The ice bullets found their marks, downing seventeen Purple Missile-beak Birds and wounding over thirty others.
The cluster of fine sand reached the ground and coalesced back into Robert's usual form, touching down smoothly beside Oliver and quickly joining the fray. With a swift gesture, he gathered his magic energy and conjured a rock spear, then began to strike fiercely at any bird that flew close to him.
Amidst the turmoil - the chaotic flapping of wings and wild arm swinging - Zack posed a question, "Does anyone know why they're called 'Missile-beak' Birds?" His space ring glowed, and a blue metal ball appeared in his hand. He hurled the bomb high up into the air at any Missile-beak birds he could make out, and it detonated in a blast of freezing air that encased five of the birds in a solid sheet of ice. The frozen birds plummeted to the ground, shattering into pieces upon impact. "Well, do either of you have any idea?!" He asked again.
"No, we don't!" Oliver and Robert responded almost in unison.
As if to answer the question, the purple birds performed an awe-inspiring stunt. Synchronously, the Purple Missile-beak birds soared to an altitude of fifty feet, executed a flawless turn, and then plummeted downwards, their three-inch long, cone-shaped beaks pointed precariously at the trio. With wings tucked back and tail feathers splayed out, their compact heads blending seamlessly with their neck and body contours, the Purple Missile-beak birds bore a missile-like resemblance as they dived towards their targets.
"Oh God, I think that's why!" exclaimed Zack, evidently awestruck by birds' the aerial assault technique. The birds swooped in from all directions, some at a diagonal angle, others at a sharp ninety 90-degree angle, their beaks poised to be driven into their enemies as they crashed into their body.
"Ice dome!"
"Earth wall!"
"Uh... my armor!"
Zack thought it was pretty cool to call out the names of his devices before using them, as if he was casting a spell.
Oliver's Ice dome encased him in a protective sphere, covering all sides and even above him. In contrast, Robert's Earth wall only shielded him from a single direction, leaving him exposed to attacks from other angles, including from above. Zack meanwhile, felt secure in his rugged brown armor, which covered his entire body. As the birds closed in, Robert glanced at the other two and realized he was the only one without full protection. He swiftly switched to his original element and conjured a Lightning fence around himself, and although he know the birds would easily breach the fence, he felt he needed to appear like the others... well-protected.
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom.
The birds darted around, their movement accompanied by loud swooshing sounds. Zack was confident that any Missile-beak bird that struck his armour would end up with a severe brain injury, but his confidence was crushed by a sudden three sequenced attack: The first bird's beak slammed against Zack's chest with great force, sending him stumbling backwards. Before he could regain his footing, two more birds swooped in from behind, their beaks striking his back with heavy, pounding blows that left him bent over on the ground, gaping in pain.
Zack was just about to breathe a relived sigh, thinking that the attack had finally let up, when another Missile-beak bird dove down from above, crashing hard against his back with it's beak and slamming him hard onto the ground with a resounding thud. Zack groaned with pain, but then, right before his stunned, helpless and dirt stained face, the bird merely shook it's head, spread it's wings, and soared back up into the air; as if it hadn't just slammed headfirst into his armored back, which was essentially a solid metal barrier!
Zack lay motionless on the forest floor, cursing his late realization that the birds were stronger and faster than he'd anticipated. The multi-angle attack had left him with two overwhelming sensations - searing pain in his back and chest, and a crushing feeling of powerlessness. Dazed and disoriented, Zack was unable to muster the strength or will to rise from the ground, let alone move a muscle to rub his chest or aching back. He simply laid there, his rough brown metal armor blending with the surrounding soil. "Argh," he groaned, teeth clenched in pain. "I truly didn't see that coming!"
Oliver and Robert were not faring any better. Oliver's Ice dome was under ceaseless bombardment, with the Missile-beak birds launching a relentless barrage of attacks, slamming against the dome repeatedly with their beaks. But despite their efforts, breaching Oliver's dome proved to be a real piece of work, however their persistent assaults steadily chipped away at the ice, bit by bit. Oliver tried to repair the damage with his magic energy, but he couldn't keep up with the furious beaks raining down on his dome.
Eventually, one of the Missile-beak birds managed to strike its beak through the weakened barrier, but it became lodged. The other birds persisted in their attack, completely unaware that one of their own had breached a small opening in the dome. The stuck bird thrashed about, struggling violently to free itself. The frantic movement caused cracks to appear across the dome, and it expanded as the bird continued to struggled desperately. Oliver's Ice dome neared collapse.
Oliver promptly noticed the menace that had breached his shield, its beak still lodged in the hole, and swiftly took advantage of the situation. With a flick of his wrist, he conjured a burst of ice dust from his palm, which encased the bird in a thick layer of ice, both inside and outside the dome, effectively turning it into an ice statue, becoming a part of the dome itself. However, the other Missile-beak birds continued their assault, and eventually, the dome was shattered into fragments. They then descended upon Oliver, their beaks mercilessly stabbing and piercing his skin, and blood began to flow. Oliver let out a pained grunt, and to prevent further injury, he let Xolomon take over immediately. His skin froze and began to swell as he shifted into the form of a hulking Ice elemental. His body made entirely of ice, Xolomon was largely impervious to the birds' attacks.
