*Crackle! Crackle!*
The Crimson Fire morphed into a sword, raging in my hand as if it wanted to burn the whole world alive.
With a single slash, I sent flames licking through the fluttering leaves around us.
The last tree wolf fell, reverting to its original form.. a tree. It would've been foolish to let it morph back, so I ended it quickly.
I let the fire vanish and drew the elemental swords hanging at my waist.
Pure elemental weapons, though powerful, devoured Heka fast.
Channeling fire into the elemental sword, its blade ignited with fierce intensity, a blaze powerful but contained.
"So? What exactly are we dealing with here?" I glanced at the massive wolf standing in front of us. "And what did you do to make him so crazy for your blood?"
"It's the guardian of this forest, though weak and old now," Toby said, his gaze fixed on the creature. "And I didn't do anything to anger him… not anything that I remember, anyway."
He continued, "He probably saw us as a threat and decided to take the initiative. I was in an illusion, and if I hadn't snapped out of it just in time… I don't know what might've happened."
"An illusion, huh? That explains why it took you so long and why you didn't send any signals."
"Uh-huh." He glanced at me, his voice softening. "I've got a hunch... you and your mother might've been under its protection too."
"What? Then why would it attack us?"
"Technically, not us. He didn't attack you, only me. From his perspective, I'm just an outsider trespassing on his territory."
The battle was at a standstill.
Both sides.. us and the wolf, were weighing each other, trying to read our next moves.
My gaze locked with the wolf's, and I saw something like recognition and hesitation in its eyes.
I didn't remember any wolf from my childhood, much less a guardian, but those eyes told a different story.
Maybe Toby was right.
"Sirius?" Toby asked, looking around as if searching for someone.
"She's safe. Don't worry," I said before he could ask.
I knew he was asking about Sylvie.
"I see. I trust your judgment fully on this. She's your daughter, after all, and you'd die before letting her come to harm," he replied.
"That's what family is." I smiled warmly. "My life isn't just mine anymore."
The guardian hadn't attacked yet. I wasn't a mind reader, but I could see he was clearly conflicted.
"Anything you want to warn me about?" I asked, keeping a serious tone.
"Illusions won't work anymore, and his speed is—" Toby's words were cut off as a tremor shook the ground beneath us.
The guardian obviously wasn't going to wait for us to finish our chat.
Roots burst from the ground, twisting and lunging toward us.
I moved instinctively, swinging my sword in a sweeping arc that severed them all in a single stroke.
It wasn't difficult; the roots felt almost like a…
" A distraction."
My gaze went up immediately.
As if he'd finally made up his mind, the guardian charged.
His speed was staggering, and the impact of his steps made the nearby trees quake, as if they might be torn from the earth by his force alone.
We looked at each other, then dodged in opposite directions.
This way, the guardian would have to choose one of us, leaving his back exposed to the other.
We both figured the wolf's target would be obvious - Toby.
So, I was taken aback when he turned toward me.
His eyes narrowed, his entire demeanor shifting.
The hesitation I'd seen moments ago was nowhere to be found.
"Sirius!" Toby shouted, his voice echoing.
My body moved on instinct as I rolled to the side.
Even a second's hesitation could prove lethal in a heated battle. One break in concentration, and it would all be over.
The guardian attacked me relentlessly, his sharp claws slashing at me as if to shred my skin to ribbons.
Left claw, then right. He even lunged forward to bite.
*Step! Step! Step! Step!*
*Clang! Clink! Clash!*
*Step! Step! Step! Step!*
*Clink! Clash! Clang!*
I did what was needed.. parried, dodged, and countered.
Gracefully, I moved, shifting from one foot to the other.
This fight was different from when I faced the creature that controlled Lily.
Back then, I'd barely kept it together; my thoughts were tangled, and seeing her twisted form had shattered something inside me.
I was just fighting for survival.. I was fighting to protect the one thing that still tied me to this world.. my daughter, Sylvie.
Today, I was in control of my body and my mind.
Knowing Sylvie was safe eased my mind, allowing me to focus entirely on the battle.
Toby wasn't idle either.
From a distance, he lobbed elemental bombs at the wolf.
With the guardian focused on me, dodging them was harder.
That was the plan. But the guardian wasn't a forest protector for nothing.
Even while charging, he dodged most of the bombs.
For the few he couldn't avoid, nearby vines and trees absorbed the blasts.
Not a single bomb landed a solid hit; the wolf seemed unaffected.
With our plan failing, and the relentless assault of the beast increasing... I decided to reunite with Toby and try a close-range assault.
We were both skilled at close combat.
Instead of backing away, I tried to circle around the wolf.
But as if sensing my intent, he blocked my path again and again.
* Shing!! *
My sword and his claws met, and I was still trying to go past him.. but to no avail.
There was no way around him, no circling back to the forest.
This was his domain, and charging in blind would be like walking straight into his jaws.
Only one risky idea came to mind.
Maybe there were safer, smarter strategies.
Maybe I could've fought him alone.
But overpowering a forest guardian on his own turf was futile.
The entire forest was at his command.. for some reason, he just wasn't using it.
Maybe he was injured, but I felt there was more to it.
He was deliberately holding back.
I had no idea why, nor did I intend to provoke him to unleash his full strength.
So, I went with the one strategy that came to me.
Tensing my glutes, hamstrings, and calves, I readied my stance, covering my lower body with Heka.
Then, I charged straight at the guardian.
And it ran towards me.
"What are you doi-" Toby's shout reached me, but I didn't let it distract me. My mind was set; any lapse would be fatal.
We were only meters apart now, and I glanced at Toby who was running just behind the wolf.
His eyes spoke something, and mine did the same.
Me and the beast were now almost head on and just as death seemed imminent, I slid beneath the guardian.
My plan was simple.. slide under him and reach Toby on the other side.
But the wolf was no ordinary beast. Sensing my move, he tried to lower himself, aiming to crush me beneath his weight.
The sudden halt didn't come without cost. I heard a sickening crack.. likely his front knees giving way.
But he endured, his focus fixed on me.
As his massive body loomed closer, I stared into the face of death.
It was now or never. Either I'd make it past him, or I'd be crossing over into another world.