Chapter 190: Two Lords (2)

Chapter 190: 190: Two Lords (2)

Each rock was larger than a carriage.

The Behemoth released a deep roar, and the floating rocks shot upward toward the bird.

The red bird twisted in the air.

The first rock missed.

The second passed under its wing.

The third struck the edge of its tail, scattering several burning feathers.

The bird cried angrily.

Then it flapped its wings with tremendous force.

A wave of fire spread outward.

It struck the remaining rocks and exploded against them. Broken stone and burning fragments rained over the forest.

Lucard raised one hand.

A blood shield appeared above their hiding place.

Several small fragments struck the shield before falling to the ground.

Cedric looked at him. "We should move farther away."

"Not yet."

"Why?"

"Moving now is more dangerous."

Cedric looked toward the fighting beasts and reluctantly agreed. Both monsters were attacking over a wide area. Running through the open forest would expose them to flying rocks, flames, and falling trees.

Their current hiding place offered at least some protection.

Elowen watched the red bird circle above the Behemoth.

"Why are they fighting?" she whispered.

Lucard did not answer immediately.

He was watching their movements.

The Nightfall Behemoth was not trying to hunt the bird for food. It was trying to drive the bird away from the mountain. Every time the bird moved toward the peak, the Behemoth attacked more aggressively.

The bird behaved differently.

It did not try to escape.

It kept returning to the same side of the mountain, even when doing so placed it within the Behemoth’s attack range.

Cedric followed the bird’s movement and suddenly noticed something.

"Look at that cliff."

Lucard turned his eyes toward the mountain.

High above the trees, on a wide stone platform beneath the peak, there was an enormous nest.

It was made from thick branches, roots, and pieces of wood taken from large trees. Several red feathers were caught between the branches.

The nest was large enough to hold a carriage.

Elowen noticed it too.

"A nest?"

Cedric nodded slowly.

"Now I understand."

Lucard looked at him.

Cedric pointed toward the mountain. "The red bird made its nest inside the Nightfall Behemoth’s territory."

Elowen frowned. "Is that why the Behemoth came here?"

"Most likely. Powerful beasts are very protective of their territory. That mountain belongs to the Behemoth, but the bird has chosen to build its nest there. Neither beast wants to leave."

Lucard looked at the nest again.

That explained why the bird had come down from the mountain so quickly.

The Behemoth was not merely passing through the forest. It had come to drive away the intruder that had settled inside its territory.

The bird, on the other hand, was defending the place it had chosen for its nest.

Neither side intended to retreat easily.

"This is bad," Cedric muttered.

Elowen looked at him. "Why?"

"Because territorial battles between Seventh Rank beasts can continue for a long time. They will destroy everything around them before one side gives up."

As if to prove his words, the Nightfall Behemoth struck the ground with both front legs.

A huge magic circle appeared beneath its body.

Dark yellow lines spread across the soil, forming several connected rings.

Lucard’s eyes sharpened.

An earth formation without a chant.

The Behemoth was not simply controlling nearby rocks. It was using the earth mana inside its own body to create a powerful spell.

The ground around it rose.

Six enormous stone pillars emerged from beneath the trees.

Each pillar was covered in sharp edges.

The Behemoth raised its head, and all six pillars began moving toward the red bird.

The bird immediately increased its altitude.

But the pillars followed.

One rose beneath its body.

Another approached from the left.

The remaining four closed the space around it.

Elowen held her breath.

For a moment, the bird seemed trapped.

Then its red feathers shone brightly.

Flames gathered around its wings, forming a huge burning circle.

The bird released a sharp cry and spun in the air.

A ring of fire expanded from its body.

The first stone pillar shattered.

Then the second.

The remaining pillars cracked as the flames struck them. Two broke completely, while the others fell toward the forest below.

The explosions shook the mountain.

Cedric immediately raised a crystal barrier in front of Elowen.

Lucard strengthened his blood shield.

A broken piece of stone struck the slope above them. The impact sent loose soil sliding down, but their hiding place remained intact.

When the dust cleared, the bird was still flying.

However, several feathers had fallen from its left wing.

The Nightfall Behemoth had also suffered damage. A few black scales on its shoulder had cracked, and fire still burned between the broken plates.

Both beasts stared at each other.

Neither moved for several breaths.

The forest around them had become a battlefield of broken trees, burning roots, and shattered rocks.

Cedric released a slow breath.

"I never thought I would watch two Seventh Rank beasts fight from this close."

Elowen looked at him. "Is that something to be happy about?"

"No. I am wondering how we are still alive."

Lucard ignored their conversation.

His attention remained on the red bird.

The bird had stopped circling the Behemoth and was now hovering closer to the mountain. Its wings moved steadily, keeping its enormous body in the air.

Something about its shape caught Lucard’s attention.

He had been watching its wings, claws, and fire magic since the battle began.

Now he looked at its body more carefully.

The feathers around its lower stomach were slightly spread apart. Its body was broad near the middle, and the lower part of its belly hung farther down than it should have.

Lucard compared the bird’s shape with the other flying beasts he had seen during his long life.

Then his eyes narrowed.

Wait a moment.

The red bird’s belly was unusually large.

Not simply because it was a powerful beast.

Its belly looked swollen.

Almost fat.

Lucard stopped watching the Behemoth and focused entirely on the bird.