Is this really a Game?!

Wolf's flaming sword descended with incredible force, engulfing the area in red chaos flames that violently surged from the blade.

The energy used for the attack was overwhelming, forcing the air to shimmer from the immense, and as the sword struck the Alpha, a massive explosion of flames erupted, sending shockwaves through the forest while illuminating the entire forest, causing trees to incinerate and burn down in mere seconds.

The ground trembled as Wolf's attack collided with the immobilized Alpha, causing the beast's dark aura to flicker violently in response to the powerful strike. The Alpha tried to move, it tried to use some power in response to the sudden attack, but it was too late as the attack was already upon it.

Wolf's slash had struck true, causing the Alpha to howl in agony as the flames struck, searing its flesh as the blade cut deep inside of it.

Tank still held the wolf down with his shields, but it was now incredibly difficult to do so. He gritted his teeth as the force of the explosion ratted his body, the flames burning bright, causing the shields to be devoured and slowly dissipated, all except the Abyss shield that held firm even with the chaos flames around it.

For some reason, the chaos flames didn't burn the Abyss Shield, keeping away from it. It seemed that even the power of chaos didn't wish to go up against the power of the Abyss, keeping away from it.

Still, the other shields were about to be destroyed, but Tank's task was already finished, he had given Wolf an opportunity to deal some immense damage to the Alpha, and Wolf did not disappoint.

The fur of the Wolf was burned from the immense power of the flames, the skin was charring, and there was now a deep gash on its body.

The injury the Alpha had suffered thanks to Wolf was quite serious, Wolf had even managed to damage its spine with his attack, which meant that the Alpha would no longer be able to move as it did before.

Thanks to the damage its spine had suffered, the Alpha was now staggering and struggling to regain control of its movements. Its growls, once full of menace and power, were now filled with pain and a hint of desperation.

Tank, breathing heavily, stood back after his shields dissipated. His job was done, but that didn't mean he could relax. The Alpha was still a danger to them, even in its current state and with the injuries it had.

Reign, on the other hand, was pushing back the spear of the rider, which was now in front of his face, with his right hand holding the shaft, not allowing the spear to be pushed further.

The rider was pushing forward with his left arm and body weight while his right hand was holding Reign's left hand, holding onto his wrist with full force as Reign's sword was mere inches away from his throat.

Both the men had placed each other in a dangerous situation. Thanks to the wound that the rider had gained on his abdomen, he was now a bit weaker than before, although the connection he had with the Alpha continued to strengthen him.

The Alpha's current condition, however, seemed to have also impacted the rider as the flow of mana and the boost was no longer as stable as it previously was.

That made it easier for Reign to go up against him, and from how things looked, he might even be able to win without using his mark, at least that was what he believed until moments ago, when the rider suddenly exploded forward with immense power and speed, managing to knock away one of Reign's sword, and then almost claiming his life with the spear that Reign instinctively managed to grab at the last moment.

Had it not been for his quick thinking and attempting to stab the rider right after that, he would probably have a hole in his throat right now as the rider was pushing the spear forward with both arms, only letting go with his right arm in order to stop Reign's sword from stabbing through his own throat.

The two men were locked in a fierce struggle of sheer power as they continued pushing forward, doing whatever it took to move forward and deal the lethal blow that each of them had in their minds.

They pushed, they kicked and stomped, they used their mana in an attempt to hit the other, they did everything they could think of, and yet the other one was always able to deal with the attempt, leaving them in their current stalemate.

And yet, neither one was giving up as sooner or later, they knew they would have their chance. Both the rider and Reign were confident in their strength, as well as their endurance and stamina, believing that they would be able to last longer than the other and deal the final blow.

For Reign, however, the reason he believed he would definitely be able to do so and avoid being forced to use his mark, placing himself in such a precarious situation without asking for any help, was because he had an ace in the hole, something he was certain the rider was not expecting.

It was nearly finished, almost there, just a couple of more seconds and he would have his victory.

That was what he believed, until suddenly, something changed.

Just as the sword that the rider previously managed to knock out of his hand arrived at the rider, going straight for the back of his neck, the Alpha glanced over at him, it had glanced in desperation as it was in a precarious situation, it wanted to howl, to call for the rider to help him, only for its eyes to constrict as it saw the sword hovering above the ground, moving toward the rider.

It didn't howl, it didn't produce any noise, it simply stared for an instant, and the mana that they both shared fluctuated.

The rider immediately lowered his head, letting the sword pass above his head soundlessly while his grip on Reign's wrist became weaker, thus allowing Reign to free his hand and stab forward.

Thanks to his moving, and bending forward, the sword didn't stab him in the neck, but his right shoulder, which was raised thanks to the position his arm had been at.

The sword penetrated through the shoulder, causing the rider to grunt in pain while his grip on the spear, as well as the strength of his push, lessened, which allowed Reign to quickly push the spear to the side, allowing it to stab in the ground next to him without harming him, and then he used his right leg to push the rider above him, causing him to be thrown back.

Reign quickly got up and grabbed both of his swords while glancing at the Alpha.

'They have some sort of telepathic link, I'm sure of it.' Reign told Wolf who was standing in front of the Alpha, holding his sword straight and aiming at the head of the large wolf.

'It won't matter for much longer, this one is nearly finished.'

Reign glanced at the Alpha, agreeing with Wolf's words. The monstrous wolf didn't have much longer to live. Its fur was nearly gone thanks to the chaos flames, the large gash on top of its back prevented it from moving as it usually would, and it was facing both Tank and Wolf.

Even though both men had used up quite a bit of stamina and mana to deliver such a powerful blow to the Alpha previously, they were nowhere near finished, while the Alpha could be said to be on its last leg, barely able to fight back.

And then, mere seconds later, while Reign was fighting against the rider, pushing his advantage and delivering a couple of more light injuries on his body, there was a howl that passed through the forest, one that anyone would be able to recognize as a howl of desperation and agony.

The Alpha was even more seriously injured, and could now barely stand. It had managed to push back both Wolf and Tank right before the howl, but that one act had taken a lot of strength from it, and it barely had any more left.

Right now, the Alpha was on the verge of death, and it seemed that the battle would soon take a turn as Wolf and Tank would be free to help out both Reign and the others who were still locked in a fierce battle against the remaining shadow wolves and hunters, only for the rider to suddenly gain more strength and push Reign back before his body was enveloped in darkness that was connected to the Alpha.

Before he or anyone else could react, the rider disappeared, only to appear right next to the Alpha, who was now lying on the ground, breathing heavily, unable to fight any longer.

Wolf and Tank were on high guard, ready to defend against the rider, who they believed came to defend the Alpha against them, only for him to just stand and pet the Alpha's head before they both nodded at one another.

The rider then stabbed his spear through the head of the Alpha.