[Eralos Province – Central Police HQ]
In the heart of Eralos' iron capital, Makia's central police headquarters buzzed with activity. Familiar faces flashed across the massive wall screens.
Assistant Officer (mechanical voice):
"Target locations confirmed. Bounties for their capture have been updated…"
On-screen, names and numbers appeared:
1. Ken – Bounty: 800,000 Rai
2. Akio – Bounty: 700,000 Rai
3. Steve – Bounty: 650,000 Rai
4. Ann – Bounty: 400,000 Rai
5. Akira – Bounty: 900,000 Rai
6. Nyoro – Bounty: 600,000 Rai
A cluster of officers gathered around the panels, muttering, reading, and trading looks.
Officer 1 (with disdain):
"A bunch of worthless kids… and the Empire wants us to treat them as Class-B criminals?"
Commander Latyno (sternly):
"You haven't fought them. I saw what they did in Darkova with my own eyes. They're not children—they're walking bombs."
Officer 2 (stepping forward, reading aloud):
"Targets are not to be killed unless in extreme necessity… capturing them alive is preferable for… special reasons."
Security Drone (mechanical tone):
"Data uploaded. Pursuit units deployed. The six targets were last sighted heading toward the outskirts of Zetara."
Commander Latyno:
"Then let the game begin."
⸻
[Outskirts of Zetara – Storm Heights]
The Hexarith carriage rattled up winding cliffs as storm clouds swelled above, thunder cracking open the sky.
Ken (watching through the window, voice firm):
"This isn't just rain… a storm is coming. Lightning could strike us any moment."
The group exchanged quick looks. Then Ken turned sharply to Akio.
Ken:
"Akio… we need you now."
Akio (grinning confidently, springing to his feet):
"Finally! Something fun for me to do."
He flipped open the roof hatch and vaulted up onto the carriage, winds tearing at his clothes as his eyes glowed with excitement. The heavens blazed above, lightning shredding the clouds every second.
Akio (arms raised):
"I'm here… come to me, storm!"
At once, his body triggered a strange reaction in the sky. Electric charges threading through the clouds bent downward, pulled toward him as if he were the storm's natural anchor. Thin bolts licked across his skin harmlessly, dancing along his frame.
Ann (staring in awe):
"Is this… normal?! He's actually pulling it in?!"
Nyoro (with a faint smile):
"He's not pulling it… it's recognizing him."
The winds roared harder. A colossal thunderclap cracked above the peaks, shaking the carriage violently. Inside, the glass rattled and metal groaned against the storm's fury.
Ken (eyes snapping to the driver's seat):
"Akio can't steer now… Nyoro, you're up!"
Nyoro (standing calmly):
"Me? …Fine. As long as we don't tumble off a cliff, I suppose I can prevent disaster."
Sliding into the driver's seat, Nyoro seized the controls. With steady hands and a subtle use of his powers, he bent the air pressure around them, easing the storm's grip. The carriage steadied—though far from safe.
Steve (watching uneasily out the window):
"There's a massive water pool ahead… we could—"
Before he could finish, the carriage jolted violently as slick mud cascaded under the wheels. The Hexarith skidded, tilting toward the mountain's edge.
Ken (shouting):
"Hold on! We're going down!"
Everyone clung to whatever they could. Another fierce gust shoved the carriage completely off balance. It pitched sideways, crashing onto a steep rocky slope.
The side door burst open under the force—
Ann lost her footing and was hurled into the void.
Ann (screaming):
"Ahhhh!"
Without thinking, Steve lunged, catching her wrist in time. Half her body dangled outside, suspended over the deadly drop.
Steve (straining):
"Hold on! Don't let go!"
Ann (struggling):
"I'm trying!"
Ken gripped his seat firmly, eyes sharp. Above, Akio braced his stance on the roof, lightning focused entirely on him, keeping the bolts from striking the carriage itself.
Nyoro (teeth gritted, steering):
"The road narrows—sharp turn in a hundred meters! If we don't stabilize now, we're finished!"
Akira leapt forward, locking his arms around Steve's waist to anchor him.
Steve (yelling, muscles straining):
"Come on!!"
With one final heave, they dragged Ann back inside. She collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath, as Steve fell beside her—still gripping her hand tightly.
Ann (voice shaking):
"Y-you… you would've fallen with me?"
Steve (breathing hard):
"That was… better than letting you fall alone."
Ken (low voice):
"Well done, Steve…"
The storm eased briefly. The carriage slowed, sliding onto a flatter stretch near the mountain's base.
Akio (from the roof, shouting):
"Charges are dropping! I think I can come down now—before my clothes burn off!"
Ken (dryly):
"Get down. We've got bigger problems than your fashion."
