A decade has passed since the tragedy at Erodus.
Mikado was all grown up now. In a few months, he would be seventeen.
Mikado, the same boy who hid in an unforgiving, metallic crate, now stood proud on the decks of The Flying Beauty—as a man, a soldier, a hunter, and a friend.
The winds were his compass, and the skies were his guidance. He'd follow where the wind takes him. No matter the distance.
Mikado stood at the bow of the airship, staring off into the vastness of the landscape he observed—his white, silver hair now much longer, flowing into the wind like a cape. His eyes were as sharp as steel, yet they had a subtle gentleness to them—like the quill of a bird.
He stood for a long time, gazing off into the distance, the faint smell of iron and oil filling his lungs. He knew that this was his new home and that his journey to fulfilling his goals was just about to begin.
This is the birth of a new era.
"Aha! I knew I would find you here!" A voice rang out behind him, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Mikado turned his head, facing the individual.
"Gan. What's up? Why are you here?"
Gan smirked, patting dust off his shoulders. "Just here to inform you that we've discovered something incredible!"
Mikado's ears perked up listening to this. "Oh? What is it about? It better be worth my time."
Gan grinned like a child. "You won't believe it! But around thirty kilometres from our current location in the north-west, reports of a pillar containing ancient ruins had just emerged!"
Mikado gasped, taking a step back. "What? No way! Really?"
…
"…What's an ancient ruin…?"
They quietly stared at each other for a long second.
Gan cleared his throat. "I'll tell you. Ancient ruins are ruins—"
"Obviously." Mikado interrupted, kicking his own feet in boredom.
"Damn it! Let me finish!" Gan angrily shouted. "Anyways, they are natural structures that appear to be manmade, despite not having any interactions with humans. They occur on pillars that recently emerge."
Mikado thought about it for a moment before speaking. "So, how do they form?"
"Naturally," Gan replied.
Mikado stuttered, "W-well, of course! b-but—never mind. Anyways, what's so special about these ruins anyway?"
Gan raised a finger with a greedy smirk. "They contain fortune-worth amounts of treasure… you could live an entire lifetime eating out, partying, going on vacation and so much more with a lot to spare! You wouldn't ever be able to spend it all!"
Mikado rubbed his hands, drooling at the mental image he came up with in his head. He'd love to swim in gold, eat fancy meals, and sleep in a mansion.
"I know, right? That's the dream, dude! When we arrive, we should take all of it—"
Gan's sentence was cut off short as Yoriko kicked him in the head. "Stop lying to him! You're over-exaggerating the worth of the treasure. It would only last you a few decades, and that's for one person only!"
Gan winced in pain, hopping away from Yoriko. "Y-you tyrant! Why must you always use your fists! Such a brute of a woman!"
Yoriko shot him a glare. "Wanna say that again?"
Gan knelt obediently. "No, sir."
"It's 'ma'am."
"Yes, ma'am."
Yoriko looked back at Mikado, giving a soft smile before adding on.
"It's not just treasure on the pillar. They can also contain relic rings."
Gan and Mikado coughed just hearing that. "Wait, seriously?"
"Of course, I'm serious about it."
Gan and Mikado looked at each other, then back at Yoriko.
"We'll find one ourselves."
Yoriko had a realisation. "Oh yeah, the captain allowed 'finders, keepers'. So, the first to find a ring gets to keep it for themselves."
Mikado swallowed hard. "Really? So, they don't hand them off to randoms anymore?"
Yoriko scratched her cheek. "Well, yeah—of course."
"Sooo, I get to keep whatever I find? Even if it's powerful?"
Yoriko sighed. "Yes, that's what I'm saying."
Gan jumped forward, confused. "What? But why now? They've never let us keep what we find when we come across stuff like this! And it's not guaranteed that we'll see another ancient ruin again in our lifetime! They're extremely rare!"
Yoriko rubbed her forehead, exhausted at continuing. "That's why they'll let us take what we find… ancient ruins are rare, yes, but that wasn't particularly why they're allowing this…"
Mikado pushed further. "Then why?"
"To incentivise risk. Ancient ruins and relic rings are extremely rare, so allowing us soldiers to keep what we find would motivate us to take initiative and push deeper into hazardous areas." Yoriko replied.
"But that's not all, though." She added.
Mikado backed up a bit. "There's more?!" He glanced at Gan. "She's going to dump a bunch of info!"
