Predator vs. Tyrant
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1. The Anatomy of a Monster
Brian had changed.
✔ His ribcage was no longer human.
✔ The bones had become flexible, stretching like the frame of a forge bellows.
✔ His lung capacity had increased fivefold.
Every breath he drew in carried heat.
✔ The glands inside his throat filled with liquid chemicals, each one inert on its own.
✔ The pressure inside his chest built until his body forced the chemicals together, mixing at the moment of release.
✔ When he exhaled…
The air turned to fire.
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2. The First Clash – Metal vs Fire
Cain did not hesitate.
✔ The iron in the ground twisted, forming a wall between him and Brian.
✔ The camp's metallic debris lifted, turning into a storm of jagged weapons.
✔ He threw them forward, aiming for Brian's exposed torso.
Brian let them come.
✔ His ribcage expanded, his chest stretching unnaturally.
✔ His pupils contracted into slits.
✔ His lips curled, revealing sharpened teeth, modified to endure extreme heat.
And then—he unleashed.
✔ The flames erupted, white-hot, hotter than steel.
✔ The metal weapons melted mid-air, turning into liquid slag before they reached him.
✔ The iron wall Cain had created turned into nothing but smoke and embers.
Cain staggered back.
✔ His men screamed as the fire spread, consuming everything in its path.
✔ The very air crackled with heat, warping reality itself.
✔ The smell of burning flesh filled the battlefield.
But Brian wasn't invincible.
✔ The burns from earlier still lingered.
✔ His body was adapting, but not fast enough.
✔ He needed to end this—fast.
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3. Sable vs. Brian
✔ Brian knew Cain would not negotiate easily.
✔ He needed leverage.
✔ And he knew exactly where to get it.
His eyes darted through the chaos.
✔ Soldiers were dying.
✔ Cain was regrouping.
✔ And then—he saw her.
Sable.
✔ She was standing by the prisoner's tent, knives in both hands.
✔ Her expression was unreadable, her stance cautious.
✔ She wasn't running.
She was waiting.
Brian moved.
✔ He was faster than she expected.
✔ His body blurred through the flames, closing the distance in seconds.
✔ She barely had time to lift a blade before his hand was on her throat.
✔ He spun, dragging her with him.
✔ Her knife grazed his side—painful, but not deep.
✔ He slammed her into the ground, pinning her beneath him.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Let me go," she hissed.
Brian tightened his grip.
"You're coming with me."
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4. The Standoff
Cain stopped in his tracks.
✔ His second-in-command was in Brian's grasp.
✔ The battlefield was still burning.
✔ His men were hesitating.
Brian pressed his advantage.
✔ He pulled Sable closer, his grip unyielding.
✔ The flames around him flared, framing his form like a god of war.
✔ His eyes locked onto Cain's.
"Let her go," Cain snarled.
Brian smirked.
"Give me Elara first."
Cain's fingers twitched.
✔ The metal in the air shifted, hovering, ready to strike.
✔ But Brian saw it coming.
✔ He tightened his grip on Sable's throat, forcing a strangled gasp from her lips.
Cain stilled.
✔ His expression darkened, rage flickering in his golden eyes.
✔ He was not used to being cornered.
✔ He had never been forced to bargain before.
Brian leaned in slightly, his voice low, dangerous.
"You want to test me, Cain?"
He exhaled slightly, just enough for a small burst of flame to curl against Sable's cheek.
✔ Not enough to burn.
✔ Just enough to make her scream.
✔ Just enough to remind Cain what was at stake.
Cain's jaw clenched.
"You'll pay for this," he growled.
Brian grinned.
"Not today."
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5. The Escape
Cain's men brought Elara forward.
✔ Her wrists were still bound, her body bruised, but her eyes were steady.
✔ Brian's gaze flicked over her, checking for fatal wounds.
✔ The moment she was free, she stumbled toward him.
Brian let go of Sable in the same breath.
✔ She hit the ground but rolled to her feet instantly.
✔ Cain's men rushed forward, but Brian was already moving.
✔ The fire flared again, separating them as Brian and Elara disappeared into the smoke.
Cain roared in frustration.
✔ He had lost his leverage.
✔ His army was in chaos.
✔ And Brian was still alive.
But Cain wasn't done.
✔ He was going to track Brian down.
✔ He was going to burn his land to the ground.
✔ He was going to remind everyone who the real king was.
Because this wasn't over.
Not by a long shot.
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