The white wolf, which was truly a Werewolf instead, opened its hungry maw and pounced on them, its claws ready to rip and tear.
However, William, who stood there with a tensed body and trembled ever-so-slightly due to all the fear overwhelming him, managed to spew out a few utterances that transformed him at the crucial moment, when he was just a second away from death.
And then, a spectacle of light was emitted from his body, spilling divine ink from his body, while wings of black feathers sprouted from his back. Following this transformation, his eyes changed from a look of apprehension to a look of disdain. As Sarah implied, he needed to assume the role of an edge lord fully to maintain his power, for as long as his body could handle it.
But, even after the transformation, what was the use of such a spectacle if he didn't know how to control his power?
The Werewolf swiped its claws at the two of them but growled as William leapt away, pulling Sarah along with him.
"You dare show your power in front of me, even after I've proclaimed you as my honoured meal? How laughable! Submit yourself and die by my claws!"
William got into a rather weak defensive stance, but, before he tried whatever plan he had against the Werewolf, Sarah whispered in his ear.
"I'll lend you some of my borrowed power for now, since the Visionaries told me that it'll be hard for you to handle Mana, and therefore, your powers are as it is right now. All you need to do is feel the energy, and strike at the right time."
William, albeit confused, still nodded, and as Sarah placed her hand on his back, he felt a foreign, warm energy make itself welcome inside of his body. It created a faint aura around his body that overlapped with the special ink on his skin, and as the Werewolf charged at them, William had a feeling that he was meant to do something like this…
He extended his hand and pushed forth a wave of light that disorientated the wild Werewolf and gazed at his palm in wonder.
"Sarah… that… that happened! …Ah… now, I think I know how to use my ability!"
William concentrated hard, focusing and exhausting all of his energy on condensing both his power and Sarah's borrowed power into one singular point. This point eventually turned into a small black orb of flowing ink, that he admired for a moment before he unleashed it upon the Werewolf.
It was launched at an unusually high speed, and the Werewolf, who was only now getting up from the ground, was pierced through the chest, making the beast stumble and bleed from his mouth.
Sarah looked at William with a sense of pride as he flashed a smile feverishly. The Eleven Visionaries also had an equal price to pay in exchange for being her benefactors, so they wouldn't always be available to help. But thankfully, William had the potential to be strong enough to subvert that flaw.
"…Damn it! I underestimated my prey once again…" The Werewolf grunted, feeling his wound.
"…Hmph… you two. I'll remember your faces."
Following those words, the Werewolf retreated, and once it was gone, William's face softened and his inky transformation was undone too.
"…It seems our first battle went well. We'll probably meet that Werewolf in the future, though." Sarah said, wiping anxiety-induced sweat from her face.
William grinned.
"Yeah… but we'll kick his ass next time!" William replied, "Anyway, let's hurry up to the city! We need to make sure everybody's alright!"
Sarah nodded, and they both ran faster than ever before, knowing that both of their families were in deep trouble, no matter where in the world they were currently. Little did they know, Vatein was currently one of the most dangerous remnant cities around since it was under invasion by the Knights of Conquest, which was led by the wrathful Crimson-Bladed King.
And, other than that, the Steeled Lion Brigade was also en route to the remnant city, as they had unfinished business with the Conquesting Knighthood.
There were many such factions in the Desolate Lands, and even beyond it, as the Skies Beyond had not just created the solar system, the galaxies and the entire universe to contain just a single thriving planet of life, but innumerable of them. The merge of worlds was only a small piece of a far bigger picture that the Gods had in mind.
But, to uncover that big picture, the numerous threads of the world would have to be picked and unloosened, one at a time. Right now, that was impossible for William and Sarah to do alone, even if they could live until the end of time. So, they of course needed some help, and who would be of the most help in doing so than a Mage?
Specifically, someone called the Wildflower Mage, wandered Shepherd's Grove with an eye out for any special ingredients for a new concoction. This individual wore a trench coat on top of a brown suit and a tie and had long, brown hair that flowed to their shoulders.
"Hm… even in a new world, I suppose it wouldn't be that easy for me to find new ingredients. But, I could have sworn I sensed something special around this area somewhere."
The Wildflower Mage heard leaves rustle and looked to their right. Unexpectedly, they discovered the presence of two other people in the forest, running away for some reason.
"Ah, so they must have the thing I'm looking for. I suppose I'll have to follow them, although… I'm a bit cautious of the fact that they're heading to a land that the Knights of Conquest have already claimed."
"…Oh well. I guess I'll just kill two birds with one stone then. That bastard was already getting on my nerves too."
William and Sarah ran for so long that their feet began to hurt and they had multiple scratches on their body, but they had finally arrived. The land of devastation that was once the city of Vatein was ravaged in a single day by the arrival of those heartless, crusading monsters.
They stood on a recently formed small cliff, watching the visible golden flames lick and devour the remains of buildings from above, distraught. But, what they didn't expect at all was the fact that the monsters that served "Conquest" who destroyed the city were now rebuilding a town in its place, with building materials they obtained from god-knows-where.
"…I can't… I can't believe it… the city's been destroyed, and in a single day!" William said, grinding his teeth in grievance and resentment.
"How dare they… how dare they!" William exclaimed, tears rolling down his eyes.
He cried with enough anger and resentment for the both of them because Sarah could only let out silent tears upon the sight of this. Their families were probably gone by now, too.
But, their time to grieve was brief, as a person approached the two of them from behind, with heavy footsteps that didn't hide a single trace of this individual's combat prowess.
"Ah… two more?" This individual muttered, "I see, you two must have been hiding in the forest."
William and Sarah turned around to see a large, muscular and tanned man with marks made with blood all over his exposed chest, and long, luscious red hair and eyes. He also had an iron gauntlet that resembled a metal claw.
"Who are you?!" William asked.
"…The Chief-General leading this Conquest. We have already taken most of this land due to ample preparation and have claimed it as ours, and so, you two now belong to him, our king."
"…Your king…?" Sarah asked, wiping her tears.
"Yes. His flames will wholly devour you if you defy his will, so for your benefit, you must submit yourself willingly."
"Screw that crap, and prepare to face my wrath!"
William transformed in an instant and he charged at the Chief General with a flying fist.
"William, EVADE IT!"
Before he knew what was happening, the Chief General lifted his fist, pulled it back, and swung with such intensity that a powerful glare of red-orange flames decimated everything in view, evaporating the special ink off of William's body. But fortunately, with the help of his wings, he was able to avoid it in time.
"Holy…"
Sarah and William looked around at the aftermath of the single powerful punch, and noticed that half of the small cliff was blown away by the force of that explosion.
"…Interesting, you two. I'll be sure to give you some special treatment."