Callum's heart hammered against his ribs as he dropped through the air.
They had a plan. A narrow one. Fragile. And it started with him.
He only needed one hit.
Just one.
The wind tore past his ears as the ground rushed up to meet him, his body aligned, claws extended, every muscle committed to the strike. His eyes locked onto King Domine below, tracking the exact point of impact as the distance vanished in an instant.
*Come on… just land this one hit,* he thought.
His claws were already within inches of the Demon King's face.
Domine's third eye twitched.
He turned.
Not after the strike. Not reacting late.
Instantly.
His hand snapped up and closed around Callum's throat mid-descent, the force of it halting the werewolf's momentum so abruptly it sent a jolt through his entire body. Domine leaned back just enough for the claws to miss his face by a hair, the wind from the swing brushing across his skin.
"Damn animal," he growled, grip tightening as he held Callum suspended. "Didn't get broken enough last time?"
His arm tensed, already beginning the motion to slam him into the ground again.
"Can you really turn your back on us!?"
Ercale was already moving.
Bram reached first. His longsword cut in from the side, the edge dragging across Domine's right flank and leaving a shallow line as it forced his body to shift. In the same instant, Ercale pulled the lightning weapon back into himself, the energy collapsing inward before surging down through his body.
It reformed at his foot.
He stepped in and drove a kick into Domine's left side, red lightning detonating on impact. The force carried through cleanly, sliding the Demon King across the stone and breaking his grip on Callum as the werewolf was thrown free.
"We'll create an opening for you to get an attack in," Bram said, blade already raised, his eyes never leaving Domine.
"Yeah," Ercale added, stance tightening as electricity crawled along his limbs. "Make sure to get a deep claw in."
Callum landed hard, catching himself and skidding across the ground before forcing himself upright. His gaze flicked between the two men, confusion flashing through him. He did not know who either of them were. Did not know why they were here. Had no idea why they were already helping him get a hit in.
But they were fighting.
That was enough.
He dropped to all fours and surged forward again.
Domine's hand rose.
"Dominus Venti Dirumpere."
For a fraction of a second, the air locked.
Then it detonated.
The invisible pressure slammed into all three of them at once, a crushing wave that hit their chests and threw them backward across the fractured stone. Callum tumbled, claws tearing grooves through the ground as he fought for purchase. Bram slid, boots grinding until he drove his sword down to anchor himself. Ercale skidded farther, lightning discharging into the earth beneath him as he forced himself to a stop.
"Shit, that ability's annoying," Bram snapped, dragging his blade free as he rose. "How does he do that?"
"I don't know," Ercale replied, pushing himself upright, electricity still crackling along his frame. "He wasn't the Demon King back then."
Callum dug his claws in deeper, muscles straining as he brought himself to a halt.
Domine moved.
The ground shattered beneath his step as he exploded forward. His tail drove into the earth mid-stride, carving deep before wrenching upward and ripping a massive slab of stone free. Without slowing, he hurled the twenty-foot chunk straight at Bram.
"Oh, for crying out loud!" Bram snapped, stepping into it. His blade flashed upward, cutting through the mass in a clean arc that split it apart before it could crash into him.
"Blitzkrieg."
Ercale vanished in a burst of speed, lightning trailing behind him as he shot forward to intercept.
Domine was ready this time.
"Dominus Fulgur Ascendere."
Ercale never reached him.
The instant he entered range, the lightning around him surged violently upward. His momentum inverted without warning, his body snapping skyward as if seized by an unseen force. A sharp yell tore from him as he was launched straight into the air, ripped completely out of the exchange.
"Deals with him," Domine muttered, already turning.
Callum was there.
The werewolf closed the distance low and fast, claws ripping forward in a tight sequence. Domine leaned back from the first strike, the tips passing just short. The second came immediately after, but his arm snapped across and blocked it cleanly.
Callum shifted, bringing his leg up to rake.
Domine's tail coiled around it mid-motion, locking the limb in place.
The other leg drove in to follow.
The tail struck again.
It speared through, pinning the second leg and stopping the motion completely.
Callum's body jerked as both legs were restrained, his momentum cut out from under him as he was held in place.
Domine straightened slightly, grip tightening as his attention settled fully on him.
"Now," he said coldly, "to finally deal with you, dog."
"I'm still here, asshole!"
Bram's voice cut through the chaos as he surged back in, closing the distance in a straight, aggressive line. He did not slow as he approached. Instead, he planted hard and launched upward, carrying his momentum into a rising jump aimed to bring him level with Domine's upper body.
Domine scoffed, already turning into him.
His claw came out fast, a brutal horizontal swipe meant to tear Bram out of the air before he could complete the approach.
Bram twisted mid-flight.
The claw passed just beneath him as he spun through the space it had occupied a fraction of a second earlier, his body rotating with tight control. As he completed the turn, his longsword came around with him, the blade arcing cleanly toward Domine's neck.
"Dominus Venti Erumpere."
The air in front of Bram detonated before his strike could land.
The blast hit like a wall. Not a simple shove, but a sudden, crushing burst of pressure that slammed into his chest and ripped him backward out of the air. Bram was thrown hard toward the crater's edge, the force of the shockwave dragging him across the sky in a violent, helpless arc.
He turned back to Callum immediately.
The werewolf was still caught, both legs restrained, his body held in place and unable to shift away. Domine's arm drew back, the motion clean and direct, aimed to take his head off in a single strike.
He never got it.
As the one person he could not do anything about interfered once again.
One moment Domine's claws were descending, the next he was staring straight down the barrel of a steam-shotgun.
"Hey. How are you?" X said casually, and then fired.
The blast burst across Domine's face with a sharp, grinding scatter of force, doing to him what a fistful of sand would do to a human. His hands flew up instinctively, one hand breaking off from the kill to cover his eyes as the impact blinded and rattled him.
Callum hesitated for a split second, thrown off by the sudden interference.
X gave him a quick salute.
Then he disappeared.
Callum did not hesitate again. He drove forward immediately, his right arm snapping inward as his claws extended fully. This time there was nothing to intercept him, no counter coming fast enough to stop the motion.
His claws drove straight into the center of Domine's chest, sinking in deep as the force carried through his entire body.
It was the first truly clean hit.
The first step of the plan was complete.