Ryuzio rounded the blond-haired man that lay on the hoverbus floor, making his way past to the door ahead.
The passengers of the bus appeared to be in some sort of deep sleep. Even after shaking a couple of them, Ryuzio could not get a single one to get up. Was it the can of gas thrown by the blond-haired man previously that put everyone to sleep…?
It wasn't anything exciting enough for Ryuzio to care about, so he decided to exit the vehicle. Ryuzio went ahead and stood in the doorway.
The black-haired man was knelt next to a person on the ground, pulling off the golden necklace that they had around their neck. The blue-haired boy appeared to be doing the same, albeit in a very hesitant and sluggish manner.
The black-haired man slapped the boy with an angry look over his face. "We don't have all day, Glasses! Run those hands quickly!"
The boy tasted the blood on his lip, lowering his head as he continued to check the pockets of another sleeping person on the ground.
"Yo!" Ryuzio said, jumping out the vehicle, squatting as he landed before the blue-haired boy. "When do you think we'll get to Sonas?"
The boy jumped back, falling onto his butt, his glasses coming down as his face covered in sweat. "You… How did…? Sir Codix was just inside…?"
"What in the fluck!" the black-haired man exclaimed, getting onto his feet, taking a step away from Ryuzio. "How are you here? Did Codix let you go?"
"The guy that was inside?" Ryuzio stood up, stretching his left arm. "I knocked him out. Are you also with him?"
The black-haired man tucked his chin, pulling out a knife from behind his back, and pointing it toward Ryuzio. "Don't joke around, fool. Codix is the strongest after Davith and Lord Baru himself in our squad. There's no way a kid like you can just 'knock him out'!"
Ryuzio looked at the knife that was pointed at him. "Why are you stealing from these people? You didn't even beat them."
"Huh?" the opposing man said, raising an eyebrow, lowering his knife. "You saying we should've beat them up and THEN robbed them?" He snorted with a smirk, walking closer to Ryuzio with open arms. "I might've gotten the wrong impression of you, boy. I think Lord Baru can use you. How 'bout you join our squad—?"
Ryuzio jabbed at the man's face with his left fist, making him reach for his face with both hands as he stepped back.
The man took out his knife again, pointing it at Ryuzio with a shaking hand, the other on his bleeding nose. "What the fluck was that for, brat? You trying to die or some?"
Ryuzio fired up his Ether, a red coat of energy forming closely to his skin. "I think you and the other guy inside slept the others to steal from them."
"You only getting that part now?" the black-haired man said with fattened eyes. "What were you even thinking before that?"
Ryuzio raised his right fist. "You also slept the pilot and the conductor guy. That means I won't get to Sonas."
"Huh?" the man said in confusion. "How're you this slow?"
"Are you dumb?" Ryuzio flared his Ether, the embers of the energy coat blazing into red flames. "You think you can stop me from reaching the Skies?"
The man gulped, taking a step back. "On a second thought, maybe we can talk this out—"
Ryuzio zipped close to the black-haired man, decking him on the face with his right fist. "Think again!" The man flew off the ground before falling away in a distance with a broken nose.
The blue-haired boy turned his back on Ryuzio, crawling away on his knees.
Ryuzio walked over to the boy, making him glance over his shoulder with a horrified expression. Ryuzio raised his right hand.
The boy covered his head with both arms. "PLEASE DON'T HURT ME! THEY FORCED ME INTO THIS—!" His eyes widened as he saw Ryuzio's unclenched hand before him.
"HEH!" Ryuzio said in an annoyed tone, keeping his offered hand hanging before the blue-haired boy's face. "So you DO know how to speak Selesion!"
The boy gulped, looking at Ryuzio's hand with hesitation, discomfort in his eyes—
Ryuzio grabbed the boy's hesitant hand, pulling him onto his feet. "So tell me…"
The boy lowered his head, playing with his fingers nervously.
"What's your name?"
The boy's body shook still. Then he looked up with eyes full of disbelief.
"Oh, right!" Ryuzio said with a smile. "I'm Ryuzio Smyte, the man who's gonna be the Sky King!"
The boy's gaped widely as he looked into Ryuzio's resolute eyes.
Ryuzio closed the boy's mouth with a finger. Then he put his hand on the boy's lower jaw, and started moving it up and down. "I'm not Lyla, but this seems fine to me…"
The blue-haired boy rolled his eyes down to the hand on his face, sweat forming on his forehead, utterly confused.
Ryuzio pulled back his hand, tilting his head as he stroked his chin with the same. "Is it that you can't speak GOOD Selesion? Or is it something else…?"
The boy shook his head slightly, gulping. "I…speak Selesion… I mean… I can speak in—"
Ryuzio patted him on the shoulder with a smile. "So tell me your name, then."
The boy licked his dry lips, gulping again. "I'm—" His eyes widened, expression reflecting horror. He raised a shaking finger to point over Ryuzio's shoulder, the other reaching for his mouth. "Look out…"
"Heh?" Ryuzio said, confused. "What a weird name—" His eyes bulged out as he got hit from behind. He stepped to the side, turning sharply with hands rubbing the back of his head.