Xolomon was vulnerable to injury from ice shards breaking off his skin during attacks, but his regenerative ability, while not close to Poison's in terms of speed and effectiveness, wasn't average either. Nevertheless, the Purple Missile-beak Birds would face immense difficulty to chip off even a small fragment of ice from his body. Only Legendary wizards of at least third-rank could cast spells powerful enough to shatter a significant amount of ice from his form, and even if Xolomon was reduced to fragments by an exceptionally potent spell - most likely one of Supreme level, although Oliver's physical body wouldn't survive, Xolomon's soul could still regenerate a new 'Ancestor soul' form from any ice substance, ensuring his continued existence.
On Robert's side of the chaotic battlefield, every Lightning fence he erected had been quickly overwhelmed and destroyed, leaving him exposed to the Missile-beak birds' ferocious attacks. His arms were now pockmarked with multiple bleeding wounds, and a deep cut had opened up his thigh, visible through a long tear in his black trousers, where the birds had narrowly grazed him. Robert struggled to fight them off, but eventually, one of the birds collided with his face - Luckily, with it's body and not it's beak - and the impact sent him tumbling across the ground, where he landed with a thud beside Zack, who, despite having fully recovered from the initial assault he sustained, remained motionless on the ground, watching the frenzy with a shocked expression.
Robert rubbed his nose to ease the pain from the collision. Shaking his head to clear his dazed senses, Robert looked around, and his gaze fell upon Oliver, now transformed into Xolomon, who was valiantly fighting off the unrelenting onslaught of hundreds of sharp beaks. Robert breathed a weary sigh.
Watching Xolomon fight, Robert suddenly had an epiphany - he and Oliver relied too heavily on their Ancestor souls in combat. This reliance, he mused, could limit their capacity to directly gain the experience benefits needed to facilitate their advancement. He began to ponder what their true capabilities would be without the aid of their Ancestor souls or their magic, and knew only one way to find out.
"Hey, Oliver!" Robert called out to Xolomon, who turned to look down at him, a hint of confusion in his eyes. 'This kid does not understand the difference between me and Oliver?!' Xolomon wondered.
"I bet you can't survive this without Xolomon's help!" Robert challenged, slowly getting to his feet. The birds swooped in once more, but Robert shut his eyes and focused on his Lightning magic energy, allowing it to course through his body. The birds' beaks pummeled his skin, but he stood steadfast, the wounds healing rapidly, and Poison's powers working to dull the pain.
He remained still for a few more seconds, and then...
Sorry, no then yet.
"Lightning Shock!" Robert yelled suddenly, thrusting his hands outward. A burst of electricity radiated from him, engulfing the surrounding area and electrifying every bird within a 5-meter radius. Despite most of them being level seven creatures in adulthood, the Purple Missile-beak Birds had a vulnerability - their skin and feathers were not as resilient as that of regular level seven creatures. While their beaks strengthened and wings expanded with age, granting them enhanced flight and attack capabilities, their defensive capabilities remained as weak and vulnerable as that of level two beasts, leaving them highly susceptible to Robert's Lightning attack.
A cluster of Purple Missile-beak Birds crashed to the ground, their bodies twitching as electricity coursed through them - victims of Robert's Lightning shock spell. Robert cast a swift glance at Xolomon, then a brilliant bolt of lightning materialized in his hand. "Lightning Strike!" he exclaimed, releasing the bolt of lightning, and it cackled through the air.
The lightning bolt struck a Purple Missile-beak Bird, piercing through its body and continuing on to strike another bird, and then another, before finally dissipating into magic particles. The Lightning element's notorious penetrative power allowed Robert to exploit the birds' vulnerable defense, taking down three birds with a single Lightning strike. He couldn't help but think of a popular saying, "Striking two Hinkies with a single dart," and chuckled to himself, "I just killed three magic birds with one damn Lightning strike!"
The Missile-beak birds immediately turned their fury on Robert, apparently infuriated by his sudden slaughter of their comrades. Overwhelmed by the sheer number of attackers - over five hundred beaks closing in - Robert attempted to conjure a Lightning fence for protection. But just as he was about to, a rapid volley of golden arrows materialized and shot up at the diving birds, striking and killing a substantial number of them. Each arrow struck multiple targets, cutting down the birds in droves. Those that weren't hit quickly spread their wings and fled in disarray.
Robert turned to trace the source of the Light arrows, and his gaze landed on Oliver, whose face was set in a resolute expression as he gathered his magic energy. "I'm gonna prove you wrong!" Oliver declared. While the Light arrows had whittled down the flock, hundreds - or probably a thousand of the birds still zipped around them, their relentless pecking and battering showing no signs of abating.
Zack, just then, rose to his feet, adjusting his absurd, rough, brown armor with great discomfort. His space ring glowed and a red, considerably large gun - too large for his hands anyway - materialized in his hand.
"Umm... Zack's Laser Gun!" he yelled, earning himself incredulous looks from Oliver and Robert.
"C'mon guys, can't I yell the name of my device before using it, like you guys do with your spells?" He asked, defensively. Ignoring their looks, he positioned his finger on the trigger and squeezed firmly, and the gun unleashed a scorching red laser beam that emitted an intense, almost palpable heat, it's precarious energy radiating outwards with such force that even Oliver and Robert, who where standing meters away, could feel it's presence.
"Watch this!" Zack shouted enthusiastically above the din, then he directed the laser gun at a tight cluster of the Purple Missile-beak birds in the sky. The moment he fired, the air was filled with the anguished squawks of the birds and the acrid smell of burnt flesh.