Angel Island.
Conis led the way holding her harp, with Shu darting playfully around her feet, occasionally stopping to sniff the small drifting clouds along the path.
"Wow, this place is absolutely beautiful!" Ryan's group followed behind. As they crossed the vine bridge spanning a cloudy ravine, Mikita couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, the lemon patterns on her yellow dress shimmering brightly with her movements: "The houses are floating in the clouds, even more beautiful than castles from fairy tales!"
Hearing this, Conis slowed her pace slightly, turned back and smiled at Mikita, her wings fluttering gently behind her: "I'm glad you like it, Miss Mikita. The residents of Angel Island all consider themselves very fortunate to live in such a place."
Ryan watched the scene where people and landscape blended harmoniously before him, suddenly let out a soft chuckle, his gaze shifting from the colorful floating houses in the distance to Conis: "It is indeed beautiful, but Miss Conis is even more beautiful."
"Mr. Ryan, you're quite the charmer..." Conis was momentarily taken aback by the sudden compliment, then a faint blush spread across her cheeks. As she spoke, her eyes rested on Ryan's face, carrying both a hint of shyness and genuine amusement.
After walking a few more steps, she pointed to a bustling area not far ahead: "That's Angel Island's market up ahead. There are many interesting shops there. Shall we go take a look?"
"Those shops are just as special as the cloud houses you just saw." Conis explained as they walked, her fingertips brushing past a wisp of drifting cloud by the roadside: "Most houses on Angel Island are fixed to the island clouds using cloud glue. Lighter shops will float mid-air, and sometimes if you give them a push, they'll drift slowly."
Sure enough, the shops along the street were indeed suspended about half a foot above the ground. Some had door curtains woven from cloud silk, while others had shelves displaying glowing bubbles containing colorful Fruits inside.
BABE stared transfixed at a floating fish-shaped lantern, only snapping out of it when Rasu tugged at his pant leg to pull him forward.
"This is a Shell shop. Shells are the most special thing about Sky Island, you see..." Conis stopped before a shop decorated with shell wind chimes, pushed open the door to reveal shelves densely packed with various shells - some shaped like Moonfangs, others like stars, their surfaces shimmering with mother-of-pearl luster.
The shopkeeper was an elderly man wearing glasses who nodded with a smile when he saw Conis enter.
"This is a Sound Shell," Conis picked up a spiral-patterned shell, gently said "hello" into it, then turned it over - her voice clearly echoed back from within the shell.
Mikita immediately leaned closer: "This is just like a tape recorder!"
Conis then picked up a flat shell: "This is a Wind Shell. If you squeeze it hard, it releases wind. Carrying one in summer keeps you quite cool. Then there are Impact Shells, Heat Shells... each type of shell has its own special use."
Just as everyone was examining the various shells with great interest, the shopkeeper suddenly waved Conis over, whispered a few words to her. Conis's smile faded slightly as she followed the shopkeeper into the back room.
Ryan's gaze swept over them inadvertently, catching the grave expression on the shopkeeper's face. His fingers, which had been rubbing the Sound Shell, paused momentarily.
Before long, Conis emerged from the inner room, her expression slightly strained as if suppressing something. Avoiding Ryan's gaze, she forced a smile and said, "Mr. Ryan, these are pretty much all the shells we have here. Shall I take you to see other places?"
Ryan noticed Conis' slightly reddened eyes and tightly pressed lips, understanding the situation somewhat. He placed the pale purple sound shell back on the shelf and replied calmly, "Alright."
The group followed Conis out of the shell shop. She remained silent along the way, only snapping out of her thoughts when Shu occasionally rubbed against her ankles, managing a weak smile. Unconsciously, they were led to the dock.
Various ships were moored at the dock—some with hulls resembling giant shells, others with cabins modified to look like beds.
While Mikita was curiously examining a houseboat, Daz Bones suddenly spoke up, his cold voice breaking the silence: "Why did you bring us to the dock?"
