Strigifavorus is a legendary monster from Elvian mythology. It is said that this owl-like creature is either one of the Gods' pets or even the embodiment of the Gods themselves. The origins of Strigifavorus remain uncertain, and even the long-lived Elvian people regard it as merely a fairy tale. This suggests that the story of Strigifavorus originates from a time long past, one that is not recorded in Elvian history books.
However, today the kingdom is in shock and disbelief as they witness the creature described in the myth firsthand. The characteristics of the monster that terrorized their city match those detailed in the legend exactly. Strigifavorus in the myth was said to have two pairs of large wings, so that it could create a tornado that could destroy demonic creatures in the past. It was also said to have a roar of wind that could blow away anything in front of it. Truly what destroyed their city was the embodiment of Strigifavorus in the legend.
The people were panicked and scared, the terror created by the legendary creature was so great. Most of the people believed it was real, so they ran to save themselves out of the city. There was no point in fighting, everyone would perish in the end. That was what was on people's minds.
A small group of the Elvian people still possessed a fighting spirit. They attempted to stop, or at least slow down, the damage being inflicted on their city. Some tried to extinguish the blazing fire with Esze, hoping to prevent the flames from destroying the trees around them. Others focused on helping to evacuate residents, guiding them to safety along the escape routes. Additionally, there were those who sought to hinder the Strigifavorus movement by launching arrows and using Esze attacks against it, even though their efforts seemed futile.
Amazingly, not all of them were city guards or soldiers. There were also many civilians who played an important role in this. They ignored their fear to save others and the city from destruction.
Seeing the long-eared people working together to overcome this crisis moved Indra. He wanted to help the Elvians even though he was human. Maybe the residents would wonder about the appearance of human knights in their city. But he was determined to help and put aside the consequences that had not yet occurred.
Indra stood on a large wooden walkway above the trees. This place used to be a crowded market area, but chaos broke out and destroyed part of the area. The man could not advance any further, the fire was blazing fiercely in front of him. The temperature in that place must have been very hot, plus Indra was wearing armor which made his body temperature rise even more. But he endured it, the man remained calm and cool-headed. He directed his gaze up to the sky where Strigifavorus was flying vertically upwards at high speed.
"It looks like the bird is going to swoop down. This will be a good opportunity!" Indra muttered softly.
As he had anticipated, the Strigifavorus suddenly altered its flight path. It dove sharply down at lightning speed. The eyes of ordinary humans could barely keep up with its movements. However, Indra was different; after nearly a year of training at the knight academy, he had developed keen reflexes and sharp vision. He already knew which direction the Strigifavorus would take next.
Of course, he would not be reckless by charging forward. Indra was educated in knight training to face all kinds of situations on the battlefield. Being stupid is not the same as being brave. Therefore he was taught to stay calm and observe the situation, then make the right decision. Maybe this was his first real battle against such a giant monster, but his head remained cool and not reckless.
The man walked backward away from the radius point where the Strigifavorus would land. The flames licked everything around him, the smoke had spread in all directions and made it difficult for Indra to breathe. He immediately put on a piece of cloth to cover his mouth and nose.
A second later, the Strigifavorus slammed into a nearby Giant Hanarusa tree. The tree fell instantly, its trunk ripped from the ground sticking to the burning tree next to it, giving the rooster an extra meal.
Indra stared directly at Strigifavorus, the owl monster, as it displayed unusual behavior by puffing out its chest. The armored knight quickly realized what Strigifavorus intended to do. Reacting swiftly, he dodged to the side, moving behind the remnants of the fallen Hanarusa tree trunk to avoid the monster's attack.
In accordance with Indra's sharp instincts, Strigifavorus released a strong gust of wind from his mouth. Not just ordinary wind, but wind blades that shot in various directions destroying anything they encountered. Luckily Indra had already widened the range of Strigifavorus' attack, he survived without the slightest injury. After peeking from behind the Hanarusa tree trunk and feeling safe, he came out of hiding.
The man was a little surprised to see the devastating impact of the attack just now. Tree branches were broken irregularly, tree trunks were sliced wide, and bridges and wooden paths were destroyed. The city guards who were fighting were also not spared from being victims. Some of them were killed and cut to pieces, but most survived.
