Unfortunately, Raine still lacked a suitable two-handed greatsword.

With one, he could unleash the full power of Great Bear Swordsmanship and raise his combat strength another step.

For now, he carried only the standard hand-and-a-half sword issued to the Night Watchmen. It would suffice. Its longer hilt allowed a two-handed grip, but the blade was too light to fully exploit Great Bear Swordsmanship's power.

Raine and the elite Night Watchmen soon reached the entrance of the administrative hall. Hamilton was already waiting in full Knight plate, armed with sword and shield. Combined with his broad, solemn face, the equipment gave him the imposing presence expected of a sheriff.

He greeted Raine with a slight nod, having no time for conversation.

Once everyone had assembled, Hamilton explained the situation.

"Habsburg Estate has already sent a sizable force into Night Song Forest to the west. Their hunting hawks and hounds have roughly confirmed the dire gnoll's position. The creature is cunning and is currently hiding in a secluded valley."

"Our force and the estate's troops will divide into three groups and close on it from front and rear."

Raine understood. The estate's hunting hawks and Greyhound War Dogs had gone ahead to locate the gnoll—an effective tracking method.

After a brief mobilization, Hamilton put on a rounded bucket-style plate helmet. He personally led more than twenty elite Night Watchmen, including Raine, toward their assigned position.

Their group was responsible for the valley's northern exit, the point farthest from Goldflash Town, so time was tight.

---

Night Song Forest.

A secluded valley.

Savage Claw was feasting on cub meat when he raised his head and stared with green eyes at several eagles circling overhead.

The birds seemed strange. They remained directly above him, circling and crying out.

He paid them little mind. Savage Claw had chosen this valley carefully. It had three exits leading in different directions. Even if the humans came seeking revenge, they would be unable to trap him. He might even obtain more meat from them.

If the iron-skinned humans appeared, he could simply retreat deep into the forest, where they would not dare follow.

Woof! Woof! Woof!

Barking erupted from the valley's western entrance.

Savage Claw immediately became alert. He set down the pitiful cub in his grasp and looked toward the sound.

The eagles had left room for doubt. The barking did not. The humans had tracked him down.

A lean gray Greyhound War Dog burst from the undergrowth. The moment it saw Savage Claw, it began barking frantically. Had the difference in size not been so overwhelming, the hound would have charged him.

"Annoying little thing. A human's lackey."

Savage Claw kicked off the ground. Soil sprayed outward, leaving a shallow crater where his foot had struck. His enormous body shot toward the Greyhound War Dog like an arrow released from a bow.

"Whine!"

Fear filled the hound's eyes. It turned and fled into the dense woods.

Greyhound War Dogs were not formidable fighters, but their long, powerful legs gave them tremendous speed. Savage Claw was faster, yet the thick forest made it difficult to kill the hound quickly.

"Found it! It's over here!"

Human voices rose nearby.

Savage Claw's green eyes shifted as he assessed the situation. He stopped, wheeled around, and sprinted toward the valley's southern exit.

The noise soon faded behind him, filling him with smug satisfaction.

"Stupid humans. They mobilized so many people only to find nothing. Their faces must be quite a sight."

"I'll come back tomorrow or the day after. Heh."

"I didn't get to taste any tender human females this time. I'll have to correct that."

Savage Claw raced onward, cunning and self-satisfaction gleaming in his green eyes.

Woof! Woof! Woof!

Barking suddenly erupted from the southern entrance as well.

Savage Claw's expression changed. He dug in his heels, carving two deep furrows through the ground.

"Damn it! The humans know about this exit too."

He glared toward the barking, then turned for the northern entrance—his final route of escape.

Savage Claw was no longer as calm as before, though he had not yet descended into panic.

"Good thing I prepared another route," he muttered while running. "Otherwise, the humans would have trapped me between them."

Near the northern exit, he deliberately slowed and listened. Hearing no barking, he grinned in satisfaction.

"Stupid humans! You think you can catch Lord Savage Claw? Dream on! Keh keh keh!"

He charged toward the exit.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A dense rain of arrows startled him. His reactions saved him. A faint cyan current surged around his tall, powerful body, sharply increasing his speed and allowing him to evade most of the volley.

Savage Claw darted behind a large tree and peered ahead.

Several leather-armored humans carrying bows had emerged from the shadows around the northern exit. At their head stood one of the rare iron-skinned humans.

This was the Night Watchman force containing Raine, led by the sword-and-shield Knight Hamilton.

The sun had just risen, but mist blanketed Night Song Forest, and the dense grass, trees, and mottled shadows made visibility poor. Fortunately, Dark Vision allowed Raine to see the dire gnoll clearly.

The creature stood more than two meters tall, with long, powerful limbs. A chaotic assortment of leather armor and chainmail covered its body, apparently stripped from several human mercenaries and worn together without regard for fit.

It carried no weapon, but its claws gleamed with a cold light.

The page boy it had abducted was nowhere to be seen. The conclusion was obvious.

As Raine and the others studied Savage Claw, the gnoll assessed them in turn.

"The iron-skinned human is too troublesome, and there are too many archers around him."

Any desire to fight them to the death vanished.

Savage Claw turned and raced back toward the southern exit. He would rather face a horde of ordinary human soldiers than one of the iron-skinned warriors.

As he approached the south, however, his heart lurched. Another iron-skinned human stood there holding a two-handed greatsword. Dozens of human soldiers in chainmail and nasal helms surrounded him, armed with all manner of weapons.

Savage Claw's heart sank.

Refusing to give up, he sprinted madly toward the original western entrance. There too stood an iron-skinned human with sword and shield, accompanied by another company of soldiers.

Despair seized Savage Claw.

Then his expression hardened with vicious resolve.

The western and southern exits both led toward human territory, where more traps might await. His only chance was to break through the northern force and escape into the depths of the forest.

Only then would he have room to breathe.

His decision made, Savage Claw accelerated to full speed.

A gray-black blur raced once more toward the northern exit, where Hamilton and Raine waited.