Fang, Claw, and Thunder

(Sirius PoV)

Sirius’s fangs and claws gleamed under the moonlight, clashing again and again against the hammer of the dark-skinned man who called himself Dorgu.

Dorgu spun in midair, swinging his hammer downward. Yet once more, the weapon struck only the damp earth, scattering clods of mud. Sirius had vanished, blending with the shadow cast by the drifting clouds that dimmed the moon.

Dorgu turned sharply, but saw nothing. The wolf had melted completely into the darkness.

“I told you, your shadow tricks are useless!”

Dorgu cast a light spell into the air. The darkness vanished at once, and he caught sight of Sirius several meters to his left.

He hurled his hammer. The enormous weapon spun through the air, uprooting trees and shattering trunks as it tore through the forest.

Sirius leapt high and narrowly dodged it. The hammer crashed far behind him.

The instant his feet touched the ground, he sprinted toward the unarmed Dorgu. His claws extended from his knuckles, their curved, scythe-like tips ready to tear into flesh.

But when he jumped, Dorgu only smiled faintly.

Wait... why is he smiling?

Behind!

His instincts screamed. A sudden gust brushed the back of his neck.

Crash!

Pain exploded across his back, hot and searing. Sirius howled in agony as he was flung aside, skidding until he stopped at Dorgu’s feet.

Grimacing in pain, he looked up. The man’s weapon was already in his hands again, raised high above him.

Not good!

Dorgu slammed the hammer down on Sirius’s back.

“Graaaaaah!”

His scream tore through the forest. Night birds took flight, and small creatures fled into their burrows, trembling in terror. Blood spattered the ground as his ribs cracked beneath the force of the blow.

“Grrrr...”

Sirius growled low, writhing under the pain coursing through his body.

Dorgu exhaled heavily. “Still alive? Damn monster.”

He raised his hammer again and struck the back of Sirius’s legs. The sound of the impact echoed through the woods.

“Graaaaah!”

Another scream erupted, shaking the forest once more. Sirius’s right leg went numb, no longer able to move.

“An ordinary monster would have been crushed by now, but I can’t even break your leg.”

Sirius clenched his teeth, enduring the agony. Break my leg, huh? I’ll tear off your head, you damned psychopath.

“I’m not one who enjoys torturing enemies. But...” Dorgu’s voice faltered as a bitter smile crept onto his lips. “Consider this revenge for my two students you devoured.”

Dorgu struck him again and again. The sound of bones cracking and Sirius’s ragged cries echoed endlessly. Each blow landed with brutal rhythm, as though the man was venting every ounce of hatred and fury.

Sirius wanted to die, but his body refused. His regeneration was the only reason he still lived. Every shattered bone healed only for another to break.

And still... in the deepest pit of his heart, a faint hope remained. Something that tormented him each day but also gave him the reason to endure.

Calm down. Stay calm.

Amid the unending waves of pain, his claws dug into the grass beneath him. His jaw tightened. He tried to gather the fragments of composure scattered within him like shards of broken glass.

My claws and fangs still work. My senses are intact. I have to escape... but how?

His eyes darted around, observing every detail, searching for a way out.

The bear’s corpse. The lingering light spell above. And... the wet ground.

His mind spun rapidly. He couldn’t use his shadow technique with the light banishing all darkness. And his body—almost nothing moved.

Crash!

“Graaah!”

The final strike hit harder than before, leaving his body trembling from the pain. It was as if Dorgu was preparing to deliver the killing blow.

Yet in that moment, Sirius realized one thing. There was still one part of his body untouched and free to move.

I can do this!

“You must have realized it too, haven’t you?” Dorgu lifted his weapon, his tone almost calm. “Consider this my last act of vengeance. Rest in peace, wild wolf—no, Sirius.”

Dorgu stood beside his head, lifting the hammer high once again. Sirius could sense a strange energy gathering at the weapon’s edge. He didn’t know its name or source, but he could feel it—a force that would end his life.

“Die.”

Instead of fear, a defiant grin spread across Sirius’s face, half-buried in the dirt.

Just as Dorgu swung down, Sirius’s tail flicked. Wet soil flew up and struck Dorgu’s eyes. The man staggered, the power flowing through his hammer dissipating.

As he wiped the mud from his face, Sirius forced himself to his feet. There was no time to destroy the light spell, so he slashed Dorgu’s face with his claws.

The man was thrown several meters back, clutching his bleeding face as crimson streamed through his fingers.

When Sirius lunged to finish him, Dorgu still managed to swing his hammer in a desperate vertical arc. Sirius barely avoided it by leaping back.

