"You're skilled." The Valkyrie, Abbey, inclined her head with respect. "Whoever trained you should be commemorated."
It'd been a fierce conflict, given the state of the warehouse. One wall had crumpled from where a Valkyrie had smashed into it. Boxes of Angra Armlet sat smoldering where bolts of Yareli's gun had ignited them, not an accident on her part. She wore a secret skeletal smile for the trouble she'd caused Ymir. Smoke wafted from the flaming contraptions, igniting the sprinkler system.
Stale water rained on the combatants in a torrent as the other two Valkyries circled Yareli. The words still touched her, though—she wondered why she possessed such fighting instincts. They seemed ingrained deep in her bones, an indisputable part of her. What was she in the past? A soldier? Some martial arts fanatic? As the tallest Valkyrie engaged her, Yareli didn't have time to ponder these questions.
Steel clashed as their blades met, Yareli guarding against the second as she joined the fray. Only their leader hung back, observing the exchange with keen interest. Besides, she'd only get in her allies' way. Even together, they had difficulty matching Fenrir's speed.
The short Valkyrie gasped as Fenrir's sword bit deep into her armor, exposing dark-skinned flesh beneath. Abbey attacked from behind, but Yareli's claws caught the blade midair. A squeal of torn metal echoed through the empty warehouse as the taller Valkyrie's sword bent at an odd angle, rendering it useless. A kick sent Pihu flying, but she recovered, her half-destroyed wing stabbing into the ground to halt her flight. Yareli switched her weapon to gun mode, blasting bolts into the recovering Valkyrie.
"Pihu!" Abbey shouted, charging. But her loss of control cost her—Fenrir's blade left deep gashes in her armor as she slipped away from a wild swing.
"What a monster," Pihu said, chunks of her armor crumbling after a barrage of Fenrir's energy bolts. "Ilma, she might be beyond our suit's capability to fight."
"No, we can still…" Abbey slumped forward, her entire body freezing in place. She jerked as the taller Valkyrie tried to move, but the heavy, inanimate armor resisted. "Damn, she severed my energy unit. I can't fight."
"Pihu, take Abigail and flee. You can't help in this fight anymore," their leader said, spreading her still-functioning wings wide.
"Got it. But what about you?" Pihu asked, following her leader's instructions. She grabbed her incapacitated ally, dragging her toward a nearby exit. The taller Valkyrie's bulk made this awkward, but Pihu managed it.
"I've got her measure. She won't escape."
"Got my measure?" Yareli asked, watching the two Valkyries flee to safety. She sighed in relief, relieved neither had gotten seriously hurt.
"I know your moves." While flat, Yareli detected a hint of edge to Ilma's words. "You won't escape alive."
"Bold words." Did the Valkyrie leader have a grudge against her? Without another word, Yareli switched her weapon to gun mode and fired.
"Huh?" Fenrir watched in astonishment as her opponent slipped past each energy bolt, hissing as the Valkyrie's weapon connected with her chest armor. Bewildered, she went on the offensive. Yareli gasped as Ilma leaped onto her extended sword, balanced like a trained acrobat. Sparks flew as the Valkyrie's blade stabbed into her chest plate.
"What the heck?" Fenrir found herself on the defensive as her attacks failed to land, predicted before she'd even performed them. The Valkyrie stymied her, always knowing which weak point to pick apart.
But each blow only fueled Fenrir's rage and determination to win. She channeled it, powering her every movement. Each step drove her closer to her opponent—Fenrir appeared like a silver blur as she danced around her. Ilma stiffened as a barrel suddenly pressed against her back.
"Torrent Fang," Yareli's husky voice said, pulling and reinserting her Uhyre key.
The force of the energy burst threw Fenrir across the room. Ilma fared worse—the explosive impact reduced the protective shell of her armor to little more than a black husk. Yet, remarkably, Ilma pushed herself to her feet as pieces of armor slid from her body.
"How is she still standing?" The impact must have broken at least a couple of bones. Through her broken helmet, Ilma's mouth remained in a firm, resolute frown as she picked up her half-melted sword with dainty hands.
"You won't escape, Fenrir," Ilma said, fighting against her dead armor to reengage her prey. "You will die here."
