The seven followed the airship into town. Legion soldiers were parking their airships wherever they could. On buildings peacefully, crashed into a business stand, or landed on innocent civilians. Two crashed midair in an attempt to get into the arena itself, so airship debris and dead Legion members were falling out of the sky at a rate faster than the airships. People were running around in a panic, with a few brave members of Fightston taking it on themselves to take down a few Legion members themselves. A few attempts were actually successful, with airships being broken into and almost immediately having weak henchmen disposed of. But all it took was an occasional strong leader to take on three citizens at once and win with newly bloodstained fists.
"Everyone, evacuate!" Zach yelled at the top of his lungs as soon as he entered the main square. The people almost unanimously followed his orders. Zach was barking commands on his phone in between ordering his citizens to evacuate.
"Get airships ready! protect any citizens you can, children first! If any Legion member poses a threat, try to disarm them. Kill only as a last resort!"
They passed Adrianna and the Maximos, both trying their best to deal with any Legion members trying to leave an airship. Samuel was bounding through landed airships by kicks alone, scoping for any Legion members trying to leave. Once a door creaked open, he was on it. Kicking the door open and kicking anyone inside unconscious. Occasionally a stronger member would be lurking inside, capable of putting up more of a fight. But that was when Adebayo would come in, dealing a stronger charged strike to finish them off while Samuel looked for more people to deal with.
The seven went to the arena's entrance. Julian looked around at what seemed to be the final stream of airships going into the arena.
"I'll hold you back in there. I'm gonna get people out of here."
Julian ran off, leaving the remaining six to go inside the arena.
They got to the door, where Zee and Gam were holding off the anyone from getting in. on the sides that connected to the hotel was Gisella, mercilessly beating anyone who tried to cross. Even those with weapons she just effortlessly ducked through, landing a vicious punch to their head, throwing the unconscious body at either the floor or another Legion member. The other side had Gavin, making a shield out of air and using his spear to push anyone into it, where it would explode in a deafening blast and send anyone around him flying. They'd try to reemerge with bleeding ears, and Gavin would merely dispose of them with one stab to a non vital area. The bodies were quickly becoming their own shield.
But Caoimhe, Luca, Fiorella, Capri, and the Lumps were all in a stand off. There were about thirty Legion members smugly stood behind the few people in the front. Cheng was in the middle, looking like he was trying his best not to laugh manically at everything that's gone down. Besides him was Adya, the girl Willow beat in the first round. Next was a muscular man standing casually to his other side. The one Rodrick had assumptions about. The man smirked at him as Rodrick tried to hold his composure. Besides him was a girl. She was new. Looked to be from Sangaria, wearing a casual green button up shirt and pure white jeans. She looked ordinary, and extremely out of place. And next to her, was the ever happy looking Serafina.
"Oh. My. Gosh!" She exclaimed, her psychotic smile widening. "Is that Cassandra? It is! Say, where's your boyfriend?"
Her eyes locked with Cassandra before she slightly tilted her head.
"What do you want?" Cassandra asked. Serafina snapped her head back upright after seeing the resolve in her eyes.
"It should be obvious." Cheng added. "The gauntlet. Hand it over, and we stop immediately."
"You're looking at her."
Cheng diverted his gaze towards Jade.
"She doesn't have the gauntlet." The muscular man next to him whispered.
"I've noticed." Cheng agreed flatly. "This just means that Chelic's theory is correct. So, we appeal to their emotions."
"Not interested." Einer said early.
"Hold it!" Cheng yelled. "If Chelic is right, and he is, then you were taken away by the corrupt people who destroyed the old world. And yet here you are, working with the descendants of those very same people!"
"They're not killing people!" Hikaru yelled, shaking a fist charged with bolts.
"Oh, but they are!" Cheng yelled back. "They can talk a big deal about justice, but it's never that simple! The ships get overpopulated, the people go hungry, and the smaller housing ships are left without what they need! But Chelic showed us the light! He told us of a group from the world before the skies, the Legion! You! And their tales of how they almost stopped the destruction! We're just finishing what you started!"
"You cannot take our names like that!" Einer screamed. "You're merely a perversion of everything we stood for!"
"We're against everything you oppose!" Serafina yelled back. "Everyone in charge here is also a tyrant in waiting, lauding over people who don't know they're being deceived."
"Hold it!" Zach announced, his voice cutting through everyone. "Who was the tyrant among us? If you actually know something I don't, I'm willing to hear you out."
"It's unfortunately someone you know quite well." The new girl lamented. "Ziwadi, if you will."
The muscular man clapped his hands, and The new girl was swapped out with Cutter's corpse. His neck was mauled, with a gaping hole barely connecting his slumped head and body, dried blood covering his entire body.
"I-I-I…what did he do?" Willow asked, trying not to vomit at the revelation as the girl and body were swapped once again.
"Number one under Chelic. She asked me to do that on her behalf. She didn't want to come back."
"What did he do?" Zach commanded. "If it justified a murder, surely I can learn what happened?"
"All you need to know is that the future ruler of Fightston didn't like him. And I, number two under Chelic, have to act on her behalf."
"Wait, number two?" Willow asked.
"We're ranked based on our potential and abilities." Cheng informed calmly. "I'm number two, Adya is number four, Zawadi is number six, Daciana is number seven, and Serafina is number eight. But let's ignore ranks for a minute and get back to demands. The weapons and miss Cassandra. Hand them over, and we'll take our leave."
Cassandra froze as her name was called. She was important to them.
"Why do you want me?" She asked between breaths.
"Truth be told, we don't actually know." Serafina shrugged. "We just told that we aren't allowed to kill you."
"Everyone else? Fair game. In fact, we get rewarded." Cheng chuckled. "Cannon ships, fire on Zach, everyone who does gets an automatic ten ranks up."
Some of the airships had cannons on them, which turned towards Zach. Zach stood still as Willow started to panic.
"Fire!"
On Cheng's command, the cannons all fired on Zach, giving life to a brilliant cloud of smoke. When the smoke dissipated, Zach was standing perfectly fine. Only now his body was a brilliant silver which glistened against the setting sun, reflecting a light into Cheng's working eye. He slowly approached Cheng, landing a metallic punch straight into his face.
"You aren't getting anything you asked for. Now then, bring it on!"