As the rain weakened, Nyoro pulled the Hexarith into a narrow clearing between cliffs, wedged beside a massive boulder. The group stumbled out, lungs burning, hearts racing.
Akio (hopping down, throwing up his arms):
"We survived! Hooray for me—uh, I mean, for all of us!"
Ann (still trembling, sitting on the ground):
"My legs… they're still shaking."
Steve (flatly, watching her):
"At least they're still attached."
Suddenly, a low rumble came from beneath the Hexarith. The ground quivered faintly.
Nyoro (darting back to the carriage):
"Wait… this isn't good…"
The muddy earth beneath the wheels began to slide. The Hexarith's frame groaned, sinking slowly—then tipped, losing balance completely.
Ken (shouting):
"Back! Now!!"
The team leapt clear just as the carriage broke free, tumbling down the rocky slope. It smashed into boulders, shattered apart, and finally exploded against a cliff wall below. Black smoke curled upward.
Akio (clutching his head, screaming):
"My carriaaaaaaage!!"
Nyoro (patting his shoulder, deadpan):
"It was stolen, genius. Don't act like it was a family heirloom."
Ken (gazing down at the wreckage):
"We've lost the carriage… the canopy, the water… most of our food."
Steve (exhaling tiredly):
"And the comfortable seats… short-lived luxury."
Akira (arms crossed):
"So now what? We're stranded halfway up a mountain—no map, no shelter."
Ken (quiet resolve):
"We find a cave. Rest. Then move on. No other choice."
Silence fell. They all watched the last sparks flicker out of the wreck below.
Akio (softly, mournful):
"Goodbye, dear one… you died bravely."
Nyoro (with a faint smile):
"That was just the beginning… I think the mountain's greeting us now."
Ken:
"Then let's keep moving—before it decides to take something else."
The group pressed on, climbing through slick stones and dense trees. Gray clouds swallowed the sun, draping the mountain in bitter cold and shadow as they began their ascent.
The air lashed at their faces like tiny knives. The higher they climbed, the colder it became, and the sharper the winds cut.
Ann, wearing only a light kimono unsuited for this weather, began trembling silently. She tried to compose herself, but her fingers had turned slightly blue, and her body shook. Steve, walking directly behind her, noticed. He paused for a moment, then silently removed his heavy dark coat. Without a word, he stepped closer and draped it over her shoulders. Ann turned to him, startled.
Ann (softly): "Steve…? What are you—?"
Steve (without looking at her): "Don't be stubborn… your body won't last in this weather."
Ann (gently protesting): "But what about you…?"
Steve (eyes forward as he kept walking): "I'm not the type who freezes easily. Keep moving. Don't stop."
He stayed beside her, positioning his body so the wind broke against him, shielding her like a living wall from the storm's cruelty. Ann stared at him in silence for a few moments, then pulled the coat tighter around herself and smiled faintly without saying another word.
Nyoro, walking beside Akira, glanced back—and saw it clearly: Steve giving Ann his coat, staying close, leaving no doubt he was protecting her.
Nyoro (whispering slyly to Akira): "Do you see what I see… or is the cold making me imagine feelings?"
Akira (half-smiling, shaking his head): "You're not imagining, Weather Master… that boring guy's finally fallen in love—before either of us has."
Nyoro (snickering): "And did you hear him say, *'I'm not the type to freeze easily'? It's like he meant, 'I don't freeze… I melt.'"
Akira (grinning, eyes forward): "Better hope he doesn't hear you. If he does, Steve might freeze his heart again."
The two chuckled quietly through the whistling winds, but no one interrupted the moment between Steve and Ann. Ken, meanwhile, marched in front alongside Akio. His steps were steady despite the brutal weather, as if the cold meant nothing. He wore only a short-sleeved white shirt, his face calm, while the others struggled to shield themselves.
Suddenly, Ken halted. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small cigarette case, and calmly lit one, puffing smoke into the storm as though nothing could unsettle him. Nyoro stared at him in disbelief.
Nyoro (muttering dryly): "Is he even human… or just fire disguised as a man?"
Akira (laughing softly, arms crossed against the cold): "He doesn't need a coat… his body is the coat."
Ken paused again, raising an eyebrow as if something had caught his attention.
Ken (quietly, glancing back without turning his head): "I hear the whispers, by the way."
He bent down, picked up a damp piece of wood from the ground—something that shouldn't burn—and blew gently into it. A flame sprouted at the edge, as if heat had passed straight from his skin into the wood's heart.
Ken (calmly, without smiling): "A Fire Falcon isn't only for fighting and burning. I can raise my body heat from within. That's why the cold doesn't touch me."
Akio (excitedly): "You mean… you're a walking heater?! We're taking you on every trip from now on!"
