Just as Yavi leaped high into the air, ready to land on the griffin's back, a cunning gleam flashed in its eyes as its scheme succeeded. Yavi immediately sensed trouble and formed Quen Defense Signs in midair with his left hand. He had only just finished casting when the griffin thrust its raised eagle head viciously toward him. Suspended in the air with nothing to push off against, Yavi could not dodge and could only hold his silver sword across his chest. The newly formed defensive Signs shattered instantly like paper. Without losing any momentum, the beak stabbed viciously toward Yavi's chest. He hurriedly blocked with his silver sword, but it did almost nothing. The blade bent instantly, and the beak struck him through the sword, sending him flying.
Yavi hurtled backward like a kite with its string cut. The tremendous force made him plow a furrow two or three meters long through the ground before he barely came to a stop. Sprawled on the ground, he retched up a great mouthful of blood, with tiny fragments of shattered organs visible in it. The spectators behind him cried out in alarm. Elena covered her small mouth, afraid she would scream, while Marvin clenched both hands into fists that trembled slightly. He kept muttering, as though praying or cheering Yavi on.
Seeing Yavi gravely wounded on the ground, the griffin charged toward him with all its strength. Each footfall landed so heavily that the whole stretch of ground trembled slightly. Watching the griffin rush toward him, Yavi no longer had the strength to stand. His left hand traced one strange gesture after another before he pointed at the griffin. A pale green, inverted triangular Sign appeared in the air, then silently dissipated. As it faded, the running griffin gradually slowed, then stood rooted to the spot in a daze. Its proudly raised eagle head drooped, swaying limply from side to side.
Seizing the opportunity, Yavi reached into the air and grasped two potions: one a cloudy, pure white liquid, the other clear and pink. With difficulty, he bit the stopper out of the white potion and downed it in one gulp. Tossing the empty bottle aside, he immediately let out a groan, whether from pain or its relief was unclear. With that potion in his stomach, he immediately felt much of his strength return, and the intense pain throughout his body rapidly eased. After standing, he unscrewed the other, pink potion and drained that as well. This time, he merely gave a soft hiss. The pure white potion he had just drunk was White Raffard's Decoction, which could rapidly heal extensive injuries in the shortest possible time. The pink one was the witchers' most classic Swallow Potion, which accelerated the healing of injuries and was suited to sustained combat.
After drinking the two potions, Yavi's face also showed a reaction to them. His pupils turned pure black, and raised black veins spread around his eyes. Seeing that the griffin was still unconscious, he formed an Igni Flame Sign with his left hand, heated the bent silver sword, and slowly straightened it. He then held it upright to inspect it. Once he saw that it had returned to its original shape, he reached out and grasped a bottle of slightly viscous-looking liquid, a sword oil commonly used by witchers. He poured half the bottle into his hand and spread it evenly over the silver blade. By the time his preparations were complete, the griffin was slowly waking from its stupor. Despite all the things Yavi had just done, less than five seconds had passed in total. To buy himself those five seconds, the Axii Control Signs he had formed had nearly drained the surrounding magical elements dry. Casting another Igni Flame Sign to restore his blade had made those elements even scarcer. There were now probably only enough magical elements in the area for Yavi to cast three Signs.
By now, the griffin had fully regained consciousness. Seeing Yavi, whom it had gravely wounded, standing there as though nothing had happened left it slightly puzzled. But that hardly mattered to it. If I could gravely wound you once, I can do it a second time. It gave another eagle shriek and charged at Yavi. This time, Yavi was already fully prepared. Raising his silver sword coated in Hybrid Oil, he readied himself to fight the griffin at close quarters.
When the griffin reached Yavi, it did not attack. Instead, it beat its wings to stir up great clouds of dust, creating a smokescreen to obstruct his vision. Though Yavi had cut away half its left wing, it could still serve some purpose. The swirling dust made it difficult for Yavi to keep his eyes open. The griffin could locate him by his scent, while Yavi could clearly perceive its every movement through his Witcher Senses.
Once it had located Yavi, the griffin unleashed its classic attack, Beak Thrust, and Yavi swung his longsword to meet the stabbing beak. Fierce sparks flashed through the dust, as dazzling as fireworks in the night. More sparks burst through the dust in rapid succession, accompanied by the clanging of metal. The exchanges between man and beast stirred up powerful currents of air that slowly dispersed the dust around them. Just as they came into each other's view, the griffin saw a round sphere rolling toward it along the ground. Though it did not know what the object was, it instinctively sensed danger. It had just tried to flap its wings and evade when tremendous heat and a powerful impact erupted beneath it. The shock wave jolted its entire body upward, followed by agonizing pain throughout its internal organs. Blood flowed continuously from the corners of its beak. Only now did the griffin realize how terrifying the human before it was. Their several clashes had left it thwarted again and again, while its sole effective attack had failed to kill him. For the first time since it had begun attacking humans, it entertained the thought of fleeing.
Yavi seemed to see that the griffin had no will to keep fighting and immediately strode toward it. Seeing him charge like a cannonball, the griffin hurriedly beat its wings, trying to take flight, but Yavi would not give it the chance. A pale green veil of light appeared around him again, and his speed instantly surged. Before the griffin could take off, he had climbed onto its body. It hastily flapped its wings and rose into the air, planning to throw him off high above the ground. Yet it had barely taken flight when Yavi slammed the Aard Impact Signs formed in his left hand into its head. The griffin plunged to the ground, its tremendous momentum sending it sliding four or five meters before it gradually stopped, right in front of Marvin and the others. Yavi strode forward and planted his left foot hard on its head. Holding his sword in both hands, he pressed its point against the griffin's eye. If it dared make a single reckless movement, he would instantly pierce its brain. Seeing that Yavi had defeated the griffin, Marvin and the others erupted in thunderous cheers. With dust billowing behind him, the sight of Yavi standing before them with his foot on the griffin's head struck them with tremendous visual force. As Elena looked at him now, she felt he was like a god. At that moment, his figure seemed so tall and imposing in her heart that she would probably never be able to forget the young man before her.
"I'm giving you one last chance! Accept my terms! Or die..."