Chapter 261: Focusing on the Bird First (2)

A Scourge-class Star Beast is far stronger than a Pest-class Star Beast.

It would take multiple new Angels with the highest combat prowess in order to defeat a Pest-class Star Beast, but to take on a Scourge-class Star Beast—several Aspirant Supernals must be in the fray.

Anything less would only result in catastrophe.

Of course, the four-winged bird’s power was suppressed by an inhibitor.

Advantages that it held energy-wise were heavily restricted, inhibiting its energy output and also its ability to use its wind affinity. Additionally, the corruption aura that it emanated was completely suppressed.

Even then, a Scourge-class Star Beast is still a Scourge-class Star Beast.

Its flesh alone could deflect blades from strong Awakened Supernal like they were nothing.

Both participants knew this.

Despite the animosity between them that can only be resolved in blood, attacking one another before wounding the four-winged bird would only highlight their foolishness. In order to get their hands on the Heart of Dragon, they would need to work together first.

A deliberate dynamic to gauge the potential Red Prince’s level of restraint.

Chester, still pressed against the barrier, watched as Kai engaged with the four-winged bird.

He wasn’t impressed by how Kai could remain in the sky by leaping from one end of the red barrier to the other. It would only be exhausting. His eyes sharpened, tracing the four-winged bird with the cold focus of a seasoned hunter.

Just like Kai, he had been killing Star Beasts left and right.

And he knew that any Star Beast would have a weakness.

In this case, the four-winged bird must have an area that was softer than the rest. Perhaps the gap in the bones in its wings that was thinner. But Chester didn’t locate that soft area; instead, he found something else.

He saw that Kai’s scimitar wasn’t touching the four-winged bird’s body.

Maybe Kai thought that he did, but he didn’t.

Chester saw a thin layer of wind that coated the bird’s wings, an invisible film that shimmered only at the moment of impact. And since it’s very pale green, it somewhat merged naturally— with its cream-coloured feathers.

’It has a protective barrier.’ His gaze swept over the beast’s body. ’And it’s not only protecting its wings.’

As another impact resounded as Kai struck, the shimmer spread across its body.

No doubt about it—in order for them to harm the four-winged bird at all, the two first had to crack open its protective layer of compressed air. And the realization was a cold stone dropped into the heated chaos of battle.

On top of having an extremely strong body, it was also armoured.

Hurting it would be really difficult.

Since that was the case, Chester re-entered the fray without hesitation. No other way but to brute-force through the layer of compressed air. Its wind affinity was greatly weakened—so it should break with enough force.

The air was his domain as much as the four-winged bird’s, and he took it with deadly grace.

Swoosh—!

The crowd kept their eyes wide open as Kai and Chester moved and swerved like two orbiting predators aiming for the same prey, always keeping the four-winged bird between them, and never crossing paths to avoid being unable to resist hacking their blades to the other’s throat.

Kai attacked from the front, and Chester struck behind.

When one dived from above, the other surged from below at the same time.

It was a relentless, synchronized assault, and the tactic worked beautifully.

Against two opponents, the four-winged bird had lost control of the battle. In the open sky, it now had to defend itself from every direction—six angles of attack instead of five. The arena was vast for Kai and Chester, but for the bird, it was shrinking.

Instead of a battlefield, it was more like a cage.

The four-winged bird could cross from one side to the other in four to five flaps of its wings.

That was not much room for a beast of its giant size.

Swoosh—!

Kai lunged at the bird.

It was easy to tell from the way Chester moved that he knew something.

Each powerful swing seemed to be meaningless, but there was purpose in his eyes, so Kai did not question his move and decided to do the same thing. He gripped the scimitar in his hand, ready to carve a line across the four-winged bird’s exposed flank.

But the four-winged bird was faster than him.

Scree—!

Its wings snapped open and drove downward in a vicious flap, releasing a concentrated gust of wind that tore through the air like thin whips and struck Kai square in the chest like a heavy hammer.

He was hurled backward, tumbling through the sky until his back slammed into the barrier.

"Rrgh!"

A grunt escaped his lips as the impact ran through his spine as he bounced—and then gravity seized him. He began to fall. Instinctively, he clawed at the barrier with his left hand, seeking anything to hold onto, but the surface of the barrier was smooth.

It provided no grip or friction.

Kai turned and watched the ground rushing up.

He was at least forty stories high.

Falling from this height would hurt him badly—maybe even break something. He had to stop his momentum. But the only thing he had in his hand was the scimitar, and there was no room to swing hard with it directly at his back.

