Years ago, in the Laybirth Kingdom
Inside the glittering Golden Palace, I sat quietly at the long table, waiting for Jinko to arrive so we could continue our daily studies. The books and scrolls were already stacked neatly in front of me, but the minutes passed in silence.
"Where's Jinko? He's supposed to be here studying," I whispered to myself, worry creeping into my voice. Jinko was never late—not once since his training began. Something felt wrong.
I tapped the table nervously, then stood up. "I'll just go outside the palace and look for him, because this never happens," I muttered before leaving the study chamber.
Meanwhile, deep inside the woods outside the kingdom walls, Jinko and his two closest friends were running. Their footsteps cracked against twigs and scattered leaves as though they were fleeing from something.
"How far do we plan on going?" Jinko asked between breaths, still sprinting.
"Just a little bit farther," said the skinny boy, who led the group with determination.
The fat boy, lagging behind, clutched his chest. "Man, can we take a break? I'm tired!" His words came out in desperate gasps.
The skinny boy finally came to a stop, and Jinko, not paying attention, bumped into him from behind.
"Ow—what happened?" Jinko asked, rubbing his forehead.
The fat boy froze, panting hard, then pointed shakily ahead. "Who… who is that?"
Jinko turned, his eyes narrowing. At first, he saw only shadows between the trees. But then a man emerged, wearing a dark cloak with a hood that concealed most of his face. The atmosphere shifted instantly—the air grew colder, heavier.
Jinko stepped forward. "Who the hell are you?"
The cloaked figure chuckled, his voice smooth yet unsettling. "Oh, me? You can just call me Boss. From now on, I will be your boss."
The three boys stared at him, stunned into silence.
Back at the palace gates, the guards emerged from the woods, murmuring to each other.
"What the hell was all that smoke?" one asked, eyes darting nervously toward the forest.
"I don't know," the other guard replied, equally confused.
Before they could fully return to their posts, I appeared, breathless. "Hey! Guards!" I shouted.
The two men stiffened, startled by the urgency in my voice.
"Yes, Sister Shia?" one of them asked.
"I think Jinko is missing. I can't find him anywhere in the palace," I said, panic clear in my tone.
"What!" both guards yelled in unison.
"We need a full-scale search of the kingdom!" one declared, already tightening his grip on his spear.
Inside the palace's master bedroom, King Peter and Queen Zeya sat together in quiet conversation when a knock came at the door.
"Yes, come in," Peter said.
A maid entered, bowing respectfully. "My King, my Queen… we have grave news. Prince Jinko has gone missing."
"What?!" Zeya and Peter exclaimed, their faces pale with shock.
Peter rose instantly, his body glowing as he dissolved into light particles. In a flash, he vanished from the room, reappearing at the palace gates. Zeya, heart pounding, dashed down the hall as fast as she could.
At the gates, Peter's voice thundered, echoing through the entire kingdom:
"My son is missing! Everyone in the kingdom, search for him immediately!"
Panic spread like wildfire. Citizens scattered in all directions, searching every corner of the kingdom for the prince.
Moments later, Peter reappeared before me. "Sister Shia, what's the case?" he asked urgently.
"Jinko didn't come for his studies. He's never done this before," I explained.
Zeya finally caught up, her face etched with fear. "Peter!" she cried.
"Queen," I said, bowing.
"No need for that! We must find our son!" Zeya pleaded.
Peter clenched his fists. "Jinko is smart. He wouldn't just wander off. I'll search the kingdom myself." With that, he again became light particles, racing through every street, every alley, every shadow. But after mere moments, he reappeared, gasping.
"He's not here. Not anywhere."
"You're sure?" Zeya asked, trembling.
"I'm positive." Peter's voice wavered.
Before despair could settle in, a guard's voice rang out: "Prince Jinko is here!"
We all turned toward the gates. Jinko stood there, trembling, his face pale, blood splattered on his hands and clothes.
