Lily looked up at the Fox Lord, who was floating in midair with all nine of his tails spread out, each one lit with blue flames at the tips.
The air was indeed getting far too hot for anyone to bear, and all the fox beastfolks around them were already trying to run away as Ren prepared to attack.
Though Lily could not fully grasp the danger, the reaction of the crowd and the fact that Ren had lost his usual smirk and playful banter, replacing them with a hostile expression directed at Gareth, told her enough.
He was actually going to kill Gareth.
Meanwhile, Gareth, still in his black wolf form, was blinded by rage and did not seem to care about the attack that might very well kill him.
Naturally, Lily refused to let Gareth get hurt.
“Gareth!
Run!” But Gareth did not listen.
He simply bared his fangs at Ren, looking around as he tried to find a way to reach the Fox Lord, who had flown far too high for him to attack.
“Gareth!
He’s not your match.
That man is too dangerous!” “GRRRHH!” Gareth turned toward her, still baring his fangs.
Lily had thought he would at least listen to his best friend’s advice, but instead, he seemed to become even angrier after hearing her words.
Lily was actually scared of Gareth in his wolf form.
She had encountered plenty of wolves in the Great Forest, and none of them had ever been friendly toward her.
It had been a shock at first to see Gareth in this form, but then she realized that he was still Gareth because those deep blue eyes remained the same.
Staring into them gave Lily strength, reminding her that her big brother figure was here.
“Hmph, what an idiot,” Ren muttered before throwing all nine blue flames at once.
The flames were so hot that Lily felt as though her skin could melt from the heat alone.
Yet, when she saw that Gareth did not move at all, as if he were ready to face his death head-on, she was the one who moved instead.
Lily jumped toward the big wolf and sat on top of him.
“What are you doing?!” Gareth, who had been growling and howling the entire time, finally spoke.
He tried to shake her off so she would not get burned to death, but Lily locked her arms tightly around his neck.
“Get off me, Lily!” “I don’t want you to die, you idiot!
If you don’t want to back away from those fires, then at least back away so I won’t die!” Lily yelled back at him.
She did not fully understand his feelings or all the reasons why he had come here to take her back.
But if Gareth found her important enough to risk his life for, then surely this should be enough to force him to save himself as well.
Gareth had actually been prepared to take all those flames before rushing forward for a sneak attack on Ren once he let his guard down.
At most, he would be severely burned, perhaps to the point that his face would become unrecognizable, but that bastard fox would have some nasty scars as well.
It would be a fair trade for what he had done to Lily.
But with Lily hugging his neck so tightly, he had no choice but to back away and try to dodge all the blue flames.
He managed to avoid most of them, allowing the flames to instead set the entire East Fox Clan camp ablaze.
Yet, Gareth’s body began to weaken after dodging the seventh flame, and the eighth finally struck his leg.
“GRAAHH!” Gareth grimaced in pain and limped, desperately trying to extinguish the blue flame clinging to his leg.
Seeing the blue flame, Lily was about to slap it repeatedly with her bare hand until it died out.
Her hands would be burned, of course, but that would be better than seeing Gareth in pain.
However, Gareth quickly intercepted her.
“Don’t touch it!
The flame will move to your skin instead!” Lily’s hand halted in midair.
She looked at the wolf who was obviously enduring incredible pain, and then she made her decision.
She was about to smack the fire away from Gareth’s leg when a pale but strong hand suddenly gripped her wrist.
She looked up and met Ren’s angry gaze.
“Did you not hear him?
The flame will move to your skin, and you’ll lose an arm.” “But, Gareth…” “I’m fine!” Gareth responded, still enduring the pain of being burned to the bone.
“But you…
you’re an idiot for wanting to lose an arm over this.” “You are my best friend!
My big brother!
What’s wrong with helping my family?!” Lily argued back.
Ren clicked his tongue.
He had been ready to kill this filthy mutt in the heat of battle, but seeing this stupid woman clinging so tightly to Gareth’s back threw him off completely, ruining his focus.
As a result, the supposedly condensed blue flames that could burn anything to ashes became nothing more than a simple spark.
Somehow, their life-and-death battle had faltered midway because of this woman’s intervention.
“Only I can extinguish the flame,” Ren said.
“Then, please…” “But why should I?” Ren grinned.
“It’s him who challenged me, after all, knowing that he doesn’t even have half the strength he used to have.” Gareth bared his fangs, enduring the ever-burning pain in his leg.
He tried to raise his claws to attack, but Lily quickly hugged his neck so tightly as if she were trying to rein him in.
“Stop, Gareth!
Attacking him will only get you hurt even more!” Lily chided.
“Your little woman gets it,” Ren scoffed.
“If you want me to take away that fire, you have to get off him first, little woman.” “No!” Gareth said immediately.
He turned around, wanting to run into the forest and bring Lily back to the West Wolf Pack.
But before he could leap forward, the burning sensation in his leg became too painful, forcing him to limp.
Seeing Gareth trying to endure so much pain, Lily decisively hopped off his back and walked toward Ren.
“I’m following your order.
Can you put out the fire now?”