Party's over

Dammit, I'm really gonna exercise today, huh? I mumble to myself. "Hey Ilka, any advice?"

Ilka's tiny figure yawns as she lays on my head. "You know, you haven't let me out in a while, I feel like you're showing no respect for your master... but I'll let it slide once since I'm in a good mood. Hmmm, first of all, you look like an idiot with all that on, haha." She floats around, adding, "Change your footwork and your habits of movement. You don't want them finding out who you are, right? A mage and two sword users, get rid of the mage first. They're always a pain in the ass."

Aira interrupts her. "Drop the weapon—"

Good thing I bought that voice changer; I knew it would come in handy. "You children should stay in school. Fighting someone with those skills will only get you killed," I interrupt, my voice modulated and disguised. I swing Umbra lazily from left to right. Confidence is key when dealing with these two. I currently have the advantage, I know how they fight, I can deal with them.

Aira glares at me. "Are you responsible for the ongoing Griffin attack? What's your goal? How did you manage to gather them all at the same place?"

I reach into my bag and pull out a smaller sword, somewhat designed to deal with holy magic. This one's for Cassian, tsk, I think I'll be fine. "You children ask too many questions. Why don't you ask your friend to your left, princess?"

They all take a step back, and both Liam and Aira cast sidelong glances at Cassian. Liam grins like the madman he is. Cassian finally speaks, "I'll explain everything later, but please help me catch him."

Liam tests the waters, summoning magical chains aimed at me. Fine, let's dance.

I sigh as the chains materialize, plunging Umbra into one. Time to suck up some extra magic. The chains disintegrate, vanishing into the air.

Cassian and Aira look at each other before nodding, drawing their weapons. Liam starts chanting an incantation, his eyes glowing with arcane energy. Seriously, you're chanting slowly on purpose? Fuck man, do you have to use every opportunity to get Aira killed?

I can't use Umbra against Cassian, but that doesn't mean I'm powerless. I grip the smaller sword tightly, bracing myself for what's to come.

Cassian charges at me, his sword glowing with divine light. I parry with my secondary sword, sparks flying upon contact. As Cassian is momentarily thrown off balance, I throw Umbra at Liam, forcing him to cut off his spellcasting.

Aira's not wasting any time, either. She leaps at me, aiming a high slash that I dodge at the last second. I recall Umbra and swing it at her.

I dance out of the way, positioning myself so that Cassian and Aira are in Liam's line of sight. Hehe, It feels so good, fighting in the dark. They're not using all their strength either so I guess they're just trying to distract me until someone else enters the church.

"Gotcha," I whisper to myself.

Drawing a small device from Eira's pouch, I toss it toward Liam. It detonates into a flash of blinding light.

Cassian shouts, covering his eyes with his arm, momentarily rendered useless by his sensitivity to light attacks. Aira hisses, momentarily distracted.

Ilka's voice rings in my ears as I jump back, putting some distance between us. "Yo Kael, that holy boy, he's got a decent sword technique. He's waiting for you to drop your guard."

Great, so now I have to worry about him getting clever. I reach into the pouch Eira gave me. Hehehe, let's see what goodies you left me, Eira~ What's this? Sleeping gas? Could come in handy. Anything else?

Before I can delve further into the bag, Aira lunges at me, her sword cutting through the air with frightening speed. Ah, typical Aira, so gifted but so predictable. Reacting swiftly, I grab the small ball she gave me a while ago and throw it her way. In an instant, it morphs into a rope net designed to entangle her. She amps up her aura to dodge, narrowly avoiding capture.

Suddenly, Liam launches a barrage of fireballs, nearly hitting Aira multiple times. Seriously dude, aim much? Umbra shifts into a shield as I brace for impact, deflecting the fiery onslaught. Cassian uses this as his cue, sweeping in from the side, his sword raised high.

Blocking his swing with my shield, I use my foot to disrupt his balance, then go for a low kick. Bullseye, right in the family jewels. Cassian stumbles back, clutching himself. "T-that's cheating! Foul move! Time out!"

I sigh, shaking my head. "There's no such thing as cheating in battle. And why are you so mad? It's not like you're ever gonna use those things, being a holy knight and all."

Aira, thinking I'm distracted, charges at me. Nice try, princess. In a fluid motion, Umbra morphs into a spear, stopping her in her tracks as she almost impales herself.

I'm tiring, my aura and mana waning compared to theirs, but they're not unscathed either. Liam's magic can't be unlimited, and Cassian? Well, he's probably regretting his life choices right now.