Even if he tried, there was a chance he would only push himself away from the barrier.

And at that point, he would have no chance to stop the momentum.

Just then, Kai remembered something.

He quickly switched the scimitar to his left hand in one swift motion. Then, with a wide swing, he drove his frigid ring hand into the barrier behind him. His curled fingers dug into the red barrier, tearing through the energy like claws carving through flesh.

Once he got a firm grip, he tensed his arm and stopped the momentum with a jolt.

Kai was now suspended on the wall by the strength of his grip alone.

Around the stadium, the crowd gasped at the sight.

A ripple of disbelief moved through the seats as they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

"How in the world is he able to do that?"

"I think the barrier is made to endure energy more than physical force."

"What are you guys surprised about? The barrier is made to contain mana, and it’s not like he destroyed the barrier. He only dug his fingers an inch deep at most—the hardest part was at the center."

"Even so, that’s still absurdly strong—especially from such an awkward position."

On the other hand, Bryan was also surprised by the sight.

"Did he get stronger again?" He mumbled.

"Must be," Dorian nodded in agreement, the pieces clicking into place. He made sense of what happened a few nights ago in that torture chamber. "He said he’s right where he wants to be, so I’m guessing being tortured somehow made him stronger. I don’t know how, though."

"Did you see his right arm?" Matilda turned to Bree.

"Yes..." Bree nodded.

Just as Kai’s hand made impact with the barrier, his veins flared with a dark gleam for a very fleeting moment. Blink, and it would be missed. But Bree caught it, and she had seen that same flash before, on her brother, back on the surface.

"If I’m not mistaken, it’s called Body and Mana Synchrony." Her voice carried certainty—the kind that came from personal experience. "A Supernal’s body is strong because of our blood, which was the main reason, and also because of the indirect influence of our Divine Locks. Those roots are linked directly to the Divine Locks. They carve natural pathways through the body, allowing mana to directly reinforce our flesh.

"I think we’d be taught to make these roots later."

"Where did Kai learn about that?" Matilda frowned in confusion.

She was always by Kai’s side, and yet she didn’t know anything about that at all.

"I don’t kno—" Bree paused, and her eyes widened in realization. "I... I think he learned this from the Second Sky."

Bree thought back to the Second Sky, where Kai had faced multiple seniors. Those seniors had already undergone Body and Mana Synchrony, which meant they possessed those roots. And those roots had made them physically stronger.

It was talked about during the mission, but Bree decided to keep things to herself.

No need to participate in the talk.

Regardless, if Kai learned about it, then he must’ve learned it from the seniors.

’I’m certain the seniors didn’t teach him anything, but if that’s the case, doesn’t that mean Kai learned about this simply through observations?’ She sucked in a cold breath. She couldn’t wrap her head around how Kai could do that. ’Is that even possible?’

Seeing the shock on Bree’s face, Matilda didn’t press further.

She wasn’t there.

It made sense for Kai to learn about the Body and Mana Synchrony from the Second Sky.

Meanwhile, Kai ignored the crowd who were surprised by what he did and looked up.

His gaze snapped upward and searched the battle.

Chester was already moved. He made use of Kai’s distraction to blast forward with his winged boots, turning into a bluish comet—streaking through the air. The four-winged bird had only begun to turn its head when Chester was already upon it.

Swish—!

Mana erupted along the sharp edge of his sickle as he activated a Legacy Imprint.

One that Kai had never seen before.

As a Supernal of Perseus, his raw combat ability should’ve been extraordinary. And then there was his Legacy Skill—the power to summon an artifact once wielded by Perseus himself. For him, that artifact was the helmet.

But it seemed he also had something to empower his attacks.

Chester swung with everything he had—the strike carved a brilliant arc through the air.

Upon impact, mana detonated like a mini explosion.

And to the onlookers’ surprise, the four-winged bird let out a piercing screech as the force of the blow smashed it forward, hurtling its body through the air until it slammed into the wall with a thunderous crash.

The barrier rippled from the impact.

Kai, who was watching this closely from below, sucked in a cold breath.

He’s... not supposed to be that strong. Not even Barbara could do that.

Even though the sight surprised him, it didn’t last long, as he had already expected this.

Then, Kai finally saw the shimmering wind.

He spotted it now—the faint, nearly invisible layer of compressed air coating the four-winged bird’s entire body. That was the shell Chester had been trying to crack open. And it explained everything that had happened.

It made him realize that his scimitar had never once touched the beast’s flesh.

Just its protective layer.

Now is my chance.