The wolf's eyes, brimming with savage malice, glowed with an eerie green light in the darkness.
Unlike human eyes, werewolves could capture even the faintest glimmers of light, allowing them to see clearly in the pitch black.
On top of that, they possessed senses of smell and hearing far beyond those of ordinary men.
Of course, those superhuman senses could sometimes become weaknesses.
Like right now.
"Close your eyes!" Kyle hurled a cylindrical object riddled with holes toward the distant werewolf.
Nine-Flash Bomb!
A blinding burst of light erupted at the werewolf's feet, accompanied by a deafening roar that shook the air. The creature clutched its head in agony and collapsed to the ground, howling in pain.
A sharp arrow pierced its skull, silencing its cries forever. The stench of blood spread through the dark forest.
Kyle, who hadn't had time to cast Earth Release: Earth Spear, silently cursed Hagrid's dog-headed blunder.
Another howl echoed in the distance—and it wasn't alone. Judging by the volume and direction, at least four or five more werewolves were answering their companion's call.
"Move!" Hagrid slung his bow over his shoulder, grabbed George and Fred Weasley by the scruffs of their necks, and bolted toward the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Kyle followed close behind, leaping nimbly through the treetops. The tangled, crisscrossing branches posed no real obstacle to him.
But the reprieve was short-lived. Less than five minutes after killing the first werewolf, they encountered another.
The suddenness of the attack left Hagrid's group barely twenty meters from the beast.
At that range, Kyle couldn't use another flash bomb or coordinate with Hagrid like before.
The dark shadow loomed larger by the second. Hagrid flung the Weasley twins aside and planted himself squarely in front of the werewolf.
So close now, he could smell the rancid, bloody reek of its gaping maw.
Hagrid roared, his footsteps pounding the earth like drumbeats. His massive fist, brimming with raw power, swung straight for the werewolf's skull.
The beast's razor-sharp claws raked toward Hagrid's arms, but the half-giant didn't falter.
Claw met flesh; fist met bone. Blood sprayed from Hagrid's arms, but the werewolf was sent crashing into the dirt by the force of the blow.
"Earth Release: Earth Spear!" Kyle slammed his palms together. Jagged stone spikes erupted from the ground, launching the embedded werewolf ten meters into the air—its fate unknown.
George and Fred, still sprawled from being thrown aside, stared in stunned disbelief as Hagrid and Kyle dispatched another werewolf in perfect sync.
Kyle's that strong?
Hagrid turned to urge the twins to their feet, but his face drained of color. A third werewolf had appeared behind George without warning.
"George!" As the beast raised its claws, Fred's eyes widened in horror.
Hagrid lunged desperately, but he was too far. The claws were already descending.
In that instant, the Forbidden Forest erupted with a deafening cacophony—like the cries of a thousand birds.
George's vision flooded with blinding blue-white lightning. A sudden gust whipped his hair into chaos—then vanished as abruptly as it came.
The birdsong faded, leaving only ragged breathing behind him.
George turned stiffly. Kyle, who had been perched in the trees moments ago, now stood at his back—his right arm buried deep in the werewolf's chest.
Lightning Release: Chidori!
Kyle wrenched his arm free with difficulty. The rubber glove he'd worn had melted, fusing to his skin.
He didn't need to look to know how horrific his hand must appear.
After discovering that channeling Chidori scorched his own flesh, Kyle had insulated his hand with a rubber glove to contain the current.
It had worked—partially—allowing him to form a complete Chidori.
But the glove couldn't shield him from the intense heat generated by the concentrated charge. He hadn't anticipated that; he'd never tested it before.
Still, in the heat of the moment, he'd rather burn his hand to ash than watch George die in front of him.
"Kyle! Kyle! Are you okay?!" George and Fred scrambled over in a panic.
Kyle raised his uninjured left hand to stop them from touching his mangled right.
"I'm fine! Hiss…" He winced. "I can still move."
Rustling came from the surrounding underbrush. Faint green glows flickered, illuminating Hagrid's ashen face.
Four more werewolves emerged from the bushes, encircling them from all sides.
In that moment, it felt as though an iron claw had seized their hearts.
Kyle's wand appeared in his good left hand. He raised it level and spun in place.
(Grindelwald gas stove!)
Flames roared to life around them, forming a blazing ring that trapped them inside—and kept the werewolves at bay.
Kyle slumped against Hagrid, exhaustion weighing him down.
Tears streamed from Hagrid's eyes, soaking into his tangled beard.
"I hope Fang finds the professors in time," he choked out. "Otherwise, how can I face Professor Dumbledore?"
Kyle patted Hagrid's leg, gritting his teeth against the pain. "Save your tears. Help me widen the fire circle—I can't hold it much longer."
At Kyle's words, Hagrid fumbled for a pink umbrella. George and Fred raised their wands.
"Incendio!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
The wind fueled the flames. Under the jutsu's power, the fire ring surged outward in all directions, devouring the nearby trees.
The werewolves were forced back by the inferno. For the moment, the four were safe.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!" Kyle slapped his left palm to the ground. A curtain of water rose from the earth, shielding them from the flames' searing heat.
He collapsed onto his rear, gulping air in heaving breaths.
Pushing through the pain to cast three jutsu in rapid succession had been too much—even for him.
He was a shinobi, yes. That didn't mean he could shrug off agony.
He'd never been injured in battle before. Facing pain this intense was a first. The burning sensation assaulted his nerves relentlessly.
That he hadn't passed out from the shock was a miracle in itself.
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