Junk Dog's crimson aura exploded outward, a wild surge so fierce it looked ready to shatter Aeri's sphere by force alone.

Phase Two had changed him completely. His body stretched into the form of a white werewolf, crimson marks glowing like burning tattoos across his fur.

Every step he took sent deep tremors through the light barrier, the entire sphere shaking as if it might collapse.

But Aeri had transformed as well. Her figure grew almost transparent, her body turning into a luminous image of pure light. She shone like a living star, her speed and power humming in the air.

Behind her, countless weapons, blades, spears, daggers, and orbs of light, took shape, all aimed at the beast before her.

"This may not match the captain's power," Aeri said with a calm smile, "but it's more than enough to shake you to your core. Good luck keeping up with my speed."

Junk Dog only grinned wider, the red glow in his eyes sharpening.

"If we're talking about raw power and speed, then maybe you're the one who needs to keep up."

"We'll see about that!" Aeri shot back, sending the array of light forged weapons toward Junk Dog.

The beast dashed forward, faster and more feral than before. Claws flashing as he weaved through the barrage, slashing blades and spears into fading speck of light. Each swing carried enough force to shatter a mountain.

Aeri hadn't counted on those strikes to land a decisive blow, they were a distraction. In a blur, she vaulted high above him, her luminous form bending the air, and came crashing down with a blinding axe kick.

The impact tore Junk Dog through the shimmering sphere, the barrier bursting apart as he rocketed out and smashed into the ground below. Dust and smoke billowed across the battlefield as Aeri's sphere of light that acted as a cage, faded into nothing.

When the haze began to clear, the fallen soldiers of Shikkoku and the stunned ZEAL members came into Junk Dog's view, their eyes widening at the sight of the white werewolf slowly rising from the crater.

"Agh… that actually hurt," Junk Dog growled, clutching his head. A savage smile spread across his lips. "So we've been defeated, huh? Then the least I can do…." his voice deepened into a guttural snarl "Is finish this and eradicate all of you!"

His roar ripped through the air, a deafening shockwave that sent most of ZEAL collapsing to their knees and their hands clamped over their ears.

Only Ren, Shin, Seth, Kaela, Minato, and Sora remained standing, unflinching, their eyes locked on the beast with unwavering resolve.

"So this is the full power of a Fang. It's enough to make even me tremble," Shin muttered, eyes locked on the towering beast. His fingers twitched, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

"Yeah, I can barely stand straight," Ren admitted, his knees quivering under the crushing pressure of Junk Dog's killing intent.

"The captain, she's wounded! I've never seen her this beat up before!" Miko gasped, forcing himself upright despite the weight of the aura pressing down on him.

As if to steady her team, Aeri descended gracefully, landing in front of them. Her form shimmered, and in an instant, countless mirages of her flickered into existence, surrounding Junk Dog like a luminous army as the air itself seemed to tighten under the Fang's murderous presence.

"Don't worry," Aeri said calmly, her voice cutting through the chaos. "I'm ending this. Stand back."

The ZEAL members exchanged tense glances and stepped back without a word.

With a flash of light, Aeri and her clones lunged. Blinding kicks, sharp punches, and searing orbs of condensed light rained down from every direction. Junk Dog met them head on, his claws tearing through illusions as he countered with feral swipes.

The clash was a storm of violence, each impact sending shockwaves through the battlefield, the air exploding in bursts of wind that whipped against the faces of the ZEAL members. Sparks of light and streaks of white fur blurred into a frenzy as Aeri and Junk Dog traded blow after blow, neither yielding an inch in their brutal dance of speed and power.

Ren's fists tightened around the hilt of his katana, every instinct screaming at him to rush in and aid Aeri. But his weakened body betrayed him. He knew that jumping into the fight now would only hinder the Warden.

With a bitter swallow of pride, he forced himself to stay still, frustration burning in his chest like a blade turned inward.

"Take it easy," Sora said softly, placing a hand over Ren's tense grip. "The captain will win. That Fang, he's on a completely different level. I can't even follow their movements. He's far stronger than the messenger Seth and I faced. But remember, our captain is a beast of her own. Trust her."

Ren exhaled, shoulders loosening as he eased his grip on the katana.

"Yeah," he muttered, eyes locked on the clash ahead. "I'll trust her."

