Chapter Thirty-Six: Duel to the Death (Part One)

The Blazing Vulture was a raptor too, formidable and large, one of the largest among the eagle family, with adult males boasting a wingspan of at least three meters. Its most peculiar feature was the completely bare neck, save for a ring of pure, fluffy feathers where the neck connected to the body. This was an evolutionary adaptation: since it often plunged its head into the corpses of giant magical beasts to feed, the featherless neck prevented blood from soiling its plumage. That ring of feathers was especially coveted, resistant to both water and oil—a prized material for clothing. Vultures from the Pataya Plateau had been hunted nearly to extinction for this very reason.

The one before her was an evolved form; the ring of feathers around its neck blazed bright red like flames, as did its sharp, hooked beak—striking and imbued with potent fire magic.

It truly deserved its reputation as a specialist in corpse-feeding. Even though Catherine had disguised the mole as if it were alive, the Blazing Vulture’s keen senses had not been fooled. After circling high above and confirming there were no other birds to compete for the meal, it tucked its wings and dove swiftly toward the ground.

What should she do? Should she kill the Blazing Vulture? Though it was a level-four magical beast, her master had instructed her to slay a level-four Butcher Bird.

Catherine hesitated. Suddenly, she noticed a small black speck diving rapidly above the Blazing Vulture, closing the distance with astonishing speed!

This diving bird was hurtling downward at an alarming rate, almost in freefall, heedless of the fatal impact such velocity would cause upon landing. The friction between its body and the air produced a piercing, shrill whistle.

Though the Blazing Vulture excelled in sight and smell, it was not deaf. Such a bold and thunderous sound was impossible to ignore. With a twist of its long neck, its head turned a full one hundred eighty degrees. The beak, already fiery red, grew even more vivid. It opened its mouth wide, emitting a harsh cry, and unleashed a giant fireball, the size of a washbasin, directly at the incoming black speck!

The black speck did not dodge—in fact, it accelerated with a flick of its wings, forming a perfect cone shape and plunging straight into the heart of the fireball!

Boom!

A deafening explosion erupted midair, billowing clouds of black smoke. The Blazing Vulture looked triumphant. This fireball had slain countless magical beasts before; the tiny challenger surely had been obliterated, reduced to ashes.

Remembering the delicious meal awaiting beneath the tree, it prepared to turn back—only to see, through the smoke, the black shadow emerging unscathed!

The Blazing Vulture was stunned! Now the two birds were dangerously close, with itself at a disadvantage. If struck by the other's sharp beak, it would surely be crippled or killed. In a split second, it spread its wings wide, ejecting the ring of fiery feathers from its neck, which spun around it. Each feather was connected by thin beams of energy, forming a spherical shield. Simultaneously, it swung its massive tail feathers outward, desperately trying to change its flight path.

A faint hiss—effortlessly, the black shadow pierced the thin magical shield, slicing past the Blazing Vulture like a blade of green light. Instantly, blood sprayed from its abdomen! Fortunately, the vulture’s powerful tail saved it; at the last moment, it shifted sideways by mere centimeters, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow to its gut.

Even so, it was gravely wounded. Not daring to linger, it endured the pain and staggered away in flight. The little black speck did not pursue; in only three seconds, it went from motion to rest, landing lightly on a high branch and issuing a warning cry at the departing Blazing Vulture.

Only when the black shadow stopped did Catherine finally see clearly the “little bird” that had attacked the vulture. It was slightly larger than a domestic rooster, resembling a sparrow in form, with gray-brown plumage accented by patches of pure white. Its wings were short and narrow, pressed tightly against its sides, leaving no gap. Two features stood out: the extraordinarily developed tail feathers, nearly as long as its body, and its glossy, sickle-shaped black beak, gleaming with an unnatural metallic sheen.

This was the Butcher Bird. Despite its fierce reputation, it looked quite unremarkable; a novice might mistake it for an oversized sparrow. Yet the animal corpses strung on the tree served as constant reminders to Catherine not to let her guard down.

