Chương 53: [BL] 52. Sky Battle [4]

Above the battlement, Willow's sword was slick with red before the rain began its downpour, wiping it clean and letting the blood stream down onto the golden soldier's armor. Bowstrings snapped with a loud lash, and a hail of arrows ascended, albeit weakened by the rain. The Wyverns and Griffins did not stop their terror. They kept coming.

"Down! Both of you!" A [Legionary] screamed. Josha turned Nora—his pegasus unfurled her wings and made a smooth dive downward to bank just near the battlement, not landing on it since it was full of Kroos's golden soldiers and some Legionaries hurling their projectiles. Josha wore practical chainmail made of white links that connected to the pieces of plating he wore across his limbs. Kroos had given him the armor.

Over the chainmail, beneath the harness, the [Rider] had slipped on a red tunic bearing the symbol of Kroos's house flower. She hoped that didn't mean Josha had accepted being Kroos's guard or something—she recalled the Count mentioning it to him, but she hadn't stayed to hear the answer. Nora herself wore barding made of interlocking chainmail just like Josha's, with holes for her wings and unicorn's horn to peek through. She shot a zap from her horn, blinding her surroundings in a flash of yellow.

One Griffin took the blast straight to its belly, and a bolt from the ballistas positioned atop the tower caught its throat in a lucky shot. The creature collapsed, its wings flapping weakly. Hovering near the battlement, Willow sheathed her sword that had saved her life as they fought in close aerial combat to buy time for the princess.

"The plan will begin at once. Everyone, I applaud you for fighting so fiercely. I thank you truly. But I have to ask you to keep your ferocity to pave the way for the Imperial Princess." Kroos' command echoed in her ears, as it surely did through everyone. Josha caught Willow's eye, and he sent her a nod. Below, the cavalry was ready. Erick had volunteered to be part of the horsemen, the most dangerous job. My lady, are you prepared? The Count asked her. Willow looked around for someone…

The golden figure with billowing cloaks descended as he noticed her seeking him. Her Olympya Magus craned his elongated neck, his head covered by a mask-like hood, hiding skull-like features. His head was gold and green coloured in an intricate pattern; two green eyes shone as it regarded her with curiosity. The cube—his spell copier hung around him like an excited child.

"Protect the Princess, then return to me," she ordered.

"We're ready."

"Commence!" Atop the castle battlement, five large ballistas materialized. They were far bigger than the ones Kroos kept spawning for number. These five were made with quality, as they drew large bolts that shone with overwhelming light. In a loud snap, the bolt streaked through the rain and cut across like a line of sharp wind through five Wyverns, splitting their bodies in two. The moment the bolts passed, Willow and Josha flew up again through the falling blood that she tasted as it marred her cheek.

She burst into the riftborn's formation once more, ramming her sword into another Griffin, which was still reeling from its brethren's death, and took Willow's sword thrust right in its throat. Willow reached up, clutching a handful of the Griffin's fur and pulling it closer. It screamed as it tried to claw at her, but Willow rammed her sword further, and it choked. She pulled her sword, letting it fall. As the Griffin dropped, Josha thrust his lance right into another Griffin's chest. Then a flicker.

Nora's horn brimmed and shot lightning upward, opening a hole through the Griffin's throat. The Griffins' attention went from their dead brethren to the bolts to her and Josha, who appeared suddenly. When one tried to move its head toward the ballistas, Willow thrust her palm, shot her Sun thread around its beak, and pulled, earning its anger. Josha also fired a lightning bolt from his lance, targeting those far from them.

"Go!" Josha screamed.

"Go!" Turning, they flew across the battlement, from which most Legionaries had evacuated, leaving only the golden soldiers. The soldiers followed Willow and Josha by jumping off the wall. Such a stupid act drew the Griffin's attention, and some swooped down while others chased after Willow and Josha. On her flight, Willow glanced backward, and the plan worked. On the ground, horsemen charged out, skipping over the broken golden soldiers' bodies, which began to disappear into a trace of light.

