"Help!"

"Save us!"

"Please, someone!"

When they heard those screams, the knights reacted at once.

The knights rushed in, their armor clanking loudly as their horses thundered across the ground. Torches swung wildly, throwing shaking shadows against the trees. When the nobles heard that noise, their hearts thudded in fear.

"Protect the students!" one knight shouted.

However, a sound of hope echoed in their ears.

A group of knights rode straight for the nobles, shielding them between the beasts. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Move! Get behind us!" another knight yelled.

The nobles quickly ran towards the knights. Some tripped over in their panic, while others dragged a few injured nobles with them. They all sustained a few injuries by now.

Cassian stumbled as a monster rushed him. Before it could reach him, an arrow pierced its side. The beast howled and turned, only to be struck down by a knight’s blade.

Cassian dropped to one knee to avoid the monster.

"Cassian!" Lionel shouted.

Cassian’s head snapped up. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"Lionel?" he frowned when he saw his cousin.

Before Cassian could say anything else, a loud growl caught everyone’s attention. The beasts moved again, not caring about anything.

Several wolves lunged forward at once, their claws tore through the dirt and ground. Their red eyes burned under the torchlight, and black saliva dripped from their mouths as they snapped at anything within reach.

"Hold them back!" a knight shouted.

"Protect the nobles!"

The knights quickly spread out, forming a tighter shield around the nobles. They raised their shields to protect themselves from the claws.

One knight blocked a bite with his shield while another drove his sword into a wolf’s side. Horses reared as monsters jumped at them.

Among the chaos, Cassian gritted his teeth and forced himself up.

"I’m fine," he snapped when a knight tried to pull him back. "I can still fight."

He raised his sword and rushed forward, slashing at a wolf that came close to him. His sword landed on the side, but it wasn’t deep enough.

"Tch," Cassian muttered annoyingly. "Come on."

Another wolf lunged at him. Before Cassian could react, a swift wind cut across his vision.

Lionel quickly rode past him, his sword in his hand, as it struck cleanly through the monster’s neck. Dark blood sprayed the ground as the beast collapsed without another sound.

"I got you, cousin," Lionel smiled at Cassian.

Instead of being thankful, that act made Cassian annoyed inside.

Rufus quickly followed right behind. He jumped down from his horse and drove his blade into another wolf that was about to attack a group of knights. He pulled his sword free and moved again without hesitation.

"Lionel, on your left!" Rufus shouted.

Lionel quickly turned and blocked an attack from a charging beast. He countered with a strike that was powerful enough to push the beast away.

The wolf staggered back from Lionel’s push, its claws dug into the ground as it snarled. Before it could recover, three knights rushed in at once.

"Kill it now!" one of them shouted.

They quickly attacked the world. One blade cut into the wolf’s side, another one pierced its back, and the third one pierced its neck. The beast let out a broken howl before collapsing onto the dirt. Its body twitched for a moment before it became an ash.

The knights did not stop after that. They moved as a group, cutting down the other wolves one by one.

Behind them, the nobles who were on one side, couldn’t help but whisper among themselves.

"Did you see that?" one of them whispered.

"Is that Lionel?"

"I thought he was bad at combat."

"But he’s the duke’s son and he even won the duel," another said. "Of course he’d be good with a sword."

"Yeah. Look at how calm he is."

Despite the low whispers, those words reached Cassian’s ears clearly.

His hand trembled around his sword.

Lionel is getting praised? He looked at Lionel, who was already moving again. The man was giving short commands to Rufus while keeping his eyes on the beasts.

The knights also followed his movements without even noticing.

Cassian’s chest tightened.

Tch. Why are they following Lionel?

He hated it.

So this is how they see him now?

Cassian clenched his teeth and turned away. His eyes scanned the forest, ignoring the smaller wolves. Then he saw it.

Near the edge of the backside stood a much larger monster. Its body was taller and thicker than the others. Dark mist leaked from its fur, and its red eyes glowed brighter against the darkness.

It was just hiding between the trees that even the knights weren’t able to notice it.

Cassian’s lips curled into a sharp smile.

Perfect.

He stepped forward without calling it out. He just gripped his sword tightly and ran over towards a nearby horse.

He was confident in his own skills; that’s why he knew he could take those monsters for himself.

"I’ll show you everyone," Cassian muttered in a low voice as he leaped onto the horse and kicked it forward, running straight at the massive beast. The monster lifted its head, its red eyes locking onto him.

It let out a deep growl that shook the ground. The impact shocked everyone. They all turned to the sound’s direction and froze.

"Huh?"

"W-What... is that?"

The beast slowly stepped out from between the trees. When they saw it, their jaws fell to the ground.

The beast was far larger than the other wolves they had encountered. Its legs and body were thick and furry. Dark mist also poured out from its body, clinging to the air like smoke.

The nobles gasped in fear.

"I’ve never seen a monster like that..."

"T-that’s not a normal corrupted wolf."

"A-are we going to survive that?"

Even the knights couldn’t help but feel afraid, but they couldn’t do anything. They had the nobles to protect so they could only muster up their courage.

"Stay back," one knight warned sharply. "That thing is different."

"Cassian, stop!" someone shouted from behind. "You can’t fight that!"

However, Cassian didn’t hear any of that.

Cassian went straight to the monster. He leaped from his horse and kicked it aside. The monster lifted its head, and its red eyes locked onto him.

"Ha! You think you’re strong?"

Cassian arrogantly raised his sword and swung it with all his strength. The blade struck the monster’s thick fur, but instead of cutting through, it barely sank in. The impact jolted Cassian’s arm, sending a sharp pain up to his shoulder.

"W-what?" Cassian muttered in shock.

The beast roared and slammed its body sideways. The force knocked Cassian off balance, throwing him hard onto the ground. Cassian rolled across the dirt, his sword slipping from his grip.

Before he could stand, the monster lunged at him. Its claw slammed into the ground inches from his head, making a dent in the ground. Cassian scrambled backward, panic flashing across his face for the first time.

"H-Help!" he gasped.