The commander stormed up to Leo, grabbing his collar and slamming him against the nearest tree.
His voice was a low growl as he demanded, "What did you just say!?"
Leo, completely unfazed, met his glare with a smirk.
"I said... you're weak."
The commander's jaw tightened, his teeth gritting as his hand curled into a fist. "If you keep running your mouth like this, I'll kill you, you little shit!"
Leo tilted his head slightly, his voice calm but cutting. "Yes, you can kill me,"
he said, his sharp gaze locking onto the commander. "But will you?"
The commander's eyes burned with fury, but Leo didn't stop.
"And do you know why they haven't shown up yet?" Leo asked, his tone taunting.
"It's because they know you wouldn't dare do anything to them."
Leo smirked, leaning in just enough to deliver the final blow. "You're all bark and no bite.
If you're really as strong as you claim, prove it."
The commander's fury boiled over as he shoved Leo away, releasing his collar.
"Fine!" he snapped.
Without sparing another glance at Leo, he stormed toward the center of the camp.
Once there, he turned to the caged kids, his voice booming across the campsite. "You damn mutts don't want to show yourselves, huh!?"
He unsheathed his sword, the blade glinting ominously in the firelight. "Fine then, I'll just kill them!"
He pointed his blade directly at the trembling wolf children, the camp falling into a tense silence.
The commander storms toward the cage, his sword gripped tightly, his face dark with anger.
Adrian quickly steps in front of him, blocking his path.
"Commander, wait!"
The commander's gaze sharpened, his golden eyes glinting beneath his helmet.
"Move." His voice was cold, devoid of emotion.
Adrian shook his head. "Commander, listen! If we kill them, we lose any leverage we have. Those wolves won't hold back anymore. We'll all die."
The commander's jaw tightened. His hand twitched toward his sword.
Leo's voice cut through the tension.
"Then what about just one?"
Adrian turned to Leo, disbelief written all over his face.
"What?"
Leo tilted his head, his eyes dark with amusement.
"If you take one of them out," Leo said slowly, "the others will come running to protect the other, won't they?"
Adrian's face twisted in shock. "That's—"
"Enough."
The commander's fist shot out.
The back of his hand slammed into Adrian's face with a brutal crack, sending him sprawling to the ground. Adrian's body hit the dirt hard, his breath knocked from his chest as he lay still.
Without sparing Adrian another glance, the commander strode toward the cage.
The younger wolf's eyes widened in terror as the commander's hand shot through the bars and yanked the older one out by the throat.
The boy gasped, clawing at the commander's armored hand as his feet dangled off the ground.
The commander's lips curled into a cruel smile.
"Let's see how loyal your pack really is."
The commander's grip tightened around the boy's throat, lifting him higher as the boy's feet barely scraped the ground.
"This is your last chance, you mutts!" he shouted, his voice laced with venom.
"If you don't show yourselves… that's fine."
He drew his sword back, the sharp edge catching the faint light.
"I'll start by spilling the blood of one of your own."
Just as the blade was about to plunge forward—
A low, haunting howl echoed through the forest.
The commander's hand stopped mid-swing.
Another howl followed.
Then another.
Suddenly, the night was alive with the sound of wolves howling from every direction, the chilling cries weaving through the trees.
Knights scrambled to their feet, swords drawn as they formed a defensive line.
"What the hell is happening?!" one of them shouted, panic rising in his voice.
Leo's eyes darkened as he watched the scene unfold, his expression calm despite the tension in the air.
A small smirk tugged at his lips.
"About time," he murmured to himself.
"Looks like things are about to get fun."
The commander's gaze swept the dark forest as shadows stirred beyond the tree line.
Slowly, figures began emerging from the woods — humanoid shapes with wolf-like ears and tails. Their movements were cautious but deliberate.
Leo's eyes narrowed, a sly smirk tugging at his lips.
"Finally… now the story is progressing," he muttered to himself.
The wolf figures stopped at the edge of the clearing, their silhouettes barely visible in the dim light.
Then, from among them, four imposing figures stepped forward — the eldest wolves of the clan. Their presence commanded immediate tension, their eyes sharp and calculating as they approached the commander.
