Chapter 1262 One assassination, Two Deaths
As the griffin descended upon the town square with ferocity, the air became charged with tension. Borgin and his beast tamers, already exhausted from their prior encounter, readied themselves for combat, their resolve hardened by the sight of the imposing creature. Soldiers, alerted by the ringing alarms, swarmed into the area, their armor clanking with each hurried step.
"Brace yourselves," Borgin ordered, his voice cutting through the charged air as his team scrambled into position.
The ringing alarms alerted soldiers, who swarmed into the area, their armor clanking with each hurried step. "Form up! Protect the city!" the captain shouted, rallying his men into a defensive line against the incoming threat.
On the other hand, the beast tamers, relying on their array of specialized gadgets, launched a barrage of attacks. Nets embedded with weighted edges were hurled towards the griffin, designed to entangle its massive wings and bring it to the ground. Crossbow bolts, tipped with tranquilizers potent enough to subdue lesser beasts, whistled through the air, aiming for the griffin's vital spots.
"Aim for the eyes!" a beast tamer yelled, hoping to incapacitate the mighty creature.
However, the griffin, with its keen senses and agility, evaded the nets, slicing through them with sharp talons that shimmered like steel. The tranquilizer bolts found their mark, but the griffin's formidable constitution rendered them less effective than hoped. However, the griffin, with its keen senses and agility, evaded the nets, slicing through them with sharp talons that shimmered like steel. The tranquilizer bolts found their mark, but the griffin's formidable constitution rendered them less effective than hoped. "Hold the line!" the captain bellowed, but the griffin's powerful beak and claws rended armor as though it were paper.
The soldiers fought valiantly, their swords and spears dancing in the air, aiming to wound the griffin and protect their city. Shields were raised in a futile attempt to fend off the griffin's attacks, but the creature's strength was overwhelming. One soldier, braver than the rest, managed a successful strike, his spear finding a gap in the griffin's feathers and drawing blood. "Got you, you beast!" he exclaimed triumphantly, only to be met with the griffin's swift retaliation.
Yet, the griffin's retaliation was swift and brutal. With a powerful sweep of its wings, it unleashed a gust that knocked several soldiers off their feet, their bodies crashing into the surrounding structures with bone-jarring force. It then focused its attention on Borgin and his team, its eyes burning with a mix of pain and rage.
Despite their preparation, Borgin's team found themselves outmatched. "Use the sonic disruptor, now!" Borgin ordered, hoping to gain an edge. Yet, as the griffin shook off the disorientation, it launched into a frenzied assault. "Fall back!" Borgin cried, realizing the grim reality of their situation.
Observing the unfolding chaos from a distance, Michael analyzed the situation with a cool detachment. The griffin's plight was apparent; it was struggling against the overwhelming force of Borgin's team and the city guards. Yet, Michael's decision to refrain from intervening was calculated. The primary objective remained Borgin's elimination within the contract's time limit, and Michael's reputation for maintaining a 100% assassination success rate was at stake. In his eyes, if the griffin's reckless gambit jeopardized this mission, so be it. The beast's sacrifice would be a necessary cost.
Gaya's emotional response to the griffin's predicament was understandable, given her godly connection to monsters. However, Michael knew that sentiment could not dictate their actions in this critical moment. As the rational counterbalance to Gaya's protective instincts, he focused on manipulating the battlefield to the griffin's advantage, albeit subtly.
"Let's make things harder for them," Michael murmured to himself, seizing the opportunity to turn the tide. He skillfully utilized the debris and dust clouds kicked up by the conflict, adding his own smoke bombs to the fray. These bombs, mixed with those already deployed by the beast tamers, thickened the smoke, disorienting Borgin's team and the soldiers further.
Using his shadow teleportation abilities, Michael then targeted the reinforcements. Buildings along the path of the approaching backup soldiers were made to crumble with precision, blocking their way and cutting them off from joining the battle. This strategic sabotage not only created chaos among Borgin's ranks but also prevented them from overwhelming the griffin with sheer numbers.
Through these calculated interventions, Michael aimed to create a window of opportunity for the griffin. While he remained hidden in the shadows, his actions subtly shifted the odds, allowing the griffin a fighting chance to focus on Borgin without the immediate threat of being outnumbered. On the other hand, Gaya was watching the fierce battle unfold and couldn't help but shout in frustration at the griffin's reckless strategy. "Don't get yourself killed, you dumb fuck," Gaya muttered under her breath, her frustration with the griffin's brazen tactics evident. Yet, as she watched the battle unfold, she couldn't help but notice the griffin's strategy—or, more accurately, its lack thereof. The creature wasn't employing any defensive maneuvers; instead, it was launching itself into the heart of the fray with reckless abandon, focused solely on the offensive.
