The Sky Grimoire shook again as another Thunder Roc slammed into its mana shield. The beast's eyes were glowing with predatory lightning.
Spark, in his Draconic Werelion form, roared. The draconic wings on his back, summoned by his [Dragon Wings] crestmagic, unfurled.
"Lightning! Use lightning!" Spark's instruction cut through the noises. He launched himself from the deck. His powerful legs propelling him upwards.
The Thunder Roc was still reeling from the impact. It turned its beady gaze towards him.
Spark didn't hesitate. He instant-casted his crestmagic spell, [Elemental Coating]. Imbuing his massive fists and forearms with crackling electric spark. Lightning Element.
This wasn't just random decision. It was a calculated assessment. Controlled lightning magic could easily overload the Rocs' own inherent bio-electricity.
Spark's left hook connected with the beast's head. A concussive thunderclap echoed. And the Roc, already a conduit for natural lightning, spasmed violently.
Its internal energy systems shorted out. Its plumage smoking. It shrieked. A sound more of malfunction than pain. And tumbled down. A dead weight. Towards the distant sea below.
Lilith grinned. A predatory flash appeared in her eyes. "Understood, Master!"
Her Tri-Element Handgun was previously spitting fire, ice, and lightning randomly. It was now fired with focused precision. Each bullet that left the barrel was a pure bolt of condensed electrical energy.
A trio of Rocs swooped in from the starboard side. Lilith, faster than sight, snapped off three shots.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The first bullet lanced through a Roc's wing joint. Electrocuting its flight mechanism.
The second struck another in the chest. Causing it to seize up mid-flight. Shocked and paralyzed.
The third perfectly entered a diving Roc's open beak. Surged through its throat. Causing its entire body to convulse. And then explode in a shower of feathers and acrid smoke.
Ivy's small frame braced against the deck railing. She let out another cackle. "Get some of this, feathery freaks!"
Her grenade launcher coughed. Spitting grenades towards the oncoming flock. These weren't her standard explosive grenades.
She had swiftly reloaded with her experimental electric grenades. Alchemy grenades filled with volatile compounds. One that reacted violently with air to release concentrated, unstable bursts of electricity.
Three more Rocs were caught in the ensuing explosions. Twisted and spasmed. Their powerful wings were suddenly uncontrolled. They thrashed uselessly. Sending them tumbling. One even collided with another Roc. Sending both spiraling down.
The sky was a maelstrom of screeching birds. Crackling lightning. And the rhythmic, powerful thrum of Melody and Serenade's lutes.
Serenade's new 'Sky of Miracles' song, inspired by their experience facing the storm that later led them to encounter the ghost ship, was unleashed here.
Hers focused on disruption. Her melody permeated the air. A rhythmic hum that actively disturbed the Thunder Rocs' natural control over their elemental affinity. Their lightning power became wild and unpredictable. Often striking their own kind. Or dissipating harmlessly before reaching the Sky Grimoire's shields.
Melody's counter-melody was a soaring, vibrant tune. One that empowered Spark and the others. Their movements became sharper. Their reactions turned quicker. And their own elemental attacks gained an unexpected additional punch.
Scarlett, meanwhile, was a silent, lethal hunter. Her eldritch handgun was normally a source of dark energy. It was now channeling the raw, buzzing energy of her gu-insects. Imbuing each shot with a microscopic swarm.
She wasn't bothering with incapacitation. She was going for full, biological breakdown. A charging Roc suddenly lurched. Scarlett's shot had found its mark.
The tiny, ferocious insects burrowed into the Roc's nervous system. They were bred for their rapid consumption.
The Roc shrieked. A sound of profound agony. Its insides were devoured, while it was still alive. Its body, still in flight, began to hollow out. Before collapsing into the distant sea below.
Another Roc, sensing opportunity, attacked the reloading Scarlett. Only to be struck by Scarlett's Forcefield Buckler. A shimmering energy barrier that deflected its talons. And sent it reeling into the path of an incoming lightning grenade from Ivy.
Spark was a whirlwind of destruction. His Draconic Werelion form was intimidating and efficient. The sheer brute force of his blows, combined with the coating of lightning magic, was a nightmare for the enemies. It made short work of any Roc that came within striking distance.
He used his immense strength to rip wings from bodies. To snap necks with a single, brutal twist. He wasn't elegant. He was a blunt instrument of death.
