At the foot of the mountain, Hyuga Shinichi and his companions' operation had been a huge success.
They had successfully drawn a considerable number of the attacking forces from various factions back down from the mountain, but this had also put them in a difficult position.
As planned, they had launched fierce attacks in turn toward the east, south, west, and north, striking the enemy's four command posts one by one.
However, when they returned to the east, they could no longer fight their way through. Unlike the troops in the other directions, the eastern enemies hadn't returned to support the rear or pursued them.
Instead, they had formed a tight defensive line and were guarding the spoils, waiting for the attacking forces on the mountain to return. They hadn't expected the assailants to circle the mountain and come back again.
With the eastern enemies' defenses already in place, Hyuga Shinichi and his team couldn't break through easily.
Meanwhile, the pursuers from the south, west, and north who had been hot on their heels arrived one after another. Seeing that Hyuga Shinichi and the others were blocked, they took the opportunity to surround them.
Hyuga Shinichi realized that the real challenge had only just begun.
If he and his companions wanted to survive, they had only two options: fight their way out or hold their ground and wait for reinforcements.
The three stood back-to-back, pressed close together. Black Charcoal's two bell-like eyes glinted viciously as the dog stared at the approaching enemies.
It crouched low, a deep growl rumbling in its throat. Its muscles tensed all over, and it trembled violently like a tractor starting up. Its bloodied, razor-sharp forepaws clawed at the earth, gouging several deep and shallow furrows into the ground.
As the person who knew Black Charcoal