Unsettled, Yareli fled the warehouse, rushing to the elevator her friends had used to enter the secret lab. What was with that Valkyrie? It was like Ilma had made it her life's mission to kill her. Yareli pushed the scene from her mind, focusing on finding and protecting her friends. She prayed they were safe.
----
Metal crumpled under Johan's massive bulk as he crashed into the desk, reducing it to a twisted heap. His massive, tusked head shook in frustration at his opponent's remarkable fighting ability. Despite his superior power, Halvorsen used the boar form's strength against him. Johan hissed in pain as a wild charge resulted in him flipping onto the tiled floor, the impact driving the air from his lungs. Johan clutched at his chest as he rose, struggling to regain his breath,
In frustration, Johan extended both arms forward, hoping to crush his squishier opponent. But a sharp pain burned across his back as Halvorsen slipped through the attack, slashing him from behind. Johan swiped backward, hoping to catch his opponent off guard. While the scientist evaded, luck aided Johan—the Valkyrie sword shattered when his fist struck it.
Halvorsen snorted in amusement as he examined the hilt of his broken sword. "You show some ability, lad. But it still isn't good enough!"
Johan screamed as the broken blade slashed across his face, striking just above his right eye. Enraged by the blood blinding one eye, he hurled a nearby broken desk toward his opponent. Halvorsen dodged, but the projectile clipped his right rib. The desk collided with the lab's door, smashing the doorway into fine powder.
"Better." Despite moving with obvious pain, Halvorsen seemed more entertained than anything. "Fight me harder! Hold nothing back!"
"Do you have a death wish? Fine, whatever. It's your funeral."
Halvorsen's face became crestfallen. "Pity. Your power's depleted, lad."
"What are you talking about?" Before Johan could finish the sentence, his Angra Armlet hissed and sparked. He stared in shock as fur vanished from his arm, muscles deflating like a fuzzy balloon.
"I warned you it was unstable. The Angra Armlets have a limited energy supply. Damaged, it couldn't have lasted long. You did your best, lad."
I'm so stupid! The scientist must have known this would happen—fighting until Johan's advantage failed. He collapsed, wheezing as his body returned to normal. Breathing was hard as his lungs struggled to adjust to his new size.
Blood continued to blind one eye, muscles sagging as his strength waned. Even blinking exhausted him. The armlet had taken a hefty toll. Desperate, Johan searched for Halvorsen's fallen gun, but his clumsy fingers struggled to grab it. He winced as his opponent kicked it away. Johan was at the Ymir scientist's mercy.
Halvorsen moved forward to restrain the helpless Jotnar, but froze when a sound caught his attention. In the lab's silence, they both heard footsteps approaching.
"What the heck was that?" a familiar voice said. "Was that a miniature earthquake?"
"Yareli!" When Johan turned to give his opponent a smug smile, he frowned as a darkness crossed Halvorsen's features. Though it lasted only a moment, it felt incongruous with the scientist's jovial nature.
"Johan!" Yareli said, pushing through the remains of the lab's door.
"Unbelievable." Halvorsen's voice was flat. "Did you defeat Ilma and the others, Fenrir?"
Yareli tilted her head, puzzled by the response. Her tone was light. "Don't worry. Your daughter's fine, Doctor Halvorsen. I'm only here to retrieve my friends." She made sure her key and belt remained visible—an unspoken threat.
"Take him, then." The scientist's mood darkened, though a thin smile crept across his face. "He's earned it."
"Samuel's hurt," Johan whispered as he stumbled toward Yareli. "Rebecca's taking him somewhere safe."
"Can you walk?" Yareli asked, concern in her voice.
"I'll manage." Together they fled into the corridor, Johan silently grateful to be free of that deranged scientist.
But Yareli lingered, giving Halvorsen a long, unreadable look before joining her Jotnar friend. Halvorsen made no motion to follow. He remained behind in the lab, alone.
"They must have gone this way," Johan said, pointing to a faint trail of blood smeared across the polished white tile floor. As they crept through the hallway, his body felt more normal, like he wasn't a stranger in his own skin. Johan shuddered, not wanting to know the implication of that.
"That was too close," Yareli muttered as they walked.
"What do you mean?" Johan asked.
"It was all a bluff," she admitted. "After fighting the Valkyries, my Rangadriver didn't have enough power to reactivate. It needs time to recharge."
