Alma ran swiftly through the forest, barely able to see what lay ahead thanks to the moonlight filtering through the leaves. As he dashed, he heard fast, heavy footsteps pursuing him, furrowing his brow in thought. 'Fighting in that open terrain would be my end; I need a place where I can have the upper hand.' He saw Wolverine swiftly running towards him, the creature once again lunging.
In an instant, a gleam sparked in Alma's eyes as he leaped to the side, narrowly evading the creature. However, it swiftly turned in its run to chase him again. Alma glanced back but quickly sprinted toward a tree ahead, pulling an arrow and starting to envelop it with a blue glow between his fingers. 'Keeping it aimed will limit my mobility; I'll aim in the little time I have and hope for a hit.' Once more, he glanced back, seeing the beast getting closer.
The Wolverine charged, but Alma jumped onto the tree trunk, using it as a platform to propel himself backward. Amidst a spin, the creature collided with the tree, causing the base to tremble and leaves to fall, but it had no effect on Alma, who was airborne, his eyes still glowing.
Seizing an opportunity, Alma fitted the arrow onto his bow and, after a brief moment, released it. The arrow soared, piercing the Wolverine's leg, eliciting a growl as it forced its head to the side, splintering wood with its horn.
The Wolverine stomped beside its injured leg, easily snapping the arrow, directing its enraged gaze towards the archer, who clicked his tongue. 'Concentrating energy into an object like this takes time; it wasn't at full power, but against any other monster, it would have done much more. What a hellish creature.' He swiftly turned, fleeing from the beast, which wasted no time in resuming the pursuit.
Alma realized the Wolverine would catch up if he didn't act. 'I need something better than this.' He turned to a distant tree, aimed, and shot swiftly. The Wolverine relentlessly pursued, snarling and closing the distance.
However, as it reached the tree, Alma skillfully used the arrow he had previously used as support to ascend the branches. Jumping just as the Wolverine collided with the tree again, scattering its leaves.
Alma began running across the branches, holding another arrow in his hand, contemplating, 'Even though I can only shoot one at a time and it takes a while to infuse it with full power, if I can lead him deep into the forest, the trees will give me an advantage.' He glanced at the beast, thinking, 'Even if I don't kill it, we can return tomorrow and—'
Before concluding his thought, Alma saw the Wolverine pause, still facing the tree it had collided with. Suddenly, it turned and ran back towards the cemetery. Surprised, Alma widened his eyes, intensifying the blue glow in his eyes. He resumed leaping between trees, thinking, 'Damn! He only protects the cemetery. Is he really a spirit guarding the graves?' Gritting his teeth, his glow intensified. 'Even if I exhaust all my energy, I can't let him reach—'
Alma jumped over a tree and found nothing ahead. Landing near a tree, his eyes widened again as he gathered strength to move as fast as possible. But something disturbed him. The surroundings were now eerily silent—no Wolverine footsteps, no traces of its presence.
Suddenly, a loud, shrill roar erupted behind him as an enormous shadow loomed, its arms outstretched. Alma swiftly turned, catching sight of only the Wolverine's arms and mouth, forcing him to brace himself by crossing his arms in defense.
The Wolverine's claws tore through his arms, sinking into his chest, the force pushing Alma to hit the ground hard, eyes wide, blood spilling from his mouth, the blue glow fading.
He was dragged a few meters by the impact, but as he tried to rise, an immense pressure pressed on his chest. He widened his eyes, seeing the Wolverine with a slashed face, yet its red, widened eyes and furious expression terrified the archer.
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Grunting with pain as the claws pierced deeper, Alma realized, 'I've been tricked; he lured me into this trap...' Clenching his teeth, his eyes blazed blue again. 'I won't die that easily!'
