Caelum walks alone in a secluded area near the edge of the island, while technically still in the capital she was far from the city.

She is greeted by a familiar scenery, relieved she looks at the green hill with a tree at its top and her pegasus is still waiting for her.

Caelum

-Libertatem, sorry for the delay.

Upon looking at Libertatem Caelum gets distracted and drifts into her memories while untying her pegasus.

<--------------// ~ // ------------->

Caelum’s old guardian kneels down and talks to a child-like Caelum.

Old man

-Sorry for the delay, I went to get a surprise.

Caelum

-Surprise?

The old man brings with him a small pegasus.

Caelum stares kinda scared at the little creature.

Old man

-No need to worry, in fact, you should become his friend as soon as possible.

Caelum

-Why?

Old man

-Because he'll be your wings.

<--------------// ~ // ------------->

Caelum climbs on top of Libertatem and speaks.

-Let's go, old friend.

Libertatem lifts his wings and flies away.

Caelum

-Wait just a little longer, Sapere.

Caelum mounted on Libertatem flies out of the capital.

While leaving Caelum sees a mess happening far away from her, angels chase a shadowy figure that resembles someone riding a pegasus, he flees towards the capital, Caelum simply stares at the commotion for a moment and then goes her way.

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After spending some time in flight, Caelum spots a flying island, relatively small compared to the capital, but big enough to support a house, a small farm, and a stable.

Caelum smiles in relief.

-I arrived on time.

Caelum right after landing she goes straight towards the house.

Caelum quickly opens the door and speaks.

-Sapere! We don't have time!

Upon entering, she sees four soldiers inside the house together with Leo surrounding Sapere who was seated in silence.

Caelum gets shocked for a moment.

Leo

-Yeah, you don't have any more time.

Sapere

-Hey, you're late Caelum! I just told you to go buy some bread! Why did it take so long?!

Caelum

-Sapere! Don't you see what's going on?! Leo is…

Sapere

-Bah! No blaming Leo!

Leo

-You can stop it now, I know your tricks very well. Soldiers, don't let your guard down.

Sapere

-I've told you several times, Leo, taking a more relaxed posture lowers your enemy's guard and lessens the pressure on your allies.

Leo

-It is under pressure that diamonds form.

The soldiers watch closely the strange conversation that began at such an inopportune moment.

Sapere notices and gets up advancing against a soldier next to him who had gotten distracted.

Leo draws his sword and puts it directly against Sapere's neck.

Leo

-Don't force me to repeat myself...

Sapere

-Yes, yes, you know all my tricks...

Caelum arrives, giving Leo a flying jump kick that throws him to the ground.

Sapere

-But you don't know her tricks.

Upon seeing the hit, all the soldiers draw their weapons towards Caelum.

Sapere takes advantage of their change of focus and grabs the soldier closest to him by the head, then he forces the soldier's head down and ends it with a knee to his chin.

There were three soldiers left, one of them soon advanced attacking Caelum drawing a sword on his back and with it he executed a vertical cut, Caelum dodges it but ends up in the corner of the house, with her back against the walls.

The soldier then attacks again, thrusting his sword forward, Caelum dodges jumping and uses the wall as an impulse to jump again, she then supports herself with her arm using the soldier's wing as a support surface, while her opponent is pressed down by her weight and loses his balance, then Caelum completes the movement by turning all her body giving impulse for her knee that lands on the back of the soldier's head and hurls him face-first into the wall, finally, Caelum lands on her feet perfectly and with grace.

The other two soldiers surround Sapere as they raise their spears against him, they advance aiming for his wings in order to pin him against the wall. Sapere then raises his wings as he grabs the spears, lowering them, forcing them to pass under his wings and to nail only against the wall, the soldiers then try to pull them but they were stuck to the wood wall.

Sapere then advances, landing two simultaneous punches, one on each soldier, forcing their bodies to tip backward due to the impact. Continuing his onslaught, Sapere decides to grab their heads while they were still slightly stunned and hits them against each other with all his strength. And to finish, while still grabbing their heads, he pushes, slamming them against the floor.

Leo starts to get up, he was still a little dizzy from the impact.

Caelum screams as she leaves the house.

-Sapere! Run and prepare the pegasus!

Sapere talks as he follows her.

-Are you giving orders now, brat?

Leo looks at the soldiers lying on the ground and then quickly leaves the house chasing Sapere and Caelum.

Outside, Caelum was waiting for him.

Leo

-I won't let you get away.

Caelum answers

-Again?

Leo says while drawing his sword.

-Your "savior" is not here to help this time.

Leo attacks with a cut aimed at Caelum's neck.

Caelum crouches down, dodging the blow.

Leo proceeds with another horizontal cut.

Caelum reacts by jumping to dodge again and ends up getting on top of the sword.

Leo sees Caelum balancing on top of his weapon and before he can react she lands a kick straight to his face.

The attack knocks down Leo who drops his sword and lands on his back on the ground, Caelum in turn does a mortal in the air and lands on her feet.

Leo, dizzy and on the ground, get up as he grabs his sword, and driven by pure rage he advances with another attack with his sword, this time turning his whole body to generate momentum.

Caelum dodges easily by jumping back.

Leo then, still propelled, turns his whole body and throws his sword at Caelum, the weapon flies spinning through the air capturing all of Caelum's attention that manages to dodge the blade with a jump to the side.

When she returned her focus to Leo, it was already too late, he was right in front of her and quickly hit her with a right punch right in the stomach, sending her up in the air, due to insane force applied to the blow.

Caelum almost vomits from the punch.

Leo lands another punch, this time from the left into Caelum's jaw, causing her to nearly spin in the air.

And in the last hit, he lands a third and final punch to Caelum's chest that ends up crushing her against the ground.

Caelum gets knocked down on the ground, unconscious.

Sapere arrives taking Libertatem and another pegasus with him.

After seeing the scene he stares Leo straight in the eye.

Sapere

-So, you managed to defeat the brat.

Leo

-Well, you trained me well, dad.

Sapere

-Yes, too well...

The two face each other.

END OF THE NINTH CHAPTER