Narumi along with Mugen and Oliver, her two top Royal Guards, opened up the doors to the training facility.
Akasan was on the Simulator doing pushups. He was counting to five thousand.
They looked at the screen. His gravity level was set to two thousand times.
It was Oliver's first time seeing Akasan in the facility. He gawked at the number, speechless.
Mugen proudly laughed in amusement.
Akasan saw the three near the entrance and stopped his workout. "Narumi. What's up?"
Narumi walked over to him and handed him a sheet of paper. "You're gonna miss your boat."
Akasan grabbed the flyer. It was a note of approval from Narumi to allow Akasan to travel internationally. He looked at her. "But can't I just fly?"
Narumi put her hands on her hips. "Akasan, flying into other countries is taken as a sign of hostility. You can't do that. I thought you knew this."
He laughed nervously.
Oliver had his arms crossed, tapping his foot out of impatience.
Mugen took a look at him and sneered. "What's wrong? Jealous?"
Oliver got flustered. "Huh? What? Jealous? Of him? Of course not!"
Mugen let out a hearty laugh. "Come on, loosen up. Akasan doesn't see the princess as a love interest."
Oliver put his hands down. "How do you know that?"
Mugen looked back over at Akasan and Narumi conversating. "He's too dense."
Oliver stiffened up. "What do you mean? You think the princess likes him?"
Mugen looked away. "Yeah, but not the princess you're thinking of."
The facility doors were swung open by two Royal Guards. A girl walked in. Her hair was a deep blue, and her eyes were blue-violet. She had a fierce expression on her face.
Mugen slumped over. "Speak of the devil..."
The girl looked around. Her face softened when she spotted Akasan. She immediately ran over to him. "Akasan!! I've been looking everywhere for you! Why didn't you come to me?!"
Akasan was a little surprised. "Mayumi? What are you talking about?"
Mayumi was Narumi's cousin, age 16. She was also a part of the Royal Family of Arbok, and for the past year or so, she'd been staying at the palace with her younger sister Reiko, who was 13.
Mayumi started pulling on Akasan's arm as Narumi moved to the side to make room. "Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?!"
Akasan stood straight. "Oh. I'm going to the Jade Islands for a while."
Mayumi had tears in her eyes. "The Jade Islands?!! Why won't you take me! You won't be around anymore and I'll miss you so bad!!" She continued whining.
Narumi's eyebrow twitched. She pushed Mayumi off of Akasan. "Relax. He won't be gone for too long. Just a few weeks. Right?"
Akasan nodded.
Mugen sighed. "She's a handful whenever Akasan comes around... which is every day..."
Mayumi was giving Akasan the puppy face, to his bewilderment.
Narumi rolled her eyes. "Anyway, you'd better get going. You'll have access to your money as long as you have your InterCard. Do you have it?"
Akasan pulled it out of his back pocket. "Yup, right here."
The InterCard was developed by technology experts in Cell City roughly eight months ago. It was a plastic card that held a person's data.
A system was devised so that anywhere in the world, a person could access their bank account funds. It also served as a passport and ID. If you travel abroad, an InterCard will automatically provide you identification in other countries.
Narumi nodded. "Well, off you go."
Akasan got off of the Simulator and put on the rest of his clothes. Over the last two years, Akasan's outfit changed from crimson to all black. He wore breathable baggy pants that allowed for leg movement when fighting, the First Order's signature combat boots, a long-sleeved black skintight shirt that was pulled up at the forearm, a black button-up vest over it that held his Omega badge, and a black tailcoat jacket on top that he left hanging open. The two sides of the jacket were held together by a gold rope.
Akasan folded the paper and slid it into the inside of his jacket and walked away. He waved at everyone before he left. "Alright everyone, see ya!"
They waved back.
"Akasan!! Make sure you come back to me before too long!!" Mayumi was tearing up again.
Mugen sighed again. "Princess, if you could please let it go..."
Mayumi's expression straightened back up. "No! I will have him love me, Akasan is a real man, unlike you two meatheads! Hmph!" She left the facility.
Mugen let out a sigh of relief. "Finally..."
Narumi walked over to them. "Sorry Mugen, I know Mayumi can be a handful."
Mugen straightened himself up. "Ah it's not too serious, I can manage... I think."
--
Akasan sprinted through the city, making it to the city's exit.
The outside of Arbok City was no longer wasteland. There was a great open field of grass with roads for wagons and carriages to travel down.
Akasan jumped up and flew off into the distance, heading north towards Vulcan Bay to catch his boat.
When he got there he found the ship that was supposed to take him. It was a regular ship, nothing too luxurious. He walked onto the front deck waiting on the sailor.
