Kody Nightroad stared at the group of soldiers in the distance. His heart tickled his ribcage, but he knew that fear was not an option given the circumstances. He was the older one among the group, yet he allowed Oren to shoulder the burden of saving their families.
“Selena…” muttered Kody as he stared at his sister imprisoned in those cloud-shaped objects. However, despite his anxiety, he had to remain calm to stall them.
The soldiers spotted him, but they kept one with their march. Kody acted as if he was looking around before running toward them, tripping and shouting incomprehensibly.
“You guys… what are you doing here…?” shouted Kody as if he was shocked to see the group wandering around these parts. “I received intel moments ago that the fight against the calamity is shifting over to this site!”
As he was sweating bullets trying to fool them, the group looked at him with disinterest. There were a few whispers among them about something before the bald man in the lead turned toward him.
“We have heard, and we are here to aid the army. Please evacuate.”
Kody’s mind ran all possible scenarios that could make them say that. It seems that they discussed whether to attack him or not and be done with it, but maybe they didn’t want to pull the attention to them at the moment.
“Then, can you help me?” said Kody as he walked closer toward them. “It seems you are a part of the rescue squad tending to the injured,” said Kody while looking at the clouds. “Please help me save my family!”
The soldiers seemed more annoyed with him, but they just wanted to get it over with. Captain Mino sighed and walked toward him, nodding in response to his demand.
“Thank you, great one! However, the rubbles are too much to be handled by a single person! So please, beautiful sister, help us too!”
“Since you know how to ask,” smiled the woman while playing with her long tangerine hair. “Kino, keep guard over here. Your wounds have already healed.”
“Thank you! Thank you!” bowed Kody repeatedly before turning to lead them away. Two out of four soldiers were the best he could take away without raising suspicion.
“However,” started the woman as the two soldiers followed after him. “A hair so red is rather common around here?” she asked, and it made Kody sweat profusely.
“You are rather quiet,” said the bald man behind him. “And you are walking too slowly for someone who wants to save his family.”
“I don’t want to tire the two of you,” said Kody with a small laugh. “If you would like to hurry, then please follow me.”
Kody then pressed his telecom and sent the signal to Oren, hiding in a nearby alley. Then, the sounds of a raving engine filled the street as a figure darted from one of the alleys, soaring high in the sky.
The two soldiers turned in surprise to see Oren flying toward the clouds. As they were about to rush forward, Maryam appeared from a nearby alley and used her ability.
“They will be out of it for three seconds, Oren!” shouted Maryam. True to her words, the soldiers were dazed for three seconds, and Kody decided to rush forward toward the clouds.
The plan was for Oren to snatch them and run, but the clouds imprisoning the two were not a foreseen matter. Therefore, Oren needed help to get them out of there before he could take them away.
“Kody, attack the clouds!” shouted Oren, knowing that Kody’s ability would work on this one. Selena was able to etherealize her body and run through objects, but Kody could do that for the targets of his attack.
As he reached the clouds in the three-second timeframe, Kody struck them with his palm. The clouds diffused as if they were vaporizing, but they were simply losing their structure. Then, however, the soldier sleeping on them suddenly woke up, even though the three seconds were not over.
“Are you here to rescue these women?” asked the soldier, who snapped his eyes open. Kody realized that he looked similar to the woman they met at the villa, but it wasn’t time to admire his face. “I have to ask you to give up….”
As he was talking, the shadow of the SkyBeam appeared above them. Oren was landing, and the man turned toward him in shock, not knowing what monster had descended. White flames attacked the soldier, making him raise his arms to save himself.
The clouds surrounded the soldier, and the flames exploded atop them. Oren descended from the sky and grabbed Selena and Aunt Sarah before throwing them over his SkyBeam.
“Kody, grab on!”
Maryam was already running away the moment she finished using her ability. As for Kody, he was the only one left here. Oren offered him his arm to grab, but Kody simply high-fived him. The SkyBeam flew a few meters away before Oren stopped it, and Kody turned toward him.
“There is no way we can outrun them. I will hold them back here, and you should get them to safety. Take care of my sister, Oren.”
As he said so, Kody took out a pair of gauntlets from his storage ring. Oren stared at him for a few seconds before twisting the SkyBeam’s handle, making it fly away. As Kody saw his friend running away, he felt grateful that Oren listened.
After all, these soldiers would snap out of their daze in a second. One of them was already awake, and the other two regained consciousness. Kody stared at them and smiled.
“Thank you for helping me, dear ladies and gentlemen,” said Kody as he punched his gauntlets against one another. “I will have to ask that you stay where you are.”
“…we have let our guard down,” muttered the bald man with disappointment. “Who would have thought that someone so weak can even think of hindering us? Kino, Tinto, and Jono should pursue the targets. I will handle this foolish man.”
“Yes, sir!”
“As if I would let you,” shouted Kody as he rushed toward the three, already making their way toward Oren. Then, before the three could pass, Kody punched the ground. The pavement exploded to create a dust screen due to Kody etherealizing most of the pavement. “Let me show you what happens next.”
Kody raised his fist, and the etherealized pavement rose high in the air before turning back into pavement. Instead, however, Kody has manipulated it into becoming a giant hammer.
“Strike!”
Kody shouted as the hammer swung in the air and attacked the three. His hopes were crushed as he thought that this would hold them back. But, instead, the tangerine woman opened her mouth, and it expanded, eating his hammer in one gulp before passing him.
“Foolish brat,” muttered the bald man as he tore through the dust screen, appearing in front of Kody. “You should have known your limits!”
Then, Kody saw the man swing his fist, but he was too slow to dodge. His knuckles dug through Kody’s face, breaking whatever bones met and pushing them into his skull. Kody could feel the excruciating pain of his teeth digging into his lips and his nose breaking as his feet left the ground.
Then, he soared and crashed the building on the side. The walls crumbled as he slammed into them before he stopped and landed on the ground. Kody heard the bald man mutter to himself in his pain and unconsciousness.
“Pathetic weaklings have no right to fight us,” said the man coldly. “What a humiliation to be fooled by these brats.”
“We are not… weak…” muttered Kody as he tried to stand up. Blood leaked from his mouth under his broken nose and disfigured face. “The weak… is who attacks… the innocents….”
Kody could feel his teeth falling from his mouth, but he could see the bald man turning toward him. He could even see the man’s tattoos leave his body in his hazy vision.
“Innocence and justice are subjective, kid,” said the bald man as he stared at him with fierce eyes. “I did not think that would withstand that attack, even if I used a small portion of my strength. You should have pretended to be dead.”
“I will protect… my sister…” said Kody as he raised his gauntlets with tears. “I will be a good older brother,” memories flashed ins his eyes of their childhood together and how his little sister took care of him.
“…” the bald man was silent as he stared at him, then he sighed. “Are all humans on Earth have unbroken resolves? Then, I will break every last one of them,” Muttered the bald man as the tattoos began to leave his body and surround his arm. “This is the greatest respect I can offer: a-hundred-percent attack!”
Kody could feel the air being sucked toward the man as he took a stance. His muscles bulged, and the tattoos seemed to supply his arm with strength. But then, Kody saw his fate. He was going to die.
