#549 A Restored Silver Wolf

If the castle tower were to be reached by such a foul technique, the reputation of Orkubo’s Castle would be ruined.

So, a desperate anti-aircraft intercept attempt was made by the staff.

The cushioned catapult was prepared to launch high-aim barrages.

“Hahahahahahaha! You can’t hit me with such a flimsy machine!”

Golden Bat, who has transformed into a genuine giant bat, flawlessly dodged the bullets that came at him one after another.

I heard bats can dodge pebbles using their ultrasonic detection. 

Anyway, our current countermeasure is insufficient to shoot him down, but the barrage still makes it difficult for him to approach the castle tower.

“Now’s your chance while that bat is distracted, Wolfie! Break through those obstacles and reach the goal!!!”

“You heard her!”

“You can do it, Sir Silver Wolf!”

“Don’t let the bad guy defeat you!”

The spectators unitedly started cheering for Silver Wolf.

I’m sure even they couldn’t tolerate his rival’s disregard for the rules.

And so the bat quickly invited the audience’s hate, and it was clear who was the good and the bad guy.

I want the good guy, Silver Wolf, to win, just like in any cliché drama plot of rewarding good and punishing evil, but the circumstances are too harsh on him. 

He immediately grasped the situation and ran frantically.

However, the second obstacle—boulders rolling down the slope, was not easy (otherwise, the organizers would have been ashamed of themselves), and the rules stated that if he made contact with the boulder, he would be disqualified immediately. 

Hence, Silver Wolf had no choice but to proceed carefully.

It’s a given that he would struggle.

“If... If only I could unleash Bestial Release, I wouldn’t fall behind Golden Bat...!”

Not to mention, he’s undergoing a considerable mental shakeup.

“Golden Bat spent all his time training without regard for others and is now on a new stage... Maybe I was wrong this whole time after all...”

With such a disturbed mental state, there’s no telling when he might make a careless mistake and hit the boulder.

Meanwhile, the bat was about to reach the castle tower while dodging all the cushioned barrages.

At this rate, evil would prevail.

“You can do it!!!”

“We believe in you, Mister Wolf!!!”

Look, even the children in the audience are cheering for Silver Wolf!

Now’s the time to persevere!

“I got the gist of things.”

“Yipes!”

Veil is right behind me!

What made her come here?!

“I’ve learned what entertainment is all about from my past experiences. At times like this, it’s exciting when the underdog turns things around and wins, right?”

“Yeah, but what’s your point...?”

“I’ll be the entertainer and add a touch of spice to please our audience!” 

And with that, Veil takes out something from her pocket. It’s...!

“Ramen?!”

How did that fit in her pocket?!

“It’s one of the prototypes we made for my stall. I tried to make it healthy with Platy’s help.”

“What were you two up to?!”

Come to think of it, Veil has been into ramen for a while and has been developing new recipes.

It seems that she’s serving ramen at her stall at this year’s Orkubo’s Castle.

So? What’s this new ramen she made?

“It’s herbal ramen with five times more concentrated dragon extract, but Platy mixed in some medicine to suppress the side effects! Even so, the side effects were so bad, we had to stop selling it!”

“It’s a flop then!!!”

“Uh-uh, far from it. Platy’s medicine had a good effect on the ramen, making whoever consumes it clear-headed and recovering their physical strength aside from other numerous effects. Now...”

Veil holds it aloft...

And hurls the whole ramen bowl?!

The underhand throw made the bowl spin like a frisbee, not spilling the ramen in it!

That flying ramen reached...

Silver Wolf?!

“Mmbh!”

The bowl hits him in the mouth, which forces him to pry open his mouth and swallow the ramen.

“Under what concept of physics can you make that happen?!”

Did Veil use magic?

I bet she did!

“Ngh...! Guooooooooooooooooh!!!”

Silver Wolf, who drank every last drop, is undergoing a tremendous change!

He suddenly lets out a tremendous war cry!

“Looks like the dragon extract is working extraordinarily well. It’s an indispensable spoonful as a secret ingredient in ramen.”

“Doesn’t sound very secret to me!”

Silver Wolf, drugged with some quack medicine, is suffering while his muscles grow bulging!

And no, that was no hyperbole!

“The five times more concentrated gonkotsu ramen brings about an enhancement that ordinary people can’t endure. Even Platy’s concoctions can’t neutralize it, so it’s been put on hold. If he really is an extraordinary guy, he might be able to withstand it, right?”

“You do realize there’s a limit to everything!”

Ahh...!

Silver Wolf’s body rapidly transforms after having ingested the forbidden extract!

His animalistic nature was amped to the maximum, and his appearance was like that of a real wolf!

No, he’s no longer a normal wolf. He’s a far cry from one!

Fenrir?

Hey, that’s Fenrir, isn’t it?!

Not that I know much about them, though!

“His body was forced to unleash Bestial Release by the power of the concentrated herbal ramen. Not only that, but he also acquired dragon-like characteristics through the effects of the dragon extract. Now he is a dragon and a wolf, the best of both worlds!”

“A dragon and a wolf?”

Isn’t this situation getting crazier by the second?!

All I know is that Silver Wolf, having awakened his Bestial Release, is now on par with the bat!

Actually, wait. He also has the power of a dragon, so he’s clearly superior!

Fenrir Silver Wolf lets out a howl and immediately dashes off on all four legs.

It took him less than a millisecond to clear the second barrier, the rolling boulders, with a trajectory like a bolt of lightning.

“He’s fast!!!”

He was really moving as fast as a lightning bolt!

In no time at all, he passed the third obstacle, too, ignoring the homunculi, which multiplied as it got hit.

Fenrir Silver Wolf looks like his body and mind are tainted with beastliness, but they are not.

He is adhering to the rules of this competition and is trying to conquer it accordingly.

Such gentlemanly behavior is just like the Silver Wolf we know and love!

“Huh? What? Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!”

On the other hand, the bat still hasn’t reached the goal, his eyes peeled at the rapid progress on the ground.

According to the rules, he could still win even if he came from the sky since the aim was to reach the castle tower, but the excellent goblins launched cushions from the catapult relentlessly to keep him at bay.

By the way, if the goblins gave it their all, that bat would be chopped to bits in no time, but not doing so was another sign of respect for the rules.

Eventually, the giant wolf reached the tower.

“Ahhh!”

“Goal! And the winner is Mr. Silver Wolf!”

A cheer erupts.

Orkubo’s declaration from the castle tower confirmed Silver Wolf's victory. 

A comeback victory caused by doping? Eh, who cares.

The audience is entirely on Silver Wolf’s side, so if that’s the case, being a little reckless is tolerated.

That’s the difference between the good and the bad guy.

“No... I... I lost...?!”

“Golden Bat. Your diligence to awaken your Bestial Release is astonishing, but it was still no match for me.”

After the match, the two quickly returned to their therianthropic forms.

The bat aside, I’m glad Silver Wolf regained his original form! 

“I couldn’t awaken my Bestial Release by training on my own, but with the support and help of many people, I was able to step into the realm of the extreme. As I thought, the most important thing for human beings is to help each other. Unless you learn that, you will never be able to reach new heights.”

I think you ended up becoming more than a mere beast back there, Silver Wolf...

...Oh well. All’s well that ends well.

The fateful exhibition match between S-class rivals at Orkubo’s Castle ended with a satisfactory result: Silver Wolf emerged victorious.