Pirates of the Skies

Chapter 10

Saving Riku

The hooded figure was able to weave its way to the front of the gathered townsfolk of the Town of Git. This allowed the mysterious figure a front row seat to the execution of the two criminals, Kazu Ita and Riku Otake. Mayor Branson stood up to read the criminal charges and their punishment.

Branson gripped his axe and raised it above his head, for the beheading, and it was at this moment that the hooded figure decided to act. A slim, fair hand reached into the black cloak and produced two black spheres which were thrown onto the wooden platform. The balls exploded on impact and the platform was engulfed in black smoke.

The hooded person then pulled the hood off, revealing her slim body and tightly fitted black pants and jacket with a hood of its own already covering her blonde curly hair. She jumped into the black smoke and rushed to where she remembered Riku was.

"Riku," she said to ensure she had the right person.

"Mary?" Riku said.

Mary produced a knife with a black hilt and a silver blade that curved decoratively but also made the sharp edge stand out. A few swipes of the knife later and Riku's bonds fell away, allowing the log to fall behind him.

"We need to leave," Mary said.

"Not without Kazu," Riku said before he reached out to where Kazu was. He was surprised when Kazu was no longer there. He was slightly taken aback by the speed of the other criminal.

"Round up the accused!" Branson's voice was heard somewhere in the smoke.

Mary touched Riku's shoulder urgently, "Riku, we are outnumbered and poorly armed. This was strictly a rescue mission for you. We can get Kazu later."

Riku gritted his teeth but finally nodded before he jumped off the platform with Mary following behind. They jumped out of the smoky platform only to be faced with a wall of guards who were under Branson's command.

"There he is!" One of the guards pointed at Riku.

"She must have been the one who helped him!" Another guard said, gesturing to Mary. All the guards withdrew their blades.

Mary swore under her breath. They were cornered and she doubted that they could defeat all these people.

"Knife," Riku said, holding out his hand. Mary reluctantly handed the knife over to Riku and he stepped forward. Four of the guards rushed forward with sabres raised before bringing them down simultaneously. Riku blocked the longer blades with the knife blade. Mary could not help but cringe as she saw her poor knife blocking four swords. Riku pushed off the blades and was able to stab and swipe at two of the guards' legs. They fell down immediately and the other two tried to get Riku while forcing him back closer to the wall of guards behind him.

Mary came forward and made a karate chop to one of the guards' necks, knocking him out. Riku was able to take care of the other with a quick stab to the stomach, causing him to fall over to the ground, clutching his bleeding abdomen. However, Riku's problems had just begun as the group of guards descended on him. He blocked a few strikes but ultimately he noted that they were trying to surround him as they had identified him as the biggest threat while a few went after Mary who stood at the ready.

Meanwhile, in the fading smoke, Kazu was discovered by two guards. They swung their swords at him but he was able to avoid most of their sword strikes, however he ensured that the blades made contact with the ropes binding him to the log, cutting him free. Once his hands were free, he threw the log at the two guards, taking them out before he, along with the smoke, disappeared.

Riku on the other hand was still surrounded. The group began attacking, trying to find a place for their blades in his body. "12 Noble Samurai Form: Hexagon Defence!" Riku declared before blocking the multiple blades coming for him while manoeuvring out of the circle of guards. Because he was using a sword form with a knife, he failed to block some of the strikes which opened up wounds on his body

Mary grew worried when Riku and her were now separated by the wall of guards. She was slightly thankful that most of their attention was on him and not her. She picked up a discarded blade of a vanquished guard.

"Mary, sword!" Riku said upon noticing that she was armed with his ideal weapon. Mary complied and threw her only weapon over the group of guards to Riku. Riku dodged the coming blade and grabbed the handle before he threw the knife over the guards and to Mary.

Mary did a summersault and caught the knife. She unintentionally smiled when the familiar knife sat comfortably in her palm. She rushed forward, dodging a swipe and stabbing the guard in the hip before twisting the blade. As soon as he fell he prepared to fight the next guard.

