Yuri and Kierra were advancing toward Nico's base. A destroyed terrain lay in their path—cut trees, random holes, and scorched patches of land. Scars of a previous battle.
"I… caused all of this?" he asked, his face filled with horror.
"You did. Doesn't it make you feel powerful?"
"I'll feel powerful once I know how to control it. For all I know, this 'power' could turn against me." He glanced at his hand, then clenched it. For some reason, I believe all the answers I seek lie on that flash drive.
"I see."
He appears more calculated than I thought. I need to get a good grasp of his personality... or it might come back to bite me in the ass later.
The trail of destruction led to a massive hole in the ground—Nico's former base. At the bottom, a silhouette struggled to lift a fallen slab of rock off something.
Yuri and Kierra slid down into the crater. As soon as Yuri saw what was under the slab, his breath hitched.
"The Mustang…" The guilt hit him harder than any blow he'd ever taken.
Nico noticed their approach and paused.
"Oh?" He stopped lifting. "Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to stop napping."
"Nico, I—"
"After all that ass-haulin', trying to protect you from the elements, I would've descended to hell myself if you'd decided to give up on us."
That caught Yuri off guard.
"What… do you mean?"
Nico approached him and tapped him on the shoulder. "I heard what you did. Thank you."
"But I'm the reason this place looks like this. Your home—everything. If it weren't for me, it would all still be here."
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't still be here."
Tears rolled down Yuri's cheeks. He instinctively tried to wipe them away, but the weight of everything hit him too hard.
"Thank you… for everything."
"Just repaying the favor," Nico said with a soft nod, then his expression turned serious. "Now, take your shit and get as far away from here as possible."
Yuri blinked, confused. "Huh?"
"With Uzoth being taken by Sardar's men, it's only a matter of time before they track you down. I want nothing to do with this. You don't know me. I don't know you. We've never met. You've never seen this place. You never stopped here. Are we clear?"
Yuri stood in silence for a moment, then gave a slow nod. He understood the position Nico was in.
Nico pointed to a pile of Yuri's things. Yuri went over and picked them up.
"See you never, stranger." Yuri gave a heartfelt smile and leapt out of the hole.
"Are you gonna be fine?" Kierra asked.
"I might die… but it's all I can do to repay him."
"How long do we have?"
"At most, around nineteen hours."
"Cutting it close."
"You'll pull through." He smiled and handed her a small, whistle-like device. "Only when it's necessary, use this to draw it out. His last thoughts will determine the direction it takes. So keep him positive… if you want to be safe."
"Got it."
"I leave him in your care. Now go before you lose him."
"My sensory skills are better than that." She smirked, then leapt up to the edge of the crater. With a final salute to Nico, she was off—trailing behind Yuri.
---
"You sure seem like you know where you're going," she said once she caught up.
"Hm? Why wouldn't I?"
"Last I remember, you were heading for the straps. Have plans changed?"
"I'm still heading for the straps."
"You know the way to the Den?"
"Oh, nah. Monty wi—"
Realization struck.
"That's what I thought."
"Fuuuck. What do I do now?"
"I know the way."
"You do?"
"I've been trailing Uzo—Monty—for a while now. I remember the way back to the Orb Weaver Den."
"Hmmm. Why would you go to the lengths of showing me though?"
"Well, as you're aware, my target got snatched by a bird-human moving at supersonic speeds. I don't really have a mission anymore, so I'm just as lost as you are."
"I'm the only one who's gonna be benefiting though."
"Not exactly. I'm coming with you on one condition—you handle the food situation."
"That's all?"
"Yes."
"Deal."
And just like that, the pair was off.
Little by little, the trail of destruction faded. Untouched nature stretched as far as the eye could see. They soon entered the denser part of the forest, occasionally climbing up trees to confirm their direction.
They trekked for hours—sometimes chatting, sometimes in silence. Both had endurance beyond the average, proven by how flawlessly they navigated the rough terrain without taking a single break.
As the sun dipped beneath the horizon, the trees thinned. A faint smell began to creep in. The ground turned squishy beneath their feet.
"What the fuck?" Yuri pinched his nose.
"We're here, it seems."
"Here where?"
"The Fatality Border."
His eyes widened. "Don't tell me…"
"Yup. Beyond that small stretch of trees lies the Vortera Fields."
"No, no, no. We can't possibly be thinking of passing through there. Can't we just go around?"
"That would add a week to our travel time."
"A WEEK??"
"Even if we go around, there are bandits at every edge of this place. They know travellers are afraid of venturing into the fields."
"Who wouldn't be? Also, I'm not afraid of a couple bandits."
