Macker tackled Orced in a bear hug so hard that they both almost fell over. "We did it! First curse of the Sky Boys era—dead in under three minutes! That was beautiful!"
Kruna sheathed his blades, trying (and failing) to hide a small, satisfied smile. "Not bad for a bunch of idiots on a floating rock. I'll admit it. That was clean."
Aftor wiped black ichor off his sleeve with a disgusted face. "I call dibs on naming the move. 'Relativistic Friendship Strike' or something. We need a cool name for the combo."
Ema was already taking pictures with his phone, posing dramatically. "Group selfie!—Nix, stop making that crazy face, you look like you just murdered someone."
Nix was still laughing maniacally, gauntlet smoking. "That felt so good. Can we do it again? There's gotta be more around here. I'm not even tired!"
Sano just rumbled a deep laugh and patted everyone on the back hard enough to make them stumble forward. "Good work, guys. I'm proud of you all. Even you, Nix."
Orced stood in the middle of it all, breathing hard, white hair a mess, grin wider than the sky itself. He looked at the seven of them—his people, his crew—and felt something warm and bright settle in his chest."
This is just the beginning," he said, voice carrying that same easy confidence. "Today, we took down one curse. Tomorrow? Ten. Next week? A hundred. We're gonna clear the sky, clear the earth, clear everything that hurts people. And we're gonna do it together."
Macker whooped again. "Together!"
Kruna rolled his eyes but still bumped fists with him. "Yeah, yeah. Together. Just don't make me say it again, or I'll puke."
Aftor smirked. "I'm in as long as I get to keep stabbing things and naming moves."
Ema hugged his bow to his chest. "And I get to design all the cool uniforms. I already have three concepts ready."
Nix punched the air so hard he almost hit Sano. "And hoodies! Best looking of the hoodies! Legal ones. Mostly."
Sano nodded once, smiling. "I'll carry the snacks. And the heavy stuff. You guys handle the pretty fighting."
Orced laughed again, loud and bright. "Deal. Sky Boys—official. First meeting adjourned. Now let's go find something to eat before I starve and have to fight another curse on an empty stomach."
As they started walking back toward the old research building they'd claimed as temporary headquarters, the group kept talking over each other.
Macker was already planning the victory feast. "I vote ramen. Lots of ramen. We earned it."
Kruna shook his head. "You always vote ramen. Let's get real food. Like burger or pizza. Something actually delicious"
Aftor grinned. "I vote for whatever has the most spice. I want to feel good after that fight."
Ema was still scrolling through the photos he'd taken. "Guys, this selfie is going in the official Sky Boys album. Caption: 'Day 1 – We already look legendary.'"
Nix was bouncing on his toes. "Can we do another training run after dinner? I want to perfect that explosion timing."
Orced walked in the middle, listening to all of them, feeling the wind on his face and the sun on his skin. For the first time in a long time, the future felt wide open and full of possibility.
He had no idea that thousands of kilometers away yet, in a Hedonas command room, several pairs of eyes were watching the drone feed in silence.
Darkas leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.
"Seven guys on a forgotten island just took down a C-class in under three minutes. Coordinated. No casualties. That white-haired one is the leader."
Meha frowned. "They're calling themselves Sky Boys. Already have a name and a slogan. This isn't random."
Jellal adjusted his glasses. "Should we intervene?"
Ultema snorted. "Let them play. Kids with big dreams burn out eventually."
Nemo's eyes gleamed. "But that coordination… that was actually impressive."
Pero just stared at the screen where Orced was still laughing with his friends. "They look like they're having fun."
Darkas was quiet for a long moment. Then he spoke, voice low.
"Keep watching them. Something about that white-haired guy feels… off. Too perfect. Too charismatic. Mark my words—Sky Boys is either going to be the best thing that ever happened to this world… or the worst."
Back on Sky Boys Island, Orced and the others had no idea they were being watched. They were too busy arguing over ramen versus steak, shoving each other, laughing until their stomachs hurt.
For today, at least, the sky belonged to them and the future could wait.
As they started walking back toward the old research building they'd claimed as temporary headquarters, the group kept talking over each other like they always did.
Macker was already planning the victory feast out loud. "Lots of ramen. Spicy miso, extra chashu, soft-boiled eggs. We earned it after that clean kill."
Kruna shook his head, walking with his hands in pockets. "You always eat ramen. Let's get real food for once. Steak. Medium rare. Something with actual protein that doesn't come from a cup."
Aftor grinned, still wiping the last traces of curse ichor off his sleeve with a disgusted expression. "I want to feel alive after that fight. Like my tongue is on fire. That's the only way I know I'm still breathing."
Ema was still scrolling through the photos he'd taken during the fight, zooming in on the moment of the explosion. "Guys, this is my new selfie of official Sky Boys album. Caption: 'Day 1 – We already like a family.'
Look at Nix's face here—he looks like he just discovered fire."
Nix bounced on his toes as he walked, gauntlet still faintly smoking. "That felt so good. Can we do another training run after dinner?"
Sano rumbled a deep laugh and clapped Nix on the back—hard enough that Nix stumbled forward two steps. "Eat first, explode later. That's my rule. You blow yourself up on an empty stomach and I'm not carrying your pieces back."
Orced walked in the middle of the pack, hands behind his head, looking up at the endless blue sky above them. "You guys are already planning the next fight before we've even celebrated the first one. That's the spirit I like."
Macker spun around to walk backward, facing Orced. "Come on, boss. Admit it—you were grinning the whole time you were punching that thing's core. You love this shit as much as we do."
Orced's grin widened. "Guilty. There's nothing like it. The rush, the teamwork, the moment everything clicks, and the curse just… disappears. That's what we're here for. To make moments like that happen every day."Kruna glanced sideways at him. "You make it sound like we're starting a gym class. 'Come join Sky Boys, get your daily curse-punching workout!'"
Ema burst out laughing. "I can see the flyer now. 'Sky Boys Fitness: Punch curses, make friends, look cool doing it.' We'd get so many sign-ups."Aftor twirled his knife again. "As long as I get to stab things, I'm good. But seriously—matching jackets. Black leather, white wings on the back. I'm not kidding. We need the aesthetic."
Nix raised his hand like he was in class. "I vote for hoodies instead. Hoodies with ripped sleeves. Practical and stylish."
Sano shook his head slowly. "You two are going to get us banned from every clothing store in China."
They reached the entrance of the old research building—a squat, concrete structure half-covered in vines and graffiti from whatever scientists had abandoned it years ago. The door was propped open with a rock, and inside the lights flickered weakly on solar panels.
Orced pushed the door wider. "Home sweet home. For now. Let's raid the kitchen—there's still some instant noodles and canned stuff from last week."
Macker darted inside first. "Dibs on the last pack of spicy beef!"
Kruna sighed as he followed. "You always call dibs and then eat half of everyone else's anyway."