“Look at this cocky fool. Thinks he can take us on by himself.” Said one of the bandits, glaring at Hao.

“Very brave of him, I give him that.” said another scarred face individual.

“He delivers himself right to us and saves us the trouble of dismantling this shitty ship for him.” A tall man spoke with confidence.

“Indeed, the goddess of luck is smiling down on us.” A bandit with a burnt face smirked and added while pointing his sword at his target, “So, how do we proceed here? Which body part should we sever first?”

They thought before saying, “I’ll take his left arm. Benzy you can chop his right leg… the way I see it, there’s plenty of limbs to go around for all of us, that is, if neither of us acts greedy.”

“I can’t promise that.” When this individual spoke, the other bandits burst into laughter.

‘Hmm… neither of you will be laughing much longer.’ From Hao's perspective, the world seemed to have slowed down into a realm of blue-beat tones. The sounds of battle echoed all around him, but his attention was focused on the group of bandits encircling him. He noticed Kiera standing near the beast cage with two of her cohorts, their fingers working deftly on the lock mechanism in an attempt to free her prized Bastian, Maelstrom.

"What do you think you're doing? Get away from there!" Hao hollered with his voice laden with annoyance. He tried to dash toward Kiera, but his path was blocked by five formidable sword-wielding bandits, each with a fierce scowl and a desire for revenge.

“You leave me with no choice but to cut you down!” Hao's pulse quickened as he braced himself for the battle that was about to unfold.

“You’re the one who’s going to get cut down, so stop acting so damn cocky.” The bandits commenced their combined assault on Hao’s supercilious mien. Their blades clashed with a cacophony of metallic symphony, sparks and blood flying with each exchange. The fluidity and precision of their movements were like an elaborate dance, full of spins, parries, and thrusts. Each individual’s determination to claim victory was evident, but Hao refused to back down.

“Piss off!” Hao flicked overhead and stamped the tip of Vibe Edge on the floor, only a brief moment later, the speakers on his sword began to react.

BOOM!

The loud noise that was produced spread its waves outward until they blanketed the bandits in vibrational sheets, it also took up a few crates in the surrounding. The bandits were lifted from the ground up high before they were terribly slammed against the ground. BOOM! Following the loud thud was the cracking of their bones.

“Kyah! What the hell sort of move did he use on us? I couldn’t even block it!” One bandit held his spine in horror.

Another one shared, “It’s the same technique he used to finish off big sis in the arena.”

“Dammit! I think my arm and legs are broken!” Hollered another immobile thug.

While they struggled to stand up straight, the condition of the Skyship worsened. RUMBLE! It shuddered under the strain, causing turbulence that shook the entire vessel. The metal structure creaked ominously, threatening to collapse under immense stress.

The turmoil on the Skyship jostled the animal cages, causing some of their locks to disengage. Panicked beasts burst from their confinements, their cries of fear and confusion filled the cargo hold like waves rushing into a pond. Among them was a Ginosaur, a beast twice the size of Maelstrom, which charged through the room, trampling everything in its path – including a hapless bandit who was unfortunate enough to be in the way.

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“Ah! The beasts have gone wild. Clear free of them.” Yelled a wounded worker of the Skyship. Due to how out of hand the situation had gotten, he called it quits and began dashing towards the cargo hold’s exit. That door wasn’t made to accommodate beasts, so he thought he would be safer going through there.

The release of the captive beasts disrupted Hao's ongoing battle with the bandits, forcing those who could still put up a fight to scatter and re-evaluate their strategy. They were momentarily distracted by the chaos, giving Hao a brief respite in the heated exchange.

“Come on, darn thing!” Over by the cage containing Maelstrom and the T-Biter, Kiera struggled to free her Bastian. The beast's eyes were barely open, moreover, its breathing was slow and laboured, a result of the sedative it had received earlier at the Beast Holding Lodge. Kiera's voice was desperate and furious as she addressed her Bastian, "Don't worry, Maelstrom. I'll get you out of there, and then I'll make that bastard pay for abducting you!"

She glanced in Hao's direction, searching for him, but her eyes widened in shock when she realized he was nowhere to be seen. All she saw were her wounded allies and the carnage that had ensued. "Where is he?" she mumbled under her breath.

"It's you, isn't it? Why don't you take off that ridiculous mask? It doesn't fool me," Hao's voice cut through the chaos, startling Kiera. She whipped around to find him standing above her, atop the beast’s cage, his expression an unreadable mask. With a swift motion, he unleashed a powerful slash from his sword, forcing her to retreat from the cage.

"You bastard!" Kiera's voice was filled with indignation as she ripped off her mask, revealing her furious countenance.

Rumble!

The turbulence around them intensified, causing the Skyship to tilt and sway even more violently.

"You thief! I'm going to kill you! Come forth, Serpent's Lash!" She drew her Whip Blade with a flourish, its deadly coils unfurling with a hiss.

Hao braced himself for the onslaught while tightening his grip around Vibe Edge’s hilt. "You're so eager for our rematch, then I'll give it to you!" He shot back, his words punctuated by the whoosh of his weapon slicing through the atmosphere.

“Think you can fool me with that move?” In response, Kiera lashed her Serpent's Lash toward him. The two fighters exchanged powerful blows. The clash of their weapons produced sparks that were illuminating the dark corners of the cargo hold.

The Skyship continued to sway, making their footing uncertain and adding another layer of difficulty to the already intense duel. The engines groaned, threatening to give out at any moment.

Yet Hao and Kiera's battle prolonged, each of them refusing to give an inch. They leapt, spun, and dodged each other's attacks, the ferocity of their movements was likened to a gambol amid the chaos of the beleaguered vessel.

Boom!

Suddenly, the main engine blew out, the force of the explosion causing the entire Skyship to lurch violently. Hao and Kiera faltered, losing their footing and tumbling into each other. Their weapons clattered to the floor as their bodies collided, their faces mere inches apart in a lewd and awkward embrace.

“GROWL!”

Before they could regain their composure, a massive beast – the Ginosaur from earlier – lost its footing and barrelled into the side door of the cargo hold. The impact sent the door flying open, creating a gaping hole that began sucking everything in the cargo hold out into the open air.

Crates, beasts, cages, and even some of the bandits were pulled toward the opening, their terrified screams drowned out by the deafening rush of the wind. The Skyship's balance was drastically altered, its centre of gravity was shifting as the vessel tilted to one side.

Kiera and Hao, still entwined in each other's arms, felt themselves sliding toward the open maw of the cargo hold. Terror gripped their tongues when they realized the sheer drop that awaited them outside the Skyship. Hao's Vibe Sense, although providing him with some semblance of vision, did little to quell the dread that tightened in his chest.

"We have to hold on to something!" Hao yelled as the Skyship shook violently once more. Their desperate fingers were clawing for purchase on the smooth metallic surface. With each passing second, the gaping hole in the cargo hold loomed closer, threatening to send the two fighters plummeting into the vast, open sky.

“I wasn’t expecting this, goddammit.” Hao caught Vibe Edge before it slide any further. With it in hand, he stabbed the ground hoping this would slow his descent, but because of Kiera’s added weight, it didn’t do much to help the situation. “Hey, clingy woman, let go of me. You’re dragging me down.”

Hearing this, Kiera fired back, “If I’m going to fall to my doom then you better be damn sure I’m taking you with me!”

“This is all your fault, to begin with!” He tried shaking her off, but her grip was tighter than a virgin’s embrace.