Afterword Episode 11: The Former Townsperson A Fights a Wolf

2022/04/14: Unified terminology (Black Fenrir → Dark Fenrir). 2022/07/25: Corrected typos.

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The bullet I fired took the Great Wolf right between the eyes. It collapsed where it stood, its life snuffed out instantly.

"To think you possess such power..." the Witch of the Forest muttered, a look of pure shock crossing her face.

"Against an opponent of this caliber, one shot is all I need," I said. "Let's hold this position and protect the seeds until dawn."

"Understood!" Ana replied, her voice brimming with resolve.

After that, more Great Wolves swarmed us in waves, drawn by the seeds. However, monsters of this level were hardly a threat to us.

I picked off the distant targets with Karashi, while the Witch and the Hentai used magic to handle anything that got closer. Any wolves that managed to slip through the barrage were efficiently cut down by Ana’s blade.

Before long, I realized the ground around us was littered with an appalling number of wolf carcasses.

"...This is wrong. I've never known Great Wolves to show this much persistence," the Witch of the Forest whispered, her expression growing dubious.

Then, the atmosphere shifted. The air grew heavy and stifling.

"What? What is this?"

"N-no... it can't be...?"

Fear seeped into the Witch’s features. The oppressive weight in the air intensified as a black mist began to drift across the clearing.

"Here it comes!" the Hentai barked.

A split second later, a bolt of black lightning tore through the sky and struck the ground right in front of our eyes!

KRA-BOOM!

I flinched at the deafening roar and shielded my eyes, but I looked back toward the impact site as soon as I could. Standing there was a massive black wolf, several times taller than a man, glaring down at us.

Its fur was a void that swallowed the light, looking like a patch of pure darkness, while its eyes burned with a sinister, crimson glow that sent a shiver down my spine.

"Wh-What is that...!?"

"It is likely a Dark Fenrir," the Hentai answered without a moment's hesitation.

"A Dark Fenrir?"

"The Divine Beast Fenrir loses its reason and falls into darkness, transforming into a magic beast."

"A Divine Beast?"

"Yes. A Divine Beast is a creature that has received a special Divine Protection from a god. Legends say the Dark Fenrir is born when a Fenrir loses its mate to the hands of humans; it is a creature consumed by grief and rage."

The faces of Jerome and Melissa flashed through my mind. Then came the memory of the Sky Dragon—the boss of the Sage’s Tower in the Otome Game.

"A Dark Fenrir is said to have no sanity left. It will slaughter and devour every human it encounters. If we don't take it down, we're dead!"

"Right!"

Against an opponent that large, Saiga was the better choice. I switched weapons and loaded a Slug Shell.

"AWOOOOOOOOOOOH!!"

The Dark Fenrir suddenly unleashed a bone-chilling growl that sounded more like a death-knell than a howl.

"っ!?"

The moment the sound hit me, my body grew heavy, as if I were being physically crushed into the dirt.

"Th-this is..."

"A... Allen..."

It looked like Ana was suffering from the same sensation.

"Anastasia! Your magic should be able to nullify the effects of its Roar!"

Roar? This thing uses the same skill Jerome did? It was a reassuring ability when used by an ally, but facing it as an enemy was a nightmare.

"Kuh... Lord Roh... Yes!"

Ana struggled to focus her mind and forced her magic to activate.

"Holy Ice Sedation!"

In an instant, our bodies were encased in thin shells of ice that immediately shattered. The weight lifted. I was light on my feet again!

"Thanks, Ana!"

"Don't mention it. We have to do something about that beast!"

"On it!"

I immediately used Transmutation to whip up a thick smokescreen and activated my Stealth. This should have made me invisible to the creature. My plan was to circle around, get close enough to hit a vital spot, and pump a Slug Shell into it with Saiga.

I took a few steps to flank the Dark Fenrir, but I stopped dead when I noticed something terrifying.

It’s tracking me?

The Dark Fenrir’s eyes were locked onto my position. The moment I realized it, black electricity surged from its body. The bolts flew toward me with unerring accuracy. I barely managed to dodge by throwing myself into a roll.

"Ugh... how...?"

I'd avoided a direct hit, but the lightning had grazed my left shoulder. A sharp, throbbing pain radiated through my arm.

"Allen!?" Ana cried out, rushing toward me.

"Damn it... how did it see through my Stealth!?"

"It simply means the Dark Fenrir's power is that immense," the Hentai said. "Allen, half-baked tactics aren't going to win this."

"I know that! Can't you do something!?"

I shouted the question at him, but the Dark Fenrir moved before he could answer. It unleashed a torrent of black lightning, raining bolts down upon us.

"Whoa!"

"Kuh!"

"This is..."

The sheer volume and power of the assault forced us entirely onto the defensive. We managed to dodge or intercept the bolts with magic, but we had absolutely no openings to counterattack.

At this rate, we were just going to be worn down until we were dead.

Damn it! I have to find a way out of this!