"We're not done yet, boy!" said the blond-haired man who Ryuzio had left inside the hoverbus with a sign pole in his hands. "You won't get lucky this time!"
"Are you DUMB!" Ryuzio shouted. "Why did you hit me! I was talking to him! And he was about to tell me his name too—!"
"Go help Edden get up, Glasses," said the blond-haired man—Codix—pointing behind his back, at the black-haired man on the ground. "I'll deal with this one alone." With that, he spit blood to his side.
The blue-haired boy walked hesitantly toward the man on the ground, eyes lowered to the grass—
"Hey," Ryuzio said flatly. "Are these guys not your friends?"
The boy's steps slowed, hands coming together at the front.
Codix snorted. "Of course we're not! How could you get any other idea?"
Ryuzio walked past Codix. "I asked him."
The blue-haired boy froze in place.
"You think you can get away from me this easily?" Codix swung the pole horizontally at Ryuzio's torso.
Ryuzio turned to face the man and fired up his Ether, gathering it around his forearms, before putting them in front. The sign pole collided with his forearms, bending upon contact. He grabbed the pole with both hands, tugging it against Codix's grip on it.
The blond-haired man tightened his grip on the metal in his hands, locking his feet in place. "Ain't letting it go—"
Ryuzio let go of the pole, the man tumbling backward. He turned around, placing a hand on the blue-haired boy's shoulder. "Answer me," he said simply. "If these guys are not your friends, why're you doing what they say?"
The boy clenched his fists, hardening his expression as his eyes watered. "Because I'm not strong like you… If I don't do what these people say…they'll kill me—"
"Glasses!" Codix said, recovering his balance, looking down on the boy. "WHO said you could talk?"
The boy lowered his head, tears dripping onto the tall grass below. "I'm sorry…sir—"
Ryuzio smacked the boy's forehead with his right palm, knocking his head up. "What're you gonna do about it?"
The boy's tears flowed down his eyes. "Wh…? What am I…going to… do…?"
"Yeah," Ryuzio said as Codix started stepping closer from behind. He thumbed over his shoulder at the blond man. "These guys are forcing you into doing stuff you don't like, yeah? That's why you don't have any excitement in you. So what're you gonna do about these guys?"
The boy gulped. "I…can do…something…?"
"Of course," Ryuzio said with a smile. "If you just keep doing what others tell you, you won't have time to fly after your own dream."
"My…" the blue-haired boy said, eyes widening, tears trailing down his face, "…dream…?"
Ryuzio smiled, rubbing the back of his head. "I would've asked what it is, but I don't even know your name yet."
Codix swung the bent pole at the two of them.
Ryuzio pushed away the blue-haired boy, ducking right after. "I'm talking!"
"There's not this much talking in a fight, you know that?" Codix said, spinning the sign over his head, before mounting it tip-first on the ground beside him. "Though, I'll give you all the time to talk after I break your bones!"
"Fight?" Ryuzio said in confusion as he stood upright. "We're fighting?"
"What in the fluck!" Codix said, annoyed, as he unbent the pole he held. "What else do you call this?"
Ryuzio pointed at him. "I punched you and your friend to shut you up. But if you wanna fight me…" Ryuzio fired up his Ether, the energy flowing throughout his body evenly, coating an inch over his skin, blazing wildly. "Bring it!"
Codix grunted, clenching his fist, a green aura loosely forming around his body. "Last time I couldn't guard against your Ether. This time it'll be different."
Ryuzio smiled as he charged at the man with quick steps, jumping as he reached within range. He swung his right leg to the side of the man's head.
Codix swung the pole to his left, blocking Ryuzio's kick. Then he spun it over his head before swinging it leftward again, horizontally this time, aiming for Ryuzio's neck as he was falling to the ground.
Ryuzio ducked the moment his feet touched grass, rising right after.
Codix shifted the momentum of the pole from a leftward swing, to taking it over him, and into a downward one, aiming to smash Ryuzio's head.
Ryuzio threw his palms upward, blocking the pole, and then gripping it—
Codix smiled, planting both his feet firmly, before lifting the pole over his head and Ryuzio off the ground along with it. He led the motion smoothly into an overhead swing, releasing his grip on the pole, throwing Ryuzio at the hoverbus.
Ryuzio crashed against the side of the vehicle back-first, shards of broken glass from the shattered windows bursting off the frame and raining to the ground, the pole falling to his side. He dug himself out of the imprint that he made on the metal body of the vehicle, standing against the blond-haired man.
Codix hopped a couple times, the loose aura around his body following the movement. Then he rushed straight at Ryuzio, arms outstretched, hands in fists, the green Ether coat around his body thickening.
'Whoa,' Ryuzio thought, eyes widening. 'He's just like the mountain chickens back in the village.'
Codix grunted as he clotheslined Ryuzio with his right arm—
Ryuzio jumped from his squat, hopping over the blond man's head with ease. He breathed out, focusing his Ether on his right fist in midair. "Dragon Cloak!" As soon as his feet hit the ground, he turned around to face his opponent, pulling his right fist to his side and covering it with his open left palm.
