The entire temple shuddered. The marble cracked under invisible force as wind swirled around the altar, scattering into the air.

Azrael floated midair with his eyes glowing an eerie scarlet while arcs of black lightning crawled across his skin like living serpents. The faint hum of energy resonated from his body, vibrating the air around.

The Werewolf Lord stood below as his golden eyes narrowed. "That energy… it reeks of corruption," he growled, flexing his claws. "Who are you, human?"

Azrael's lips curved into a cold smirk. "Just someone who's tired of playing weak for days…"

With that, he snapped his fingers.

CRACK!

The air split open with the sound of thunder. A bolt of black lightning shot downward, slamming into the altar where the Werewolf Lord stood. Stone exploded. The shockwave tore through the chamber, sending everyone stumbling backward.

Cyro's ice armor shattered as he shielded Iphi and Celia behind him. "What… kind of lightning is that?" he muttered.

The Werewolf Lord emerged from the crater, unscathed but furious. "Impressive trick, boy," he snarled, his form bulking up, muscles expanding, fur sprouting across his arms. "Let me show you true power!"

He leapt. A blur of black and gold streaked upward with his claws glowing crimson as he attacked.

Azrael moved his hand at the same time.

BOOM!

The two forces collided midair, the Werewolf's claw versus lightning-charged Azrael's fist. Their impact sending concentric waves of shock that cracked the walls of the ancient temple.

"Too slow," Azrael muttered. He vanished in the next moment.

The Werewolf Lord's eyes widened. "What—"

Zzt!

A streak of black light appeared behind him. Azrael's knee slammed into his back, sending the massive beast crashing face-first into the stone.

Before the Werewolf Lord could react, black lightning chains erupted from Azrael's hands, coiling around the monster's limbs like venomous serpents. They sizzled, leaving deep burn marks.

"Stay," Azrael said calmly, almost mocking. him

The Werewolf Lord roared, his aura exploding outward. The lightning chains shattered. His body swelled further, standing at nearly thirty feet tall now, with his fangs bared and saliva dripping. "I am Fenrir's descendant! I will not be restrained by a mortal!"

Azrael's smirk didn't fade. "Good. Or else, you won't be suitable for my practice."

He spread his arms widely.

Rumble…

Black lightning burst out of him, filling the entire temple like a storm trapped in a bottle. The entire structure trembled violently, splitting the pillars, cracking the ceiling, and a vortex of raw power swirled around Azrael's body.

Every bolt moved like a serpent, bending and striking at the Werewolf Lord from all angles. The beast howled, blocking and deflecting with his claws, but every strike left deep, smoking wounds.

"Impossible! I absorbed the blessing of the gods themselves! How can lightning harm me?" he bellowed.

Azrael appeared right before his face. His eyes gleamed crimson beneath the half-mask. "Who said this was a mere dark lightning?"

He clenched his fist — CRACK! — the black lightning condensed into his arm, spiraling up like a dragon. The space around his hand distorted, collapsing light itself. "This is the Protos Lightning, the strongest type of lightning in the entire universe, stronger than the divine lightning…"

The Werewolf Lord barely crossed his arms in defense.

BOOOOOOM!

The impact shook the mountain above them. A column of darkness pierced through the temple roof, shooting toward the sky. Waves erupted on the surface far away, and the clouds itself split for a moment under the force.

Azrael slammed the Werewolf Lord through the stone, carving a deep trench in the floor before flicking his wrist. The lightning exploded outward again.

When the smoke cleared, the massive werewolf was lying in a crater, bleeding with half of his fur burned away. His once golden eyes flickered weakly.

He coughed, forcing out a bitter laugh. "This power… it isn't human…"

Azrael descended slowly, lightning still dancing faintly around him. "You're right," he said softly. "It isn't."

The Werewolf Lord forced his broken arm to move, clawing at the ground. "You… what are you?"

Azrael raised his hand, black lightning forming a spear that hummed like a living thing. "The name's Azrael," he said in a low voice but every syllable echoed through the chamber like thunder. "Remember it in hell."

