A Light in the Darkness
The giant wolf's eyes blazed, red and merciless like spilled blood, its gleaming saliva dripping from the exposed fangs onto the scorched earth beneath it. Despite its body covered in wounds, it seemed undeterred.
Displaying its deadly claws, it prepared to launch itself toward Freya.
But something caught the wolf's attention.
"Face me, you monster!"
A shout echoed from afar, and something shot swiftly toward the wolf.
Bang!
The wolf was struck by a devastating blow that sent it bouncing back dozens of meters, crashing into the ground.
A figure, solid and armed, emerged from the dust. Clad in armor, the man stood resolute. His face was carved with determination, defying all fear.
"For humanity's sake, I will destroy you!" He roared with unshakable conviction, his voice reverberating across the chaotic battlefield.
The earth cracked beneath his heavy boots as he charged toward the fallen beast. His fiery fists, ready to strike, crackled with power.
With a mighty leap, he aimed his fiery punch at the wolf.
Boom!
His iron fist strike the ground, creating a shockwave that sent dust swirling into the air.
The man's face contorted in disbelief. "Where...?!"
His attack had missed!
"Grrrgh!"
A terrifying growl spun him around. His eyes widened in fearful realization.
But it was too late. The wolf's jaws snapped shut around him.
"Raarggh!"
With a savage roar, the beast tore into him, showering the scene with horrific splashes of blood. The wolf showed no mercy as it devoured the brave warrior, reducing him to a gruesome sight in mere seconds.
In less than ten seconds, the armored man met his end!
---
Everyone felt trapped in a shroud of uncertainty. The battlefield was cloaked in thick dust, making it nearly impossible to see. All they could make out were the silhouettes of the armored man, Hans, an Awakener of Class A, facing off against the giant wolf amid the chaos of crashing sounds and blood-curdling roars.
"Do you think Hans can survive? That beast... its power is immense. To bring it down, you'd need an S-Class Awakener."
"I agree. Not even a meteor could defeat it. Hans... I'm not sure he stands a chance."
"I'm worried too. Let's pray he makes it."
Whispers of concern spread among them. Hans wasn't just any Awakener—he was a Class B awakaner, deeply respected and admired. His strong sense of justice and wisdom had always shown that he had the potential to rise to the status of a Class A Awakener.
As the dust began to settle, a dark shape shooting toward them caught their attention.
Thud!
The object landed heavily nearby. It was a shapeless mass, unclear at first.
One of them approached cautiously, prodding it with a sword. As he flipped it over, his eyes widened in shock.
"My God!" He stepped back, his face filled with disbelief.
It was Hans's head!
The horrific sight unfolded before everyone, triggering gasps of shock and disbelief. Hands flew to mouths, trying to stifle the screams that rose in terror.
"Is that... Hans? No way!"
"Hans... dead? Impossible!"
"Hans was nearly A-Class awakener... how could he fall so easily?!"
A wave of fear swept through them. If Hans, their steadfast protector, could be killed so easily, their own lives hung by a fragile thread.
Some of them were frozen, their bodies refusing to move even as their minds raced with panic.
"We... we're cooked!"
"This is a nightmare!"
Amid the growing panic, Freya stood firm, her eyes sharp and as cold as the sword tightly gripped in her hand. Anger and a thirst for vengeance were etched clearly on her face.
She had spent all her healing abilities on Alex, yet he still lay unconscious.
She could feel the weight of Alex's injuries—the wolf's attack had caused internal damage that required the expertise of a seasoned healer.
With a furious glare, Freya turned to face the giant wolf.
"I will kill you!"
Her voice was a roar of rage that reverberated through the battlefield. Gripping her sword tightly, she marched with unshakable resolve toward the wolf.
Flaring with fury, Freya tightened her grip on the sword and stepped forward with purpose. Her eyes gleamed with a golden light as a faint aura surrounded her.
The wolf, far from being afraid, seemed to grow even more aggressive, advancing toward her.
"Raarggh!"
Freya, steeling herself to face whatever attack came her way, locked eyes with the wolf, her gaze filled with deadly intent.
As she ran, her innate power flared. Her sword blazed with golden light, becoming a beacon amid the chaos.
The wolf, its claws razor-sharp, leapt toward her with a deafening roar.
"Rrraaargh!"
At that moment, Freya seemed to vanish in a streak of light, a comet racing past the massive beast only to reappear behind it.
