Moonlight and the black cat frolicked by the bonfire. After several days together, the black cat had clearly become much more active, no longer as timid or wary as before. Leylo had given the black cat a very fitting name: "Coal Ball."
The night passed without incident.
In the early morning, before the thin mist had fully dissipated, the coalition forces of Blackstone and Amber Territories set out once again. The subsequent march was relatively smooth; they encountered only a few small groups of reckless magical beasts along the way, all of which were dealt with cleanly by the knights.
On the afternoon of the second day, the army reached the edge of a rolling mountain range. Ahead, a majestic and perilous peak pierced the clouds like a sharp sword. The mountain was a dark, reddish hue with sheer cliffs thousands of feet high, exuding an aura of ancient desolation.
"My Lord, once we cross this mountain, it should be another day's journey to reach Redleaf City," Ed said, coming to Leylo's side and pointing toward the distant peak.
Suddenly, a sharp, high-pitched screech echoed from the distant sky.
"What was that sound?" Lillian looked up curiously.
Leylo urged the Storm Griffin King, Tempest, to ascend slowly. As he rose, his field of vision widened instantly. Near the summit of that dark red peak, a fierce aerial battle was unfolding.
On one side were five massive flying magical beasts. Their bodies were long and lithe, covered in crimson scales that shimmered with a metallic luster in the sunlight. Their enormous membrane wings spanned over 20 meters, and every beat sent down surges of scorching air. Their heads were hideous, occasionally spewing searing dragon breath like fiery serpents, staining the sky a brilliant orange-red.
"Red-Winged Wyverns! Judging by their size and power, they are at least Tier 4!" Alex, being experienced, recognized the fierce creatures at a glance.
Their opponents were a flock of griffins that far outnumbered them. These griffins were slightly smaller than Storm Griffins, with feathers of a deep indigo blue and fine electrical arcs flickering along the edges of their wings. They had the powerful bodies of lions and the sharp heads and talons of eagles. Every wingbeat was accompanied by the crackling of thunder.
"Thunder Griffins, Tier 3 magical beasts—but there are sixteen of them!"
Clearly, this was a duel between a Red-Winged Wyvern family and a Thunder Griffin pride fighting for territory.
Although the five wyverns were outnumbered, their individual strength was formidable. They held the higher airspace, diving down intermittently with dragon breath, claws, and long tails in perfect coordination. The most magnificent wyvern appeared to be the leader; every one of its attacks was precise and lethal. A thick sweep of its dragon breath forced several Thunder Griffins to scatter in disarray, their feathers charred black.
The Thunder Griffin pride relied on their numerical advantage and agile bodies, launching wave after wave of fearless strikes. They condensed blinding bolts of lightning in their beaks, firing them whistling toward the wyverns. The dozen or so griffins coordinated brilliantly, alternating between harassing movements and concentrated attacks to tear through the wyverns' defenses.
"Roar!"
A young Red-Winged Wyvern, caught off guard, was struck by three consecutive lightning bolts. It let out a piteous wail as a patch of crimson scales was blown apart, spraying blood. Its massive body stumbled in the air, nearly falling. Its companions let out furious roars as the other adult wyverns dove recklessly to cover it, their dragon breath becoming even more violent, temporarily forcing back the pursuing griffins.
"The coordination of these Thunder Griffins is quite sophisticated. Their leader is no simple beast," Leylo noted.
He observed one griffin that was noticeably bulkier than its kin, with even darker plumage. It did not attack easily, instead circling at high altitude and letting out short, powerful cries to direct the rhythm of the entire flock. This was clearly the Thunder Griffin King, likely a King-class beast like Tempest.
The soldiers below were awestruck. Watching a pride of griffins and a family of wyverns shed blood across the sky was a rare sight that set their pulses racing. Dragon breath and lightning interlaced; roars and cries filled the air as the battle reached a fever pitch.
One Thunder Griffin failed to dodge in time; half its wing was shredded by a wyvern's talons. It spiraled down from the heights with a scream, crashing heavily into the distant mountain wall, its fate unknown.
However, the Thunder Griffins were not without success. They caught a gap in one wyvern's breath cycle. Seven or eight griffins struck simultaneously, and dozens of lightning bolts slammed accurately into the base of its left wing. The wyvern let out a shrill howl as its wing was blasted into a bloody mess. Losing its balance, it glided clumsily toward the ground.
"Winning with many against few, overcoming strength with weakness—the key lies in timing and coordination," Leylo murmured to himself.
Alex nodded beside him. "The Thunder Griffins may be a lower tier, but they have the advantage in numbers and fearlessness. That wounded wyvern is likely doomed."
Sure enough, several brave griffins pursued it relentlessly. Soon, the desperate roars of the wounded wyvern and the excited cries of the griffins echoed from the mountain forests. The battle in the sky continued, but the wyvern family was clearly now at a disadvantage.
Having lost two companions, the remaining three wyverns, though still fierce, were struggling to hold their ground. Several deep, bone-deep wounds marred their bodies, and blood stained their red scales. The Thunder Griffin pride had lost at least three of their own, but their offensive only grew more crazed.
"Screee!"
The Red-Winged Wyvern leader let out a cry of grief and indignation. It swiveled sharply, its massive tail sweeping like a steel whip to knock away two griffins that had strayed too close. Then, it ceased the fight, leading its two remaining wounded companions in a frantic retreat toward the north.
The Thunder Griffin leader let out a high-pitched victory cry, circling the area several times with its companions to declare its dominance over the airspace before slowly descending onto the dark red peak.
The thrilling territorial struggle came to an end.
Leylo withdrew his gaze, moved by what he had seen. This was the cruel law of nature: the weak are prey to the strong, and only the fittest survive. Neither humans nor magical beasts could escape it.
"Pass down the order: the entire army is to remain silent, bypass this peak, and continue the advance."
Leylo's voice pulled everyone back to reality. The soldiers silently executed the order, their earlier ease replaced by looks of awe and gravity after witnessing the bloody struggle.
The host bypassed the peak, which still reeked of blood, and continued eastward. By dusk, Redleaf City appeared before their eyes.