The soldiers, emboldened by their numbers and the perceived upper hand, landed more and more attacks on the griffin. Their swords and spears found flesh, drawing blood that stained the cobblestones beneath their feet. Yet, for every wound they inflicted, the griffin retaliated with ferocious intensity, its talons and beak a blur of motion that tore through the soldiers' ranks with devastating efficiency.
In the midst of this chaos, Thoric, driven by a mix of courage and rage, saw an opening. With a battle cry that echoed through the town square, he leapt towards the griffin, his weapon raised for a decisive blow. "DIE YOU UGLY FUCK!"
But the griffin, quick to react, snapped its giant beak open, engulfing Thoric in one swift, fatal motion. The sight of the dwarf disappearing into the depths of the griffin's maw sent a shockwave through the onlookers, a grim reminder of the creature's lethal prowess.
Gaya, witnessing the scene, felt a pang of sadness for the griffin's seemingly suicidal determination. It became clear to her that the creature had no intention of retreating or sparing itself. The griffin was willing to die to ensure Borgin's death.
Weakened by the potion they had unknowingly inhaled, Borgin and his team struggled to maintain their usual pace and strength. The effects of the potion, combined with Michael's strategic sabotage from the shadows that effectively cut off any reinforcements, left the beast tamers in a perilous situation.
In the heat of the battle, the old man Davan saw an opportunity. He rushed to where the griffin was preoccupied with Borgin and the others, intending to construct the cage designed for ensnaring rare and powerful creatures—a desperate measure in their life-or-death struggle. However, as he reached for the space ring that contained the cage components, panic set in. "Where... where is it?!" he exclaimed, frantically searching his arm. The realization that the ring was missing sent shock waves through him. "No, no, NO! This can't be happening!" he shouted, his voice laced with disbelief and terror.
Unbeknownst to him, Michael had stealthily removed the ring, leaving Davan powerless to summon the cage. As Davan stood there, reeling from the loss, the griffin's attention shifted. With a swift movement of its tail, the griffin swatted the old man, sending him flying through the air. He landed with a thud, coughing up blood, a clear sign of the severe injury inflicted by the griffin's powerful strike.
Linan, in an attempt to aid, found himself beneath the griffin's crushing weight. The creature's legs, already bleeding from cuts inflicted by the soldiers, bore down on him, crushing him under immense pressure to a pulpy paste.
Borgin, witnessing the dwindling numbers of his team and feeling the weight of his own exhaustion, pushed himself to continue the fight despite not being at his peak. The griffin, seizing the moment, snapped its giant beak towards him. Borgin managed a narrow evasion, but not without cost—the beak caught his shoulder, shattering the bone with a sickening crunch. "Aaargh!" he growled, pain and frustration boiling over as he realized the tide of battle was turning against them.
In a desperate bid to end the battle, Borgin made a bold decision. He retrieved an explosive bomb from his space ring, planning to leap at the griffin in a moment of sacrifice. His strategy was clear: when the griffin opened its beak to consume him, as it had Thoric, he would toss the bomb into its mouth and use a mini crossbow bolt with a grappling hook attached to make his escape. Beast tamers typically resorted to killing beasts only as a last resort, either when the creatures proved too dangerous to capture or when their contract explicitly required it.
"EAT THIS!" As Borgin charged, shouting to draw the griffin's attention, he executed his plan. He tossed the bomb towards the griffin's gaping mouth and fired the grappling hook to reel away. However, Michael, ever watchful from the shadows, intervened. With a precise throw, he cut the line of the grappling hook with a dagger, sabotaging Borgin's escape route.
The bomb met its target, and the resulting explosion was devastating. The force of the blast engulfed the area, catching Borgin in its fiery wrath. The contract may have forbidden Michael and Gaya from using spells directly against their targets, but it said nothing about tampering with the target's equipment, a loophole Michael exploited to deadly effect.
When the smoke and dust began to settle, the aftermath was heart-wrenching. The griffin lay on the ground, its majestic head mangled by the explosion, barely clinging to life, its body bleeding and scorched, with bones gruesomely exposed. The soldiers, though better protected by their armor, were knocked unconscious by the blast's shockwave.
Amidst the chaos, the griffin, with its last breath, seemed to lock its gaze in Gaya's direction. "Look after my kids...protect our kind," it pleaded through a mental connection, entrusting her with the future of its kin. The gravity of the moment, the passing of a guardian, brought a tear to Gaya's eye, a silent vow to honor the griffin's dying wish.
Realizing his danger, Borgin struggled to move away from the collapsing beast. But Michael, from a distance, sealed his fate with a paralyzing dart, ensuring Borgin couldn't escape. With a final, graceless thud, the griffin fell upon the leader of the beast tamer guild, crushing him beneath its weight. The man who had made a career out of taming and hunting beasts met his end under one, an ironic twist that fulfilled the assassin's contract to the letter.
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