Knights and Magic Wand
Chapter 494 - 494 233 Hunter and Prey

494: Chapter 233: Hunter and Prey 494: Chapter 233: Hunter and Prey The Pegasus Knights pursued their enemies, who dove to lower altitudes.

As Death Claw shredded another Scorpion-tailed Lion midair, it suddenly heard a piercing wind barrier encircling from all directions.

Its momentum abruptly stalled, leaving the Griffin nearly incapable of evading the perilous ambush.

Leon’s eagle-like gaze spotted the approaching shadows in an instant.

The Griffin shrieked, folding its wings to veer off course as much as possible, turning its armored body to face the incoming massive arrows.

Feeling the Griffin’s evident terror, Leon could only grip the saddle tightly.

He was powerless against the threats closing in from below.

—Clang!

A heavy arrow struck the Death Claw’s chest armor, the impact denting its thick plating deeply.

Clang!

Another massive arrow pierced the shoulder armor.

The third arrow flew past its hind leg from behind, narrowly grazing it and leaving a bloodstain.

Despite its evasive maneuvers, the Griffin couldn’t avoid every arrow aimed at it.

With a stomach-churning sound akin to tearing leather, the fourth massive arrow pierced the Griffin’s right wing from the left.

A piercing cry of agony echoed out.

Blood-stained feathers scattered in the air as the unbalanced Death Claw writhed and plummeted into the forest canopy.

With crashing and snapping sounds as it brushed through the treetops, Leon fell into the woods alongside the Griffin.

A massive tree was felled by the Griffin’s crash.

The beast tumbled heavily to the ground, using its four claws to scuttle and slow down to dissipate the force of the impact, digging up chunks of dirt and stone across the uneven terrain.

As Death Claw steadied itself with a cautious jog, Leon glanced at its drooping right wing, his eyes blazing with both fury and concern as he studied the excruciating wound inflicted upon his companion.

Anxiously unfastening the saddle straps and securing his crossbow at his side, Leon gripped his magic spear and leapt down from the Griffin’s back, quickly examining the menacing massive arrow.

The barbed arrowhead was clearly meant to render its prey unable to dislodge it—a cruel weapon intentionally designed for hunting large beasts.

Death Claw turned its head, clinging to the embedded barbed arrow.

With a desperate gaze, it sought Leon’s help.

A wave of guilt and sorrow surged through Leon’s chest.

“Easy, big guy.

Don’t be afraid; I’ll get it out for you.” Speaking gently to soothe the Griffin, Leon lifted Garner’s spear pole to activate the Molten Flame Blade spell within the magic wand.

Steadying the bloodied arrow shaft beneath the massive wing, Leon pressed the flaming magic blade against the shaft, using the intense heat to soften the metal.

Planting the magic wand aside to free his hands, he gripped the arrow’s heated steel ends with precision.

With his left hand stabilizing and his right hand exerting twisting force, he snapped the weakened shaft through sheer strength.

Using his barely practiced magic technique, he sketched a Dharma Seal in the air, forming a burst of cold air to rapidly cool the steel fracture.

Leon then grasped the arrowhead and deftly pulled it free.

Tossing away the broken arrow, Leon treated Death Claw’s wounds while simultaneously realizing the bitter truth—this was a trap.

The enemy had gone to great lengths to lure him into this predetermined ambush zone.

—The Griffin had been their target all along.

And they had succeeded.

Though they hadn’t killed Death Claw outright, the creature wouldn’t be able to fly again until the injury healed.

Regardless, it was clear—they couldn’t stay here…

Quickly recalling the direction from which they’d fallen, Leon urged Death Claw northward.

However, he had barely taken a few steps when an ominous intuition rose within him, as if a ferocious beast brimming with hostility had locked its gaze on him.

A chilling sensation crept up his spine…

The Griffin, ever sensitive to danger, bristled with ruffled feathers.

Leon didn’t even hear footsteps.

Turning his head slightly, he spotted a towering Knight wielding a long-handled war saber, standing silently amidst the layered shadows of the trees.

—An enemy, not an ally!

Recognizing the looming threat instantly, Leon wasted no time.

He raised his crossbow and fired, unleashing the Silver Mountain Draw.

—Whizz!

Whizz!

Whizz!

Three sharp arrows screeched through the air.

