Divine Beast Ascension

639 A Kitty and A Rat

Fwhirrl! F-Fwhirrl! C-Crunch!

Slashes of wind streaked through the air, tearing apart the palace hall and floor. Stone walls and tiles cracked apart under Leader Rokkal's swinging hammer.

"You damned cat!" Rokkal roared with fervor. "You already failed to kill me! If you can't assassinate me, then you damn sure can't kill me!"

Wherever a leopard appeared, a wind blade or a construct hammer was thrown to kill it.

As the fight dragged out with little change, the mad Rokkal cackled, "Come on, kitty! Stop playing around, and die already. You lost your chance to kill me already!"

Dark mist began to gather around the irate territory leader. And he unleashed a protective tempest every time, combating the dark essence before it could ever fully block Rokkal's vision.

"Come out, kitty, kitty kitty..."

Growling, Rokkal stomped and chased after the leopard. Though Rokkal never traveled more than a few steps at once. He made sure to keep a steady stance and to keep his torso as unmoving as possible when Rokkal could get away with it.

"Come out you damn house cat!" shouted Rokkal. "Stop wasting time. Either get lost or stop with the games.

"You won't get another free shot, and you already wasted the first one!"

As Rokkal's unstable mind was growing more and more impatient, an abrupt cry from his treacherous son caught him off guard.

"I'm ready!"

"Shut up, brat!" Rokkal bellowed.

Suddenly, a whisper breezed by from Rokkal's left side. "If I'm a house cat..."

In retaliation, the territory leader launched a flurry of wind blades toward the voice. "DIE!"

Wh-wh-whiff! FRRRIP!

"... then it's about time I get rid of the rat."

Crack! Rippp...

Despite Rokkal attacking his left side with wind and his right side with his hammer, Rokkal failed to save himself. He destroyed the sudden leopards that had tried to flank him. And the invisible leopard behind him slipped through Rokkal's defenses untouched.

As Rokkal dropped to his knees in shock and fatigue, the true Vloz became visible. His claws were out. And between two claws was an orb filled with green and yellow energy.

"You seriously thought you could sense me?" scoffed Vloz. "You did alright. But I don't want you dead. He does. Otherwise, I wouldn't have missed the first time."

The weakened territory leader put one hand over the slit in his side. "I can't... I can't fall- Ahhhgghh!?"

"Without your core, you've no essence left at your command. Trying to wield what you no longer possess will only bring more pain," remarked the Leopard, storing the core in his void choker.

Slow stomps could be heard from further down the hall.

"S-Son!?" Rokkal stumbled to get up, falling back to his hands and knees. "Help me!"

But Rofar walked right on by. He didn't spare the broken territory leader a single glance. Instead, the Prodson heir dropped to a knee in front of the large leopard with his head bowed.

"Master Vloz, Prodson Territory belongs to Iron, as promised."

The Blood-spotted Leopard nodded and sat up. "There are still a couple things to attend to. But yes. Prodson is no more. And we'll make due on our promise, as well."

A bottle of light green, sap-like liquid appeared, held in Vloz's tail. "Give her this for now. It should stabilize her condition. And we'll have her attended to directly in a matter of days."

"Thank you, Master Vloz. I am in your debt." Rofar accepted the bottle with a tinge of moisture building up in his eyelids.

"Son! You must help me-"

SLAP! CRACK!

The moment Rokkal reached for the kneeling Rofar, the crippled man's hand was brutally slapped away.

"Why you-" Rokkal groaned, holding his broken wrist. "Help, you bastard son! I'm your father-"

Slap, crack! Slap, crack!

Again, Rofar slapped the broken man with earth essence coating his open hand. "Son? Father? ... Who are you to call me that? Former Leader Rokkal, you drunken mess of a man?"

Rokkal fury returned to his eyes, though no essence could be gathered as reinforcements for that anger. "I made you, boy! I am your-"

"You were my superior, my territory leader. Nothing more!" Rofar declared. "You taught me to not put all my eggs in one basket. To bet on the winning man.

"And you, Rokkal, are the losing man who inspired his own downfall. So, congratulations! You've played yourself, Territory Leader."

"NO! No, you can't do this!" Rokkal reached for his son once more, now with two broken hands.

Yet Rofar wasn't interested in touching the grimy, crawling cripple. "Khas, bind him and patch his side. We can't have him die just yet."

A wrap of rope was pulled from the captain's void ring that very second. Khas saluted and smiled, "Yes, sir."

"You can't do this- HMM! Hmmmhmm?!"

The first thing Captain Khas tied up was the former leader's mouth, followed by his wrists and ankles. Then he brought out a simple first aid pack to wrap the cripple's side.

Rofar turned his back to the gagged man and inhaled slowly, letting years of repressed thoughts and feelings trickle out of his system in satisfaction."... Master Vloz, may I-"

"Yes. Just be fast. We can't leave the city in chaos for too long," the leopard answered with a gentle gaze.

"Thank you! This won't be long at all!"

A huge gust of wind buffeted the leopard as Rofar rocketed deeper into the palace.

"What's left?"

Vloz turned to the approaching drake. "We'll bring the foolish leader before his people. And we'll let them judge him for his actions. After all, why let him have all the territory's glory without sharing in the struggles of the people?"

Oli snickered through his fangs, "A very fitting end.

"Then... does that mean my job is done?"

"Technically, yes. You've fulfilled your job perfectly." The leopard dropped a paw onto the drake's shoulder. "You've done well, Vero. You allowed this war to end in a far cleaner way than it would have otherwise. And we'll be sure to reward you well."

"I'll hold you to it," Oli chuckled with a smirk.