The beast accelerated so fast that it left a trail of flames lingering where it had just been.
Soon after, that flaming mass reached the edge and leaped forward across the void. Its flaming mass flew in a wide arc with a trajectory that would clear the gap.
That was until a raging fire, propelled by a graceful gust, collided with the Ravenger.
Zero felt the wind behind him surge forward, and a great heat come out from the dragon head Alice was wearing.
The wind blew out the fire that plagued the Ravenger, only for new fire to take its place.
Zero's eyes adjusted to the brightness around him, and he was able to see the Ravenger's flight path redirect.
It was close, especially since Caelum's wind died down soon after it started, but the Ravenger just barely missed the ledge and fell into the void below.
Or at least that was what Zero had thought, until a flaming claw found itself on the edge of the island.
Right in front of the claw, Alice was still sending forth a torrent of fire, but it was now aimlessly pelting the open skies. If she were able to see, she would have redirected her fire down at the claw.
Zero dashed to where Alice was spewing fire and grabbed the back of the dragon head.
By now, the Ravenger was pulling itself up, and its flaming antlers peeked over the ground below.
Zero pushed Alice's head down, redirecting it at the Ravenger. The Ravenger pulled its head up and was met with a raging blast of fire. Its white eyes shone through the flame, piercing hatingly at Zero.
The Ravenger managed to hold on despite the onslaught of flame and being weakened from its previous fight.
The fire was dying, and Alice was running out of Vie. The beast would manage to hold on, and for the three of them, that was synonymous with death.
They would need a miracle to survive—and that miracle came from the terrain around them.
Zero's instincts flared up, and he spared a quick glance at the earth behind him. The soil seemed to move, and vaguely, it registered in Zero's head that the ground beneath him was moving. It was tilting, towards the edge.
The very edge of the ground on which they stood could not hold the weight of the Ravenger. But there was the question of whether it would fall before the Ravenger could get up.
'C'mon, C'mon, C'mon.'
Zero turned his attention to the crack that was now visible behind him and watched anxiously as it grew.
He had to get the timing right. If he moved Alice away from the ledge, the fire would not be strong enough to keep the Ravenger at bay, but if he moved too late, they would fall into the void with the Ravenger. Then there was the question of whether the ledge would fall before Alice ran out of Vie.
Zero left it up to luck.
As the Ravenger forced its other claw over the ledge and began to move its leg over too, the tilt of the ledge became too great. Just shy of forty-five degrees, Zero grabbed Alice by the arm and leaped towards safe ground.
But it was too late. The ground fell from under Zero, and Alice momentarily fell from his grasp.
Zero clawed desperately at the wall of rock and soil before him while his other hand reached out to Alice.
The light from the falling Ravenger illuminated all around him, and Zero searched desperately for a handhold. Vaguely, he spotted something that jutted out from beyond some packed soil, and he reached out for it.
At the same time, he caught Alice's wrist, and she gripped back in return.
His other hand caught hold of something, and somehow, he firmly managed to wrap his hand around it.
His arm flexed as he and Alice swung towards the Island and collided against the side.
Zero's foot found its way into a crevice, and then the full force of catching Alice came. Zero's arm locked out, and his shoulder felt like it was going to pop out. The force then transferred down to where his leg was connected to the ledge, and a great pain plagued his knee.
But barely, he managed to hold onto Alice.
In the starlit void, Alice's legs dangled; she was held up only by Zero.
The light that illuminated the edge, along with the part of the island that broke off, fell into the void.
They had bested a Transcended Ravenger.
Now, Zero had to somehow find a way to get him and Alice back onto solid ground.
Looking down, Zero saw that Alice dismissed the Drake Armor, and he felt the load he was holding up lighten. Then Alice found somewhat of a handhold of her own, which put even less strain on Zero.
There was only one thing left for Zero to do. He poured what strength he could into his arm and pulled up with all his might.
A shrill scream resonated from below, but all Zero could hear was his own grunting.
Slowly, Alice was brought up and managed to find somewhere to place her feet. Then she reached out and shared the same handhold Zero was using. Which happened to be a sturdy root jutting out.
The weight Zero was carrying became just his own, and he was able to breathe for a moment.
'Don't relax yet! You're still on the edge of an abyss… Am I talking to myself?'
Zero shook the thoughts from his head and peered up.
Caelum was bending over the edge, extending out an arm. His eyes were still white.
He was likely trying to speak, but the influence of the Ravenger still plagued him. A moment later, the light from his eyes faded, and Caelum spoke out.
"Zero, Alice, grab ahold of my hand! Lest you both fall to your doom."
Zero exhaustedly motioned for Alice to take Caelum's hand first.
She reached out and grabbed his hand, and eventually managed to scurry back onto the island.
Soon after, Zero did the same. Collapsing onto solid ground, Zero rolled onto his back and marveled at the stars.
Then he let out a weak laugh.
'We actually did it.'
They had survived an encounter with something two Tiers above them—a near impossible feat.