Discordant Note: Crescendo | TBATE

Chapter 290: Anchor

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Toren Daen

As the world rushed by me, I pulled my mana signature inward and measured my heartbeat. I doubted these mages had spotted us by our mana signatures in the first place, considering a massive metal bird in the sky was the sort of thing that garnered attention. But that meant that my upcoming attack wouldn't be detected.

My breathing was calm and steady as I slowly picked up speed, the earth's gravity pulling me lower and lower in her tyrannical clutches.

The terminal velocity of a person falling through the air averaged out to around one hundred and twenty miles per hour. If one made themselves more aerodynamic, then one might reach two hundred miles per hour as the wind whistled past their ears.

But as I used an application of sound magic to strip the wind resistance from my body, I felt myself begin to accelerate even faster by the second. Five seconds... Ten...

I sensed that the twelve riders had halted in a specific formation right below the clouds, fanning out in a maneuver that would have boxed Aurora and Cylrit in perfectly as they ascended. Furthermore, I got the vague impression they were... aiming something at the clouds from Sonar Pulse.

One silver core mage, the rest yellow core, I thought. This won't be as simple as I first expected.

But that wouldn't stop me. I thrust from the clouds like a bullet, trailing streams of mist as my eyes flashed. I immediately focused on the silver-core mage—a burly woman with short blonde hair and intent that radiated ferocity. Her bond—which looked like some sort of cross between a bird and a bat with long, razor-sharp wings—screeched as it tried to pull back.

She saw me too late as I emerged from the clouds like a reaper of souls. She swung her staff, a fifteen-foot tall tornado gyre of wind surging towards me in an attempt to intercept.

A wind mage, I thought, my focus narrowing. Then she's more likely to survive what's coming.

I shifted to the side, letting the tornado roar past me. This slowed my momentum, unfortunately, giving the other mages time to adjust on their massive avian mana beasts to face me. I saw the silver core wind mage aiming her staff again, half a hundred wind blades solidifying around her body and bond.

Her mistake. I engaged my regalia, reaching out with my mind as I pulled on her bond's wings. The simple task of aiming suddenly became hellish as her beast lost control of its flight.

Her spells fired prematurely as she yelled in surprise and dismay, but I was already in front of her. The nameless rider's brown eyes contracted into horrified pinpricks as I levered a shrouded dagger.

I didn't slit her throat, but I could have. Instead, my blade parted the tether anchoring her to her bond's saddle, searing through the leather like a scalpel through flesh.

And then I was past her and the attempted encirclement, falling again. I lashed out with my regalia once more, pulling on the rider as I passed by. I sensed with Sonar Pulse as she was ripped from the safety of her spiraling bond's back, screaming in terror.

I swiveled in the air, allowing myself to fall back-first. Extremely mindful of my mana reserves, I considered my options as my long, golden-red hair flared around me like an inverted curtain.

The wind mage was struggling to reorient herself in the sky using bursts of magic, and I could tell that she'd eventually succeed. Though her intent was rife with fear, I could sense the underlying grit as she tried to adjust her fall.