Chapter 81 – The Bite That Pierces
The Stillness Before the End
The battlefield had fallen silent. Tens of thousands of men—soldiers of Eisenwald and Eisenmark alike—stood frozen, weapons limp at their sides. All eyes were locked on the center of the field, where two figures remained.
Fenrir Eisenwald, the Crimson Wolf, bloodied and barely standing, his blade cracked, his breath ragged.
Count Valgaard von Eisenmark, the Wolf-Hunter of the North, towering, bleeding heavily from his ribs, his aura flickering wildly.
No one dared to move. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
"Boy…" Valgaard rasped, his voice heavy with disdain. "You've cut me. But I am not yet fallen."
Fenrir spat blood, eyes glowing like dying embers. "I don't need many strikes. Just one. The last one."
---
Valgaard roared, surging forward, greatsword howling.
CLAAANG!
Fenrir's sword caught the blow, his legs buckling beneath the weight. Blood spilled from his reopened wounds.
CRAAASH!
The second swing ripped through Fenrir's side, forcing a strangled cry from his throat.
THUUD!
The third impact shattered the ground, cracks spiderwebbing across the earth.
Yet still—Fenrir did not fall. His red eyes gleamed, a wolf's defiance burning in them.
---
Valgaard's storm-blue aura exploded outward, drowning the field in pressure. Soldiers staggered back, gasping as if crushed beneath waves.
Fenrir answered with fire. His aura surged—lava-red, molten, spilling heat into the air. The ground beneath his feet split and smoked.
The two forces collided, their clash rippling across the battlefield like thunder. Men fell to their knees, clutching their chests from the weight of it.
At the center of the storm, only two men remained standing.
---
Fenrir knew his body had nothing left. His blood loss was critical, his bones cracked, his aura near spent.
This is it. The last gamble.
He loosened his stance, let his blade dip, his shoulders sag as if he could no longer fight.
Valgaard's eyes flared. He lunged, greatsword driving forward toward Fenrir's chest.
But Fenrir stepped into it. The blade tore into his side, flesh and blood exploding—yet it brought him within striking distance.
SHLUUUK!
Fenrir's cracked sword pierced deep into Valgaard's chest, driving straight through his heart.
---
Valgaard's eyes went wide. Blood burst from his lips.
"You… pup… how could you…" His voice rattled, collapsing.
Fenrir whispered, his words laced with steel. "Because I never fought alone. Eisenwald stood behind me."
Valgaard's aura shattered, blue light scattering like broken glass. He stood frozen for a moment, as if in disbelief, then collapsed with a thunderous crash.
DOOOOM!
The Wolf-Hunter of the North was dead.
---
The silence cracked. Eisenwald's soldiers screamed in triumph, voices shaking the heavens.
"Our Baron! Our Crimson Wolf has won!"
Valgaard's soldiers faltered. Many dropped their weapons, others fell to their knees, some turned and fled. The shadow of their lord's fall crushed their will.
Fenrir swayed, knees threatening to give. Viktor, Selene, Garrik, and Lyra rushed toward him, faces pale.
"Baron!" Viktor cried.
Fenrir stabbed his sword into the ground, using it as a crutch. His body trembled, but he forced himself upright.
"The battle… is not over," he rasped. "Secure the field. Do not let them rise again."
---
Fenrir dropped to one knee, vision darkening. But he did not fall completely—his hand still gripped his blade, driven into the earth, holding him upright.
The soldiers of both sides stared, no longer seeing just a young baron. They saw a symbol.
That day, history recorded the rise of the Crimson Wolf.
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Status Panel – Fenrir Eisenwald (After the Duel)
Name: Fenrir Eisenwald
Title: Baron of Eisenwald, The Crimson Wolf
Age: 17
Level: 17
EXP: 18,800 / 32,000 (a surge from slaying Count Valgaard, +2 levels)
Aura: 165 (+15 growth) → Current: 65
Stamina: 160 (+12 growth) → Current: 55
Strength: 118 (+6 growth) → Current: 90
Cunning: 200 (+2)
Charisma: 135 (+10)
Mental Fortitude: 195 (+23)
Condition:
[Near Collapse] → Only standing through sheer aura control.
[Multiple Bleeding Wounds] → Immediate treatment required.
[Aura Burnout Critical] → Recovery will take weeks.
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Status Panel – Count Valgaard von Eisenmark (Death)
Name: Count Valgaard von Eisenmark
Title: Lord of Eisenmark, Wolf-Hunter of the North
Age: 41
Level: 20
EXP: 0 / 52,000 (all lost upon death)
Aura: 0
Stamina: 0
Strength: 0
Cunning: 0
Charisma: 0
Mental Fortitude: 0
Condition: [Deceased]
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