Chapter 49: Air Combat

On this land, the sky is an eternal dark red, and the ground is covered with sulfur rifts and foul-smelling swamps. Magic turbulence causes severe interference, and conventional communication is difficult. Under the gaze of low-level demons full of hatred in their eyes, a team of Harpies whistled across the sky of the canyon. They maintained a standard herringbone formation, flying close to the canyon cliffs, seemingly still placing something on the cliffs.

Accompanied by explosions and the screams of Winged Demons, the Harpies, led by their leader, quickly rushed into the smoke and dust, launching a crazy slaughter. For a time, thunder and fire flashed one after another. Suddenly, a maddening shriek came, and the Harpies quickly withdrew from the battlefield, flying rapidly toward the back of the canyon amidst the curses of the Winged Demons, leaving behind a ground full of Winged Demon corpses.

In front of a cave entrance on a cliff, several Harpies wearing inscribed leather armor looked nervously at the approaching figures. On this strange land full of crises, even if they knew they were of the same kind, they dared not take it lightly, because no one knew what kind of evil was hidden under familiar faces; these were all their lessons learned in blood.

"Stop immediately and report your designation, otherwise I will have to order an attack."

"Don't attack, I am Captain Vicia Sharp-Eye of the Third Squad, First Platoon, under the Second Reconnaissance Banner of the Third Legion of the Tusk Legion. I have urgent military intelligence to report."

"Password, officer's name!"

"Dark Blood Tide! Squadron Leader Shar Thunder-Claw, Battalion Commander Zera Wind-Wing."

"What about yesterday's?"

"The storm is coming!"

"Welcome back, Master Black Feather is waiting inside for news from the front, please come in." Having said this, the Harpies quickly cleared the passage to the cave entrance.

The cave entrance was covered by hanging black vines, but the interior space was unusually open. The air was filled with a faint scent unique to Harpy nests, a mixture of feathers and birds of prey. Fluorescent moss emitting a faint blue light was embedded on the cave walls, providing dim light just enough to see.

Inside the cave, a Harpy wearing black chainmail with inscriptions was listening to a Deep Gnome reporting something. The feathers all over her body presented a pure, ink-black color, just like the Abyss. It was rumored that she was a hybrid of a Harpy and a Black Dragon Dragonman, but no one dared to bring up this topic, except, of course, for that Grand Viceroy of the Security Force.

"Captain Vicia, I have heard of you, the most outstanding soldier in the reconnaissance unit. What bad news have you brought me this time?" Vicia looked up and saw a pair of pale golden, reptile-like vertical pupils staring at her, her eyes calm and cruel.

"Report, my lord, a demon army has been discovered ahead, estimated to be no less than 200,000, including a large number of Berserk Demons and Winged Demons, and there is a suspected demon lord."

"I know, did you bring the image recording crystal ball?"

Vicia hurriedly took out a purple, marble-sized crystal ball and handed it over. The Harpy with black wings directly waved her wings to signal her subordinates to take it, and ordered them to report to the rear quickly.

"Sisters, it's time to work. We must stop these damn demons before the legion is ready for battle. Zera, go and notify all reconnaissance units to terminate their missions and gather here immediately. Vicia, you and your squad rest as soon as possible; there will be plenty to do later."

In the rear camp, Braga and Uglu, who received the battle report, immediately ordered the First to Seventh Legions to move out and line up in front of the camp to meet the demon army. According to the images, the demons this time were mainly low-level Dretch Demons. Berserk Demons and Winged Demons as the backbone were not too many, but the small number of Vrock Demons and Spider Demons inside were relatively troublesome existences.

Braga analyzed that this army should be commanded by a Hezrou Demon, and there might be a Glabrezu hidden in the middle, which could spray a large number of low-level demons. Standing behind the city wall to resist would be very passive. This time, the plan was for Uglu to be responsible for attracting the demon's attention from the front, and for the Centaur Ryan Red-Plain to lead the light cavalry unit to bypass and raid from the rear.

In front of the demon army, hundreds of Winged Demons broke away from the main legion. Their bat wings flapped violently, and with a shriek that tore the air, they pounced toward the Harpy squadron. Their eyes flashed with cruel evil light, and they began to condense dark green evil fireballs in their mouths. A tragic battle was inevitable.

"Scatter! Execute the 'Wind-Sound' plan!" Shar's order was issued through a specific whistle. The well-trained Harpies instantly exploded like fireworks, splitting into dozens of small squads, diving and climbing in different directions, using their smaller size and flexibility to shuttle between the craggy stone forest and sulfur smoke pillars.

A bloody air battle was staged under the dark red sky. Evil fireballs grazed their wings, exploding corrosive pits on the rocks. Streaks of blue lightning tore through the sky, shooting toward the rampaging Winged Demons. Several fell with screams, but more rushed up one after another, driven by hatred.

