Bloodline Evolution: I Can Choose Opposing Paths-Chapter 22: Against A King-Class

They stood near the hospital doors for a bit, looking at the King-class Demonic Beast.

It was hunched over somebody’s corpse. Next to it, a pile of bones had amassed through sheer brutality.

Lieutenant Abby flinched at the sight but kept it cool.

Aren forced his eyes away and lowered his voice.

"Alright," he said. "If we fight it here, the hospital gets caught in the crossfire. Best option is to lure it somewhere narrow

He glanced toward the surrounding buildings.

"I can draw its attention," he continued. "You take point, Lieutenant Abby, and—"

"No."

The word cut him off instantly.

Abby didn’t look away from the Wendigo as she spoke.

"I’ll lure it," she said. "There’s an alley two blocks east. Cramped. Lots of debris. It won’t be able to move freely."

Aren frowned. "You sure?" he asked. "Lily and I—we’ll barely leave scratches on that thing."

Abby studied him for a second.

Then she snorted softly.

"What, you want to be the hero already?" she said. "I can’t let the next generation one-up me, can I?"

Lily blinked. "This isn’t really the time—"

"I’m joking," Abby said, already stepping past them. "Mostly."

She glanced back over her shoulder.

"You two wait," she added. "Watch carefully. When the chance comes, don’t hesitate."

Aren felt something tighten in his chest.

"Lieutenant—"

She raised a hand without turning around.

"Relax," Abby said lightly. "I’ve still got a few tricks left."

Then she moved.

The moment Lieutenant Abby stepped out into the open—

The Blood Red Wendigo lifted its head.

Its antlers scraped together as it rose fully from the park, blood sliding down its jaws slowly. The killing intent it released made even Aren feel like throwing up, not to mention what would happen if a non-Mystic were to be hit with it.

Abby didn’t hesitate.

She broke into a sprint, summoning her Bloodline.

Short, jagged spikes burst from Lieutenant Abby’s forearms with a sharp sound, tearing through fabric as they grew. They were about the size of Aren’s palm, and highly lethal.

The Iron Spike Hedgehog.

The Wendigo snapped up immediately, its crimson eyes locking onto her as its jaws parted. The pressure it gave off spiked instantly, shattering nearby windows and bending lamp posts.

Abby didn’t flinch.

She picked the spikes off of her hand and threw them like throwing knives. They flew across the air without even spinning, slamming into the Wendigo’s chest and thigh.

One lodged deep beneath its shoulder, another embedded itself into the muscle near its neck.

The beast roared out in a fit of rage, so much so that Aren had to brace himself.

"Now," Abby muttered.

She turned and ran.

Her boots hit the ground hard as she sprinted toward the side street, spines already regrowing along her arms. She cut left at he corner, slamming a hand against the brick wall to pivot as she vanished into a narrow alley.

The Wendigo charged.

It barreled forward with terrifying speed, smashing through the alley entrance in a storm of concrete and bricks. Its antlers scraped violently across the alley, throwing sparks as it forced its way inside.

Exactly as planned.

Aren and Lily sprinted after it.

Conjuring the Dragon Gauntlet, Aren drove his fist into the Wendigo’s back.

The damage wasn’t anything to write home about, but it was enough. The impact shoved the creature deeper into the alley, its antlers stuck hard on both walls at once.

With a sharp flick of her hands, she unleashed a barrage of spikes.

It was like a storm of blades.

Each spike buried itself deep into the Wendigo’s body, metal disappearing beneath flesh. The beast roared in pain as it struggled to move, blood splattering against the alley walls.

Abby didn’t let up.

She closed the distance in two steps.

The alley was too tight for flourish, so she didn’t bother with it. Abby moved hard and fast, driving another spike straight into the Wendigo’s feet and into concrete.

Then with her left, she struck at its arms, managing to leave a nasty gash as she ducked a confined left swing from the beast.

The Wendigo thrashed, howling as it tried to wrench itself free, but the spikes pinned it in place.

Finally, she rammed a spike in with her whole body behind it, grinding metal deeper, forcing the wound open wider than it should have been possible.

That was when Aren saw it.

A faint glow, buried deep in the Wendigo’s chest revealed something irregular. In place of its heart, something else was beating.

A demonic core.

"There—!" Aren started.

The Wendigo screamed.

With a violent surge, it tore itself free.

Brick exploded outward as the Wendigo wrenched its antlers loose from the walls, snapping chunks of concrete free as if they were brittle twigs.

