Reborn into Beast Tamer Clan with Monsters-Only Affinity-Chapter 40: Rage

Gravity pulled him downward with ruthless force, and just when he thought it was the end—

CRASH!

Axelius slammed into the thick canopy of a massive tree, the branches snapping beneath his weight, each one slowing his fall with a sharp, bone-rattling jolt. "Guh—ahh!" he groaned, the air punched out of his lungs as branch after branch cracked under him, sending splinters and leaves flying. Finally, his stomach collided with a particularly thick branch, the impact hard enough to make him cough out blood.

"Haaah...haaah...damn...it..." Axelius gasped, his hands instinctively clutching the branch as he dangled there, his feet swaying in the empty air below. His fingers trembled, his muscles aching with the effort to hold on. But he did. With a grunt of determination, he pulled himself up, crawling onto the thick wood and collapsing onto it, breathing heavily.

Blood smeared his lips, his hair was disheveled, and his body throbbed with pain, but he was alive. For now. He leaned back against the trunk, coughing a bit more blood onto his sleeve. His yellow eyes were sharp and furious as he looked up, watching the wyverns circling the mansion like vultures.

"Why..." Axelius spat blood onto the leaves beside him, eyes narrowing. "Why dare you make me bleed like this?!"

Axelius stood on the thick branch, shadows coiling around his body like living tendrils. His eyes blazed with molten gold, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The wyverns circled above the mansion, their screeches echoing through the forest, and Axelius’s patience finally snapped.

"AAAHHH! YOU FUCKING WYVERNS!" he roared, his voice shaking the leaves around him.

Rage boiled in his veins, spilling out through the black aura that seeped from his skin. It coiled upward, spiraling around his body, thickening the air with dark energy. The tattoo on his back shimmered, pulsing in rhythm with his fury.

Then, with a guttural roar that shook the very branches beneath his feet, Axelius released a wave of dark energy that rippled through the air.

A shiver of fear swept over the wyverns, their wings faltering mid-flight. The goblins riding atop them screeched in panic, their eyes wide with terror. One by one, the wyverns began to shake uncontrollably, their screeches turning desperate.

"What...what is happening?" one of the guards shouted from the courtyard, his eyes wide with shock as the massive creatures began to plummet from the sky.

With sickening thuds, the wyverns crashed to the ground, shaking the earth beneath them. Dust and debris shot up with every impact, scattering leaves and splintering stone. Goblins were thrown from their mounts, screeching wildly as their twisted bodies hit the ground, motionless.

"Retreat! RETREAT!" the goblins shrieked in their guttural tongue, scrambling over each other in desperation. But it was too late.

A strange, almost ethereal phenomenon began to take place. From the fallen bodies of the wyverns and goblins, faint streams of white smoke began to rise. It drifted upward, swirling slowly before streaking through the air—unseen by anyone except for the creatures themselves.

Guards and onlookers alike stared in confusion, whispers breaking out among the ranks. "Why are they just falling from the sky?" one asked, bewildered. "Did someone fire a cannon?"

"No...I didn’t see anything..." another replied, eyes darting around nervously.

Meanwhile, the pale wisps of smoke traveled, drawn toward a single source—Axelius. They streaked through the sky and coiled around him, disappearing into his body with a faint, almost imperceptible shimmer. Axelius’s eyes fluttered closed for a moment, his breathing ragged, but he stood taller. His aura flared brighter, the shadows wrapping around him growing thicker and darker.

Owen, bouncing nervously on the ground, stared up with wide eyes. "Someone ....is sucking them off, Wait! Is it Axel?! What’s going on?!"

Axelius stood there, shadows swirling around him like living tendrils of darkness, eyes blazing with molten gold. His aura flared wildly, pouring out more and more of that strange energy.

The wyverns and goblins continued to drop from the sky, crashing into the earth with heavy, bone-shattering impacts. Trees shook from the force, dust rising in thick clouds as the monsters lay lifeless, their essence drained, leaving only husks behind.

"HAHAHAHA!" Axelius laughed madly, His eyes sparkled with a dangerous light, "That’s what you get! That’s what you get for messing with me!" he shouted, his fists clenched tight as if he held their very lives in his hands.

But his laughter was cut short. A sharp, searing pain exploded in his chest. His eyes widened, and he coughed violently, blood splattering onto his hand. His body suddenly felt like it had been hit by a massive wave—bones aching, muscles screaming, and his vision blurring.

"Ugh...wh-what..." he stammered, stumbling back as his knees buckled. His aura flickered, the shadows retreating slightly as he gasped for breath.

His strength gave out entirely, and Axelius began to fall. His eyes fluttered shut, but his grin remained, a wild smile of defiance.

"T-that’s...what you get...for messing with me...hahaha..." His voice grew weaker as the wind rushed past him, his body tumbling toward the earth below.

High above, Vivienne hovered on her phoenix, eyes scanning the battlefield. The massive bird flapped its wings powerfully, its feathers shimmering with bright flames. It let out a loud, piercing screech, its head snapping in one direction.

"What is it?" Vivienne asked, eyes narrowing. The phoenix screeched again, diving sharply to the right.

Her eyes followed the direction, and she gasped, heart clenching. "Axelius..." she whispered, horror spreading across her face as she saw his small body falling from the height of the trees, limbs limp, black hair whipping in the wind.

she lean forward and gripping the phoenix’s feathers. "Faster! We have to get him!"

The phoenix responded instantly, wings flaring as it shot through the air with blinding speed. Trees blurred past, the wind whipping at her hair and cloak as they dove toward the ground. Axelius’s body tumbled closer and closer to the earth, his eyes still closed, that wild grin frozen on his lips.

"Hold on, Axelius! Hold on!" Vivienne cried out desperately. Just as he was about to hit the ground, Phoenix flared its wings wide, a burst of hot wind exploding from its feathers. With one final burst of speed, it swooped under Axelius, catching him gently on its back.

"Got you..." Vivienne breathed out in relief, pulling him securely against her as Phoenix leveled out, soaring back into the sky. Axelius’s head lolled to the side, his breathing faint but steady, his lips still curled into that defiant grin.