Lobby—-
Rika, Omariro, and Shinnosuke entered a golden lobby-like room, where various Sky Escorts were busy mingling and lounging around. Shinnosuke cleared his throat, shouting loud enough to echo through the entire lobby.
"Listen up, guardians!" he announced. "Look who has returned? None other than the God-King himself!"
All the Escorts paused, their eyes turning toward Omariro. The Escorts all lined up perfectly, moving in rhythm as they chanted.
"God-King! God-King! God-King!"
Rika quickly held onto Omariro's arm. "Sir, why are they saying that? What does that mean? Are you…some kind of god?"
Omariro didn't answer.
Shinnosuke turned to face Rika. "Did you really think your Master was always a frail old man? This is just a hollow husk he wears; a shell of his former self."
"Sir, you never told us any of this…" Rika lamented. "How old really are you, Master?"
"Beyond girl's comprehension," he replied. "But girl must not dwindle with knowledge."
Rika slowly touched Omariro's hair, looking him up and down. "Master's a…god? I knew you were always strong, sir, but it's hard to believe…"
He simply patted her head.
"Come, God-King," Shinnosuke ordered. "The path toward your beast is this way."
Omariro grabbed Rika's arm and led her through the wave of curious Escorts while Shinnosuke stopped at the gate ahead.
"This will transport you to the next floor," he explained. "If the Sky Beast's fortune will have it, you'll be reunited with us on the other side."
The gate flashed with a golden light, unlocking itself. Omariro took one last look at the Escorts before jumping through, and Rika followed him.
???—-
〈Entry Detected—-Floor Level: 556.〉
Omariro and Rika landed inside a floating hot-air balloon, which was slowly dragging itself forward. All around them were clouds and endless sky, with a waypoint in the distance.
〈Rule: *Keep Balloon Intact.*〉
〈Waypoint: 5,000m〉
Rika looked over the edge, doing her best to keep herself calm. Omariro watched as the balloon continued moving, with wind bursts occasionally carrying it faster across the sky.
The balloon traveled at a steady pace as Rika regained her composure, clinging to Omariro for support. She looked down at the ground. "Master, with all your power…you…can't heal Han yourself?"
Omariro looked at his hand. "Only self."
Rika stayed quiet for a while before taking a deep breath. "Even though he saved us…I still can't just forgive him, Master. He's not like you. Even when you keep things to yourself, we know you'll never hurt us. But Han…he's the cause of all this…"
The balloon surged up, interrupting her. Omariro locked eyes with her, tapping his staff on the ground. "Boy made mistakes. Mistakes were bad. Mistakes could have been worse."
"But…"
"Children have all made mistakes. Should not condemn one another for them."
Rika nervously twisted a strand of her hair. "But those Heralds, sir…you said they needed to be locked up. Doesn't Han apply in this case?"
Omariro shook his head. "Boy situation different. Heralds are irredeemable."
"You never told us what happened with them," Rika admitted. "Why would they ever betray you?"
Omariro looked at his hand. "Power is blessing and curse. One and same. Tale will be told. But not today."
Rika gave him a nod, but the moment she looked up, she noticed a thundering eagle flying toward the balloon. "Master! Behind you!"
The eagle opened its beak, firing blasts of lightning at the balloon and dropping its altitude.
〈Balloon HP: 100% → 91%〉
Omariro erased the bird with a clap of his hands, but more eagles, these double the size of the first, came to assault the balloon.
The birds spread out in a V formation, hovering above and dodging Omariro's next clap. Four of them charged their beaks and unleashed lightning bolts at the base of the balloon.
〈Balloon HP: 91% → 78%〉
Omariro formed his bow and sniped them down bit by bit, causing the rest to fall back and trail the balloon. Rika rushed over to Omariro. "What do you need me to do, sir?"
Omariro surveyed the sky, but no beasts remained. "Jugen-Kaiseisha: Seimeiryoku Tanchi!"
