Chapter 69: Sky Battle Between the Dragon and the Eagle

Draxel took a battle stance. The Wolf King Sword in his hand emanated a chilling and aggressive killing intent.

“Don’t underestimate him, Draxel. I sense this guy won’t be easy to deal with,” said Safiya.

With her keen instincts, she could tell that this was a seasoned warrior with exceptional skills.

In the blink of an eye, the giant eagle swooped down on Lein, its talons aiming for the little dragon’s neck!

“Roar! You lowly creature, how dare you provoke the strongest of the dragon clan. Prepare to die!”

Although Lein was not yet fully grown, he had developed significantly since his first battle with Valkyrie Tian Yan. He was now almost as tall as Draxel, standing at about 1.85 meters and weighing nearly 200 pounds. However, compared to the giant eagle, he was still smaller by several sizes.

But dragons were inherently proud and untamed. They were always the aggressors and never the ones to be provoked. It was an insult beyond tolerance.

Just as the eagle’s talons were about to grab Lein’s neck, Lein let out a fierce roar. He spat several fireballs from his mouth, aiming at the eagle.

The sudden fireballs took the eagle by surprise. It dodged the first two, but the third hit its right wing.

The fireball scorched a large patch of feathers, leaving the area bloody and raw. The eagle, in pain and with a damaged wing, wobbled unsteadily in the air.

Seeing this, Draxel couldn’t help but taunt.

“What’s the matter? Did you have a drink? You’re wobbling like a drunkard flying a plane. Lein, hit it again! Tonight, we feast on eagle meat. I’ve never tried it before, let’s enjoy a new delicacy.”

Draxel’s incessant banter and taunts fired up Lein’s fighting spirit. With renewed vigor, the dragon soared toward the eagle, ready to bite its injured wing off.

But the giant eagle wasn’t a pushover. Even in a disadvantaged position, it didn’t retreat but instead prepared for a fierce counterattack. As Lein lunged at it, the eagle suddenly rolled to the right. Lein missed.

At that moment, the eagle retaliated, pecking fiercely at Lein’s exposed back.

“Roar! Argh!” Lein’s anguished cry echoed across the land.

Lein had underestimated the eagle. He was too confident in his attack and neglected his defense. The eagle’s beak struck true, leaving Lein’s back bleeding profusely. His blood dripped from the sky.

Draxel’s heart sank. This aerial battle was turning into a drawn-out, exhausting fight. Lein, lacking combat experience, was at a disadvantage in terms of stamina, attack, and defense timing.

If this continued, it was likely that Lein would eventually lose.

While Draxel was considering how to help Lein, the stranger who had been at a distance had already closed in.

“Getting distracted on the battlefield, Draxel? You really don’t deserve to be a Count. Prepare to die!” 

The stranger, exuding an overwhelming aura, swung his battle axe directly at Draxel’s head.

“Clang!” Draxel reacted quickly, blocking the blow with the Wolf King Sword. The clash of weapons echoed loudly.

This blow left Draxel’s hands numb. He almost dropped his sword. The stranger’s strength was immense, far from ordinary.

Before Draxel could react, the stranger launched a second attack. He withdrew the axe with his right hand and immediately caught it with his left, slashing at Draxel’s side.

Draxel, being right-handed, was forced to block the reverse slash with his weaker left hand.

Another loud and fierce clash rang out.

Using his weaker left hand, Draxel barely managed to block the powerful strike. The cost was that he was left defenseless against the third attack that followed immediately.

“You’re easier to handle than I thought, Draxel. Your skills don’t match your 10,000 denars bounty at all.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the stranger kicked Draxel’s knee, causing him to stumble forward, exposing his back and neck.

Seizing this rare opportunity, the stranger gripped his axe with both hands and aimed for Draxel’s neck. He was ready to deliver a fatal blow.

In a moment of desperation, Safiya, from a distance, drew her bow and fired three arrows in rapid succession to aid the Count. The stranger had to choose. Kill Draxel and die from the arrows or defend himself.

“Damn it, this woman is such a nuisance!” 

He used his axe to deflect the arrows, giving Draxel a chance to catch his breath. Seizing the moment, Draxel punched the stranger’s warhorse in the eye.

The horse cried out in pain, bucking wildly and throwing the stranger off.

“I might not be able to beat you, but I can beat your horse. Ever heard of ‘shoot the horse first to capture the rider’?” Draxel taunted, emboldened by his allies’ support.

The stranger scrambled to his feet, his axe flung far away. Now unarmed, he was at the Count’s mercy. Just as he tried to flee, Draxel pressed the Wolf King Sword to his throat.

While Draxel might struggle in a one-on-one duel, he thrived in group battles. Draxel relied on three things: being shameless, having a sharp tongue, and having many allies.

To prevent any surprises, Safiya shot another arrow, killing the stranger’s warhorse. Even if he wanted to escape, he couldn’t get far now.

Safiya then turned her attention to the giant eagle in the sky to help Lein bring it down.

“Enough, I surrender. Please spare my eagle. Little M, stop fighting the dragon and come down.” 

With the situation was hopeless, the stranger chose to give up.

The eagle, seeing its master captured, lost its will to fight and obediently landed, no longer moving.

“Safiya, help Lein bandage his wounds. We’ll properly treat him when we get back to town. Now, kid, I’m a reasonable man. Answer my questions honestly, and I’ll spare you and your eagle. How about that?”

“Defeated, I am at your mercy. Ask away, and I’ll tell you what I know.”