"Caw, caw, caw-"
The pitch-black crows let out harsh, grating cries.
They beat their wings, gradually closing in on the sunflowers growing toward the sun, their red eyes brimming with greed and desire.
To magical beasts, food so full of vitality and pure solar mana was an irresistible temptation.
Led by their leader, the flock had watched for a long, long time. Only when the castle's master finally left did they eagerly fly over.
With no mage to stop them.
At that moment, all they could see were those delicious sunflower seeds!
The crow leader cawed joyfully and was the first to dive. Despite being a crow, it swooped down with all the imposing force of an eagle.
It fixed its gaze on the largest crimson sunflower seed, seemingly already imagining how delicious it would taste.
But joy always gave way to sorrow. The sunflowers seemed to sense the intruders, turning their flower heads in unison to aim at the crows.
They were like magical constructs-anti-aircraft cannons that had detected an enemy incursion.
Golden streams of light flowed from the sunflower seeds into the petals, taking shape there and lighting up one by one before finally joining into a circular pattern of magic runes.
"Caw?" The crow leader immediately sensed something was wrong. Its wealth of experience told it there was probably danger here, and it tried to turn and flee at once.
But before the crow leader could escape-
With a whoosh-
Eleven long-charged Sunflare Rays shot out, converging into an even more dazzling golden pillar of light that struck the crow leader in an instant.
It did not even have time to scream. Its glossy black feathers were completely consumed by flames, and it plummeted to the ground, truly reduced to charcoal.
Under the crimson sunflower's influence, the