As Ryan considered making a run for it, the battle atop the wall raged on.
A guard was seconds from death—razor-sharp claws arcing straight for his head. He barely had time to flinch.
Then—CLANG!
—a longsword intercepted the strike with a flash of steel and a shower of sparks.
The blade didn't stop there; it carved a vicious arc through the air, forcing the beast to leap back with a hiss, its obsidian eyes locking onto the new threat.
The guard gasped, his knees shaking as he stared at the broad, armored back that now shielded him.
Clad in heavy armor, the man stood like an unshakable fortress—broad-shouldered, battle-hardened, exuding an aura of sheer authority.
The guard's breath hitched, a flicker of awe and relief crossing his face.
"Captain!"
The captain's face was set in hard, unyielding lines, his hawk-like eyes sharp with unwavering focus.
Every line between his brows spoke of command without need for words. The longsword in his grip pulsed with reassuring strength, his very presence a bastion of safety.
The captain locked eyes with the Galebeast, holding its gaze in calm, unwavering defiance. For a long moment, neither moved. Then, his sharp eyes flicked over the wounded soldiers sprawled across the stone. His lips curled—not quite a smirk, but something caught between exasperation and firm disapproval.
"Damn it." He shook his head with a sigh. "I've seen drunks throw punches with more finesse."
The Captain lunged without warning—a predator's strike, swift as a hunting panther. His blade cut through the air like a silver flash, carving a lethal arc straight for the Galebeast.
The creature reacted instantly, claws lashing out to intercept the strike. Steel met talon with a deafening clang, the force of their clash reverberating through the stone walls.
Sparks flew as sword and claw clashed again and again, each impact ringing through the battlefield like a hammer striking an anvil.
The captain's blade gleamed cold as ice, every swing precise and devastating. Each strike carried sheer power, his relentless assault driving the beast into a desperate retreat. Yet the Galebeast was no easy prey—it twisted and weaved with startling agility, twisting away from the killing edge by the slimmest of margins.
Ryan, poised to flee just moments before, felt a surge of hope as the Captain gained the upper hand.He hesitated—then chose to stay, his eyes fixed on the battle.
The battle raged on. The captain's blade swept across the beast's dark-scaled hide, sparks bursting into the night. Then, at last—his sword struck true. A powerful downward slash tore a deep wound into the creature's side. Blood sprayed across the stone, dark droplets scattering like ink.
The Galebeast let out a furious roar, its rage now fully unleashed. Its speed surged, movements growing sharper, more relentless.
The Galebeast prowled around the Captain in swift, calculated leaps, its claws lashing out in relentless strikes as it sought every opening to attack.
The Captain kept his eyes locked onto the creature, tracking its every motion, waiting for a pattern to emerge. At first, his skill and strength allowed him to parry each attack with precision. But as the battle wore on, he began to feel the shift—the beast was getting faster. Its movements became a blur of deadly agility, its relentless assault pushing him to his limits.
The Captain's sword sliced through the air with a sharp whistle, each strike precise and deadly. But the Galebeast was faster—its movements a blur, slipping past every attack with unnatural agility.
Then - in one lightning-fast pivot - the creature seized its chance. Razor-sharp claws rent through armor plates like parchment, carving a deep furrow across the Captain's shoulder.
A grunt of pain escaped the Captain's clenched teeth as white-hot agony instantly weighted his movements, turning each parry into a laborious effort.
Seizing the moment as the Captain slowed, the Galebeast lashed its tail with whip-crack speed—coiling around his longsword and yanking it from his grasp.
The blade clattered across the stones as Ryan's stomach dropped. Damn it!This is bad.
Yet the disarmed Captain didn't so much as flinch. His gaze stayed locked onto the Galebeast—unnervingly calm.
Then the storm came. The Galebeast's attacks rained down like a relentless tempest, forcing the Captain to defend himself with nothing but his bare hands.
Only that same, unnerving confidence burning in his eyes.
With a swift motion, he deflected a savage claw strike, then drove his leg into the beast's torso, sending it crashing to the ground. The creature rolled and snarled, already preparing to lunge again.
The Captain lifted his right hand, a slow, deliberate motion. A smirk played at his lips.
"You think you're the only one with claws?"
