Shinku, who was still checking Sakumo's injuries, heard the commotion and turned around. The sight nearly scared the soul out of him—White Wolf's sharp claws had slammed into Hoshi's chest, and the disbelief on Hoshi's face was plainly visible.
Shinku's eyes widened like bells. Was this a joke? Hoshi had actually been hit. Hoshi, who had seemed practically invincible in his eyes, had been defeated by that White Wolf.
Sakumo had broken two ribs from a single blow of that tail, while Hoshi had been pierced straight through the chest by those sharp wolf claws. Could Hoshi survive such a severe injury? Shinku's mind was a mess. He instinctively reached for his signal flare. He had to notify Teacher Torikaze and get support here as quickly as possible. Otherwise, not only Hoshi, but he and Sakumo would be unable to escape either.
Just as Shinku fumbled for his signal flare, White Wolf was celebrating his victory.
Looking at Hoshi hanging from his claws, White Wolf's eyes revealed a flash of delight. He had won this battle. He was the hunter; Hoshi and the others were merely prey.
Unlike the previous Substitution Technique, this time White Wolf was certain that he had struck a real body. In other words, this human was as good as dead.
Unfortunately, things did not go as smoothly as White Wolf had hoped.
Poof
With that faint sound, Hoshi, who had been hanging painfully from his claws, turned into smoke and disappeared as well?
How was that possible? This was completely beyond White Wolf's understanding. He could comprehend the previous Substitution Technique, but this time, he had clearly hit flesh and blood. How could it...
The moment Hoshi turned into smoke, the signal flare in Shinku's hand shot into the air, cutting through the silent night