He is a devil….
The wolf had reached the limit of its mutation. Its body swelled to almost the height of a tree beside it, its steps heavy and labored as bones protruded from its skin.
"Retreat slowly..." Noah said, his voice trembling as he fought back horror.
Suddenly, particles of multicolored light enveloped them all, pushing their bodies back gently yet firmly. Allen stepped forward, passing through the protective light barrier. His hand shone brightly with the gathered energy of his stellar magic, his face displaying a seriousness and focus Noah had never seen before.
"I will hold it here," Allen stated, his voice firm and without hesitation. He glanced slightly behind him. "Go, find help!"
What is he thinking?! Noah thought inwardly, his eyes fixed tensely on Allen's back.
"What are you talking about?! We go home together!" Noah snapped.
"Can't you see the situation?" Allen retorted, his tone flat yet piercing.
"I know you're strong! But! This is different. I won't go!!" Noah snapped again, his breath catching instantly. But inside, anxiety ran rampant. But what can I do?
"It's moving!!" Haru shouted, breaking the tension.
The creature began to move. Its deep, unnatural roar echoed, sounding more like a monster than a wolf.
Allen reacted immediately. He compressed his small stars into solid projectiles and launched them in a rapid barrage.
"Fall back!!"
Haru, though his hands trembled, joined the attack. A spiral of fire whirled wildly from his palm, striking the wolf's body and forcing it back a step.
Allen didn't stop. With full concentration, he formed a long spear from his stellar particles. With a powerful throw, the spear shot forth and embedded itself in the second mouth on the wolf's neck. His relentless attacks continued to wound and gouge the creature's body. Allen even manipulated stones from the surrounding cliffside, hurling them wreathed in his Star Magic's power.
Am I just going to stand here and watch? Noah muttered in his heart, his eyes staring blankly at his own palms. Am I useless?
However, unexpectedly, the wolf began to adapt. Its wounds bled but slowly began to close. It started moving again, slower but more determined. Sweat poured profusely down Allen's forehead, his breath becoming ragged.
With a swift and brutal slashing motion, the wolf attacked. Allen tried to dodge, his body reinforced by his magical aura, but the monster's speed was nearly unmatched.
It's true, I am strong for my age... Allen thought, moving his hands deftly to form a star shield. But here, right now... I feel so powerless.
The mutant wolf continued to target Allen, as if provoked by his persistent attacks. Haru tried to help by throwing small fireballs from a distance—the only thing he could do while keeping his distance.
Am I just going to watch and stay quiet here? Be useful! Become useful! Noah's thoughts spun desperately as he watched Allen become increasingly cornered, trapped by the high cliff behind him.
Then, his eyes caught a stone the size of his fist. In a sudden movement, he broke through Allen's barrier. I am not a weakling who needs constant protection!
He successfully broke through, grabbed the stone, and ran away from Sena.
One throw. I have to hit its eye. If not-. His muscles tensed. With precision and all his strength, he threw the stone.
BAM!
The stone hit squarely in the wolf's right eye. The creature howled in pain and turned its face away from Allen.
"Come here, you damn wolf! Chase me!" Noah yelled, his voice full of challenge.
The wolf was completely provoked. From the start, Noah was its prey. With heavy, lumbering steps, it pursued Noah.
"Fool! What is he doing?!" Allen hissed, his breath labored.
Noah ran to the left, towards a cliff with a pile of large, seemingly unstable boulders on top. He stopped and taunted it. "Come here!"
The wolf swung its claw. Noah dove to the left. The second claw strike hit the cliffside. At that moment, the foundational rocks holding the boulders rumbled and began to collapse, burying the wolf.
"It worked!!" Noah exclaimed.
Allen and Haru stared wide-eyed.
"That kid..." Allen uttered.
"Noah did it!" Haru said.
However, in the ensuing moment of silence, the wolf moved again. With terrifying strength, it shattered the rocks pinning it and roared until the very earth shook.
No... Am I going to die here?!
The wolf took a step forward, then—
SRRIIINK!!!
A tremendous force of magical energy came from above, pressing down on the wolf until it nearly crumpled to the ground.
Noah looked up to the cliff top. A figure in a robe emblazoned with the Arcadium symbol stood there. "Finally... help has arrived!"