Yet the figure sidestepped one casually, caught another with his hand, and deflected the last with a flick of his wrist.

The diverted arrow embedded itself deep into the trunk of a nearby tree with a thud.

What ordinary men wouldn’t even perceive—a strong arrow’s flight trajectory—seemed like child’s play to this opponent.

Leon’s heart sank into the abyss.

This knight was as formidable as Olivia!

The knight crushed the captured arrow with his bare hand and tossed the fragments aside.

From beneath his peacock-crested helmet came a venerable, aged voice:

“…Did no one teach you the proper etiquette between knights?”

Before Leon could respond, the Peacock Knight seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving Leon’s vision blurred.

The threat of death filled his very consciousness, making the hairs beneath his armor stand on end.

Driven purely by instinct honed from sparring with his Golden Lion, Leon dropped his crossbow and sidestepped with a rapid evasive roll.

—Boom!

With a sharp crashing sound, the scythe-like heavy blade, resembling a Guan Sword, smashed the airborne Silver Mountain Crossbow to pieces, scattering its remains into countless fragments.

The Griffin growled furiously at the sudden danger, swiping its claws in an attempt to knock the foe away.

The Peacock Knight countered by spinning his sword, delivering a slash to the armor shielding the beast’s forearm with an excruciating screech.

The thick steel plating split apart, and the blade carved a harrowing wound into the Griffin’s right limb.

He followed through with a forceful left kick.

The air exploded violently.

The massive beast was sent flying over twenty-five meters away, nearly toppling over with cries of pain.

The kick’s sheer force etched a deep groove into the ground as the Peacock Knight dragged his right boot to a stop.

Reversing his hold on the war saber, the Peacock-crested Kantadar Knight ignored the flung Griffin, instead directing his attention toward Leon, who had dodged away and was now standing cautiously.

“That was my response to your earlier lack of courtesy, young man.

At least I didn’t assault you from behind while you were tending your mount’s injuries.”

With that, the Peacock Knight lifted his helmet’s visor, revealing a weathered but spirited visage beneath.

“I am Valensis Arsene, ‘Dragon Slayer’ and Count of Odoli County.”

After introducing himself, Arsene posed a direct question: “Are you Leon Pendragon, Griffin Baron and ‘Snake Slayer’ of Kosos?”

In the silence, Leon took a deep breath, adjusting the rhythm of his inner magic flow.

No duel had started, but he already understood one truth.

This old man…

was even stronger than Olivia.

To possess such terrifying skill and claim the illustrious title of “Dragon Slayer”…

Undoubtedly, Arsene was one of Kantadar Kingdom’s Great Knights.

A rare, continent-renowned martial artist—a human-shaped force of nature.

“…Yes, that’s me,” Leon replied.

Since his identity had been exposed, there was no point in hiding it.

In truth, stalling for time was his only hope.

If he could hold out long enough for reinforcements…

The Pegasus Knights above had lost him in their formation and wouldn’t last against the remaining five Lion Scorpions for long.

However, if they retreated and took word of his disappearance, Leon was certain Count Eriv and his comrades wouldn’t abandon him.

The camp lay only fifteen kilometers behind.

For the enemy to plan such a deep ambush within the forest, their numbers couldn’t be large.

Once the army arrived, even a Great Knight couldn’t stand against thousands of elite troops.

The key was…

surviving long enough against this incredible foe.

A bitter smile involuntarily crept across Leon’s face beneath his helmet.

Arsene seemed satisfied with the answer.

The Peacock Knight raised his war saber upright and performed a deliberate, ceremonial gesture of dueling.

“Then, Lord Pendragon, under the watchful eyes of the gods, I challenge you in vengeance for the death of my daughter’s husband.”

“Your daughter’s husband?”

Leon blinked in surprise.

When had he killed the man’s son-in-law?

But the response he received wasn’t words.

The Peacock Knight dropped his visor.

In an instant, the mud beneath Arsene’s feet rippled violently as he launched forward with terrifying force.

With speed approaching that of breaking the sound barrier, the knight’s figure leapt into the air, wielding the war saber in a devastating strike…

An earth-shattering impact rumbled through the forest, drawing gazes from the Pegasus Knights circling above.

The ground erupted as dirt and debris soared skyward.