Chapter 57: The Valley of Magical Beasts and Pyramids #3
The Gryphon swooped down skillfully, targeting the top of Azidahaka’s head. It looked ready to unleash its gigantic claws on both me and my dragon buddy.
— By the name of Jupiter, tonight I shall feast on lizard!
Swoosh!
The Gryphon screeched as it dived, its dark body casting a shadow with only its claws glinting menacingly.
I tapped Azidahaka’s scales with my front paw.
— Hey! We’re under attack! Think you can shake it off?
“Uh… it’s been a while since I flew, so no promises! I think losing these Gryphon guys will be hard!”
— Then I’ll handle it, just fly straight so I don’t bounce around too much.
Azidahaka’s back was lumpy with scales but sturdy enough for me to stand. I embedded my claws into his rapidly flying body to stabilize myself.
Swoosh!
The predatory Gryphon, which had shot up to the skies, now thrust its claws threateningly towards me.
— d*e, lizard!
The Gryphon’s claws, easily over 30 cm, slashed towards Azidahaka’s back.
Even if Azidahaka was a massive dragon, getting ambushed by a Gryphon the size of a one-ton truck was a recipe for disaster. We could very well crash land.
‘Opportunities are rare. I need to strike now…!’
Seizing the moment as the Gryphon drew near, I sprang into action.
Tatatata.
I dashed across Azidahaka’s scales with light steps and launched myself at the Gryphon in the air.
— W-wait, what’s happening!?
The Gryphon, originally aiming for Azidahaka’s back, hurriedly twisted and swung its front paw at me.
Looks like this creature had some quick reflexes.
‘But this much was expected.’
After a century of dodging all sorts of attacks, I had dealt with enough physical shocks to be unfazed. The clumsy swipe of the Gryphon was no threat to my current self.
Whooom.
Like a hooked claw, the Gryphon’s talon came at me, and I swung my front paw from the inside out, deflecting its attack powerfully.
Clang!
The sound of sharp claws clashing echoed through the air as if metal had shattered. The Gryphon stumbled heavily from the unexpected counter.
— Uwaah!
It lost its balance and flapped its wings weakly. As a result, it couldn’t keep up with Azidahaka’s rapid flight and plummeted deeper into the ground.
— Bye-bye!
I saw the Gryphon disappear beneath the clouds and nonchalantly blew on my front claws.
— Kyuwing!
Yingyi, clinging to Azidahaka’s back, expressed amazement. I grinned, showing off my sharp teeth with satisfaction.
— I know. It seems simple, but it’s all about strength, timing, and angle. It’s a perfect combination.
— Kyuwing.
— Is that reaching the divine realm? Nah, not quite, but I did get pretty close.
— Kyuwing.
— Hey, what are you going on about?
I wagged my tail at Yingyi’s praises. No matter how old I got mentally, I always had a soft spot for compliments.
Swish, swish.
Just then, dark shadows appeared on Azidahaka’s back. I looked up to see countless sharp eyes glaring at me.
— But that seems a bit too much. Let’s see, there’s one, two…
A Gryphon was supposed to be a rare creature, yet I counted more than ten before my eyes.
Perhaps all the critters from the Western Desert had joined in!
— I only have two front paws.
I felt confident taking on one, but could I really block or deflect all of those talons?
If I permitted even one attack, Azidahaka would be shot down, and I’d end up like a kamikaze pilot crashing into the deserts below.
“Hold on tight! I’m giving up on dodging! We have to fight!”
Azidahaka seemed to sense the Gryphons closing in, bracing himself with determination.
Whooom.
Azidahaka changed direction sharply. I dug my claws into his scales to hold on tight.
Maintaining his flight, Azidahaka swung his long tail to disorient the Gryphon horde surrounding us.
Swoosh! The Gryphons were caught off guard by Azidahaka’s unexpected maneuver.
— You actually plan on fighting that many?
“Did Jupiter neglect to inform you that fights aren’t just about numbers?”
— Who cares about Jupiter? We’re getting caught up in your flapping! Looks like that fire dragon has weakened after being captured by humans!
— Stay out of our territory, or you’ll regret it!
Swoosh! Swoosh!
The Gryphons squawked noisily, rallying for a thorough reckoning. They were believing in their numbers to punish Azidahaka.
Whoosh.
I felt the heat radiate from Azidahaka’s tail up to his back, along with the fumes climbing up to my neck.
“Get lost, you stupid sparrow heads!”
Kuaaaah!
Just as expected, a massive burst of flames erupted from Azidahaka’s mouth.
Even when I was human, I used to let out quite the fiery column. Now, his colossal body spewed flames that painted the skies red like a solar flare.
— Gah! It’s too hot! She’s breathing fire!
— My feathers! They’re already falling out, and this heat is unbearable!
The Gryphons were thrown into chaos, panicking at the flames scorching the sky. Seeing them confused, I thought about using my skill, Fire Speech.
