Keeping up with Zio proved troublesome as he advanced through the trees, though he remained in sight for Tsuna to continue on his trail. Tsuna panted, the whirring in his chest warming his neck. The guy can’t just run like a normal person? He noticed Zio stopped to oversee him, then put hands over his eyes and searched the area. “Do you know where you’re going?”

The land trembled again, the distorted wailing of The Crossing howled in the air as another wave emitted from the tower and soared across the light filled sky.

“A second one? That can’t be good.” Zio said.

As the wave passed over the forest, the refractive trees reflected its glare in a direction different from their heading.

Zio lowered his hands and quietly watched the sky. “The light was last heading towards the Twin Sea, if that one’s doing the same then…” Abruptly, he hopped in the wave’s direction and peered back at Tsuna. “This way!”

Surprise invaded Tsuna’s face as he yelled after Zio. “Oh, so you were lost!”

The further Zio traveled along the trees, the clearer the echoes of pistols and shouting came. He dropped from the tree, overlooking the area as a giant, worm-like creature scooped a man into its mouth. Birds made of glass swooped from the trees, pricking and bursting within their victims. The white-furred prime apes attacked a crew member, striking them as they went down.

An exhale escaped through Zio’s teeth. “The crew won’t last. Their two most notable members are dead.” He glanced over the crippled ship, spotting someone operating at the top of it. “Is that a… mortar?”

Tsuna caught up to him, freezing as Zio’s paralyzing gaze latched onto him. He held his distance and peered over his shoulder towards the battleground where people were scattered and creatures ran rampant in their assault. More death… I’ve seen so much today, no one should have to go through this.

“We need to get there.” Zio said as he pointed. “Both Rylen and our escape should be inside of that ship. There won’t be sufficient time to slip by, so we’ll have to force a straight break for it.”

Upon hearing Zio, the warmth inside of Tsuna rose again. “N-No way! I’m not going out there, that’s certain death!”

“The longer we sit here, the more pirates die, and that’s less of a diversion. I can’t believe I have to explain this to you. Just do what I’m telling you to do!”

“And what if they catch me? I can’t fight back, unlike the man who massacred nearly twenty people!” A small flame escaped his mouth as he yelled, instantly covering it with his palm.

His retort provoked Zio, who quickly had him by the collar of his shirt. “You’ll either die out there with a chance at freedom or you die here, on an island full of beasts! There is no choice to make, you cowar-!” Zio blinked as if he had just realized what he was doing and released his shirt. “I’ll cover you as you run. I’m not asking you to believe in me, but this is for your sake.” His eyes caught sight of Tsuna’s tight fist, but his outward emotion remained apathetic.

“Gather here! Make three rows up front!” A voice yelled from behind the tents.

Zio’s attention pulled towards the ship, where Saria rallied the surviving crew members. Most of them armed with rifles, while a few carried swords. The mortar at the top of the wrecked ship shined in The Crossings eerie light as crew members affixed it toward the battleground.

“Blades, make sure none of those monkeys reach our guns. Guns, make sure you’re blasting those pidges out of the sky before they get the mortar up top. We‘ll hold out until The Captain and first mate return, so rain bullets on the bastards!” Her voice alerted the surrounding beasts to their presence, and they charged over to them. “Fire those guns, make it a sight for The Captain to see! Now, fire!”

A mortar launched at the gathering prime apes, sending their bodies into the air on impact. The bird creatures rushed for the men up top through the sand filled sky. As they came closer, a volley of bullets swarmed them, shattering most of them, but a few continued flying.

“Front row, reload!” At Saria’s command, the men and women kneeled down and began reloading their rifles. “Second row, fire!”

Another volley of bullets rained, breaking up the rest of the crystal birds.

That strategy… It looks familiar.

The men atop the ship drew a pair of binoculars from his hip, looking toward the edge of the forest. “More of them are coming from the forest! The apes are more spread!”

Saria nodded, then unsheathed her sword from her hip. “It’s time for our blades to dine! Keep them away from the guns!” Battle ensued, both sides quickly losing casualties.

“It’s now or never!” Zio bolted off towards the ship.

