— Did you come to enlist for the Ballooners, old man?
Carduc had a clipboard in his hand and stared at Dante with extreme disgust. He scratched his face and then immediately shook his head.
— Don't you think you're too old for this?
Dante approached him, very close to his face, and scowled.
— Who do you think you're talking to, kid? Read my name and give me the form. Do you think just because my appearance changed, you can talk to me like that?
The man looked at the clipboard, his expression changed drastically when he raised his gaze. He was incredulous.
— Shit. Is it really you?
He touched Dante's shoulder and then his hair.
— Shit, did the Cosmic Energy really do this to you? Damn, what bad luck, man. How did your parents react?
— They were calm. They knew this could happen.
Dante stretched out his hand.
— Now, just give me my form. I want to leave already.
— Sure, sure.
Carduc gave a furtive glance every five seconds. Of course, he was suspicious. Anyone would be if they knew him.
— Here, Dante. And... can I tell you something? You look good. Are you excited?
The badge had his name in a bronzed color, and he placed it on his chest. Others around him were doing the same. The village was full of voices of enlistment. One of the few points in a broken society still serving for enlistments. Men and women wanting a trip directly to the Broken Capital, from where they could take a direction in life. The Ballooners had this role, flying over the battlefield, serving as an escape and also protection against the Felroz.
And seeing so many enlisting, Dante thought this year would have a lot of rivals. And seeing the bodies and the energy mixing, he was sure they would be strong. That excited him. He had always trained and fought against his father, fists and weapons, and his father always defeated him. No matter how much time passed, there were nothing but defeats against his master.
I must not be that bad. Maybe, just a little.
Render never trained without Dante, he spent the day with him, teaching him about customs, labels, and also about the Cosmic Energy. How should all of this be for the others?
— I am, Carduc.
He looked at his colleague, smiling.
— I think I'll meet a lot of interesting people.
He took the lead and passed where the enlistees were gathering. They crowded into a large wooden space, facing the spot where the Initial Balloon would land. It was still early, but no one wanted to be left behind. Dante stayed further back, arms crossed, with his small bundle of clothes on his back. He only had the extra battle gear and the bracelet his father gave him.
As soon as he heard a noise from the sky, Vick sounded in his ear.
— Flying locomotive approaching. Approximate arrival in one minute.
Dante was amazed. She was talking to him, alerting him about situations he already understood. And when he made a little effort, shaking his fingers, he heard again.
— Kinetic Conversion at 3%.
An alarm about how much he could accumulate, that was extremely important. Of course, in the middle of battles, Dante lost control two or three times, almost dragging his father out of the bamboo field. During those days, he had to control himself more.
With Vick alerting him, there would be no problem in fighting more seriously.
— All of you present. — A strong voice called from the front. Dante raised his gaze to see who was there. — You're here today because you know what awaits the human race. Every day, when you wake up, you know that your families and friends are in danger. What you're doing here today is putting your lives at risk so that others can live in peace. So, from today on, when you extend your fists, your weapons, the energy that was given to us to counter those creatures, remember your home. As cliché as it may be, the place you hold the most love for is also a source of strength.
A thick beard, messy hair, and a harsh look, but with a wide smile on his face. He wore a white uniform, with medals on his left chest, and held a beret in his left hand. He had polished boots and a decorative sword on his waist.
— My name is Reinald Visterpen, the second of my name. And I will be the Captain of the Ballooner for this journey. If you want to throw yourselves into the middle of a war, I'll take you there.
The balloon was more of a dirigible. It had a huge round screen at the top, with a roaring engine releasing steam. The frame around it was a mixture of metal and wood, with a pigmentation of brown and gray, and two huge masts at each end. It was enormous, perhaps six to seven two-story houses, and there were people waiting for them at the edge.
Reinald crossed his arms and waited for the locomotive to descend.
— This is the 'Balsa'. They came today to greet you. They are part of our crew, but they are also known by the Broken Capital as the best or worst at what they do, depending on who you ask. — And he laughed. The five bridges fell from the Balsa and touched the green grass. — Here begins your journey. Shall we proceed?
