Before stepping into the battlefield, I quietly inscribed several additional rune arrays beneath the fallen leaves and loose earth.
Their pale blue glow flickered for only a heartbeat before disappearing beneath the forest floor.
Rune Magic: Trigger Trap.
Just in case.
Several Chain Runes lay hidden beneath the wolves’ likely approach routes.
They wouldn’t hold powerful monsters for long, but even a single second was enough to turn the tide of battle.
Always prepare a way out.
And if everything collapsed those hidden runes would become my Plan out.
Only after every preparation was complete did I tighten my grip around my black staff and slowly approach the clearing.
The clash before me was far more brutal than I had expected.
The White Tiger stood at the center of the battlefield like a king refusing to kneel.
White fur, once immaculate, had been dyed crimson by countless wounds.
Every breath came out ragged, every swing of its enormous claws carved deep trenches into the earth, yet the surrounding Grey Wolves never stopped.
They circled.
Retreated.
Then attacked together.
Not beasts driven by hunger but Hunters.
They were waiting for the tiger to tire.
As I observed from a distance, the White Tiger suddenly turned its massive head toward me.
Our eyes met.
A deep growl echoed throughout the forest.
The sound alone made birds flee from the trees.
It wasn’t aimed at the wolves.
It was aimed at me.
Its golden eyes burned with unmistakable intent.
Leave Or I’ll kill you too.
“…You’re smarter than I thought.”
The way it controlled the battlefield, The way it watched every wolf.
That wasn’t instinct alone.
It was thinking.
Maybe it could even understand words, mother told me some monster understand words like for example the Vulcans.
Taking a slow breath, I lowered my staff slightly to show I had no intention of attacking it.
“I’m not your enemy,” I called out, keeping my voice calm despite the tension.
“I only need those Grey Wolves dead.”
The wolves snarled at my interruption.
I ignored them.
“We both have the same enemy. For now, let’s fight together.”
For several long seconds…
Nothing happened.
The White Tiger simply stared.
Then its growl softened.
Not acceptance.
Not trust.
But, Permission.
It turned away from me and faced the wolves once more.
That single action was enough.
Unfortunately, The wolves were smarter than I had given them credit for.
Two of them had already disappeared into the undergrowth while the tiger’s attention was fixed on me.
A blur of gray exploded from the bushes.
Crunch!
Their fangs buried themselves into the tiger’s back.
The White Tiger roared in agony.
With tremendous force, it threw its massive body onto the ground, rolling violently across the ground.
Trees shook.
Dust erupted into the air.
One wolf wasn’t fast enough.
Its ribs collapsed beneath the immense weight with a sickening crack before its body went limp.
The other barely escaped, though not without leaving behind a trail of blood.
“That’s my cue.”
Astral energy surged through my Staff.
The runes beneath my feet ignited.
Rune Magic: Bolt.
Blue spears of condensed mana shot through the forest like streaks of lightning.
One…
Three…
Five.
The bolts struck several wolves squarely in the shoulders and ribs.
Instead of piercing through, they merely hurled the beasts backward.
“…Tch.”
Their hides were tougher than expected.
These weren’t ordinary Grey Wolves.
No wonder even the White Tiger was struggling.
Almost immediately, five wolves abandoned the tiger and turned toward me.
Perfect.
Less pressure for my temporary ally.
Without hesitation, I drew another rune into the air.
Rune Magic: Bolt.
This time, I aimed lower.
The glowing projectiles slammed into their front legs instead of their torsos.
Two wolves cried out in pain as their knees buckled.
Their momentum faltered.
Exactly what I wanted.
The remaining three continued charging.
Their speed was terrifying.
But, exactly as I predicted.
The moment the leading wolf lunged, I shifted sideways with Astral Stride.
Its claws barely grazed the hem of my coat.
My staff came crashing down.
CRACK!
The reinforced staff smashed directly against the side of its neck.
The impact sent the beast skidding across the dirt, howling in pain.
Another wolf leaped from behind.
I never looked back.
My body moved on instinct.
The opposite end of my staff whipped backward into its jaw with explosive force before I pivoted, using the recoil to shove the dazed beast directly into the third charging wolf.
The two collided in a tangled heap.
Now!
The runes hidden beneath the soil flared brilliantly.
Rune Magic: Chains.
Dozens of glowing chains erupted from the earth like venomous serpents.
They wrapped around legs, necks, and torsos.
Three wolves found themselves pinned to the ground before they even understood what had happened.
I didn’t waste the opportunity.
The two wounded wolves, the ones struck in the legs earlier, were still trying to regain their footing.
I dashed forward.
A rune circle spun before the tip of my staff.
Rune Magic: Pierce.
A lance of condensed mana erupted forward.
One wolf twisted away at the last second.
