Chapter 420 - 399: The Fiend and the Shriek (3)

And beneath its wings, there were no longer crude hooks.

In their place were two rows of custom wooden rails, carrying four slender, fin-tailed new bombs.

This was a "Screamer," meticulously designed by artisans.

To accommodate high-speed dives, the bombs' center of gravity had been recalibrated.

Ola mounted the saddle.

After donning his Goggles, his crimson eyes glinted with an unnatural light in the mist.

Are you ready, old friend?

Ola patted Stuka's neck.

Cut the crap.

There was an unprecedented harshness in Stuka's voice.

My wings are itching.

Then let's fly!

Stuka released its talons from the cliff's edge, its massive body lurching forward.

WHOOSH—

Its huge wings suddenly folded back, pressing tightly against its ribs, and the entire bird contracted into a streamlined warhead.

In that moment, gravity became its accelerator.

Plummeting, accelerating. The howl of the wind sharpened into a piercing whistle.

Just as it was about to hit the valley floor, Stuka subtly adjusted the angle of its wings, slicing into the violent airflow like a hot knife through butter.

"BANG!"

The air was violently compressed and torn, letting out a dull, explosive sound.

Using the terrifying kinetic energy built up from its fall, Stuka traced a breathtaking "J"-shaped curve in the sky, converting its downward velocity into upward momentum.

Then came the power pumped from its modified heart.

Powerful pectoral muscles drove its wings in violent beats, each flap like an explosion in the air. It bit into the airflow, tore through the clouds, and surged toward the heavens.

Fast.

Too fast.

Altitude: five thousand.

The data on the hive terminal pulsed.

Altitude: eight thousand.

Altitude: ten thousand.

The air here was so thin it was suffocating, and the cold wind cut like a knife against the skin.

But Ola didn't feel the cold.

The potion in his body was burning, his blood boiling.

The world below became minuscule, the mountains and rivers like toys on a sand table.

Hang on tight, shorty.

Stuka's voice held a hint of a smile.

I'm going down.

It folded its wings, flipped its body over, and went head-down.

In that moment, gravity became its ally.

Plummeting.

Ola could only feel the speed increasing, faster and faster.

The sound of the wind vanished, replaced by an ever-loudening shriek of tearing air.

"SCREEEEE—!!!"

The airflow shredded at the edges of Stuka's wings, forming a white shockwave behind it.

Ola felt an invisible giant hand pressing fiercely against his chest, trying to squeeze his internal organs out through his back.

His vision began to go dark.

But his crimson eyes remained locked on the ground.

He saw the wooden buildings on the ground, set up as targets.

He also saw the glow of the defensive Arrays lighting up.

'Too slow.'

In the face of absolute speed, the once-deadly Crossbow Arrows and Magic seemed to crawl like snails.

"This is... power!"

Ola laughed maniacally, spreading his arms to welcome the oncoming gale.

"SCREEE—BOOM!"

Stuka pulled up sharply just five hundred meters from the ground.

The immense g-force made the bones in its wings creak and groan, but its reinforced heart pumped out a massive amount of power, forcefully withstanding the strain.

It skimmed across the ground like a white blade.

Following close behind was the dropped "Screamer."

And the delayed sonic boom.

"BOOM!!!"

The target range on the ground was flattened.

Not by the bomb.

The shockwave generated by Stuka's pull-up alone had blasted the wooden huts into splinters.

Ola glanced back at the ruins behind him.

He pressed his communicator and spoke to the man who had been monitoring the data.

"Sir."

"Hector's turtle shell... we're about to crack it."

「Meanwhile.」

Velin lowered his binoculars, listening to the world-shaking scream coming from the distance.

He picked up the red tea at his side and took a gentle sip.

"This sound."

He watched the white contrail in the sky, his fingers tapping lightly on the rim of his cup.

"It's beautiful."