?Matthew and Phantom rushed back toward the city, their previous caution replaced by grim urgency. The discovery of the ritual site and the sighting of the Sovereign-class Boar had shattered the illusion of a simple pest control job.

  ?"It doesn't add up," Matthew muttered, his eyes scanning the tree line as they walked. "The sacrifices—yes, that explains the instant breeding cycle. But the sheer size of that Sovereign... a creature that big should leave obvious signs. It should be clumsy. It should be easy to find. Instead, it was hiding, moving unseen."

  ?"Like it knows how to avoid us," Phantom finished, clutching the hilt of her shortsword. "It’s too intelligent, or it's being controlled." The scent of pine needles and damp earth clung to them, a sharp contrast to the cold calculation in Matthew's voice. Phantom shivered despite herself. "The way it reacted to us, the way it vanished... it felt less like a beast and more like a tactical retreat. This isn't just a pest, Matthew. This is a deliberate problem."

  ?When they reached the city, they went straight for the Captain's office. It was empty. A young, pale guard nervously informed them that Captain Nolan was out on patrol. Matthew, his jaw tight, simply left a message: "Tell Captain Nolan the boar threat is Sovereign class. He is to assemble a full team and meet us immediately at the ravine. We found signs of sanguine sacrifices." The guard nodded. "I will tell the Captain when he returns."

  ?Phantom tried to figure out the missing piece of the puzzle on the walk back to base. "How long has this town had issues with boars?" Phantom asked Matthew while walking.

  ?"About two seasons before I first saw you," Matthew replied, trying to recall the details. "And it was slow then. A nuisance. Now it’s an infestation that sprang up in weeks." He ran a hand over his face, frustration evident. "Captain Nolan could be a big help. With that hammer of his, he can crush almost anything he hits with it. If I still had my control over water, I could easily handle this. But with the loss of my water magic, I'm not convinced I can handle a Sovereign rank beast." Then Matthew looked at Phantom curiously and wondered. Does she have any magic abilities beyond that stash ability? I'm sure if she had one, I would have seen it by now.

  ?The following morning, Matthew and Phantom were waiting by the main gate. They skipped their daily spar since speaking with Nolan was more important. Nolan finally arrived, not with a team, but alone, his massive form exuding hostility.

  ?"A Sovereign, you say you saw?" Nolan scoffed, his coarse hair glistening with sweat. "You two are letting your imaginations run wild with folklore and thoughts of silly blood rituals. I told you, saint, my men have this under control."

  ?"Six people went missing this month, Captain," Matthew replied, his voice flat. "That is not under control. The threat is growing stronger. We need to act now."

  ?Nolan took a menacing step forward, his shadow engulfing Matthew. "If you think you know better than the city's Captain, perhaps you need to be reminded of why I am the captain. I will provide you with assistance only on one condition: A duel. If you, the Saint, can beat me, I will assemble some men and join personally. If you lose, you leave this town forever and take her with you."

  ?Phantom looked at Matthew, ready to jump in, but Matthew simply smiled—a cold, technical expression. "A duel it is, Captain."

  ?Nolan lifted his Starfall hammer, whirling it around him and creating gusts of wind as he swung it. The roar of displaced air was immense, making Phantom step back. Starfall’s meteorite head, pitted and dark, reflected the sunlight like a black star. Nolan used his immense strength to stop the speeding hammer and rushed in, relying entirely on his superior reach. His swings were immense, built for crushing force. Matthew didn't fear a single blow. He moved like a leaf on water, flowing around the attacks. Nolan's brute strength was his own undoing; his swings carried him off balance instead of letting him move with his weapon. Matthew merely used the tip of his blade to direct the momentum away. Nolan kept the momentum from one of his swings as he spun back around to pulverize Matthew's ribs. In an instant, Matthew did something unthinkable. He jumped and used the flat side of his blade to propel himself up above Nolan. Just as Matthew got into the air above Nolan, he slammed his knee into the back of the Captain's head. Nolan stumbled forward. Matthew, on his way down, threw his sword, hitting the handle of the hammer and knocking it out of the Captain's hand. Before Nolan could recover, Matthew already had the blade back in his hand and his foot on the handle of the hammer, holding it down on the ground.

  ?"I believe you lost, Captain," Matthew stated, his breathing even.

  ?Nolan’s face was an explosive mixture of shock and suppressed rage. He snatched his hammer from under Matthew’s foot. "Fine! You have your men! But if this is a wild goose chase, you'll answer to me!" Captain Nolan thought to himself. I'm needing more troops anyway.

  ?Nolan grudgingly gathered six guards—none of whom looked eager to be there—and led Matthew and Phantom into the deep woods near the sacrifice site.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  ?They hadn't gone ten minutes before the group started to get split up and guards went missing. Just one at first, then another.

  ?"Where's Finn?" one of the guards muttered, looking back at the dense pines. The soldier had been right behind him a moment ago. "He must have tripped."

  ?"Keep moving," Nolan barked, not even turning around. The Captain’s lack of concern was chilling, a deliberate blindness that Matthew instantly registered. He opened his mouth to protest, but a sudden, rustling sound in the overhead canopy silenced him.