Riku and the group watched each other warily. The guards knew that Riku was now more dangerous armed with a sword. If he was able to take down a few of them with a knife, they shuddered to think what he could do with a sword. They knew that fighting him would mean some of them may lose their lives and many more would be injured. And it was most likely the first few to attack that would be harmed. Riku, on the other hand, did not attack because he knew he was at a serious disadvantage. Even if he and Mary were together, they still would stand little chance in defeating this group and the longer the stand-off lasted, the more likely that Mayor Branson would get involved and he knew that if Branson joined in, their chances of survival would drop to zero.

Riku bent his knees, finally deciding that he would act first. He decided that he would attack, no matter what his odds of winning or even survival were. However before he launch himself into the group he heard a war cry that he had not heard in a very long time.

"Shinji-ni!" Riku immediately looked back in time to see his father sailing past him and over his head.

"P-Pa?" Riku said to himself as the man flew over his head with his sword thrust out, like an arrow head. Riku looked at Shinji's target and immediately felt dread when he saw that guards had raised their blades, making a wall of sharp, protruding points. If Shinji crashed into that, he would most likely be impaled by the many blades and most likely die.

Riku did not know what to do. He knew he was not fast enough to save him so he just stood there, paralyzed by his dread for his father.

"Double Air Torpedo!" A female voice that he recognised as his mother's shouted.

Riku saw two concentrations of air, shaped like arrows, fly around Shinji and hit the wall of guards, sending them toppling over like dominoes and giving Shinji a safe place to land… on the guards.

Shinji got up with a cocky smile on his face. "Hello, Riku!" He said before he shot down a charging guard with his drawn pistol.

"Pa? What are you doing here?" Riku asked amazed.

"Helping you of course!" He said oblivious to Branson who jumped down from the platform wielding double bladed axe. He charged at Shinji who still had his back turned to him. Riku rushed forward and grabbed an idle sabre on the ground adding to the other one in his other hand. Shinji looked back because of his son's reaction and saw the axe wielding man coming for him. He prepared to block with his own sword. Mary also saw the coming threat and picked up a sabre and rushed to Shinji's side. They all put their swords up to block the downward axe swing and they were all blown back by the sheer force of the axe swing. Riku landed on his back, Mary tumbled before ending on her stomach and Shinji slid along the ground on his back.

"Riku Otake," Branson said determinedly. "Kazu Ita has escaped, so your plan worked! But you will not escape me."

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Yuki said stepping up and facing Branson with defiance.

Branson looked at Riku, "So your getting more women to do your fighting for you?"

"I'm not just any woman, I'm his mama!" Yuki said, pumping her chest out proudly.

Branson raised his eyebrow at this, "You know that's worse, right?" Branson sighed before he continued. "Ma'am, your son is under arrest. I suggest you leave before I arrest you for obstructing justice."

"Make us!" Shinji said, getting back on his feet.

Yuki walked forward to join them. "You heard the man," she added.

Branson sighed before suddenly throwing his axe at her.

The axe spun as it headed for her face at great speed. "Return to Sender!" Yuki thrust her hands out and wind came forth from her hands and engulfed the spinning axe. She spun around with the spinning axe under her control and thrust her hands forward, causing the axe to return to Branson at double the power and speed it was originally thrown.

There was the sound of whistling air as Branson grabbed the axe electricity coming off his body. The moment he grabbed it a shockwave of sound and air pulsed from his hand to the surrounding are. "Heh, what are you, some kind of Caster?"

"I'm a +Human, you idiot." Yuki said confidently.

"+Human, huh? Let's see how you handle this!" Branson threw the axe again. Yuki stood her ground ready to repeat her last action but Riku tackled her down and out of the way of the axe. Yuki watched in horror as the axe flew past and off to the distance where it crashed into a building in the far distance. A chunk of the building exploded into dust and debris.

"What? How is that…" Yuki said, surprised. "How can a normal human throw like that?"

"Ma, we need to go." Riku said helping his mother up from the floor.

Yuki nodded. She lifted her arm and a great wind suddenly passed through the town center. It blew Shinji and Mary closer to her and Riku before engulfing them all in a tornado that spun away over the buildings like a giant slinky made of wind.

