A Fight Between A Merc And A Hound

Fwip~!

A whipping sound was suddenly heard as the husband jumped out of the way, barely dodging a Hound that had fallen out of nowhere. The hound was familiar, and the husband instantly recognized him. "I know who you are... what do you want?!" The husband shook his fists in front of the Hound which was mischievously smiling at him.

"Same thing I've always wanted... we do know that I'd be able to do anything once the father is out of the picture, right?" The Hound stated as it disgustingly licked his lips. With arms outstretched, he charged at the husband at insane speeds, hoping to catch him off-guard after that inappropriate comment.

"I see..." The husband let out a forced smile as he gestured for his wife and daughter to remain right behind him. He was a Merc, and that put him at a disadvantage against the Hound in front of him. Nevertheless, there was no way he'd raise the white flag when his family was counting on him! Even if it meant laying down his life for them, he would do it without a second thought.

Of course, the Hound was aware of this as well, that's why he didn't hesitate to attack the family. Since he couldn't do it back then, he could definitely do it now as the family was outside the stronghold at the moment.

Ever since he saw the family, he had been eyeing the wife for a long time. And now was his chance to steal the wife by killing the husband right then and there. It would all work out in his favor as well since he was a Hound and the husband was a Merc. Typically, Hounds are advantageous against Mercs so the Hound was pretty confident on this one. 

Another grin appeared on the Hound's face, and he started charging at the husband who had been carefully dodging his attacks. The husband knew that any attack from the Hound was bad news, and he was trying to dodge all of them while waiting for an opening. 

Although he was fighting an opponent who should be stronger than them, he didn't lose his composure. He had a wife and daughter to protect, so he couldn't afford to lose no matter how powerful his opponent was. 

Whip. Whip.

The Hound's attacks were getting sharper and sharper, and since he was already warmed up, his attacks were even faster than before. The husband was trying hard to dodge everything, but it didn't take long before the Hounds were beginning to leave scratches on his skin.

Fortunately, the healing abilities of Hybrids are enhanced, and the husband doesn't have to worry about the scratches that much. 

However, the scratches were one thing, and the exhaustion was another. Even though he was barely moving while dodging the Hound's attacks, the husband was getting more exhausted by the second. Gritting his teeth, he continued to push himself beyond his limits while trying to position himself between his family and the attacker. 

At this point, the Hound was already moving like a madman, flailing its arms while his fingers were outstretched. Slowly, he was driving the husband into a corner, and the wife and daughter watched in horror as they started losing their protector at a snail's pace. 

As seconds passed, the wife and daughter knew that their husband was going to lose, and their hope dwindled as they watched the one-sided match. Then again, that was to be expected since the husband was a Merc— weak against Hounds. 

"Just give up already. We both know you're going to lose." The Hound started taunting the husband as he licked his lips once again while looking at the wife and daughter at a safe distance. Although he could risk going after them, he knew that the husband hadn't given up yet, and one small mistake might cost him his life. 

After all, he was just a Hound, and Hounds were glass cannons compared to an all-rounder like a Merc. While he's at an advantage due to his incredible offense, the Merc could still win if he let his guard down. That's why he couldn't just go after the wife and daughter without defeating the husband first. 

And as for the husband, he knew exactly what was going on. That's why he had resolved to not give up. No matter what happens, even if he loses a limb or two, he won't succumb to the might of the Hound whose only target is his wife. 

"Just. Give. Up." 

"Over my dead body." The husband let out as he resumed his defensive stance. The fire in his eyes was still there. He still hasn't lost all hope... and right now, he was just waiting for a momentary opening, or a miracle that would definitely turn the tables to his advantage. 

The Hound was getting tired as well, but the husband was way more exhausted compared to him. Then again, that gave the husband a sliver of hope, and he started his counterattack.

While the husband was in a defensive stance, he wasn't just defending himself without doing anything. But rather, he was actually closely watching every move that the Hound made. He had to be watching, otherwise, he might miss an opening or something along those lines. 

Minute by minute, he observed the Hound's attack pattern and he realized that there was a small window when the Hound would pause for a second before resuming his barrage of attacks. It didn't count as an opening since it was just a split second, but right now, the husband was willing to risk it all since he couldn't hold his defensive stance for too long.

That brief moment finally presented itself, and for a split second, the husband held his breath and leaned forward. As he did so, he delivered a punch with every being of his body, landing it squarely on the HOund's solar plexus before he finally exhaled.

BAM!

The Hound was caught off guard, and his eyes rolled backward until there was only white visible. Saliva also came out of the Hound's mouth as he fell on the ground, twitching. That single punch was more than enough to knock him out.

Step.

Step.

"I guess you didn't need my help, huh? I was about to step in." Someone said from afar as a figure walked towards the family.