Questions

*CLANGG*

Alara's sword clashed with the villain's claw. The injured knights had been evacuated from the area, leaving only a few others as her 'back up', or more accurately 'monitors'.

*GRRRRR*

Rita growled in her half-human, half-wolf state. A few knights barged into her house, taking hostage the husband and daughter. As if a trigger was pulled, Rita went rampage, thoughtlessly dashed to attack the knights. Alara chased after her relentlessly and blocked her path.

"MOVE!"

"No." Alara stood still in her position

Rita swung her fist in an indomitable speed and lunged her fangs, grazing it against Alara's shoulder as she barely avoided it.

"Mommy…" the child cried.

"I SAID MOVE!"

Rita lunged yet another attack in desperation. As Alara's sword was ready to par it away, she changed her trajectory and attacked the knights, instead, freeing her little family.

"RUN!" Rita yelled.

Though hesitant, Briar carried their daughter and slightly caressed his wife's face.

"Be safe, my love."

"Go now, quick!" Rita urged.

Briar quickly ran away with their daughter. He knew that staying there will cause a bigger burden for his wife. Gritting his teeth, he left into hiding with Mia in his embrace. Alara quietly watched the scene occurring at the time, a part of her wishes for the family to stay as is, but then again, her duty is the priority.

***

*BOOOM*

A thick log crashed the knights, causing them to be thrown backwards. The female werewolf let out a roar before rushing to finish her prey. During the brief distraction, Sir Eastorn tried to behead her but failed at the nick of time.

*KEUGHH*

Sir Eastorn gasped for air as he was dangled up by the neck. Reaching for the dagger on his hips, he quickly grabbed the chance and stabbed Rita on her right eye.

"RARGHHH!!"

"We will definitely…ha…kill you, you villain….!"

Rubbing onto his sore neck, he turned towards Alara.

"What are you waiting for, hero?!"

"…."

Raising her sword, Alara took a deep breath.

*It is what I have to do.*

Alara dashed towards the villain and turned at her blindspot, slashing her back.

*SWISHH*

Rita's claw reached for her neck but she immediately avoided it and cut the knee fold, causing Rita to plop down on the ground. The villain pulled on Alara's ankle, causing her to slip towards the back. Stabbing her sword on the ground, Alara twisted her legs and kicked back on Rita's temple.

*CRACKK*

*Ah, I broke my bone.*

The grip was so strong that her ankle failed to be freed.

"AWOOOOOOOOO!"

The villain howled towards the sky. Once, twice and thrice. Standing on one feet, Alara slashed off the villain's arm, throwing it away. She stared blankly at her twisted, broken ankle and back towards the werewolf she was fighting. Rustles heard from afar, like something is coming in a large wave.

"GENERAL, WOLVES ARE ATTACKING!"

"KNIGHTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, DO NOT ALLOW THE WOLVES TO PASS!" Sir Eastorn ordered.

Clashing sounds filled the space. Roars of humans and wolves, with Rita and Alara in the centre. Alara twisted her swollen ankle back to its corrected position, as if being glued together, the bones reconnected and the inflammation reduced.

This is her ability, regeneration.

"Let's end this."

Alara stepped closer towards Rita, eyes lacked of emotions.

****

*CRACKKKK*

The ground split apart as the werewolf landed a hit. Alara could sense the body enforcement mana used by it. The bulky build, added with the strong claws as hard as steel. A single punch could split the earth into two, how easy would it be to tear a normal human being?

*ROAAAARRR*

Rita lunged another attack, this time a lot faster that before. Alara quickly interjected the attack, jumping back to create a distance. She raised her sword up until it pointed to the sky and slashed the space in between them.

*ZZZAAAPP*

Getting electrocuted, the werewolf let out a painful growl. Alara had used her mana to create an Electric Strike on the villain. Not only will it burn the cells of a normal living being, it could restrain almost every villain up to a certain time, enough to allow an opening.

As Alara was preparing an attack, she heard an urgent yelling, "Hero, behind you!"

*SQUELCH*

A wolf had managed to break through the knights, biting down on Alara's shoulder. Blood seeped through her uniform, dyeing the white fabric in red. However, Alara remained calm.

*ZZZZZTTTT*

Alara surrounded herself in mana, converting it into electric and electrocuted the canine. Almost burned to crisp, the wolf loosened its jaw and dropped on the ground, whimpering.

Meanwhile, Rita had gotten back on her ground, baring her teeth at Alara. However, it had become gradually weaker to the blood loss caused by the severed arm. Rita could still stood up for a fight yet she had a hesitant look.

***

The injured female werewolf looked towards me tiredly, I am no better. While my physical will always be as good as new, my energy drained faster the more injuries I have.

After a short silence, she finally spoke, "It will only end when either I'm killed or I killed all of you, won't it?"

"Indeed."

I nodded slightly before she continued, moving her gaze towards the others.

"I don't want to die."

She said quietly, but it doesn't sound like she's asking me to let her live.

"…..I don't want you to die either."

We didn't say anything for a while, she turned towards her house with a nostalgic look, then the direction of where her family escaped. Like her life flashed through her eyes, her shoulders slumped a bit before looking up at me once again.

"But I guess it is better for me to lose my life instead of all of you at once, right? I am a villain, after all."

"….."

"More will come here even if I won, causing even more blood spilled."

Rita held onto my shin, mouthing something. Catching the content of it, my heart raced, my knee shook, but my mind held on. I have to finish my duty, and she is ready.

"P-please, spare me! I-I had to!"

Rita begged desperately, loud enough for the others to hear, yet only I saw her true expression. The eye that accepted death, yet still afraid of it. A heart of a mother, the soul of a loving wife, but a body of evil. It made me questions myself, just what is good and evil. Am I doing the good deed? Is she truly evil? Had what I did all this time is right, or wrong?

*Keep my family safe.*

The thing she said before lingers in my mind. Closing her eyes, I granted Rita my last mercy with a quick and painless death. Her lips curled up to a smile, no frown, no despair. Just a bit of sadness, mixed in with peace.

*I am truly….sorry.*

*SLASHH*

"Rest in peace. May you have a better afterlife."