Even before the words had fully left his mouth, his fingers began to shift—nails sharpening into lethal points, his skin hardening as thick, scaled armor spread across his hand. Within moments, his arm had transformed, now ending in a beast's claw brimming with raw power.
Ryan's eyes went wide, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks as he blurted out, "Holy shit! X-Men?!"
Beside him, Hank blinked in confusion. "The what now?"
Ryan hesitated. How the hell was he supposed to explain that? Instead, he pointed at the Captain's mutated hand. "His hand… Is this what you meant by an Enhancer?"
"Enhancer?" Hank shook his head. "Evolver."
"An Evolver?" Ryan's mind reeled.
Before he could process it, the Captain's roar cut through the chaos:
"Playtime's over!"
In a blur of motion, he lunged at the Galebeast, his mutated claw slicing through the air.Faced with this new and terrifying threat, the beast scrambled to evade, leaping back again and again. But the Captain was relentless—his clawed strikes carving deep, jagged gouges into the stone walls with every missed attack.
The Galebeast finally faltered, its predatory confidence shattering as it turned to flee, leaping for the edge of the wall.
Too late.
The Captain moved like vengeance incarnate.
His mutated arm punched through scale and sinew with a wet crunch, claws erupting from the creature's chest in a spray of blackish blood. The beast's shriek pierced the battlefield, cut short as the Captain lifted his arm skyward, suspending the twitching monstrosity like a macabre trophy.
The creature convulsed violently, its limbs thrashing in a desperate bid to break free. But the Captain didn't let go.Its body twisted and writhed, claws scraping helplessly against the bloodstained stone.
The Captain merely watched, his expression unreadable, as warm blood trickled down his arm and dripped onto the weathered battlements. The beast's strangled howls grew weaker, fading into broken gasps—until finally, its head lolled forward, lifeless.
Silence fell over the wall. Only the slow, rhythmic drip of blood remained.
With a brutal flick of his arm, the Captain slammed the Galebeast's corpse onto the stones.
The impact was thunderous—dust billowed up, and for a moment, it felt as if the entire wall had shuddered from the force.
"Captain's unstoppable!"
The guards surged forward, their cheers ringing through the night. Their voices overlapped, an outpouring of awe and admiration for their leader.
The Captain remained still. No smirk, no flexing of muscles—just the quiet steadiness of a man who'd done this a thousand times before.
His gaze shifted to the distance, as if contemplating battles yet to come and the weight of a greater purpose.
Ryan watched, caught between admiration and sheer disbelief.
Damn, that was cool.
But… did he have to be this dramatic?
The Captain let the celebration linger for a few more moments before he finally moved. His attention snapped back to the fallen Galebeast.
He crouched, his mutated claw gripping the beast's skull. With effortless precision, the curved talons sliced through the hardened outer layer, peeling it back to reveal the smooth, gleaming bone beneath. At its center, nestled in a shallow cavity, the core pulsed with an eerie bioluminescence—Lumin Core.
The guards erupted again.
"Damn, another one!" one of them hollered, eyes gleaming with excitement.
""Guess it's our lucky night!!" another laughed, clapping his comrade on the back.
Two wounded guards exchanged a glance.
"Yeah? I don't think so." one of them muttered, pressing a hand to his injury.
But the Captain paid them no mind.
The Captain's claw flexed, then flicked. In one smooth motion, the core popped free, rolling onto his palm. As if responding to his will, the monstrous limb began reverting—
claws retracting, scales slithering away, until his hand had returned to its normal human shape.
He tossed the core to a nearby guard. The man caught it deftly, handling the glowing prize with reverent hands before securing it in a cloth pouch.
"Injured men, head to the med station. Get the reserves up here to take your places." The Captain's voice was even, yet carried an unmistakable weight of command. "Clean the walls. Take the carcass to the Wild Beast Renderyard Processing Center."
The guards responded in unison: "Yes, sir!"
Then, the Captain turned to Ryan, Hank, and Jeb. "Tell the Renderyard to set aside some meat for you. Say it's from me." His tone was casual, as if it was nothing more than an afterthought.
Hank and Jeb's grins could've split their faces. "Much appreciated, Captain!" they chimed in unison, their voices brimming with gratitude.
The Captain gave a small smile, nodded slightly, and then turned to leave.