Akasan looked around. Not too many people were at the docks. Just your average fishermen doing their daily job.
An old man walked up the dock and stepped onto the ship.
"You're the sailor?" Akasan asked him.
The man wobbled his way to the deck. "Sure is, name's Gorou. How y'er doin'?"
Akasan bowed halfway. "I'm doing well. My name is Akasan."
Akasan followed the man inside his boat.
"So, y'er wanted t' go over to the ol' islands eh?"
Akasan nodded. "Yes."
The man furrowed his brow and started mumbling to himself. He started the boat. "I hope you know what y'er gettin' yerself into."
After a few minutes of sailing Akasan asked the man a question. "Is there something wrong with the Jade Islands?"
The sailor gave him a look out the corner of his eye. "There's been talks that somethings been rumbling within the country. I don't know what or why so don't ask."
Akasan walked out onto the dock and stared out at the water, the Sub-Titanean Ocean.
He looked out to his right. Atlantia was somewhere out there. He'd read that a long time ago, Atlantia was a country that was home to the fishmen, and also mermaids.
Now the entire country is underwater, and there's no way inside the kingdom. They cut themselves off from the rest of the world.
Akasan was on the boat for days before he could see any land.
Then one day after he woke up from his sleep he could see far off in front of him the outline of a mountain range.
Gorou called out to him. "Hey kid! I'm takin' ya to Giga Island, it's t' the far east of the country! I ain't taking ya no farther!"
Akasan nodded. He wanted to be dropped off on the mainland, but anywhere in the country was fine for him. He just wanted to expand his knowledge of the world.
Akasan walked back to the inside where the sailor was. "Are those the Jade Islands?" He pointed to the mountain range that they were closing in on.
Gorou nodded. "Yes. Behind those there mountains lies the Jade Mainland. To the east of it are the islands that give the country its name. It actually ain't possible to access the Mainland from the outside. You'd have to travel there from inside the country. Giga Island is the most visited place there for visitors just 'cause of how publicly available it is."
Akasan and Gorou sailed for another few hours before reaching the southern seaport of Giga Island.
Akasan thanked and paid Gorou before leaving. He walked down the docks and eventually made it to a public area that looked like a plaza.
There were benches, concession stands, restrooms, and a checkpoint for entering the city.
Akasan headed for the checkpoint.
The plaza was full of people. Akasan was in awe of how different this country was from Arbok.
The clerk smiled at him. It was a woman. "Hello, welcome to Giga Island! How will I be able to assist you sir?"
"I would like entry into the country, if at all possible."
The clerk nodded her head. "Certainly! Do you have a passport or InterCard?"
Akasan pulled out his card and handed it to the lady.
She looked at the card and swiped it into her computer then typed something for a few seconds. "Here you are! Akasan, Omega Knight of the First Order. It's an honor to have you in our country!" She handed Akasan his InterCard back then continued to type on her computer. "I've uploaded the data to your InterCard, so you now have a temporary citizenship. Enjoy your stay!"
The gate in front of Akasan opened up, and he walked into an open plain. He took a deep breath. The air was so clean and fresh. He took a look at a large map that was mounted in the ground for visitors to see.
The closest main city near him was Emerald City. The largest city in the country was Diamond City, on the Jade Mainland. "I need to get there..." Akasan said to himself.
"Where are you going?" someone said.
Akasan jerked up and spun around. A girl his age stood there. She was about his height, with blond hair and green eyes.
"I'm headed for Diamond City." Akasan said.
She put her hands behind her back. "I'm actually from Sapphire City to the northwest, I can take you to Diamond City on the way if you want!"
Akasan raised his eyebrows. "Could you tell I was foreign?"
The girl laughed. "Those tight clothes aren't worn here often. It's a dead giveaway. Besides, everyone knows who you are. You're the Dark Angel!"
Akasan frowned. "The Dark Angel? That nickname actually stuck?"
She nodded and held her hand out. "I'm Usagi!"
Akasan shook her hand. "Usagi... like as in rabbit?"
She chuckled. Rabbit ears popped up out of her hair.
Akasan jumped back. "R-Rabbit ears?!"
Usagi half-smiled. "I'm a demihuman, it's in my family's bloodline. I also have a tail."
Akasan had never seen a demihuman before. They didn't exist in Arbok.
Someone along Usagi's family's ancestry was an absydian. That's how the gene got passed down for her to become a demihuman.
Usagi noticed Akasan's hesitation. "D-Does it bother you?"
Akasan saw her weariness and calmed himself. "No, not at all. I actually like it!"
Usagi blushed out of surprise. She turned around out of embarrassment. "U-Um... w-we should get going!"
Akasan was confused by her stuttering. He shrugged it off. "Let's go then!"