The clash raged on, each strike slower and heavier as Aeri and Junk Dog began to burn through the last of their strength.

Then, in a final surge, they charged head on. Aeri's roundhouse kick, covered in blinding light, smashed across Junk Dog's face at the exact instant his right hook crashed into her jaw.

The collision sent them both spinning, bodies skidding across the ground before coming to rest several meters apart.

Neither rose. Not yet.

Their chests heaved with ragged breaths, both warriors knocked flat by the sheer ferocity of their simultaneous blows.

Junk Dog stood upright first, blood dripping from his mouth as he squared his stance.

"What's wrong? Already finished?" he rasped, each breath ragged.

Aeri pushed herself up next, spitting blood from her mouth onto the shattered ground.

"Almost," she answered coldly. "But so are you. One last strike, everything ends here. Come at me with everything you've got!"

A wild grin split Junk Dog's battered face. "Gladly!"

They exploded forward, a blur of blinding speed, Junk Dog wreathed in a raging crimson aura, and Aeri blazing in radiant yellow light.

With a final burst, Junk Dog unleashed a savage claw strike, the sheer force tearing the ground apart as it ripped through the air.

Aeri spun at the last heartbeat, the claw grazing her side and opening a bloody gash, but she completed the turn, her hand sharpened into a blade of pure light and drove it straight across Junk Dog's chest.

The impact detonated in a burst of shockwaves.

Both fighters' Phase Two forms shattered in an instant.

Aeri's luminous glow flickering out, Junk Dog's bestial features dissolving as they reverted to their human bodies.

Together they collapsed, crashing to the fractured ground in the silence that followed their final, desperate clash.

Junk Dog lay on his back, staring blankly at the fractured sky as he coughed a heavy spray of blood across his chest.

"My strike… was shallow," he rasped, voice fading. "I guess this is my defeat."

Aeri remained sprawled on the ground a few meters away, barely able to move.

"Sure is," she breathed, her voice weak but resolute.

Ren and Sora sprinted to their captain, dropping to their knees as they carefully lifted her into their arms.

Despite the faint smile on Aeri's lips, her face was rapidly losing color. Blood poured from the deep gash along her side, soaking through her uniform and pooling beneath her.

"Captain! Stay with us!" Sora cried, panic edging her voice as her eyes glistened.

"Don't worry," Aeri managed a small, shaky chuckle before coughing up more blood. "I'm not that weak."

"Shin, call Warden Valen, now!" Ren ordered, his grip tightening around his katana as he fought to stay composed. Shin immediately relayed the order.

Aeri's vision began to blur, the world dimming from blood loss and the brutal toll of the battle. Ren rose and approached Junk Dog's motionless body. One glance was enough, the Fang's chest no longer rose. He was gone.

A sudden ripple of energy flared behind them, a dark portal swirling open as Warden Valen stepped through, eyes sharp and assessing.

"What's the situation?" he demanded.

"The battle's over," Sora answered, holding Aeri tighter. "The messengers are down, and the Fang's been defeated, but the captain is in critical condition."

Valen crouched beside Aeri, his gaze hardening at the sight of the wound.

"This is deep, dangerously so," he muttered. "Hand her to me. I'll do what I can to stabilize her. All of you, return to base immediately. Avoid detection and slip past the enemy lines. That's an order."

They nodded without hesitation as Valen lifted Aeri into his arms. The portal flared once more, and in an instant, both the Warden and their wounded captain vanished into the swirling darkness, leaving the team standing amid the silent battlefield.

"What's…..what's going to happen to the captain?" Kaela asked, her voice trembling as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"She's in critical condition," Sora replied firmly, though her own eyes were heavy with worry. "But she'll make it. She's a Warden, our captain. We have to trust her with everything we've got.

—-------------

At Ward 2, where ZEAL forces prepared to intercept the enemy, Tear and his squad stood shoulder to shoulder with Thorne, Mae, and the rest of the ZEAL fighters.

Before them stretched an endless sea of Ashes and Shikkoku foot soldiers, their dark silhouettes shifting like a restless tide. The air was heavy, no clash yet, but the oppressive aura told them the Fangs were still hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

"Shall we begin?" Thorne asked with grin, eyes locked on the enemy lines.

"By all means." Tear answered coolly, his voice like sharpened steel.

Mae only smiled, her calm acknowledgment carrying a silent promise of carnage.

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