Dante laughed and nodded. The others began to pass, climbing the bridge and giving their names to one of the officers up top. It took about ten minutes until it was his turn. As soon as he handed his badge to one of the women waiting for him, she stared at his face and then at the badge.
— You're in the wrong place, you know that. — She returned the identifier. — You'll be with Dalia. When you get there, talk to her.
— Dalia?
— Next — shouted the woman in the white uniform, the same as Reinald's. — Please step out of the line.
Dante moved forward. He chose a spot near the edge and saw the distance to the ground. More than ten meters. He was really inside the Balloon, heading to the Broken Capital. He looked around at all the others talking. They seemed excited.
A noise alerted everyone. The bridges were pulled back, folding several times and being shoved into the interior of the Balsa. The technology was completely different from what he was used to, but it was very functional.
Reinald was the last to board and saw everyone staring at him.
— We're setting off now — he said to everyone with his hand raised. — We've never had problems in the air, but don't be fooled. None of you are heading to the Academy. Always stay alert. From now on, you're within the limits of the Broken Capital, so don't hold back. You've trained for this your whole life, trust that experience.
The Balsa's engine roared, and they began to rise quickly. Dante held onto the wooden edge and saw the distance from the ground lengthen. Finally, the Capital was coming to meet him. He thought of his father with the smile he always had. I wonder if he's watching me?
Vick was the one who answered his thought:
— Coming from Mr. Render, he must be in the Bamboo Field waiting for you to pass. He always spent his most time there.
Dante smiled.
— Thanks, Vick. That was comforting.
The journey continued without many problems. In the middle of the afternoon, food was served in aluminum trays. Dante received his from one of the Officers and thanked them. Once he finished, he placed it in a trash bin and waited while sitting. As time passed, with the calmer day and a nice breeze, he closed his eyes. He was relaxed, calm, and the weather was perfect.
Without realizing it, Dante fell asleep, leaning against the edges, on the southern tip of the Balsa.
He woke up to a loud crash echoing on the canvas. As he opened his eyes, he saw smoke trailing as a red shot hit another spot, creating another hole. Dante quickly stood up, and a shot hit the hull where he was. He was thrown backward, falling on his back and watching everyone run to one end. His vision blurred, but he held onto the wood and focused on his hearing.
— Everyone, prepare for battle. — Reinald shouted orders to the Officers. — Get the injured, take them to the lower deck.
Dante stared at the crater hole and then at the locomotives heading toward them.
— They're the Agnomatos Pirates. — A hand rested on his shoulder. It was the Officer who had inspected him when he boarded the Balsa. — They're after you. Are you hurt? I can take you below.
— No. I'm fine. — Dante stood up and fixed his hair, pulling it back. — What do we do, ma'am?
The Officer passed him and watched Reinald giving orders.
— He's too hasty. He shouts orders but does nothing. We need to organize ourselves to defend and fix the sails. Freto, repair the top. — One of the men simply ran toward the mast, grabbed a rope, and tightened the lever, being thrown upwards. — Crish, repair all the shots on the edge.
The woman with red hair crouched and touched the wood. Her hand merged with the wood, and the hole that had been made earlier started to reshape. Little by little. However, her face was sweaty. Her mouth turned pale.
— Ma'am — Crish called in pain. — There were too many shots. I don't have enough Energy for everything.
The Officer turned to Dante immediately, looked him up and down, and pointed.
— Touch her shoulder. That's an order.
Dante felt an effect on his body. Something was pushing him to move forward. An order, a direct order. He took his first step and crouched beside Crish. As he touched her shoulder, the Officer touched his.
— Use ours, Crish. Fix everything you can.
Dante felt the Officer's Cosmic Energy being sent to him, but this transfer wasn't pleasant. If something caused friction in his body, the conversion increased. And if something dense, like another person's energy, touched his skin and integrated into his muscles, it increased. The conversion was caused by friction.
As much as he wanted to help, Dante had to control himself. He released what the Officer had transferred to him. Crish absorbed it, managing to repair part of the Balsa bit by bit.
— Another shot incoming — someone shouted from the edge. — What do we do?
