Oghenetega Fejiro, better known as Tega, gripped the hilt of his newly acquired saber tightly as he watched the events unfold on the bridge. He was the first son of the Fejiro family, a name famous for its distinctive Qi techniques and mastery in martial arts. Tega had trained extensively in his family's techniques—methods designed to amplify precision and disrupt enemy Qi. Joining the War Gods Military Academy had been a step toward honing his skills and building a reputation worthy of his family name, and now, wielding the saber he had found in the Obarisiagbon Clan's armory, he felt one step closer to achieving that goal.
The saber was a remarkable weapon, with draconic patterns running along the blade and a hilt seemingly carved from green jade. Its grip felt like dragon scales beneath his fingers, solid yet strangely warm. When he picked it up, the spirit within had accepted him, allowing him to wield it without restrictions—a rare blessing that only deepened his resolve.
Ahead of him, chaos reigned as the soldiers fought wave after wave of black cave ravens, fierce creatures with powerful screeches and brutal claws. The Obarisiagbon soldiers managed to hold back the initial swarm, but Tega had a sinking feeling as he saw a shadow emerge from the skies. The massive mother raven appeared, far larger than her brood, and with a shriek, she unleashed a shockwave so powerful it rattled the Qi shield the Obarisiagbon soldiers had raised. He sensed the shield could only take so much more punishment.
Just then, he heard Thanos Asemota's voice calling out commands to the team, urging everyone into action.
To his left, Shino Kusakabe moved with a flash of his blade, sending a burst of sword Qi that slashed across the mother raven's left wing, creating a deep wound. The beast screeched in pain, momentarily destabilized mid-flight. But almost immediately, it regained its balance, sending out another shockwave that rippled through the air with devastating force. The Obarisiagbon Qi shield shimmered and cracked under the strain, and Tega knew that if this continued, it would be overwhelmed.
Without hesitation, Tega stepped forward, positioning himself in front of the oncoming attack. He felt his Qi flowing into the saber, filling it with energy that made the blade hum with a heavy resonance. With a swift spin, he swung the saber in a wide arc, forming a ring of saber Qi that stretched out in front of him like a barrier.
The mother raven's shockwave collided with his Qi barrier, and Tega thrust the saber forward, pulling the Qi into his blade. The shockwave dissipated, absorbed into the weapon, its energy neutralized. The mother raven let out another furious screech, but the sound was once again absorbed by Tega's saber. His heart raced with adrenaline, but he stood firm, ready for the next attack.
The beast, undeterred, spread its wings wide and dived toward them. In response, Shino launched another surge of sword Qi, slicing through the creature's other wing. The raven lost its balance, tumbling mid-air, and plummeted towards the ground. Thanos took advantage of the moment, leaping high with Qi-enforced strength, his fist cocked back and cloaked in the radiant aura of his Empyrean golden gauntlets.
With a resounding boom, Thanos's fist met the raven's head, sending it hurtling several feet beyond the bridge, crashing and skidding along the rough ground. As the dust settled, the smaller black cave ravens, enraged by their mother's plight, turned their red eyes toward the group. They gathered en masse, ready to overwhelm Thanos and his team with sheer numbers.
"Tega, Shino, take care of this!" Thanos called out, already moving toward the fallen mother raven. Rotimi and Shadrach fell into step behind him, ready to join the pursuit.
Tega steadied himself as the swarm of ravens descended, blotting out the light above. With his saber still glowing, he took a deep breath and whispered, "Fejiro Saber Art… Form One: Reverberation!"
With a swift, vertical swing, his saber emitted a powerful wave of Qi, resonating with a deep, ringing sound that expanded outward in a dome of energy. The ravens closest to him fell from the sky instantly, struck by the heavy force of his Qi. Those further away were brought down by the weapons of Rotimi, Shadrach, and the Obarisiagbon soldiers who moved swiftly to contain any stragglers. As the remaining ravens fled or were dispatched, Tega took the lead, guiding Princess Imani Obarisiagbon and the other explorers to safety with the help of the Obarisiagbon soldiers' captain.
Meanwhile, Thanos and Shino continued their pursuit of the wounded mother raven. They crossed the bridge and ventured into the forest beyond, hoping to end the fight quickly. Just as they neared the raven, they sensed a shift in the air. Both warriors instinctively leaped back, just in time to avoid a massive blur that crashed through the space they had just occupied, toppling a large tree in its path.
As the dust settled, they saw it—the mother raven, battered and broken, lying in a heap several yards away. But what had sent her flying?
Thanos and Shino exchanged a wary glance. They understood, without a word, that whatever lay deeper in the forest was far more dangerous than the black cave ravens. Deciding not to provoke whatever beast had defeated the mother raven so decisively, they slowly backed away, returning to regroup with their team on the bridge.
Thanos and Shino met up with the others and informed them of their encounter.
"We should get out of here , now this field trip is over." Thanos said to the Captain if the obarisiagbon soldiers. The Captain turned to princess Imani, seeking her approval of this advancement.
"He's right, we should leave, the lost history of this land is not worth us risking our lives for. When we get back to the city, I'll ask my father to get stronger people to explore these grounds. This could be a gateway to a whole new experience for Flaming Bull City.