Aaron was the first to make a move. Standing between Katherine and Zachary, he was the closest one to the pinecitta tree and the giant wolf.

"Ripper, go, triple slash!"

"Meatball, tackle!"

Aaron's powerful mantis raised its two forelimbs which were like sharp blades. It charged at the giant wolf, half running and half flying. It struck downward once with one limb, then again with the other. With its momentum carrying it forward, it struck one more time with both at the same time. It was a powerful attack and a well-practiced ability routine. It could certainly draw blood, even against an adept rank Ensouled as long as it wasn't one that specialized in defense.

However, the attack landed on nothing but thin air. The giant wolf had jumped over the slashes at the last moment, showing uncanny agility. As it came down, it landed straight on the mantis, letting its heavy body crush the slender insect, crushing its shell and breaking its limbs. With just a casual stomp of one paw, the mantis was broken in half. It died in the blink of an eye.

In the next instant, Meatball arrived. Ignoring the fate of its compatriot, it threw itself toward the wolf, hoping its sharp tusks would be able to do some damage. The wolf again moved like the wind. One of its hindlegs shot out, landing squarely across the furry pig’s face which had been lunging towards it. Meatball was sent flying by this kick, directly into the nearby chasm from which there was no escape and only certain death.

“Gah!” Aaron fell to his knees, clutching his forehead, “Damn it! Spike, attack! Joker, Blackfang, attack!"

Aaron's remaining three summons charged forward. Spurred by their master, they held no regard for their own safety, only the desire to fulfill his command even at the cost of their lives. As they threw themselves to their doom, he turned and sprinted towards the monolith, not bothering to watch.

It happened so quickly that Zachary barely saw what happened. One moment, three summons surrounded the giant wolf. The next, all three had been knocked away by a tremendous gust of wind. Even Aaron, with his large and heavy figure, almost fell over as he was running. Against Zachary's expectations, this beast not only had tremendous strength and speed but also affinity with the sky element. Such a wind blast ability was a blatant and proud display of its innate talent.

The giant black wolf followed up that wind blast attack with an elegant leap. Its paws moved purposely as if stepping on solid air. It landed next to the monolith and in front of the open doorway, directly between Katherine and Aaron. Without pause, it whirled around like a tornado as it came down, catching Aaron across the chest with its heavy tail. Aaron flew several meters and then hit rough stone ground in a heap. In the same breath, the wolf faced Katherine and lunged at her, its mouth wide open.

"Ahhh!" Katherine screamed.

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"Noo!" Zachary shouted.

Marble appeared at the last moment, its tiny claws slashing against the wolf's exposed mouth.

Ka!

The might of Marble's supernatural ability exploded in that instant. Its claw struck one of the wolf’s massive fangs and managed to slice it in half. The wolf even reared back in shock and obvious pain. However, the difference in size between the two beasts was simply too large. The clash between the two sent Marble flying backward and into Katherine's chest. The impact made her stumble and she fell against the inside of the doorway which still had not opened wide enough to fit a grown man through.

"Kate! Watch out!" Zachary shouted.

But the wolf had already recovered. It let out a snarl and lunged at her. It snapped and barked, pushing its face against the hard stone. It even scratched and swiped with its paws after its mouth found no prey.

"Kate! Kate!" Zachary shouted helplessly.

He didn't know what he could do or what he should do. He could only shout her name.

Yet by some miracle, there were no signs of blood or Katherine’s screams. When the wolf finally pulled away, she was nowhere to be seen. She had managed to slip through the crack and inside the monolith, perhaps due to her small stature. There was no way for the wolf’s huge body to follow.

Realizing this, the ferocious beast whirled around toward Aaron and Zachary. One man still had summons while the other did not so the beast chose the easier target. Facing the fearsome king of the ruins, Aaron became surprisingly calm. He sneaked a glance at the land bridge and sighed gloomily. Several more survivors had fallen in a short period. There were only six people left who were barely holding on. Aaron shook his head in resignation. He then glanced at Zachary. His expression contained no anger, only a sense of pity which Zachary couldn't understand.

"I'll remember you all as great summoners." Aaron said solemnly, "Your sacrifices for the republic will live on through me."

"Little wolf," He said to the approaching beast, "Just you wait. I will defeat you and make you my summon one day."

The wolf snarled.

Aaron uncaringly took out a summoning card, one that was embedded with a sizable green crystal. He raised it to his forehead as he said, "Come out, Fern."

With a flash of green light, a familiar shape appeared. Zachary instantly recognized the creature for he had seen it many times in the past weeks. It was a jungle elephant. It was huge. It was fully grown and the size of a steam carriage. It was so big that even the wolf king dared not approach.

Aaron deftly climbed on top of the elephant’s back and shouted, "Go Fern, charge through that bridge!"

"Bwaaa!" The summon let out a trumpet-like call.

The ground shook as it started to move. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch, their mouths agape.

"Aaron!" One of the survivors shouted but Aaron didn't reply.

"Where did you get that?"

"Wait! Let us climb on!"

"Wait!"

There was no response. Aaron didn't spare them a single look. Humans, summons, and the wolf pack were all forced to make way or be trampled to death. The enormous beast charged through the crowd, across the land bridge, and into the ruins without a hitch in its heavy steps. Only after Aaron and his summon had disappeared did the remaining souls remember their previous situation, the bloody struggle they had been in.

"Awoo!" The wolf king howled.

Its pack responded immediately, surging forward as one, like a black wave.

"Ahhh!"

"Nooo!"

"Help!"

"Aaron! You asshole!”

“Gahh… Aaron White… I curse your White Clan for all eternity!”

Their screams were filled with misery and disbelief. Aaron, their leader, had abandoned them, destroying their defensive line in with his retreat. They were left scattered and easy prey. They were beset by sharp claws and hungry fangs from all directions. Some fought to the death while others were eaten alive as they begged and cried.