Chương 302: step two

Vale held tightly to Illu's bladed feathers as the colossal raven ascended through the skies above Irea. Violent winds screamed around him, battering his armor and mask, yet Vale remained low against Illu's back, his pale eyes focused through his obsidian mask. Below them, the colosseum rapidly shrank into the distance.

The roar of the crowd faded into little more than muffled noise while the sprawling city of Irea unfolded beneath them like a vast maze of silver bridges, towering walls, and colossal stone structures suspended between mountains and sky. Ahead loomed the reinforced barrier surrounding the arena district. Vale focused his eyes.

"Straight through," he muttered. Illu answered with a low, unnatural caw before folding its wings slightly and accelerating. The air ruptured around them as the monstrous raven surged forward with terrifying speed. The steel barrier rushed closer in seconds, yet neither rider nor beast showed the slightest intention of slowing down. Vale braced himself tightly against Illu's back as the raven collided with the cage, and passed through it like a blade through wet cloth.

Countless feathers erupted outward from Illu's body during the impact, slicing effortlessly through reinforced steel. Metal screamed apart around them as enormous chunks of the barrier spiraled downward toward the city below. A grin spread beneath Vale's mask. Behind them, panic erupted. People scattered through the colosseum in confusion, unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed.

Some screamed in terror while others shouted in outrage, but many simply stood frozen, staring upward in disbelief as the impossible raven escaped its prison before their eyes. Vale exhaled slowly.

"Part one is now complete." Illu continued climbing until they hovered nearly a hundred meters above the arena. The raven's colossal wings spread wide as it stabilized itself in the open air, each movement generating violent gusts that swept across the city beneath them. Slowly, Vale rose to his feet atop the creature's back. The city was beautiful. Towering castles connected by vast bridges, silver waterways cutting through marble streets, and enormous towers piercing the clouds themselves.

Beyond all of it stretched the distant wilderness and the promise of freedom waiting past the city walls. Vale smiled faintly beneath his mask. They had done it. Illu was free. Or at least, that was what the world believed. His gaze shifted toward the forests beyond the city. That was their true destination. Vale tapped Illu twice along the neck.

"Head for the forest," he ordered calmly.

"They won't search for you there." Illu released another low caw in agreement before tilting downward. Then the raven dove. The sudden descent nearly tore Vale from its back as they plummeted through open air before Illu violently spread its wings once more, catching itself barely fifty meters lower. Vale tightened his grip instinctively, then froze. Something had moved beneath him. Fast. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Far too fast.

A flicker at the edge of his senses. His eyes straightened immediately.

"I was hoping you wouldn't interfere," he muttered beneath his breath. Far below, atop the Royal Guard Tower, Ares crouched like a predator preparing to strike. Even from this distance, Vale could feel the overwhelming pressure radiating from the commander. The man was preparing to leap. And once he did, he would reach them almost instantly. Vale swallowed once before a calm smirk spread beneath his mask.

"Well," he murmured, "it's not like I didn't plan for you." Ares moved. The tower beneath him exploded apart as the dragonoid launched himself skyward with monstrous force. The sheer speed behind the leap distorted the air itself while he rocketed upward toward Vale and Illu like a living missile. Vale's eyes grew despite knowing better. The commander was absurdly fast. For a brief moment, even Vale wondered whether Shade would truly make it in time. Then darkness erupted upward from below.

A shadow collided with Ares mid-flight like a living projectile, and the impact detonated across the city with enough force to shake the surrounding streets. Both figures vanished downward. Vale blinked once before a grin spread beneath his mask. Far below, amidst shattered stone and rising clouds of dust, Shade slowly straightened himself before Ares.

The shadow's ruby eyes burned beneath the writhing black mist surrounding his body, and even from this distance Vale could see the terrifying excitement radiating from him. Shade looked happy. No, far more than happy. He looked thrilled. The shadow seemed to have waited for this moment for a very long time. Vale exhaled quietly.

"Is Ares really that strong...?" There was no time to dwell on the question. Illu surged forward once more, tearing through the skies between the enormous suspended bridges connecting Irea's upper districts. Wind roared violently around Vale while the city blurred beneath them at impossible speed. They were getting closer. Closer to freedom. Vale's grin widened beneath the obsidian mask.

"Almost there." Then darkness swallowed the sky above them. Vale's instincts exploded with warning as a colossal shape descended past them at terrifying speed, generating a violent shockwave in its wake. Illu recoiled with a furious screech as the pressure nearly flipped the massive raven sideways. Vale shut his eyes instinctively. By the time Illu stabilized itself, his stomach had already sunk. Another monster hovered before them. A massive crimson wyvern.

Its enormous body dwarfed the nearby towers, easily large enough to crush entire buildings beneath its claws. Crimson scales shimmered beneath the sunlight while vast wings beat steadily against the air, each motion radiating immense physical power. Rows of jagged teeth emerged from its maw as it growled toward Illu, and the raven answered with a vicious hiss of its own. Standing atop the wyvern's skull was a lone woman clad in the pristine uniform of the Royal Guard.

A dark demonic mask concealed her face entirely. The vice commander. She observed him silently for several moments before finally speaking.

"Gladiator." Her voice was cold, controlled, and utterly devoid of uncertainty.

"Your mount has been deemed too dangerous to release. Return to the colosseum immediately. Failure to comply will result in the execution of both you and the creature." The wyvern growled deeply beneath her as Vale remained silent. His thoughts raced. A fight here would be disastrous. Even if they somehow managed to win, they would become the highest-priority targets in all of Irea. Worse still, Illu could die. That possibility alone made the decision simple.

Vale slowly rose to his feet atop the raven's back despite the violent winds battering against him. Beneath him, Illu trembled with restrained aggression, ready to attack at the slightest command. The vice commander tilted her head slightly.

"Is something amusing, Lionheart?" Vale chuckled beneath the mask.

"Oh, nothing." His gaze drifted briefly toward the distant ocean and the enormous coral forests erupting upward from the sea far below. A grin spread across his face.

"How about we make a deal?" The vice commander remained perfectly motionless.

"A deal?" Her wyvern shifted beneath her.

"And what exactly did you have in mind?" Vale subtly lowered his stance while tapping two fingers against Illu's neck. The vice commander continued calmly.

"How about I allow you to survive if you surrender now?" Vale stared directly into the dark surface of her mask. Then he laughed. A reckless, almost manic laugh that echoed across the sky.

"That sounds horrible!" He tapped Illu again. The raven reacted instantly. Its colossal wings slammed together with explosive force, detonating the surrounding air as Illu launched forward like a black comet tearing through the heavens. Vale's laughter trailed behind him.

"No," he shouted over the roaring wind, "how about I just run?!" The vice commander hissed sharply. Her crimson wyvern accelerated immediately after them. From the city below, the two colossal beasts resembled celestial bodies racing across the sky, one black as midnight, the other crimson as blood. Vale grinned wildly beneath his mask despite the danger. The adrenaline flooding through him was intoxicating. Every second of the chase made his heart pound harder, sharper, more violently alive than ever before.

Below them, the ocean rapidly expanded toward the horizon while enormous stone coral formations erupted upward from the depths like ancient forests turned to rock.

'Perfect.' Vale steadied himself as Illu sharply altered course toward the sprawling coral labyrinth.

"Alright," he muttered quietly. His pale eyes narrowed behind the obsidian mask.

"Let's begin step two."