Chapter 77: Fighting Together!
With a sharp crack, another bolt of lightning shot past Logan, causing him to instinctively retract his legs.
In that moment of high tension, the Thunderbird, swooping beneath the Manticore, executed a swift aerial flip, exposing its underbelly. Then, in a surprising twist, it launched a water arrow from its mouth, targeting them directly.
Logan's eyes narrowed in disbelief as the Thunderbird resorted to unexpected, underhanded tactics.
Despite his swift reaction, Manticore couldn't adjust in time. With a decisive press of his right foot, Logan forced a sharp turn.
"Hiss~~~"
The sudden maneuver caused Manticore to lose its balance, sending it into a precarious downward spiral.
"Aggif, take control of Airlan!" Logan bellowed as he found himself slipping from Manticore's back.
"Logan!!!"
Jean, momentarily disoriented by the abrupt flip, snapped to attention at the sight of Logan plummeting towards the earth. Frustration and fear mingled in her voice as she slapped Manticore's head, urging, "go down, now! Hurry!"
The creature sensed Jean's urgency and desperation, managing to right itself midair. Flapping vigorously, Manticore dove towards Logan, closing the gap just meters above the ground. Logan grasped Jean's outstretched hand, pulling himself back onto the beast's back with her help.
"Are you alright?" Jean asked, her face etched with concern.
"Airlan's a clumsy beast, can't even maintain flight properly..." Jean began to criticize, but Logan caught Jean's hand mid-swing as she aimed another frustrated blow at Manticore's head.
"I'm okay. Airlan's right wing is injured; that's why. Don't blame him," Logan interjected, noting the hurt in Manticore's movements.
"Ah! Is Airlan hurt?" Jean's eyes widened as she inspected the wing, discovering a bloodied gash the size of a fist.
Jean's expression softened with remorse, realizing she had misjudged the situation. "I'm sorry, Airlan!" she apologized, her voice tender.
"Hi~~~~" Manticore's plaintive cry resonated, acknowledging Jean's apology.
Logan examined the wound on Manticore's right wing. Thankfully, the damage was limited to the edge of the hind wing, sparing the critical flying muscles.
The Thunderbird's tactics were indeed treacherous and cruel. If not for their quick reaction, Manticore might have been fatally injured in the fall, its body broken upon the unforgiving ground.
Logan's gaze was icy as he stared into the sky, locking eyes with the Thunderbird. He could sense the creature's confidence, its belief that it had cornered its prey and was poised for a final, decisive strike.
Indeed, they were prey, but prey that was honing its fangs in defiance.
"Jean, let Airlan go up again!" Logan commanded, his voice steely.
"Understood!" Jean responded, her tone laced with determination.
Manticore began its ascent, the strain of its wing injuries evident but not debilitating.
Hovering above, the Thunderbird watched them intently, its three pairs of wings beating steadily, as if calculating their final throes of resistance.
"Jean, launch fireballs to bait it!" Logan unsheathed his wolf scimitar, his eyes never leaving the Thunderbird.
"What's your plan?" Jean asked, her brow furrowed with concern. She seemed to anticipate Logan's next bold move.
"We can't afford to delay. If Airland worsens, we're doomed," Logan stated flatly, his focus unyielding as he observed the Thunderbird.
Jean gave a slow, determined nod.
"Come on, you beast, let's see how you like these fireballs!" she taunted, flinging a volley of fire towards the Thunderbird.
The Thunderbird chirped in response, the provocation successful. It dove towards Manticore, driven by rage.
"Airlan, rise higher!" Logan commanded, seizing the tactical advantage. Despite its injuries, Manticore managed to flap its wings desperately, narrowly evading the Thunderbird's attack.
"You think you can outsmart us with your dirty tricks again?" Logan yelled, his voice thick with contempt.
"Do you really think I'm just fighting for survival?" he added, gripping his Wolf Warrior Scimitar tightly.
With a battle cry, Logan leapt from Manticore's back, diving towards the Thunderbird. His blade found its mark, plunging into the creature's back.
The Thunderbird screeched in agony, its body spiraling down towards the ground, defeated by the daring and desperate counterattack.
"Logan!!!" Jean's shout echoed across the tumultuous skies as she witnessed the Thunderbirds spiraling downward, her eyes widening in horror when she noticed Logan was no longer with them.
"Quickly, Airlan, we must catch up!" Jean bellowed with urgency, her voice a booming thunder above the chaos.
With an agile burst of speed, Manticore soared towards the spot where the Thunderbird had crash-landed.
"Chirp~~~!!" A small, desperate sound escaped the Thunderbird just as it seemed doomed to crash. Miraculously, it regained stability, its body crackling fiercely with electricity.
