At that moment—
The alpha wolf lifted its head and howled.
"Woooo—!!!"
The sound shook the forest.
It was not just a cry.
It was a command.
The instant it ended—
Time seemed to shatter.
Dozens of giant snow wolves surged forward like a bursting white flood.
Their bodies blurred into streaks in the darkness. Their claws struck the snow in near silence—only the sharp whistle of air being torn apart followed in their wake.
Fangs bared.
Eyes locked.
Kill.
"Hold them!"
Colin's roar was nearly swallowed by the storm of howls.
His body tightened to its limit.
He cast aside his curved knife—
And his fingers cracked.
From his fingertips, jet-black claws extended—three inches long, metallic, cold.
Wolf Claw Tear.
His weapon.
He didn't retreat.
He leapt forward.
Mid-air—
Man and wolf collided.
His claw flashed upward—
"PFFT!"
It tore clean through fur and flesh, ripping open the wolf's throat. Scalding blood burst forth, splashing across his face, the metallic stench flooding his senses.
But victory came with a price.
A second wolf struck.
From the side.
Silent.
"BANG!"
The impact slammed into his back like a battering ram.
His breath vanished.
His body was thrown forward, crashing into the snow.
Pain exploded through his spine—his vision went black.
"CHIEF!"
Haske's eyes went blood-red.
He abandoned his opponent and charged.
His blade drove upward—
Straight into the wolf's side.
The wolf howled—
Then snapped back.
Its jaws clamped onto Haske's shoulder.
"CRACK! CRACK!"
Bone ground under pressure.
Teeth pierced armor, sank deep into flesh.
Blood erupted.
Haske trembled—
But made no sound.
With his free hand, he drew his dagger.
And drove it—
Straight into the wolf's eye.
"AOOO—!!!"
The beast shrieked, releasing him instantly, thrashing backward in blind panic.
Haske dropped to one knee, clutching his ruined shoulder, gasping.
Sweat. Blood. Frost.
All mixed across his face.
He didn't look at his wound.
He looked at Colin.
"Don't worry about me!" he roared. "Hold the line!"
At the center—
Barton stood.
A wall of flesh and steel.
His massive axe roared through the air, forming a storm of death. Every swing crushed bone, sent wolves flying.
Then—
A wolf slipped through.
From a blind angle.
Too fast.
Too close.
No time to dodge.
Barton grinned.
And abandoned defense entirely.
He lunged forward—
Locked his arm around the wolf's neck—
Ignoring the claws tearing into his flesh.
Then—
With everything he had—
He brought the axe down.
"CRACK!"
The skull shattered.
Blood and brain sprayed across his face.
He flung the corpse aside, glanced at his mangled arm—
And laughed.
Savage.
Unbroken.
"Come on!" he roared. "Let's see who dies first—me, or all of you!"
Behind him—
The deer-men stood steady.
Silent killers.
Lyca drew back his arm.
His eyes were calm.
Focused.
A wolf broke through—
Charging straight for Lyra.
He threw.
"WHOOSH—!"
The spear flew true.
Piercing the wolf's hind leg mid-charge.
It crashed to the ground—
And before it could rise—
A red blur struck.
Lyra.
Her dagger flashed again and again—
Until the wolf stopped moving.
"Nice throw!" she shouted—
Already moving.
Already killing.
But the wolves adapted.
Another howl from the ridge.
Short.
Sharp.
The formation changed instantly.
One wave pressed Barton head-on—
Trading lives to hold him in place.
Another—
Vanished into the forest.
"Flanks! Watch the flanks!" Anna screamed.
Too late.
Two wolves burst from the trees—
White lightning.
Lyca had just thrown his spear.
Empty-handed.
For the first time—
Fear crossed his face.
The wolves closed in.
Then—
A shadow crashed between them.
Colin.
His claw drove upward—
Piercing straight through one wolf's heart.
At the same time—
His leg snapped out—
Kicking the second wolf aside.
"Back!" he barked, dragging Lyca behind him. "Switch weapons! They're probing for openings!"
The battle descended into chaos.
Blood soaked the snow.
Bodies piled.
The cold turned red to black ice.
A young werewolf fell—
Three wolves on him—
His throat torn open in a single instant.
Lyra lost part of her tail—
Torn away in a snap of jaws—
Her body shaking with pain—
But her blade only grew faster.
Barton's axe chipped—
Then broke.
He threw it aside—
And charged barehanded.
His fists slammed into skulls like hammers.
Each blow staggering a wolf.
Colin staggered back to a pine tree.
His body drenched in blood.
His breath ragged.
Behind him—
Goff.
Anna.
Archers.
Still firing.
Still holding.
He scanned the battlefield.
And his heart sank.
Half the force—
Gone or wounded.
Everyone exhausted.
The wolves—
Still coordinated.
Still relentless.
And at the ridge—
The alpha wolf watched.
Still.
Silent.
Calculating.
It did not fight.
It commanded.
Every howl precise.
Every strike targeted.
Colin's eyes hardened.
Cut the head…
The thought crystallized.
"We have to kill it."
He wiped the blood from his face.
Turned.
Locked onto Haske.
"HASKE!"
The roar cut through the battlefield.
"Gather everyone who can still move!" Colin shouted. "Hold them off! Cover me!"
A breath.
A step forward.
Eyes burning.
"I'm taking it down."