The cavalry was a mix of actual humans and Kroos' golden cavalry that took most of the group. They spread into three parts and galloped like a trident. The Griffins, now faced with plenty of fleeing prey to choose from, each swooped for a different group. Perfect. She and Josha kept flying forth. [You are leaving the Lord Castle] [Bonus Attributes removed]"Are we really going to keep going?" Josha shouted the question over the downpour.

"We are!" Willow shouted back. With Griffins hot on their tails, they kept flying forward toward one of their three flocks that had been observing the battle. About a dozen of them flew, no doubt watching the situation with their enhanced eyes. A Griffin with neck fur like a red mane was in the middle of the flock. A literal ring of fire spun around it like a collar. From afar, Willow could see its tail-end shaped like a dark spear. As they got closer, its levels appeared. [Sunheart Griffin—Level 45] Bloody hell.

"A tier-three! Tier three!" Josha repeated.

"This is madness!" Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Mark." Willow would like to know why the hell he sounded freaking excited, then. She shot Josha a pointed stare, but the [Lancer] did not even notice as he spurred Nora forward, and Nora eagerly flew toward the challenge. Being the responsible one, Willow glanced backward again; five Griffins were chasing them. They had given up on firing their sunbeam because the cloudy, dark skies did not give them the necessary power, according to Kroos.

Beneath, the horsemen kept pace, but they kept getting slaughtered as the other Griffins descended upon them. But that was fine. What was important was the two groups behind the middle one marching separately. Good, they make good pace. When Willow thought they might be able to do this, and that they did not need to worry about projectiles, the Sunheart Griffin shattered her hopes and dreams.

It spread its wings, and its crown bristled with fire that swept inside its head, and a radiating red heat shone downward to its broad, muscular chest. A circle of flames expelled from its body, and the Griffin hovered backward, pointing its beak right in the middle of the circle. It was about to open its mouth, and a sun-like flare gathered.

"I don't like that!" Willow shouted. She could not stop now since multiple Griffins were still chasing behind her. Her partner in crime, Josha, did not hear her. The young man had always been someone who listened well to sense, but now? Now he charged electricity through his body, born from Nora, which also spread across the Thunder Pegasus flesh. With a single powerful flap that created static and made Willow raise her arm, they vanished in a blur and reappeared before the ring of fire.

Josha's lance sailed forward before the Griffin could do its magic. The tier-three responded by pecking forth its beak. The air filled with a chime as a shockwave erupted from the clash between Josha's lance and the Riftborn's beak. A sweeping gust blew Josha off Nora, and the horse also lost flight as she spun backward through the air. After winning the clash, the Sunheart Griffin flew out with a triumphant screech.

The surrounding Griffins responded, letting out war cries as they descended upon Nora and Josha to finish them for good. Willow had been prepared for this. She threw her Sun thread downward at Josha and caught him by his hand. She did not extend the thread further, and Josha's weight pulled her down, which was exactly what she wanted. The Griffins had to tuck their wings to plunge down. Willow puffed her cheeks and swung the thread down with her right hand, making it disappear.

This caused Josha to roll through the bluegrasses. The [Lancer] immediately broke into a run toward his pegasus, who had regained her flight and was rushing toward him. She folded her wings as she faced the air above where countless Griffins brandished their talons. With a trace, she summoned her Auric bow and drew a golden arrow that shone with little specks of stars. Willow did not bother to aim. She snapped the golden arrow loose; it went streaking past every single Griffin.

The moment the arrow passed, she uttered a word.

"Starfall." The specks of stars shone. As if Willow were holding something of great interest, the specks multiplied hundreds of times. Each one returned toward Willow, tracing an arrow-shaped path across the sky. Finally, the main arrow passed by the Sunheart Griffin, who ignored it instead of destroying it. That was a mistake. Willow redrew again, this time without arrows. Countless specks gathered around her form, and she released them. The stars responded. They wrought themselves into arrows of gold.

Hundreds of them answered her call in excitement, and they soared upward toward the dozen Griffins, each of which could not kill their momentum and slammed straight into Willow's hail of bright arrows. [You grow stronger] Half of them called winds to either their talons or wings, protecting themselves but not wholly, as her golden arrows still dug into their bodies. Some who were extremely unlucky got their wings or throats pierced. By Willow's quick count, she killed about three and made five lose their flight.

