[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220729/023912a75a8a9b16c801799640a60148.png[/img]

[b]Word Count:[/b] 712
[b]Level 9 Roxas:[/b] 24/90
[b]Exp Gained:[/b] +1
[b]NEW EXP Balance---[/b] 25/90

[h3]Skyworld[/h3][/center]

[color=gold]”S-sorry.”[/color] was all Roxas could really say. He didn’t expect such a… stern reply. Still, wasn’t it more respectful to defer to her command while he was with her and her unit? She was being nice enough to let him ride with her, so he figured that was the least he could do in return. Clearly that wasn’t going to be the case. Not the battle was going to give either of them much time to dwell on this. When they reached the Harbor had already all-but fallen. But that didn’t stop what was to be their next target from making itself known.

It was a train, and not a very pleasant-looking one at that. All dark and gloomy, not to mention crawling with hideous looking Corrupted, it made its rounds in and around the last infected island. This was it. The island Roxas had so far only observed from a distance. And it was where he was certain the source of the Corruption could be found. The only thing he wasn’t certain of was whether or not that source was another Guardian. But either way, it had to be stopped, whatever it was.

Unlike before, Roxas took the opportunity to dismount alongside Edelgard. Whatever this train was, it only made sense that it would eventually make its way to the source or at least close to it. So should Roxas simply ride the train in hopes it would bring him to the source? Or should he try to disable the train and destroy it somehow? He wondered what the Black Eagles would do. But for the time being the only thing to do was get rid of the Corrupted that were crawling all over it.

Edelgard and her squad went right to work, opting to cut their way through the oncoming Corrupted like a mower traveling across an overgrown front lawn. For the first few moments Roxas opted to stay near Edelgard herself. But it didn’t take him long to realize that this would be slow-going if they remained at this pace. And that’s when a particular fact dawned on him. Without much communication to Edelgard, Roxas hurriedly buffed her using both Steel and Tailwind to grant her a speed and strength boon to her movements and attacks. Hopefully that would be enough for the frankly crazy stunt he was about to attempt.

[color=gold]”I’ve got an idea!”[/color] Roxas said to the Flame Empress before taking off further ahead on the train and calling back, [color=gold]”Listen for my signal!”[/color] The Nobody had to really watch his movement. His StepSword as well as Flow Motion could get him through the incoming wave of Corrupted, but one wrong step could get him snagged by a stray limb or knocked off the train entirely. This was definitely a test of his own acrobatic skill and maneuverability.

Once Roxas got further up the train, he stopped and used a quick series of Thundagas to clear himself a space and get some of the Corrupted away from him. After that, he used his Phantom Ruby necklace to summon a cluster of randomly placed virtual cubes that would cover the width of the train in front of him. They were, of course, stationary. Normally harmless if not for the fact that he was currently on top of a [i]moving[/i] train. The train’s movement would have the effect of dragging everyone else Roxas left behind through what was effectively a deadly obstacle course that could damage them or even bump them off of the train entirely.

[color=gold]”Edelgard, now!”[/color] Roxas shouted at the top of his lungs before adding, [color=gold]”Heads up!”[/color]

That was the signal he had told her to listen for. Her Black Eagles were angels and could pretty easily use their flight to stay out of harm’s way when their section of the train was pulled through the virtual cube obstacles. And as for Edelgard herself, this was the reason Roxas was careful to use Tailwind and Steel on her before he did all this. Hopefully the boons to speed and strength granted by both buffs would be enough for her to dodge incoming virtual cubes, or smash them with her ax if needed.