When he said he wanted to be thrown out of the airplane he didn't mean like this!!
Four figures were flying through the air, but only one was keeping them afloat. Of course Crisanto Cruz could fly. Of course he could make others fly with him. Of course he wouldn't be interested in leisurely spending the rest of the flight in their first class cabin.
Jaden glanced at Crisanto. He was obviously enjoying the flight, and yet Jaden had a feeling this was a pretty normal thing for him.
What was his system again? Jaden knew he had read about it at some point, probably during high school.
The Berserker System, he was pretty sure.
Not everyone who got a system had a unique one. The guy from Jaden's work who was given a 'fighter system' was bound to find many people with the exact same powers and stats as him. It was the same for other less specific systems like a 'healer system', or a 'shielder system'. Jaden remembered hearing that around 5% of the world had systems. That didn't sound like a lot, but it meant there were a lot of 'fighter' and 'healer' systems.
Then you had more specified systems like Sofia's 'sharpshooter system'. If multiple people had that system, Jaden was sure it wasn't very many.
No one but Crisanto had a Berserker System.
Why that was the case, Jaden had no idea. Maybe it had something to do with your inner desires.
If that was the case, he was still waiting for his: 'average nobody system'!!!
Jaden sighed and looked ahead. Nothing but clouds, as far as the eye could see. He wondered how fast Crisanto-flight was compared to an airplane. He had a suspicion that even if it was slower Crisanto would still want to fly to show off.
Crisanto confirmed this by shouting out above the wind: "I'm in the mood to take the scenic route!"
Give him a break. That was the voice of someone who'd never had to rush to a meeting in his life.
"Having fun?"
Jaden looked at Crisanto but he was completely ignoring everything. It was not Sofia, and Viv was in no state to make a sarcastic comment. So who the hell was talking?!
Ah, then Jaden saw who it was. There was a lazy demon lord lounging on air flying alongside them. It was as if every person Jaden had ever disliked was trying to crash his vacation.
Jaden muttered, hoping Crisanto wouldn't hear: "Oh, it's just Emperor Zil. Get lost before that Crisanto guy blasts you into space."
Zil waved his hand dismissively. "He can't even see me. And it's Zilvertir."
It simply wasn't fair. How come Jaden had to be able to see him!?
"Get lost before I blast you into space."
Zil yawned. "All I was trying to do was look out for you and you threaten me? I see you're fitting into the role of god emperor better than I did."
Jaden did not want Crisanto to see him talking to himself, if it was true he couldn't see the emperor. "If you want to look out for me, then go away."
Zil looked like he was seriously considering it. Good. But then he said one more thing: "You were so curious before. But now you don't even wonder why only you can see me? Why I interrupted my sleep to visit you?"
Jaden was curious. He couldn't deny it. But he seriously didn't want to encourage this showing up as a ghost uninvited business.
Zil stood up. It looked rather odd, him flying along beside the group while standing upright. His piercing eyes looked right at Jaden and he smiled. His smile was almost satisfied. "Soon you shall beg me to take that system away from you. You and them shall perpetually be at odds." He pointed a black-clawed finger directly at Jaden's chest. "It is in your nature."
Then he vanished without a trace.
Perhaps it really had all been a dream. If 'you and them' meant him and Crisanto, he certainly did not want to go against them. Jaden wasn't the type to trust people easily. In the cut-throat world of New York business, it was every man for themselves.
However, when it came down to it, he was more likely to trust the hero of humanity than a monster. It only made sense.
…Right?
"And there she is! Looks the same as the day I left her."
Jaden looked up at the sound of Crisanto's voice. Emerging on the horizon was the coastline with the densely-packed skyline of Manila. The city expanded past his view, so that Jaden couldn't even see the dark green forests he knew lay beyond.
Standing out was a building that shot up even beyond the tallest skyscraper. This building had been Jaden's purpose for coming here in the first place. It looked like he was going to go there whether he wanted to or not.
The Cruz Construct was its official name. Most people knew it offhand as 'the training facility'. Anyone given a system was sent here in order to gain levels and learn how to use their system properly before they joined in the fight against the monsters.
It had always been Jaden's greatest dream to never set foot inside.