They deliberately made provocative gestures at high altitude, and even used precise crossbow arrows to shoot at the Winged Demons, angering them and leading the pursuers to the expected location. This was the most dangerous and casualty-heavy group; every detour attack was accompanied by the fall of Harpy warriors.

However, the price was ultimately worth it. Under the constant teasing of the Harpies, the furious Winged Demons chased the "prey" in front regardless of everything. In a canyon, after several explosions, the lucky Winged Demons who escaped found that they were greeted by Harpy killing squads that had been waiting for a long time.

Seemingly realizing that a large number of Winged Demons were gone and not returning, the demon in charge of command directly ordered no sorties. In the subsequent battles, no matter how the Harpies induced them, the Winged Demons never left the main army, only constantly firing evil fireballs from the sky to fight back.

Seeing this, Black Feather directly ordered the harassment group to take action. Relying on their speed, they risked flying close to the ground, skimming past the flanks of the demon marching column. They dropped the "Flash Bangs" and "Alchemical Bombs" they carried with them.

Blinding light and sharp noise enough to shatter eardrums exploded in the Dretch and Berserk Demon groups. Although the direct casualties caused were limited, it successfully caused large-scale commotion and chaos. Berserk Demons attacked each other because they were angered, while Dretch Demons ran around in panic.

They flew toward an unstable stone mountain on the side of the marching path. Using their knowledge of geology and precise control of power, they struck key support points with spells and detonated all the explosives they carried.

Boom! With a loud noise, the mountain slid, and a large amount of boulders and dust fell down. Although it did not directly hit the demon lord, it successfully buried a section of the marching path, forcing the vanguard to slow down or detour.

As the harassment continued, the demon's marching speed slowed down significantly, and the already chaotic army became even more disorderly. The furious demon commander ordered all Winged Demons to attack, mustering to clear out this group of troublesome Harpies in a short time.

Upon seeing the news that all Winged Demons were out, swearing to exterminate all her subordinates, Black Feather's dragon-like vertical pupils not only did not have fear, but flashed a hint of cold calculation. Angry enemies are the easiest to make mistakes, and she was preparing to carefully set up an aerial graveyard for these stupid demons.

Black Feather personally led the most elite squad of guards to act as the bait this time. They hovered arrogantly at the entrance of the canyon, using shrieks full of contempt to successfully provoke the anger of the Winged Demons. When the black mass of Winged Demons rushed toward them like angry wasps, Black Feather ordered a retreat, leading the team to fly into the predetermined hunting ground of Axe Canyon at a speed that seemed embarrassed but was actually precisely controlled.

Two steep cliffs, covered with horizontally protruding, blade-sharp rock fragments, sandwiched a narrow passage, the narrowest point of which could only accommodate three or four Winged Demons side by side. The rising and falling air currents caused by the special terrain were fatal traps for flyers unfamiliar with this place. The rock walls were covered with caves and rifts of various sizes, which were perfect ambush points.

Sonic bombs detonated in the narrow space, and the intense echoes and shockwaves caused the Winged Demons to instantly lose their balance, dizzy and bumping into the sharp rock walls on both sides like headless flies. Throwing hand axes rotated and fell from a high place with gravitational acceleration, like the flying discs of the god of death, easily splitting the bat wings and heads of the Winged Demons.

Just as the Winged Demon camp was in chaos, the second ambush team that had been hidden in the horizontal rifts of the rock wall moved out. They slid out silently like ghosts, using the moment of the Winged Demons' chaos to carry out close-range looting. Their sharp claws specifically aimed at the fragile wing membranes and throats of the Winged Demons, touching and leaving, never stopping. When the Winged Demons next to them reacted, they had already disappeared into the shadows of the rocks again.

Black Feather led the casters above the canyon, launching attacks from time to time, accurately hitting every Winged Demon trying to fight back, or some unusually clever individual among them, ensuring that not a single one slipped through the net.

This one-sided slaughter lasted less than ten minutes. The canyon was already filled with the corpses of Winged Demons and struggling wounded, and the chaotic air was filled with the smell of blood. Black Feather hovered above the canyon exit, coldly watching this purgatory she had created. She issued three short and sharp specific whistles, which was the signal for the whole army to retreat.

The Harpies did not linger in the battle. No matter how tempting the results were, they immediately stopped attacking and flew away from the predetermined evacuation channel quickly and orderly, as if blending into the shadows of the mountain wall. They took away the corpses of their companions, leaving nothing of value to the enemy.

When the new Winged Demon reinforcements flew into this death canyon, they were faced with only empty cliffs and the corpses of their own kind. The Harpies eliminated at least one-third of the pursuing Winged Demons at a very small cost, greatly weakening the demon legion's aerial reconnaissance and assault power. ===== CHAPTER 50 =====