Then the city guards rushed out of their hiding places and approached the monster. Those carrying javelins ran from afar and took a running stance, before finally throwing the javelins towards the Monster's head. Meanwhile, the men armed with swords descended from the trees and closed the distance with two pairs of Strigifavorus' wings. They intended to cut off the Monster's wings to limit its mobility.
Their swords were indeed able to injure the Strigifavorus until it bled and screamed in pain, but they could not cut off its wings. Even throwing javelins and arrows still could not bring down the giant owl. The Strigifavorus screeched loudly, its two pairs of wings spread and prepared to fly. It seemed that it was starting to feel uncomfortable being on the ground with the people who wanted to kill it.
But Indra, who realized the Monster's intention, did not let that happen. The knight ran towards a high branch that was right above the Strigifavorus' head. After being in the Monster's blind spot, Indra threw himself down without hesitation. Taking advantage of his body weight and gravity, he swung his knight's sword accompanied by a twisting motion in the air.
The sword of the Knight of the Lurivia Kingdom is not an ordinary sword. Its quality is three levels better than the swords usually sold in weapon shops or blacksmiths. The Lurivia Kingdom has a special blacksmith team that can make swords with a layer of Diamantite, the strongest metal in Juiller. Even ordinary swords will easily break if they collide with the knight's sword.
With a high falling speed, Indra made a vertical cut on the giant owl's body. A second later, the upper right wing of Stragifavorus fell to the ground with fresh blood pouring from the cut wound. Time seemed to freeze. The surrounding Elvian city guards were silent and gaping at Indra's actions. They couldn't move their bodies, all the nerves in their bodies stopped for a moment because they were amazed by what had just happened. Before finally someone realized Indra's figure.
"Human? Why is there a human knight here?" shouted one of the city guards in Elvian.
"Oh, that's right! He's human!"
"What is he doing here?"
"Is the appearance of this monster also his doing?"
Cynical remarks echoed from the mouths of the long-eared people. Nearly all of them expressed hatred and disdain. How could they not? The rampaging Strigifavorus and the appearance of a human knight in their city coincided, leading the Elvians to blame Indra as the mastermind behind the chaos. Fortunately, Indra did not understand the Elvian language, so he dismissed their words as nothing more than a passing breeze.
Strigifavorus groaned in pain, he roared incoherently. His body staggered and hit several Hanarusa trees around him, including some that were burning. Making his fur catch fire in several parts. But it didn't take long for the legendary monster to endure the pain and control himself again. Now his eyes were fixed on the figure of Indra who was standing on a large courtyard built among the trees.
This time he pulled his head back deeply, like someone preparing to strike. Seeing the enemy's position like that, Indra could already guess what kind of attack the owl would launch. He intended to move away. Once again, his instincts played a major role in seeing the possible situations that would occur. The man felt that he would not have time to get out of the enemy's attack zone. That was why he prepared himself in a horse stance and intended to avoid the attack at the slightest moment.
A split second later, Strigifavorus actually launched the attack that Indra had expected. The owl threw its large and powerful beak forward. That speed might be difficult for ordinary people to see, but it was different for Indra who had been trained in such a way at the Knight Academy. His eyes could clearly see the movement of the owl's head. The man prepared to throw himself to the side even though he was sure that he would not succeed one hundred percent.
*BLUGH!*
Out of nowhere, a powerful ball of wind surged through the air, striking the Strigifavorus squarely on the head. The force of the blast sent the monstrous creature tumbling sideways, its massive form crashing into the ground with a thunderous thud. Indra, momentarily stunned by the unexpected turn of events, turned his gaze toward the source of the fierce wind.
To his astonishment, he spotted Anggi standing a short distance away, her presence a beacon of strength amidst the chaos. She raised her hand confidently, gripping a slender black stick adorned with intricate ivory carvings that shimmered under the dim light. The markings on the stick seemed to pulse with a mysterious energy, hinting at the power she wielded.
"Anggi!?" Indra exclaimed, his voice a mixture of disbelief and relief as he processed the sight of his ally, seemingly unfazed by the monster's ferocity.