Gan just knelt there like he had already accepted the fate of being educated. "Go on."
Yoriko cleared her throat.
"They allow finders keepers to also boost morale and loyalty. Morale is fragile, so they use it as an act of psychological boosts to give our soldiers a sense of ownership and hope. It creates loyalty to the fleet and the Empire, so we soldiers feel that we're not just pawns but partners in the spoils of war."
Gan nodded in agreement. (He doesn't understand.)
She continued.
"It's also for strategic necessity. From what reports show, other nations, including Velkaris, are doing the same. If Eurina doesn't allow personal ownership soon, then they risk losing talent to rival nations. 'Finders, keepers' becomes a competitive edge in recruiting and retaining skilled hunters like Gan."
Yoriko finally finished her rambling. Gan acted like he listened the whole time. Yoriko didn't notice the earplugs that he had activated. Meanwhile, Mikado was already asleep—standing upright.
When she finally realised, she struck them on the head in frustration.
As the fleet travelled towards the pillar and the ancient ruins, Mikado sat at the bar counter, drinking a glass of water. Maximillius was seated next to him.
"So," Max spoke. "How's life treating you?" He asked with a deadpan expression, a lollipop still in his mouth—just like when they were kids.
Mikado's mouth curved into a smile. "It's been great… that's all." He replied quietly.
Max didn't push further, just nodding in acknowledgement, glancing at the bottles of alcohol behind the bartender.
"So, what about you?" Mikado chimed—curious.
Maximillius didn't reply. At least—not yet. He looked back at Mikado before lowering his head. "…It's okay, I guess…" The tone of his voice betrayed his words.
Mikado understood. He didn't ask anything further than that—just a simple phrase. "You can tell me anything that troubles you. I'll lend you an ear if you need to."
Maximillius shook his head. "Thanks, but I don't need it. It's too much of a hassle." He leant back on the bar stool, staring off into the ceiling. "…But, there is one thing."
Mikado turned his head—curious. "What?"
Maximillius took his time, spinning on his seat with a serious expression.
"We're truly rivals from now on." He said suddenly, but he wasn't finished speaking. "The only way for one of us to prove that we're better than the other is if one of us is the last one standing."
Mikado tensed up, facing Maximillius with a serious expression. "What do you mean?! Why so suddenly?"
Maximillius stopped spinning. He wore an unusually serious expression on his face—a rare side of him. He glared deep into Mikado's blue eyes before speaking. "What I'm offering is a rivalry that will only end when one of us dies." He reached for his lollipop, pulling it out of his mouth.
"When one of us leaves this world, the other who's still alive will truly be better."
Mikado slammed his fist onto the table, gritting his teeth as he demanded. "Why do this?! There's nothing to achieve by playing along with your game!"
Maximillius shook his head.
"You get nothing from surviving. Proving your worth means that you'll fall later—even if you've reached the top."
Maximillius stood up before stepping away from a stunned Mikado. "So, what's the decision? Will you accept the rivalry to beat me? Or will you take the safe route? It's up to you."
He slowly walked out the door, vanishing into the surroundings. Mikado couldn't find the words to say back. Is death a way to cement your worth…? He thought.
Whatever Max was talking about, he knew he wasn't joking.
"Stop spacing out milk-boy!" Gan smacked him across the head, shoving his head down over the railings.
"Oww! The hell's your problem asshole?!" Mikado cried out, clutching the back of his head like it would fall off if he let go.
"I was talking to you, and you spaced out! It's like you were ignoring me or something." Gan rambled, using hand gestures to express his frustration.
Mikado rubbed his head, apologising before looking forward at the approaching pillar.
He couldn't understand what Maximillius was talking about or his intentions—and that bugged him. A lot.
"Oh, you BASTARD!!!" Gan swung his cannon, clotheslining Mikado onto his back, slamming him onto the deck with a thud. "If you were gonna space out again, then DON'T BOTHER APOLOGISING!!!"
Mikado winced in pain. "Oww! Stop hitting me, jackass!"
"You missed the best part I was talking about—the one where the dragon slayer knight was about to face off against a giant draconic behemoth and—" Gan began aimlessly rambling once again.
The exploration and discovery of the ancient ruins would be Mikado's first true mission as a soldier. His hands shivered at the thought of it. This was his chance to earn a fortune.