Ilka's voice pops up again, "You're holding up pretty well, but you might wanna wrap this up soon. You're burning through a lot of energy, kiddo."

Yeah, tell me something I don't know. Time to pull another trick from Eira's bag.

I reach in, fingers closing around another of her 'toys.' A grin stretches beneath my mask. They're not going to know what hit them.

Aira looks bewildered, her sword hovering in the air. "What the hell type of weapon is that? How can it keep changing?"

I can't help but grin beneath my mask. "It's amazing, right? I would love to say it's one of a kind, but there are six more identical weapons throughout the world."

Liam, pausing his magical shenanigans for a moment, raises an eyebrow. "So you're saying there are six replicas?"

I shake my head, my grin widening. "No, they're all originals. It's impossible to replicate them."

Aira snarls, her patience obviously at its limit. "Why are you telling us this?" With a war cry, she lunges at me, sword aimed for my chest.

I block her easily, transmuting Umbra into a huge axe in the process. "It doesn't matter how many people know. They choose their owner, after all. It's impossible to use them otherwise." I bring the axe down in a powerful swing, forcing her to jump back. Heh, now if anyone ever sees me using this at the academy, they'll just assume it's one of the others. Even if they assume it's me, they won't be able to make a move until they have enough evidence.

Liam's had enough of listening, it seems. Magic arrows materialize around him, shooting towards me from all angles. Clever, but not clever enough. Umbra morphs into a cloak that drapes around me. As I take a step back, each arrow that makes contact with the cloak vanishes into thin air. Thank you for feeding it~ It was getting hungry~

Aira and Cassian, thinking they've found an opening, charge simultaneously. Gotcha. I throw another net ball at Cassian, and as Aira gets within striking distance, I switch gears.

I revert to martial arts, my movements quick and calculated. First, a low sweep to disrupt her leg movement, then a palm strike to unbalance her. She fights back, countering with her own set of moves, but she's already lost momentum. With a swift movement, I disarm her, sending her sword clattering to the ground. A final push kick sends her stumbling back.

Fuck, that took more out of me than I'd like to admit. The adrenaline's good for masking the drain, but I'm running on fumes here.

In the background, Liam's magic veers off course, smashing into a stained glass window of the church. The glass shatters into a million pieces, falling like colorful rain. Cassian, still entangled, accidentally slices through a pew in his struggle to free himself. Oh man, the priests are gonna have a field day with this.

Ilka's voice pops back into my consciousness. "Don't get too cocky; you're practically out of juice."

"Yeah, well, they're not doing so hot either," I retort, though she's got a point. Every swing, every transformation of Umbra is drawing from my dwindling reserves. But as long as they think I'm an unstoppable juggernaut, I've got the upper hand. It's all about the poker face, baby.

They regroup, their faces etched with weariness and confusion but still determined. It's a standoff, a pregnant pause, a moment to catch our breath before the next clash.

Goosebumps crawl up my skin, a shiver runs down my spine. Fuck, it seems like he's here. Dammit, he's not even showing off his power, and I'm already getting chills.

"These last eight minutes have been fun, but playtime's over," I announce, snapping Umbra back into the form of a glove. My other sword also finds its place back in its sheath. I stretch my arms back and crack my neck, readying myself for what comes next.

Aira starts to speak, irritation filling her voice. "Wait a damn minute, y—" She's cut off by an ear-splitting cacophony of screeching griffins. It fills the church, the vibrations so intense it feels like the air itself is screaming.

Aira, Liam, and Cassian drop to their knees, clutching their heads, trying to block out the unbearable noise. Aira glances up at me, a bewildered expression etched on her face. How am I not affected?

Heh, why would I be? I came prepared, idiots. I had asked Eira for noise control earphones a while ago. Cost me a pretty penny, but well worth it. Everybody within a ten-mile radius is covering their ears right now—hell, some probably died. It's impossible to block the noise with magic since the griffins' screech is infused with magic. Only OP characters can block it out with magic alone.

I grin as I walk out of the main door of the church, stepping over priests, knights, and recently-arrived guards and adventurers who had been battling griffins. They're on the ground, writhing in pain, hands clamped over their ears.

Oh fuck, what a mess. Dead bodies and griffins strewn everywhere. Even as I try to reconcile the carnage, I can't ignore the tight knot in my stomach. My aura and mana are almost drained; these little displays have cost me more than I'd like to admit. But now's not the time for regrets or second thoughts.

