A low-frequency hum began to sound from across the bridge. A subtle vibration traveled from the stone floor, up through the soles of their feet. The sound was coming from the two giant owl statues, growing louder and louder,
Fyar felt a painful pressure in his ears. He pressed his palms firmly against his head, but the sound still pierced through, creating a sharp pain. Beside him, Zaefal tried to suppress the humming. His eyes moved calmly, scanning every corner of the cave for an escape route.
"SHUT UP, YOU IDIOT!" Rasie shouted.
She immediately ran across the stone bridge. Her sword was raised high, aimed straight for the neck of one of the statues. Just before the metal could touch the stone, the humming from the statue stopped completely.
The statue’s head turned with a slow, grinding sound. Its previously empty eyes now radiated a golden light.
TRANK!
The statue raised its stone spear and parried Rasie’s sword swing. It then kicked Rasie in the chest. Rasie was thrown backward and slammed into the cave wall. A dull thud was heard, followed by a stifled groan.
"Rasie!" Zaefal shouted, immediately running toward her.
"Just a scratch," Rasie said with a grin, her breath slightly ragged. Her gaze never left the statue, which was now looking down on her.
KRAK!
The cracks all over the statue’s body widened. A blinding golden light shone from within the fissures. A few seconds later, its stone shell exploded outward, scattering dust and stone fragments. When the dust began to settle, a creature stood in its place.
Its form was a mixture of a human and an owl. It stood about three meters tall and was covered in thick, gray feathers. It had a pair of wings, two arms, and two sturdy legs. In its hand, it held the same stone spear. Its glowing golden eyes stared straight at them. The other owl statue remained still.
Only one is active? Does that mean we only have to fight one enemy? Fyar processed the information quickly, then turned around. "Illya? Are you alright?"
Fyar saw fresh blood flowing from both of Illya’s ears.
The sound effect can cause a physical injury this severe?! The thought made Fyar’s heart pound faster.
"I’m fine," Illya answered, accompanied by a forced smile. She cupped her hands together, murmuring, "Heal." A gentle green light then appeared from her palms, and she directed it toward her ears.
Across the bridge, the owl creature moved. It shot forward at high speed, the tip of its spear aimed straight at Zaefal and Rasie. Seeing the attack, Zaefal stepped forward. "Void," he muttered. His sword was instantly coated in a dense black energy. He raised his blade to block the attack.
THOOM!
The impact between the stone spear and the black sword produced a deep sound. Zaefal was pushed back one step, his arm trembling violently from the force of the collision. The creature didn’t stop. It immediately followed up with a series of swift thrusts and swings of its spear. Zaefal was forced to focus completely on parrying every attack.
Seeing an opening, Rasie got back on her feet. She ran in a circling motion, taking a position at the creature’s side and rear. Her sword was raised, aiming for the area under its wing that looked unprotected.
However, just before Rasie’s attack could land, the creature flapped its wings with great force. A powerful gust of wind pushed Rasie and Zaefal back several steps. The creature was now flying, hovering about five meters above the ground, looking down at them. Their position had immediately become disadvantageous.
The creature opened its beak and let out a piercing shriek. The sound wave hit Fyar and Illya, making their heads spin instantly. At the same time, the creature slammed the butt of its spear into the air. The cave floor trembled violently. Sharp stone pillars shot out from the ground at random, forcing Zaefal and Rasie to leap in different directions to evade. They were now separated.
From the air, the creature began to launch chunks of rock at them. Zaefal was busy parrying or destroying the projectiles aimed at him with his black sword. Each impact felt heavy, draining his stamina. On the other side, Rasie kept moving, trying to find a safe path between the stone pillars to get closer, but her every attempt was thwarted by a new attack from above or the ground suddenly cracking beneath her feet. Both of them were clearly on the defensive, only able to react without being able to launch an effective counter-attack.
Fyar found it hard to clear his mind each time the creature shrieked. He turned to Illya. "Can you still use magic?"
"My magic is almost gone... Give me ten minutes to recover some of it," Illya answered, her face pale.
"That’s enough!" Fyar then ran away from the center of the fight, looking for a clear line of sight. He raised his pistol and aimed at the creature’s head. "A bird is still a bird!"
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Six rapid shots echoed. Several bullets managed to hit the creature’s wing and shoulder, startling and wounding it. Its shrieking stopped. Its movement in the air became slightly unsteady. Its focus was broken.
An opportunity!
The thought flashed through Rasie’s and Zaefal’s minds simultaneously. Without needing to speak, both of them moved at once. They charged forward from two different directions, aiming their swords together at the now-vulnerable creature’s body.