[Chapter 12] Foxes V/s Wolves Part 2 ~ Kyro V/s Shiro

[South Korea, Wolve's Headquarters] 

[Night 10:44 pm] 

[Attack Commence on the Wolves]

...

Shiro: "I should've known you'll pull something like this." 

He falls to the ground, bleeding heavily. If he doesn't get medical attention soon, he'll die of blood loss.

But it looks like he won't be getting any of it soon.

Not on Kyro's watch at least. 

"Kwahahahaaha!" Kyro laughs. "You have finally met your maker. I am superior!" 

He announced, standing over Shiro's beaten body. 

*DA TUM* 

Lightning strikes in the background, giving Kyro the perfect villain visual effects. 

...

[~𝟛𝟘 𝕄𝕚𝕟𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕤 𝔼𝕒𝕣𝕝𝕚𝕖𝕣~]

...

Shiro led Kyro somewhere private before they started their battle as he knew if they battle back there at the Wolves Headquarters, many will die due to the destructive nature of their battle. 

Once they were far enough within a forest range, he turned face to face with the fox patriarch and got in his defensive stance that he always got when faced against the foxes. Kyro couldn't help but sneer in response. 

Kyro: "You're not attacking?" 

Shiro: "I believe not, as this is all I need to best you." 

He boldly claimed, obtaining an angry snare from Kyro who didn't take the disrespect well one bit. 

Kyro: "We'll see." 

He got in position, his form being offense as they both took one breath before both sides disappeared from others view and clashed.

Kyro's fist made contact with Shiro's palm, catching his fist in a tight-locked position as he clenches their molded interlocking hands together fiercely. Unable to budge free, Kyro used his other hand to attack Shiro in the head. Shiro brings his other arm up, covering the side of his head where he effectively stopped the incoming attack with ease.

Pissed that none of his attacks are working, he aimed his knee to uppercut Shiro in the stomach, but he quickly reacted, unlatching his hold on him before backing away. The second he backed away, Kyro sent hot reddish flames towards him. Shiro dodges them but unluckily was pushed into a tree where he got burned a bit in his left arm from the bark of the tree catching fire. 

'Maybe it wasn't a good idea to fight in the woods.' 

He thought absentmindedly as he continues to avoid Kyro's fireballs while noticing the forest catching fire as it spreads rapidly. He makes note to put the fire out once his battle is over with the fox patriarch as he maneuvers behind trees, making his way towards the fox patriarch swiftly. 

Once behind him, he aimed to grab Kyro's head before pushing him headfirst into the ground. Unfortunately, the fox patriarch sensed him coming, disappearing from Shiro's view and appearing behind him. Alarmed by his speed and disappearance, Shiro quickly turned to face Kyro only to meet his fist making contact with his face, sending him flying into the trees. 

Shiro, after expecting the attack thought he at least would be able to get up and recover easily from Kyro's attack, but the fox patriarch had different plans as he had no intention of giving the wolf patriarch any time to breath. The second he felt his fist made contact with the wolf's patriarch face, he sent even hotter red flames the size of boulders towards the wounded down patriarch.

Unable to dodge, all Shiro could do was enhance his arms as he blocked the incoming fireballs aimed towards him, resulting in him suffering from 2nd degree burns. His wounds burned even more when Kyro jumped him after sending those fireballs. The wolf patriarch could only block the fox patriarch's impacts as he felt the stinging in both arms tasing his entire soul burning for a release.

A release he shall get. 

Upon observing the fox patriarch attack patterns, he noticed that there is a sequence where Kyro uses both of his fist while letting his guard down. And so, he waited for that exact moment to mold sharp rocks below Kyro using his palms. Kyro is forced to stop his attacks, quickly distancing himself from Shiro's wide attack range. 

Kyro: "Is that all you've got?!" 

He exclaimed arrogantly, a bit dissatisfied relenting his bombardment of attacks, giving Shiro time to recover as he reinforces his body with a layer of- is that rock, or Earth?

No, it's metal.

Metal. 

'How is that even possible?!' 

Shiro manipulated Earth to bend from pure rock to metal, creating the ultimate defense. Of course, fire still has its advantage as it needs to meet the requirement of 700-1100 °F to melt metal, but Kyro isn't confident enough to successfully rise the temperature of his flames. Currently, his flames are 450 °F, about 250 °F off to meet the bare minimum requirement. 

Frustrated by the turns of event, he aimlessly shoots consecutive fireballs at Shiro who single handedly smack them away. His metal defense truly is the ultimate defense against fire users like the foxes, making his flaunt of arrogance at the beginning all the more sense.