"Seriously?" They'd been lucky. If Halvorsen had called her bluff… Johan shuddered. He prayed they wouldn't run into more trouble.
The blood trail led them to a gym—an odd sight in a secret underground lab. Johan guessed it must've been a Valkyrie training ground.
"Rebecca must be looking for medical supplies. Makes sense." Yareli said.
She was right. They found a mini-clinic nearby—clearly rummaged through. It looked sufficient for minor injuries, though less advanced than Johan had expected. Bandages littered the floor, and the blood trail stopped there. Rebecca had likely stabilized Samuel for now. But a bullet wound wasn't something you patched up with gauze. He needed a real doctor.
"There." Johan pointed to an exit sign. "Think that leads out?"
He started toward it, but noticed Yareli hadn't followed. "What's wrong?"
"I'm… not sure." She paused, shaking her head slightly. "This place triggered something."
"You've been here before?"
"I doubt it. But…" Her brows knit together. "Never mind. We should keep moving."
She started toward the door, but Johan stopped her gently. "Yareli. Please. What's going on?"
She hesitated, then sighed. "It's not the memory itself—it's what it implies."
"Which is?"
"They're just fragments… but I remember training in places like this. I was really young. Around seven."
Johan frowned, trying to make sense of it. "So… your parents were fitness freaks?" But Yareli remained quiet, lost in her own thoughts.
That was unsettling. What kind of parents trained their seven-year-old like that?
"I don't know," she said quietly, frustration creeping into her voice. "I was just hoping my memories would be… happier." She turned away, pushing open the exit door without another word.
Johan followed, shaken. He couldn't blame her. Not knowing your past, your family… it had to be torture.
"There's a staircase here! I found this stuck in the door." Yareli held up a pink handkerchief with a cartoon koala on it.
"Rebecca's," Johan said immediately. "She must've left it to mark the way."
"Then let's move." Yareli started up the stairs.
Johan groaned at the sight. The staircase climbed endlessly. With a sigh of resignation, he followed.
---
"Freaking finally," Johan gasped as they reached the top. His legs burned from the effort—his forced reversion had drained him more than he realized.
The stairs had been grueling. Did the Valkyries use these for training? Yareli, of course, wasn't even winded. Did she ever get tired? Her skeletal physiology was still a mystery to him.
The stairwell led to an old parking garage. The door locked behind them—one-way only. No going back. Johan scanned the cars. They were sleek, luxurious machines—each easily worth a couple million euros. Yareli leaned toward a tilted window, trying to identify the make.
"Stop struggling!"
Johan froze. That voice—Dino.
He spotted the thug dragging a scowling Rebecca toward them, his gun pressed to her temple. She didn't say a word, just glared daggers at her captor.
"Keep searching," Dino said. "Her friends can't be far."
"Yes, sir!" The suited thugs spread out, each carrying a ready pistol. Johan counted at least a dozen.
"With luck," Dino said, "we'll catch them by surprise. Fenrir was seen entering the lab. They'll come running once they know their friend's in danger."
Johan tensed. Guilt clawed at him—he should've kept everyone together. And Samuel… if they didn't get him help soon, he might not make it. He doubted Ymir cared enough to intervene.
Yareli motioned him down, guiding them behind one of the luxury cars. Footsteps echoed through the garage—Ymir's thugs spreading out.
"Yareli?" Johan whispered. She was gripping her Uhyre key.
She gave him a look—calm, confident. "I have a plan. Trust me. They're just thugs. We can take them."
"Thugs with guns—but whatever," Johan thought, but didn't say. His tension heightened as footsteps approached their hiding spot. Whatever Yareli had planned, she'd better do it quickly. But before she could activate her Rangadriver, a sudden pounding sound caught everyone's attention.
To Johan's shock, the door to the secret passage flew off its hinges. Moments later, a Valkyrie in full armor stepped from the exit. Her eyes scanned the parking lot, searching.
"Damn it! You scared the hell out of me!" Dino shouted, nearly letting go of Rebecca. "What the heck are you doing?"
"Where is she?" The Valkyrie's cold, expressionless voice was unmistakable despite the helmet. "She came this way. I heard her speaking."
"Her again?" Yareli grunted in annoyance. "The lab must have had an extra set of Valkyrie armor."
