“A g-g-Griffon…?”

“A Griffon Rider… Am I dreaming right now…?”

What is the ruler of the skies?

Would the answer be a bird-shaped monster?

No, that is incorrect.

Then is the wyvern, capable of mercilessly striking from above, the strongest in the sky?

—That too is incorrect.

The true sovereign of the skies is the Griffon, galloping through the heavens with its powerful four legs and soaring into the sky with its mighty wings.

In aerial combat, no monster in this world surpasses the Griffon.

Among first-rank monsters—those of the highest class—the Griffon possesses a distinct trait.

This creature entrusts its back only to the human it acknowledges as its master.

Thus, only those strong enough to defeat a first-rank monster alone and earn the Griffon’s recognition can ride upon it.

A Griffon Rider—a symbol of both fear and heroism.

Many of the legendary figures who made their names throughout history were Griffon Riders.

One who commands such a powerful creature naturally draws attention, becoming famous in the process.

However, Griffon Riders are exceedingly rare.

It is precisely because heroes do not appear so easily that they are revered as heroes.

The last time a Griffon Rider emerged in the kingdom was long, long ago.

Could the sight before him truly be real?

Rampard rubbed his eyes repeatedly, yet no matter how many times he checked, the scene remained unchanged.

Before him stood a boy who appeared more than a decade younger than himself.

In the adventurer’s world, appearances and actual strength rarely aligned. This boy was likely no exception.

Even when facing the swarm of Amarman and the Merman Kings leading them, the boy remained composed.

His lack of tension stood in stark contrast to everyone else on the battlefield.

“Ivy, Sanshita… let’s do this.”

“Mii!”

“Grrr!”

The turtle on the boy’s shoulder began floating on its own.

Then, suddenly, it started growing in size.

Some monsters possess the ability to alter their body size.

Certain slimes and golems can either shrink or temporarily enlarge themselves beyond their natural size.

However, this turtle’s transformation was far beyond such trivial changes.

Shuuu, shuuu…

The palm-sized turtle rapidly expanded.

It grew to a size that could no longer fit in one hand, then to the point where even two arms could not hold it, and soon it was large enough to carry a person.

But it did not stop there.

Both mermen and humans alike stood speechless, watching the turtle’s unnatural transformation.

It continued growing, and growing, and growing…

Until, finally—

“What… is this…?”

“It’s… way too big…”

It had grown to the size of a mountain.

No, it had not grown.

That was its true size all along.

Could such a creature even be allowed to exist?

Was it truly a monster? Even if it was, this was beyond anything imaginable…

Rampard’s thoughts ground to a halt.

The shock of the turtle’s existence had overshadowed even the presence of the Griffon Rider he had just witnessed.

The turtle let out a single cry, causing the mermen to instinctively recoil.

When the turtle merely shifted its body, the ground trembled, and small fissures formed.

Some adventurers collapsed to the ground in sheer terror.

But no one could blame them.

Rampard himself was no different—just another fool lost in fear.

Before they realized it, both Rampard and Gwimbal noticed that the Griffon Rider boy was now atop the turtle’s back.

Seeing that, it finally dawned on them.

That enormous turtle had once been sitting on the boy’s shoulder.

A boy who commanded both a Griffon and a colossal turtle.

Who in the world was he—?

That was as far as Rampard’s thoughts could go.

“Go, Ivy!”

“MiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!”

The turtle’s cry rang out, and in that instant, the world lost its color.

Blinding light filled every corner of his vision.

He squeezed his eyes shut, but even through his eyelids, the overwhelming brightness made his head spin.

Yet, he could not allow himself to miss this moment.

Forcing his body to obey, Rampard opened his eyes.

And what he saw was an overwhelming radiance.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

Countless magic circles.

Intricate and precise, they spread out both vertically and horizontally.

Those nearby were so bright they illuminated his own body.

Those further away were so distant they were barely visible even when squinting.

All of them pulsed with growing intensity, awaiting the moment of activation.

The mermen did not flee.

They did not tremble in fear.

They merely stood in a daze, staring up at the sky-piercing turtle.

Both humans and monsters alike surely felt the same emotion.

That is—

They were simply outclassed.

Rampard did not just witness the vastness of the world.

He was forcibly made to understand it.

A frog in a well knows nothing of the great ocean.

There is always someone stronger.

Those words echoed in his mind.

He had endured a harsh and treacherous path to become a second-rank adventurer.

He had gained some recognition, and his name had started to spread within the community.

Yet, that confidence shattered into dust before the scene unfolding before him.

Overwhelming power surpasses all else.

“MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!”

The magic circles shone even brighter, unleashing arrows of pure mana.

A simple single-action spell.

Yet the sheer magical energy contained within was terrifying.

Even Rampard, who could only sense a faint trace of mana, felt a shiver run through him.

And the sheer number of arrows… was beyond counting.

ZUDODODODODO!!

“GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!?”

““ANGYAAAAAAAAA!!””

Mana-infused arrows rained down upon the mermen.

It did not matter if they were mermen, Amarman, or even Merman Kings.

Every last monster was pierced in a single blow, their lifeless bodies falling to the ground.

In the end, all that remained—was a field of corpses and utter silence.