Connoisseur of the Agents

The Wandering Moon drifted through the Vast Expanse. The wind currents were heavy but brief, and the crew readied themselves to reach their destination using the coordinates provided by Hywel.

Kyora held her binoculars, observing into the distance. "The weather's good today. We should be good to locate Sanctum Islands. We're close." She bestowed, presenting them with the details concerning their route.

"That's perfect! But how are we planning to get up there? Aren't Sanctum Islands in the air?" Kou inquired, standing on the deck close to the forecastle. He had his hands hipped while Aurora brought out the chip Kyora received.

"Based on what we discovered from the chip's data, it is said to be a collection of three various islands which clouds got diverged by the 'thousand gales of calamity' three hundred decades ago, constructed on the immense clouds known as 'Spiritbound Clouds.'"

Kou scratched the back of his head in a stupor, showing he didn't comprehend much about Aurora's exposition. "Thousand gales of calamity? I don't think I've heard anything about that. Have I skipped some crucial information I should be aware of when I read the chip's chronology?" he asked and noticed Aurora raising the chip in front of her eyes.

"You didn't miss much, honestly. It noted those thousand gales of calamity briefly. There weren't any major notes of what those winds were, apart they originated from the god of air's own potency." She stated, "But I'm sure we can learn more about Sanctum Islands when the time arrives."

Kyora set her binoculars on the bench and stepped afront others, "Either way, the winds around here are heftier than across the ocean. I'm certain we're nearing our terminus." Kyora explained as Tarot intruded, "I can just bring you up there with my nimbus cloud. But, only one can use it." Tarot laughed while Timothy and Chiaki peeked from behind his shoulders with smug expressions, "Let's do it!" they shouted with over-the-top enthusiasm and pumped-up thoughts.

Their eyes glistened with pink and blue tints, raying like the most luminous sun. Tarot raised his arm, "Then let's do it!" Tarot put his fingers in his mouth and whistled across the entire deck. Kou and Kyora watched them unamusingly, "This won't end well for them." They remarked as Yumiko shrugged her shoulders. "It can't be *that* inferior, can it?"

The nimbus cloud came speeding from the air, gliding down to the deck hastily. It circled toward Tarot and tightened the brakes, stopping before him. "I would like to present to you my greatest, most reliable, and steadfast nimbus cloud!" Timothy formed fists and initiated singeing with flames about excitement, "This is gonna be epic!"

"Feel free to ride it at your heart's content." Timothy grabbed Chiaki's wrist and pulled her after, "What are you doing, Tim?!" she inquired. "You're coming with me!" Chiaki's cheeks flushed, causing her to become speechless, "W-What?! Are you insane? If we both go on it, we'll fall!"

Timothy laughed, smugging, "Nah, we won't! Just hold on tight!" he learned how to balance himself on the cloud properly and succeeded. "Hold on tight? There's nothing to hold on to!" Timothy looked behind him, unamused, "Y-You can't be serious! If I hold onto you... you won't have a perfect balance." Timothy grinned and shook his head, "You're not *that* heavy. Get ready." Timothy started counting down from three to zero, scaring Chiaki, but before he finished, he felt Chiaki encasing her arms around his waist to the front, "Okay! Okay! I got it!"

She pressed her weight onto his back, and he shuddered in a jaw-dropper after feeling her breasts grazing his back, "W-Wait-!" however, Tarot shouted, "Go, nimbus!" The nimbus cloud sped forward and began zipping through the air.

"This was a bad idea!!!" Timothy screamed, his voice growing fainter the further they flew.

Aurora and the others observed them and quickly noticed them speeding out of sight. Aurora glanced, unimpressed, and inquired, "Um... do Tim and Chiaki have some kind of a 'momentous' relationship that I don't know about?" she peeked at Yumiko, who had her arms folded in front of her chest, "No, not really. They're just good friends. Why do you want to know?" Yumiko mulled, looking into her countenance.

"No reason at all," she claimed, "they just seem very close. More than the last time." She opened the bottle and drank the water inside, somewhat doubtful.

"Chiaki-rose! Why couldn't I have been the one to feel your fervency behind my back!" Ralphie groused, dancing and becoming downcast. He squatted onto his four limbs and became devastated.

Tarot needed some time to realize, but once he did, he screamed in fear, "Whaaah!" he grabbed his ears and sweated, "I forgot to tell them how to operate the cloud!" Aurora squeezed the bottle for the water to splash out in the air and spill on the wooden panels. "You idiot! You gave them the idea to use the cloud, but you didn't tell them how to turn, slow down or speed up?!" Kyora shrieked, frustrated and terrified.

Tarot became overwhelmed by Kyora's arguments, "I was gonna, but I forgot..." Yumiko and Kou slapped their own foreheads and soughed in unison, "He *is* more dopey than a 5-year-old."

Suddenly, Kyora spotted another crew sailing toward them from a distance. Their white flag flailed in the wind, having a female-like head emblem and a top hat shielding it.

Kyora hurriedly scurried toward the guardrail and gazed at the forthcoming ship, "Guys! We have company." The vessel didn't appear like another pirate crew but someone from the agencies. "Admiral Fanny Morel. We're steering toward that pirate crew." One of the women responded, standing beside Fanny.

Fanny had white braided hear, reaching down to her back. She wore a unique black hat that looked like a top hat, and had a white shirt beneath her black trench coat, wore brown leather pants wrapped by a tight brown belt. Lastly, she rocketed brown boots.

She kept one of her hands in her coat's pockets, the other snaring the edge of her head. "It's the white-haired pirates, now known as 'Blue Phoenix Pirates.' They regrouped after a 2-year suspension." Fanny claimed, being composed, "Do engage them in combat, but do not exterminate them, Léa. We're here to accumulate their attention and take them into captivity. However, only if they wish not to oblige."

Léa nodded upon Fanny's command and turned around, "Everyone, prepare to instigate combat." The marines accepted Léa's orders and approved, "Affirmative!"

Kou became grave and observant, "They seem to be from one of the agencies." He claimed as Kyora nodded. Ralphie stepped beside them, "It's the SM Agency. They cooperate with the world government. They're the ones who ruined my life in the past and made me lose a friend." He mentioned as others noticed resentment and bitterness in his expression.

Yumiko's senses tingled without hesitating and summoned her blades from blue light.

She slashed with one of them and suddenly blocked an impending sword. Léa attacked at an outstanding gait, banging her sword's metal against Yumiko's, and upon collision, rang out a rackety sound as well as heavy wind.

Léa and Yumiko exchanged eyes, "Léa Celice... A swordswoman whom I've met in the past..." Yumiko responded grave and irritated, "Nice to see you again, Moon Knightess. You've grown." Léa claimed and pushed her blade against Yumiko's, driving her to back away and attracting everyone's awareness.

To be continued...