His defense pose is all he needs to best the fox patriarch. Due to the current situation, his statement couldn't be truer as all fire users would agree that none of them would like to be in Kyro's position. 

Now this is not to say there's no chance of victory for Kyro, but it's highly unlikely unless he's able to bend lightning or lava. But judging from his anxious and nervous expression, chances are he can't. 

The only option left that would secure his victory would be using the 9-tails form, but at a cost. The cost only he knew, with Kitsune being suspicious and coming close to finding out. Not that he's any less suspicious but swept up in his rage he immediately dropped the subject. 

The cost. 

'Is it really worth it,' he asked himself. 

To kill off a year of his lifespan every minute he uses the ultimate form. It was either that, or admit defeat, surrendering and paying retribution for the damages and lives he cost for his selfishness while also losing face as the fox clan's head. 

For a prideful being who wouldn't blink an eye to sacrifice his men when needed to, he sure is hesitating to put his own life on the line. All for the fox clan sounds like a mere joke if anyone were to hear his own predicament. Or more so, every member in the clan who were to witness their patriarch pissing himself in the face of someone stronger, like the coward weakling he was and always is from the very beginning. 

Luckily for him, they are isolated. 

At least, that is what both sides think, not noticing 2 shadows on different sides hidden away in the bushes or faraway trees. 

Lost in thought, between whether or not he should use the coin's final form, he didn't see the wolf patriarch make his way towards him. Not until it was till late with Shiro's big palms grabbing Kyro's front face before slamming the back of it down, cracking the ground due to Shiro's immense force. 

*CRACK*

The sound of Kyro's skull being fractured could be heard from both parties, even those watching from the sideline faraway. One could argue he broke the fox patriarch head. All in all, the results are no different, Kyro is unconscious meaning he is unable to continue battling. Also meaning the war is officially over. 

The wolves coming out on top as the victor. 

That is what is supposed to happen, right?

Shiro and one of the observers thought so too. 

Then why is Kyro standing up, perfectly fine while grinning mischievously. 

Shiro: "You- How are you-" 

He wanted to question Kyro's situation but instead coughed out blood.

A lot.

A spit full at that. 

'What the hell?!' 

He looked at his hand stained with blood as his vision fogged hazily, almost begging him to let go, let him slumber into a deep sleep, but he couldn't. His strong will power is what's keeping him awake. The observers could do nothing but silently applaud mentally at his will power to stay awake as both could agree that his situation is not looking too well especially with how pale he became within a second of coughing out blood. 

Kyro: "You're done for!" 

He announced the obvious. 

Shiro: "What- Did you-" 

He could only get out a few words in before coughing out more blood. 

Kyro: "Ah, well you see." 

He begins to explain that every one of his attacks were mixed in with tiny amounts of poison that he learned from a part of the hydra's clan force control. He says they were very little traces of it that made him incapable of noticing it until it was too late. And with every attack he kept sending his way, the poison only increased as it traveled deeper into his blood stream and into vital arteries. 

The last straw was when Shiro's palm made contact with Kyro's face. He concentrated high amounts of poison into his breath and manipulated them to quickly attack Shiro's vital organs, like the lungs, through the original burnt wounds he made earlier on Shiro's entire forearm. 

Naturally such tactics wouldn't have worked on Shiro's metal armor if not for him releasing it on his dominate hand just a second before he slammed Kyro's head down. Now, some may ask how he knew Shiro would do that. Well, from the first attack the wolf patriarch did when he tried to grab the back of his head to slam it down. Kyro noticed that to pull it off requires a tight grip in his hand and that's something Shiro's metal armor prevent him from achieving. 

From that, he concluded Shiro's release the second he aimed to slam his head down. Personally, slamming someone's head down requires great strength and speed. If that person does not meet those requirements, then their attack will definitely fail in more ways than one. First being that it leaves the users wide open. Secondly, it's easy to dodge. And third being easy to counter. 

All of which Shiro didn't account for. Kyro was already faster than Shiro, it's just the strength that gives him the advantage over him. If he just became more aware and used his head, he would've easily won. Too bad only one of them was actually using it. As a result, his arrogance and short sightedness led to his unsightly defeat.

As for how Kyro easily recovered from his shatter skull, he as a last-ditch effort, activated partial awakening of the 9-tails form which gave him access to high regenerative skills all the while cutting off a few months of his lifespan.

That, he can live with. 

Which made his genius battle plan all the worth. 

The fewest sacrifice in return for big wins. 

With it being the defeat of the wolf clan. 