The Sunheart Griffin did not plan to let that go unanswered as it once again attempted to fire that circle of magic at Willow, but this time Josha had flown upward with Nora, and the Sunheart turned in time to block Josha's lance that suddenly skipped through the space between them and caught in between both talons. The impact pushed the Sunheart Griffin backward, but it did not lose its flight; instead, it hovered upward and pushed Josha's back. That Tier-three for you, Willow thought bitterly.

She flapped her wings, regaining her balance. Her feet touched the ground, and she ran for a bit, ignoring the fallen Griffin. When one Griffin swooped down with its talons open, Willow turned and fired a quick-cast Auric Arrow at it, which it tried to bite with its beak; but instead, the arrow carved inside its throat and punched through the back of its head—killing it. Pumping her six wings down, she launched upward, barely dodging another sweep from a Tier-one Griffin.

As she was about to turn and fire at it, a Tier-two with shining talons surged at her with enhanced speed, forcing her to switch her target toward it. The Tier-two killed its momentum and flew upward. Behind it, Willow saw Josha and Nora struggling as the Sunheart Griffin raked across Nora's side. Its attack followed with blood, and the Pegasus lost her flight. She grew delirious and lost the strength in her wings.

Willow called Josha's name, but the [Lancer] was too busy using his shield to block the Sunheart Griffin's talons, which split it across like a shred of paper. Josha managed to let go of the shield, but by then Nora was too weak to fly again, and they plunged down. She wanted to reach for them, but Griffins kept harassing her, forcing her to dart left and right just to dodge their claws. Through the struggle, Willow kept her gaze on Josha. As a second passed, terror gripped her, and a tear brimmed.

One Griffin saw Josha's falling body, and it tried to reach him—its claw stretched. The [Lancer] noticed and tried to reach for the falling Nora, then the air froze around them. Thick ice encased both Nora and Josha. The Griffin claw skittered, leaving a claw mark, then both the [Rider] and his ride fell down with a loud crack of splintering ice. Willow's heart skipped a beat, but she recognized that Josha was still alive as her Hunt Party member.

The [Rider], still entrapped in the ice, rolled toward a group of charging cavalry led by Erick and Drey, alongside the [Royal Guards] the Princess had left. The Tier-threes had come. Through the sky, the flocks of Griffins flew toward the battlefield, skipping the castle to avoid Kroos's power, or rather, to delay the attack upon the Lord Castle for an easier target first. According to the report, there were three flocks; if each Tier-three led them, then there were two others still alive.

The Sunheart Griffin waited for the flock as it hovered upward, eyes glaring at Willow as it prepared its magic. Willow should charge toward it, but her eyes went to find Josha, who was entombed in solid ice. The horseman gathered and kept riding around, observing the Griffin's magic, making the Sunheart unsure where to aim. Its target would be obvious. The frozen Pegasus and its [Lancer]. Where is he? Willow tried to hover upward when the Griffin formed a protective flock around the Sunheart.

She saw Josha; a horrid creature stood just beside him. A horrid, pale, fat creature with waxy skin wore a big cloak like a blanket covering her body. White, rough, long hair extended down her head like they were trying to escape. Above, the Sunheart found Josha and aimed right at him. Willow did not think; she unsheathed her sword and burst toward the vile creature. The vile creature noticed her surge, and she raised both skeletal hands.

[Winter Hag—level 20] Two horsemen foolishly rode toward the area the Sunheart was aiming. Willow could not even warn them, as she swiped her sword once she got close, and the Hag hovered backward. Can it fly? Willow thrust her palm, and her sun thread looped around the hag's body, tying its hand to her side.

"My lady! Stop!" Krywen's voice blasted over the downpour. Willow glanced at her squire, but she couldn't play games right now. When she was about to summon her bow, Krywen rammed her horse forward, almost riding down Willow had she not rolled sideways.

"What the hell, Krywen! I need to kill this ugly thing—""Do you want me to slap you again?" the Hag asked.