Lunar Legacy: Rise Of The Beastlord

The walk home started light. Five of them were still buzzing from the registration room, laughing and throwing ideas back and forth about where to train next.

Cassandra wanted somewhere open so she could practice her elemental strikes without accidentally burning something, while Jessica teased her mercilessly. Aileen chimed in with playful sarcasm, and Tasha suggested they pick somewhere closer to home.

Jayden mostly smiled and listened. He was content. For once, things felt normal.

But normal never lasted long for him.

The moment they turned into a narrow alley… shadows peeled themselves from the walls.

The chatter died. And then… they heard the shuffle of boots.

Figures melted out of the darkness one by one. Broad shoulders, cold glares, and dangerous intent. Sixteen men in total, one after another, they emerged, blocking the exit and sealing off their path. By the time the last of them appeared, the group was fully surrounded.

The girls froze. Jayden's senses flared instantly. His eyes narrowed. He could feel it instantly.. this wasn't random. They had been followed.

From the front, a man with a buzz cut stepped forward, his build burly, his aura reeking of arrogance. He lifted a thick finger and pointed it directly at Jayden.

"You." His voice rumbled like gravel.

The girls stiffened.

The man's lips curled into a cruel smile. "We're here to settle a score. Retribution.. for the one you killed." he stated.

The voice echoed off the brick like a growl.

Jayden's pupils narrowed. Recognition hit him like ice water. That scar along the man's jaw.. he'd seen it before. This was the leader of a group of thugs that stopped him on the day of the full moon. Then, his memory began to resurface.

He remembered the thugs. He remembered the fight. He remembered the syringe plunging into his back. He remembered the sedative flooding his veins, dragging his body down until he lost control… and he remembered killing the one who injected him.

Jayden had half-expected there would be consequences for killing that thug. But he didn't care. That thug was the reason he passed out and woke up at home, just a few minutes before the moon came up fully. He was the reason Jayden transformed in front of Jessica. The reason he almost hurt her.

And yet, the thugs were here again, looking for retribution.

His jaw clenched. His blood boiled with a rage he hadn't felt in weeks. What happened that night was their fault. All of it.

The leader came closer, each step deliberate, each word taunting. "You think you can kill one of us and just get away with it? I'll make sure you pay for what you did.. with your life." he threatened, his voice carrying weight.

But Jayden didn't so much as speak. He didn't move. He didn't even blink. His silence was a blade, cutting deeper than words.

That stillness only agitated the man further. He took another step, teeth bared. "You think I'm playing? You're not walking out of here alive, kid. I promise you that."

Jayden's gaze still didn't shift, didn't waver. And that only enraged the man more.

Then his eyes flicked to the girls. His grin twisted into something vile. "And maybe I'll take your little girlfriends too. Sell them. Or maybe keep them for myself as pretty sex slaves."

The air snapped instantly.

Jayden's eyes flared gold, molten and deadly. His voice rumbled low, like the growl of some ancient beast.

"…What did you just say?"

The shift was instant. The air itself thickened. The girls felt it… Tasha's stomach knotted, Jessica's breath hitched, Cassandra and Aileen both tensed as if the atmosphere had doubled in weight. Even the thugs behind the leader faltered for a moment, sensing the sudden shift in presence.

But the leader smirked, pretending not to feel the dread creeping into his veins. ""You can't do anything," he said flatly. "You're surrounded and outnumbered. Every one of us is an evolved human above level thirty. You don't stand a chance."

One by one, his men straightened, cracking knuckles, summoning sparks of energy, their abilities humming faintly in the air.

Jayden scanned them calmly, eyes sharp and calculating. His gaze darted over each of them, analyzing their levels and abilities one by one.

The leader wasn't lying, they were all above thirty. Some fast, some strong, four of them elementals. But none were above forty. The highest was thirty-eight. The leader. And his ability was enhanced strength.

Jayden exhaled slowly, steadying his breath. He was than them. Stronger than all of them combined. But the girls weren't. And if he fought recklessly, they'd be caught in the crossfire.

His jaw tightened. "It's me you want, right?" He stepped forward, placing himself squarely between the gang and the four girls. His voice was steady, controlled. "Then here I am. Leave them out of it."

Behind him, the girls froze, wide-eyed. Four hearts pounding. They were all stunned.

"Jayden, no…" Tasha's voice cracked, panic in her tone.

But Jayden didn't turn. His eyes were locked on the leader like a predator on prey.

The man chuckled darkly. "I was going to kill you and take all four of them. But since you're offering yourself…" His smirk widened. "…I'll let you live. And I'll only take two. One blonde, one brunette." he proposed.

Jayden's expression hardened instantly. His reply was ice. "No."

The leader scowled. "Don't test my patience, kid. I'm giving you a choice here. Two of them, or all four. Choose them yourself." His eyes roved over the girls hungrily, lingering. "Which ones would it be?"

Jayden glanced over his shoulder just once.. at Cassandra, Jessica, Aileen, Tasha, and then back at the man. His answer was simple, final.

"None."

