Cold Crow and Three Others Killed; Thanks for Nature's Bounty

Blackfire had just killed the bird of prey controlled by Missionary Will. Using it for another push, he lunged at the other Missionary.

The Mechanical Oscillation Blade in his hand was already swinging, and a scarlet light flashed through his mechanical eye.

"Damn it!" The Missionary watched the Executive come at him in that bizarre way. All the confidence he had shown before setting out was gone.

They might have stood a chance on the ground, but up here in the air, there was nowhere to run.

Still, he was a Missionary of the Aurora Animal Assistance Society. After his initial panic, a ruthless glint appeared in his eyes.

When Blackfire had attacked Missionary Will, he had already made his bird of prey turn around. If he could buy just a little more time, he could escape.

With that thought, the Missionary drew a deep breath. Air rushed into his body as if a whale were swallowing seawater, and his belly swelled like a frightened pufferfish.

In the blink of an eye, the Missionary had become a huge, perfectly round ball.

Just as Blackfire's Mechanical Oscillation Blade was about to strike, the Missionary blasted a powerful stream of air at him. It hit like a wall of wind, cutting Blackfire off from his target.

Blackfire felt the airflow slicing at his body like blades, but it was not strong enough to threaten his mechanical frame.

The two were inches apart, yet Blackfire could not reach him. That last sliver of distance might as well have been a chasm.

At last, the brief upward momentum Blackfire had gained by pushing off the bird of prey ran out, and he began to fall.

The Missionary used that opening and the recoil from his blast of air to speed away.

"Hahaha... Die!" The