The air burst around Faust in cascading waves of displacement as he picked up more and more speed, the freezing high-altitude wind tearing at his clothes and biting at his exposed skin.
The tiny blue dot of the man floating in the sky grew closer and closer against the backdrop of swirling clouds.
He reared his hand back, fingers tightening as he called on a sudden, heavy burst of mana that hummed wildly through his veins.
Then he called out [Fireball].
Flames burst into the open air, lighting up the sky in a brilliant display opposing the rainbow vortex that formed that morning.
The sudden heat radiated outward in a sweltering wave, burning away the atmospheric chill and filling the air with the sharp, metallic scent of superheated ozone.
Many looked up in awe. Eyes wide, necks craned to watch the explosion of fire as they were herded to underground bunkers. Down on the streets, the distant wails of sirens echoed faintly up into the sky.