The leader sighed, then smirked. "Guess I'll pick them myself." he turned his head, eyes flicking like a snake's tongue toward the girls. He lifted his hand and pointed lazily.

"Take the tall blonde and the one with brown eyes. They'll look good with my dick in their mouths." he ordered the men standing behind the girls.

Jessica flinched. Cassandra froze in shock.

And Jayden… erupted.

His aura exploded outward, golden fire blazing in his eyes. The air shuddered with his fury.

He locked eyes with the thug advancing toward Jessica. "Touch her.. and you're dead."

The thug stopped in his tracks. Even he could feel it… the crushing weight of Jayden's killing intent pressing down on him, suffocating.

But another had already reached Cassandra. He grabbed her arm roughly, making her yelp. "Ah! Let me go!" she cried, thrashing.

"Shut up, brat," the thug snarled, raising his hand to strike her.

But he never got the chance.

In a blink, Jayden was already there. His hand clamped around the thug's wrist mid-swing. The thug's eyes widened in shock. But before he could react, Jayden pressed down.

CRACK.

The man screamed as his arm snapped. Cassandra broke free as Jayden yanked the thug forward and smashed his fist into his throat.

BAM!

The impact was brutal, cutting off the scream, leaving only a choking gasp before the thug crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Jayden turned to Cassandra, his eyes softening. "Are you okay?"

She nodded shakily, smiling through relief.

Behind them, the leader was seething, veins bulging in his neck. "You've got some balls, kid. Attacking when surrounded by fifteen men? Bad move. Now, you will regret…"

But mid-sentence, he froze. His eyes darted.

Jayden was gone.

The girls blinked. The thugs blinked. One second Jayden was standing there… the next, there was nothing but air.

The leader's head whipped side to side, panic flickering for the first time. "Where is he…"

BAM!

One of his men behind the girls suddenly dropped to his knees, clutching his stomach, eyes bulging.

And before anyone could react, he was ripped into the air by some unseen force and hurled across the alley. He slammed into a wall, collapsing unconscious.

The leader gritted his teeth. "Shit. The kid's invisible." he thought. And before he could process anything…

CRACK!

Another thug screamed as his arm bent violently backward, before a ghostly blow to the temple dropped him instantly.

SLASH.

Screeches echoed. Another thug cried as his thigh tore open with four precise slashes, blood spraying, before he was uppercut so hard his body skidded across the alley floor.

Panic spread through the groups.

The girls couldn't see him. The men couldn't see him. No one could, until…

Gasp.

The last thug standing behind the girls suddenly rose into the air, choking, clawing at his throat. Suspended by nothing.

Then, the air flickered… and Jayden reappeared, his body shimmering into view, his hand clamped on the thug's neck, golden eyes blazing, fixed on the leader.

"Now you have only ten left." His voice was cold, calm, merciless.

The leader staggered. Even he, at level 38, felt the weight of fear pressing against him. Five men had been dismantled in under one minute… and by a kid.

But his pride refused to crack. "You think you've won? You're still outnumbered, kid! This is where you die. Surrender now, and I'll make your death quick."

Jayden chuckled, tossing the thug in his grip aside like trash. The man hit the ground hard, scrambled up, then bolted in pure terror. No hesitation, no fight left in him. Just flight. He had just witnessed just how terrifying Jayden's power was. He knew this was a fight they couldn't win.

The girls were stunned and amused by this. Even Jayden blinked in mild surprise. He hadn't expected one to break so easily. But he didn't show it.

Instead, he took a slow step forward, eyes locked on the leader. His aura pulsed stronger, golden and suffocating.

"Be like him." he said calmly. "Leave while you still can."

But none of the remaining men moved. Their fear was real, but their leader's grip held them still.

The leader scoffed. "That one was weak. A coward. The rest of us aren't so pathetic." he muttered. "You wanted this fight, and that is what you'll get."

Jayden sighed, his voice low and cold. "I was trying to give you an easy way out," he muttered, almost feeling sorry for them. "But if you insist on going out the hard way… then be my guest."

Then he turned, his eyes briefly softening toward the girls. "You should all go. I'll deal with them."

The girls exchanged looks, torn between fear and trust. Jessica's hands trembled; Aileen bit her lip. Cassandra nodded hesitantly. But Tasha lingered, her heart hammering. "Jayden…"

"I'll be fine," he cut in gently, with a soft smile. "Go."

Tasha's lips trembled, but she nodded. "Be careful."

Jayden chuckled. "I will. Now, go. All of you." he said sharply.

He had already cleared the path of escape for the girls… the five men he had taken out earlier were the ones originally behind them. Jayden had struck them first so the girls could escape without risk of getting caught in the crossfire.

The four of them hesitated a heartbeat longer, then obeyed. They glanced back one last time before disappearing down the alley, their footsteps quickening.

When they were gone, Jayden's grin returned, sharp and feral. He turned back to the thugs.

The leader's voice boomed. "This isn't a fight you can win, kid!"

Jayden's grin widened, claws sliding free with a deadly whisper. "We'll see about that."

The leader roared, giving the signal of attack, and all ten men charged at once.

Another fight in the alley had just begun.