The seven Sky Boys member dived from the floating island like a comet, their voices booming in their ears.
Orced directed the creation. While he looked focused, his eyes had that recognizable spark that indicated this was precisely where he wished to be.
Perpa City lay beneath them in all its messy splendour: glass skyscrapers reflecting the afternoon sun, the far glitter of the port where tiny fishing boats bobbed like toys.
From up above, the coastal city seemed calm, yet everyone knew differently. Curses disregarded traffic lights and skylines.
Macker flew on Orced's right, brass knuckles already glowing with restrained electricity. "Oh my god. That's actually a mission time. Training dummies and C-class pushovers no longer exist. I'm ready to shatter anything great today."
Kruna moved gracefully to the left, twin blades sheathed but hands open and ready. Black hair flicked over his face. "Macker, let's not be so confident. This can be a B-class sighting overnight updated. Stay focused or you'll find yourself as chow cursed."
Knife already in hand, Aftor followed closely behind, eyes squinted searching the ground beneath. "I sense danger. Down there, the air is too calm. The city seems to be holding its breath."
Ema flew arrows nocked and ready with his bow slung over his shoulder. Once his unruly brown hair was tied back, a few strands still escaped. "Thermal is gathering something huge near the former port area. Big sign. Definitely not C-class these days. It is moving, and it feels irritated."
Nix smiled like a youngster on Christmas morning; the gauntlet hummed with barely controlled energy. "I have been terribly bored tho. Let's make this one loud."
Sano lagged behind, a big shield attached to his back like a black cape. His resonant voice traveled readily across the breeze. "If things go south, I'll lead on defense. If things turn bad, stick behind me. Not a single hit unless Orced authorizes it."
Orced's voice was loud and certain, cutting through the wind. Everyone, eyes open. "We are ready, aren't we? Sky Boys never settle for halfway measures. Let's demonstrate to Perpa what actual protection looks like. No mistakes."
Barely audible, they landed atop an old warehouse next to the harbor.
Car horns blared, faraway sirens wailed, and the low murmur of people going about their daily lives oblivious to the seven creatures that had just descended from heaven surrounded them.
Nobody else underneath had seen them yet.
Orced lifted a hand and directed the group to spread apart. "Ema; thermal sweep. Nix, get your explosions ready but not today; Macker, you're in charge of explosions. Kruna, flank. Aftor, identify flaws. You're the rear guard Sano. Move."
Like shadows, they descended to street level and navigated the small lanes heading toward the sea.
The harbor was kinda silent, it was spooky. Though there were no fishermen, fishing boats bounced softly at their docks.
Doors half-open, boxes undisturbed, warehouses waited. The air tasted heavy and strange, as though the earth itself were waiting for the other shoe to fall.
Ema's voice crackled over the tiny earpieces they all wore. Guys, I fear that's an important one. Old fish processing factory two blocks away. It is clever and moving. Not unconsciously. Undeniably A-class. Semi-intelligent but it seems mad."
Orced squinted. "Confirmed. Everybody meets at the plant. Prepared arms. If it responds, we try chatting first. If not, we sweep it."
They gathered back at the huge, rusty warehouse's entrance. From within came a deep, guttural voice—not the senseless roar of a C-class, but rather real words, distorted and wet, laced with pure anger and poison. The double doors were hanging off their hinges.
"...stupid... dumb little humans... constantly moving... continuously concealing... I only wanted to dine quietly, yet you bastards keep sending your tiny toy troops..."
The creature stepped onto the gloomy light passing through the shattered skylights.
It was huge, pretty much seven meters tall, humanoid but utterly mistaken. From its shoulders and back, tendrils twisting like living whips rose out of its body, a shifting mass of white and deep crimson flesh.
Its glittering eyes were sprinkled across its torso, all of them squeezed in annoyance. Its mouth opened into a broad, toothy frown that seemed more irritated than hungry.
It bent its head, many eyes fixed on the group. "Oh well well. Even more of y'all. The white-haired guy appears to be the leader. Just let me guess; you're here to "save the city" or some other valiant nonsense? spare me the lecture. I'm not in my mood right now."
His hands open at his sides, voice quiet and consistent, Orced moved forward. "If we don't have to fight, we won't. You are hurting individuals. Eating from the metropolis. Terrorising people. That finishes now. Say here what brought you here. Perhaps there is a different route we can take."
The curse cackled sourly. "What do you mean with speak? Would you like to converse? Years of your species pursuing us? You believe me to be stupid? You're all the same shit: beautiful words, then blades. I'm through being courteous."
It shot forth without notice, tendrils flying like spears.
Orced's voice cracked like a whip. "Sky Boys! Participate! Not restrain yourself!"
The struggle burst out into motion.
Macker charged first, brass knuckles flaming with crimson vitality. "Time for me to tank and blow up! Come on, that's not cool!"
With a loud thump, he crashed into the center of the curse. Though restricted, the blast was terrible. Some black flesh exploded, ichor showered everywhere, and the monster lurched back with an angry yell.
"You little turd! That truly stung."
Kruna went like a shadow. "Now it's my turn." Kruna turned on his concealed power for the first time in front of the entire team.
His body glittered, and then suddenly there were twelve identical Krunas, each one solid, each one armed with twin blades that were now longer than his own height, curved and deadly, shining with curse energy.
Perfect coordination among the twelve Krunas was shown in their speech. Come dance, you big bastard.
From three sides simultaneously, they struck. Their long blades ripped through tendrils, creating deep wounds that didn't close quickly enough. The curse screamed and tried to knock them away, but the clones were too quick, too well-coordinated.
A Kruna ducked beneath a swing and slashed upwards, cutting off a sizable tendril. "You're too slow, you oversized worm."
Another Kruna jumped on its back and drove both blades into its spine. "Weak spot identified. Maintain pressure."
One Kruna remained back directing. "Avoid letting it regrow! Go for the centre! The curse yelled in wrath, tendrils waving wildly. Sleights of hand! Simple tricks! You believe numbers will spare you? I will grind all of you down to last one!"
Orced observed, eyes faintly sparkling. "Fine. Let's keep it entertained."
He took a step forward and raised one hand. He let loose his radioactive water talent for the first time in front of the team.
Above his palm a sphere of brilliant blue-green water swirled with hazardous, destructive energy.
It was lethal with long-term radiation and imbued with curse radiation; it wasn't regular water.
Time to put a stop to this, Orced added softly.
He extended his hand forward. Like a high-pressure jet, the radioactive water blasted out and hit the chest of the curse.
Where it touched, the flesh burned and melted; black smoke rose in dark clouds. The curse groaned in anguish, tendrils lashing.
"I'm burning! You radioactive freak! What in the world is that?"
Aftor dashed in, blade glinting. On the left side, the core is weakened! "Go for it!"
Ema launched a volley of glittering arrows, anchoring a few tendrils to the ground. "Pinned! Finish it off!"
Sano charged with his shield, colliding into the legs of the curse and sending it off balance. "Right now! Strike it vigorously!"
Orced sprang high, white hair blazing in the sunlight. "White Comet Strike!"
With radioactive water covering his fist, he drove it right into the exposed core. The consequences were terrible.
The warehouse was lit up with a brilliant blue-green burst.
The curse let out one last, ear-shattering scream before its body started to dissolve from the inside out, turning into black sludge that vanished on the wind.
The warehouse went silent. Covered in ichor but triumphant, the team gasped.