Vs Nightmare wolves

Night of January 16th to 17th

We were in the forest bordering the farm where our hunting target had been spotted.

— Nightmare wolves… they’re a type of monster quite well-known thanks to a famous children’s tale. They look like wolves, but they don’t harm people or animals. Instead, they feed on your dreams, turning them into nightmares. Parents usually tell kids that if they misbehave, these wolves will come and give them bad dreams,* — Enphi explained as we climbed a hill. — *I thought that story was told even outside the Empire. I’m surprised you didn’t know it. Like I said, they won’t hurt us, they only cause nightmares, and their effects eventually fade away.

That means this will be easy… I hope.

— Poor little farm animals. We have to give those wolves a good beating so the animals can finally sleep in peace, right Enphi? — said Claudine with a confident look.

— Yes! I’ll give it my all for you, Claudine,* — Enphi answered, placing his fist on his chest.… Is it just me, or does he really like Claudine?

— And of course, I can count on your support too, right Hikaru? — She looked at me and smiled.

— Of course,— I replied confidently. After all, I’ve got the sword Sypthia gave me. What could possibly go wrong?

“Aaaaaaauuuuh!” A howl echoed through the forest.

— Seems they’re close, Claudine. Rookie, battle stance now!— Enphi shouted, pulling out the massive hammer he had been carrying on his back. For someone so skinny, it surprised me how easily he wielded it. I guess that’s the advantage of seeming older than he really is. Claudine, on the other hand, pulled out a beautifully crafted staff — probably something priests carry in this world.

— I’ll take care of healing you if you get hurt. Don’t worry, though; I doubt it will be necessary. Despite their wolf-like appearance, they’re not very aggressive. They only fight to defend themselves and then flee— Claudine said again with the same warm smile as before.

— Here they come! — Enphi shouted, bracing himself to strike with his hammer.
The nightmare wolves appeared exactly as described. Their wolf-like form matched their name — their fur glowed purple, and dark flames floated beside them. Their gaze was menacing, I had to admit. *But there’s nothing to worry about,* I thought as I drew my sword and took my stance like the others. To me, the sword looked plain and generic, but since it was a goddess’s gift, it had to hold some kind of hidden power.
— Gentle Light!— Claudine raised her staff, summoning luminous orbs that shot toward the wolves, making them vanish the moment they touched them.

— Hammer Impact!— The ground trembled as Enphi crushed a wolf that lunged at him. When the dust settled, nothing but rubble remained where the creature had stood.
Alright, now it’s my turn. — Celestial Sword!
Nothing happened.

— SWORD WHAT!? — both of them shouted in unison, completely stunned.

— *Glacial Sword! Lava Sword! Iron Sword!* — I yelled, swinging the blade again and again , but there was no sign that anything would happen.

— It’s just an iron sword, we can see that, — Enphi muttered in disbelief, while I stood there making a complete fool of myself.

But just then, while we were distracted, a nightmare wolf appeared behind me. I didn’t notice it until it was too late.

— Hikaru, watch out!! — both of them ran toward me, trying to help.

But it was too late. As my eyes grew heavy and my body faltered, I saw them rushing toward me, their faces full of worry. I didn’t know what the wolf had done to me… only that I suddenly felt overwhelmingly sleepy…