Conis tensed up, her hands instinctively clutching the strings of her harp. "I... I wanted to show you the Waver and houseboats unique to Sky Island..."
"You've been acting strange since we left the shell shop, and people on the street have been avoiding us," Zala remarked calmly, her gaze sweeping over a white-robed figure lying face-down in a corner of the dock. "And what's with that person lying on the ground over there?"
Conis' face instantly turned pale, her wings drooping behind her. When she looked up, her eyes were already red-rimmed. Her lips trembled for a moment before she spoke in a choked voice, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."
Shu anxiously rubbed against her feet, emitting soft "shu shu" sounds, its fluffy tail gently brushing against Conis' calf as if clumsily trying to comfort her.
"God... God declared you illegal intruders and criminals," Conis stammered through tears, which finally spilled over and streamed down her cheeks. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the cloud sand. The harp slipped from her arms and hit the ground with a dull thud.
Conis' shoulders shook violently as she wept with suppressed despair. "It's a citizen's duty... I had to lure you to the 'Heavenly Sanctioning Place.' Otherwise... otherwise all of us who disobey would be killed..."
At these words, the pedestrians who had been watching from a distance erupted into chaos. Some dropped their cloud textiles in shock, others hastily covered their mouths, their eyes filled with astonishment and fear—clearly not expecting Conis to reveal this forbidden secret.
The white-robed figure in the corner of the dock abruptly lifted its head, revealing panicked eyes.
Daz Bones frowned deeply, understanding dawning as he observed the flustered pedestrians and the white-robed figure. Zala raised an eyebrow, a flicker of comprehension in her eyes—the previous confusion finally making sense.
Ryan stepped forward and crouched before Conis. Gently lifting her chin with his hand, he saw her tear-streaked face glistening with moisture, her long lashes damp and clumped together. Her bright, sincere eyes were now filled with utter despair.
"Such a pretty girl shouldn't cry like this—it doesn't suit you."
Conis froze for a moment, then looked up with a sob. "Mr. Ryan..."
Ryan gently wiped the tears from Conis's cheek with his fingertips. In truth, he had long known what was going on and had noticed that sneaky fellow lurking around—he just hadn't exposed him. After all, it was a scene he had witnessed in the original storyline, so everything was crystal clear in his mind.
Still, Ryan was somewhat surprised. Conis had made the same choice as he remembered, pouring out the whole truth. She truly was a kind-hearted Angel girl.
Just then, a blinding blue light exploded across the sky, accompanied by a crackling electric hum. A bolt of lightning as thick as a bowl descended head-on, aimed directly at Conis, who was crouched on the ground!
Pedestrians on the street gasped in shock. Even the white-robed man lying on the ground scrambled away in fright. Conis was so stunned she froze completely, her pupils reflecting the stark white electric glare, her scream trapped in her throat.
Ryan, however, didn't even bat an eye. With a sharp shing, the long sword at his waist left its sheath. A flick of his wrist sent a silvery Wave Slash slicing through the air, so fast it left only an afterimage.
Sizzle… The lightning bolt was cleaved into countless scattered sparks mid-air, like a string of disconnected stars, pattering down onto the Cloud Sand before vanishing in an instant.
Sheathing his sword in one fluid motion, Ryan looked down at Conis, who was still in a daze. Her mouth hung slightly open, her eyes wide and round, even her tears forgotten. The wings on her back stood stiffly in mid-air.
Unable to hold back a chuckle, Ryan reached out and ruffled Conis's hair, his tone light and reassuring. "Don't be afraid. I'm very strong."
Only then did Conis snap out of it, a blush spreading across her cheeks. She was about to say something when the smile on Ryan's face faded slightly. His brow furrowed as he lifted his gaze toward the sky.
At almost the same moment, a piercing blue-white electric current tore through the clouds. Where the currents converged, a figure hovered in mid-air, his blue-white hair drifting faintly amid the electricity, golden earrings swaying gently with his movements.
It was none other than the "God" of Sky Island—Enel.
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