He thrust the spear downward.

The lightning impaled the Werewolf Lord, erupting in a flash of dark brilliance. The entire altar shattered into dust.

The temple had gone silent — eerily silent. Dust hung in the air, glowing faintly from the last flickers of lightning. Azrael stood over the massive crater, with his breath steady while his black lightning fading into faint static along his arms. The Werewolf Lord lay still — broken, burned, and defeated.

For a moment, there was peace.

The surviving Arcana Masters behind him could only watch, too stunned to speak.

Iphi whispered, "He… did it…"

Celia let out a shaky breath, her trembling fingers gripping her weapon tightly. "It's over."

Jaden trembled at the sight of Azrael's back, remembering how much he annoyed this rookie.

Cyro, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes as he murmured. "No, it isn't, I'm afraid."

But Azrael didn't celebrate a bit. He stared down at the beast's body, his instincts screaming something's wrong.

And then—

Thump.

A faint heartbeat echoed in the still air.

The Werewolf Lord's chest rose slightly. His eyes opened — glowing not gold, but a deep, hellish crimson this time. A grin stretched across his charred face. "I finally understand…" he rasped. "what I was missing."

Azrael's eyes narrowed. "What are you planning?"

The Werewolf Lord chuckled low, coughing up black blood that evaporated into smoke. "Thanks for pushing me this far, human."

He raised his trembling hand. A crimson sigil glowed beneath the altar — one Azrael or others hadn't seen before.

Vhnnnnn—

The ground itself began to hum.

Elsewhere above in other chambers of the Temple, where werewolves are guarding while making sure no one disturbs their Lord's battle. One of them, a young female werewolf, clutched her chest. "M–My lord's… calling…"

Their eyes widened in horror as their bodies began to lose their strength. "Wait—no! Milord—!"

In another chamber, two werewolf sentries eating dried meat suddenly convulsed, their life force sucked away. They didn't even have time to scream before their bodies turned to dried flesh.

"What's happening to us!?" shouted their patrolling team captain before collapsing as his skin tightened around his bones…

Inside the temple corridors, Qin Sheng was seen running toward the altar, his face pale with realization. "Milord, stop! You'll destroy us all!" he screamed.

But it was too late.

His legs buckled. The veins in his neck glowed violently. He gasped, choking, as his life force was forcibly ripped from his body.

Qin Sheng's body fell lifelessly to the floor, his lips frozen in disbelief.

Back in the main chamber, Azrael could feel it — hundreds of souls being pulled from every corner of the continent. The air grew thick with death.

"Damn it," he cursed under his breath. "I thought he could only share his powers with other werewolves as Ms. Kitty ranger warned, but it seems he's absorbing them all and turning it into his strength."

Meanwhile, the Werewolf Lord's wounds began to close. Muscle and fur regenerated in seconds. The massive gashes left by Azrael's lightning healed as though they never existed.

Except for Cyro, the remaining Arcana Masters who were standing in the corner of the altar dropped to its knees. The oppressive force was quite suffocating.

Celia tried to stand, her knees trembling. "This pressure…"

Azrael clenched his fists, black lightning flaring violently around him, but even his energy wavered under the sheer magnitude.

The Werewolf Lord rose slowly, laughing as his form expanded again.

When the transformation ended, he stood over fifty feet tall, his fur now silver-gray streaked with black veins and eyes glowing with scarlet fire. The marble floor trembled beneath his steps. "I feel… magnificent." He looked down at Azrael and spread his claws, "Thank you for forcing me to do this, boy."

Azrael's expression hardened, his hair whipping in the storm of energy. "You sacrificed your entire race… just for power?"

The beast laughed again, the sound deep enough to shake the air. "No, they exists for me. Their deaths are the foundation of my strength. I'm the Alpha who created them. It is their destiny to serve to my needs. However, they weren't strong enough to push me to demigod realm. Had I been successful with you all earlier, by now, I could have transcended this mortal limits and enter the demigod realm for good. But it's not too late at all. I will massacre you all and take it slowly to reach my goal."

He swung his arm.

WHOOSH!