Chapter 32: The Northern Wind’s Eagle Guard (Part Three)

  "Screech—"

  The giant eagles let out pierg cries as they formed ranks, diving down toward the retreating Chimera.

  But just as they were about to catch up from behind, a red figure appeared at the cave’s entrance.

  The fleeing Chimera, upon seeing the figure, felt like it was granted merd shouted itle Draic it knew:

  "Master, save me!"

  Cassius observed the line of giant eagles trailing behind the Chimera, his gaze filled with curiosity.

  Spotting the knights in thick armor with eagle emblems on their chests, his fusion deepened.

  "These are the Eagle Guards?"

  He’d only been underground for a few days.

  How had the Eagle Guards made it to his ir?

  Could it be that Langpu had been so blinded by the "Grand Vision" that he unched an atta the Northwind Fortress?

  But seeing the formation of eagles diving down, he could only prepare for battle.

  "F such a tight formation,"

  "Are they just waiting for me to barbecue them?"

  Having gohout a prht for a while, Cassius licked his lips, releasing a breath tinged with sulfur.

  The savage instincts deep in his dragon bloodline were awakened.

  Alger, inally anding from high above, directed the Eagle Guards’ assault with his sword.

  But the instant he saw the red figure in the distance, his expression ged drastically, his voice betraying his first signs of panid tension.

  "Dragon!"

  "It’s a red dragon!"

  Alger shouted with urgency.

  Dragons, no matter the type, were the st enemies he’d ever want to fa battle.

  Be it their armor-like scales, endless breath attacks, or myriad spell-like abilities, they were the stuff of nightmares for the giant eagle riders.

  "Scatter! Scatter!"

  Yet not everyone possessed his sharp instincts and refined riding skills to detect da high speeds and halt the charge.

  The Eagle Guards were already in formation, advang toward the cave entrance.

  It was too te.

  Cassius slightly opened his jaws, his unique draic blood vessels eling fme energy from his entire body to his lungs. Those searing elements gathered in his chest and throat, glowing like molten va—a sign of an impending dragon’s breath.

  "Fire Breath!"

  In an instant, a torrent of scorg fmes erupted from the red dragon’s mouth, and the raging fire mercilessly engulfed the front line of the Eagle Guards, turning the entire cave entrao an inferno.

  The fmes ed everything, and those in the front ranks barely had time to see the reflected firelight in their eyes before they were turo ash.

  pared to some of their panions, they were even sidered lucky, as their deaths were at least swift.

  Behind them, however, over a dozen Eagle Guards were also ignited, each turning into a bzing fireball.

  "Ah!"

  "I’m on fire!"

  "It’s so hot!"

  "Help! Help!"

  They could only scream and struggle, some burning to death, others falling from their eagles to meet fatal impacts, all uo escape the deadly clutches of the red dragon.

  The red dragon, unhurried, fpped its wings, h above to watch the Eagle Guards being ed by fmes.

  The Chimera cowered behind the red dragon, shrinking its neck as it watched the sughter, feeling the satisfa of revenge and realizing that resisting its master was now unthinkable.

  The wyverns raised their heads in unison, screeg in celebration of their master’s return.

  The ogres cheered, wielding clubs and hammers. Goblins raised short spears in jubition.

  Kobolds prostrated themselves as if before a deity, witnessing the immense power of their master.

  In an instant, the tide had turned pletely.

  Seeing dozens of rades perish in moments, Alger’s eyes reddened slightly, yet he held his posure, direg his eagle higher while raising his sword.

  The wind whistled through the eagle-engraved grooves on the bde, creating a pierg, eagle-like cry.

  With a anding shout, he ordered, "Retreat! Everyone, retreat!"

  "Disperse areat!"

  The remaining twenty or so Eagle Guards, having withe hellish age, khey stood no d wasted no time scattering in all dires.

  Eagle Guards required extensive resources to train, so from a young age, they were taught the importance of preserving lives.

  H high above, Cassius beat his wings slowly.

  Watg the Eagle Guards flee, a barely perceptible smirk crossed his face.

  "They’ve attacked my ir—"

  "And now they think they just leave?"

  "Isn’t that uimating a dragon a bit much?"

  The red dragon asded to the highest point, filling his lungs with fire energy again. However, this time, he didn’t trate it as he had before.

  Alger, watg the dragon from below as he retreated, instantly reized the danger.

  "Dragoh!"

  "Another dragoh! Get out of the way!"

  He shouted with all his might to warn his rades.

  Cassius only slightly opened his jaws, releasing a stream of bzing light.

  "Directed breath on!"

  This time, instead of a wide-area breath attack, the red dragon fired several trated fireballs.

  Each fireball precisely targeted the fleeing Eagle Guards, shooting out with scorg energy toward their marks.

  "Boom!"

  "Boom! Boom! Boom!"

  Explosi out as fireballs hit, with several knights plummeting in fmes.

  Alger, targeted as well, narrowly avoided the bsts by making swift rolls and sharp turns in the air.

  "What is this…?"

  This wasn’t just a breath—it was as if the dragon wielded fire magic with surgical precision.

  Watg one panion after another fall, Alger took a deep breath, speaking decisively:

  "You all retreat first!"

  "I’ll draw the dragon’s attention."

  Alger stroked his eagle’s singed feathers gently, whispering, "Igor, this may be our final charge."

  The eagle uood, letting out a sorrowful cry.

  They weren’t just knight and mount; they were lifelong panions.

  "It’s a shame we never repaid the Duke’s kindness or rid the world of those damn devils."

  Alger murmured to himself.

  Years of training had made him intimately familiar with every aspect of flight, every air current, making him and the eagle one seamless entity.

  He expertly guided his eagle, asding higher and higher until they were above the dragon, being a tiny bck dot to onlookers.

  Alger began a dive from the highest point.

  He aimed directly at the mighty red dragon, charging toward it like a modern-day Don Quixote tilting at a windmill.

  "Screech—"

  A anding eagle cry echoed through the sky.

  Cassius lifted his gaze, notig the Eagle Guard’s dest, his golden pupils widening slightly.

  "Iing."

  "So, you’re a high-level warrior?"