Forest Canyon Aerial Battle

Aerial battle in the forest canyon. An eagle's head and upper body, wings attached to its torso, and a lion's lower half. At the appearance of the monster straight out of Greek or Roman mythology—a griffon—I and Po'runga put on serious faces and cautiously backed away.

The griffon, its eyes bloodshot and foaming at the mouth like a rabid beast, thrashed wildly, flapping its wings. The murderous madness in its gaze made it seem like killing intent was swirling visibly around it.

...No, it wasn't just seeming. Wind was gathering around the griffon. As it bunched its wings and crouched, the air was sucked toward it, the airflow making me stagger and lose my footing. Po'runga snatched me up and pulled me behind some cargo.

Whirling wind blades sliced through the iron bars along with the cargo inside—and the two griffons trapped within lifted their heads and began to howl. Though they were thrashing like they were drugged and out of their minds, they didn't attack each other. Instead, they struggled to escape the cave, slamming into the cliffs and ceiling, injuring themselves in the process.

"Why are they going berserk? Some kind of disease? Their condition's off! Griffons don't rampage like this—what the hell's going on?!"

"More importantly, shouldn't we keep them from getting out?!"

"I know that!"

She clenched her fist tight, kicked off the ground, and launched herself at the griffon, smashing her punch into its jaw. But her blow bounced off harmlessly against the thick feathers and hide. All it did was draw all the griffons' attention to her and piss them off even more.

Kieeeek!! With a piercing screech, they gaped their beaks and charged at Po'runga. Tongue clicking at the lack of my Memorize Spellbook, I hurled the ethanol spray into the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠air.

Startled by the bang, the charging griffons halted, then freaked out as embers scattered in the blasts, rampaging even harder. Po'runga chugged booze and spewed a Flame Breath at the mindless beasts. But the griffon flapped once, reversing the flames back at her, and its roar's shockwave blasted us both out of the cave.

Slipping down the rain-slick cliff, I was yanked back by her tail as she clung to the wall. She fired an emergency flare from her belt, but the downpour snuffed its light instantly. Without a word, she scrambled up the wall, so I touched the cave entrance above and cast Deadly Queen, detonating it.

But as an Illusion Gate entrance, my weak explosion only cracked it slightly. The griffons burst out with wingbeats.

"You okay with that thing?!"

"Flying monsters heading to town? They'll get shot down! Air defense is airtight!"

Then why was she racing so desperately toward the inn? "The griffons have lost their minds! In this rain, they can't see shit—they'll chase the lights!"

Following her gaze, I spotted the inn beaming like a lighthouse through the storm, guiding lost adventurers.

Barreling through the torrent, caked in mud, she arrived and bellowed at the inn, "Sound the alarm!! Kill the lights! Griffons are loose!!!"

The adventurers hesitated only a moment before snuffing their lanterns and lamps in perfect sync. The receptionist dashed inside, and a blaring eeeeeng siren wailed, echoing warnings of griffons across the mountains to search parties.

The response was impressively swift. Adventurers piled into the fortress-like inn, arming up and taking defensive positions. The only unforeseen wrinkle—and what I learned later—was that the female griffon, chasing me dangling from Po'runga's tail, had followed us right to the inn.

Adventurers unleashed arrows and spells at the tree-toppling griffon. But even berserk, its instincts deflected them: a wing flap warped the air around it, twisting trajectories wide.

It beat its wings, rocketed skyward, then slammed its massive body into the inn wall. Kuwoong! The wall cracked with a heavy thud.

"Get off!" Windows flew open as adventurers thrust swords and spears, but they couldn't pierce the thick feathers.

This was fucked. No way were there C-grade adventurers here. That griffon's unnatural strength was beyond C-grade even to my unranked eyes. Without calling Nex inside to fight, no number of adventurers could win.

"Don't underestimate adventurers!" Po'runga yelled, as if reading my mind. She inhaled deep, blasting intangible shockwaves that slapped the griffon's cheek amid the spraying rain.

A lively tune—her voice alone as instrument—lightened my body. Then adventurers hauled out a massive ballista, nailing the griffon's side and dragging it down. They blanketed it with heavy nets, then lobbed potion vials since weapons failed, neutralizing it.