Reinald already had about two Officers by his side.
— Continue the course. We're still about twelve hours away.
The Officer removed her hand from Dante and stepped back. Dante did the same and stood up. He waved his hand a bit to release the buildup of friction. He blew out air more forcefully. Any movement he made externally helped him, but he couldn't let himself be carried away.
Vick also hadn't warned him about the conversion, which should have been within the 10%.
The red glow took shape, coming toward them. Dante saw one of the Officers step forward and stretch out her hand. A huge mirror formed, and the shot entered, disappearing immediately.
— We have to fight back — someone shouted. — We can't just defend ourselves.
Crish stood up and faced her Officer.
— Ma'am, what do you want us to do?
— They're attacking slowly. It might just be a warning, but we're not sure. There are many of them. We need a long-range attack.
Officer Freto returned to the ground after repairing the Balsa's full sail. The smoke was only in the sky because it had been dyed. He stared at the Pirates and looked at his Officer.
— Reinald is taking too long, ma'am. We need to continue the course. It's not safe here.
She shook her head in refusal.
— I'll go. — Without hesitation, the woman turned to one of the Officers further behind. — I need you to throw me at the enemies. I'll handle it.
The man came toward her and looked at the others. He didn't hesitate and touched the Officer's arm.
— Who will swap with her afterward?
Dante saw Freto and Crish exchange glances and lower their heads. They seemed distressed about being swapped. What was this swap? Was it simply swapping places with someone on the other side? If that was it, then...
Don't be the protagonist. Stay alive. Be careful.
His mother's words echoed in his mind. He thought about his father. He would do it, he definitely would. If no one else could. Then...
— I'll swap — he said to them. — I'll make the swap.
The Officer looked at Dante and shook her head.
— Even if you might be a good fighter, you're still not ready to give your life.
— Who decides whether I finish or not my life is me, ma'am. — Dante laughed. — And if I die for some Pirates, I shouldn't even step foot in the Capital. Let me go. And also, I've been waiting for this for a long time.
Freto raised his hand, taking the voice for himself.
— I believe if we do a double swap, he can return, ma'am.
The Officer showed no sincere emotion, just placed her hand behind her back in Dante's direction.
— Do you really want to do this, sir? — Without letting him answer, she raised her hand. — This is not your mission. You haven't even passed the tests to become a Baloeiro. Are you sure this is your decision?
Dante gave a wide smile.
— Of course. Let's go.
Freto pulled Dante close and slapped his chest twice with both hands. He held his shoulder and then lightly kicked his legs. He grabbed his wrists firmly and closed his eyes.
— 'Protego.'
A layer of thick fibers formed wherever Freto had struck. Dante didn't have time to contemplate the enhanced defense because Freto turned him around and pushed him. He stopped next to the Officer, and Crish had done the same, conjuring defenses for her leader.
Dante was still looking at her.
— I still don't know your name, ma'am.
— Dalia.
Officer Tecno approached and touched the backs of both of them. He forced the energy against their bodies and looked at the pirates. He let out a huge sigh and marked two bodies on the other side with his energy.
— Double Swap.
Dante heard an order from the side, but didn't care. Dalia leapt past him and disappeared into the air. That gave him a chill, but he laughed at seeing such a different skill. He mimicked her, running toward the edge and jumping into the empty space.
Tecno let out a muffled laugh.
— He didn't even hesitate. I like these.
The energy was released from his hand, and one of the pirates had a mark placed on his neck. The next moment, Dante vanished and reappeared standing on the enemy dirigible. He looked to both sides, as shocked as the real owners of the balloon, and raised both hands.
— That was awesome. — He quickly searched for Dalia but didn't find her. — Damn, where is she? Did she fall?
Vick was the one who responded.
"Officer's presence is on another dirigible, sir. Proceed with the immediate destruction of the pirates."
Dante was finally fighting. He was finally where he had always trained to be. And he stared at the bracelet his father had given him. That was enough to alert him. Out here, it was dangerous...
— But it's so much fun.
In a quick spin, he raised his fist ahead, toward the mast. And stopped. The others watched him rise and stare at his own fist. They began to laugh. Some grabbed their weapons, becoming more relaxed, and started walking toward him.
