— Rimuru POV —
Night came quietly.
The light faded from the forest, replaced by a cold stillness that settled over everything. The village stayed silent, no one speaking unless necessary. The goblins held their positions just as we planned, spread out instead of clustering.
Waiting.
Watching.
I stayed near the front, positioned at the chokepoint we chose earlier. Rei stood a short distance behind me, his attention fixed on the forest ahead.
Nothing moved.
For a moment, it almost felt like they would not come.
I felt it.
A shift in the air. Not subtle. Not distant.
Closer.
"They are here," I said.
"Yes," Rei replied.
The goblins tensed immediately.
They felt it too.
Then the forest moved.
Shadows broke between the trees.
Eyes.
Dozens of them.
Glowing.
The direwolves stepped into view without hesitation, their movements coordinated, controlled. They did not rush blindly. They spread out, forming a loose arc around the entrance.
Testing.
Looking for weakness.
"They are organized," I said.
"Yes. Do not underestimate them."
"I was not planning to."
The first wolf stepped forward.
Larger than the rest.
Stronger.
Leader.
So that was the problem.
It growled low, the sound carrying across the clearing.
The goblins flinched.
But they did not break formation.
Good.
"Hold," I said.
No one moved.
The wolves advanced.
Slow at first.
Then faster.
"Now."
The front line engaged.
Goblins struck first, just like we planned, attacking only when the wolves crossed the line. It was not clean, not perfect, but it worked. The narrow space forced the wolves to come in smaller numbers instead of overwhelming the entire group.
They were stronger.
A goblin was pushed back immediately, barely holding its ground.
Another slipped, nearly dragged down.
Rei moved.
Fast.
One step forward, then a shift to the side. No wasted movement. No hesitation. His strike was clean, precise, forcing a wolf off balance before it could commit to an attack.
Not overpowering.
Just enough.
"Do not chase," he said. "Hold your position."
The goblins adjusted.
Not perfectly.
But better.
I moved next.
A wolf lunged straight at me.
Bad choice.
I expanded slightly, absorbing the impact and redirecting it. The moment it lost balance, I struck back, compressing and releasing force through my body.
The wolf was thrown back hard.
"Keep them here," I said.
More wolves pushed forward, trying to break through the line. Their coordination was good, but the chokepoint limited them. They could not surround us.
Not yet.
Still the pressure increased.
A goblin went down.
I reacted immediately.
I extended part of my body, pulling it back before the wolf could finish the attack.
"Fall back if you need to," I said. "Do not hold if you cannot."
Rei moved again, covering the gap instantly.
"Adjust left," he said. "Do not leave space."
They followed.
Faster now.
They were learning.
Another wolf broke through slightly, slipping past the line.
Rei turned.
One movement.
A wing shifted.
Not fully extended.
Just enough.
The impact knocked the wolf off its path, sending it sideways before it could reach the village.
"You are holding back," I said.
"I am not required to do more."
"Fair."
The leader stepped forward.
Everything slowed.
Its presence was different.
Stronger.
Sharper.
Focused directly on me.
Yeah.
That made sense.
"That one is mine," I said.
"Understood," Rei replied.
The leader moved.
Fast.
Faster than the others.
It closed the distance in an instant, jaws aimed straight for me.
I met it head-on.
Impact.
The force was heavier than the others. Not enough to break through, but enough to matter.
Good.
I pushed back.
Harder.
The leader skidded back slightly, its claws digging into the ground to stop itself.
It did not retreat.
It adjusted.
Then attacked again.
Behind me, the fight continued.
Goblins holding.
Barely.
Rei moving constantly, correcting mistakes, closing gaps before they turned into failures.
We were not losing.
But we were not winning yet.
The leader lunged again.
This time I was ready.