As soon as Jai Veer and Anvi laid eyes on the Grade-2 magical wolf, they were utterly stunned. The sheer presence of the beast was so overwhelming that it felt like the air around them had turned heavy and unbreathable. The very atmosphere trembled with its power.
"Oh my God! Where did this Grade-2 wolf come from?" Anvi's voice trembled with fear. "Looks like this might really be my last morning alive…"
"Hey! Don't give up so easily," Jai Veer said, stepping up shoulder to shoulder with her. "Get a grip. First, we have to fight this beast together."
He drew his sword, and Anvi, her hands shaking, pulled out her dagger.
The wolf growled ferociously, launching glowing magical spikes through the air. Both of them raised their weapons to block the attack; the attack was more powerful, but they were able to manage and block.
They were fighting in coordination to keep up for a long time; they looked at each other and decided to attack the beast from two directions at the same time with powerful power.
But,
In the very next moment, the wolf's eyes glowed, and two beams of intense yellow magic shot directly at Jai Veer and Anvi.
"Ugh! This is even stronger than the last attack!" Anvi trembled as she struggled to deflect the beam, ultimately collapsing to the ground.
"Uhh!" she groaned in pain.
"Are you alright?" Jai Veer called out, but before she could respond, he too was pushed back a couple of steps by the impact.
The wolf roared again and leapt high into the air, aiming straight for Anvi. Jai Veer threw himself in front of her, blocking the strike with his sword and managing to push the beast back.
Enraged, the wolf charged up another set of yellow beams and launched them. This time, both beams combined and surged toward Jai Veer. With his battered body, he barely managed to hold his sword in defense, but the blast knocked him down. Multiple wounds now covered his body.
Both of them lay on the ground, panting heavily.
But Jai Veer wasn't done yet. He forced himself to stand, staggering on weak legs, and raised his sword again.
"Come on, Anvi. Let's give it one more try."
This time, they channeled magical energy into their sword and dagger from a distance and unleashed a combined attack. But the wolf's magical shield deflected it all.
"That shield is completely neutralizing any ranged technique," Jai Veer realized.
"Do you have any powerful techniques left?" he asked Anvi.
"I do… But it'll take a little time to cast!" she replied.
"Alright, I'll hold it off till then. Don't let that effort go to waste!" Jai Veer said, charging toward the wolf.
Behind him, Anvi raised her hands toward the sky and whispered, "Condensed Lightning Strike…"
Magical energy began to gather in the clouds above.
Despite bleeding and barely holding on, Jai Veer kept engaging the wolf. "Hurry up! I'm not planning on dying here!"
The wolf backed up and then launched itself with full force toward Jai Veer. He knew he wouldn't be able to block this one.
The beast was mid-air, about to strike—
CRACK—BOOM!!!
A massive bolt of lightning slammed directly into the wolf from above. The ground quaked from the impact, and the wolf crashed to the ground, shrouded in dust and smoke.
Jai Veer exhaled deeply. "Phew… good timing."
"How was my attack?" Anvi asked with a proud smile, patting him on the back.
"Hmph… not bad," Jai Veer replied casually.
"Hmm… looks like you really have a death wish," Anvi said with a teasing yet sinister grin. Despite the words, her face still looked adorably fierce.
But before they could relax, the wolf stirred on the ground—and rose again, now even more terrifying than before.
It had gone completely berserk. Magical flames blazed from its eyes, and its attacks turned even more ferocious.
"Yeah, now we're definitely dead," Jai Veer muttered. "I've got no energy left."
They tried their best to dodge and block the incoming attacks, but they were worn out. The wolf prepared for one final, devastating strike—
And then, in a burst of blinding light, an old man appeared between them and the beast.
SWISH—BOOM!!
With a single, fluid strike, he cut the wolf into pieces.
The wolf's blood splattered across the ground. The earth was now stained red.
Jai Veer and Anvi stood frozen, shivering under the immense pressure radiating from the old man. His aura was so powerful that it was difficult to even breathe in his presence.
"He… he's at the peak of the 9-Star Mahatva (Elemental Mastery)…" Jai Veer realized in shock.
The old man turned, glaring at Anvi with stern eyes. "What are you doing here in this forest?"
Anvi fumbled for words. "V-Vice Principal, sir! I'm sorry… I was just taking a walk and got lost. First, I ran into a Grade-1 wolf, and then this Grade-2 …"
"Grade 1? Did you already kill it?" the old man asked sharply.
"No, sir, this boy did… He saved my life," Anvi said, pointing toward Jai Veer.
Now the old man looked at Jai Veer more carefully.
"Interesting… 8-Star Jagruti stage at such a young age?" he muttered to himself.
"He's not even from any academy," Anvi added. "He just lives out here in the forest, alone."
The old man stepped forward. "Where are you from, boy? Where are your parents?"
Jai Veer hesitated for a moment before answering, "I live near the edge of the forest… alone. I don't know where my parents are."
The old man's expression softened. "So much strength at such a young age… Why don't you come join our Aaroha Academy? With your talent, I'm sure you'll pass the entrance test."
Jai Veer stayed quiet for a moment, thinking—and then nodded. "Alright. That might be good for me."
"Excellent. First, let's head to the camp," the old man said.
And with a wave of his hand, he opened a shimmering spatial portal—through which all three of them stepped and disappeared.