Chapter 75
Kane's POV
When I saw Ella and Julian appear on the battlefield, an indescribable joy surged through me.
Our homeland was saved.
My gaze locked onto the massive wolf wreathed in crimson flames. Her fire blazed across the battlefield like a banner, heralding the arrival of hope.
But then I noticed something wrong.
Inside the tent, two thorn chains manipulated Black Claw and White Claw like a puppeteer's strings.
The wolves' eyes were terrifyingly vacant, their movements mechanical and precise—they were no longer living beings, just animated corpses.
Then a third chain shot out from the tent, aimed directly at Stella.
I watched as the chain pierced through Stella's shoulder, pinning her to the ground. She screamed in agony, but it was too late—black mist engulfed her body as she began to expand wildly.
Seconds later, a gigantic Seraphina appeared on the battlefield.
Her size had swelled five or six times, nearly as massive as the bloodthirsty worm we'd faced earlier. Black thorny vines crawled across her limbs like living parasites, writhing grotesquely.
This posed a tremendous threat to Ella, Julian, and the entire Silver Moon pack.
My heart clenched violently.
"Blaze!" I called out in the depths of my consciousness. "Wake up! Please wake up!"
Silence.
Deathly silence.
"Blaze!" I called again, my voice breaking into a plea. "I need you!"
Finally, a weak voice emerged from the depths of consciousness.
So tired...
Blaze's voice sounded utterly drained, as if it might dissipate at any moment.
To help you fight for power, I've consumed too much strength. He paused. Those dark flames... they're devouring me bit by bit.
My heart sank.
"Help me one more time," I begged. "Just one last time."
Why? he asked. For that position as heir? Or for your mother's vengeance?
"I used to believe I was avenging my mother, reclaiming the position that should have been mine." My voice was eerily calm. "But I've gradually realized those were all excuses. I was just running away—running from admitting my weakness, running from admitting my fear."
I closed my eyes, feeling that long-lost authenticity deep within.
"I don't want to hurt innocent people for illusory ambitions anymore. I don't want Silver Moon's land to bleed because of my selfish desires."
Are you serious? Blaze asked, genuine surprise in his voice.
"Yes." I opened my eyes, my gaze resolute. "I only want to protect the people I care about, protect this land. If that requires giving up the Alpha position, then so be it."
From the depths of consciousness came a long sigh.
You've finally... Blaze's voice carried a hint of relief. Finally found your true self.
Power began gathering within my body.
Not the mad, twisted force of dark flames, but something purer, more primal—the power belonging to the wolf clan itself, the true bond between Blaze and me.
Bones began restructuring, muscles began expanding, black wolf fur pierced through my skin.
I completed the transformation.
The chains groaned under the strain of my swelling form, then—
Crack!
The chains shattered.
I broke free from the cross, landing with all four paws sinking deep into the snow. The surrounding soldiers retreated in terror, but I paid them no mind.
---
Ella's POV
A flame barrier rose above me, an ice shield condensed at my side.
I could feel Ignis and Sage's power desperately resisting the dark flames spewing from the gigantic Seraphina.
Those dark purple flames were as terrifying as hell itself, devouring everything they touched. Except for the area protected by the flame barrier and ice shield, all other land was scorched black. Trees burned to ash, snow melted into black sludge, the air filled with a nauseating burnt stench. Some soldiers who couldn't dodge in time lay on the ground, their bodies burned beyond recognition. It was a horrifying scene of devastation.
My body trembled. Not from fear, but because Ignis was burning through all her strength.
I could feel her exhaustion, her pain, her desperation.
Each time the flame barrier absorbed an impact from the dark flames, my body shook violently.
"Hold on," I told her in the depths of consciousness. "We must hold on."
"I... I can't hold on much longer..." Ignis's voice was terrifyingly weak.
I gritted my teeth, trying to transfer what little willpower I had left to her.
But I knew we couldn't last much longer.
Just then, I felt Sage's gaze fall upon me. Through the flames and icy mist, I saw his ice-blue eyes filled with worry.
His ice shield was also trembling violently—clearly he was nearing his limit too.
"Julian," I called to him through our mental link. "What do we do now?"
Julian remained silent. I could feel him thinking, searching for a way to break through. But the gigantic Seraphina was simply too powerful—dark magic had transformed her into an unbeatable monster.
Just as I thought we were all going to die here, an aged voice rang out.
"Beyond elemental power lies nature's most primal force."
I turned my head to see Alpha Walter standing not far away. His body looked so frail it might collapse at any moment, yet his eyes burned with unusual determination.
"We werewolves learned these powers from nature," Walter said slowly. "To give back to life, pass on life, and protect life. The elements don't exist in isolation—they can merge with each other, triggering powerful natural phenomena."
Sage and Ignis seemed to grasp something.
I felt Ignis's flames begin to undergo a subtle change, no longer purely defensive, but seeking some kind of resonance.
Meanwhile, Silver Moon's soldiers launched a tragic charge. Using their lives as bait, they crashed into the gigantic Seraphina's front hooves. One warrior after another fell, but they succeeded in making the monster lose her balance. Seraphina stumbled, and her dark flame attacks paused briefly.
This was the opening.
Julian leaped onto a small snow slope and began gathering ice power.
I felt the surrounding temperature plummet, moisture in the air rapidly condensing. A massive ice block slowly formed in the sky, like a dome covering everything.
"Frozen Vault!" Julian growled.
At the same time, Ignis was also gathering power. Her flames shifted from defense to offense, condensing into a blazing pillar of fire.
"Horn of the Flame God!"
The fire pillar shot straight toward that massive ice block. When these two opposing forces collided in mid-air, the clash of hot and cold caused dark clouds to rapidly gather, lightning flashing within them.
Rain began to fall from the sky, carrying a strange warmth that seemed capable of washing away all darkness and evil.
"Heaven's merciful rain..." I murmured.
Just then, a bolt of lightning struck down from the distance, hitting some high platform far away, creating a massive purple fissure across the sky.