The brothers were about a dozen yards away when the new creature pounced on top of the rge boar. It was a reasonable distance where they were close enough to see it and far away enough to run away if needed. The boar was nothing to scoff at being about the size of a cow. But the new creature towered over the rge pig with a staggering stature that made Danny look like a child in comparison. (It might have been 7 or 8 feet tall) James thought. It stood atop its prey seemingly crushing the pig under its foot. (Did two different breeds inhabit this small ecosystem?) James was intrigued by its odd simirity to the wolfmen that inhabited this dungeon but different at the same time.

  Distinct from the common Dogeman, besides the towering stature, it was far bulkier, heavier and had a significant hunch in its back. If the others were somewhere between 80-90% human-looking, this one was roughly 60%. The skull seemed to be in a different orientation than the others more towards the back of its skull than the underside (like humans). Even the ribcage looked like a combination of human width and canine depth. As the beast finished off its prey it hunched over on all fours before it began eating, tearing into the boar's flesh from its soft belly with its teeth with little effort.

  “What in the hell is that!” Danny tried his best to whisper.

  “The Alpha I suppose,” James responded his jovial attitude repced by seeing the Alpha. He continued "We should go before that thing notices." While sticking his arm out waiting for the screen to respond. However, before the doorway approached a deep growl-

  *GGRRRRW*

  could be heard from the beast as it pulled is blood covered maw out from inside the boar. Both grew wary as the beast turned its face in their direction. “Get ready. I think it noticed us.” James said before, dirt was kicked up behind it as it took off in their direction. Neither of the brothers wasted time waiting for the giant to close in on them quickly aiming their guns before pulling the trigger.

  *BANG*

  The first shots rang out. However, the impact of the two shots didn't seem to slow it down, seemingly doing nothing. That didn't stop them as a flurry of shots rang out.

  *BANG*

  *BANG*

  *BANG*

  *BANG*

  They kept firing as the beast approached however none of their shots seemingly had any effect. “Fuck” The brothers said in unison as the hulking wolf pounced on them.

  Now that it was right on top of them they got a better look. The rge, bck-furred beast was bigger than a bear and stood more than a head taller than Danny. Its bulky body was covered in a thick, shaggy, and unkempt coat that was far heavier than the others, it was covered in heavy amounts of mud that matted down the fur, and there were some twigs and leaves here and there within the mud. From the looks of it, it seemed like their shots did have an effect as there were burn marks and holes in its fur but due to the heavy amounts of padding, this dirty fur coat had protected the beast from their gunfire.

  The beast stared down at them with its rge yellow eyes that could barely be seen beneath the mass of fur that draped from its head. Beneath was the crimson blood-covered maw that housed rows of long sharp teeth as it bared them at the brothers. It looked down on the two strange beings before swiping them with its arm, tossing them aside like ragdolls. Sparks flew from the brother's metal skin as they were tossed aside, as did their firearms.

  After a fast recovery, picking himself up James quickly noticed that they were thrown in two different directions tearing up the nearby foliage, and were unched away from their guns in the process. Due to the effects of the Metal Mushrooms their bodies gained a hard metal coating or shell (James wasn't sure what to call it yet) additionally the added weight that came with the metal. It was enough to cause their bodies to sink into the ground, so it was a significant increase. "Does that thing have super strength?" When he looked back over towards it his eyes scanned as quickly as he could he noticed that unlike the others, whose cws would shatter when striking their skin, the Alpha's looked unchanged.

  While he looked at the Alpha he also noticed one of the guns sticking out of a strange pnt and Danny was lucky enough to be closer to the guns. "Danny! Get the guns! As for you, come get me!" James taunted trying to get the rge wolf monster after him, to his surprise that little taunt seemed to have annoyed it, as it smashed its hands against the ground before it started to tear its way toward him.

  While James took off running to distract the beast, Danny didn't have time to argue as he started searching for the guns. Tearing away at the pnts he hurriedly searched. When he got to where he thought they were he dropped to all fours and started combing through the brush in search of them. In the meantime, James was barely able to keep distance from the beast. When Danny found one of the guns, he discovered that it was now bent and unusable. "Why did you have to be broken." Danny mented. As he looked over the bent shotgun he noticed a short distance away something metal was sticking out from one of the odd ferns. Grabbing the gun and tearing it out from the fern, "Found it!" He shouted as he turned around to see how his brother was faring.