After listening to all that, Shiro couldn't help by sigh in defeat. I mean, what more could he do but that especially in his condition. He lost miserably in his opinion. All because of his arrogance and short sightedness. If he had just put his pride away and went all out at the beginning, maybe then the outcome of the match would've been different. Different in it being his win.

But it's too late.

All he can do is die with these regrets. 

...

[~𝔹𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℙ𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕥~]

...

Kyro: "Kitsune, you can come out now." 

His voiced caught the observer now identified as Kitsune, off guard as he didn't expect to be founded so easily. Quickly, upon recognition from his clan head, he appeared in front of his boss and respectful bowed and greeted him. 

As for how Kyro knew, with the partial transformation came not only with high regenerative skills but greatly enhanced heightened senses. This made it easy to spot, more so sense people around him. As for why he couldn't sense the other observer well, they're at a skill way higher than his, making it easy to hide away from lesser beings like himself. 

Kitsune: "I greet the foxes clan head, Kyro-sama." 

Kyro: "Hmm, I'm done with Shiro. He's all yours." 

He said as he began walking away. 

Kitsune: "Pardon?" 

Kyro: "I said he's all yours." 

Kitsune: "Why?" 

He questioned, like it wasn't already obvious between the 2 of them. 

Kyro: "Well, because he killed your brother Kurama, so I thought why not let you have your fun." 

Kitsune: "I see." 

Finally understanding his assignment given by his boss while on the plus side, fulfilling his revenge. 

Kyro: "Make sure to dispose of his body when you're done." 

With that, he left. Quickly making his way back to the main battlefield where he can brag about the wolf patriarch's defeat against him to the others. Mainly the wolves to discourage their morals.

Kitsune made his way towards the wolf patriarch beaten bloody body. Many would think he's dead if not for the slight heaving of his chest going up and down. As he approaches his brother's murder, he takes out a knife and hovers it over his heart. 

Taking a breath as he feels the rain pour down his glistening wet red hair down his unreadable darkened face.

He says in his mind. 'For Kurama!'

Before impaling Shiro. 

With that, he should've been dead the second he made contact. 

But a firm, yet gentle hand stopped him, holding his hand in place, mere centimeters from the wolf patriarch's heart. 

If it weren't for the gentle hands, he would've attacked the assailant almost immediately for daring to get in the middle of his revenge. But something tells him, he shouldn't as he'll regret it. 

Nonetheless, he quickly smacked away the unknown individual's hand and backed away. 

Kitsune: "Who are you? And what do you want?" 

He asked rapidly, staring at the individuals face that he couldn't quite identify due to how dark it was. The assailant stared back, before replying, "you don't want to do this." 

This angers him. How dare a nobody judges him. In fact, order him around at that. He takes it all back, the kind thoughts and hearing out the gentle hand's person.

He'll just kill him. 

Right now, and right here. 

"You're looking at the wrong man to pit your revenge over." 

Her soft gentle silky voiced quivers his ears with lies or were they the truth. He didn't know how to react and needed a repeat.

Kitsune: "What?"

"I said, how do you know it was this man who killed your brother?" 

Kitsune: "Because, because he told me. My- my boss!" 

He strutter out, while questioning his statement, trying to sound sure of it. 

"Did you see it with your own eyes?" 

He thought about it, but no. He didn't see his brother's death with his own eyes. It was his boss that informed him. He said they were on a mission that went terribly wronged because the wolves ambushed them. His brother died buying time for their escape. Last he heard of it, Kurama died at the wolf patriarch hand. 

That is what Kyro told him. He wouldn't lie, would he? Then again, the mission they took was supposed to be safe. Safe would be an understatement as he could probably do it blindfold and that's being generous. It was so safe which was the only reason he let Kurama do it in the first place. He was also accompanied by his patriarch and 2 giants, so he should've been fine. 

But he wasn't. The end result was his death. Even though it shouldn't of have happened. At least, not on that super safe mission. Somehow, these thought plague his mindset as he began questioning whether or not he was even told the truth. 

Was he lied to? 

By his boss at that. 

No, that can't be.

It's not possible. 

But he kept finding faults in his patriarch's truths. 

If they were even true in the first place. 

"....." 

Silence filled the place before he firmly tried to answer the previous question the unknown individual asked.

Kitsune: "No, but-" 

"Do you want to know the truth?" 

Just those words, were enough to send his brain into a full throttle.

The truth. 

The truth and only the truth. 

Nonetheless, the truth. 

The truth of his brother's death. 

And the person responsible for it. 

Is he ready for it, is the question. 

...