Chapter 43: Enraged Wings

Chaos quickly ripped through the service. 

Orange flames and white light erupted at Takabi's call from within the crowd. Cries of Dragons echoed in the air, along with the growing roar of the Mystics. A sea of raging mages rushed towards the Podium.

Gavin placed his fingers in his mouth, whistling loudly. From atop the Station, Dragon officers descended down. Takabi wondered for a moment how Kairas slipped past them without notice, but quickly pushed the thought from his mind once Gavin placed a heavy kick against his cheek.

He hit the floor, eyes snapping back up to Jade's retreating figure heading into the Station doors. He got up, feet carrying him after the Dragon, only stopping once a wall of Garnet that erupted between him and his target. Sighing and lowering his shoulders, he turned to face Gavin, eyes burning with anger.

"I shall have none of this folly today. First you take his life, now attack his peaceful passing. Have you no shame, boy?"

Takabi grit his teeth. "I seriously don't have time for this, and I don't care enough to explain how innocent I am."

Gavin curled his fingers, thrusting his palm into the air. Garnet ripped up around Takabi, closing him inside a strong casing. "Then I have no choice but to punish you."

Forgive me, Garuga, Takabi thought solemnly. 

Violet erupted, ripping through the Garnet cage. Takabi dashed towards Gavin, his eyes glowing intensely and violet markings coating the left side of his body. Tossing his first punch forward, Gavin blocked with his forearm, skillfully deflecting and evading the following barrage of fists and kicks. The Dragon threw his fingers forward, Garnet claws catching Takabi's cheek and drawing fresh blood. As quickly as the wound came, it faded in a cloud of steam. 

Around them, explosions of magic rang out. Magic circles formed within the atmosphere, multiple elements bursting with intense power. Both sides clashed with a fury unknown to them. Both were fueled by rage and sorrow, but no wound was greater than the other. Each fought, not with the want to shed blood, but to fight for what they thought was right.

Kairas slid back, taking deep breaths and standing straight. He counted three Dragons standing before him. A water type, followed by earth and metal.

The three eyed him down, before rushing at him. Water burst from the concrete and sewage pipes below them. Running along the pipes, The Earth Dragon leapt and clapped his hands together, stone and rock striking Kairas from all sides. His green eyes focused on the Metal Dragon who attempted to close the gap. With a thrust, his arm glowed and altered, coating itself with metal and sharpening itself like a blade. The Metallic limb drove itself deep into Kairas' stomach, avoiding as many lethal areas as possible.

He coughed blood, image shattering into pure black ice.

From the side, among the droplets of water, his image appeared with a flash of green lightning. His left fingers thrust forward, the green current striking the officer. His foot planted firmly into the ground, and he released a surge of power towards the three. The air stung with electricity, his enemies crying out in pain before water and metal hit the floor, dark smoke rising from their bodies.

The Earth Dragon dropped to a knee, but raised his gaze and stood once more. Kairas smirked, flexing his muscles and releasing his black aura, concrete cracking and quaking under its pressure.

Hailey pulled her leg back, swinging it and striking the cheek of a Shadow Dragon, watching him hit the floor and his badge fall from his shirt pocket. Her eyes instinctively snapped towards the Stations and the podium. "Takabi, Jade's heading inside!"

"I know," He yelled back at her.

Gavin wouldn't let up. Each move he made, Gavin seemed to be a step ahead. The style of fighting was familiar, but he couldn't place his finger on why exactly. Slamming his palms to the floor, Takabi willed a wall of violet fire upwards. The pillar engulfed Gavin, and he used that chance to sprint for the door. As he ran past, a Garnet covered arm broke from the flames and struck his face, the boy hitting the floor and tumbling back.

"Enough," Gavin's voice boomed. Stepping from the fire, he exposed his body, now encrusted with Garnet scales around his eyes, down the sides of his body and along his back. "This stops, now."

"You don't understand," Takabi muttered. "I can't let Jade get away."

"Why is that? Why target the Lieutenant?" Gavin's question sounded rhetorical in Takabi's ears. "Has the darkness tainted your heart that badly?"

"No," He replied. "I'm just delivering justice." His palm thrust forward, a bolt of magic surging through the air and striking Gavin's face. Takabi crossed his arms, then snapped them outward at his hips. Between his fingers, violet flaming stars spun at his touch. He threw the first four, watching them dash towards Gavin.

The Dragon of Garnet bent backwards, watching the stars fly over his chest and into the wall a few feet behind him. Takabi raised his palm for the second set, throwing them into the air.