"Sure, you're not scared. But going around is a surefire way to get killed and robbed."
"Then how do you suppose we move forward?"
"This is why I came. Follow me."
They trailed along the Fatality Border, keeping just enough distance to avoid the scent of rot.
Beyond the treeline lay the Vortera Fields—a stunningly beautiful plains biome, alive with flowers and a thriving ecosystem. Yet it was one of the deadliest places on the continent. Not because of wildlife, but because of the wind.
The land had no trees to act as barriers. The ferocious winds passed freely, carrying anything in their path. Plants evolved to anchor themselves deep into the ground. Their flimsy stems bent easily, allowing creatures to flow with the wind rather than resist it.
Creatures developed special limbs or tools to dig in and stay grounded.
It was like the fields were open to everyone—
but only the invited survived.
The Fatality Border itself was formed by the sheer number of bodies smashed into the trees lining the plains.
A beautiful, cruel land.
After walking a while longer, Kierra stopped beside a large tree, brushed aside some fallen leaves, and revealed a latch.
"What is that?" Yuri asked, raising a brow.
"What does it look like?" she replied, pulling it open.
"A tunnel?"
"Mhm."
"To where?"
"The other side. Obviously."
Yuri stared at the hatch. Then his eyes widened.
"YO—!"
"DON'T MAKE SUCH A FUSS, YOU'LL GIVE AWAY OUR POSITION!"
"YOU SHOUTING BACK ISN'T HELPING!"
"JUST GET IN!" She grabbed him and pulled him through the hatch, slamming it shut.
"It's really dark," Yuri muttered.
"No shit, Sherlock," Kierra replied.
"Who the fuck is Sherlock?"
"Ugh, forget it. Let's just keep moving."
"This seems like a good place to rest. Why don't we sleep here and continue in the morning?"
"Sure. If you want to die."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"No oxygen."
"Wait… so you're telling me we're taking this tunnel for ten kilometers… WITH NO AIR?!"
"Relax. There are oxygen checkpoints. They're just spaced out, so let's not waste time bickering."
"Who the hell designed this place? So impractical."
"Yeah, of course you know more than the architect who went to school for twenty years to build this two hundred years ago."
"Pfft. Sounds like wasted money to me."
They kept bickering for a while.
Using up way more oxygen than they should've.
Soon, it hit them.
"I feel… lightheaded…" Yuri muttered, swaying.
"We used too much oxygen. Just a little more… we can make it."
"I don't think… I can go on…"
His steps slowed. His breathing grew heavier.
"No, come on… don't do this to me…"
She tried to lift him, but his body gave out.
A loud thud echoed in the tunnel as he collapsed.
"No, no, no… not now…"
She clutched his arm, trying to pull him along. But her strength was fading too.
Her breath grew short. Her vision blurred.
And she collapsed too.
They both lay motionless in the tunnel.
No one around to help.
No air to breathe.
Their fate—sealed in silence.
———
Footsteps echoed down a dim hallway. Heavy iron gates groaned open as Sardar was granted access. On the other side of a thick glass wall hung a massive man — suspended midair, chained by all four limbs like a ragdoll. Blindfolded. Naked.
Sardar leaned toward the microphone embedded in the cell wall.
"Hello there. It's been a while."
...
"Are you asleep, or just ignoring me? It's a little hard to tell with the blindfold."
...
"Tsk. Wake him up."
A hatch opened in the wall and a gun slid out. It fired a clean shot to his foot — blowing off his toes, scattering bloody chunks across the spikes below him.
"What the hell do you want?" the man finally growled, voice rough and deep.
"Wakey wakey. Guess who we just found roaming the forest?"
"Get to the fucking point."
Sardar sighed. "You're no fun." He signaled for another shot.
No flinch. No scream. Not even a twitch.
It was clear this wasn't new. The man had inhuman tolerance.
"Does the name Yuri Tachibana mean anything to you?"
"...No."
Sardar chuckled.
"Your heart rate just spiked. It does mean something to you, doesn't it?"
...
"As they always say," he smirked, "a child is their parent's weakness."
"You know..." the man grumbled, "I really hate how you love hearing your own voice. Why can't you ever just say everything at once?"
"I live for the suspense."
"Tch. How's the scar, by the way?"
"You ask me that every time I come here. And my answer never changes."
"Fuck you."
"Exactly."
"...My son. How is he?"
"He's grown quite formidable. Even managed to take down Uzoth all on his own."
His breath hitched. "... Uzoth???"
"You've got quite the lineage. I'm a little jealous."
"You're one to talk. Your son's practically a monarch."
