Chapter 348 - Episode 340: Wyvern Subjugation ③
Due in part to the effects of the undiluted Angel's Honey, the wyvern's movements began to slow, and the giant golem controlled by Noein struck it with a single arm.
Perhaps the wyvern also understood that something was wrong with its own body; it turned its attention toward the approaching giant golem in caution—and launched a head-on collision of its own against the golem.
The wyvern, measuring over ten meters in total length and more than seven meters even excluding the tail, collided with the golem, which stood over three meters tall. It was a joke-like display of power that one would likely never witness outside of a place like this.
In terms of size, the wyvern had the advantage, but creatures that fly are generally light for their apparent size. The golem, being made of high-density wood, was heavier than it looked, making it a competitive match. At the moment of impact, the giant golem was pushed back, gouging the ground beneath its feet, but the forces soon reached an equilibrium.
Then, the giant golem's right hand grabbed one of the several horns growing like a crest on the wyvern's head. And then, it snapped it off with sheer force.
"GYAAAAAA!"
As expected, having a part of its body destroyed was painful; the wyvern thrashed its half-body to shove the giant golem away and create distance.
Because the golem was tall and had one arm torn off, and because Noein herself felt a strong sense of discomfort in her own left arm, it was difficult to maintain balance. The giant golem, having been shaken off, fell backward just as it was.
However, perhaps because more time had passed, or perhaps because the current struggle had caused the undiluted Angel's Honey to circulate further through its body, the wyvern's movements slowed even more.
"Now! Surround it! Attack from its blind spots!"
Yuri's instructions flew out, and the golems of the puppet mages moved. The golems positioned on the left side—which had become a blind spot since the wyvern's eye was crushed—began to close in.
Whether it realized this or not, the wyvern moved around on the spot, swinging its wings and tail. No matter how slowed its movements were, the golems would not escape unscathed if they took a direct hit from those large wings or that thick tail. The puppet mages bravely attempted to make their golems latch onto the wyvern's body, but it did not go well.
"I'll crush the other eye! Cover me!"
The one who shouted was Lane. To protect her as she moved to a position where the right side of the wyvern's face was visible, three golems gathered to form a wall. Behind them, the soldiers of Count Koenitz's territory serving as Lane's guards formed a further wall, and from behind them—the very rear of the formation—Lane thrust out her right hand.
To aim for the wyvern's face, her hand had to be extended diagonally upward. The soldiers and golems acting as the wall did not become obstacles in the line of fire.
A red magic circle appeared on the wrist of Lane's outstretched right arm. Its size was twice as large as the magic circles appearing on the wrists of any of the Claymore puppet mages, or even the one on Noein's wrist. It gave a glimpse of how much magical power was being infused.
"GOAAA! GAGOAAA!"
The wyvern, perhaps perceiving Lane as the immediate threat, attempted to attack her. However, the three golems acting as the wall caught the descending wing.
The time earned was only a few seconds. However, in that short time, Lane finished her mental concentration, and the tip of her arm became clad in light.
"!!"
What was released from there—was an arrow of flame. And it was not just one. Several arrows of flame flew toward the wyvern's eyes in rapid succession.
Realizing its eyes were being targeted, the wyvern covered its face with its right arm, which was connected to its wing, but several of the flame arrows threaded through the gaps in the wyvern's fingers and hit its face.
It served as a distraction, but the probability of a direct hit to the eye would likely be low. Before that happened, Lane's magical power would probably run out. Just as everyone thought this, Radley moved to the very front of the formation and looked back at Lane.
Lane, sensing his intention, nodded, and the final shot flew from her arm. The moment it impacted the wyvern's arm, instead of simply scattering sparks and vanishing, it produced a wide-range explosion of flame.
It was a tremendous feat of skill to change only the final shot into a flame bullet, disguising it among the arrows of flame.
Perhaps having consumed too much magical power and concentration, Lane's body wavered and her posture collapsed. The guarding soldiers caught her and retreated toward the edge of the forest.
Meanwhile, at the very front, right beside the wyvern, Radley ran up using the right wing of the wyvern—which was flinching from the explosion while still shielding its face with its arm—as a foothold.
"DEYAAAAAA!"
Before the explosion cleared, Radley charged in with his spear as if diving into it. By the time the flames dissipated, he had reached the area just beside the wyvern's face, atop its arm—and from there, he delivered a thrust toward the right eye, using that momentum to let go of the spear as he leaped down.
"GYOOOOOO!"
The eyeball, which had been penetrated even by a crossbow bolt, could not possibly withstand a full-power attack from a skilled warrior like Radley. The spear pierced the wyvern's right eye, and once again, the wyvern's scream rang out.
