As Connor's strike landed, the wolf lord let out a guttural yelp of pain, its massive body jerking backward from the impact. Saliva sprayed from its fanged maw, misting into the moonlit air as the punch connected squarely with its chest.
For a fleeting second, its torso visibly deformed under the sheer kinetic force—muscle and bone rippling like water—before it was launched off its paws, crashing through the air toward the treeline. Trees splintered and cracked on impact, bark exploding as its colossal frame tore through trunks like brittle matchsticks.
"Holy crap, that thing's huge,"
Connor muttered, exhaling sharply as he shook out his arms, fingers twitching from the impact. His knuckles throbbed from the sheer density of the beast's hide—like punching reinforced stone wrapped in fur.
A blast echoed overhead as Silas's explosive jets flared once again. He landed in a low skid beside Connor, knees bent, robe billowing behind him from the downward propulsion. Two melee fighters now stood shoulder-to-shoulder against a wolf lord the size of a siege engine.
The ground rumbled as the wolf lord re-emerged from the treeline, trees cracking and falling in its wake. It burst back into the clearing with murderous momentum, snarling with rage, golden eyes ablaze. The impact of its charge sent shockwaves through the earth, forcing Silas and Connor to slide backward several feet, bracing against the blast of air and debris.
"Looks like this thing's mad!" Silas laughed, eyes alight with wild excitement.
"Any more plans?" Connor grunted, twisting his body at the last second to avoid a swipe of claws that would've disemboweled a slower man.
Silas only grinned, glancing at Connor with a spark of mischief glinting in his eyes.
"Of course I do!"
Before Connor could react, Silas fired another blast from his jets—this time aimed at the ground beneath both of them. The sudden detonation launched them high and far, arcing across the battlefield like cannonballs. They landed in a heap several meters away, tumbling through grass and dirt as the world spun around them.
"What the hell was that for?"
Connor coughed, sputtering as he sat up, a mouthful of earth coating his tongue. He spat, glaring at Silas with a mix of irritation and disbelief.
Silas just lay there, laughing with pure amusement. He casually pointed toward the battlefield with one dirt-streaked hand.
The undead bear had finally arrived—its hulking form barreling into the wolf lord like a runaway siege weapon. Bones protruded from rotting flesh, arcane runes glowing faintly beneath its cracked hide. Despite the overwhelming size difference, the necrotic bear held its ground, each blow it delivered echoing like thunderclaps through the clearing.
The clash resembled a twisted retelling of David and Goliath—but this time, David was undead, relentless, and immune to pain.
"And here comes the rest of the brigade," Silas said, his grin returning as he spotted the reinforcements arriving. Behind the bear, more classmates had entered the fray—Class 4-D, in full.
Spells lit the air like artillery fire. Bolts of lightning cracked through the night. Gouts of flame and ice shot forward in rapid succession, streaking like tracer rounds from student hands.
The battlefield glowed with the strobing intensity of magical assault—steady, unrelenting, like magical machine guns tearing through the chaos.
"We did our part. Now it's time for them to do the rest," Silas murmured, eyes narrowing slightly with satisfaction.
Unlike when Silas first entered the forest—when the delinquents fought alone, skilled but scarce—this time, there was no shortage of power. Class 4-D had arrived in force, and with numbers came pressure.
Overwhelming force can be outmatched—but overwhelming numbers? That was a different story.
At least in this case…
Silas smirked to himself, watching the tide turn.
Beside him, Connor pushed to his feet once more. The runes along his forearms flared to life again, bright and angry, casting a golden glow across his face.
"Well, I'm not just gonna stand here,"
he growled, and with a surge of energy, sprinted back into the battle—joining the undead bear in locking horns with the enraged wolf lord, their blows echoing with the force of miniature explosions.
Back near the watch platform, more students descended—those who had remained behind finally leaping into action. The full weight of Class 4-D surged toward the battlefield, shouting war cries, spells crackling in their palms as they joined the onslaught.
The wolf lord, once an unstoppable force, now found itself surrounded, harried from all sides by a flood of magical and physical assault.
"Man… I'm starting to feel bad for the boss…"
Silas chuckled, finally rising to his feet. He dusted off his pants with a lazy swipe as his hands came alive once more—green necrotic flame in one, ember-red combustion flickering in the other.
He stepped forward, smirk firmly in place.
"Let's finish this."