Chapter 73: The Peak

Their numbers vast, the terrifying machines ready their guns and start firing bullets indiscriminately at whoever is in the way. Mark or no mark, the bullets pierce all.

The bullets get closer and closer to the cornered boy.

He crawls up, covering his head and looking away. He closes his eyes, trembling in fear of the pain about to come.

Tat tat tat tat!

The boy flinches, but the bullets never reach him.

Huh?

He reluctantly looks back, finding a large bare-chested, buff, bald man with a glorious mustache and a sharp perfect beard crouched over. He is holding a large shield that is blocking the bullets. But the most distinct and captivating feature yet, is his Mark of Light . . . the markings cover his whole upper body except his head.

The bullets then stop firing suddenly.

The man stands up straight and firm and checks on the boy.

He chuckles genuinely, "Next time you get my back, eh young sir?"

They sit silently, the boy in awe of him. The man turns around, looking at the machines busy fighting his fellow pilots.

"Go to the sphere, I'll be right back and bake you all a nice cake!"

All the bullets that touch the barrier never go through and evirate from existence, they would not go past the Sphere of Mercy.

The man throws his shield and it flies towards the machines, piercing through multiple of them before getting stuck on one.

He chuckles, sprinting towards the enemy, "Leave me some!"

In the distance, one of the machines that is flying and trying to reach the civilians runs into the wall at full speed and disappears without a trace.

"Tuney, keep everyone around me safe!"

A hole opens from the ground and a unique cartoon that looks like a pilot jumps out like a dolphin.

"You got it, Boss!" he says, turning onto his back and biting a carrot before falling down another hole that forms in the ground.

"Haha!" The man jumps up high into one of the machines as all the bullets that land on him get flattened and are unable to go through.

He grabs the large machine, his gloves glowing and then lifts the machine up above him as if he somehow had grabbed it entirely. They both fly up into the air while moving forward.

The machine where the shield is stuck looks up at them as they approach quickly.

"Hahahaha! Ballista bomb!" he smashes the machine that he was holding into the other one and they both crash to the ground, causing it to quake from the force.

He picks his shield up from the rubble and sees people from the lower level running from other people and picking a fight.

The man lifts his shield up in the air, the front has the shape of a tiger with an open mouth.

"Blessing of Iza!" he shouts and the tiger's eyes glow blue and release small smokey blue strips from them.

He places the shield in front of him and requests, "Freeze all those I deem as troublemakers solid!"

He braces himself and starts to breathe in a lot of air, like a vacuum cleaner.

"Everyone, run to the sphere! All pilots, protecting peaceful civilians is the first priority! Mark or no mark! Should I find out that you showed any discrimination, there will be a heavy punishment," he proclaims loudly, his voice spreading by itself as if he spoke into a loudspeaker, the sound of which also travels and reaches throughout the entire habitable land and beyond.

"Yes sir!" a resounding acknowledgement reaches him in response.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sounds of cannons echo as a large ship with sails hovers over him, helping him fend off the machines.

"Woohoooo!" the captain rotates the wheel, navigating his ship through the battlefield at high speed.

"Make sure the shield is online and keep firing the cannons ya bloody! We have a package to deliver and reputation to uphold!" he commands, his voice carrying around the ship.

The man chuckles, "Jacky!"

He quickly runs and launches himself upwards as the ground beneath him fractures, and then lands with such force that the entire ship shakes.

"Ayeeee Chad! You almost broke me shields! Been a while, huh? Things are getting crazy here, eh? I expected the unmarked people to riot but what's up with the machines?"

"I don't know honestly. But say, there are some people that might be struggling with getting up to the sphere if they live farther down, could we go and help them evacuate with your big ship?"

"Done!"

"Great! Tuney!" Chad calls.

A hole appears like a door next to him and Hani pops out with a carrot, moonwalking backwards, "Yes, Boss?"

"I am leaving you in command of the evacuation and protection from the barrier up till 51 Nord Street,"

"Done!" he says as another hole appears behind him and he moonwalks through it.

"Listen up, bloody! We are heading farther down to help with evacuations. When I tell you to, it's your job to go down there and get people up on the ship. We won't have time to settle down and load the people into the ship as we will be deep into enemy forces," he speaks into his microphone.

"Yes, Captain!" responds his crew.

He rotates the wheel and they begin heading farther down the island.

"Well, things are working out nicely! We had a delivery to get there in the first place," says the Captain.

"Delivery?"

"Ye! Adora is with us at the back. Apparently, she has something to do there. I guess it's related to all these machines and where they are coming from,"

"Oh really? Well, I'll go join them and ask around to maybe get a better idea and see if I can help," he walks to the Captain and places his shield down.

"It's been a while since I've gone for a swim anyways," he remarks, stretching his muscles.

"Yeah well," the Captain reaches into a small mini fridge and picks out his fruit cocktail drink, pouring it into two mugs, "Have one of these first!"

"Oh, thanks!" Chad picks one up and they clack their mugs together.

"Cheers mate!"

They chug the whole drink in one go.

"Aahh, you gotta tell me how you make it taste this good one day!"

The Captain laughs, "When I am in me grave, lad!"

"Enjoy your swim! Careful though, the wind is cold!"

"Just how I like it!" Chad poses like a diver and then flexes his muscles, preparing them to jump into the wind and then makes a giant leap to the back of the ship where a dense wind semi-circle is being formed by a device. All the hoverboard riders watch him and it never seizes to amaze them as he starts free form swimming in the wave, moving towards Adora.

He gestures to her for them to go to the front of the ship to talk, but instead, she takes out the sturdy letter and hands it to him.

He flips onto his back and uses only his legs to swim so his arms are free to do as they please, then grabs the letter and follows the instructions.