Zio watched as Tsuna’s body flew backward, colliding against the dragon’s pillar then lifelessly hitting the floor.

Smoke drifted from the barrel of The Captain’s pistol. Shaking his head in discontent, he turned to Zio, whose outward expression only displayed anger as he studied at Tsuna’s lifeless frame. “That stubborn boy. If only you’d made the decision sooner, then perhaps he wouldn’t have needed to perish. Another dead because of your indecisiveness.”

“Just like those of us you could’ve saved and chose not to.” Zikel stepped forward from the circling group, swapping his pistol to his other hand as lightning surged around the barrel. “You care so much about saving lives but surrender them to fate. You’re nothing but a hypocrite, ‘hero’.”

The Captain’s crew stared Zio down, restlessly awaiting the order to fire. Sweat streamed down Zikel’s head, hurrying his hand from wiping his face, the sweat only spreading further. A woman of the crew noticed his constant perspiration, while she rapidly tugged at her shirt and pants. They instantly recognized they were all abnormally sweating. The droplets seeping into their eyebrows and burning their eyes.

“Gods damn, it’s hot!” a woman announced. She patted her eyes with her shirt until she felt a force move through her abdomen.

A spear extended from her stomach to Zio’s hand as he raised her up and struck her into Zikel. The spear erupted into a blaze as Zio spun, seizing the end of the spear, its blade ripping through the woman and decapitating Zikel. Flames extended outwards, burning everyone who surrounded him. Over the panicked screams, he drew a breath, spinning the spear to dismiss the fire. He locked eyes with The Captain. “The act is over. I’m finished playing this game with you, Capt. Your madness ends here and now, before you take the lives of more innocents! ”

“Ha! You believe it is madness, while the signs have been clear that I am the last one mad. I seek redemption for all! Before I turned my life to piracy, I was a moron of the Church. That was pure madness. Taking this gift of Light, a select few possess and manipulate it to heal, protect, and care for populations who didn’t deserve it. I’ve healed those that killed, be they criminal or knight. Because of their lunacy, those who brought ruin to another’s life escaped punishment in the eyes of Astraea! So, it fell to me to right that wrong. I could understand that plainly and sought to wash my sins away by giving myself to the goddess and make those men and women pay for their heresy. I’ve come so far and I must thank you, Zio, for sparing me the dissatisfaction of bloodying my hands further. You are specifically a man who must face judgement. You’ve been most helpful in getting me this far, so I will do my due diligence in offering you a premature death. Inevitable, but painless.”

“Bastard!” Zio tightened his clutch on his spear and took a stride forward, his speed evoking an exclamation from The Captain. A colorless barrier appeared before Zio, spanning from The Captain’s trained hand. He then fired his weapon from the other, his precise aim only barely missing the agile man. Sliding to a stop, Zio dove to his side and suddenly tossed his spear into the air above the barrier. The Captain’s eye shortly followed the spear, but snapped back to Zio as he dashed towards the wall and fired. Zio covered his face while he ran, black scales creeping to his fingertips. Several bullets landed, most clashing against his scales. A bullet pierced his hip, causing Zio to lose footing for a step, but he immediately recovered his posture.

A sudden jump placed Zio on the wall, another powerful jump moved him into the air above The Captain. The scales on his hands blazed as he clutched the spear, devouring it in fire as he jerked his fist backward. “Dragon’s Pride!”

Crimson red fire lashed from Zio, descending straight over The Captain. As the wave approached, The Captain swayed his palm, bringing the barrier between himself and the wildfire in time to keep it from reaching him. The Captain’s knees bent, the pressure of the attack weighing on his body. Light gathered from the ground, crawling up to his head and creating a halo and with a yell he recaptured the fortitude to rise to his feet and used his unused hand to shoot a ray of light through the center of the fire. The flames faded, as did Zio, before he appeared on The Captain’s flank. The golden compass around The Captain’s neck clicked, the exterior splitting open, exposing the pointed needle. It glided to his hand, and he instantly swung at Zio, nearly striking him across his eye.

Zio disengaged, his run shifting into a slide, suddenly swinging behind the bird pillar before two more shots of the Captain’s gun could hit him.

The Captain laughed, refilling his pistol and shouting out. “Idiot! You assumed I wouldn’t expect you to close the gap with your speed? The Goddess had her ways of preparing me for this bout! She allowed me to ransack an Elysian ship, she allowed me to find ethertech in its cabins, and she will allow me to kill you.”