Then, fortune shifted. The light above dimmed and vanished, darkness reclaiming the forest. Sirius’s grin widened beneath the veil of shadow.

Dorgu is too strong. I can’t risk a direct fight.

He glanced toward the bear’s corpse nearby before melting into the night.

Dorgu wiped the blood from his face, revealing three long claw marks carved from cheek to cheek.

He looked around and exhaled deeply. “How many times must I tell you, your shadow tricks are worthless.”

He threw another orb of light upward. Darkness peeled away, and the moment a faint shape appeared in the clearing, he hurled his hammer.

The weapon spun fast, striking Sirius’s shadow precisely, but it was only an illusion. Like a boomerang, the hammer returned to his hand, dragging him slightly backward with its force.

He clicked his tongue. “Just as I thought, a fake.”

Before he could regain balance, twin claws flashed behind him like twin blades tearing through air.

Dorgu grinned. “You must be the real one!”

He spun, swinging the massive hammer with full momentum.

Boom!

A deafening explosion shook the forest’s heart. The ground quaked, the blast uprooted trees like fragile toys. Blood and shattered bone scattered in all directions.

Dorgu smiled in satisfaction. “You’re dead.”

But his smile faded as he lifted his hammer again. Nothing remained beneath it—only scattered bones, impossible to tell whose they were.

“Where is he!” he shouted, eyes darting left and right. “Show yourself!”

He flicked his hand, sending the orb of light circling around him until it stopped and illuminated one side of the field. There, crouched within the beam, was a black figure gnawing on the remains of the bear Dorgu had hunted.

Crunch... crunch...

The sound of bones breaking between fangs made Dorgu grit his teeth. “You bastard! How dare you mock your opponent!”

He leapt high, hammer raised, but Sirius swung his tail, deflecting him midair.

The wolf exhaled, eyes sharp. “I never underestimated you.” His fur bristled, his claws glowing a deep crimson. Power surged from his heart, spreading through every vein.

Still, guilt flickered in his eyes. Devouring a creature he once considered a friend—such an act felt unforgivable. But what choice did he have? It was his only gamble to survive.

He could feel it—the new strength pulsing through his magic veins, the heat, and the lingering sorrow that came with it.

Sirius lifted his gaze to the radiant moon above. A bitter glimmer filled his eyes.

The wind whispered through the trees. There was no time to breathe; Dorgu was already charging once more.

Sirius drew in a deep breath and released a thunderous howl that shook the forest. The force of his voice made Dorgu flinch, covering his ears, yet it wasn’t enough to bring him down.

Their weapons met again. Claws and fangs clashed against the massive hammer, each strike forming a brutal symphony that shattered the night’s stillness.

As Dorgu swung his hammer, Sirius stepped back and slashed with his claws. A crimson arc sliced through the air, striking Dorgu’s chest and sending him to his knees, blood pouring down.

“Ugh...” Dorgu wiped the blood from his mouth. “I’ll end this now. A monster like you... doesn’t deserve to live!”

He raised his hammer high. Lightning erupted from his body, flowing into the weapon.

Sirius’s claws dug into the earth. He knew this would be the final attack, the strongest one. Yet instead of fear, he grinned.

At last... I can use it.

He charged forward.

“[Lightning Hammer!]”

The weapon struck. A storm of lightning exploded outward, tearing through the forest and blinding the world in light.

“Is it over?” Dorgu muttered as the glow faded. He looked around, but saw nothing.

The clouds above drifted away, revealing the full moon. The forest lay in ruins, trees toppled and earth torn apart. But then—something blocked the moonlight.

Dorgu froze. His eyes widened, his jaw fell open, but no sound came out.

“You...”

“Forgive me...”

Crunch.

Blood burst forth like a fountain as his head was severed cleanly from his neck. His body stood for a brief moment before collapsing to the ground.

Sirius turned toward the bear’s corpse and bowed his head.

“Thank you. Because of you, I survived once again. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you... my friend.”

He hadn’t expected that consuming the bear’s flesh would grant him not only greater power, but also a teleportation skill alongside his claw technique. Teleporting behind Dorgu at the last second had been his only escape.

I... what... happened?

His body was at its limit. He fell to the side, breathing heavily. His eyes grew heavy—he knew they wouldn’t open again for some time.

I... want to see you again...

Tears fell as his lips failed to speak the words aloud.

Beneath a thousand silent stars, with the trees as his only witnesses and the gentle symphony of the forest around him, the black wolf finally drifted into slumber, tears still flowing down his cheeks.