Support me on Ko-fi at ko-fi.com/gered to read up to Chapter 158
********
"Who was that kid, Wyper? He kicked your cannonball back like it was nothing..."
"Shouldn't we take him out? What if he sides with the Skypieans against us? Better to deal with him now."
Wyper's comrades, their faces serious, discussed their next move as they rushed through the forest.
Wyper, his expression grim, responded, "Forget about him for now. We can't waste our energy or strength here. If he does get in our way, I'll deal with him personally."
Back on the Crow...
Conis was still hesitating.
Takumi watched her calmly, already guessing what was going through her head.
Just go or don't go, how hard is that? Why the hesitation?
He didn't understand why she was so worried. With him around, there was nothing to fear.
"I can guarantee your safety," Takumi said, not wanting to wait any longer. "If you trust me, let's go."
Conis looked up at Takumi. His expression hadn't changed, but she could sense a slight impatience in his tone.
After witnessing him kick that cannonball like it was nothing, she couldn't help but feel impressed. She wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it herself—a boy two years younger than her with such strength.
If Takumi's protecting me, maybe it will be okay, she thought.
Taking a deep breath, Conis's fear began to fade.
"I still want to see Upper Yard," she said, her voice steadying. "Takumi, can I really trust you?"
Takumi, growing tired of the drawn-out decision, simply replied, "Yes."
"Alright," Conis grinned. "Hold on, we're setting sail!"
Before long, they reached Upper Yard. Since it was Conis's first time here, she didn't know about the cloud path that led directly into the island. Instead, she parked the Crow at the nearest spot where they could easily disembark.
Takumi jumped ashore first.
Conis followed right behind but lost her balance and stumbled backward. She yelped as she teetered on the edge of the cloud sea.
Seriously? Does she expect me to play the hero? Takumi thought, rolling his eyes.
Without much thought, Takumi grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to solid ground.
Conis stood shakily at the shore, her heart racing from the near fall. "Th-thank you, Takumi."
But by the time she thanked him, Takumi had already walked ahead into the giant forest.
"..." Conis stood there, blinking at his back.
"Keep up," Takumi called out without turning around.
Conis quickly jogged after him.
"This place is amazing! There's Vearth everywhere!" Conis exclaimed as she wandered through the forest, her joy evident. "Plants grown from Vearth are so different from those on cloud islands. It's like they're alive, breathing!"
She ran ahead of Takumi, arms outstretched, laughing like a child. She marveled at the towering trees, touched their bark, and even scooped up a handful of soil, her face lighting up with pure delight.
Takumi, on the other hand, walked calmly behind her, his expression as neutral as ever. The massive, dangerous creatures that normally lurked in the shadows kept their distance. Sensing Takumi's presence, they stayed far away, as if they were avoiding a predator.
"That's strange," Conis said, stopping to glance around. "We've been walking for a while, but I haven't seen a single animal. My father said Upper Yard was filled with large, ferocious beasts. People who wander in here are usually attacked. Why haven't we seen any?"
She giggled. "I guess Upper Yard isn't as scary as they say."
Takumi smirked slightly but said nothing.
An hour later, the sound of fighting broke the forest's silence.
Several massive trees crashed to the ground, and the air filled with the smoke of battle.
Up ahead, Wyper and his group were leaping across the treetops, engaged in a fierce battle with the Skypiean soldiers chasing them.
Conis froze in place, terrified. She hadn't expected to stumble into the middle of a battle between the Shandians and the Skypieans.
But before she could react, stray bullets flew toward them.
Conis gasped, covering her mouth in fear as she instinctively stepped back, her legs trembling. She wanted to run, but her body wouldn't cooperate.
Takumi stepped in front of her, drawing his sword, the Sandai Kitetsu. With a swift strike, he sliced through the incoming bullets, cutting them cleanly in two.
"Hey, Wyper! It's those two from the sea earlier!" one of the Shandians shouted.
Wyper, who had been locked in combat with Gan Fall, glanced toward Takumi and Conis. His face hardened.
"Kill them!" Wyper commanded coldly.
"Got it!"
Two of Wyper's men immediately broke away from the fight and charged toward Takumi and Conis.
Gan Fall, noticing the two figures, was equally surprised. He hadn't expected Takumi to bring a girl from Angel Island to Upper Yard.
"Takumi! Get her out of here!" Gan Fall shouted.
After three years of knowing Takumi, Gan Fall had a solid understanding of his strength.
Takumi had no interest in getting involved in the conflict between the Shandians and the Skypieans. He turned to Conis. "Let's go."
Conis snapped out of her fear and quickly turned, running back toward where they had docked.
"None of you are leaving!" one of the Shandians shouted, his voice full of fury. "You Skypieans are going to die today!"
The two Shandians chasing after them raised their weapons—flamethrowers—ready to strike.
Takumi chuckled softly. "You want to play with fire?"
Without hesitation, Takumi performed the Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu, sending two massive, flaming dragons roaring toward the Shandians.
"Fire dragons?!"
"What the hell is this guy?!"
"Run!" Wyper yelled to his comrades, his face paling.
But it was too late.
The two Shandians barely had time to react before they were engulfed by the fiery dragons.
Their screams echoed through the forest as their bodies were consumed by the flames.
When the fire finally dissipated, the two charred Shandians fell from the sky, crashing lifelessly into the ground.
Wyper, momentarily distracted by the sight of his fallen comrades, left an opening. Gan Fall wasted no time, lunging forward with his lance and stabbing Wyper in the chest.
"Cursed... Skypiean..." Wyper grunted, wincing in pain as blood poured from the wound. Despite the injury, Wyper pressed his bandaged right hand to Gan Fall's head, unleashing the power of his Reject Dial.
The Dials on Sky Island were powerful shells capable of storing and releasing energy. While Impact Dials were common for warriors, the Reject Dial was a far more ancient and deadly version, amplifying the force tenfold. However, the cost was great—it dealt just as much damage to the user as it did to their enemy.
Only those prepared to face death would dare use the Reject Dial.