"Dunno. My men haven't seen her leave the park, so she's gotta be hiding around here, sneaking between the cars. Don't worry, I've got this under control." Dino gestured at the captive Rebecca with his gun.
But the Valkyrie barely acknowledged him, continuing her pursuit. Behind their cover, sweat trickled down Johan's neck. Something about Ilma's relentless searching unsettled him.
"If you're out there," Dino raised his voice, "I recommend surrendering. We've got your friend. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
Oh, crap—now what? Should they surrender? The Valkyrie's sudden appearance had ruined whatever Yareli had planned.
"Well?" Johan whispered.
"I don't want to surrender, but—" Yareli froze as the Valkyrie stalked around the car toward them. Her pace was steady and unyielding, like a hound on the scent. Johan's heart pounded as they slipped behind another vehicle, avoiding her gaze by a hair.
Frustrated, Ilma grabbed an expensive car with one hand. Johan winced as metal tore against metal. The Valkyrie had hurled a car, demolishing another vehicle in its path. Ymir thugs yelped, nearly caught in the destruction.
"What is wrong with her? Is this chick mental?!" Johan thought, alarmed.
"I doubt the boss'll appreciate his car collection getting trashed," Dino muttered, just as stunned as Johan.
"Oh crap!" Yareli grabbed Johan, tossing him aside a moment before another vehicle crushed their hiding spot. They hit the hard pavement, bruised but alive.
Dino flinched at the chaos, then brightened as he spotted his quarry. "There you are. You heard me—I'm not offering again. Surrender before my friend does something else nuts."
"Now what?" Johan muttered, wincing at the raw scrape on his arm. He reached for his boar key, unsure if it would be of any use.
"How about you surrender?" Dino snapped, pressing his gun tighter to Rebecca's head.
"What do you think you're doing?" he added, alarmed as Ilma drew her blade and stepped toward Yareli.
"My job," Ilma said flatly.
"You've done enough," Dino snapped. "We've already got plenty of the combat data. I'm not losing them again!"
"Very well." Ilma sheathed her sword. To Dino's visible relief, she backed off. Johan couldn't tell if she'd truly complied or just paused.
"Let's all be friends here," Dino said. "No more trouble. You know the drill—drop your Uhyre Key. I don't want any surprises."
"Fine, you win," Yareli said through clenched teeth. Her wolf key clattered onto the pavement.
Johan gritted his teeth. Were they completely screwed? His breath caught as Rebecca locked eyes with him. She'd seen the Uhyre Key still in his hand, her helmet giving him an almost imperceptible, meaningful nod.
Wait, Dino didn't know about Johan's Angra Armlet. It wasn't much—but it might be just enough. Even if it failed, he had to try. They were out of options."
"Good," Dino said, exhaling. He loosened his grip on Rebecca. "Now kick it over."
As Yareli prepared to kick the key, Dino noticed Johan shift slightly to the left.
"Freeze. Don't try anything funny." But it was too late—Johan had entered ideal striking range. He just needed one more distraction.
"Now, kick—" Dino yelped as Rebecca bit his trigger finger. It wasn't enough to make him drop the gun, but it gave the opening they needed.
"Terrorize!" Johan shouted, sliding the key into his armlet. For a moment, he feared it wouldn't start. Sparks flared—then, with a burst of pain, the transformation took hold. The Ymir thug now faced a five-hundred-kilogram boar monster charging straight at him.
Dino panicked, firing instinctively. Bullets struck his face but bounced off harmlessly. Rebecca used the chaos to knee him in the groin and shove him aside. Johan finished it with a backhand that sent Dino crashing into a sports car, crumpling the frame.
"You okay?" Johan's thick, gravelly voice rumbled as he looked at Rebecca—only to scream in pain as a lance pierced his chest. He staggered, hurt, but not down.
"I'm coming! Henshin!" Steel rang as Fenrir deflected Ilma's blade. But Johan noticed—Yareli's strikes lacked their usual strength. She was still drained from her earlier battle.
"Cheap trick," Dino groaned, clutching his head. "Terrorize!" He jammed in his key, transforming into his bear form.
Johan's pulse surged as he stood back to back with Yareli. Their enemies were closing in. He didn't know how much time he had before the Angra Armlet failed again.