The Assassin's Seven Principles of Manipulation-Chapter 19 - 18 — Insane
There was a problem.
Mount Ferravyr had been formed by one of the thirteen elemental calamities of the world. A being whose mastery over metal was leagues beyond anything Zephyrion could currently achieve.
He had tried, but he couldn’t even shift the metal.
His eyes narrowed as another piece of falling debris whirled past him. If the mountain collapsed around him, it would be his end.
’I have to ascend.’
Launching off the large chunks of metal falling around him, Zephyrion continued gaining height, rising higher and higher.
A faint stream of light pulsed from the hole the thing that tore through the mountain had left above, but he ignored it entirely and focused on the air displacements around him.
But he had barely gained any distance when he ran into another problem.
’No more...’
Zephyrion hastily scanned the darkness around him. He couldn’t feel any other disturbances in the air.
No more footholds.
Gravity seized him as he began to fall. His gaze darted around, searching for anything he could use.
His eyes narrowed upon a pointed protrusion jutting from the mountain above. He hastily formed a rope of metal and hurled it toward it.
However, his eyes widened as a heavy weight instantly dragged him downward.
His arms strained as he glanced below.
A rope was tied around Tobias’ lower torso, weighed down by the massive bag dangling beneath them. Several pieces of metal debris had embedded themselves into the bag, pulling them both down.
Zephyrion furrowed his brows.
He suddenly felt a heavy displacement ripple through the air and glanced upward.
Above him, a massive chunk of the mountain was plummeting straight toward him with terrifying speed.
"...."
Zephyrion glanced at the hand gripping the rope, then at the other hand holding Tobias.
The choice was clear.
Whoosh.
A sudden sound made him lift his gaze.
A petite figure burst through the hole above, plunging straight toward him.
’Lumi.’
Zephyrion’s gaze sharpened.
She was insane.
No sane person would charge into a collapsing mountain.
Lumi formed a rope of metal as she fell, whipping it around a pointed edge. She swung downward, a blade of metal forming along her arm as she sliced through the rope dragging him down in the next instant.
The corner of Zephyrion’s lips twitched slightly as he pulled the dangling Tobias upward and kicked off the side of the mountain wall.
He formed another metal rope and hurled it toward another point, swinging himself higher with Lumi following closely behind.
The massive chunk of metal streaked past them moments later, crashing into the pile of fallen debris below with a thunderous impact that shook the entire mountain.
Dangling from the rope, Zephyrion turned toward Lumi, who had already begun signing rapidly with one arm while staring at him with a worried expression.
Zephyrion let out a slow breath.
"I’m fine."
Lumi signed again, her eyes still filled with concern.
"I said I’m fine."
Lumi finally released a quiet sigh of relief.
Zephyrion watched her for a brief moment, noticing a faint stirring in his chest.
’She’s just a tool.’
Repeating the words in his mind, he crushed the feeling before it could take root.
His eyes turned cold as he shifted his attention back to their surroundings. A bright light poured down from the hole above, washing over the area.
The cave walls and floor of the mountain had collapsed, leaving behind a vast hollow within it. It was as though a massive portion had been carved out, leaving nothing but an enormous shell.
Still, it seemed the collapse had finally ended, as the mountain was no longer breaking apart around them.
The entire space was now wrapped in an eerie silence.
’What happened?’
There were very few things in this world capable of affecting metal created by one of the thirteen calamities.
Zephyrion’s eyes narrowed.
’Heralds...’
"Urgh!"
A heavy groan rose from the pile of debris below, followed by a loud bam. Zephyrion immediately grabbed Lumi and formed a dense metal dome in front of them.
He grunted as metal from below slammed into the shield and shoved him backward, but the barrier held.
As he released control of the metal, Zephyrion fixed his gaze on a bloodied man clad in black attire. One of his arms had been severed, crimson blood pouring from the ragged stump.
’It’s him.’
It was the same Herald whose attack Seris had intercepted at the start of the ambush.
Zephyrion’s grip tightened around the rope.
It was clear from his wounds that the man was losing his battle, yet there was no relief in Zephyrion’s eyes.
The Herald was here.
And Seris was not.
A single second was all a Herald needed to erase a group of Vessels.
Zephyrion quickly formed another dome of metal around them, blending it seamlessly into the mountain.
He erased his presence instantly and gestured for Lumi to do the same. Though there was about a fifty-meter drop to the bottom, such a distance meant nothing to beings like Heralds.
’Only a few seconds...’
Seris was most likely already on her way, either to find him or finish off the Herald. He only needed to endure for a few seconds longer.
Just long enough for her to arrive.
