The smoke from Shuren's shot hung in the air, twisting and curling like restless spirits. The last rocket, now shrunk to the size of a bullet, fired back and exploded with a sharp crack, leaving behind a haze of acrid smoke.
Shuren blinked through the dissipating smoke, her keen eyes scanning the surroundings. That's when she heard it—the low, throaty growl of an engine.
Her gaze snapped to the truck they had been tracking. It stood there, silent and still, its tires cold against the cracked earth.
Then she looked beyond it, toward the gate.
Her breath caught in her throat. A second truck, sleek, dark, and heavily armored, was rolling out of the estate, its engine growling like a predator poised to pounce.
Shuren's eyes narrowed, the cigarette dangling loosely from her fingers. "There it is," she muttered under her breath, her voice low and deadly.
She flicked the lighter shut and tucked it away. "Move. Now."
Assad stiffened beside her, Mya gripping his sleeve. "That's… it's moving?" he stammered, his heart racing.
The ground seemed to hum beneath them as they surged forward, each step deliberate, each second bringing them closer to the chase that could determine the fate of the mermen and mermaids inside.
Assad's eyes went wide as he took in the sight of the moving truck. "Uh… hold on—how are we supposed to chase after it?" he asked, glancing around in a panic. "Shuren… didn't we, um, wreck the car we came here in?"
Shuren turned slowly, letting her cigarette dangle from her lips, her eyes narrowing into a glare that could cut through steel.
Assad opened his mouth, then shut it, then opened it again. "…I… I'm sorry?" he blurted out before he even realized it, raising his hands like a kid caught red-handed with a stolen candy bar.
Shō let out a low chuckle, the kind that made the air feel thick. "You youngsters… always whining," he said with a smirk. "Never think about something called… Plan B."
Shuren's eyes narrowed, irritation flickering in them. "What was that, old man?" she snapped, her tone sharp.
Shō stayed calm, almost playful, letting his words linger. His smirk widened just a bit, and Shuren felt her fingers clench into fists.
She gritted her teeth, taking a deep breath to keep her cool. "…Alright," she said, her voice tight but steady. "What exactly are you suggesting, old man?"
Shō finally moved his hand from behind his back, fingers poised with intention. He raised them and began counting down, slow and deliberate: "Five… four… three… two… one…"
A distant but unmistakable thrum began to fill the air, growing louder with each passing second.
All eyes instinctively shot upward. There, cutting through the pale sky, a helicopter hovered above them, its rotors slicing through the tension like a knife.
Shuren's jaw tightened. "Well… that's a first," she muttered, exhaling slowly, the edge in her voice revealing her controlled frustration.
Assad swallowed hard, gripping Mya's hand a little tighter. Shō's smirk remained unchanged. "Plan B," he murmured, almost to himself, "always comes in handy."
The helicopter glided down with a steady hum, its blades cutting through the air above them. Shō effortlessly opened the side doors, the rotor wash tousling their hair. He waved them in with a casual gesture, inviting them inside.
Without a moment's pause, Shuren took the lead, closely followed by Assad and Mya. The roar of the rotors drowned out everything else as they climbed into the cabin.
Assad's gaze shot to the cockpit, expecting to see a pilot at the helm. But to his surprise, there was… no one there.
He blinked in confusion. "…Shō… who's flying this thing?" His voice wavered slightly, disbelief creeping in.
Shō's smirk grew wider. "No one," he replied, his tone smooth and almost relaxed.
Both Assad and Mya froze in place. Mya instinctively grabbed Assad's arm. "N-no one?" she stuttered, her eyes wide with shock.
Shō leaned back, looking as calm as ever, his hands resting lightly on his knees. "It runs entirely on pure energy," he explained. "Or… qi, if you want to get technical."
Assad's jaw dropped. "…Qi? You mean… like… life energy?"
Shō tilted his head, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Exactly. But don't worry—I know you've probably never even heard of it. That's okay. You'll learn. Or at least, you'll feel it soon enough."
In Assad's mind, he thought, So this world has Qi as the main source of energy.
Mya peeked around Assad, still wide-eyed. "It's… flying by energy? No pilot? How is that even possible?!"
Shō chuckled lightly, the sound calm yet carrying a sense of gravity. "Possible? Easy. Simple, even. Everything is energy. You just need to know how to control it. This chopper? Just a toy compared to what I can do with it."
Meanwhile, Shuren sat near the edge, observing the cabin with a quiet intensity, taking in every detail with the keen eye of someone who'd faced far worse than mere disbelief or awe.
The helicopter's hum deepened, lifting them higher into the sky. Outside, the truck they were chasing shrank into the distance—but inside, the air was thick with tension and anticipation.
Shō gently placed his hands near the control panel, taking a moment to close his eyes. A soft glow radiated from his palms, and the helicopter trembled just a bit.
"… now do your thing," he whispered.
The rotors began to spin faster, cutting through the air with a newfound sharpness. Gradually, the helicopter lifted off the ground, hovering with a steadiness that seemed almost impossible.
Then, with a slight tilt, it started to follow the truck, soaring above it like a predator on the hunt.
Inside, Shuren leaned against the cabin wall, a cigarette lazily hanging from her lips. "When did you get this helicopter?" she asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and disbelief. "I thought you said this kind of tech wasn't your thing. So what's caused the …switch-up ?"
Shō's smirk returned, casual and a bit sheepish. "Honestly? I'm not even sure myself. It just… found its way to me. And once I figured out how to fly it without actually touching anything? Let's just say I started to… really like it."
Shuren let out a slow breath, flicking ash toward the floor. "Whatever you say, old man," she muttered, shaking her head slightly, half amused and half exasperated.
Assad and Mya exchanged glances, both still trying to wrap their heads around the fact that the helicopter was literally flying itself thanks to Shō's pure energy.
The wind from the rotors whipped around them, tugging at their hair and clothes, but they didn't mind. Their eyes were fixed on the truck ahead.
Before Shō could finish reveling in his own explanation, a sharp BEEP–BEEP–BEEP echoed through the cabin. A red warning symbol flashed on the holographic screen in front of Assad.
He froze in place.
"…Uh, guys," he said slowly, "we've got some incoming trouble."
Shuren straightened up. "What kind of trouble?"
Assad zoomed in on the alert feed. "Oh, just eight cars tailing the transport truck."
Mya's eyes widened. "Eight?!"
"That's not even the craziest part," Assad continued, his voice rising an octave as he tapped the screen again. Two of the cars in the convoy shifted their formation, and their roofs slid open.
Machine guns emerged, locking into place with a chilling mechanical snap.
Assad's face went pale. "They're aiming that at us."
The helicopter trembled slightly as the sensors picked up the line of fire.
Shō let out a slow whistle. "Well, that's a first."
Shuren cracked her neck, her eyes narrowing with a calm that was almost unsettling. "Fantastic," she muttered. "Looks like they brought some toys."
She moved toward the side door, gripping the handle tightly.
Mya panicked. "WAIT—Sister Shuren, what are you doing?!"
Shuren opened the door just enough for the wind to rush in, the sound of the rotors blending with the growing roar of enemy engines below.
She shot a glance back at the group, a wild smirk on her face.
"What?" she said. "Someone's gotta say hi."