As the demon unleashed his fury, Jason soared through the air unnoticed, gripping the sheathed sword tightly. From above, he descended with precision, striking the demon from behind. The impact was immediate—an audible crack echoed as the demon crashed onto the deck, landing hard beside the Ranker police protecting the passengers.
Jason, however, was still falling fast. Panic shot through me as I realized he hadn't thought through his landing. The teleportation Ranker must have noticed too because, in a flash of light, he appeared just in time to grab Jason by the shirt. Jason dangled awkwardly, his body hovering inches above the deck.
"Phew," Jason exhaled, his voice shaky. "I almost died!" He glanced at me and muttered, "Yeah, I'm definitely not following Ragnarok's plans next time."
The teleportation Ranker raised an eyebrow, smirked, and then… let him go. Jason yelped as he hit the deck with a dull thud.
Climbing to his feet, Jason dusted himself off and grinned at me. "Hey, I did it!"
I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smiling back. "Yeah, sure. Don't forget the part where you almost became a pancake."
Meanwhile, the Ranker police assessed the situation. With the demon subdued and unable to resist, one of them snapped cuffs around his wrists. They weren't just any cuffs—they were power dampeners, rare treasures often found in dungeons.
The lead Ranker turned to the crowd and spoke with authority. "The threat has been neutralized. Everyone, please return to your quarters. The situation is under control."
Most passengers quickly shuffled away, eager to get back to safety. Jason, however, was called over by the Ranker police, along with the elemental Ranker who'd helped launch him into the air. Curious, I followed, staying close.
The demon, now bound and furious, growled under his breath. "This isn't over," he spat, glaring at the Rankers.
The lead officer ignored him, explaining to us, "While fighting another Ranker isn't exactly illegal, this demon endangered civilians who weren't Rankers. That's a serious offense. He's going to prison for it."
Jason nodded, looking oddly proud of himself. I couldn't help but snicker. The demon, now powerless and cuffed, was led away by the officers, still muttering threats under his breath.
Jason turned to me, looking smug. "See? I told you I'd pull it off."
"Yeah, yeah," I said, shaking my head. "Just try not to rely on dumb luck next time, okay?".
The three of us were recognized by the Ranker police for our bravery. They commended us for standing firm in the face of danger, despite the odds. However, their praise didn't come without a long lecture about how reckless we had been.
"While we appreciate your courage," one officer said sternly, "this could've gone sideways very quickly. Next time, leave situations like this to the professionals."
Jason nodded along, looking like he was trying not to smirk, while I kept my expression neutral.
"Still," the officer continued, his tone softening, "your quick thinking and teamwork were commendable. We'll back you if you ever need support in the future. Don't hesitate to reach out if you find yourselves in trouble."
I raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised. "Wait… why am I included in this?"
Jason clapped a hand on my shoulder, grinning. "Because you were the brains behind the plan, obviously! I told them how you came up with everything."
I blinked, processing that. "Oh… well, uh, thanks, I guess."
"Don't mention it," Jason replied, still grinning.
The Ranker police nodded at us one last time before dispersing, leaving us with a mix of pride and mild embarrassment. Regardless of the lectures, it felt like a win-win.
We decided to call it a day and head back to our room. As exciting as the whole ordeal had been, it had also left us pretty drained.
As we walked down the corridor, the elemental guy from earlier called out to us. "Hey, you guys!" he said, jogging over. "My name's David. What about you two?"
I glanced at Jason, then replied, "Ragnarok."
"Jason," my friend added casually.
David smiled, a friendly glint in his eyes. "What you guys did out there was awesome," he said. But before I could thank him, his tone shifted, taking on an edge. "But don't get ahead of yourselves."
I blinked, confused. His mood had flipped like a switch.
"What?" Jason asked, his brows furrowing.
David crossed his arms. "I saw you two back at Stone Island, and then again at the gym. You're low-class people—I can tell. Just because you got lucky today doesn't mean you can become powerful Rankers. What happened out there? Pure luck. Next time, I won't let anyone steal the show from me again."
I stared at him, baffled by his sudden arrogance. Wasn't he just being nice? I turned to Jason, hoping for some kind of explanation.
Jason's expression darkened. He stepped forward, locking eyes with David. "If you know what's good for you, back off," he said firmly. "Yeah, we aren't as rich as you, but mark my words—we'll make it to the Heaven Realm. And when we do, you'll be the one eating our dust."
We headed back to our room, the exhaustion from the day starting to weigh on us. As soon as we got there, I grabbed my stuff and headed straight for the shower. The hot water felt like a blessing after all the chaos, washing away the lingering tension from the fight. Once I was done, I slipped into bed, ready to call it a night.
Jason, however, had other plans. After finishing his shower, he sat on the floor with the sheathed sword resting beside him.
"I need to get better at this," he muttered to himself, determination etched into his face.
He started practicing his power, small sparks of energy dancing around his hands. I watched him through half-closed eyes, too tired to comment but quietly impressed by his resolve. Even after everything that had happened, Jason was always looking for ways to improve.
Eventually, the soft hum of his training faded into the background as sleep claimed me.