
Garth stood there.
Arms crossed.
Watching.
"…This is what happens," he muttered, "when people don't listen."
Theo stared in disbelief.
"We're going to die if you don't—"
Another crash cut him off.
The Alpha slammed into Onyx again.
Theo dragged a hand down his face.
"…Do I have to go there myself?"
Not far away, the red-cloth hobgoblin glanced once toward the scene.
He watched Garth standing still.
Onyx fighting alone.
The Alpha rampaging.
He sighed.
"…Idiots."
Then turned away.
Not interested.
Across the battlefield, the fighting began to shift.
The formation behind them moved.
Step by step.
Controlled.
Disciplined.
Fallon advanced at the front, massive shield raised.
The funnel tightened.
The battlefield stabilized.
But ahead—
At the center—
Everything had stopped making sense.
More and more soldiers began to notice.
Their gazes turned.
Toward Garth.
Toward Onyx.
Toward the Alpha.
Even the beasts seemed uncertain.
The chaos had changed.
From the ruins behind—
Footsteps approached.
Kairo.
Shiri.
Renn.
They moved forward together, cutting through the battlefield with calm precision.
Then—
They saw it.
Shiri stopped.
"…What?"
For once—
He had nothing else to say.
Renn stared.
A hand went to his face.
"…This is exactly what I feared."
Ahead—
Garth stood with his arms crossed.
His axe on the ground.
Refusing to fight.
Onyx battled alone.
Silent.
Relentless.
The Alpha circled them both, confused and enraged in equal measure.
Kairo slowed.
His expression did not change.
But his eyes narrowed slightly.
He stepped forward.
Looked at the scene.
Then spoke.
Calm.
Flat.
Disbelieving.
"…What the hell are these two doing?"
To be continued.....