"A monarch who doesn't love his daddy," Sardar said, his smile fading slightly. "He's grown so detached, sometimes I wonder if he even remembers who I am."
"At least he's still around."
"I guess..." Sardar muttered. "You think they'll ever clash? Our sons?"
"When they do, my son's obviously going to win." A faint smile tugged at his face.
"Taking down Uzoth is one thing... but he still has much to learn before attempting my son. He's become a whole different beast now."
"Have you taught him any WES techniques yet?"
"Oh, no. He's too immature for that. Do you remember the damage we caused using them?"
He let out a soft chuckle. "So you do still have morals."
"You're the one who corrupted mine,
unfortunately."
"And yet here you are. Still talking to me."
"Don't read too much into it. I was bored, that's all."
"Regardless... thank you. For confirming he still lives."
"He might not for long. My son appears to have caught wind of him."
"...What? Does he have control over the Amphinite yet?"
"That's all."
Sardar cut the mic. No more words.
He turned and walked away. The echo of his footsteps faded into silence.
"HEY, SARDAR! ANSWER ME!" the man bellowed, yanking hard against his chains.
"SHUT UP!" a guard shouted from the other side of the hall — then activated multiple hatches in the wall.
Several guns emerged and opened fire — riddling the chained man with bullets, tearing through muscle and flesh, and splattering chunks of him across the spiky floor.
———
Dusk peeked through the trees. The birds had begun their song, waking the forest one chirp at a time.
Up in the canopy sat a hooded man, dressed in tattered, dust-covered clothes. A small, ticking clock hung around his neck. He looked anxious.
"What's taking them so long? Don't tell me they fell asleep in the tunnel..."
He leapt down from the tree and approached a hidden latch at its base. After hesitating for a moment, he yanked it open and dropped inside — sealing the hatch behind him.
Even during the day, the tunnel remained pitch black. Only the occasional light beam from oxygen checkpoints scattered brief patches of visibility across the darkness.
He snapped his fingers.
A small pillar of flame flickered to life above his head.
He was a Radiant. A trained one.
The walk through the tunnel was slow, quiet, and lasted nearly two hours.
When he finally emerged at the far end — the same spot Yuri and Kierra had entered from — he stopped.
"...That's odd."
"Oh it's just you." A voice said from the shadows of the trees.
Two hooded figures emerged from the treeline.
"Anyone go in or out while you were posted here?"
"No. We took turns keeping watch all night. We were just about to head your way. Why?"
"...Something doesn't add up."
"What do you mean? And wait — what the hell are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be trailing them?"
"They haven't come out of the tunnel."
"Then they're still in it."
"That's the thing. I walked the whole tunnel. Start to end. No trace. It's like... they vanished into thin air."
"...What?"
"We need to run it again. If we've lost them... we're dead."
"Bring the Canian. Maybe we can track their scent."
One of the men returned to the trees and released a six-legged, catlike creature with a dog's powerful nose. The creature sniffed the air, then darted forward. The men followed it back into the tunnel.
After some time, they reached the first oxygen checkpoint. A few meters before the light, the Canian froze.
It sniffed the ground again and stopped.
That was the last place Yuri and Kierra's scent was found.
"...It's like they vanished into thin air," the man muttered, kneeling beside the beast.
"That's not possible. There has to be something..." The other man knelt down, running his hands along the floor.
"This is Trelcrete. The hardest concrete ever produced. They didn't dig their way out."
"I know. I know that. But right now, that makes more sense than just... disappearing."
"FUCK!" the man with the Canian suddenly roared, slamming a fist into the wall. "You know how clinical Ryo is. How the hell are we supposed to tell him this?"
"I don't know..."
"YOU DON'T KNOW?! Aren't you the brains of this damn operation?!"
He lunged and grabbed the man by the collar — but in an instant, flames burst from the other's skin.
"Don't touch me."
"AAARGHHH! I'M SORRY! PLEASE, MAKE IT STOP!!"
The fire chewed through his palm until there was nothing left. The man collapsed, clutching the scorched stump, trembling in pain.
The other man turned his eyes away. Such was the nature of this line of work.
"You'll get that healed later," the Radiant muttered. "Keep your cool. Ryo's not unreasonable."
He paused for a beat.
...Though even I don't know what he'll do when he hears this.
This is my fate. I chose this. No point complaining now.
He reached into his cloak and retrieved a small, button-like device. He pressed it once.
A short beep followed — then a blue hologram flickered to life above it.
Ryo appeared, glowing in the air like a ghost.
"Boss," the man said, steadying his voice.
"...We have a problem."
———