In desperation, the wyvern swung its arm, and the tips of its claws approached Radley's head. However, by a hair's breadth, Radley's withdrawal was faster. The tips of the claws grazed him, knocking his helmet away, but Radley tumbled to the ground and immediately put distance between himself and the wyvern to evacuate.
"...That combat idiot is as monstrous as ever, isn't he?"
"He's impressive, but I wish he'd stop doing that. Gina would faint if she saw that just now."
While feeling a mixture of admiration and exasperation at the superhuman feat of running up a wyvern's body with his bare skin to crush an eye, Noein exchanged words with Pence.
There was no doubt it was amazing, but seeing someone close in on a wyvern with their bare body was a sight that made one shudder. Even Noein and the others had felt a chill. It was something that could never be shown to Radley's family.
"GUUUUU, GUOOOOON"
Having its remaining eye crushed by the improvised coordination of a master mage and warrior, and with the Angel's Honey circulating further, the wyvern finally lost its momentum.
"Now! Latch on! The wings and legs!"
At Yuri's command, the Claymore unit moved all at once. Golems swarmed the wyvern's wings and legs.
Even with both eyes crushed, the wyvern continued to resist, swinging its wings and tail. A golem attempting to latch onto the left leg was crushed by the tail, and a golem attempting to latch onto the right wing was shaken off by the wing.
Still, the remaining golems slipped through the wyvern's resistance and leaped. They clung to the wings and tore the membrane parts apart with sheer force. Or they clung to the legs and pulled the joints in the opposite direction.
"Alain! We'll give you the tail!"
"Yeah!"
Gustav called out, and Alain, who had returned to the battle line after bringing out a spare golem hidden in the forest, responded.
Gustav's golem dodged a strike from the tail, which the wyvern snapped like a whip, and grabbed the tip, pinning it down. Alain's golem leaped onto the base of the tail, whose movement was obstructed, forcibly ripped off several scales, thrust its arm into the wound, and gouged the flesh.
Perhaps some nerve had been damaged, as the movement of the raging tail became visibly sluggish.
"GAAAAAAA! GOAAA, GUOON!"
At this point, it was nothing more than a slow execution. Eaten away throughout its body by the Angel's Honey, with its wings, legs, and tail all torn to shreds, the wyvern writhed while letting out death throes.
Even with this desperate thrashing, it remained dangerous if one were caught in it, but it was incomparable to the initial danger level. The humans simply kept their distance, letting the golems approach to gradually shave away its life force.
The other puppet mages whose golems had been destroyed also brought out their spares hidden in the forest. Since there were only four spares, some found themselves with nothing to do, but there were still enough remaining to gang up on the exhausted wyvern.
"...It's over."
It was likely unnecessary for her to personally strike the blow. Noein muttered, thinking this.
No matter who looked at it, the wyvern was covered in wounds. Attacks from the golems were currently being hammered into those tattered limbs. Every single strike—tearing off fingers, ripping the wing membranes, breaking bones, peeling scales—dragged the wyvern's life toward its end.
Eventually, the wyvern became unable to even struggle desperately, and its massive body collapsed onto the ground.
The ground shook from the vibration, the surrounding trees swayed, and eventually, silence spread.
"Did we do it?"
The moment Noein let those words slip, Pence, who was right nearby, and Yuri, who was still connected via Far-Talk, turned around with stiff faces.
'Your Excellency...'
"Now was the worst time to say that—"
At that moment.
"GUGOGAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The wyvern, which had seemed to breathe its last, let out a roar that shook everything in the vicinity. It was a scream of fury, making one wonder where such life force had remained.
The wyvern rose again. Its knees were shattered, its claws peeled, its fingers missing, and its wings were like rags, yet it forced its body up regardless.
Then, with eyes that should have already lost their light and a face pierced by an arrow and a spear, it turned toward Noein. Whether it felt the surrounding magical power or it was an instinctive intuition, it locked onto Noein and lunged forward with explosive momentum.
Facing the wyvern that approached as if bouncing off the ground, Noein was now calm.
Controlling the giant golem she had positioned in front of her, she made it swing back its remaining right arm.
"GAAAAAAAAA!"
Into the wide-open mouth of the wyvern charging in with a scream, Noein slammed the golem's fist.
"GUBOOO"
The golem's thick, long arm dove into the wyvern's mouth and pierced straight into its throat.
As Noein watched this scene and clenched her right palm, the wyvern's body shuddered.
Then, as Noein lowered her right arm, the golem also pulled its right arm out of the wyvern's mouth. A mixture of flesh, internal organs, and blood vessels gripped by the hand was dragged out.
The wyvern's body went limp and collapsed onto the ground again. Noein and the others could see something that could be described as either invisible vitality or magical power flowing out from its entire body and dissipating.
This time, the wyvern truly died.