"Alright father," Shuji said into the walkie talkie just as he was done making the last repairs to his rifle, "I'm ready!" He took aim at the town center as he said those last words. He expected to see Riku, his mother and father but they were nowhere in the town center below. There were bodies of guards lying on the floor, most of them injured but still alive. The town's people that had gathered were scattering in panic and Branson stood amongst it all, seemingly calm. "What happened and… where did everyone go?" Shuji asked, bewildered.

/

The authorities of the Town of Git held an impromptu meeting at the town centre. Branson was leading the meeting, standing before his assembled men.

"Alright men, seems like we underestimated our enemies." Branson said. "Kazu and Riku seem to have a whole crew working with them. We need to recapture them and their crew, however the most important target is Kazu Ita. When you catch him, bring him back immediately and if you cannot capture him… kill him. Is that clear?"

"Yes Mayor!" They all said.

"Because we don't know all the people working with Kazu, I'm going to split you up into two groups." Branson continued. "One group will go to the surrounding woods and make sure they don't go through the cover of the woods to escape. The other of you will stay in the town to search for them. If anyone sees someone suspicious, arrest them! Now, dismissed!"

The men scattered, some heading for the woods and others for the rest of the town.

"Sir," someone said from the crowd. The man wore a yellow cap over his eyes. He had on a green tracksuit with white lines running in the side. "I would like to stay in the town."

"Tobik? You are our best swordsman and Kazu is something of a bladesman himself. I strongly suspect that he will try to escape into the woods, so I will need you there with me and the rest of the men."

"I think I may be able to trap them if they are still in town." Tobik said with his hand wondering to the sabre at his hip. "I have a strong hunch they'll be in town… or at least one of them will be."

"Branson rubbed his thin beard thoughtfully. "Fine but if your hunch doesn't pan out I want you to join us in the woods."

"Yes Mayor Branson." Tobik saluted.

/

Shuji was walking back to the sky ship. After a few unsuccessful minutes of looking for his family, he decided that it would be best if he rendezvous with them at the sky ship. While walking he analysed his newly acquired gun and analysed how he could further repair and modify it. The first lens of the chronomal has a crack. Unless I find or make another charged transparent lens, I can't replace that. Maybe I have a book on it…. He thought to himself.

Unbeknownst to Shuji, a pair of guards were watching him. One was fat and short while the other was tall and skinny and both had a sabre at their hip.

"So what do you think?" The short overweight guard asked his companion.

"About what?" The tall guard asked.

"That guy, you idiot." The short one said, pointing to Shuji. "Do you think he looks suspicious enough to arrest?"

"Well, I've never actually seen him before." The tall one said. "And he's carrying a gun."

"Exactly," the short one said as he rubbed his chin. He noticed Shuji's peculiar behaviour as he began crying over his gun. "Let's question him." The fat one said leading his partner in the path of Shuji

Even when you're broken you're perfect. Shuji thought as he began losing composure and crying. I just need to add a strap to it so I don't have to carry it with my hands everywh… Shuji bumped into the two guards, causing his thoughts to be disrupted. Shuji looked at the two men, "Oh, I'm sorry," he politely said before trying to sidestep them. They also sidestepped in sync, blocking his path. Shuji simply stepped the other way and they followed suit. Shuji looked at the two confused. "Excuse me?"

"Who are you?" The fta one of the two asked.

"I am Shuji… uh…." Shuji stopped himself from saying his last name as he realised who he was speaking to. They had yellow handle sabres and wore tracksuits like Branson's men meaning they most likely were Branson's men. If he told them who he was they may associate him with his brother Riku and then he would be in trouble. "Shuji." Shuji said.

"Shuji Shuji?" The fat one said, raising his eyebrow.

"Yes," Shuji said trying to sound confident but his sweating face and the uneasy look on his face gave him away.

"So you expect us to believe that your name is the same as your surname?" The skinny tall one said.

"Uhm… yes. Lots of people have names like that." Shuji tried to convince them.

"Not with Shuji though." The fat one said. "Alright, you're under arrest."

"On what charge?" Shuji said outraged.

"For being suspicious." The tall one said.

"Oh come on, there is no such charge!" Shuji said as he was being dragged to jail by the two. "This isn't my day."