There it is. The hulking griffin—larger than any of its kind I've ever seen—lands gracefully in the middle of the chaotic scene. A majestic yet terrifying creature with pitch-black fur and shimmering black feathers, the very sight of him chokes my breath and numbs my limbs. I could feel the weight of his bloodlust suffusing the air, a dense fog of imminent death.

"You humans are utterly pathetic," the griffin speaks, its voice echoing not from its mouth but directly inside our minds, "To kidnap my kind, using abhorrent methods in a pathetic attempt to control them. Your actions are nothing short of sacrilege."

Fuck, I could already feel my knees trembling. But I take slow steps closer, my legs so shaky I'm afraid I'll face-plant right in front of him. That would be an undignified end to this little drama. This guy is fucking strong, not only has he evolved several times but he has also mutated.

"I greet the ruler of the great Uwgual Mountain," I say, pulling off a respectful bow. Our eyes lock, and damn, the intensity almost burns a hole in my skull. Can't flinch now, not when I'm dealing with a creature that detests weakness.

"You have the scent of my kind. You must be responsible for their torture. Where are the children?" he demands.

Deep breath, Kael. Choose your words carefully, because these might be your last. "I am not responsible for the pain inflicted upon the children," I reply, "I have nothing to do with the humans responsible for kidnapping or testing, using your kind."

"All humans are the same. Pathetic, disgusting liars thinking they stand atop the world because of their numbers. I'll ask again before you face a fate worse than death: Where are the children?"

Biting the inside of my cheek, I hold up the dimensional bag. "Forgive me for saying this, but that's a rather biased assumption. I understand your anger, your reason for hating humans, but surely you've encountered a few who are different. Before you kill us, know this: I've rescued the children. They're in here. But I won't give them up for free. I want four of your feathers."

I'm gambling with the lives of these griffin children, yes, but also with my own life, I don't care what happens to everyone else in the vicinity since they chose this way of life. It's a sickening, desperate strategy, but the only one I've got, those feathers are worth the risk.

"There are three minutes left before they suffocate. Please consider your options," I add.

For what seems like an eternity, the griffin ruler studies me. The world stands still, and I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, my magic reserves almost depleted, my body running on the fumes of sheer willpower.

My heart is pounding like a war drum, a visceral metronome ticking down the seconds to either a miraculous escape or a catastrophic end. But my face? It's as calm as a morning sea—still, unyielding, devoid of any cracks that might betray my inner turmoil.

The next second, the world starts moving again, released from the time-stretching grip of our standoff. Four of the griffin's beautiful black feathers dislodge themselves and glide gracefully through the air, landing gently in front of me.

I let out a sigh I didn't know I'd been holding. Goddamn, I've dodged another bullet. Slowly, carefully, as though the very air around me is a web of traps waiting to ensnare me, I unzip the dimensional bag. A flutter of wings and the trill of little beaks fill the air as the young griffins burst out. Without a moment's hesitation, they scatter and run toward their adult kin, flapping awkwardly as they go. I can't help but watch them for a moment, marveling at their eagerness to escape from the human world that had brought them nothing but pain.

"Did you not fear that I would kill you when you released them?" The griffin's voice fills my mind, reverberating through my thoughts like the clang of a gong.

A heavy sigh escapes my lips. "I believe you're the type to look at the bigger picture. And I'm sure you can confirm whether I've tortured them by asking them."

The griffin's beady eyes scan the distance, perhaps telepathically communicating with the young ones. A moment later, his gaze returns to me. "For a weak human, you're overconfident. Since you have no connection to the kidnappers, and since you have a connection to a dragon, I won't punish you."

I don't know if I should be relieved or offended, but before I can process that, he turns his gaze toward the priests and knights huddled in the churchyard. "As for them..."

With a single, dismissive swipe of his powerful wing, they are obliterated—reduced to nothing but a splattering of gore, as if erased by the swipe of a cosmic eraser. There are no bones, no screams, just a gruesome, unrecognizable pile of what was once human life. I can't help but be awed and horrified at the same time. He's powerful, yes, but also precise. He killed only those tied to the church, those complicit in the crime against his kind.

Then, with a grace that belies his immense power, he spreads his wings. "Thank you for feeding my kind."

I blink, and he's gone—vanished in an instant, leaving only a gust of wind that dances with the echoes of his departure. My knees finally give way, and I sink to the ground, trembling in the aftermath of adrenaline and dread. Aah, no time to stand still, I need to leave ASAP.