The fleet was roughly a kilometre away from the pillar, approaching at a slow and steady pace. The intercoms announced their imminent arrival, which was the cue for the soldiers to prepare docking. Gan and Mikado darted across the halls, passing by other soldiers scrambling by to ensure everything was in place.
"And so that's how the dragon slayer knight defeated the dragon." Gan muttered, the floor clanging with each step as he ran next to Mikado.
"Dude, what?" Mikado looked at him, genuinely confused. Gan stared back blankly.
"…Were you not listening?" Gan asked.
"…No? I wasn't, and we're a bit busy here!" Mikado murmured, pinching his nose as he ran.
Gan shrugged. "Well, if you say so."
The two arrived at the quarterdeck, requesting permission to go on land, and their request was granted.
The intercom went off again. "Now all hands to starboard, prepare to anchor."
Mikado went ahead, going up a flight of stairs—Gan in pursuit.
The two regrouped with the other soldiers, hyping themselves up for the expedition.
"We're going to be rich!"
"I've been waiting for this day."
"Don't take what I find."
"I won't."
The first airship dropped its anchor, imbedding itself deep into the rocks of the pillar.
"Secure!"
The airships adjusted, lowering their altitudes—hovering just metres away from land.
Stabilising tubes ejected and drilled themselves into the pillar, fully securing the first airship—the rest following in pursuit.
Mikado stretched his arms out wide, loosening his limbs for his first expedition. Whatever comes his way—he'll be able to use everything he has learned from the past decade.
Gan put his hand on Mikado's shoulders. "You ready, boy?" he asked blankly.
"Yes, bro, I am." Mikado replied in annoyance.
Before any of them could utter another word, a familiar voice boomed behind them.
"So that's where you boys ran off to." Yoriko thundered, her feet clanging on the deck.
The wind swept in her face—but she did not blink one bit.
Gan took a step back, his joints shaking.
Mikado slowly looked over his shoulder, fear catching his throat.
"H-hey, um… how's your day been? Y-Yoriko…?"
Mikado struggled to phrase his words. This was probably the 100th time he and Gan ran off when she was in the middle of a speech, lecture—whatever.
Yoriko shot him a dubious glance. "Don't 'hey' me, you jerk! Stop darting off when I'm talking! It's not nice!" She took a step forward, pulling him by the ear. "Understand?"
Mikado winced, trying to push her hand away, but to no avail. She only pulled harder.
"Oww! Oww! Okay! I get it already! Stop!" He cried out.
Eventually, she released her hold on his ear as he hopped backwards in pain.
Gan tried to laugh but was levelled with a hard look by Yoriko.
"Anyways, your tie needs fixing." Yoriko softly spoke, tilting her head in Mikado's direction.
"… What? Who, me?" Mikado asked nervously, pointing at himself.
Yoriko fixed him with a long, blank stare.
"Ask yourself, 'Who is wearing a tie? Because Gan isn't. Okay?"
Mikado blinked slowly before nodding."
"…Okay."
Yoriko sighed, approaching Mikado once again—pulling him close by the collar.
"Keep still." She spoke in a quiet tone.
Her fingers ran carefully along the seam, coaxing the tie in place—before tugging at the knot, twisting it slightly, adjusting the tension, muttering, "Nearly there…"
Mikado stood there obediently, scratching his chin as he pondered on what went wrong with his tie.
"Done," Yoriko said, stepping back.
"Thank you." He replied, offering his gratitude.
Mikado's eyes quickly flickered to Gan, noticing him wobbling with an odd smirk and red, discoloured cheeks.
Mikado narrowed his eyes, grumbling, "What's the matter?"
Gan snickered, lips curving into a wide grin.
"Newlyweds…" He replied under his breath.
Mikado's ears perked. "What was that? Did you say something?"
Gan grinned hard. "Nah, I said nothing…"
Mikado stared unconvincingly, "Hmm, okay."
The Flying Beauty finally touched down, creaking as the weight of the zeppelin sat on the edges of the pillar.
As soon as the doors opened, all crew members flooded out in an organised stampede, rushing to the deep forests of the pillar to reach the ruins.
Mikado was near the front, navigating through the lush bushes as leaves scraped his face.
The biome smelt wet like a rainforest, the moisture collecting on his skin. He pushed away more branches as he stumbled upon it.
The Ancient Ruins.
And he arrived first.