He would lock onto a Roc. Use his powerful wings to match its speed. And then unleash a devastating, lightning-infused punch. One that would cause the creature to pop like an overcharged capacitor.
More than a dozen Rocs had already fallen. Their inert forms plummeting into the churning waves far below.
"They're not learning!" Lilith shouted over the wind. Her blonde hair whipping around her face.
She switched to [Blackhole Blink]. Appearing directly above a formation of diving Rocs in a chaotic swirl that disturb the flow of mana. Her handgun became a blur. Spitting lightning bullets that crisscrossed the air. Each finding a vital point.
The Rocs were caught off guard. They disintegrated in flashes of blinding light. Lilith reappeared on the deck. Reloading with an almost casual flick of her wrist. "Their sheer numbers are a problem!"
Indeed, more than thirty Rocs had swarmed them. Even with the devastating efficiency of Spark and his women, the sheer aggression of the flock was relentless.
One Roc managed to slip past Spark. Its talons scraping against the Sky Grimoire's shield. Threatening to crack it.
"Not on my watch!" Ivy yelled. Firing a precisely aimed electric grenade. The electric shock instantly incapacitated it. Dropping it lifelessly onto the ship's deck.
Melody and Serenade's song reached a crescendo. A wave of harmonious energy that rippled outwards. It wasn't just weakening the Rocs. It was causing them to falter. Their coordinated attacks breaking down into chaotic, individual lunges.
Spark, suspended in the air by his powerful wings, surveyed the chaotic scene. His eyes quickly identified a particularly larger Roc. Clearly the leader of this particular wave.
It was trying to coordinate its smaller companions. It was thicker. Faster. Its lightning discharge was more violent.
"Got you!" Spark smirked.
With a powerful beat of his wings, he shot forward like a living projectile. The Roc saw him coming. It unleashed a focused blast of raw electricity. Spark met it head-on.
His werelion fur was bristling. His own lightning coated body absorbed and redirected the attack. He plowed through the electrical storm. A grim determination set on his beastlike face.
He closed the distance in a blink. The Roc tried to rake him with its talons. But Spark was too fast. Too strong. He grabbed its massive legs. Ignoring the shocking current that surged through his body.
With a primal roar, he spun. Using the Roc's own momentum against it. And utilizing its large body like a living weapon. Striking nearby Rocs with it. Before he finally hurled the creature downwards with an extreme force.
It was like throwing a boulder from a catapult. The Roc, disoriented and overloaded by Spark's continuous lightning infusion, couldn't recover. It smashed into a smaller Roc below. And both crashed into the sea.
The death of their leader seemed to break the swarm's morale. The remaining Rocs, perhaps a dozen or so, hesitated. Their attacks became less fervent. Their movements became more erratic.
"Push! Don't let up!" Spark commanded, his voice still a powerful rumble. He was already ascending. Looking for stragglers.
Lilith's Tri-Element Handgun spitted lightning. Ivy's launcher threw electric grenades. Scarlett's handgun fired biokinetic bullets. Melody and Serenade's lutes wailed. Playing a song that brought a powerful surge of disruption and empowerment.
Within minutes, the last of the Thunder Rocs was either falling towards the sea. A smoking wrecks on the deck. Or had turned tail and fled. Scattering into the distant cloud banks. The immediate danger had passed.
Spark landed heavily on the deck. His Draconic Werelion form shimmering and then receding. His body shrinking back to his huge, muscled human form.
His black hair was wild. His tanned skin was slightly flushed. But his eyes were sharp and alert. He was breathing heavily, but it wasn't from exertion. It was the lingering adrenaline.
"Status report!" He commanded. His voice quickly returned to its usual deep resonance. "Damage?"
Lilith was already checking the mana shield readings. "Shield integrity at eighty-five percent, Master. Minor scorch marks on the hull. But all superficial. No structural damage."
"Good." Spark grunted. He looked out at the churning sea below. "Any carcasses salvageable?"
Ivy, binoculars to her eyes, peered downwards. "Most of them sank, Master. Or eaten by sea beasts. We might have three... no, four... that were still floating. And three on the decks. Their lightning cores should be intact."
"Better than none." Spark nodded. Lightning Cores were valuable. Not just for arcane power but for Technomind applications. Roc meat was also a delicacy. Though less of a priority.
"Arrow! Lower the ship." He commanded the navigating golem on the stern. "Lilith, prepare grappling hooks and lead the others to retrieve the bodies. Ivy, make sure the cores are handled carefully."