Asher, seeing the incoming attack, didn't bother summoning an Astra barrier to defend. The memory of the bird's first strike, which had already cracked his shield earlier, lingered in his mind. Nor did he raise his rapier to parry. Instead, he relied on sheer mobility. The circular platform beneath his leg shot sideways at his command, and in an instant his form streaked across the sky, weaving away from the storm of death aimed at him.
But the bird was far from finished. The metallic feathers it had unleashed were no ordinary projectiles. They possessed a sinister quality, a homing ability that allowed them to twist and curve midair, as though bound to Asher's presence. Or perhaps the monster itself retained control over them, its will commanding them to pursue their target relentlessly. Whatever the truth, the moment Asher evaded, the feathers altered their paths with frightening ease, following after him in a streak of murderous red light.