The hexagonal Scalemark over his "starmark" on the side of his right shoulder set alight, burning out several Scales of fiery Ether that spiraled down to his right fist, enforcing it with a glove made from scale-like plates.
Codix turned around, putting his fists forward—
"Dragon Gauntlet…"
Codix's eyes widened as he witnessed the burning fist of Ryuzio—
"Dragon Bullet—!"
"Stop right there," a voice interrupted from behind. "Don't move, or I'll kill him!"
Ryuzio straightened up, the fiery Scales burning out, dispersing in the air as red wisps of energy, the Scalemark on his right shoulder dimming down. He turned around slowly, only to find the blue-haired boy with a knife around his neck.
"You're so easy to read," the black-haired man said slyly, holding his knife around the boy's neck. "You may be stronger than us, but brawn isn't the only way to win." Then he started laughing wildly.
Codix also laughed from behind Ryuzio's back. "Very well, Edden! Now you're finished, boy—!"
"Don't stop!"
Ryuzio's eyes widened as the blue-haired boy yelled out suddenly.
The boy sobbed, not looking at the knife pointed to his neck. "Just beat these guys up! They're part of Baru's squad! He's an infamous Volant of Sonas! The world will be a better place with these criminals put down!" He sobbed, gasping for air, before shouting with his eyes closed. "I'll be the last one to get his wings torn off by scum like these!"
Ryuzio smiled.
The black-haired man—Edden—pulled on the light blue hair of the boy, swinging his head around. "Are you out of your mind! WHO told you that you could disrespect LORD Baru—?"
"I'll help you in beating these guys up," Ryuzio said with a smile. "My name is Ryuzio Smyte and my dream is to become the Sky King."
The man behind his back snorted loudly, as the man ahead started laughing. "Sky… Did you just say Sky King?" Edden said, sounding baffled. "There's no way that someone like you can become the—"
"My name is Benji!" the blue-haired boy shouted with resolve, eyes erupting out tears. "And my dream is to become a grand skymaster of the Highplexian Aegis!"
Ryuzio smiled. "Ben, yeah? That's an awesomely exciting dream!"
Edden eyed the boy down as his face reddened with anger. "What did you just say, you freak?" He tightened his grip on Benji's hair, pulling them harder, making him grunt out in pain. "You trying to snitch on us by thinking you could be one of those skyguards?"
"That does it," Codix said, picking up the pole off the ground from his side. "Throw that little witch over here. I'll knock him back into reality!"
Edden smirked, lifting the boy off the ground. "Great idea!" With that, he slung Benji toward the blond man, Codix readying the pole for a swing. "Come on, do something, GRAND SKYMASTER!" They both laughed.
"Dragon Cloak…"
Edden's eyes widened. "Watch out, Codix!" he shouted.
Benji flew toward the pole Codix had pulled back behind his head, he boy's jaw clenched and eyes spewing out tears.
"Dragon Gauntlet…"
Codix's eyes widened as if realizing something in this stretching moment.
Benji closed shut his eyes, arms covering head.
"DRAGON BULLET!" Ryuzio spun around, ramming his fist toward Codix's stomach, the Gauntlet enforcing his fist extending out in the same form to reach the man's gut.
The blond man's eyes rolled back into his skull, mouth widening—
Benji hit the man's head with his own, knocking the man to the ground.
"Codix!" Edden yelled—
Ryuzio turned around, eyes burning with rage.
Edden gulped, steps frozen as he pointed his knife nervously, eyes widening—
Ryuzio punched Edden's nose into his skull with knuckles exploding into flames just after closing in on him, throwing the man a large distance away, the man's nose leaking a streak of blood into the air.
Benji rubbed his head, getting away from the fallen body of Codix. He tarted breathing heavily as a nervous reaction. "What just happened?" he said, shock and disbelief in his tone.
"Ben!" Ryuzio said, turning and pointing at the boy sitting next to the fallen man. "Never let anyone disrespect your dream! Got that!"
"Um…" Benji gulped, a hint of sparkle appearing in his eyes. "Yeah…"
Ryuzio smiled, putting his hands on his hips. "If YOU won't fight for your dream, then WHO will?"
"But…" Benji said, looking down. "You just fought for my—"
"For helping you in fighting for your dream," Ryuzio said, offering Benji a hand, "I want something in return!"
Benji looked up, reaching for Ryuzio's hand with less hesitation this time. "I already know what you'll want…" he said softly. "You want me to follow my dream with everything I got. Right?" His lips formed a faint smile, tears rolling down his eyes. "I'll do it! I promise—!"
Ryuzio pulled him onto his feet. "Ben…"
"Ryuzio," Benji said with a smile, sobbing—
"Take me to Sonas, yeah?" Ryuzio said while rubbing the back of his head. "It's my first time this far out from my village."
"W-What?" Benji's head fell. "Um… Sure…"
Ryuzio laughed, wrapping an arm around Benji's shoulders. "Awesome! Sonas city, here I come!"