Human (An Oc insert of Beastars!)

Chapter 27 - How Fate Comes Together

The room reeked of musk and menace, a suffocating blend of cigar smoke, leather, and the raw scent of predators too big to be tamed. David stood at the center of it all, dwarfed by towering lion men in tailored suits, their golden manes glinting like halos of malice under the dim chandelier. Their eyes were sharp, amber, and unblinking, following his every breath, like a pack deciding whether their prey was worth the effort to devour or just torture.
He could feel the weight of their grudge pressing on him, unspoken but palpable in the growls that rumbled low in their throats. A year ago, he stormed this very room with Legosi and Gouhin, reckless, desperate, trying to save a friend—and together they burned the Shishigumi's pride to the ground, both figuratively and literally. But now David was alone. The scars of that night lingered here: a shattered wall patched and painted slightly off, a chandelier replaced but hanging slightly off-center. They were reminders that, for one night, the invincible Shishigumi had been humbled by a mere man.

"So this is how I die..." David thought to himself "or is this how I show just how much I need help? I was a scared boy who saw his friends and family being torn apart, and now I'm about to catch up to them... my whole life, I couldn't do anything by myself... I was so weak..."

It all seemed hopeless. David felt he was going to die, but a surge would awaken in him in the hype of foot stomps taking him back to the pit fights of his people. As lions show their claws, teeth, grab weapons, and approach David, a warrior is remerging from his hiatus. David was filled with determination.

"But I'll die strong."

The first lion would rush up to David, claws driving right for David's body, but the lion would have his wrist caught, then pulled down to disorient, and struck across the cheek with a fist. David didn't let go, but kicked the lion in the chin like he was a soccer ball. David hears another lion rush behind him and would somersault over the tackler, having him run into the crowd of other lions. Another member was stealthy in getting David from behind and would swing a baseball bat at his back. David would stumble to the ground from the pain, but as another lion tries kicking him, David catches his foot. The same baseball lion tried hitting David again, but David's other fist punched him in groin, and finally David had both lion attackers headbutt each other. David continued holding off any lion that attacked him, but meanwhile, Juno and Louis watch on. It was impressive how hard David is fighting on his own, but even with how determined he is, he can't hold out forever, and they both knew it.

"Louis, you have to do something! You're their boss, can't you tell them to stop?!"

Louis was shook and conflicted. The good in him would want to stop this fight, but with how Louis had been treated by David as of late, and how his own team may disrespect Louis if he does tell them to stop, it's hard for him to decide.

"No, I can't... David owes them blood. These lions... I know just how much they hate him... the more fierce they fight, the harder it's going to be to get them to listen to me..."

Juno was shocked, Louis was content with letting them wear David down and tear him apart. Juno wasn't sure what else to say, her brain scrambled, but it was comforting that at least one lion wasn't fighting, and it was Abuki. He watched in respect of Louis, not joining because he knows this fight isn't what Louis wants.

David continued fighting, but the longer it dragged out, the more mistakes he'd make. A lion was lucky enough to make a strong scratch across David's left thigh, which makes David stumble back. It was intimidating seeing that same lion lick their fingers of David's rare human blood. It was time to get creative. Using the fake cougar tail, David would use it as a weapon to counter and deflect further strikes. One throw from a crowbar wielding lion was caught and soon found themself getting a tail wrapped around his neck, only to be thrown over the shoulder hard by David. The tail would be even used as a means to smack weapons out of hands, given the metal center it had to drive home the convincing nature of the dummy tail. It was surprising, but David was holding his own, and he could fight for hours. Unfortunately, David didn't count on the lions being sportsmanlike, and found himself getting shot through the right shoulder from behind. The bullet tears through David's body entirely, leaving an entrance and exit wound. Juno is horrified at how terrible of a turn this is, but Louis is still shook and breathing heavier. Ibuki would show concern now as well for Louis' well being