  James had been caught by the hulking wolf, holding him by his leg he was brought to the beast's muzzle and sniffed. “When’s the st time you brushed your teeth?” James winced from the smell. The beast opened its mouth licking the strange creature in front of it.

  Danny watched the Alpha lick James' face while trying his best to aim. (Where should I hit it!?) The shots they took so far had little effect if they had any at all. "I got it!" If he couldn't kill it he should try to immobilize it. Instead of aiming for its torso and the thick fur that covered it, Danny aimed for its leg.

  *BaNg*

  The sound rang out with big success. The slug penetrated the monster's calf creating a rge hole and the wound had already started pouring blood. But, instead of crippling the beast, it seemed only enraged it instead. With its fangs bared it turned towards Danny once again releasing the strange guttural growl *GRRWWWW*.

  With the beat focused on something else it didn't even notice, when James took advantage of its distraction pulling out the sidearm from his holster and sticking it up against the beast's eye.

  *Pop*

  "GRRAWW!" The beast shrieked before throwing James aside again as it struggled with the ringing in its head. While the beast was thrashing about just before he was tossed away James saw something that looked like bones or teeth hanging from its neck.

  Picking himself off the ground James sprinted towards his brother trying to get the screen open on the way. On his tail the Alpha flew into a mad frenzy as it charged at him from behind. "Look out!" James heard his brother call out as he jumped to avoid the Alpha's mindless rampage its cws tearing up the ground in its wake. (This... This feels like real-life Monster Hunter...) James thought as another shot rang out.

  *bANg*

  Then another

  *BanG*

  And another

  *BAng*

  With James in the lead followed closely behind by the raging Alpha, Danny began to unload on the beast as they got closer. "Why won't you just go down already!" Danny compined as he continued to fire.

  *BaNg*BaNg*BaNg*

  With more shots ringing out the Alpha had grown tired of the pain and the loud noise that came with each shot. It gave up chasing James and started towards the one causing it the most anguish; Danny. The beast charged past James aiming straight for Danny, just as the beast contacted his metal skin a cracking noise could be heard. As Danny was unched away towards one of the thick tree trunks.

  "Ack!" After a few seconds, Danny quickly regained consciousness, he had just been unched into a tree. Snapping back he also noticed the metal coating that covered him had cracked apart and there was now a hole in the metal in the center of his chest. It seemed that the 'Soft Armor' James prepared negated the impact, but he still got the wind knocked out of him as he hit the tree. While trying to catch his breath he noticed the cracks in the metal were beginning to spread. “The buff is wearing off!!” he shouted, only to see the Alpha charging at him on all fours. Seeing the sight in front of him Danny braced himself for the inevitable only to stick his arms out as a st resort. But death did not come.

  Due to the Alpha’s charging speed, weakened by the barrage of bullets that filled its body instead of crashing into him with its full force Danny's metal arms had ended up lodged within its shoulders. "Stay back!" Danny commanded as the beast rabidly tried to bite him while his arms continued to sink into its shoulders. "Your breath really is awful."

  Seeing what was happening James sped up his pace while searching his Item bag that hung from his hip for anything he could use. The moment he felt something he grabbed it, pulling it free only to see; his neglected zanpakuto. He had been busy with other things and it had fallen to the wayside. Given the situation, it wasn't the worst object he could have pulled but, when James tried to pull it free from the scabbard, it wouldn’t budge. “Son of a- Fine! If you don’t want to come out then you better be able to cut!” Firmly grasping hold of the hilt with both hands while he ran "Kick it on the count of three!"

  "1"

  "2"

  "3"

  Danny put as much force as he could into his legs as he kicked the beast off his arms. While James seemed to appear right between them smming a katana against the Alpha's neck. As the bck scabbard made contact with the beast's windpipe a bck afterimage followed the sharp side of the bde and somehow the sheathed sword smoothly cut through the beast’s neck.

  With the beast’s head parted from its neck, the head tumbled down while the crimson liquid began to pour out from its neck, spshing Danny in the process.

  END

  Alpha Doge, hehehe