The rest of the wolves remained behind, their outlines melting into the forest shadows.
The air grew heavy with anticipation.
The commander smirks.
"Well, look at that… Took you long enough to crawl out of hiding. You've really been testing my patience."
He lowers his blade closer to the kid's throat.
"Shall we get down to business?"
The four elders remain still, their expressions cold and unreadable.
The commander's smile sharpens.
"Come on now… Which one of you is in charge?"
A heavy silence follows.
Finally, one of the elders steps forward.
"What do you want?"
The commander raises an eyebrow.
"So, you're the leader?"
Leo, standing behind the commander, watches quietly, a faint smirk playing on his lips, Leo thinks to himself.
No… You've got it wrong, Goldy.
An elder stands at the front to lead the pack.
The strongest warriors follow closely behind, creating a wall of strength.
The weak and young ones stay protected in the middle.
But the leader…
Leo's gaze shifts upward toward a rocky cliff in the distance.
A lone figure sits at the edge, one hand resting on his knee, his gaze cutting through the shadows like a blade.
The leader always watches over the Pack from afar.
Leo's eyes lock with the distant figure's.
Even through the darkness and distance, they feel it — a sharp, unspoken clash of wills hanging heavy in the air.
As their gazes remained locked, Leo's eyes slowly shifted back toward the commander.
The commander's smile sharpened as he spoke to the elder wolf.
"So here's the deal…"
His tone was light, almost casual.
"All you need to do is quietly follow us to the empire. After that, we can sit down, have a civil conversation, and work things out."
His smile widened.
"And who knows? If you behave, the emperor might be generous enough to give you a little piece of land deep in the forest. A place where you and your kind can live peacefully. Sounds like a good deal, don't you think?"
The elder wolf's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Do you take us for fools?"
The commander's smile thinned.
"You think we'd believe your pathetic lies and just walk into a human's trap?"
A low growl rumbled from the elder's throat.
"You humans are nothing but liars."
The commander's gaze darkened as he sighed.
"Guess we'll have to do this the hard way."
The kid's body jerked violently as the commander's grip tightened around his throat.
The boy's hands and legs thrashed desperately, his eyes turning a deep, bloodshot red.
The commander's grin widened into something twisted and cruel.
"NOW! MOVE, YOU DAMN DOGS!" he roared.
The elders' growls deepened, their claws sliding out with a menacing gleam.
Knights drew their swords, panic flashing across their faces as the tension in the air thickened.
The commander's voice boomed over the chaos.
"BE QUICK OR HE'LL BE MEETING HIS ANCESTORS BEFORE YOU OLD DOGS CAN!"
A chilling laugh tore from his throat.
Everyone froze, sweat dripping down their faces—
SHNK!
The commander's body stiffened. His eyes widened as a sharp, searing pain tore through his waist.
"Ack—!"
Slowly, he turned his head.
Behind him stood Leo, his hand firmly gripping the hilt of a dagger that was buried deep into the gap of the commander's armor.
Blood trickled down the blade as Leo's cold eyes stared up at him.
The commander grunted in pain, his breath hitching.
The commander's face twisted in rage.
"YOU—!" he roared, swinging his blade down with brutal force.
Leo's body twisted, narrowly avoiding the strike as he jumped back. The blade slammed into the ground with a metallic clang, sending up sparks and dust.
"Coward…" the commander growled through clenched teeth.
Leo's smirk deepened. The commander's gaze swept toward the knights surrounding them. Their faces were pale, their hands trembling as they gripped their swords.
Confusion flickered across the commander's eyes—then he noticed it. His arm.
Or rather, the absence of it. From the elbow down, nothing remained. Blood poured from the jagged wound.
The boy who had been in his grasp—gone.
It took a moment for the reality to sink in.
"A-AHHHHHH!" he screamed, clutching at the stump of his arm as pain shot through his body. Teeth gritting, he lifted his gaze—standing a short distance away was a figure.
A man with long gray hair. His Brown eyes glinted coldly in the dim light. In his arms, the unconscious boy rested, limp but breathing.
The man's presence was unnervingly calm—almost predatory. The commander's breath hitched.
Leo's smirk widened as his gaze slid toward the mysterious figure.