The wind howled softly across the plains. Tall grass bent and swayed under the faint pressure emitted by two powerful beasts facing each other.
Leon stood proudly at the front, his massive crimson-scaled body glimmering faintly under the early sunlight. His wings were half-spread, casting long shadows across the earth. Faint wisps of heat distorted the air around him, the natural aura of a dragon not yet fully accustomed to controlling his own power.
Ahead of him was the 4th Rank Dire Wolf.
Its fur was dark gray with streaks of silver running along its spine. Its body was about two and a half meters tall at the shoulder, muscles coiled tightly beneath thick hide. Its grey pupils narrowed as it stared at Leon.
Low growls rumbled from its throat.
Dozens of meters behind Leon, Ash and the others stood on a slightly elevated ground. They had already dismounted earlier, giving Leon the battlefield entirely to himself.
