Chapter 202: When They Came Running
Then Arthur saw it.
Shadows moving between the trees, low to the ground, fast.. and far too many.
As they closed in, the rhythm of their steps began to shake the ground beneath them.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Torren cursed under his breath.
"...That’s not seven."
"No," Ryn replied calmly. "It isn’t."
Arthur tilted his head slightly, watching the distance shrink between them.
Instead of tightening, his grip on the dagger loosened.
More.
He could feel it again.. that familiar pull, quiet but certain, sitting at the back of his mind.
Intent Points.
Waiting.
Just a few seconds more.
As Nox rushed past him to slip behind their line, he glanced at her. Her breathing was sharp, but controlled. She didn’t freeze, didn’t hesitate.. she just moved and took her position.
Arthur gave a small nod.
Ryn’s voice cut cleanly through the tension.
"Hold formation."
Everyone snapped into place.
No panic or wasted movement.
They had done this before..
Just not at this scale.
"Same roles," Ryn continued. "Break them on contact."
Arthur didn’t look at him.
He didn’t need to.
They already understood.
Delay.
Control.
Kill fast.
Before the pressure overwhelmed them.
The wolves burst fully into view, their eyes glowing as they ran low and straight at them.
Arthur exhaled slowly.
"...Alright."
Nox crossed the line.
That was the moment.
Torren stepped forward.
"Come!"
As he slammed his shield down...
BANG!
...the sound rang out, pulling three wolves from the group instantly. They crashed into him with full force.
THUD!
SCRRAAAPE!
Claws dug in, teeth snapping, but Torren held, barely shifting under the impact.
"Now!" Althea’s voice came sharp.
Her buffs wrapped around him again, layered and firm.
Torren grinned through the pressure.
"Yeah... I’ve got them!"
But the rest didn’t stop.
They kept coming, pushing past the clash and heading straight for the others.
Ryn moved immediately.
Two wolves broke toward Selene’s side, but he cut across their path before they could reach her.
"Over here."
They turned on him at once.
Good.
That was exactly what he wanted.
He didn’t try to finish them immediately. Instead, he controlled them, shifting his position, forcing them to move with him and keeping the space contained.
Selene didn’t wait.
She had already drawn.
As her breathing slowed and her focus sharpened, Althea’s voice followed.
"Pierce."
A faint glow wrapped around the arrow.
Selene released.
TWANG!
The shot drove straight through the throat of the first wolf.
THUNK!
It dropped mid-run.
She didn’t stay still.
Didn’t give them a clear target.
As she moved, she drew again, adjusting between steps. The drills echoed in her head.
Don’t stop moving. Control distance. Kill clean.
This time, she aimed for the next.
Nox didn’t stay back either.
Not this time.
One wolf had locked onto her, but instead of running blindly, she moved with it.. light on her feet, sharp in her turns.
Each step was just enough.
Dodging.
Shifting.
Keeping it focused on her and away from the others.
"...Come on then," she muttered.
It lunged.
She slipped aside.
Too close.
Too fast.
But she didn’t panic.
The training held.
Her body responded on its own.
Barely.
But enough.
Arthur watched all of it for a moment.
Then he smiled slightly.
"...Not bad."
They had adapted.
Faster than before.
Cleaner.
Even under pressure.
That was the difference.
They weren’t just reacting anymore.
They were working together.
Still..
More wolves were slipping through.
Too many.
Arthur cracked his neck lightly.
"...Alright."
Time to move.
As he stepped forward, calm and unhurried, it looked like nothing was wrong.. but his eyes stayed sharp, locked onto the field.
He lifted his hand slightly.
The air shifted.
Subtle.
Easy to miss.
Then..
They formed.
Thin, condensed wind spears, spinning tightly as if drilling through the air itself. They were almost invisible unless you were looking directly at them.
Arthur’s lips curved.
Edge formation.
He didn’t need them large or flashy.
Just sharp enough.
Fast enough. And just as deadly.
He flicked his fingers..
And released.
The first wolf didn’t react at all.
The spear pierced cleanly through its side, straight through a vital point.
It stumbled once..
Then dropped before it even hit the ground.
The second followed.
Then the third.
None of them saw it coming.
Thup. Thup. Thup.
One after another, they fell without noise or resistance.
Arthur stepped forward slowly, watching it happen.
"...Too easy."
He didn’t stop.
Another set formed, faster this time, more precise.
He released again.
Three more wolves fell just as cleanly.
Six.
Gone.
As if they had never been part of the fight.
Nox blinked as the pressure on her suddenly vanished.
The wolf chasing her dropped mid-stride.
She turned sharply.
"...What.."
Then she saw him.
Arthur stood a few steps away, relaxed, like he hadn’t done anything at all.
She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
"...Right."
The others noticed too.
They couldn’t miss it.
One moment, they were bracing for impact.
The next..
Half the threat was gone.
Torren barked out a laugh.
"Oi! Save some for us!"
Arthur shrugged.
"You were taking too long."
Selene didn’t answer, but her shots grew sharper and faster, like she took that personally.
Ryn glanced once at the fallen wolves, then back at his own fight.
"...Focus."
But there was a faint smirk on his face.
The balance had shifted.
What felt overwhelming moments ago..
Was now manageable.
And they all knew it.
Torren pushed forward, more confident this time.
When a wolf lunged, he met it head-on.
BANG!
Shield first.
Then a quick strike.
Not enough to kill, but enough to stagger.
Selene followed immediately.
TWANG!
Her arrow finished it cleanly.
Ryn wrapped up his side soon after.
He had worn them down, waiting for the right moment before striking.
One clean motion.
Then another.
Both wolves dropped within seconds.
Nox circled back in, now free and moving faster.
She didn’t engage directly, but she helped.. drawing attention, pulling the wolves out of position, creating openings.
It was small actions.
But they mattered.