The other wasn’t fast enough.
The spear of mana drove cleanly through its skull.
The body collapsed without even a final cry.
The surviving wolf attempted to flee.
I flicked another rune into existence.
Bolt.
The projectile slammed into its side. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
It tumbled across the ground several times before finally lying still.
One breath.
No hesitation.
I spun back toward the trapped wolves.
The first was still struggling against the glowing chains.
My staff pierced forward.
Rune Magic: Pierce.
Straight through the throat.
Another fell.
The chains began flickering.
“…Already?”
Of course.
Trigger Runes couldn’t sustain powerful bindings forever.
With a loud metallic shatter, the remaining chains dissolved into countless motes of blue light.
The last two wolves burst free.
They attacked immediately.
One lunged low.
The other aimed for my neck.
I batted the first aside with a sweeping strike of my staff.
The second was faster.
Its jaws snapped shut only inches from my face.
Clang!
A translucent rune barrier blossomed from the inscriptions engraved onto my gloves.
The wolf’s fangs scraped harmlessly across the shimmering shield.
Its surprise lasted only an instant.
Long enough.
Pierce.
A spear of mana burst through its chest.
Before the final wolf could retreat…
Another followed.
Its body crumpled beside the others.
Silence gradually reclaimed the forest.
Broken only by heavy breathing.
Mine, The White Tiger’s and the rustling leaves stirred by the wind.
“…Damn…”
My vision blurred for a moment.
Every muscle screamed in protest.
Maintaining Enhancement while continuously using Astral Stride had drained my mana far faster than I anticipated.
Each breath felt heavier than the last.
Cold sweat dripped down my forehead.
I tightened my grip on the staff despite my trembling hands.
“I’m running out of magic…”
Slowly, I turned toward the remaining battlefield.
The wolves weren’t finished yet.
Neither was I.
So this, Had to end now.
The stench of blood grew stronger with every step I took toward the cave.
The battlefield was almost unrecognizable.
Torn earth, shattered stone, and crimson-soaked patches of grass stretched in every direction.
Grey wolf corpses lay scattered like discarded rags, their once-ferocious howls replaced by an eerie silence.
Only four remained.
The White Tiger stood at the center of the carnage, its breathing ragged.
Deep claw marks carved across its muscular body, and nearly every strand of its pristine white fur had been stained scarlet.
Yet despite its condition, its golden eyes never lost their fierce brilliance.
I deliberately slowed my pace.
Every second mattered.
While walking, I quietly regulated my breathing, allowing my dwindling reserves of Ether to recover, even if only by a little.
Charging in recklessly now would only throw away the advantage we had earned.
When I was close enough, I stopped several meters away from the tiger.
“Our alliance is still on, right?” I asked calmly.
“I only need to kill these remaining Grey Wolves. After that, you can do whatever you wish. Is that acceptable?”
The enormous beast stared at me for a long moment.
Then, to my surprise…
It nodded.
“…You can really understand me.”
My eyes widened.
It spoke, maybe.
Not through instinct.
through some strange feeling.
For a brief second, my thoughts froze.
Magic beasts capable of speech were exceptionally rare.
Father had once mentioned them in passing, saying that only creatures possessing extraordinary intelligence or immense magical power could communicate with humans.
Before I could even ask another question, the tiger simply looked away.
Apparently, satisfying my curiosity wasn’t high on its list of priorities.
“…Guess that’s all I’m getting.”
I shifted my attention to the remaining wolves.
Two immediately turned toward me.
The other two continued circling the White Tiger.
Unlike the ordinary Grey Wolves I’d fought before, these monsters were enormous.
Their shoulders nearly reached my chest, muscles bulging beneath thick gray fur scarred by countless battles.
Their crimson eyes burned with intelligence rather than blind savagery.
Alphas.
No wonder they had survived until the very end.
I slowly lowered my stance.
Astral Stride continued coursing through my body, every heartbeat sharpening my senses until the world seemed to slow.
The distance…
The terrain…
The angle…
Everything fell into place.
The instant they entered my range—
“Rune Magic… Bolt.”
Two brilliant streaks of azure light exploded from my fingertips.
They weren’t meant to kill.
Only to distract.
The wolves instinctively dodged the incoming projectiles, exactly as I’d expected.
During that tiny opening, my left hand slammed against the ground.
“Chain Array.”
Dozens of glowing runes spread beneath the dirt before vanishing completely.
A trap.
My real attack.
Without giving them another moment to react, I kicked off the ground with every ounce of strength in my legs.
The forest blurred.
Leaves exploded behind me.
I shot forward like an arrow released from its bow.
“Pierce!”
My spear thrust forward, wrapped in concentrated magic power.
The Alpha Wolf barely managed to widen its eyes before the point slammed directly into its abdomen.
