Frost Wolf Alpha Takedown
Serena Eldark's ferocious strike sent the frost wolves into brief chaos. Seong Hyun-jin and Clarice managed to descend quite a ways down the cliff in that opening, but the pack quickly regained their bearings and locked onto their foes.
Grrrrrr—
The frost wolves let out low growls as they spotted the pair scaling down the cliffside. Then the largest specimen among them barked sharply, and the others began clambering up the rock face in unison—like trained soldiers moving in perfect sync. Seong Hyun-jin instantly pegged that massive one as the pack leader.
"That's the leader, huh."
Seong Hyun-jin raised his drawn sword diagonally, settling into an upper-body stance. Clarice glanced at the charging wolves and remarked,
"They're coming. Aren't you going to deal with that one?"
"You've got Ciela-senpai with you."
"...This would be your first time coordinating with me, yet you're entrusting your life like that?"
"Why say something so scary?"
Seong Hyun-jin shot back. "Getting worked up over trash like that—isn't that a bit overkill?"
"......"
"Here I go!"
To drop even faster, Seong Hyun-jin hunched his body. He plummeted like a meteor from the cliff, and Clarice muttered as she watched.
"All I showed you was me taking down fake frost wolves."
Clarice's flames—unlike Serena Eldark's, these were bubbling, boiling infernos. Flames born from molten rock itself.
Clarice assumed a stance midair with practiced ease. Swinging her sword while falling? She'd drilled it dozens of times back home and seen plenty of real combat besides. As the Levatein family's precious daughter, she was also a duke's lady—and it was only natural she'd tagged along on beast subjugation expeditions since childhood, thanks to her innate sword talent. By now, she'd hunted down over fifty magical beasts.
Levatein Ancient Sword Style, Second Form.
⟨ Crimson Flame ⟩
BOOOOMMMM!!!!
Five frost wolves lunging straight at Seong Hyun-jin had their heads melt away in unison right before his eyes.
But the pack was far from done. The others closed in instantly, claws flashing as they slashed.
In that instant—
A massive ice crystal materialized around Seong Hyun-jin.
CLANGGG!!
The enormous crystal completely blocked the frost wolves' forepaws. Logic dictated it should shatter—but it held firm, shattering their claws instead.
The wolves panicked at the impossible sight, whimpering as they tried to yank free, but their paws stuck fast to the frigid crystal.
"What in the world...?"
It was Ciela Teraport's magic. A mage whose talent even Demon Star Eleonora had personally acknowledged as superior—now pulling off a mystical display that left even veteran senior knight Gazel Bishadel stunned.
Thanks to that, Seong Hyun-jin landed in perfect safety...
THUD!!
...right in front of the massive alpha frost wolf.
"Hey there?"
The sound of Seong Hyun-jin's landing echoed up, and Gazel drew his sword with a shocked expression. He'd held back so far, not wanting to disrupt their rhythm—but this was reckless bordering on suicide.
"Why isn't he using spirit power...? Does that student not know how to handle spirits!?"
Gazel, who'd felled countless beasts over a lifetime, knew full well that ordinary swords barely scratched frost wolf hide and fur.
Yet Seong Hyun-jin's blade bore no spirit enhancement whatsoever.
Gazel planned to intercept and finish the wolf himself. As a senior knight, he had the skill to strike from the cliff even now—and he moved to save the boy.
But then, something grabbed his arm.
"!"
"It's fine, Sir Gazel."
It was Yeonhui. She hadn't gripped his arm with her hand—she'd bound it briefly with a holy spell.
What...!
Gazel's shock was understandable. A simple holy spell, cast without prayer, halting a senior knight? That alone transcended ordinary spirit arts.
To the stunned Gazel, Yeonhui said plainly,
"He doesn't need to borrow spirit power."
"...Did you bless him or something?"
"No."
Yeonhui hadn't cast any blessing on Seong Hyun-jin—but she insisted it was fine anyway.
She had just one reason to say so.
"Because he's Seong Hyun-jin. So it'll work out."
Trust. Unwavering trust in Seong Hyun-jin, nothing more.
"......Pardon?"
As Gazel started to demand what that meant—
Awoooooooooh——!!
The alpha frost wolf unleashed a mighty howl, blanketing its body in frost. Like humans wielding spirit power, beasts commanded their own "mana."
The surge plummeted the surrounding temperature, even chilling those atop the cliff.
Ciela hugged her arms lightly.
"Got chilly all of a sudden."
"The frost wolf's power. But this level is... rare."
Even among the frost wolves Gazel Bishadel had faced as a senior knight, this was top-tier.
"It's too dangerous! Just slashing with a plain sword—what madness...!"
"If it's truly perilous, I'll handle it. You're good."
Serena spoke up. "For now, just watch and trust him."
Gazel couldn't argue after witnessing that insane blaze moments ago. Plus, he'd realized none here were ordinary.
Maybe even he—a senior knight—and the duchy’s top forces paled next to the man these powerhouses trusted...
...Who the hell is this guy?
As Gazel pondered and watched, Seong Hyun-jin faced the alpha's chill head-on.
"This is kinda cold."
"But you don't know how brutal Cheonsan's winters get, do you?"
The north was frigid, but so were high altitudes. The towering Cheonsan where he'd lived with his master stayed brisk even in summer; winter was indescribably hellish.
Hakodate Karin roamed with her back and shoulders bare even then—thanks to her ironclad body from her blessing... but young Seong Hyun-jin had shivered endlessly in the cold.
Each time, Karin had warmed him in her embrace, and he'd drifted off in her soft hold.
"Heh... Back then, cuddling up to Master legally was a thing..."
Seong Hyun-jin briefly lost himself in fond memories, but the alpha wouldn't indulge him. It infused its claws with icy mana, glowing blue as it slashed down.
"......You're ruining a nice flashback."
Forgetting he'd sought it out, Seong Hyun-jin scowled slightly and gripped his sword tight. He stared up at the descending forepaw.
"Spirit Exorcism Sword, Fifth Form."
Calamity Slash Kill
Whoosh—!
Just before the paw struck his head, Seong Hyun-jin's sword whipped out.
Mana-charged claw versus plain steel. The clash looked a foregone conclusion.
Gazel braced for disaster, breaking Yeonhui's spell to swing—but astonishingly...
CRRRRAAAAACCCKKKKK————!!
...no need.
Gazel stared blankly down the cliff. So did the alpha.
THUD!!
It failed to process what happened at first—then spotted its own forepaw tumbling sideways.
And it wasn't just the paw. No pain registered because its head had been severed too.
The blade had sliced clean through paw and head in one arc.
The headless alpha crumpled sideways. The pack froze in confusion.
All with pure sword and muscle—no spirits involved.
"...Hah."
Gazel let out a disbelieving chuckle. Atop the cliff, Serena, Ciela, and Yeonhui nodded like they'd expected nothing less.
"Let's clean up the rest."
"Yeah."
"I'll help."
Without their alpha, the frost wolves' assaults lost all cohesion—rendering them harmless. Seong Hyun-jin and Clarice handled those below; Serena, Ciela, and Yeonhui intercepted from above. The academy quintet wiped out the pack in under ten minutes.
Gazel watched, then muttered hollowly to his lieutenant.
"......None of them are normal."
"Tell me about it, Captain."
Gazel eyed the Levatein heiress holding her own among them. A small, pleased smile tugged at his lips.
The Duke won't have to worry about a successor anymore.