Abby reacted too late.

The Wendigo swung its head sideways.

One antler caught her straight in the chest.

There was a sharp, tearing sound as metal scraped against metal. Abby was thrown backward, slamming hard into the alley wall before hitting the ground.

She rolled once and came up on one knee.

Blood spilled freely now, soaking the front of her uniform.

But Aren felt the shift immediately.

The Wendigo froze.

Its head turned slowly toward her, nostrils flaring as it inhaled deeply. Like attraction to a magnet, the blood drops rushed straight toward the beast as its eyes burned brighter.

Lily slammed her palm to the ground.

Vines erupted at the Wendigo’s feet, twisting and snapping upward in a tangled mass, trying to bind its legs and slow the charge.

They didn’t last a second.

The Wendigo tore through them as if they weren’t there at all, vines snapping apart under sheer force.

"Shit—!"

Aren’s eyes snapped to Abby.

She was limping now, one hand pressed to her chest as blood soaked through her uniform. The Wendigo charged toward her, antlers lowered, closing the distance far too fast.

She wasn’t going to make it.

He sprinted into the alley.

"Aren!" Lily reached out, but he was already gone.

Dragon Gauntlet formed around his arm as he dropped low, sliding beneath the Wendigo’s legs just as it lunged. Stone tore up beneath him as he came out the other side and drove his fist upward.

The impact landed squarely against the Wendigo’s face.

The gauntlet shattered instantly.

Azure scales cracked and dispersed as the ether failed to hold its shape, the backlash tearing through Aren’s arm.

But it was enough. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The Wendigo staggered backwards, not from injury, but from the sheer force of the blow, interrupting its momentum.

Aren didn’t stop.

He turned and ran straight for Abby, grabbing her arm and hauling her upright before the beast could recover.

"Move," he said, already pulling her with him.

Looking around, he saw a side street and quickly directed her to there, giving Lily the signal to meet on the other side.

She nodded once.

The alleyway exploded.

Concrete burst apart as the creature slammed forward, antlers tearing through concrete and brick alike.

The Wendigo tore through everything in its path, walls caving inward as if the alley itself was being peeled apart.

Aren glanced back once.

He swerved suddenly, kicking a trash can hard into the Wendigo’s path.

The metal can crumpled on impact, bursting apart as it slammed into the creature’s leg. The Wendigo stumbled half a step.

"Now—!" Aren barked.

They dove sideways as the beast plowed forward, antlers carving a deep trench through the wall where they’d been a second earlier.

Lieutenant Abby cried out as debris rained down.

Aren scrambled to his feet just in time to grab her arm and yank her clear as a section of the fire escape collapsed, crashing down between them and the demonic creature.

Abby staggered, nearly falling—

Aren caught her.

Her breathing was ragged now, each step slower than the last.

"Leave me," Abby said through clenched teeth.

"No," Aren snapped instantly.

The Wendigo lunged again.

Its claws raked forward, missing Aren’s back by inches as he twisted, feeling the air tear past his spine.

But out of the corner of his eye, he saw it—

An opening.

A break in the alley that spilled out onto the main street.

"Left!" Aren shouted.

With a final burst of speed, they gunned it.

They cut hard around the corner and burst into a straight stretch leading directly to the main road. Lily was already there, feet planted, hands outstretched as the Fairy hovered at her back.

"Quick!" she shouted.

Aren didn’t need to be told twice.

He pushed harder, hauling Abby forward as fast as his legs would carry him. Every step sent pain screaming up his arm, but he ignored it.

That was when he heard it.

The beast rounded the corner and slammed into the side wall with enough force to topple the whole floor.

"Fuck—go, go, go!" Aren yelled.

They ran.

The Wendigo was right on them now, so close Aren could feel its breath tearing at his back, hear claws scraping against stone.

"Almost—!" Aren shouted, lungs burning as the main road burst into view ahead.

They lunged for it.

At the exact same moment, the Wendigo lunged too.

Lily moved.

Her hands snapped upward and the Fairy behind her flared bright as vines shot skyward, wrapping around the metal housing of an industrial heating unit bolted to the side of the building overhead.

She yanked.

Screws tore free and the whole thing came crashing down, slamming straight into the beast’s skull with a deafening crash.

Aren felt the shockwave hit him in the chest as he stumbled forward onto the street.

The path broke.

The heating unit wedged itself across the alley entrance, twisted metal and concrete collapsing in behind it as the structure finally gave way.

They were separated...for now.