He closed his eyes, his body glowing a soft golden color as he sensed for any lifeforce around him. Rika covered her mouth, suppressing an excited giggle. "Oh! He's using my class! Does this mean—-? No, focus, Rika!"
Omariro looked up, forming his blade and tossing it with enough force to create a wind burst. With a sharp SLICE, it dropped three eagles from the sky.
"Whoa," Rika gasped.
"Girl must cover flank," Omariro explained. "Use Thunder Sigils."
Rika pulled out the collected Thunder Sigils, holding one in her hand. "What do you do…?"
〈Sigil Ability: Thunderstorm. Unleashes a powerful storm that will strike the nearest *5* enemies. Charges: *1.*〉
Golden Pegasus horses began running across the sky, circling the balloon with speeds faster than Rika could track. One attempted to ram into the balloon, but Rika squeezed the sigil.
〈Sigil: Activated.〉
With a powerful burst, lightning rained down and struck five of the horses, sending them tumbling through the clouds below. Rika gawked at the sigil in her hand. "My gosh, I love these things!"
One of the horses stopped and fired a glowing ball of pure thunder at the balloon, which chased after it.
Before Rika could use her sigil, the ball collided with the base of the basket.
〈Balloon HP: 78% → 67%〉
Omariro cleaved the horse in two with one slash, before tapping his staff on the floor and using his Jugen to teleport the balloon forward. Rika clung to the sides tightly as it sped up.
"Master! Wait! This is too fast—-!"
Escorts appeared, and with a wave of their hands, spiked walls of lightning appeared, moving back and forth in timed intervals. Omariro turned to Rika. "Girl must use Sigil. Make haste!"
Rika pulled out the other sigil.
〈Sigil Ability: Lightning Dash. Allows for the user and their respective vehicles to move at *increased* speed. Charges: *3.*〉
"Perfect!"
Rika quickly squeezed the sigil, and the balloon did a zigzag before slamming into one of the walls and bouncing back.
〈Balloon HP: 67% → 59%〉
"Gah! I'm sorry, Master! I can't control this!"
Omariro caught her as she stumbled, and a small hole appeared in the bottom of the basket, causing her to climb into Omariro's arms. "Master! We're gonna fall!"
Omariro set her down as the balloon approached the spikes once more. "Calm, girl. Time sigil. Cast no doubt."
She put a hand on her chest, her heart racing faster than ever. "Okay. I've got this."
Rika waited for the gap to close, before angling herself perpendicular to the opening. With a squeeze of the sigil, the balloon zigzagged through the first wave of walls as horses and eagles slapped into the spikes behind them.
The balloon zipped through the other spikes like a maze, bursting clear of the obstacles as Escorts on Pegasuses trailed the balloon.
"Master, are these guys supposed to be on your side?" Rika questioned. "Why are they chasing us?"
"Escorts deem hardship ultimate form of respect," Omariro clarified. "Will try to take my head."
Almost as if in response, an Escort formed a lightning blade and slashed the air, firing a powerful lightning beam at the balloon that took off a chunk of the basket.
〈Balloon HP: 59% → 42%〉
Rika and Omariro scooted further back, with Rika squeezing the sigil once more to give the balloon a boost, leaving the Escorts scrambling to catch up.
Omariro blocked their blasts with his blade as Rika pulled out the last sigil, clinging onto the edge of the basket for dear life. The two made it further along the path, with a golden flag emerging in the distance.
〈Waypoint: 1,000m〉
Escorts began to land atop the balloon, and Omariro looked up, sensing their attempts to stab into the balloon. He jumped out of the basket, teleporting to the top.
"Wait, Master!" Rika pleaded. "Don't leave me!"
Above the balloon, Escorts drew their blades as Omariro landed next to them, his weapon at the ready. One of the Escorts got into a low stance. "God-King. Let us see how much left you have in the tank."
