The girl that laid collapsed behind us had used the last of her magic to blast three wolves simultaneously, in return Lloyd and myself promised to protect her, but that was before.
Before our arms started to shake, and our clothes felt like led, and every breath felt like a fight within itself to keep. Our bodies felt as though we were fighting in through a thick viscous fluid.
This was our limit. I took one look at the now giant wolves that were staring us down. Lloyd behind me, as though signaling his agreement, dropped his sword.
That was when we felt it!
A magic so unique it almost fully invigorated us.
Our muscles that before felt as though we were swimming through jelly suddenly felt as though we were feathers floating through the wind.
One of the wolves pounced, its movement seemed even slower than before. Lloyd with a new spark in his eyes swiftly picked up his sword and rolled forward at the pouncing wolf, slicing its abdomen wide open.
Meanwhile I myself with new vigor slashed and hacked at the two shadow wolves until they dispersed into shadows and divided among themselves once more.
When the last of the wolves that surrounded us fell, we felt the invigoration that hovered over us subside. We looked over and saw a boy who was about our age.
His obviously over worn clothes screamed peasant however his stoic posture and graceful movements as he walked over towards us was uncanny to say the least.
His eyes a deep abyss of black, his hair although black shined with a purple hue, I gulped as he extended his hand towards us.
“Hey I’m Alard, you guys alright?”
“We are now. Thanks a lot, you’re an enhancer right?”
“Yeah, but I’m more of a fighter than an enhancer.”
Alard was a little on the short side but his presence felt like it could swallow everything.
Our introduction was cut short by another group of shadow wolves, with Alards enhancement we repelled them a lot easier. Alard with his strange bone-like sword effortlessly parried the wolves attacks.
His fighting style was smooth and graceful, he looked like flowing water. He moved as though he had been fighting wild beasts his entire life. The guy never seemed to even flinch!
I tried to peek a look over whenever I could but his movements were simple too fast.
-
The fighting continued for the next hour. The mages were out of mana and showing signs of mana deprivation. While the warriors who weren’t already collapsed were exhibiting signs of dyspnea.
Despite this the fight was not over, before the group of participants was one last wolf.
Due to the constant cycle of death and dispersal this shadow wolf was over two meters tall.
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The participants gulped at the site of the wolf. The giant wolf was slower than its predecessors so when it pounced despite their exhausted states the participants had time to drag their bodies away. However, when the wolf landed the shadow energy swelling from it erupted and blasted them back.
Alric had stayed in the shadows the majority of the fight and had evaded and killed the wolves that managed to cornered him.
Alric was never interested in pointless fights or tests of strength. The majority of the students grouped up to form teams while he stayed in the outer regions of the hall observing the students.
“Surround him! Let’s attack him from all sides at once!”
The rag tag group of participants that remained, which was a little over twenty, followed their self elected leader.
He was a brash young fellow, he wore golden gauntlets that glowed brightly and his sword was imbued with two crystals. He did not wear much in terms of body armor however amongst the group he seemed the most composed.
When this young man gripped his sword and swang, his gauntlets glowed and the edge of his sword erupted a golden light that rushed at the surrounded giant shadow wolf.
“Holy Strike!
Ha! That’s the Raizer family's artifact strike.”
When the wolf saw the golden light rushing towards him, he leaped up and left the encirclement.
Dodging the attacks and biting participant after participant while throwing them across the hall. The wolf appeared behind the young lad that unleashed the golden light.
The youth was paralyzed as he felt the foul breath of the shadow wolf at the back of his neck.
The wolf swang it’s claw and in an hasty reaction he raised his guard but due to the sheer size of the wolf he was sent flying back and rolled on the floor a few times.
He laid there still sprawled on the floor. He looked at his gauntlets that were now destroyed by deep lacerations.
The participants were feeling depressed. They had put all their last reserves in this encirclement and followed Marcel’s orders but still could not stop the giant wolf.
Despair swallowed the participants as they looked at the wolf ready to pounce once more.
However this time when it jumped its ascension was euphemized to more of a hop than a pounce, the shadow wolf flashed its head at the strange occurrence.
“Melee fighters! make two semi-circles and close in.
Magic users fall back and charge up your spells!”
The remaining participants would have normally ignored this voice regardless of how loud or domineering the voice was.
But as they heard the voice speak they felt a lightness cover them. They no longer felt like they would turn over at another step. In fact their weapons felt lighter and the air felt as though it was no longer a fight to move through and it flowed smoothly into their lungs.
The refreshed feeling enthused the group and they charged with new vigor.
Alric joined the front of the charge as they all swung their swords more assiduously.
The wolf, unable to jump, was forced back step by step until he was forced into a wall.
“Fall back all the fighters!”
Once again, when this dark purple haired fellow spoke they felt some unknown force nudge them slightly as though indicating which way to go.
When the fighters all jumped back the mages filled the gaps.
The mages, now having been given enough time to gather mana, were able to each fire their most powerful spells.
When the barrage of spells subsided The shadow wolf was smoking, bleeding profusely and shaking.
The shadow wolf fell and the group of participants all breathed a sigh of relief before they all fell to the floor in exhaustion.
Alric, still left standing, walked over to the collapsed wolf.
Alric drew his sword and attempted to pierce through the wolf’s forehead, however the wolf at that moment turned into a shadow and disappeared.
Alric’s eyes twitched as he saw this. He was disappointed not to be able to finish the shadow wolf. His encounter with the terrier badgers as a child had taught him to always finish off his enemies and this wolf was no exception.
Watching it flee into the shadows perplexed him somewhat.