Duke Pendragon

Fwooosh!

“These bastards…”

The cape wrapped around Toleo’s giant frame swelled up. Orc Fear flickered like wildfire, making his whole body appear as if it was surrounded by a red flame.

“Prepare the giant crossbows. The shields and the harpoons should get into formation.”

“Yes”

Toleo ordered with a voice full of anger, and the order quickly reached the Blue Dragon and the other vessel sailing next to it.

The soldiers of the Arangis Duchy hurried into formations. They gathered into groups of three and settled on both sides of the sailboat that held a crossbow, then placed a 5-foot quarrel on the launch pad.

The harpooned soldiers lined up around the crossbows, and the shield soldiers surrounded the outermost layer like a turtle shell with their rectangular shields.

Kiyaaaah!

Toleo turned his head at the griffons’ loud roar. The distance was about 1,000 yards.

He shouted after estimating the gap.

“Jiving! Jiving! We will head abeam!”

The soldiers instantly fulfilled Toleo’s orders. After all, they were the elite soldiers who served the great Arangis Duchy.

Fwoosh!

The large hull of the ship turned its head towards the wind in an instant, and the sail swelled sharply to the side.

In the meantime, the distance between the Pendragon family’s griffons and the Blue Dragon was narrowed to 300 yards. Toleo thundered towards the soldiers.

“Shoot! Fire at will as soon as it is read!”

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The large quarrels fired from the side of the sailboat drew a parabola high in the sky.

***

Captain Elkin Isla of the Pendragon griffon unit was born in Southern Valvas and was well versed in naval battles. He had no experience in directing or controlling a ship, but he knew how to fight in the sea. In addition, he was an unrivalled master from birth when it came to matters regarding griffons.

Therefore, as soon as the ships of the Arangis Duchy maneuvered to face the griffons with their sides, he was able to predict the enemy’s next moves.

Beeeep! Beep! Beep!

The sharp whistle of Isla penetrated the ears of the riders and their griffons. At that moment, dozens of large quarrels were fired from the Blue Dragon and its companion ship.

However, the griffons of the Pendragon family had already spread their wings and climbed rapidly in a large triangular formation with Isla at the front.

The quarrels pierced through where the griffons had been just a moment ago, ignoring the strong winds of the inland sea.

Thud! Clang!

Several of them brushed past a few of the griffons that were slow to react. However, the griffons were encased in a solid metal armor, so none of them were shot down, although they lost their balance for a while.

Beeeep!

Isla let loose a long whistle. The griffons folded their wings almost simultaneously and descended at a high speed. In the blink of an eye, the griffons narrowed their altitude to 20 feet above water and aimed directly at the two enemy sailboats.

It was a magnificent sight to see dozens of griffons gliding over the rolling waves. However, to those who were facing the griffons head on, it was a truly fearful experience.

500 yards, 400 yards…

When Toleo saw the rapidly approaching griffons, a disdainful smile appeared on his face.

“What a fool, he doesn’t know the basics of naval warfare. He dares to use the griffons in such a way when fighting at sea?”

As the distance narrowed down to 200 yards,

“Kiyaaaahk!”

“H, here they come!”

The griffons’ roar and the barrelman’s voice rang out almost simultaneously.

“Fire!”

After having his first attack nullified, Toleo shouted with a heated voice. Dozens of large quarrels and harpoons flew towards the griffons.

Beep!

Isla’s whistle resounded.

The riders and the griffons of the Pendragon Duchy instantly separated into two groups, just as they had trained dozens, no, hundreds of times in the past year. The griffons veered to the sides and rose with a large flap of their wings.

Whoosh!

The numerous projectiles passed through the air without hitting a single griffon.

“T, that…!”

Toleo was shocked.

The griffons glided above the high waves and drew a beautiful curve. Then, the two groups headed toward the two enemy ships while maintaining their momentum.

“S, shields!”

Toleo yelled at the top of his voice, but he sensed that it was already too late. The shields had lifted momentarily to allow the harpoons the fire, and they hurriedly rushed forward at Toleo’s voice.

Just as they were about to situate themselves, dozens of armed griffons collided with the soldiers. The griffons’ armors and helmets were armed with many iron thorns to maximize their destructiveness.

Boooom!

The loud explosion engulfed the soldiers’ screams.

The collision was much more powerful than a charge attack from a knight order fully equipped in heavy armor, which was known as the single strongest attack on land. The griffons’ charge demolished the soldiers’ formation, then continued on to completely break off the mast.

Some griffons were unable to overcome the shock and tumbled several times on the deck. When the bodies of the heavy monsters swept the deck, dozens of the soldiers were crushed to death or had several of their limbs broken.

“Kiyaaah…”

After cushioning their fall with the unfortunate soldiers, the griffons shook their heads and stood up.

“Gah…!”

The soldiers fell into despair as they faced the large monsters on a narrow deck. But all of them were elite troops of the Arangis Duchy, and they had experienced numerous battles. The soldiers hurried to pick up their spears and shields.

“Kiyaaaah!”