Tsuna stared absentmindedly before he came to his senses and ran after him. The heat surged every inch of his body. “I… Can’t… Breathe!” Taking a gasp of air, he screamed.

“Aren’t you tired of the pointless actions created by those around you? Do you honestly believe life would be better if the answers to that which you seek were laid bare before you? A boy who dances to the whims of others, yet demands better. You’ll perish with more regret than the rest.”

The deep voice invaded Tsuna’s mind, repeating several times over.

Zio jerked back towards Tsuna after his scream, sliding across the sand and turning, bolting back in his direction. Several bird creatures were already diving towards Tsuna. Zio pointed a finger towards them shooting slings of flame. “I should’ve just knocked him out and carried him!”

From the battle, a prime ape noticed the downed Tsuna as he struggled for breath. It split off from the group, charging in his direction. It bounced into the air, both hands raised as it came down, when abruptly it saw a flicker in Tsuna’s eyes. An explosion of fire from his shoes burned them to a crisp as his body flew towards the ape. He drove his knee into its stomach, then seized hold of its arm, tearing it off. The severed arm went ablaze as Tsuna swung it down on the monster, hurling it back to the ground. He landed atop it, repeatedly slamming its arm into the battered body until a blue flame enveloped him.

Is this what they call an out-of-body experience? Tsuna saw himself attacking the creature, though he was not the one in control of the actions. This is probably what Zio mentioned. How… I killed someone. I’d think about it, but I need to be ready for when I get my body back.

“Understand that your body is taking care of itself right now.” The voice reentered his head. “In the beginning, I considered it was my influence that was guiding your decisions. That turned out to be untrue. Logically, who else would control the body if not the person themselves? But, seeing as you’re here, it’s evident you’re not in control either.”

In a blink of an eye, Tsuna was standing in a white room as shards of glass levitated around him. A shard passed in front of him, a clear image of Emiko adjusting her glasses appearing in the frame. As the shard passed, a robed man appeared a few feet ahead of him. Numbness ran through his body, not a feeling occurred to him as his thoughts ran wild. More weird shit is going on!? Something had to have happened in that tower, but what happened is the question.

The man’s black mane tumbled to his shoulders as he removed the robe he wore. “That is very much the question.” He caught the surprise in Tsuna’s eyes. “The Crossing has and will invariably be a mystery, however, this is not it. That spire you entered earlier is a false idol and pales compared to The Crossing.” The robe dropped to the ground, the man having a seat on it the moment it settled.

“You can hear my thoughts, huh?” Tsuna said, pacing around the man. “That would suggest you’re some kind of powerful guy around here, right? People like you know everything in fantasies like that shit I’ve been dreaming up.”

“Ah, so you fear for your life and now you’ve convinced it’s all a dream.”

“Well, what else could it be?! I fall from the fucking sky, get captured by pirates, watch my girlfrie- Emiko! What happened to Emiko! I need to wake up!” A swing of his hand struck his cheek, jerking his head, but he felt no pain. “I need to find mom too! What happened to them!? Where am I!? Tell me!” Tsuna reached out to the man, a wall of fire erecting between them before he could touch him.

The man crossed his legs and settled his elbow on his knee to create a rest for his head. “Those people are your reason for what?”

“They’re the reason I have to keep going!”

“You’re more simple than I expected. No goals, no ambition, or some grandiose dream of becoming a king? Undoubtedly the worst human that I’ve ever come across.”

Tsuna recoiled in anger. “And just who the hell are you? You look like a man too!”

“Names are unimportant because you are whatever you’re labeled as. If you’re seen as ‘boy’, then you’re simply ‘boy’. Why would it matter if one called you by your birth name if you answered to anything else, boy? As for my appearance…” He took a concise look at himself, staring as scales replaced his skin and his body grew exponentially in size. “Deity of Fire, Infernus, the name does not matter. I am fire itself.” His form changed altogether, into a creature with wings broad and frayed along the bottoms, where a silvery fur lined around. A smoke gathered along its sharp snout, blocking Tsuna from looking at its face. The crimson eyes of the creature snapped towards a glass shard behind Tsuna, a blue fire extending over his hands and body. “We will return to this exchange in time. Along with a request I have of you. Rest for now, boy.”