Telo stood in the middle of the road, sword drawn in his right hand and a small round shield gripped tightly in his left.
The demonic wolf reached him within seconds. It was pursuing William, but Telo couldn't allow that. The muddy road was narrow and uneven. In some places, it could accommodate two carriages side by side with space for pedestrians, while in others, it was barely wide enough for a single carriage. Telo had deliberately chosen the narrowest section to intercept the beast. Dense bushes flanked both sides of the road, making it impossible for the creature to bypass him without taking a detour.
The wraith controlling the beast understood that confronting Telo would cost time, something it could ill afford, especially with its true target slipping farther away. But it had no other choice.
With a feral roar, the beast charged. Telo braced himself.
It struck with its front paws, which Telo blocked with his shield. The impact was so forceful that he was shoved back several meters, but he managed to stay on his feet. The beast tried to step sideways and bypass him, but Telo anticipated the move. He swung his sword, forcing the creature to retreat and giving himself a moment to reposition into a guarded stance.
The beast tried again and again to outmaneuver him, but Telo held firm. If the creature had been larger—like a bull or a bison—it might have succeeded in forcing its way past. Fortunately, the demonic wolf wasn't that massive.
It was being remotely controlled by a wraith, which limited its ability to fully utilize its strength and instincts. Unlike intelligent humans, demonic beasts were only semi-intelligent. While the savage beasts they evolved from had some cunning, their intellect often regressed upon becoming corrupted. Most fought purely on instinct. Many believed the corruption dulled their minds. Unlike the demonic beast that had infiltrated the village under direct control of a fused wraith, this one clearly hadn't been possessed.
After multiple failed attempts, the beast backed off and abruptly leapt into the thick undergrowth. Realizing it could take a detour through the bushes and re-enter the road further ahead, it disappeared into the greenery.
Telo immediately understood its intention and sprinted forward along the road.
By the time the beast emerged onto the road again, nearly a kilometer ahead, Telo was already there waiting. Enraged, the creature roared and attacked recklessly. It sustained a minor injury in Telo's counterstrike but pressed on, seemingly unfazed.
Telo found its behavior increasingly erratic—until another demonic beast suddenly appeared in front of him.
The moment he sensed the second beast, Telo knew he couldn't hold both at bay.
As the wolf charged again, Telo hurled his shield aside and gripped his sword with both hands. Moments before impact, he stepped to the side and delivered a wide, sweeping slash. He had predicted the beast's path after their many exchanges, and the creature, charging blindly, couldn't react in time.
His blade sliced deep into its right foreleg. The force of the collision hurled Telo into the thick bushes to the left, while the wolf was flung back in the opposite direction, letting out a piercing howl of pain.
Before Telo could recover and assess the situation, the second demonic beast raced past him down the road.
Telo stood up quickly, emerging from the bushes. The demonic wolf was still struggling to rise, its right front leg bleeding profusely. Though the beast was injured, Telo did not dare approach it carelessly. As the saying goes, a cornered beast is the most dangerous—especially when it's a demonic one.
He retrieved his shield from the side and cautiously approached. The beast let out a furious roar and forced itself to stand. Telo stepped in and tested it with a quick thrust. The wolf snapped at him, but he dodged its jaws and left a shallow wound on its shoulder blade. He immediately retreated to a safer distance.
After one more probing strike, Telo confirmed that the beast was no longer a significant threat. With its front leg badly injured, it could barely move. They were about 10 kilometers from the village, so the beast could no longer endanger it. Nor would it be able to pursue them. Eventually, it would die from its wounds.
Judging the threat as negligible, Telo turned and sprinted down the road. Perhaps he could still help John deal with the other demonic beasts. He would have preferred to finish the job, but time was too precious. Demonic beasts, like savage ones, were notoriously resilient and not easy to kill quickly.
---
A few minutes later, farther along the road
William and John hadn't stopped running. They had covered over 25 kilometers in just 15 minutes. Though they couldn't maintain that pace much longer, stopping was not an option. Demonic beasts and eventually even dark beasts could catch up at any moment. They wouldn't be safe until they crossed the 50-kilometer mark. Atari City was still over 70 kilometers away, but they could reach outpost along the road.
Atari City has built multiple outposts at intervals of at roughly 20 kilometers radius to secure its domain and respond swiftly to any threats. These outposts marked the borders of the lord's territory and were surrounded by many settlements, both large and small. Each was guarded by warrior initiates from the Atari City army, under the command of the city lord.
"Looks like Telo was able to hold off that demonic wolf," John said, panting, trying to lighten the mood.
"It does seem that way. If no other beasts come after us, we should reach the outpost safely," William replied, his voice tinged with hope.
As if to mock them, the sound of distant footsteps reached their ears. They instantly went on high alert. The bushes and winding road prevented them from spoting it immediately, but the approaching presence was unmistakably that of a demonic beast.
William exchanged a worried glance with John. They both knew what it meant. If this beast had bypassed Telo, it could mean he was injured or preoccupied. Fortunately—or perhaps not—it wasn't the same demonic wolf Telo had been holding back. This likely meant another beast had slipped past while Telo was engaged.
Whatever the case, they had to deal with it. Once again, one of them would have to stay behind.
"You go ahead. This one won't be able to follow you any farther. I'll make sure of it," John said firmly.
"Don't worry. These evil monsters won't be the end of me. I've survived worse," he added, noticing the concern on William's face. "And even if they do, I'll have slowed them down enough to ruin their plans. At least I'll have protected Isabella. I won't die in vain like our comrades. Now go!"
William nodded silently and pushed forward. John came to an abrupt stop and turned to face the approaching beast. He drew his longsword and prepared himself. As the beast grew nearer, he couldn't help but reflect on his past—his younger self, full of bravado and enthusiasm, but woefully inexperienced. He remembered the first time he faced a charging beast—he had almost lost control of his bowels from fear.
But over time, his false bravado turned into real courage, and his enthusiasm made him one of the best swordsmen among his peers. He became a warrior initiate, and eventually, the strongest in his generation. He had believed he could face anything—until the dark beast tide came. Then he learned the hard truth: individual strength meant little in the face of overwhelming numbers. That siege ten years ago still haunted his dreams. He had lost comrades who were like family.
His memories stirred deep resentment, but he refused to let anger cloud his judgment. As the beast drew closer, he studied it more clearly. It was a pinara-type creature—larger than a wolf, its body nearly reaching his chest. Pinaras were herbivores with no claws or powerful jaws. Their main weapons were their short, sharp, sturdy horns. Their endurance made them capable of outlasting most predators.
I can't block its charge. It's too bulky.
Since a defensive approach wouldn't work, he chose offense. He gripped his sword with both hands and held it horizontally, waiting for the exact moment the beast entered his range. As it lunged, he swung hard and sidestepped simultaneously. The beast swerved at the last second, and his blade sliced a shallow gash across its shoulder. The cut wasn't deep enough to cripple it, but it halted its momentum.
The beast howled in pain. It was now too close to charge again, so it lashed out with its horns. John easily stepped back, dodging them. The beast tried several attacks, but John avoided or blocked every one. It attempted to retreat and regain charging distance, but John stayed close, just beyond the reach of its horns.
He had stopped this one—for now—and hoped it would be enough.