Dog Fight

Rowan flew through space with everyone all in the cockpit as they marveled at outer space or the outer space that existed inside of the Ark. It was still a lot for Rowan to wrap his mind around. All he could see was the blurring lights as they passed stars that existed so distantly that it was hard for him to fathom that this place all simply existed inside of a massive spaceship. Rowan looked down at the bracelet and thought how easily he opened a space in it to create his inventory, but more than even that the second layer was not only constantly expanding, it gave birth to life constantly. It was a feat that not even Rowan was truly capable of fathoming.

They were now in the process of making their way to the trial world. Rowan knew that there would be no point, but he needed to pass through the trial world to join the academy and he needed the academy's help to find the head of the necromancers. Rowan was also interested in the trial world as well though, apparently it held some opportunities left behind by the founder of the school, someone that Genma had only endearingly referred to as the founder.

Rowan was enjoying watching the stars whiz by and watch Em talk to the ship that now responded to her every whim, much to the annoyance of the ship's buyer. Rowan turned to Camille. "You know out of all the names, why Angela?" Camille had a look of melancholy and sadness come over her face. "It was her mother's name." Rowan connected the dots and sighed. "I suppose I should have expected that answer, but then I was trying to be distant to ensure my own survival. Something that someone recently told me is simply not true to form for me." Camille looked at him and smiled. "Oh, really Rowan Raid? Now what would be true to form for you?"

Rowan looked ahead as they passed a planet that, from this distance, just looked like a glowing orb of swirling colors as he sighed. "Saving everyone would have been or being honest with other people's hearts." Rowan now looked directly into Camille's eyes, not moving from them for a second. "You are a great woman Cammy, a truly spectacular one actually and before I thought there was a chance there could be something between us but I think now is as good of a time as any to clarify things because it would only be wrong of me otherwise. I didn't know it before, but my heart belongs to someone else."

Camille looked sad for a moment, but it passed as quickly as it came as she took a deep breath and smiled at Rowan. "I figured you would come to that conclusion since the first day that we made it Raid tower. Part of me wanted to maintain that since I was by your side maybe something could change but that was foolish of me." Rowan shook his head, "No not at all I don't think that makes you foolish we've flirted and I've sent the message that I was interested but I don't want to hurt her and in turn I don't want to hurt you either because truthfully if possible I would like us to still be friends, after all you've been with me since the world ended. She smiled at him and nodded. "Of course Rowan, you think we would stop being friends just because of a silly rejection? Think twice. I'm still Emmily's caretaker, so you are both stuck with me throughout this journey."

Rowan smiled back and nodded. "I truly would not have it any other way." Rowan went back to watching the stars pass until he fell asleep, knowing that when he awoke next he would be at his destination. Rowan realized that he had jinxed himself as he woke up to alarms blaring and EM hollering commands at the ship.

Rowan immediately shot to attention and turned to Genma. "What's going on?" Genma shook his head. "I originally sent your video to the school so that you could be approved to go to the trial world, but at the same time, there are several groups that would not like to see a being such as you enter the trial world or the school, for that matter. The noble families that have sent their family to the school for generations are fond of tricks like this. Their families are powerful, usually having a demigod or several backing them at all times. You are capable of throwing a wrench into their plans for the school and taking resources that could go to their youth. They don't want to see you live long enough for that to be a reality."

Rowan unbuckled himself and stretched. If these idiots truly wanted a problem with something so small, then he had no problem teaching them a lesson they would not forget, but it wasn't a second layer that Em turned around and looked at him, her eyes a golden blaze of mana. "Big bro Rowan, I got this one. Just give me some mana and I'll handle these silly bad guys." Everyone was stunned, but something in Rowan told him he could trust the young girl. [Wise choice, she's even got your master's attention thanks to her development. This little girl may not have a soul as potent as yours, but she just may be just as talented.] Rowan took the words in stride and reached his hand out to Emily.

He knew he couldn't directly give her a drop of soul force , the act would cause her to explode so Rowan began to cultivate and pull mana towards the ship while wrapping it in platinum lightning as it sped across the sky with six dark black ships behind them. Em smiled as the glow intensified and gloves with what looked like circuitry on them coated her hands and a crystal wrench appeared on her waist. The wrench felt like a soul weapon, causing Rowan to gasp in surprise. As a creation user, she had already created a soul weapon, probably thanks to the Astra she had found when they were on their home world and quest rewards.

The final piece was a massive helmet that lowered itself onto her head while plugs came out of it and plugged into the ship and Em's childish voice rang out in the cockpit. "Angela, let's show these people a real ship. Switch into offensive mode Alpha and prime torpedo bays one through six." Genma looked the most speechless of everyone knowing everything about this ship when he bought it, it certainly did not have other modes and definitely not torpedo bays, it only had the guns on the front, this was a scout ship originally not meant for battle. He was about to say that out loud when changes started happening. The ship's sides sprouted metallic wings, which spread outward and the metal began to warp.

The ship was originally shaped like a silver arrowhead but stretched out but now, its color began to transition into a violent red and while the wings gained a shape like feathers before they opened at the back and became thrusters and their speed quadrupled in seconds. The ship had become a massive falcon, something that Rowan was able to see with his storm vision. He looked down at the girl and smiled, who even with the helmet on turned back to him and smiled. "The falcon in your bloodline is what makes you scary in the sky, big bro, but what if a ship could match your abilities? Layer your falcon thingy on the ship, big bro. I'm just getting started." Rowan only complied, and a falcon appeared above the ship before laying down on it and a second later the two began to fuse until they were in a massive flying metal falcon made of a metallic red while golden lines of tribal energy decorated the hull. At the same time, thanks to his killing intent image overlapping with it the wings had become blades capable of cutting through obstacles.

It was at this exact moment that Em started to move her hands like she was conducting an orchestra while the ship stopped all forward motion and turned its bottom towards the approaching ships while six holes opened in the bottom and fired several torpedoes that entered space and accelerated towards their targets. The first two ships were so caught off guard that they never even got to defend themselves the torpedoes slammed into them and caused massive explosions, turning them to space dust while the others shot flares and evaded, causing the others to detonate off target before they opened fire with guns that shot beams. Genma looked on in horror and turned to Rowan. "Killing their people is maybe not the smartest option Rowan, can you not just disable the ships? The families will want blood for this." Rowan never even got to answer when Em whipped around.

"HELL NO. They attacked first, so they earned these funerals, ill turn to dust anyone they send. How dare they attack us? We were minding our own business, big brother taught me this lesson when we fought the zodiac gang, in a scenario like this." She then looked at Rowan and they said the same words "We spare no one who would wish harm on us and those we wish to protect." Rowan nodded his head and even Empry seemed to agree as the ship that had halted now shot towards the ships that had scattered in the wake of the explosion.[This young woman truly deserves to be a cultivator, you have prepared her well.]