"Th‑then I can go? You won't kill me?" the bandit asked, almost begging.
"On one condition," Andras replied. "You must lead us to the hideout. If you show my knights both entrances, then you may leave. In fact, for your efforts you will even receive a reward."
The bandit's eyes lit up, as if he had been given new life.
"Really? I'll help you! Let those beasts perish! Every last one of them!"
The journey south to the border took two days on horseback. The Young Wolf and the Bandit‑Hunter unit guarded the bandit strictly, though he had no thought of escape. His mind was driven only by the promise of reward and the thirst for vengeance: he felt he could finally strike back at those who had slaughtered his comrades.
When they arrived at the hideout, the man eagerly pointed out the entrance concealed behind the waterfall, and then the escape passage camouflaged with bushes. He believed he had done his duty well, already rubbing his hands together in anticipation of his reward.
"May I have my reward now?" he asked, his voice thick with greedy hope.
Andras's eyes flashed cold.
"Of course," he said—and with a single motion summoned a magical lightning bolt that shattered the bandit's head.
The knights froze for a moment, then silently accepted the decision. Andras stood calmly, his voice ringing with icy finality:
"Your reward is a swift death. And I was merciful."
Anita glanced sideways, her face grim.
"Mages are terrifying… So, how do we do this? Surround them?"
Andras turned toward the hideout, his gaze resolute.
"According to the bandit's account, there are about twenty of them. All earth‑wolf beastfolk. The strong female will be the pack leader, the bandits' commander. These wolf‑beastfolk are far stronger than ordinary bandits, but we are more than twice their number. Each bandit will face at least two Wolf Knights. And we have two mages as well. In theory, most of them should pose no real threat to our knights."
The wind roared around the waterfall, as if the forest itself knew that blood was soon to be spilled. The Wolf Knights, muscles taut and hands gripping their swords, awaited the Young Wolf's command.
Beside the thunder of the waterfall, the Wolf Knights stood in formation, their weapons gleaming in the damp light. Anita turned grimly to the Young Wolf.
"Most of them won't be a problem. The only one that worries me is the bandit leader, that strong female. If we don't want even a single knight to fall in the raid, then no one should face her head‑on. I think the best way would be for Andrea and me to fight her together. The two of us could defeat her."
Andras's eyes flashed with determination.
"No. The female is my prey. An earth‑wolf, you understand? The perfect test subject for trying out the combination of my lightning and water magic. Since the Earthstone Bear Monster, I've been working on developing a magical attack that can break through the defenses of creatures reinforced by the earth element. Lightning alone is weak against earth. But if I combine lightning with water, that weakness disappears. If my theory is correct, I'll create a technique that no earth‑reinforced magical armor, beast, or demon will be able to withstand."
Anita sighed and shrugged.
"I didn't understand half of what you just said, but if you say you can defeat the pack leader, I believe you. Still, I'll be right behind you. If anything goes wrong, I'll be ready to fight the beast‑woman myself."
"Very well," Andras nodded. "Then let's split the unit in two. We are fifty‑four in total. From the waterfall side, you and I, Anita, will lead twenty‑five Wolf Knights in the assault. From the other entrance, a little farther away, Andrea and Noelle will lead another twenty‑five Wolf Knights, striking at the same time. If we're lucky, they won't all be gathered in one place, and then we can take them down one by one."
The Young Wolf raised his hand, his voice ringing clear above the roar of the waterfall:
"Very well, move out!"
The knights moved as one, like a single body, and the two detachments advanced slowly toward the cave's twin entrances. The air vibrated with tension: everyone knew that soon blood and steel would clash against the claws of the earth‑wolf beasts.
The raid began with lightning speed under the Young Wolf's command. The Wolf Knights surged into the cave from both sides at once, like two waves forged of steel. In the very first moment, each side clashed with five bandits.
In Andras's group, Anita cut down two in a flash, the Young Wolf's magical projectile felled a third, and the knights swiftly dispatched the remaining two. The skirmish lasted no longer than a heartbeat. The overwhelming force left the bandits with no chance at all.
On the other side, Andrea defeated two bandits, Noelle struck down one, and the knights slew the remaining pair. No one fell there either; the ranks of the Wolf Knights remained unbroken.
Of the twenty bandits, only ten remained, driven into the center of the cave. The air reeked of blood and smoke, the stone walls echoing with the roar of battle.
Among the beast‑men trapped in the middle, panic erupted.
"They've ambushed us!" one shouted.
"They've surrounded us completely!" another cried, his voice trembling.
The pack leader, Ironclaw—the female earth‑wolf—stepped forward, her eyes flashing wildly.
"Damn it! They're coming from both sides, we can't escape through the other exit!"
"What about the others guarding the entrance?" one bandit asked in desperation.
"All dead," Ironclaw growled. "I can smell their blood. These are knights, and there are far too many of them."
"What do we do now, boss?" another asked, shaking.
Ironclaw snarled, extending her claws with earth magic until they grew like blades of stone from her hands.
"We'll take as many of them to the grave with us as we can!"
Fear and grim resolve flickered in the bandits' eyes. They knew there was no escape. The center of the cave was about to become a slaughterhouse.
Ironclaw let out a howl, a true wolf's cry that shook the cave. The battle‑call was meant to embolden the other beast‑men. For a heartbeat their hearts filled with resolve—yet in the very next, lightning struck them, or rather their leader.
It was the Young Wolf. He was testing his new magical technique: the combination of lightning and water elements. The lightning's energy crashed into Ironclaw's body, while the water ensured the electricity spread into every fiber of her being. The female earth‑wolf collapsed instantly, her body completely paralyzed, unable to move. The shock was so brutal that even the proud pack leader lost control over her own body.
The bandits stared in disbelief as their mighty leader lay helpless on the ground. The sight, the smell, and the steel wall of knights extinguished their courage in an instant. Only fear remained—and the certainty of death.
Then Andras, the Young Wolf, raised his voice:
"Leave the female! Kill the rest!"