Chapter 270: The Roar of the Firmament
The Black Condor soared into the sky with a violent beat of its wings, kicking up a storm of snow and shattered rock across the peak. Its red eyes burned with unhinged fury as it deployed a wingspan that eclipsed the winter sun above the plateau.
"You are an idiot, human!" the giant bird roared from the firmament. "And you, eagle brat! Do you truly believe you possess what it takes to fill the old king’s shoes?! I shall show you both that you are nothing more than a pair of miserable insects!"
Tightening the feathers along its neck, the Major Guardian swelled its crop as its ancestral runes gleamed in a dark violet hue. Rather than a wind blast, the creature snapped its beak open and unleashed its skill:
[Ultrasonic Scream Void Rupture]
Sensing danger yet assuming it was a shearing wind blast, Kellar reacted by activating [Mana Shield]. However, the wave was no wind-elemental attack; it was an invisible sonic strike that bypassed the magical barrier as if it were nonexistent. The impact struck Kellar and Little Green head-on, knocking them back as the agony of the vibration took a toll on their internal organs.
Seeing her master wounded, the small white cat atop his shoulder bristled her fur. Freyja let out a roar of rage and bounded forward, golden lightning crackling across her claws.
Without granting them breathing room, the Black Condor spun on its axis in midair:
[Jet-Black Feather Rain]
Hundreds of steel-rigid feathers rained down like a lethal storm. Little Green reacted by beating its wings to deflect part of the shrapnel with wind blades, though several feathers managed to breach the defense. Kellar, gritting his teeth against the pain, raised the Overlord Club and began smashing the shadow feathers rushing at him, detonating them upon contact with the metal of his weapon.
The Black Condor let out a mocking laugh from above as it witnessed the scene.
"Is that truly all you have to act so arrogant?" the creature scoffed with disdain. "If this is all the strength you possess, I cannot comprehend how the old king lost to a bug like you!"
Kellar wiped a streak of blood from the corner of his lips, rested the Overlord Club over his shoulder, and looked up with a smirk.
"You talk about the old king... We already know his death hurts you," Kellar said in a deliberate tone. "Maybe you were his bitch. I wonder who was the passive one between the two of you... did you fuck him, or did he fuck you? You sure look like someone who enjoys taking it up the ass."
A shriek split the air. The Black Condor, outraged by the insult, dyed the sky in a tide of dark energy.
[Spectral Multiplication: Shadow Mirage]
The creature’s body began dividing. Within seconds, dozens of condors blanketed the firmament, swooping down at breakneck speed toward Kellar with claws coated in shearing shadows.
Before the shadows could touch the stone, a flash of white severed the field of view. Freyja reappeared midair as a white shadow, moving at a velocity that defied mortal perception. Her golden lightning-infused claws tore through each shadow clone in the blink of an eye, causing them to dissipate into smoke.
CRAAK!
Freyja’s claws connected squarely with the real Black Condor’s neck. The giant bird unleashed a shriek of horror as it was thrown skyward, spilling blood like a river. The white cat had very nearly decapitated him in that single strike, and panic took complete hold of the creature.
Freyja landed on the peak, springing at speed between the crags to intercept him once more. Yet the Condor soared higher and higher, beating his wings in desperation until he vanished behind the dense cloud cover.
Upon touching down, Freyja let out an annoyed meow, irritated by the situation.
"Pursue him, Little Green!" commanded Kellar, tightening his grip around the Overlord Club.
"At once, Master!" answered the elemental bird.
Little Green launched with force, slicing through the wind and giving chase. The Condor climbed higher and higher in an ascent, yet Little Green was faster and more agile within the sky’s updrafts.
"Go, Little Green!" called out Kellar from the plateau. "Show him who the true king of the skies is!"
Seeing Little Green’s silhouette gaining on him at speed, the Black Condor made a play: he plunged into a steep dive toward the lower canopy, dividing himself once more into dozens of spectral clones that scattered in every direction.
Kellar extended his hand toward the sky, channeling his energy to fire rapid volleys:
[Lightning Spear] [Lightning Spear]
The lightning bolts arced across the sky, destroying several illusions one after another, yet three of the condors had vanished into the distance, fleeing in different directions toward the far horizon.
"Dammit!" cursed Kellar, lowering his hand in frustration.
"Do not worry, Master," interceded Little Green, spiraling down to land beside him. "I know where his nest lies. We can go right now and strike it."
"No, that would not be wise," replied Kellar, shaking his head. "If we go and slaughter his entire family, this will turn into an irreversible war of extermination, and they will seek vengeance by any means necessary. We do not want to provoke such a thing, or worse yet, have him run to beg the Great Roc for aid and have him come to exterminate us prematurely."
Little Green bowed its head in respect at its master’s words.
"You are correct, Master. I apologize for suggesting it," admitted the elemental bird in a remorseful tone. "However... what ought we to do now?"
Kellar cast his gaze around, coming to realize that the surrounding landscape felt foreign. Looking toward the distance, he noted that the familiar peaks of the Wind Mountains were barely visible along the horizon, reduced to silhouettes at least two hundred kilometers away. Below, the terrain was a labyrinth of craggy ridges, sheer canyons, and barren peaks void of vegetation.
"Where are we?" inquired Kellar, knitting his brow as he rested the Overlord Club against his shoulder. "Whose territory is this?"
Little Green surveyed the rocky geography and let out a gasp.
"It appears the Condor had no idea where he was fleeing... This is not the Great Roc’s domain. We stand within the realm of the Behemoth... or rather, of one of his commanders."
Before Kellar could press for details, one of the stone mountains rising beneath them began trembling violently. Deep fissures split across the rocky mass as tons of earth and gravel cascaded down in an avalanche. The entire structure was no geological formation: it was rising off the ground.
Witnessing the magnitude of the beast emerging from the abyss, an urge to flee flashed through Kellar’s mind. Yet it arrived far too late. The creature opened cavernous jaws and unleashed a roar that triggered aerial turbulence, collapsing the air currents and forcing Little Green into a dive toward the earth.
"What is happening, Little Green?!" shouted Kellar, gripping onto his mount’s feathers as the wind howled around them.
"Dammit! This is the worst possible moment to cross his path!" exclaimed Little Green, straining to stabilize their flight. "We are in deep trouble, Master! It is Karkadann!"