BOOM!
The impact lifted the massive beast completely off its feet.
Its body crashed backward, smashing through broken stone before slamming violently against the cave wall hard enough to send cracks racing across its surface.
The wolf coughed blood.
It had never expected a human child to possess such overwhelming momentum.
But there wasn’t time to admire the result.
Its jaws opened wide enough to crush my arm in a single bite.
Too late.
I smiled.
“You stepped exactly where I wanted.”
The hidden runes beneath its feet ignited.
Chains erupted from the earth like living serpents.
CLANG!
One wrapped around its foreleg.
Another coiled around its neck.
Two more locked around its hind legs.
The Alpha Wolf howled furiously, muscles bulging as it struggled against the restraints.
The enchanted chains groaned under the strain.
It was stronger than the others.
Much stronger.
They wouldn’t hold forever.
But, they only needed to hold for a second.
I twisted my body and drove my staff straight through its throat.
The wolf’s struggle ceased almost instantly.
Its massive body collapsed with a heavy thud.
Silence.
At nearly the same moment…
A deafening roar erupted behind me.
The White Tiger had finished its own battle.
The remaining Alpha Wolf lay torn apart beneath its claws.
The victorious roar echoed across the mountains, rolling through the forest like thunder.
Birds scattered into the sky in frightened flocks, while distant monsters fled from the overwhelming pressure carried within that single cry.
I slowly turned.
The White Tiger stood proudly despite its injuries.
Blood dripped steadily from countless wounds.
One ear had been torn.
Several deep gashes stretched across its flank.
Its breathing had become heavy.
Yet even in such a state…
It radiated absolute majesty.
Still…
I didn’t relax.
Not even a little.
Astral Stride remained active.
My staff never lowered.
An injured predator was often more dangerous than a healthy one.
I cautiously approached.
“We won,” I said quietly.
“All I need are the Grey Wolf corpses as proof for my quest. The rest belongs to you.”
The White Tiger regarded me silently.
Then it let out a dismissive snort before turning toward the cave.
I released a quiet breath.
Looks like it had no intention of attacking.
Just as I was about to lower my guard—
Movement.
One of the Alpha Wolves.
Its body had been split open, yet somehow it still clung desperately to life.
With one final burst of hatred, it hurled itself toward the White Tiger in a suicidal charge.
“Watch out!”
Thanks to residue Astral Stride, I reacted before my mind had fully processed what I’d seen.
The world slowed.
I exploded forward.
My feet barely touched the ground.
The distance vanished in an instant.
“Pierce!”
My spell flashed like a streak of silver.
CRACK!
The tip shattered the wolf’s skull before it could reach the White Tiger.
Its lifeless body collapsed at the tiger’s feet.
Silence returned once more.
The White Tiger slowly looked from the corpse…
…to me.
For the first time since we met, surprise flickered across its golden eyes.
I had just saved its life.
The great beast stared for several long seconds before lifting its head.
“ROOOOAAARRRR!!”
This roar was different.
It carried no hostility.
No challenge.
No killing intent.
It sounded almost…
grateful.
Without another glance, the White Tiger disappeared into the darkness of the cave.
Only after its massive figure vanished did I finally allow myself to breathe.
Just a little.
The tension in my shoulders eased, but my grip on my staff remained firm.
There was no guarantee more Grey Wolves weren’t lurking nearby.
Nor could I completely rule out the possibility of the White Tiger changing its mind.
This forest was still dangerous.
I couldn’t afford complacency.
Working quickly, I gathered the corpses.
Unfortunately, my sling bag could only carry fifteen.
I prioritized the Alpha Wolves and the largest adults, leaving the smaller carcasses behind.
Once everything was packed away, I looked toward the cave entrance one last time.
“I left a few recovery potions near the entrance,” I called out loudly.
My voice echoed into the darkness.
“If you decide to use them, they’re yours. They’re safe.”
I smiled faintly.
“I swear it upon the name of my guild. Fairy Tail.”
No response came.
Only silence.
Maybe the tiger ignored me.
Maybe it was listening.
Either way, I had done what I could.
The sun was already dipping below the mountains, painting the sky in shades of crimson and orange.
Without wasting another second, I tightened the strap of my heavy bag and sprinted toward Magnolia.
.
.
.
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<Hey!
New Author here!
i just want to tell anyone who is reading this, thank you for taking a little time for reading my creation, this is just a little hobby for me.
hope you enjoy it and any comment, suggestion and opinion don’t be shy to tell me.
just be kind as much as possible that’s it thank you and i hope you have a nice day!>
<sorry for slight delay, this is my second time doing fight scene i hope its as good as i imagine it to be, but if you have any suggestions or opinion about do tell me.
I am willing to listen to it.
thank you and have a nice day!>