"Ah!!!" A tormented scream ripped through the air. Logan was clinging to the Thunderbird's back, his hands gripping the Wolf Warrior Scimitar that was plunged deep into the creature's flesh.
The Thunderbird, frantic to shake off Logan, pulsed violently with electric shocks, aiming to dislodge its unwelcome rider.
Burned by the sudden surge of electricity, Logan writhed in agony, his muscles tensing under the intense heat.
"Logan, let go! I'll catch you!" Jean cried out, her face contorted with fear and determination. As Manticore closed the distance, Jean launched a barrage of fireballs towards the Thunderbird.
"Ah...!!" Logan groaned, enduring the searing pain. "Don't... don't approach, I can handle this beast!" he yelled back, his voice strained as he fought to maintain his hold.
The Thunderbird was relentless, rolling and twisting in the air, continuously discharging electricity in desperate attempts to dismount Logan.
"Ah!!!" His screams pierced through the tumult, fueling Jean's fury. Her fireballs, however, proved futile against the Thunderbird's electric fury, and she feared any stronger magic might harm Logan.
"Damn... die... die, beast!" Logan gritted his teeth, enduring the electric shocks that coursed through his body. His grip on the scimitar was all that kept him from being thrown off. The pain was excruciating, yet he found the will to hang on, his resolve hardening with each jolt.
Though barely able to clench his fist, Logan managed to grip the handle of the Wolf Warrior Scimitar tightly with one hand, while with the other, he delivered a powerful punch to the Thunderbird's back. The impact was massive, easily comparable to a force of one or two thousand pounds. The Thunderbird let out a pained whine in response.
In a frenzy, it thrashed wildly in the air, behaving like a bird driven to madness.
Seeing his strike's effectiveness, Logan, despite the excruciating pain from the electric shocks, pounded the Thunderbird's back repeatedly.
"Chirp~~!!!" the bird cried out, followed by another desperate, "Chirp...!!!"
The Thunderbird was losing control, its cries becoming frenzied. "Ah!!" Logan screamed again as spasms wracked his body. Yet, he clung tenaciously to the scimitar, his resolve undeterred by the agony.
The Thunderbird, determined to dislodge him, ramped up the voltage. The scent of burning feathers filled the air, a clear sign that both the bird and Logan were suffering from the intensified shocks.
"Ah!" Logan gritted his teeth, enraged by the creature's cruelty as it increased the power of its shocks.
"Let go, we will definitely escape!" Jean shouted from atop Manticore, her voice strained with urgency.
Logan's pained cries distressed her deeply, yet she felt powerless to intervene.
"No...no, if I let go, this...beast will definitely...kill me!" Logan gasped between shocks, the pain evident in his voice.
He knew the Thunderbird hadn't yet struck a fatal blow, but releasing his grip would make him vulnerable, especially since Manticore's injured wings couldn't match the Thunderbird's speed. Letting go meant certain death. His only option was to continue fighting. "Ah yes!!" he screamed, delivering another punishing blow.
As Logan howled in pain, the Thunderbird also emitted a low cry, shocked by its own discharge.
While Logan and the Thunderbird continued their brutal struggle, Jean, driven by a mix of fear and determination, took out her weapon, a sword befitting a knight.
Both Logan and she were fifth-level warriors. Filled with a fierce resolve, Jean prepared to strike, aiming to deliver a fatal blow that would end the battle and save Logan. Her blade gleamed under the tumultuous sky, a symbol of hope and fierce determination.
Jean, having figured out their next move, eyed the Thunderbird writhing maniacally at a lower altitude. She turned to Ireland, her steed, and commanded, "Quick, fly above the Thunderbird!"
"Ah!!!" Logan's voice mingled with the frantic "Chirp~~~!" of the Thunderbird as they approached overhead. Bracing herself against the gusting wind, Jean gripped her sword with both hands, pointed the blade downward, and leaped from Airlan's back, her hair whipping wildly around her.
Below, Logan was so overwhelmed by his ordeal that he failed to notice Jean's descent.
The Thunderbird, too, was caught in its painful game of causing itself great harm in its efforts to hurt Logan and didn't see the looming threat.
With a fierce thrust, Jean's blade sliced through the air and pierced the right side of the Thunderbird's neck as if cutting through soft butter.
"Chirp!!!!!!!" The Thunderbird let out a wretched scream. Suddenly, a burst of purple lightning enveloped it, marking its agony.
"Ah!!" The cries of Logan and Jean echoed as the electrical discharge hurled them away. The Thunderbird plummeted like a cannonball towards the ground.
Frantically, Manticore swooped down, catching Logan and Jean in its powerful talons.
"Ah!! Damn, that hurts so much!" Logan groaned, his head spinning, his body aching as if flayed.
Seeing Jean unresponsive, panic gripped him. He pulled her into his arms and shook her gently, "Jean, Jean, wake up!"
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