It thrashed briefly before going limp and silent. "See? Being weak doesn't mean you can't win!" She paused her bard song, smirking. "How's the buff?"

Definitely lighter movements. The others felt it too, darting in to gouge its eyes, smashing its brain and ending it.

Relief washing over the adventurers, I remembered what Po'runga skipped and shouted, "There are two more griffons!"

No sooner ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠said than one plummeted from the sky onto the group. Enraged—mates, maybe?—it screeched, targeting the mage as it dove.

──What could I do right now? I drew the Holy Sword, but no good options came to mind. Still, my legs charged toward the adventurers. Rain-blurred speed, several times normal—leftover bard buff, maybe.

"Outer God Fear!!"

I'd used Black Cat Rune to swap luck and nerf foes, but without weighing my stats against lives, I cast anyway. The vengeful griffon twisted toward me, jaws wide. I swung the Holy Sword, but its eagle talon scooped me up, launching me skyward.

Endless float, crushing gravity from above. In an instant, we were in pitch darkness amid pouring rain. 'Too fast...!' Its wingbeats accelerated beyond my endurance. Wind pressure battered me, rain pummeling as I slashed its leg with the sword—no mark.

Without mana, it was just a shortsword. Annoyed by my struggles, it folded wings and dove. Cliffs loomed from the dark.

"Metal Skin!"

The diving griffon smashed me into the cliff with its talons. Face-first into rock, grinding pain twisted my guts as I screamed. Desperate Recycle barely absorbed it, its grip crushing my waist.

"Kieeeek!!!" It readjusted wings, swung me irritably like a club, pounding me into the cliff. Spitting mud and rain, I gripped the Holy Sword with Invisible Touch, sending it at its eyes.

The auto-floating blade targeted an eye, but it snatched the blade in its beak, flinging it—and me—down. Bam! Bam! Bam!! Clinging with one talon, it hammered me into the wall like vengeance for its young, fist clenched in rage.

Dazed, it grabbed my legs like a kid swinging a frog in the rain, smashing my head into the sharpest protruding rock on the pitted cliff. Kwaang! Amid scattering dirt and crumbling cliff in the rain.

Spun dizzy, blood rushing to my head, on the verge of blackout—but Clear Mind forcibly kept me conscious. Lose focus, and Metal Skin and Recycle would drop. How to escape? As the rampaging griffon thrashed on the cliff, a wyvern swarm burst out, ambushing it.

Wingbeats clinging, biting wildly. The berserk griffon hurled me into the air with a novel peeeek!! screech. Rain on my face, spinning downward, a wyvern gaped to chomp my head, shaking side-to-side.

Metal Skin and Recycle sustained me till I hit ground—sword returned via skill. Swings lacked power. How to add force? Gripping the hilt tight, This is my "divine vessel," right? So treat the sword as my "body"? That's why Recycle fails on it? Imagining Recycle via Metal Mimic Exoskeleton on the sword.

The white blade turned silver, rain gleaming along it. Slashed the wyvern's neck—serk—head severed. Falling, I summoned Invisible Touch underfoot as a platform and soared.

Dozens of wyverns shredded like bugs by the griffon—perfect timing, eyes locked. I swung the metal mimic-coated Holy Sword.

Chaeng! Too much. Felt the bite, but my strength couldn't pierce the hide. Dodged its beak thrust with a flip, Invisible Touch snagged my robe hem, yanking me skyward.

Double mana drain choked my breath—cancel before blackout. Wide swing, grabbed blade with free hand. Plummeting at its head. Infused Rubber, bent the sword, yanked taut like a bowstring, released with Deadly Queen.

Kwaang! First blast accelerated. Second boosted speed more, rubber-to-metal sword slamming deep into its chest with elasticity, velocity, gravity.

Sensing danger, it flapped back, swatted ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me cliffward like a soccer ball. 'I can do it!' I saw it—possibility! Kwaang—sword pinning me, it screeched in unknown rage—wound pain or attack fury?—and backhanded my face with its other fist.

Pummeling to crush, no dice, so it beat wings aloft. "Kieek!!" Dropped me from hand, snagged my legs. Another griffon ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lunged from dark, wedging my neck between talons, gripping my head.

Two griffons soaring, then spinning opposite directions into a whirlwind. Karduk— Eerie cracks spiderwebbed my body. Can't escape... I'll die...!