Ken suddenly flicked his cigarette to the ground, crushing it beneath his boot. Then he turned to face them all.
Ken (voice calm but firm): "Stay where you are."
The group stared, surprised, but none objected.
Ken: "I'll try a simple Fire Falcon technique to spread temporary warmth. It won't burn you—it'll stimulate circulation and warm your bodies externally."
From his bag he pulled a small black-coated metal cylinder, placing it at the center of a fiery circle. It began to glow faint red. He looked to the group.
Ken: "Come closer, one by one. I'll channel my energy through this into your bodies. But don't touch it directly."
Nyoro stepped forward hesitantly. Ken guided him closer, then pressed his palm gently to Nyoro's chest, between heart and shoulder. A surge of warmth flooded Nyoro's body, racing into his limbs like a spark of life reigniting him.
Nyoro (eyes wide): "Hah… what is this?! The heat goes straight under the skin!"
Ken (flatly): "Next."
Ann stepped forward timidly, her face flushed both from cold and shyness. She clutched Steve's coat tighter, silent, as Ken placed his hand gently on her shoulder and released a steady warmth into her.
Ann (whispering with eyes closed): "It's… strangely warm. Like a real embrace… Ken-san…"
Ken (quietly, coldly): "It's only heat. Don't exaggerate."
He moved on—to Steve, to Akira, even to Akio, who tried to act tough but still shivered inside.
Akio (pouting): "You better save this technique—we'll need it every winter!"
Ken (rising to his feet): "I'll refine it later. For now, we need shelter before the next storm."
Steve (pointing upward): "There's a hollow in the mountain a few hundred meters ahead. Looks like a cave."
Ken (nodding): "Then we move now."
The group pressed forward through narrow mountain paths. The cave loomed in the mist, only minutes away. The air was stifling, the fog so thick it swallowed the trail. They moved cautiously in silence—until a deep rumble thundered from above.
Nyoro (looking up): "Guys… did you hear that?"
Not a second later, massive boulders cascaded from the heights. Some as large as wagons, tumbling down like colossal wrecking balls.
Ken (shouting): "Incoming! Rockslide attack!"
Ken darted forward, blade flaring with fire, slicing through the first boulder. It shattered, scattering into blazing fragments.
Across from him, Akio leapt skyward, charging his sword with lightning, then cleaved through a midair boulder with a crackling strike.
Akio (grinning): "These rocks are heavy? To me, they're cotton candy!"
Ann danced through the falling chaos, flipping and weaving like a ninja ballerina, each step perfectly measured.
Steve, unflinching, angled himself and kicked a rolling boulder sideways, sending it crashing harmlessly into the abyss.
Steve (with a cool smirk): "Strange to say… but I just kicked a mountain. And it worked."
Nyoro didn't rush. He studied the fall, eyes reading the trajectory of each stone. He raised his hand, chilling the air around one boulder until its underside froze midair, knocking it off course. Another, he blasted with sudden heat, cracking it apart before it reached him.
Then—the largest boulder yet came crashing straight for the group, massive and terrifying. Akira stepped forward, calm and silent. As it neared, he raised his bare arms and caught it. The stone trembled in his grip, grinding against him—but he stood firm.
Akio (shocked): "He's actually holding it?!"
Akira (steady, confident): "Heavy… but not the heaviest thing I've carried."
He heaved it upward and slammed it aside, sending it tumbling into the ravine.
Moments later, the rockfall ended. Silence returned.
Ken sheathed his sword, his ash-gray eyes scanning the cliff above, suspicion flickering sharp across his face.
Ken (low voice): "Rocks that size… at that timing… all falling from the same angle?"
Steve, dusting off his gloves, noticed the tension in Ken's expression.
Steve: "What is it?"
Ken (cold, eyes still upward): "That wasn't random. Most of the boulders came from the same point, same angle—as if someone… pushed them."
Nyoro (arms crossed): "You mean… someone's up there?"
Ken: "Maybe more than one. Watching us. Waiting for the right moment to strike."
Akio (squinting at the peak): "If I were the enemy, yeah… a cliff-top ambush would be perfect."
Akira (scowling): "A rockfall trap… that's not bandit work. That's calculated."
Ann (gripping her weapon, eyes narrowing at the summit): "So the question is… who is it? And why didn't they finish the attack?"
Ken (measured, wary): "Because they don't want us dead yet. They're watching… testing our reaction."
The group fell silent.
Steve (calmly): "Whoever it is… they've revealed themselves. And soon… we'll know who's hiding among the rocks."
They traded cautious looks, then continued forward—eyes not just on the path ahead, but on the skies, the cliffs, and the shadows lurking above.
To be continued…