The Wolverine drew closer, teeth grinding, but Alma seized the creature's jaw, a determined look in his eyes as he attempted to push it away. Swiftly, Alma pulled an arrow from his quiver, charging it with energy, and forcefully drove it into the Wolverine's neck. It growled but advanced, more enraged, as Alma struggled to contain it with both hands. The difference in strength was overwhelming, and Alma was gradually pushed back, growling defiantly.
But before the stalemate reached its conclusion, something struck the Wolverine's face at high speed, nudging it slightly to the side. As they looked toward the object, they realized they were close to the cemetery, where atop the hill, two figures stood out under the moonlight.
It was Nina, still spinning her sling in her hand, breathing heavily, her eyes showing a faint glimmer. Next to her stood Viktor, gripping the sword buried at the hill's top with one hand, maintaining a weary yet alive gaze while holding the blade's hilt. His focus seemed fixed on the Wolverine, which halted at the cemetery's entrance.
Alma and Viktor locked eyes with the beast. Without needing to concentrate, they all saw a radiant aura slightly distort the Wolverine's surroundings. The beast growled louder, its teeth clenched, displaying its massive fangs as blue tattoos slowly appeared.
"He seems furious," Nina said, appearing concerned. "Will this work?"
"Spirits aren't tied to a place but to an object; every time it appeared and disappeared, it was by the hill. This is where it dwells," Viktor said, holding the sword and offering a faint smile.
Once more, the marks on the Wolverine's skin glowed, growing stronger as a blue hue enveloped the monster's aura. It dug its paw into the ground, howling loudly, causing the hidden birds to flee the trees.
Rearing its head towards Viktor, the Wolverine's eyes showed a mix of fury and pure hatred, scraping its paw as it began a swift charge toward the hill.
Nina stepped back, frowning, while Viktor ascended to the hill's highest point, prompting Nina's doubtful gaze. "That's why he's so aggressive. He remains to protect the weapons, and us..." Nina didn't finish, but turned her attention back to the swordsman, saying, "This plan is too insane."
"I don't have that much strength left; I've taken a beating and still bleeding from the horn's puncture," Viktor slowly turned his head, noticing the monster circling swiftly toward the hill's beginning. "Moreover, if I gain his permission, I'll be able to keep this sword. There's only one way to do this."
"Honestly... all I can do is believe..." Nina gave a slight smile. "Win."
Viktor smiled faintly, and the Wolverine ascended the steep slope. For a brief moment, Viktor and the beast locked eyes. The young man positioned the sword on his shoulder, and the monster charged.
"Let's settle this." Viktor took the lead, stepping forward towards the charging Wolverine, moments seemingly stretching into eternity. He positioned the sword beside his body, this time at chest level, taking a step forward and planting his foot, the sword angled backward with his other hand stretched forward.
The beast surged forward, increasing its speed, but Viktor remained steadfast, facing it head-on. Alma observed from nearby, eyes wide with anticipation.
The Wolverine lowered its head to strike with its horn, and Viktor's eyes glimmered once more as the sword's blade was enveloped in a yellowish glow, matching the hue of his eyes.
The horn approached Viktor's face, and he thrust the sword parallel to the Wolverine's horn. Both were about to collide, but the sword struck the horn, diverting it to the side. A shallow cut appeared beneath Viktor's face as he narrowly avoided the attack, while the sword pierced the Wolverine's head.
After the collision, silence enveloped the area. Viktor gazed at the beast, which maintained its blue-glowing eyes but seemed devoid of anger. Slowly, the sword's radiance dimmed, but Viktor kept his focus on the Wolverine, whose glowing markings began to fade, converging towards the sword.
Nina returned, accompanied by Alma perched on her shoulder. The three watched as the Wolverine's once-shining fur turned silvery, shrinking in size. Before they realized it, the horn fell off, and the glow dissipated, revealing the form of a giant wolf with a scar down its face, silver fur, and yellow eyes.
Only the tip of Viktor's sword had made contact, causing a small cut on the wolf's forehead, yet the creature remained motionless as if in a trance.
"A giant wolf?"