-There is something useful on the middle pier,- Alexa urgently instructed Callis as she sprinted towards the building housing Novus' father's office.

-Thank you,- replied the Beast Blade, maintaining his impeccable manners despite the time constraint.

As the towering Captain of the Guard charged towards the building, Priscus, Novus' father, who had been observing from inside, emerged, attempting to block Alexa's path.

-You let them take my bo— - Priscus began to blame Alexa, but she disregarded him, effortlessly leaping over him and latching onto the roof of the building with one hand, her halberd in the other.

Priscus could only stare in astonishment as the massive figure of Alexa, displaying surprising agility, climbed up to the roof of his offices.

The Captain of the Guard, towering above the building's surrounding fence, still had a clear view of the barge leisurely drifting down the river.

-They're still in range, are you ready?- Alexa shouted at Callis, shielding her eyes with her hand to better see her former guard comrade.

-What are you doing on my roof!? They took my son!- Priscus once again attempted to shout at Alexa, but she ignored him, waiting for Callis' reply.

-I am ready, Messa Parma!- Callis replied from the middle dockyard, tossing two intact boxes into the water and verifying that they floated. 

The Beast Blade had retrieved the Laudoi dropped by one of the defeated criminals, equipping himself with a Baltas blade in one hand and the chained hook entangled around his forearm.

-My son! Please, you've got to do something!- Priscus pleaded with Alexa, who finally responded to him.

-We're trying to save him, so shut the bloody hell up and let us work!- she roared, peering over the ledge and glaring at the merchant.

She turned to see the barge and mentally measured the distance to the best of her ability. 

-We’re running out of time! It’s now or never!- Alexa shouted at Callis, who nodded and positioned himself to run. 

The Beast Blade took a deep breath, aware of the danger involved in this risky maneuver. The last time they had attempted it, he had almost broken his back due to a bad landing. 

However, the situation called for taking such a risk. 

-I don't understand what you people are doing! Go after the barge!- Priscus attempted to order them, unaware of their intentions. He opened his mouth again to scold them, but his words escaped him as he witnessed what Callis did.

The Ensis burst from his position, launching into a swift dash that spanned the width of the middle pier. Without breaking his stride, he leaped off, skillfully utilizing the floating boxes as footholds to maintain his momentum while leaping from pier to pier.

His pace continued to accelerate as he closed in on the side of the building. Even when running vertically, he didn't lose any speed. The Ensis had removed his boots, revealing his clawed toes, which firmly gripped the stone wall, creating sparks with each contact.

-GET READY!- Alexa roared, spotting Callis' head emerging from the side of the building. The Captain of the Guard swiftly pivoted, her massive halberd swinging around with the flat side facing out, a perfect surface for her comrade to utilize.

Their coordination, honed through years of collaboration and unwavering trust, showed no signs of rust. Alexa's timing was impeccable, allowing Callis to seamlessly leap onto the flat side of her weapon, harnessing her impressive strength to propel himself further. 

With the combined might of both warriors, Callis soared through the air, clearing the fence with ease and heading straight toward the barge where the Serico Sisters were attempting to escape.

The Beast Blade tucked his arms tightly against his body, elongating his form to maximize aerodynamics. 

This wasn't the first time Alexa had launched him into danger, and he was prepared to meet it head-on. 

As Callis soared majestically over the river, let's rewind the clock to a few moments earlier, shifting our focus to the fleeing barge with the Serico Sisters and Novus on board.

The Serico Sisters believed they had made a clean getaway, having successfully secured the stolen cargo they were hired to obtain. To their delight, they even had an unexpected bonus—a captured Arcanist who could fetch a handsome ransom.

-I can't believe we managed to outsmart those two idiots,- Rixa exclaimed, her satisfaction evident from a successful operation.

-I'm frustrated that I didn't get a chance to beat up that scrawny twerp, or face off against the likes of the Parma Brute or the Beast Blade,- Lis grumbled.

However, amid their self-congratulatory banter, Lis noticed something amiss.

-Sis, your bandages are off,- the Pint-Sized Berserker pointed out, gesturing towards her sister's arm.

During their escape, the dirty white fabric that she had used to conceal her right arm had loosened, unveiling an intricate design, its black ink catching the light and reflecting it with a slight metallic sheen.

The glimmer from her tattoo hit Novus squarely in the face, jolting him awake from the brief nap Lis had violently imposed upon him. The young Arcanist blinked, his vision hazy as he shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. As he regained his senses, he realized he was lying on the floor, and the first thing that came into focus were the captivating tattoos.

-High Imperial?- he weakly asked, his confusion evident. 

The ancient script before his eyes was one he had only encountered in History class during his time at the academy. It was a lost language, associated with the empire that had perished across the sea—the ancestral lands of the Viani people, devastated by the Cataclysm.

The two sisters looked down at him, taken aback by his swift awakening. 

Before they could even react to his words, Novus uttered something else, equally improbable as the sight of the ancient script.

-Callis?- he asked, his gaze fixated on the approaching figure of the rocketing Beast Blade.