"Escorts have no claim on me," he warned. "Goodbye."
They all began clashing swords, lighting radiating off their blows as the balloon sank further and further, with Rika panicking more each time.
She brought the sigil to her face as the remaining Escorts kept the pressure on the base of the balloon.
〈Sigil Ability: Thunder Barrier. Forms a *temporary* storm barrier that is impervious to outside damage. Charges: *1.*〉
She crushed it immediately, and a lightning shield formed around the balloon, deflecting the Escorts' attacks.
"This should help Master," Rika thought. "I've gotta make sure I don't leave him empty-handed! Even if he is a god, he's still my Master!"
Omariro and the Escorts noticed the barrier that trapped them within, pausing for a brief moment.
"Odd…" an Escort noted. "That wasn't us."
"Girl prove worth," Omariro stated. "Escorts must now leave."
An Escort charged at Omariro, but Omariro extended his hand. "Jugen-Sōunsha: Nendō Tensō!"
The Escort went flying into the barrier, shocking himself as others moved to take his place, and Omariro threw them all aside as well. The barrier dropped, causing them to fall from the sky.
"Master!" Rika called out. "Are you okay?"
"Concern not needed."
He jumped down, landing next to Rika. As the balloon began to fall further, Rika quickly held Omariro for safety.
Shinnosuke appeared on a Pegasus, slicing one of the ropes attaching the basket to the balloon.
〈Balloon HP: 42% → 31%〉
"Oh no," Rika realized. "Master, he's gonna be a problem!"
Omariro held his blade firm as Shinnosuke swooped over the balloon, diving down from above.
"Jugen-Tōshi: Mugengan no Ōgonjin!"
A circular blade formed from his weapon, attacking Shinnosuke repeatedly as the latter used all his strength to deflect it, but it took an arm off in the process.
"Tsk."
Shinnosuke swung at the next wire connecting the basket, but Rika grabbed his arm, shocking herself. "Ow!"
Omariro separated the two, pushing Shinnosuke back into another Escort. Shinnosuke jumped on the back of a horse, following the balloon as it limped forward.
"Don't let them escape!"
Omariro clapped his hands, teleporting the basket closer to the finish. Thunder creatures and Escorts unleashed a barrage of attacks at the balloon as it crossed the finish line.
〈Balloon HP: 31% → 20% → 11% → 3%〉
They crossed the line, and a loud horn erupted.
〈Challenge Completed.〉
A rocky island formed below the flag, allowing the balloon to land. Rika carefully stepped out of the basket along with Omariro as the escorts landed before them.
"You have completed this floor," Shinnosuke informed them. "It is time for us to bring you to the next area."
"Escorts play games," Omariro interrupted. "Bring children."
"In time, in time," Shinnosuke replied. "The Sky Beast wishes to see how well you'll do as we progress further."
"Hmph."
Another gate formed, allowing the duo to advance.
???—-
Omariro and Rika landed inside a casino, where Shinnosuke was waiting, sitting by a blackjack table.
"Come on in, folks," he greeted. "The Sky Casino welcomes you."
"Erm," Rika stammered. "I don't think I like this…"
Escorts were busy playing slot machines, playing chess, and even tossing money at dancing female Escorts, who winked at Omariro as he walked by.
"More games," Omariro grunted.
"This isn't any game," Shinnosuke chuckled. "We're going to play Dance of the Sky."
〈Rule: *Win* the Game.〉
"What's Dance of the Sky?" Rika wondered.
"I'm glad you asked, little one. It's a sacred game we participate in often. To clear this floor, one must excel in it."
"And…if we don't?"
"Then you die. And your master will have to watch."
Shinnosuke clapped his hands, and the Escorts all gathered together. They led Omariro and Rika to a large stadium-like area, where glowing golden tiles awaited, and so did the Escorts.
"It is about time we begin," Shinnosuke declared. "Me and my Escorts vs. you and your student."
——