Normally, the Butcher Bird would not attack a fellow raptor like the Blazing Vulture. But this time was different. The female had been in heat for over a week, but her catches were insufficient to prove her ability to raise offspring. Thus, no males had been attracted. Frustrated, she suddenly noticed a seemingly helpless mole near her nest.

Though moles were weak, their habit of burrowing made them difficult prey for raptors. The female Butcher Bird was delighted; she knew that displaying a mole’s corpse in her “exhibition tree” would surely attract many males, perhaps allowing her to choose among them.

In this situation, she was determined to claim the mole, making her attack on the Blazing Vulture unsurprising. After her triumphant cry, she looked down—only to nearly faint. The mole that had been feeding leisurely had somehow sneaked away, nearing the rocky area. If it escaped into a crevice, she would have no way to catch it!

Immediately, she launched from the branch, spreading her wings and folding them again, streaking through the air like a streamlined projectile, her sharp beak aimed at the exposed hind legs of the mole!

It was a direct hit! The Butcher Bird’s hooked beak easily pierced the mole’s skin, tearing a deep gash in the muscle. But something felt off. With her vast experience, she noticed there was too little blood. She had hunted many rodents, and a wound to the hind leg artery should have produced much more blood!

As she pondered this, she spotted a snake-like object on the ground, twisting into a loop and aiming to ensnare her.

The Butcher Bird almost laughed—if she could. Did this pathetic snake really think it could entangle her? Did it not know she was the nemesis of all snakes? Her exhibition tree was already adorned with countless snakes, large and small; such trophies could not prove her prowess to prospective mates.

Without thinking, she pecked at the black, coiling thing, not even bothering to move her body. As expected, it snapped instantly, confirming the sharpness of her beak. Ah, why was a female as powerful as she was still unappreciated by the males? Wait—there was another sound, accompanying the snap of the strange snake, like the rush of wind—

The Butcher Bird was suddenly alert! She leapt forward with all her strength. Unfortunately, her talons, unlike those of other raptors, were not as strong; despite her reaction, she felt her tail lighten. After landing, she twisted her head to look back: the left half of her long tail feathers had been sheared away! She must look absolutely hideous now.

Feathers drifted through the air, pain pierced her tail, and fury erupted like a volcano, overwhelming her senses. She opened her bloodied beak and let out a high, enraged screech, then shook her wings and charged at the “bare monkey” who had ambushed her!

Catherine’s expression was solemn. She gripped her dagger in a defensive stance; the Butcher Bird’s reaction was even faster than she’d anticipated! She had suppressed the dagger’s sound to the utmost, attacking precisely as the bird broke the alloy cord, yet even such a stealthy assault hadn’t fooled the bird’s senses.

Fortunately, she had aimed for a non-vital part—the tail, a broad target. Even though the Butcher Bird sensed the attack, it couldn’t fully evade; tail feathers were crucial for controlling flight direction, especially during rapid maneuvers. The longer and more branched the tail, the greater the bird’s agility.

Though the Butcher Bird approached fiercely, Catherine quickly noticed its flight path was unconsciously veering left. Realizing this, her confidence soared.

Her eyesight far surpassed its former limits, and the Butcher Bird, nearly invisible to the naked eye, was now clearly tracked. She even saw it targeting her left shoulder. Reversing her grip, she raised her dagger—clang! The blade collided with the bird’s beak, stunning the Butcher Bird, which lost control of its flight and crashed to the ground, rolling several meters away.

Catherine did not escape harm. A tremendous force struck her hand, acute pain shooting through her palm, forcing her to stagger back several steps, nearly losing her grip on the dagger.

She kept her eyes fixed on the trembling Butcher Bird as it struggled to its feet. Glancing down, she realized her right sleeve had been shredded, and her forearm bore four deep, bloodied claw marks, bleeding profusely.

Ha! Ha ha! This was... this was exhilarating! So much fun!

Catherine raised her right hand, licking the blood from her arm, her eyes gleaming with intoxicated fervor. She paid no heed to her wounds and lunged straight at the Butcher Bird, now holding her dagger in a forward grip!