With a movement swift as lightning, the mage shot towards the still-pinned wolf and with a mighty magical kick, slammed it into the right-side cliff face, shattering the rocks to pieces.
The wolf rose and opened its mouth wide to roar. At that moment, a sword of light appeared and pierced through its upper snout, driving straight into its brain.
So this is the power of a senior mage? Noah thought, awestruck.
The wolf fell still, its head lifted towards the sky with its maw agape, impaled by the light sword that slowly faded.
Then, from above, descended a woman in the same Arcadium robe. Delicate, living roots extended from her, lifting two special containers holding the bodies of the unfortunate hunters.
The woman turned and looked at Noah. "Are you alright, child?" her voice sounded soft and calming, a contrast to the power she had just displayed.
Noah could only nod stiffly, his mouth sealed shut. Haru and the others immediately approached him.
"Noah, are you okay?" asked Haru.
"I... I'm okay," Noah answered.
At that moment, roots crept beneath them. Then, a dome of energy formed a protective shield around them.
"Stay there. Your wounds will heal shortly," said the female mage.
Noah was momentarily startled but finally calmed down. His eyes remained fixed on the mage who had defeated the wolf. Several other mage companions began to arrive, assessing the situation.
"What is this? A wolf?" asked one of the newcomers, reaching out to touch the carcass.
"Don't touch it!" warned the mage named Arthur, his voice firm and authoritative. "It's severely mutated by Abyss energy…"
"What do you mean, Arthur?" asked his companion, pulling his hand back.
"Look," Arthur said, pointing towards the carcass. "Abyss energy is still emanating from its body. This has never happened before. We will take this wolf carcass for research."
Then Arthur approached Noah and the others. "Besides the wolf, did you see any other animals acting strangely or emitting purple energy?" he asked seriously.
Sena immediately answered, "A butterfly! I saw a purple-glowing butterfly that led me into this forest."
Arthur fell silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing in concentration. Then, with a subtle movement, his right hand rose as if directing something into the distance.
Sing!
A small shape of light energy shot out at high speed, piercing through the gaps in the trees and directly striking the purple-energized butterfly perched on a leaf far away.
Noah and the others were amazed by his incredible precision and instinct.
"Wow, Big Brother is really amazing," said the female mage who had carried the bodies, who turned out to be Arthur's sister, her tone full of admiration.
His ability was truly remarkable. Noah felt awe, yet a slight envy crept into his heart.
"Kaito, secure that butterfly," Arthur ordered one of his teammates.
Kaito nodded, and with a smooth hand motion, he made the butterfly's carcass float above his palm, encased in a preservative energy, without needing to touch it directly.
Arthur then walked closer to the mutant wolf's carcass, his eyes squinting in deep concentration. Then he realized something. "Foolish!" he exclaimed suddenly. "If this wolf truly mutated from Abyss energy... there must be a Rift around here!"
Noah heard this. His eyes widened. A terrifying realization struck him. A Rift?
At that very moment, the ground beneath their feet shook violently, rattling them until they nearly lost their balance. From within the dense forest, abyssal purple light began to blaze from fissures in the earth, illuminating the sudden darkness that enveloped the sky. The atmosphere turned ominous and overcast.
"We have to get out of here, now!" Allen yelled, his voice almost drowned out by the rumble.
"Brother! I'll get these children to safety!" said the female mage—Elara—to Arthur.
Arthur gave a brief nod, not taking his eyes off the source of the purple light. "Do it! Quickly!"
"Alright, follow me! We'll take the path between those two cliffs. It's the only way!" Elara commanded, pointing towards the narrow gorge between the rock walls.
They ran as fast as they could, breaths ragged, illuminated by the oppressive purple light from behind. And just as they were about to reach the mouth of the gorge—
HAHAHAHA!!
A loud, deep, and intimidating laugh echoed, filling the entire forest space. Noah couldn't help but look back.
In the distance, right at the center of the Abyss light's radiance, a figure began to emerge. A devil in humanoid form. A pitch-black aura shrouded its entire body, except for its chest and face, which were deathly white like a skull. Its eyes glowed with a cold red light. Two thin horns rose from its temples, and wide, bat-like wings spread menacingly from its back. The devil slowly rose into the air, accompanied by a terrifying smile that revealed a row of sharp, pointed teeth.
"Hello, humans."