The Swift Wolves lunged forward, their sleek forms cutting through the landscape with terrifying speed. Their silver-gray fur shimmered under the morning light, muscles coiling as they prepared to strike.
Aaron tightened his stance, the chakra-infused soles of his feet keeping him rooted on the carriage. Wind swirled around his arm, condensing into a razor-sharp blade the Gale Fang Cleave Jutsu. The chakra hissed, pressurized to the point of lethality.
The first wolf sprang fangs bared, claws outstretched.
Aaron sidestepped, his movement smooth, controlled. His blade flashed, slicing through the air in a horizontal arc. The wind-enhanced edge tore into the creature's flank, sending it tumbling mid-leap before crashing into the ground with a yelp.
Another wolf was already upon him.
Aaron pivoted, barely avoiding its snapping jaws. He twisted his wrist, redirecting his chakra blade in a downward slash. The attack struck clean, the force sending ripples through the air.
Meanwhile, Auriel steadied herself, gripping the rope tied to her waist. Her eyes narrowed as she raised her hands, magical energy crackling at her fingertips. A soft blue glow pulsed, shaping into a rapidly expanding sigil.
" Ice Arrow!"
A shard of ice materialized sharp, deadly.
She hurled it.
The projectile soared through the chaos, its trajectory precise. It struck a wolf dead center in its chest, forcing the beast backward as frost spread across its fur.
David barely had time to glance back. The carriage bucked, wheels rattling over uneven terrain. The pack pressed in, relentless.
Aaron exhaled, his gaze scanning their movements, measuring their speed.
A quick decision he had to clear the way.
His chakra flared again. The Gale Fang Cleave Jutsu shifted, its form growing unstable as the wind intensified. He gathered momentum then swung wide.
A burst of cutting force erupted outward, a sweeping arc that cleaved through three wolves at once.
The pack hesitated. A split-second opening.
David seized the moment. With a sharp flick of the reins, he accelerated, pushing the carriage past the remnants of the ambush.
The wolves snarled, but the battle was decided.
Aaron let his chakra blade dissipate, the energy fading into nothingness as he steadied himself.
Auriel released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
Aaron's gaze sharpened as the fleeing wolves blurred into the dense foliage. He lifted his arm, chakra surging through his palm as the Gale Fang Cleave Jutsu formed anew a sleek, razor-sharp wind blade humming with lethal energy.
He measured his targets the pack was nearly 300 meters away, but distance no longer mattered.
For the first time, he truly understood the power of long-range combat.
With precise control, he swung his blade outward, releasing a sweeping crescent-shaped strike. The compressed chakra tore through the air like a silent storm, racing toward the retreating wolves at relentless speed.
A fraction of a second later impact.
The blade carved through two wolves, slicing through their hind legs with enough force to send them spiraling into the underbrush. Their yelps echoed through the mountain pass.
The remaining wolves turned instinctively, eyes flashing with panic. But their leader a larger, more battle-worn Swift Wolf let out a low, guttural growl.
The retreat had turned into a counterattack.
Aaron didn't hesitate.
He refined his grip, chakra flaring once more as the Gale Fang Cleave's form shifted. Instead of a single sweeping slash, he channeled his energy into sharp, rapid bursts, shaping multiple short-range cutting waves.
The leader lunged its movements faster, more calculated than the rest.
Aaron sidestepped, avoiding its snapping jaws just in time.
Then he struck.
His chakra blade lashed out, catching the beast across its shoulder. The wolf staggered, its momentum disrupted, but not broken.
Auriel, having steadied herself after the initial chaos, recognized the threat immediately.
Her fingers wove through the air, magic crackling as another Ice Aarow formed.
With a sharp flick of her wrist, she released the spell.
The icy projectile whistled through the wind, aiming for the wolf's exposed flank.
Just as the wolf twisted to dodge Aaron reacted in sync.
He angled his strike downward, forcing the beast to shift.
That single movement sealed its fate.
Auriel's Ice Arrow, shards of frost exploding upon impact. The wolf's movements slowed, ice crawling across its fur.
Aaron didn't waste the opening.
With one final, decisive motion, he swung his Gale Fang Cleave, delivering a precise, finishing blow.
The leader collapsed, defeated.
The surviving wolves scattered.
There was no regrouping. No second attempt.
The battle had been decided.
Auriel's breath was still unsteady, her chest rising and falling as she tried to calm the lingering adrenaline. Her hands trembled slightly, not from fear, but from the sheer intensity of the battle. The frost magic still tingled at her fingertips, remnants of the Glacial Lance flickering before fading entirely.
Her eyes were wide, not just with relief, but with a quiet amazement Aaron's precision, his composure, the way he had seized control of the battle without hesitation. She had faced danger before, but this was different. She never expected a skirmish with Swift Wolves to escalate so quickly. And more than anything, she hadn't expected them to come out of it victorious so decisively.
David, on the other hand, was composed but there was a tightness to his jaw, a telltale sign that the encounter had weighed on him more than he let on. His grip on the reins had loosened only slightly, knuckles still faintly pale from holding them too tightly during the chase.
He let out a low exhale, finally allowing himself to breathe normally again. The corner of his lips tugged into a faint smirk, the kind that said, Well, that was close. He had seen many things in his time, but Swift Wolves weren't opponents to be taken lightly and the fact that Aaron had handled them with such strategic precision made him reassess just how capable the young ninja truly was.
Auriel finally steadied herself, shaking off the last remnants of unease. She turned to Aaron, a glimmer of newfound respect in her gaze.
David gave a brief nod, adjusting his stance, his way of silently acknowledging the skill displayed.