Clapping, the flames responded by expanding three times their size, and curving through the air towards Gavin. Snapping himself up, he flipped backwards, narrowly avoiding the stars that stuck themselves into the floor in front of him.

Takabi dashed forward, his left wing bursting out from his back. Gavin straightened himself, fist balled and eyes focused. The pair threw their knuckles forward, fire and garnet erupting into existence at their touch. Both roared, fueled by rage, fueled by hurt and loss.

"Stop this, Boy! Enough!"

"Get out of my way, Gavin!"

Takabi pulled his free arm back, then snapped it forward and caughting Gavin's cheek. His flames combust, as if expanding rapidly around him. The heat grew, melting the floor under their feet. His control was wavering, allowing more power to gather. His mind was struggling to stay focused, but the single thought of Garuga kept him level headed. He flipped over, palm slamming against Gavin's face as he drove him downward, forcing his skull into the floor without mercy.

Once Takabi's feet touched the floor, he outright ignored Gavin's presence and rushed forward to the door. Gavin recovered quickly, faster than Takabi hoped he would, snapping his arm towards the boy's back and opening his mouth. A beam of magic shot through air at the boy, potent and powerful.

Takabi stopped for a moment and turned his head around, just to catch Porrelth and Syrreth stopping the blast with their own magic. A cloud of red rose into the air, thinning out to reveal the pair to Gavin.

His eyes were visibly confused as he straightened himself. He looked between both Dragons, opening his mouth and asking, "What are you two doing? Why are you helping him?"

"He is not at fault," Porrelth said, taking a step forward. "Takabi, go." Porrelth thrust his elbow back, the sheer force ripping the Garnet wall to dust. With the violet Gem's markings slowly fading from visibility, Takabi nodded and gripped the handle, rushing inside after Jade.

Nana willed a twister forth, hot air dancing around her and Jewel in a thick wall. The girls glanced back at one another, smiling proudly before leaping through the air. Black wrapped itself around Jewel's arm, and flames ignited from under Nana's feet. Ice and fire rang out, surging through the streets of the capital.

Kairas watched the Earth Dragon drop to his knees, eyes hazy before he fell face first into the dirt. Exhaling, he turned his attention to the Station doors, and made his way towards them.

-----------------------------------------------

Takabi ascended the stairs in a quick huff, his steps echoing in the chamber along with his breathing. The staircase spiral upwards, bending and twisting the further up he went. He stopped for a moment, placing his hand on the bar and taking in heavy breaths. He was almost at the top.

"Just a bit more," He muttered. Outside, chaos rang out, the cries of magic warriors and Dragons filling the previously silent space. 

Heart ramming, he picked up his feet, carrying himself up the final few steps and gripped the handle of the roof door. Unlocked as he turned it, the door swung open and exposed the hot air outside. Takabi stepped forward, watching the way his coat and hair danced in the air. For a moment, Takabi pictured himself in a video game, and he just reached the final boss.

Like all games Takabi has played, he expected it to be a difficult battle.

Jade turned around and faced him. In his palm, he held a glowing black katana. It oozed evil and shadow, as much as his own eyes did.

"Welcome," Jade said. "I hope you've enjoyed the service."

"Yeah, well," Takabi began, "Would've been better without some people there. Lack of food also really makes the mood sour, ya know." He was joking, trying to ease himself more than anything.

He felt the Violet Gem faintly releasing its power. The markings were growing along his body, burning the more vibrant they became. His anger at Jade was twisting his natural composure. Steam rose from his pores and fangs. Lightning cackled faintly between his fingers, and the veins in his body throbbed and bulged. His smirk never left, but it gradually faded and morphed into something between a smile and frown.

"Why," He asked.

Jade touched his chin with a finger, another explosion ranging out behind him. Smoke rose into the air, a sudden wall of Garnet bursting in the opposite direction. Black ice came after it, then fire and white light.

"Can't say," He replied. "I'm known for keeping secrets."

Takabi balled his hands into fists, nails cutting into the skin of his palm. Blood dripped onto the rooftop, the boy finding it difficult to keep himself together.

Control… The rage… He told himself.

"I gotta say though, you were pretty disappointing on the mountains." Jade jammed the tip of his sword into the floor. Hot air burst from Takabi, steam rising from his self-inflicted wound and fangs. "I expected more from a Fallen Angel. You just kinda… Fell flat to be blunt." He chuckled. "So much so that my old man ended up dying as a result."

Takabi's eyes went wide at the comment, which was followed by a howl of rage and the boy dashing forward through the air.

Jade raised the katana, licking his lips. "That's it. A bit more, and I'll be ready."