Woosh!

The griffons rushed at the soldiers while flapping their wings.

Shunk! Shik!

Some spears managed to pierce the creatures’ wings, but it was of no use.

The Pendragon family’s griffons had hunted predators and fought against numerous monsters and beasts on the Ancona Mountains. They ignored the pricks and started slaughtering the soldiers with their beaks and wings.

“Kwaaaaah!”

Boom!

Then, someone jumped onto the deck with a beastly roar.

It was Toleo.

Woosh…

He raised his head while emitting a bright red spirit from his body.

“Kiyaah! Krrr…”

Even though it was only a single person, the griffons were put under immense pressure. It felt as if they were facing several of the Ancona Orc warriors.

“Mere beasts dare…!”

Toeo charged forward, his Orc Fear in full exudation.

A longsword propped out of his prosthetic arm and left behind a red trail of lights as it slashed.

Sihiik!

A griffon retreated with instincts of a predator, but its wings were cut in half.

“Kiaaayhk!”

Other griffons rushed towards Toleo upon hearing their companions scream in anger and pain.

“Block them!”

But soldiers armed with shields and spears intercepted the griffons, and other soldiers launched their harpoons through the gaps.

Thuud!

“Kiyaaaahk!”

At such close proximity, the harpoons were able to deliver their full force, and the griffons struggled in pain. In the meantime, other soldiers took the chance and narrowed the distance in an instant. They thrust their spears into the gaps in the griffons’ armors and slashed down at the talons.

Kiyaaah…

Two griffons collapsed helplessly.

“Guwoooh!”

Toleo burst into a roar and leaped towards the last remaining griffon. After jumping five feet into the air, he swung a cutlass with his left hand and the attached longsword in his prosthetic arm.

Kiyaahk!

Toleo’s cutlass crushed down on the griffon’s beak, which was known to be as hard as a rock. The longsword of the prosthetic arm stabbed the griffon’s neck simultaneously.

Krr…

The griffon collapsed with more than half of its thick neck completely cut apart.

“Wooaahh!”

The soldiers rejoiced at the sight, but the joy only lasted for a moment. The other remaining griffons were charging straight towards them as well.

However…

Kiyaaah!

A huge roar echoed from behind the Blue Dragon.

“They are here!”

“Wooaah!”

The soldiers cheered at the sound. The proud sea griffon unit of the Arangis Duchy had finally arrived. The southern griffons were differentiated by their black wings, and the two aerial forces clashed in the air.

“Kehuhaha! I’ll kill you all!”

Toleo laughed sinisterly, his body covered in the blood of the griffon he had killed. Now that the sea griffons had arrived, the real battle had only begun.

The half-human gave himself into the instinct of slaughter after a long time, and jumped up on an unbroken sail like a beast.

Kiyaah!

“Hmph!”

He flung himself towards a griffon and a rider that were on course to crash into the mast.

“Heuk!”

Seeing Toleo jump off the mast with red, glowing eyes, the rider drew in a sharp breath and hurriedly pulled on the leash. However, the creature inherited the blood of an orc warrior. Toleo abruptly turned his body mid-air and rammed a dagger into the creature’s wing.

Kiyaahh!

The griffon lost its balance and fell towards the cockpit with a pained roar.

“Ugh!”

The rider was also thrown off in the impact, and he rolled several times before getting up. One of his arms was broken, but he paid it no attention and lifted the long sword he had unsheathed from the saddle beforehand.

Shiik!

“Hmm!”

The rider shivered at the sight in front of him. Toleo was getting back up after pulling out his dagger from the griffon’s neck.

The half-man, half-monster possessed an overwhelming size comparable to the Ancona Orcs, and the spirit emanating his body was comparable to any of the knights in the Pendragon Duchy. Rather, combined with his humongous stature, Toleo Arangis was even more of a monster.

Even if the rider’s arm had not been broken, Toleo Arangis was not an opponent he could face.

Nevertheless, the rider took a step forward, a solemn look contained in his eyes.

“I swear to the land of Pendragon, protected by the White Dagon. My sword and wings are for Pendragon, and I will devote my soul to defeating those who disrupt the law and order of the land and go against the will of my lord. My soul belongs to Pendragon, and I will keep my vow with all my heart until my body breaks down…”

He straightened his sword and recited the vow he had made when he was first appointed as a griffon rider of the Pendragon Duchy.

“Kehuhu! Save your shit for after you die!”

Toleo gave a mocking laugh and leaped towards the rider like an angry bull.

“Haap!”

The rider thrust his sword with all the strength he could muster. He was prepared to be torn apart by the sword and the cutlass bathed in red Orc Fear…

Then.

Shing! Clang!

A heavy sound of metal clashing could be heard.

“Keuk?”

The rider’s body rolled sideways as someone pushed him away. Despite the confusion, the rider instinctively raised his head.

A man was blocking the longsword and the cutlass with a spear, his dark brown hair fluttering in the strong wind. A voice filled with passion burst out of the rider’s mouth.

“Sir Isla!”