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Chapter 104: Aerial Combat
After being mercilessly shot down by the Player in rapid succession, the Eagle Guards finally closed in to a suitable engagement range and began retaliating. Unfortunately, their marksmanship was abysmal while in high-speed flight. Even when they managed to hit their targets, their feeble arrows couldn’t so much as pierce the thick, armored scales of the Two-Headed Dragon.
Meanwhile, the Players were nothing short of spectacular. At close range, they picked off Giant Eagles one by one with precision arrows. Some even resorted to a throwing-style build, hurling short spears with such force that they impaled both rider and bird in a single, brutal strike.
"Damn, this is awesome!" roared the Player known as Dadao, his Strength rating a staggering 17—earning him the title of Player Powerhouse. He had specifically invested in the Tavern Brawling specialization, perfectly tailored for high-altitude throwing feats.
After all, Giant Eagles were covered only in soft, lightweight feathers designed for flight—no armored scales to speak of.
"Damn it…" Neli gritted her teeth, her eyes narrowed with grim determination. She watched in horror as her comrades fell one after another, unable to land a single effective counterstrike before suffering over ten casualties.
Even she barely escaped death, executing a desperate side roll that just barely let her dodge a lightning-fast arrow that whistled past her ear.
"This can't go on!" she decided instantly. Raising her Hawk Cry Longsword, she bellowed:
"Northwind Eagle Guard, listen! Close with the enemy—form a Circular Formation!"
A chorus of piercing eagle cries echoed through the sky.
The Northwind Eagle Guards immediately abandoned their futile ranged counterattacks, accelerating with reckless abandon toward their foes. Their plan was clear: surround each Crimson Scale Conqueror with a tight trio or quartet of guards, leveraging their superior mobility and numbers to pick off the enemy one by one—exactly as drilled in their tactical doctrine.
It was textbook strategy—flawless in theory.
But they had underestimated their opponent.
—Alje.
Now, with melee combat imminent, Alje looked up as the Eagle Guards closed in, grouping together in tight clusters—led by none other than Neli, his former subordinate.
"Looks like you’ve learned a thing or two," he said softly, recognizing the formation instantly.
Yet over the days spent training alongside the Players, Alje had not only taught them—he had also absorbed their innovations. He now understood concepts like Energy Maneuvering, Kinetic and Potential Energy Conversion, allowing him to adapt dynamically to any aerial combat situation and maximize his tactical advantage.
The Giant Eagles were smaller than Dragonvein Eagles, faster, and far more agile.
Five of them now circled Alje’s mount, waiting for an opening to strike.
"Igler," Alje said calmly, unflinching.
The Dragonvein Eagle responded instantly, climbing sharply. Alje converted kinetic energy into potential energy, executing a high-velocity Corkscrew Maneuver that twisted through the air like a living blade. The maneuver was so fluid and sudden that the encircling Eagle Guards were left scrambling, their attacks missing by inches.
Neli watched, her brow furrowed.
"Keep the pressure on! Don’t let him get a chance to counter!" she ordered.
The Giant Eagles wove through the sky—twisting, rolling, diving in sudden, unpredictable arcs. Despite her five-man team, Neli couldn’t gain the upper hand. Alje danced through the air like a ghost, effortlessly evading her tactics.
For some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that his movements… felt familiar.
Why?
At the peak of his Corkscrew Maneuver, Alje was upside down, hanging in midair—but he didn’t hesitate. With a single flick of the reins, he plunged downward in a devastating Dive, his body and mount a single, unstoppable force.
"Danger!" Neli screamed.
The Dragonvein Eagle streaked across the sky in a perfect arc, descending with terrifying speed—slamming into the side of the formation, crushing a lone Giant Eagle mid-flight. The impact severed the bird’s head cleanly, and its rider screamed as he plummeted, vanishing into the clouds below.
Alje climbed again—his speed slow, almost lazy—yet the air around him hummed with tension, brimming with the promise of the next attack.
"Damn you, Dragon’s Claws!" Neli snarled, her knuckles white around her sword. She wanted nothing more than to tear that monstrous dragon face apart.
But she forced herself to calm.
"Attack now—while he’s climbing! Predict his next dive!"
The Eagle Guards drew their bows, firing volley after volley of arrows skyward.
But Alje remained unruffled. With effortless grace, he flipped, changed direction, and extended laterally—moving through the air like a dancer performing a flawless Waltz. Though the movements looked impossible, every arrow fell short, trailing behind him like dust in the wind.
"Igler," Alje murmured.
The Dragonvein Eagle understood.
With a thunderous cry, it dove once more from the heavens.
Feathers flew. Blood sprayed.
Another Eagle Guard was dispatched—cut down with ease.
Before the half-dragon, half-human Knight riding the Dragonvein Eagle, the Northwind Guards were no more than toys—dancing at his mercy.
After a long silence, Neli finally spoke, her voice low but steady:
"Everyone, fall back. Let me handle him."
"I won’t lose again."
Her deep brown eyes blazed with unyielding resolve.
Rare among the Eagle Guards, she had not succumbed to despair after that fateful battle. Instead, she carried the memories of her fallen comrades, training relentlessly—countless dives, countless swings, countless trials far beyond the limits of any ordinary warrior. Through fire and pain, she had forged herself into the only female Northwind Eagle Guard commander in a century.
She would not let history repeat itself.
Not even if it cost her life.
"Terna," she whispered, summoning her Giant Eagle companion.
Her voice sharpened.
"This time… I won’t—"
"—run away!"
With a sharp squeeze of her thighs, Neli surged forward, her Giant Eagle howling through the air. She raised her Silver Sword high, charging straight at the enemy in a bold, unyielding Frontal Assault.
"Die, Dragon’s Claws!"
Alje watched the charging figure—her face fierce, her body locked in purpose.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"So… you’re challenging me to a duel?" he murmured.
"Then let’s fight."
He leaned forward, gripping his Everburning Greatsword tightly, and plunged his Dragonvein Eagle into a steep, roaring Dive.
They were still a hundred meters apart.
But in the sky, a confrontation needed only a heartbeat.
Neli fixed her gaze on him—her heart hammering, sweat dripping from her clenched fingers. The distance closed too fast. She could see every scale on his face, every line of his draconic features.
The half-dragon Knight descended, swinging his flaming blade in a sweeping arc.
And in that instant—she froze.
This movement… this stance… this dive…
Too familiar.
Her mind raced. A horrifying possibility surged forward:
The Evil Monster before her… is the very captain she once revered.
Impossible.
No—this is real. I’m still fighting.
She snapped back to reality, clenching her sword tighter.
But it was too late.
That single moment of hesitation—just a breath—was all it took.
"Swish—"
Flames filled her vision.
The blade, sharp as a storm, cut through her neck without mercy.
As her head tumbled from her body, falling into the abyss below, her face—beautiful, resolute, scarred by war—still bore the ghost of confusion.
(End of Chapter)
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