The golden glow of her sword faded, replaced by a chilling glimmer of blood, as the wolf collapsed to the ground.
With unyielding determination etched on her face, Freya turned to look at the creature now lying on the ground.
A long slash wound, the mark of her attack, was carved into the side of the wolf's body.
Traces of golden light still clung to the wound, causing it to widen over time.
Freya had no doubt that the wolf hadn't been defeated. Soon, she took a offensive stance.
In the blink of an eye, she soared above the wolf, her sword poised to deliver a fatal blow.
However, as she descended, the wolf vanished into spectral mist.
Freya's senses immediately heightened. As she spun around...
Bang!
She was suddenly sent flying backward by the wolf's counterattack, her body crashing into a large tree with a resounding thud.
Groaning in pain, Freya struggled to rise, her body aching from the strike, even as the shoulder armor she wore cracked with a visible claw mark, blood seeping from her wounds.
Despite her unwavering determination, her eyes widened in shock as she saw the wolf soaring through the air, its fangs bared for another vicious strike!
With swift movement, she narrowly avoided the attack.
Bang!
The wolf landed with a tremor that shook the earth, but Freya managed to evade the strike.
Wiping the dust from her face, she took a deep breath. But she had no time to rest, as the wolf was already back on its feet, its fiery gaze locked onto her.
Back in fighting form, she charged straight into battle. The clash between her and the wolf grew more intense, each strike meeting with equal resolve.
Bang!
Bang!
Clank!
Clank!
Clank!
Their battle symphony echoed across the field—thundering impacts and ringing clashes of metal—as Freya and the wolf continued their brutal duel.
....
"Pant... Pant..."
Freya struggled to breathe, her body cloaked in a tattered mantle of blood. Her flesh was a grim canvas of claw marks, each a testament to the fierce battle they had fought.
She was on the verge of collapse, the golden light that usually surrounded her slowly fading away.
For what felt like an eternity, she had been trapped in a brutal dance with the giant wolf.
The battle was grueling, the strength and supernatural abilities of her opponent far exceeding her own. The control over gravity was so oppressive that even getting close to the beast required immense effort, as the heavy gravity kept her at bay.
Her only lifeline was the divine Valkyrie power, which she cleverly used to inflict serious wounds on the wolf, even severing one of its legs and blinding its left eye.
But the wolf's power was terrifying—it was a country-level monster, a beast that could only be faced by an Awakener of Class S.
Freya was a Class A Awakener, just like Alex.
The other Awakeners stood by, their eyes wide with fear and admiration, but none dared intervene because they knew they would only become a burden.
Freya had not expected help from the spectators either. From the beginning, she had relied solely on her own strength.
She glanced at the wolf, which remained standing, its predatory gaze fixed on her.
With unwavering determination, Freya tried to rise, leaning on her sword to support her body. She was resolved to face the wolf, no matter the cost.
Without warning, the wolf, now down to three legs, charged at her with a horrifying look.
"Rraaargh!"
Freya prepared to strike, but her strength was completely gone now. The wolf hurled her deep into the forest, her body crashing into the foot of a mountain.
Thud!
Freya hit the hard ground.
"Cough!" Blood stained her lips. The pain burned, more intense than anything she had ever felt.
Struggling, she tried to rise, but her body felt as heavy as lead. It was as if all her vitality had been drained, and moving even an inch was excruciating, leaving her collapsed and weak, no longer surrounded by the golden glow.
At that moment, she saw a dark-purple light in the sky.
It was the wolf, now hovering in the sky, harnessing the power of gravity. It was engulfed in lightning, its jaws becoming a swirling cauldron of dark-purple energy.
The air trembled with the resonance of fear, as though the wolf was calling on all its power for one final, destructive attack.
Seeing this, despair overtook Freya, and without realizing it, tears fell from her eyes.
'Is this the end? Mother, Father, I'm sorry.'
As the purple light grew more intense, Freya closed her eyes, her cheeks wet with the tears that streamed down.
The roar of energy growing louder in her ears.
Blast!
The sky exploded once again, and Freya resigned herself to her very death.
One second.
Five seconds.
Ten seconds of pure agony passed.
Freya felt a strange sensation. The roar of the energy explosion reverberated around her, but it had no impact on her.
Curious, she opened her eyes, only to be stunned by the sight that unfolded before her.
A figure riding a horse stood in front of her, between herself and the wolf's deadly energy blast, defying the very laws of nature!