Behind the pillar, Zio placed his hand over his bullet wound, applying his fire to cauterize it. His eyes roamed the chamber. The spear he used now burned to a crisp like the individuals at the entrance. He glanced back towards The Captain who was now calmly strolling towards him. Noticing something was off, his eyes snapped to the dragon’s pedestal, its crimson glow missing and Tsuna’s body no longer on the ground and standing on top of it. The Captain caught the attention of the silent observer above him, watching the man leaning forward, his foot on the dragon’s wing and his arm resting on his knee with a knuckle holding his head up.

“You’re alive!?” The Captain said. “Did Astraea save you? I shot you in the head, that’s the only way you could have survived! Why would she save you!”

The query prompted a crimson glow to Tsuna’s eyes. In an instant, Tsuna landed in front of the man before he could react and booted his knee. The Captain yelled, Tsuna grabbing him by his head before he could drop. He dragged his fist back and swung up, fist crashing into the captain’s jaw with fire cascading down his forearm, quelling his wails. Tsuna watched as the Light dimmed from the man’s frame. The halo vanished as his body slapped the floor. For a minute, Tsuna stared at the floor as if something had taken place within, swaying from side to side over the corpse. Suddenly, his body shuddered and shook about. He dropped to his knees, panting and gasping for air.

“What… happened? Where am I?”

Zio stepped from behind the pillar, awe in his eyes and a tightened fist. “Dragon.”

Tsuna rolled over to his side, reaching a hand out to Zio. “Zio, It’s… hard to breathe.”

His attention lingered on Tsuna’s eyes. The color in them had switched to an bright crimson. Caressing the straggly red hairs on his face, Zio breathed through his teeth. A beep echoed from his pocket. Without breaking eye contact, he removed a small device from his pocket and settled it near his ear. “Rylen? Just in time, we have a situation.”

Tsuna turned on his back, examining the swirl of colors reentering the chamber as they oozed through the ceiling. Did I die? A throbbing on his forehead had him reach there, a touch of it sending a shock around his skull, but there was no wound. I should’ve died, but… He recognized The Captain’s body lying beside him and shrieked in panic as he twisted to his feet. “His jaw! How did he die? Where’s the rest of the crew?”

The sudden questions pulled Zio’s attention.“Shut up!” His stare remained. He angled his head towards the exit. “Go on Rylen. I’ll make my path back ASAP. Is our escape ready?… Good. About the boy, he’s alive, but the dragon’s influence has corrupted him… How the hell am I supposed to know!?” Zio grit his teeth and growled. “But he- I- Damn it! You’re right. I’ll explain further once we regroup. I’ll see you shortly.” His concern swung to Tsuna. “We’re getting out of here, before something happ-!.”

The Crossing trembled. A distorted screech echoing from within its chamber The noise came from the tower itself as the walls shifted, their way out closing.

“Get out of here! Run!”

The two fled for the exit, passing through with enough time to view a glimmering wave cutting through the tower's aurora. The wave rapidly neared the Twin Sea, carving a piece of the waves as it passed.

“Never seen The Crossing do that.” Zio said as he took his communicator out. “Rylen, are you looking at the sky right now?” Static answered his question. “And it punched out communications. What a climax.” He peered over his shoulder, an irritated expression forming. “Hey, kid. If you want to get off of this island, you’ll listen to everything I say from here on. Got it?”

A warmth ran in the center of Tsuna’s chest that spiraled up when he started running and calmed down when he stopped. Something was unusual about himself, but that didn’t matter right now. “Don’t call me kid.” He sounds hostile now. Did I do something?

“Just keep up!”

Tsuna ran beside him. “Wait!” Zio shuffled to maintain his distance, then sneered. “What’s your problem? You kill the room of people and decide to have an attitude?”

Zio’s tense shoulders relaxed as he sighed. “I did. Most of them, but I didn’t kill one of them. You did.”

“I did!? Bu-!” Tsuna’s chest burned, making him choke on his words. “Can you at least tell me… What’s happening to me!”

Zio looked at him with an almost pathetic expression, keeping his confident demeanor as he crossed his arms. “You’re tainted by the ether of one of the five deities. The Dragon, Infernus. Those who fall prey to his ether turn into mindless slaves, simply satisfied by their inclination to wiping out the world of man as he once did. It’s only a matter of time until I have to kill you too."

Tsuna slowly stepped aside, gulping as he held his chest.

“By the request of Rylen, you’re joining us. He has confidence that you’re an abnormality in this. But if I see the slightest of bloodlust or a smear of malicious intent coming from your direction, I will kill you even if you’re still human. Now, let’s quit wasting time. The encampment is under assault by the beasts and we’ll waste our only chance of freedom if we don’t hurry. Let’s go.”