A violent gale rose, making the flags at the castle's edge snap and flutter loudly. In the next instant, the Storm Griffin King's powerful legs kicked off the ground. Its massive body shot into the sky like a cannonball, transforming into a streak of cyan light that pierced the heavens.
Dozens of Pegasus Knights followed immediately, forming a sharp arrowhead formation behind that cyan light, soaring majestically toward the Emerald Swamp.
After ascending to Tier 4, the Storm Griffin King's speed was staggering. The wind howled past Leylo's ears, and the earth below receded into a blur of forests, rivers, and hills. He sat steadily atop the Griffin's back, shielded by a pale-cyan barrier of wind elements that kept the turbulent airflow at bay.
The sensation of riding the lightning was far beyond what the Tier 3 version could offer. Leylo could feel that with every beat of its wings, the Griffin King manipulated the surrounding air to create a powerful draft, making its flight both effortless and devastatingly fast. It had truly mastered the power of wind magic.
The Swarm
After an hour of high-speed flight, a dark-green expanse emerged on the horizon—the Emerald Swamp. A permanent layer of miasma hung over the bog, making it look eerie and sinister. Along the border, Blackstone's defensive line lay like a gray ribbon, dotted with towers where soldiers watched the horizon with wary eyes.
"My Lord, look!"
On an open patch of land near the swamp, monsters were gathered in a dense, writhing mass. These minions varied in shape but shared serpentine traits: some were covered in black scales with glowing green eyes; others had wings that allowed them to glide short distances; still others were as thick as calves, dripping corrosive venom.
Leylo estimated their numbers had grown to over two hundred, with more constantly crawling out from the swamp's depths. At the center of this horde stood a Two-Headed Giant Lizard, a Tier 3 magical beast nearly eight meters long.
"Prepare for battle!"
The Griffin King, sensing its master's fighting spirit, let out an excited low growl. Wind elements surged around its wings, humming with the promise of a storm.
"Stand by and guard the perimeter!" Leylo ordered his knights.
"Understood!" they shouted in unison. They were elite, but facing such a swarm alone was daunting. They watched in awe as their Lord prepared to dive into the enemy ranks solo.
In Leylo's arms, Moonlight remained calm, her pale-gold eyes watching the swarming monsters with curiosity.
"Go, Tempest!" Leylo patted the Griffin King. Having evolved to the King-class, the beast finally had its own name. "Let's test your new abilities on these pests!"
SKREE!
Tempest let out a piercing cry and folded its wings. Its massive body traced a cyan arc in the sky as it dived like a falling star toward the swarm.
Storm and Talon
The wind became a roar. The monsters below expanded rapidly in Leylo's vision. The Demon Snake minions, caught off guard by a giant predator falling from the sky, hissed in panic and writhed chaotically to escape the shadow.
As Tempest dived, its wings beat with rhythmic precision, creating visible vortices of wind. These weren't just gusts; they were infused with magical power, forming invisible blades of air that swept across the ground.
Slash! Rip!
The minions were tossed aside like dry leaves. Hard scales screeched under the pressure of the wind blades, and smaller monsters were sucked into the air, screaming as they were shredded.
Tempest's target was clear: the Two-Headed Giant Lizard.
Sensing the overwhelming pressure, the lizard roared. One of its heads reared back, a gurgling sound echoing in its throat before it spat a fountain of dark-green, corrosive liquid at the descending Griffin.
However, Tempest was ready. Its wingbeat frequency accelerated, and the wind shield around it thickened. Under its control, a concentrated whirlwind manifested in front of it like a high-speed funnel.
WHOOSH!
The venom slammed into the vortex, but instead of penetrating, it was caught in the spin. Tempest skillfully adjusted the direction and hurled the venom-laced whirlwind back at the lizard itself.
ROAR!
The lizard let out a pained shriek as its own corrosive venom was blasted back onto its body. The liquid acted like sulfuric acid, eating through its tough scales with a sickening hiss. White smoke rose from the charred black flesh.
Taking the opening, Tempest closed the distance. It pulled back its wings like a bird of prey and slammed its steel-like talons into the lizard's back.
CRACK!
The talons tore through the weakened scales and blood, sinking deep into the sides of the lizard's spine. The beast thrashed wildly, but Tempest's strength was absolute. With a massive beat of its wings, the Griffin King generated enough lift to rip the eight-meter-long, multi-ton beast right off the ground!