Chapter 96: Heaven Splitting

Chapter 96: Heaven Splitting

"I wonder what our next meal will be…" 

"I heard it was chicken again." 

"Nonsense. I heard it was steak this time." 

"When will it be seafood…" 

"I want some goddamn vegetables." 

"Oh? You want some vegetables?" 

"Go get them yourself then." 

"The commander is up and healthy!" 

"What!?" 

"That's great!" 

"He's awoken?"

"What do you fellows think our next move will be?"

"Revenge." 

"We can still kill more of those bastards." 

"No. Look at us, we're not in the shape to fight." 

"Are you a coward!? They've killed so many of us! Our countryman! Our friends and family!" 

"How many people sleep with you in one room? Why are we only eating meat?" 

"Do you think before you talk, youngster?" 

"What does any of that have to do with killing more of those wretches?"

"...Are you serious boy?" 

"I am no boy, I am a man. I've just turned seventeen." 

"Hahahaha!" 

"Hey, guys. What's that thing over there?" 

"What?"

"Look, over there on the horizon."

"The commander is going to speak! Head towards the bow!" 

"An announcement?" 

"Maybe he's just going to give out a few words. You know? To calm the people and their shaky hands." 

"No, he's most likely going to tell us our plan of action for the future." 

"Come, boy. You should experience what smart leadership is like." 

"I told you, I am no child!" 

"Hey that thing is still heading towards us!" 

"What?"

"It's probably just a bird. Maybe even a griffin. Come on. The commander might be lax but it's still necessary to gather when he decides to speak." 

"But it's gray?" 

"I've seen many gray birds on these kinds of voyages. Come, come! Hurry!" 

The fleet discussed amongst each other as they headed towards the very front of the ship. They did their best to squeeze into the large but now limited space to hear the fleet commander's words. Countless eyes looked towards him from below. 

Lloyd stood from atop an elevated platform, along with Rain Priests and Priestesses lined up behind him at each side. His eyes were half open, and a mellow and relaxed smile hung on his face. It brought quite a contrast to when he was compared with other authority figures in the aerial navy. 

Most commanders, captains, etc, always had a serious and solemn expression. They were strict and demanded absolute obedience from anyone with a lower rank than them.

Lloyd however was laid back and tolerant. He would never scold nor reprimand. In fact the only time anyone had ever seen him raise his voice, was to shout through the war noise during urgent situations. 

He was lax, sometimes to the point of irresponsibility. Yet that did not stop the more experienced crew to admire, and even worship him. 

A crowd of thousands gathered as they awaited his next words. The chatter and commotion started to die down as those same veterans displayed an attitude of respectful silence, to which the more inexperienced crew were swept up by. Needless to say they followed that same attitude, and eventually there was only pindrop silence. 

He did not make haste to speak but rather, Lloyd waited patiently, making sure the atmosphere was just right for his speech. This action was subtle but it was guaranteed to amplify the effect of his words. There was afterall, something grandiose about a single person's voice breaking the prolonged silence of thousands. 

Within his mind, Lloyd reviewed the basic layout of his announcements. First he had to speak on the men and women lost in the previous battle, before reassuring the people of their safety, and showering them with praise and thanks for their courageousness. Next, he would tell them of the fleet's next corresponding action. 

They were not a suicidal team that was meant to sacrifice themselves. They did not even have enough food on the vessel for the now overpopulated ship. There was no way they would be able to suitably carry out further operations. Their next action was to simply return back towards their native kingdom. 

Lloyd stepped forward to the very front of the elevated platform, just on the edge of falling down. 

Countless eyes were on him. His mouth opened and a calm voice echoed through the open wind. Words flowed like water for the expert spokesman, and the people's eyes were visibly invigorated. His words comforted exactly where it needed to, and his genuine thanks to the lower-ranking warriors and crewmen touched their hearts. 

"Our next plan of action, is to—" 

BOOM!

From behind, a large explosion of splintering wood and debris flew towards the skies. A figure used his monumental strength to blast a hole through multiple ceilings of multiple decks. 

Zan first thought about being cordial, for after all his parents had taught him to behave in a guest's house. But Lloyd's personal vessel was huge like a maze, and the situation was simply too urgent. 

So…if you could not find a way, then make a way. 

Lloyd looked behind him to see what the hell was happening, and he saw a familiar red haired figure once again kidnapping his sister before charging towards him in a maniacal fashion. 

The swordsman sensed immediately he had no ill will, but there was an expression of panic on his face. What could make him do so? 

Lloyd refrained from attacking, and Zan used that short moment to manhandle him on top of his shoulder. 

Two of the most important figures on the ship, in a process of five short seconds, were forcibly abducted onto the man's shoulders. 

Everyone on the ship from the priests to the warriors to the working men and women were stunned. 

"Jump!" The young man screamed. 

An expression of bewilderment and confusion was the only thing that appeared in their gazes. 

A few veterans snapped out of their gaze to unsheathe their swords and ready their spells. But they did not even get to act before that same lunatic used his powerful legs to spring himself off of the flying vessel. 

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" A high pitched female voice screamed out. 

Zan, Lara and Lloyd descended down from miles high above the sky where only clouds could touch. 

As Lara screamed once again from being put in the same life-threatening, embarrassing situation, Lloyd took this time to observe everything around him during their descent. 

The man's eyes were not empowered like Zan or Gayle's but in the distance he could see something vaguely gray zooming towards the ship. Its speed of approach was insanely fast compared to their ship's travel, so it had to be some sort of magic creature, or a mutated one. 

This conjecture was developed through his vast experience of war expeditions and voyages. Zan must have jumped off of the ship with himself and his sister, for he had some way to sense the threat level of that being. 

But he could be no more wrong. As the clouds parted from its approach, the gray thing revealed itself further and further. The thing turned out to be somewhat rectangular in shape, while its size was massive unlike anything he had ever seen. From the distance to which it came from the horizon it was still revealing how enormously long it really was. Lloyd could tell that the object must have been miles long in distance. 

A chill went up his spine as sweat started to bead down from his face. What made him extremely afraid, was that he recognized the shape of the tremendous thing. It was…a sword. 

The clouds and the very sky in all its being was separated as it came down from above. It stretched from one horizon to the other as even the thickness of its blade fully enveloped the titanic ship in it's shadow. 

A few people with spirits of steel had already jumped off of the vessel, but most could not handle the apocalyptic pressure that the heaven splitting sword brought. They looked upwards, feeling as if the world was ending. And for them especially, it did. 

Time dulled the sharpness of the blade, and while it was no longer bathed in bright blue light from the plasmic matter that normally enveloped it, it still possessed metric tons of force. 

The titanic ship exploded from that violent force while the remains that held onto the thick blade were brought down into the ground. 

The sword cleaved into the flesh of the planet as it created canyons and cliffs so deep that sunlight did not reach the bottom. 

Lara and Lloyd looked at the destroyed remains of their vessel, before their eyes were glued right back onto the sword that rose back into the heavens. From one horizon to the other it started to disappear before their eyes back into the sky. 

At the same time, Zan's left eye glowed red as it pierced through clouds and space to zoom into the source of that strike…

But he was not powerful enough, and his abilities were not yet developed to their highest potential. His sight stopped at a random passing cloud, and his zooming vision returned to its normal state. 

The mysteries of the world, they were not something that could be unraveled at his level of strength.