‘Cough, cough, is this how it works?’
Clearing my throat, I mimicked the Gryphon’s sounds as closely as possible. As Azidahaka’s heat peaked, I opened my mouth wide and shouted.
— Swoosh, run! Let’s escape for now! The fire dragon’s wings aren’t like before; it can’t breathe fire too often! Run away for now!
My words had the Gryphons responding with panicked cries.
— Yeah, let’s drag this out!
— Retreat! Our feathers are burning!
The Gryphons, surprisingly clever for bird-brains, believed my warnings were from one of their own in the hysteria.
‘Back in my human days, I did love mimicking sounds.’
When I had just joined the army, I had a talent for impressions that kept my seniors entertained.
Especially my impersonations of barking dogs and chirping sparrows were solid gold material.
After sealing those talents away for being useless, it seemed like that little detail returned to help during this insane situation.
— Retreat! We’re heading to the nearest nest for safety!
— Together, let’s go!
The Gryphons, having their spirits dampened by Azidahaka’s fierce flames, fell for my words and flapped their wings, disappearing among the clouds.
‘One down. If I can get away while they’re distracted…’
Suddenly, I felt a jolt.
‘Whoa!?’
I nearly slipped on Azidahaka’s scales, almost toppling off.
“Hey! One of the Gryphons is on my back! How dare you perch there!? Get down!”
Whooom.
As Azidahaka frantically shook to throw me off, I finally lost my grip and was flung from the dragon’s back.
My perfect act tricked even Azidahaka’s keen ears.
— Kyuwing!
— Wha—!? Aah!?
I plummeted freely through the desert sky. At this height, a plane from the human world would look tiny, and hitting the ground from here might just turn my bones into confetti.
‘No way, I can’t d*e like this!? Just for pulling off a sound trick!? What a joke!’
I raged internally as I hurtled towards the ground at a dizzying speed. Below me, the earth rushed up to greet me, looking all too eager for a reunion.
‘Does Azidahaka not realize I’m falling? This is bad, I can’t d*e like this!’
I kicked my brain into high gear, brainstorming ways to escape this situation.
Flap, flap.
What if the legendary beast, Behemoth, possessed some hidden power to manifest ‘wings’ and save me? I flapped my front paws in vain, but it was pointless.
‘No use wishing for the impossible. I need to solve this with what I’ve got…!’
What skills could I possibly use in this dire situation?
Name: White One
Species: Magical Beast lv.21
Strength: 83
Agility: 95
Stamina: 75
Skills: Omnivore, Tough Claws, Subsonic, Stealth Movement, Cloaking, Dance of Affection, Crossbreeding, Fire Speech, Bravery, Destruction, Flame Heart, Rolling, Bounce Back.
A glimmering list popped into my mind as I recalled my skills. Among those, what could possibly help me right now…!?
My eyes, tense enough to pop out, landed on the word Roll.
Roll.
This skill was my new gift reached through divine realms.
A simple name with a simple action, but that unique tumbling could very well save me from impending doom!
‘Here goes nothing.’
As I looked down at the rapidly approaching sandy ground, I visualized my escape plan in my mind. First, I’d cross my front paws in an X shape, absorbing the ground impact, then roll to cushion the fall. It was the ultimate skill at avoiding a messy end.
Extreme pro-level tumbling. That’s all I can do!
Thinking this gave me a bizarre surge of confidence.
500 meters, 400 meters.
As the distance dwindled, my heart pounded madly in my chest.
“W-wait for me!”
I could hear Azidahaka flapping behind me, finally likely realizing that the Gryphon wasn’t the one falling, it was me!
“Just stop for a sec! If I crash, I’ll really d*e!”
— Who’s going to stop!?
I shouted like a volcano about to erupt.
— With my speed increasing, how in the world can I stop, you little demon! If I d*e, I’ll haunt your dreams! I’ll turn into a ghost for real!
Letting my frustration explode eased my racing heart a little.
One of the key reasons humans died from high falls was that their overly excited hearts would give out just before impact, and I wasn’t planning to go that way!
After venting some choice words at Azidahaka, I found some calm amidst the chaos.
‘Yes. I can do this. It’s all or nothing. I can do it. I’ve rolled enough in the past. If I time it right, it’s just like a rhythm game! I can dodge it!’
I steadied my mind and thoughts.
100 meters.
90 meters.
80 meters.
Huff, huff.
Judging the remaining distance with my eyes, I took a deep breath from my stomach to calm my diaphragm and heart.
Then, as I had calculated thousands of times in my head, I crossed my front paws into an X shape.
If luck was on my side, I’d go without pain. If not, I might break an arm and endure a world of hurt.
50 meters.
40 meters.
‘I can do this.’
I sealed my mouth tight to avoid biting my tongue and causing a mess.
30 meters.
20 meters.
10…!
Rolling!
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