Peter appeared before him in an instant. "Son! Are you okay? Whose blood is this? Why did you go outside?"
Jinko's voice was hollow, detached. "I killed them. I killed them both. I killed them on the Boss's order."
Peter's heart sank. "Who did you kill? Who is this Boss?"
Zeya reached her son, clutching his shoulders. "Jinko, what is this? Why is there blood on you?"
But Jinko only repeated himself, eyes glazed: "I killed them. On the Boss's order."
Tears welled in my eyes. "What happened to you, Jinko?"
From that day forward, Jinko was changed. When he awoke later in the palace hospital, he tried to kill us all, repeating endlessly that it was "the Boss." To protect the kingdom, Peter made the heart-wrenching decision to lock his own son away.
I visited Jinko every day. Slowly, he seemed to return to his old self, even confessing the truth: that he had been forced to kill his two friends in order to survive. For a time, it seemed like he was healing. But now… I fear it was all a façade. The Boss's control never truly left him.
Rei sat quietly, finally understanding. "So that's why you don't go outside…"
Kaji clenched his fists. "This Boss guy is a real bastard."
"It wasn't Jinko's fault," Kenshiro said calmly. "But the Boss… still Jinko and the boss has to die."
Sister Shia nodded firmly. "Yes. But… must Jinko really die?"
Kenshiro smirked. "Well, one of my friends already wants to kill him for what he did to this kingdom. So the Boss's and Jinko days are numbered."
"That makes sense," Shia whispered. "He's sinned… so punishment is certain."
Kaji stood. "You all stay here. I'll report this to the Spiritual King. This is too important." With that, he vanished.
Sister Shia's eyes widened. "His spiritual force is incredible."
Goro chuckled. "He's one of the strongest in our village."
Shia's jaw dropped. "There are more people like him? Even stronger?"
"Yep!" Goro said proudly.
"Then why hasn't he already defeated Jinko and his crew?" Shia asked.
"Because the Spiritual King wants us to grow stronger by facing them ourselves," Kenshiro explained.
"Tell me… how many Spiritual Kings have there been?" Mara asked curiously.
"Ninety-nine," Goro answered. "The current one is the hundredth."
Shia clutched her cross tightly. "So many rulers… I pray this one guides you to victory."
At the Great Village, Kaji reappeared inside the Spiritual King's office. It was empty.
"Where could they be?" he muttered.
Outside, Lloyd and Okata sat on a bench, watching the happy bustle of the village—children playing, families smiling, carriages rolling by.
"This is what life is about," Lloyd said softly. "Protecting their smiles."
"Yeah," Okata agreed.
Kaji suddenly appeared before them, grinning. "What's up, buddies? Couldn't find you in the office."
"What's the update?" Lloyd asked.
Kaji's face grew serious. "Turns out Jinko isn't the leader. Someone else is pulling the strings."
"Let's take this inside," Lloyd said, and all three vanished back to the office.
"There's someone higher up?" Lloyd asked.
"Yep. They call him… the Boss," Kaji explained.
"The Boss…" Lloyd repeated grimly.
"He's connected to the Vel Draven incident too," Kaji added.
Okata scowled. "So he's got history with us, huh?"
"Exactly. Years ago, Jinko met him while sneaking out of his kingdom. The Boss forced him to kill his friends. No one ever saw his face—he was cloaked in black."
"Hmph. Sound familiar, Lloyd?" Okata smirked.
Lloyd nodded. "Yeah. Just like the one who broke into our village during the challenges."
Elsewhere, Ryju lay chained to the ground, his body broken.
"He can't be dead," one man muttered.
"He deserves to die for not talking," another growled.
The woman nearby shook her head. But suddenly, a man rushed forward, shoving her aside. He pressed his ear to Ryju's chest, desperate.
After a tense moment, his eyes widened. "He's alive. Weak, but alive. We can revive him."
To be continued…