— Looks like they threw us a tiny fish to eat. — One of the pirates came swinging his sword back and forth. They all wore tattered clothes with holes. — Don't be scared, old man. We'll cut you in half.
Dante touched his own chest, impressed by his words.
— Are you talking about me? — He raised his hand and pointed to the mast. — You should be paying attention to that over there, oh.
The faces turned to the mast. The rigid wooden block twisted backward, and the creaking startled everyone. Dante let out a laugh and clapped his hands. The entire air rippled violently, and the nearest pirates fell flat on their chests or backs. The old man raised his fist once more.
— Let's see if you still have the same courage when I'm here.
He threw another punch. The converted energy was transferred to his fist and released with a shock outward. The air condensed and exploded forward, creating a hole in the main mast and throwing everything backward. The dirigible simply swayed, losing power, and flames spread across the canvas. Dante didn't waste any time and ran toward the other edge, jumping.
The energy condensed in the sole of his foot, and he shot off with an immense burst, creating a straight path. In midair, he saw Officer Dalia pointing her finger and all the pirates falling to their knees. Her ability, Dante was almost sure, forced others to follow her orders. He passed over them. The two stared at each other, but Dalia furrowed her brow.
— I'm going to the next one.
— If you can do this, why did it take you so long to go after the pirates?
Dante laughed and continued straight ahead. I wanted to see what they were like.
Before even getting close, Dante pulled back his fist. He spun several times in midair and punched with great force. Vick quickly alerted him to the percentage at 6%. The shot created a crack in the air, forming a swirling tornado. The dirigible's canvas was ripped off in one breath. Dante laughed again.
— I wish my father could see all this. — He dragged himself forward. — How are we doing, Vick?
"It's perfectly synchronized. Since any kind of friction with the air generates kinetic energy, the shot you're making on the sole of your foot is being converted at a rate of almost 1 to 2%. Your father was afraid you'd always hold back, but I advise you not to fight above 20%, sir."
— Don't call me sir. — Dante spun in the air a few times and began to fall on purpose. — He never let me fly, you know? He always said it wasn't necessary if I could defeat the enemies on the ground.
"And... wasn't he right? You learned to defend yourself with Render. Why would you need to fly?"
Dante supported his hand behind his neck while still falling.
— Who knows? Out here I can do so many different things. I want to be able to fight, I want to see what my father couldn't, and more than that, I want to learn the history that was lost. — He saw the dirigible where Dalia was. — But, if I can't follow orders like he taught me, I'll be nothing but a little soldier.
The air jet on his sole returned, and he shot up like a bullet. Increasing the conversion. The more air passed by him, the more friction, and from that, more conversion. He passed by the side of the balloon and saw Dalia with her fists raised. She was facing about three pirates. Her voice, it wasn't having an effect. Dante threw his leg up and used the jet against one of them.
The Officer's eyes met his. Dante smiled, and she didn't. The Officer took two steps back, and one of the pirates advanced a step, becoming his last. Dante used his shoulder to throw him to the ground, and a second later, the air was released from the blow, driving the man into the wood.
Dante stood up, stretched his fist, and dodged a dagger coming toward his throat. With a direct punch, the pirate's ribcage twisted, and a 'crack' could be heard. Dante slid his foot over the wood, just like he did in the bamboo fields, and opened his palm, deflecting a very dirty baton and slapping it toward the pirate's face, stopping the movement before it touched the enemy.
— See you later — he said, showing a wicked smile.
The air contorted in front. He saw the man crashing against the wooden edge and falling unconscious.
— I did it. — Dante stared at his own hands. The concentrated energy was dissipated. He had defeated enemies, flown with his ability, and had an Officer on his back. Damn, he couldn't forget about her.
As soon as he turned around, Dalia was already walking toward the edge, heading for the Balsa. She didn't turn, but raised her voice:
— Want to stay there admiring your victory? — Even though she was stern, there was some recognition there. Dante laughed and followed her back.
For the first day, he had done more than enough.
And he was ready for the consequences.