Back in the battle ground.
One can call it no man's land, for both parties are in conflict with each other and there is no sign of victory or assurance that either side is winning.
It was ones worst nightmare, the place was just eerie and suffocating. One who hasn't lived in such a situation would vomit and faint right away. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers lay dead and cold on the ground. Some were already rotting and being eaten by the tiny life forms, whilst others who still live are barely breathing and holding onto their life. Still, cries of agony and pain echoed all over the place. It was such a frightening cry that one would think the place is haunted by ghosts.
Amongst those who were still battling was a young captain, he turned worriedly as he looked for his friend, "Noct, where are you!?"
One of the soldiers grabbed the man's and said, "Captain, we haven't found him."
"We must leave!"
"Captain, what should we do?"
There were so many bodies lying around that it was impossible to find the man they were looking for. But luckily, one of the soldiers noticed a familiar item that belonged to the person they were looking for.
"Captain, I found his sword."
They quickly ran to where the sword was located as they checked every single body around. They push aside the bodies as they fear the man must be buried with them.
"Please, don't tell me…"
As the last remaining body was pushed aside, they all sigh in relief when they see the man coughing and still breathing.
"Noct, are you alright?" The Captain went down on his knees to check on his condition.
However, as they removed every single body that was resting on his. They notice something alarming and shocking about the young man. To simply put it, a part of him was missing.
"Get down!"
Out of nowhere, arrows strike down on the soldier ending its life as it collapses beside the man. None of them were able to react right away to save him as they were wounded by the arrows.
As the barbarians surrounded them, the Young Captain got his sword out as he prepared to fight them. But as the barbarians drew closer, he soon was outnumbered.
"What do we have here..." One of the Barbarian's Commander said with such delighted smiles.
Despite how bad their situation was, the Young Captain drew his sword as he pointed it at them and yelled. "Stay back, dare come fort or die."
The Barbarian's soldiers laughed about what they were hearing.
A commander used his bare hand and grabbed the sword away from the boy. He didn't even flinch from the deep cut he was receiving as he took it away. As he threw the sword aside, he then got closer to him and punched him, causing him to fall on his knees.
"Bring him."
"Stop!"
The person who yelled was the young man whom they were badly looking for.
The Barbarian's Commander looked at the boy on the ground, he pondered why the boy looked quite familiar, but he sensed only a weak aura in him. 'Hmm, should I take him as well…' He pondered about it, but was interrupted.
"What should we do about him?" On of the barbarian warrior asked
"Leave him be, he'll soon be dead from the poison. What can a cripple do against us anyway." He laughed as he walked away.
Everyone then started laughing and looking down at the boy on the ground.
'Idiots! I am your biggest trump card in order to win this stupid war.' The young man looked disappointed at them.
As he watched his friend being dragged away, he soon felt the poison burning inside him. His vision was getting worse because he had lost too much blood. His blood continued to pour because he did not have enough mana at all to even close up his wounds.
"I'll rest for a bit."
Those were his last words as he closed his eyes and everything turned dark.
However...
All of a sudden, the young man was shocked and wide awake when he heard the screams of the barbarians. It made him curious as to what was happening. Despite how badly injured, he was, he pulled himself together to get up.
What he witnessed was the barbarians all running for their lives as they even ignored their comrades and saved their own life. Fear and anxiety were all written in their faces.
"What the heck is going on?"
"Everyone, fall back!"
"Run, it's a Twilight Wolf."
"Run for your lives!"
'Why is such a beast doing all the way up North? Impossible, it's really a Twilight Wolf, but where did it come from and who owns such a beast.' The young man was in disbelief of what he was seeing, nor could he put a name on who the owner of the beast could be. He knows quite a few people who own such a beast and knows a family who raise such a beast.
The wolf continues to attack the barbarians non stop. He killed them one at a time, he dare not even let them loose once they were in his grasp. Each one of them dying from its claws or fangs...
It was not only the beast that was killing them unexpectedly. An unbelievable arrow keeps striking the barbarians and killing them at a single blow. It was so accurate that it was hitting the critical and vital point, leaving the target dead and cold.
"Fuji, keep them occupied," Athena said, as she got down and helped the wounded soldier up.
As she continued to heal each wounded soldier, she drank the potion that Lirius had prepared for her.
"Go, help those who are unable to move. Quickly now…"
She then grabs her bow again and without looking, releases an arrow and kills the enemy who was pointing an arrow in their direction.
'Who is that person? His skills in using the bow are amazing, he didn't even look at the man, but hit him right in the head. Is he the owner of the beast? Why are they helping us? Did The Empire actually decide to win this war and sent someone to help us?'
He couldn't rejoice at such an idea at all for he was disgusted if such a person did come from the empire. However, his situation wasn't doing too well as he started coughing too much blood again.
'Damn it! Now that the show is getting interesting and here I am catching my last breath. Darn it, I can't just die now. Not now... I still need to make those bastards play for what they've done.'
As his vision started to darken and all he could hear was the sound of the barbarians screaming in fear, he couldn't help it but smile.
'What a good way to end my life, hearing those bastard screams as the wolf slaughtered them down.'
Athena ran toward the man and down on her knees she hastily went and yelled, "Hey, you... don't give up."
'Am I dreaming, I swear I just heard a little girl's voice.'
The young man slowly tried to open his eyes. "Who are you?" But his vision was playing some trick which made it impossible for him to clearly see the person.
"Listen, once you wake up, drink this. It will help you restore your mana. You must get out of here.." She explains as she didn��t have the time to care for him.
'Mana? What are you talking about? How am I supposed to get out of here when my legs are badly wounded...'
"Get up already!"
Athena then left the man as she went and chased after the barbarians running towards the forest. As she was heading to the forest, she felt her insides burning already. She paused for a moment as she coughs out some blood.
"Damn it, not now... I still haven't found him."
As the barbarian was about to attack Athena from behind. Luckly, Fuji jumped at him and killed him as he screamed his last breath.
Athena turned around and was surprised, "Fuji, thank you... What will I do without you."
The young wolf who was already covered in blood walked closer to his master as he rubs himself at her.
'Of course, I am better than those two idiots. I won't let anyone hurt you, if they dare, I'll kill them and eat them alive.'
Athena petted the young wolf as she got down on her knees. "Let's go, so we can go home soon..."
The young wolf then started howling alerting everyone in the area. Those who heard the howl of the wolf started trembling whilst the soldier of the Empire scream in delight that the wolf who saves them is fighting for them.