The first bullets tore through the air like angry hornets. Arian dove behind a fallen log, the bark exploding under the hail of gunfire. The guardian's roar shook the forest, deep and primal, scattering birds into the night sky.
Muzzle flashes lit up the treeline — a coordinated firing pattern. Whoever these men were, they weren't ordinary hunters. They moved like trained predators, their steps silent despite the chaos.
Arian's muscles twitched, the White Tiger inside him pushing against its chains.Let me out… let me take them.
He grit his teeth, forcing the urge down. The guardian leaped over the log, claws flashing. It landed on one soldier, crushing his weapon and sending him sprawling, but the others adjusted instantly, their formation tightening.
"Switch to high-caliber! Drop the beast!"
A deafening BOOM split the night — an anti-material rifle. The bullet tore through a tree trunk, splinters raining down like shrapnel. The guardian stumbled, blood spraying from its shoulder.
Arian felt the chain inside him strain. Every instinct screamed to transform, to unleash everything and tear them apart. But the guardian's warning echoed in his mind.
A flash grenade detonated, blinding him in a burst of white light. Voices closed in.
"Move in! Secure the host alive — kill the tiger!"
Through the haze, Arian saw one soldier leveling his rifle at the guardian's head.
The chain inside him snapped.
The roar that followed wasn't entirely human.
The soldier didn't even have time to pull the trigger.A blur of white and gold tore through the air, and then there was only screaming.
Arian landed on all fours, twice his human size, his fur bristling like a storm cloud lit by moonlight. The White Tiger was free — and it was hungry.
Bullets ripped into him, but the beast barely flinched. Every movement was faster, heavier, as if the air itself parted to let him through. A single swipe of his claws shredded rifles and bone alike.
The guardian, bleeding but still standing, stared for a moment — not in relief, but in warning. This wasn't Arian fighting anymore.
You called me,the voice growled inside his head, layered over his own.Now watch how I feed.
Arian pounced into the nearest soldier, crushing his chest with a sickening crack, then bit into his throat. Warm copper flooded his mouth. The world narrowed into heartbeat and blood scent.
The surviving soldiers broke formation, fear overriding training.
"Fall back! FALL BACK—!"
But retreat only excited the beast. It chased them into the trees, faster than shadows, silent as death. Each kill was methodical, almost ritualistic — not just to end life, but to take something deeper.
When the last gun fell silent, the forest was painted in red. The metallic scent hung heavy, mixing with the musk of a predator sated.
Arian's consciousness clawed its way back, horrified at what he saw. Bodies — drained, pale, and cold.
The guardian limped forward. "You understand now… the leash will never be the same."
In the distance, far beyond the treeline, the faint thump-thump of helicopter blades approached. Whoever had sent this kill team… wasn't finished.
The rhythmic thump of rotor blades grew louder, shaking the treetops.Arian, still crouched over the last corpse, lifted his head. His pupils narrowed into predatory slits.
Spotlights burst through the canopy, slicing the darkness into harsh white columns. Leaves and ash swirled in the air.
The guardian's voice was urgent.
"They're bringing air support. You stay here, you die here."
But the beast inside Arian wasn't interested in retreat.
Metal bird… fresh prey inside.
The helicopter banked low, and a side door slid open. A soldier in black tactical gear aimed a mounted machine gun straight down.
The first burst roared, tearing through branches and splintering trunks. Arian rolled aside, feeling bark and earth explode around him. The guardian leapt the other way, avoiding a spray of burning metal.
Without thinking, Arian charged toward the sound, weaving between trees. The gunner tracked him, firing in long, punishing bursts, but the tiger's speed made him a blur.
Then Arian did the unthinkable — he launched upward. Claws caught the trunk of an ancient meranti tree, muscles bunching as he scaled it in seconds. With a roar that shook the night, he leapt from the canopy toward the hovering chopper.
Bullets found him midair — hot, tearing pain in his side — but momentum carried him forward. His claws sank into the helicopter's landing rail.
The gunner shouted in panic. The pilot tried to bank hard, but Arian swung himself up, his fangs bared inches from the gunner's face.
The last thing the soldier saw was a flash of white fur and gold eyes burning like wildfire.
The helicopter lurched violently, its rotor screaming in protest, and the whole forest seemed to tilt.
Far below, the guardian watched in grim silence.
"If he takes down that bird," the tiger murmured to himself, "there's no going back for him."