We argued for a bit–nothing serious, just that usual master-student nonsense where one side is overly strict and the other side pretends logic doesn't exist. Eventually, he just waved a hand.
"Separate directions. Means Faster."
"That's literally just splitting the work and hoping we don't get lost."
"You won't get lost."
"That's not comforting." Still, it made sense. So we split.
The forest wasn't dangerous at first. Just quiet. Too quiet, actually. I was picking fruit from a tree when I felt it.
A pressure.
Not mana exactly… something heavier. Older. The air changed. Something moved between the trees ahead, slow at first, then stepping into view like it already owned the space.
A black Fenrir.
Massive. Not just an animal–something closer to a living law of nature. Its eyes locked onto me.
"You… carry dragon's malice," it said, voice low like grinding stone. It tilted its head slightly, gaze shifting. "And… Byakuren. Why are you here?"
Byakuren stepped forward without hesitation. "We are with this human," he answered simply. Blaze finally opened his eyes more fully. "Yes," he added, voice calm. "So don't do anything funny to him."
There was a pause. Then the Fenrir moved. No warning. Just attack. The impact cracked the ground.
Everything turned sharp in an instant–motion, instinct, pressure. I barely had time to react before Byakuren was already moving, his form shifting as divine energy flickered around him.
Blaze didn't transform–but the air around him changed. He wasn't loud about it. Just present.
The Fenrir came again. This time, Blaze stepped forward. And something heavy dropped into the forest.
Not fire. Not light. Something worse. The Fenrir hesitated for the first time. It recognized something in him... That dragon's malice.
The fight didn't last long after that. It wasn't clean. It wasn't pretty. It was more like a freaking pokemon battle in real life!!!..until one side stopped pushing forward.
Eventually, the Fenrir was forced down–subdued rather than destroyed.Breathing heavily, but still alive. Its eyes stayed open. Watching..
Elandor arrived a moment later, stepping through the trees sharply...His eyes immediately locked onto the scene.
The black Fenrir–subdued. Not dead.
But clearly overpowered. For a rare moment, even he went silent.
"…That should not be possible this easily," he said under his breath. His gaze shifted between Blaze, Byakuren, and the Fenrir.
Then back again. Something in his expression changed. Not fear. Calculation.
"You didn't just encounter it," he said slowly. "You were tested." No one answered immediately.
The Fenrir exhaled once, deep and controlled, like it was accepting something it didn't fully like. And the road ahead… didn't feel as simple anymore. Not even close.
Elandor kept staring at the Fenrir for a few seconds longer before finally exhaling. Then he looked at me. "I suppose I owe you an explanation."
"That would be nice," I said. "Because from where I'm standing, this looks a lot like you casually sent me into a forest wolf trial."
"It was not casual."
"That somehow makes it worse."
He ignored that and folded his arms.
"When we first saw your white cat, we considered two possibilities," he said, glancing at Byakuren. "Either it was an ordinary magic beast that you foolishly named after a legendary sovereign…"
"I did not foolishly name anyone," I said.
Blaze snorted. "You named me Blaze."
"That name is great."
"Fair enough," Blaze said with fake dignity.
Elandor continued like we weren't talking.
"…or it was the real Byakuren hiding in a lesser form."
I blinked. "And instead of asking normally, you decided to test it with a giant nightmare wolf?"
"The Black Fenrir," Elandor corrected. "Nochtrael, Devourer of Gods. Guardian of the pass between Valerión and Orynthia."
Nochtrael, still pinned and clearly offended, growled from the ground.
"I dislike how calmly you say that."
"It is simply fact."
"That fact tried to remove my spine."
Elandor's expression didn't change, but I was starting to suspect that was just how elves laughed...Or being a High General robbed him of laughter?.
"I knew Nochtrael remained in these woods," he said. "If Byakuren were false, I could step in and handle the matter myself." I looked at the cratered ground around us, then at Blaze. "But instead…"
His eyes shifted to the small lizard now cleaning one claw like nothing happened.
"…your other companion did most of the work."
Blaze raised his head proudly. "You're welcome."
"I didn't thank you."
"You meant to."
Byakuren sat down beside me, calm as ever. "Your methods remain strange, Elandor."
"They were effective...but how did you–"
Before he can even finish Byrakuren answered "I have been observing you from the outside of elven lands."
"They nearly got the human flattened," Blaze said.
Elandor followed "You were there."
"That is not the point." I rubbed my forehead. "Why is everyone around me insane?"
No one answered, which felt suspicious.
Elandor's gaze returned to Byakuren, more thoughtful now than before.
"A sovereign of souls does not simply follow people," he said quietly. "Certainly not a human boy who buys divine swords from a random market stall in a palaza."
"That sword was discounted," I muttered.
Then his eyes moved to Blaze. "And now dragon's malice as well…"
The words carried more weight this time.
Even the forest seemed quieter. I looked down at Blaze, who had climbed onto a rock and was sitting like a king who paid no taxes. "You mean him?" I asked. "He's just a cute lizard."
Blaze slowly turned toward me. There was a dangerous silence. Nochtrael actually lifted his head to watch. Byakuren's tail flicked once. Elandor blinked.
Then Blaze spoke with deadly calm. "Cute?"
I nodded. "Very."
Flames puffed from his nose. "I can destroy mountains you know?"
"But still, you fit in one hand."
"I hate your perspective."
I picked him up before he could start another fire and placed him on my shoulder. He grumbled the whole way.
Elandor looked between all of us again, like every answer only created three more questions. "I truly do not understand how you gathered these beings around you."
"That makes two of us," I said. Nochtrael finally rose to his feet, shaking dust from his dark fur. He stared at Blaze, then Byakuren, then me.
After a long pause, he turned toward the mountain path ahead. Without asking, he began walking. I frowned. "Where is he going?"
Byakuren answered first. "With us." Nochtrael didn't even look back.
"The pass leads to Orynthia," he said. "And now… so do I."
End of chapter.