  ?The boars began to show up in numbers, not the usual small packs, but dozens of aggressive, newly formed beasts emerging from the undergrowth. The air grew thick with their stench and the sound of snapping branches. They moved with a coordinated, predatory grace that boars should not possess. As the guards nervously engaged the boars, two more vanished with unnerving silence. Matthew watched one of the men get dragged backward into the undergrowth, his startled cry abruptly cut short. It seemed like the Captain had led them into an ambush, but the how and the why remained slippery. Matthew had to be sure before he could accuse the Captain of anything.

  ?"Something isn't right," Matthew said, drawing his shortsword. "Nolan, call your men back!"

  ?The Captain gave a low, cruel chuckle. "My men are fine, we need to worry about ourselves right now." Matthew disliked this answer. The captain seemed too cold toward the men he led into battle, but Matthew was getting surrounded and had no choice but to fight.

  ?Matthew and Phantom began to fight and kill the boars that seemed to come from nowhere. The pair worked well together, making boars run into one another, their tusks impaling each other. The boars' numbers, once their strength, were now the tool of their demise. Once the boars thinned out, Matthew looked around. He noticed the captain was missing.

  ?"Phantom, did you see what happened to the captain?"

  ?Phantom started to look around, just noticing his absence. "Maybe he saw the Sovereign Boar and took off after it. Let's see if it's where we saw it before." The two dashed off toward the ravine where they had seen it before.

  ?They found the Sovereign Boar near the same spot as before, now surrounded by a growing pack of lesser boars. Pools of blood were spotted across the area, with strange markings near each puddle. The creature was even more terrifying surrounded by blood, its dark brown hide thick as iron, its massive tusks sharp as the blades the guards carried. Matthew took a deep breath, preparing himself to fight such a threat. As if the massive boar could hear Matthew's deep breath, it turned and looked at the two intruders. Just like before, the massive boar, with a single jump, launched itself out of the ravine at Matthew. This time, however, both Matthew and the boar were surprised when Phantom jumped and kicked the boar off course. The surprised Sovereign boar bounced once and landed on its feet. Matthew crouched a little as he grabbed the hilt of his sword. Phantom drew her blade and got ready for the charge boars normally do. Just as Phantom predicted, the boar started pawing the ground as it pointed its tusks at Matthew. Phantom, seeing who its aim was, thought the boar must really hate Matthew for killing so many boars. The boar lowered its head as it charged Matthew, raising its head attempting to impale him. He redirected the attack to the side and prepared to slash at its head. Matthew slashed his sword into the boar's head with all his strength. The boar's head slammed down and bounced off the ground, but his blade failed to cut its hide. Phantom, seeing the opening, rushed in and swung her blade up at the boar's side, attempting to cut the softer underside. The boar slid a few feet from the impact but still suffered no cut.

  ?The Sovereign was powerful, but they were beginning to wear it down. Its movements became slower, and it let out a pained squeal. Just as Matthew saw an opening for a decisive blow, the giant beast abruptly turned and fled, crashing through the trees with surprising agility.

  ?"It's running!" Phantom yelled, boosting her speed to give chase. "It must be getting weak!"

  ?"Wait!" Matthew yelled, sensing the lack of damage and the unnatural change in the creature's tactics.

  ?But Phantom was already too far ahead, chasing the Sovereign into a small, silent clearing. When Matthew reached the edge of the clearing, he saw her frozen there.

  ?The clearing was dominated by a single object: The Starfall hammer. The massive, cosmic War Hammer sat perfectly upright on its black, meteorite head, gleaming silently in the dappled sunlight.

  ?The Sovereign Boar trotted up to the hammer, its head lowered in surrender, its frantic flight finally ended. Phantom watched in horror as the great beast began to seize, a deep, guttural groan escaping its throat. A low, sickening rip was the only warning. The dark brown hide, thick as armor plating, did not simply peel—it shredded, tearing away from the flesh beneath like wet canvas. Underneath, muscle and sinew writhed and tightened with impossible speed. The sound of the change was deafening: vertebrae ground against each other, bones snapped and re-knit, visibly molding the massive frame into the terrifying, muscular silhouette of a man. Sweat mixed with fresh blood, steaming in the cool air. The beast’s snout retracted into a wide, powerful jawline, and the short tusks elongated and sharpened into points perfectly suited for tearing.

  ?With a final, visceral squelch of settling flesh, a Wereboar Sovereign stood where the boar had been. He was a looming tower, his body draped in coarse, black-and-brown hair that covered his arms and shoulders like a mantle. His eyes, now twin points of feral, gold-flecked rage, fixed solely on his weapon. The Wereboar bent down, his massive, newly calloused hand, with fingers thick as clubs, closing around the ancient Elvenwood handle of Starfall.

  ?He raised the hammer high above his head, the dark meteorite block eclipsing the sun. The creature began whirling Starfall around his body, the hammer creating gusts of wind as it flew in circles at its master's command. The way the creature swung Starfall was very familiar to Matthew. It was Nolan's rock slide style, he was sure.

  ?Matthew's voice was a whisper of dread. "The captain was never going to stop the sacrifices... he was making them."