Oliver and Gouten approached Hanabi with a firm step, although their nerves were evident. They didn't know how she would react to learning that Gouten... had an ape-like tail growing from the base of his back.
Hanabi watched them, her expression of astonishment unchanged. They both stopped in front of her. Gouten was about to speak when:
"You had… a tail," Hanabi said, her voice low, her eyes pale.
—Yes… but we can explain it… —Oliver said quickly.
"Because… that's not normal. You're not an Ardipithecus ," Hanabi added, staring at Gouten. "And Ardipithecus didn't have tails."
The two boys looked at each other, completely baffled. "Is he talking about human evolution...?"
"No... Hanabi..." Oliver warned, his tone serious. "This has nothing to do with human evolution..."
"Besides, where did you see my chimpanzee face?!" Gouten jumped in, offended.
But he didn't have time to complain anymore. Oliver slapped him on the back of the head, causing his head to fall forward.
"This isn't the time to complain!" Oliver yelled at her, frustrated and nervous. "Hanabi, we're not human..."
The statement left Hanabi even more frozen.
"Max is going to kill us..." Gouten whispered from the ground.
"We're not human," Oliver repeated, stepping on his cousin's hand. "We're not from Earth. We come from another world… but we come in peace!"
"Idiot!" Gouten yelled, pushing him back. "Calling you an alien and then saying you're coming in peace is the most generic thing ever! Who's going to fall for that?!"
He turns to look at Hanabi, his eyes tense.
"Shut up… or we'll silence you," Gouten said, his tone intended to be intimidating.
Oliver kicked Gouten in the butt after hearing his threat. "How dare you threaten the master's granddaughter?"
"I'm looking for solutions, Oliver!" Gouten yelled, rubbing his backside. Then he turned to Hanabi. "Shut up, or we'll abduct you!"
"But you're making it worse!" Oliver protested, incredulous.
"Since we're aliens, let him be afraid of us..." Gouten muttered, frustrated.
They both fell silent upon seeing her. Hanabi frowned, as if she'd just had a revelation.
< Oliver tried to be sensible and explain.
Gouten resorted to threats and intimidation. But Hanabi didn't get any of it.
At just eight years old, with no knowledge of beings from other worlds, he could only take refuge in the only place where "aliens" existed: fiction.
And from that perspective… Oliver and Gouten were no longer her friends. They were threats. Invaders who, if not stopped, would conquer her world.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" Gouten murmured to Oliver, unable to hide his nervousness.
At that moment, Hanabi punched Gouten in the stomach and kicked Oliver in the knee, then ran off, calling for her grandfather.
"We're screwed..." Gouten growls, clutching his stomach.
"Idiot..." Oliver insults him, grabbing his knee.
Gouten and Oliver ran after the girl, desperate to catch her, but it was too late. Hanabi had reached the house and was telling her grandfather everything. The boys, seeing the door close behind her, could already smell her funeral .
Max's warning came back to Gouten, that threat still hanging in the air like a fragrance of pure terror.
"Did you just fart?" Oliver asked, wrinkling his nose.
"I'm scared..." Gouten replied in a trembling voice.
Baldur walked out of the house with a calm gait, and approached the boys with a serene expression.
"Hanabi told me everything," he announced calmly.
"We're sorry..." Gouten and Oliver said in unison, their heads down.
"Don't worry," the old man replied, relaxed. "It was obvious they couldn't hide it for long. Just managing to do it for two days is quite an achievement."
The boys looked at him in surprise.
—I explained everything about you to Hanabi. About your planet, about how I've looked after you since you arrived…
—Thank you very much, teacher… —they both sighed, relieved.
"Now, please apologize to Hanabi and be nice to her," he asked with a warm smile. "I beg you."
"Yes, teacher..." they murmured in unison, like scolded children.
After promising not to tell Max anything because he already knew how he would feel, Baldur calmly retreated into the house, leaving Hanabi in front of the boys.
The girl walked out slowly, staring at Oliver and Gouten. Her gaze was cold, defiant, very different from her grandfather's calmness. Almost as if she didn't even believe him.
Baldur disappeared through the door, announcing that he would call Max for dinner.
Oliver took a step forward, trying to sound sincere.
—Hanabi… we're sorry. We misspoke, we were nervous and…
"Don't even bother," Hanabi interrupted, crossing her arms. "My grandfather told me everything. And I've already drawn my conclusion..."
Both cousins looked at each other, confused.
"You have the ability to control minds!" he yelled, pointing his finger at them. "You brainwashed my poor grandfather! And you're going to pay me for it!"
"This is absurd!" Gouten complained, putting a hand to his forehead.
"Go back to your planet or I'll eradicate you! This is war!" Hanabi shouted before disappearing behind the door of the house.
Oliver froze, processing what had just happened.
"Did he just declare war on us?" he asked, with a mixture of surprise and confusion.
"I think so..." Gouten agreed, shrugging his shoulders.
"We're ten years old. I guess we're mature enough not to play this ridiculous game," Oliver tried to convince himself.
"I didn't take it seriously. What can she do? She's eight years old and has zero experience in martial arts," Gouten commented calmly. "If she attacks us... we have the upper hand."
—I think the problem ends here…
<< The next morning >>
A loud yawn escaped Gouten's mouth… only to open his eyes and find the world turned upside down.
It spun around the room in circles, in a repeating pattern, like clothes in a dryer.
"What?! What?!" he yelled, seeing that he was tied by his feet to the ceiling fan.
Looking around, he noticed a knife rack lying on the ground, near the path of the turns. It didn't pose a danger... but it wasn't a coincidence either.
"Oliver! Help!" he cried desperately.
"I have my own problems..." Oliver's voice growled from the bathroom.
Gouten managed to see him: he was tied up, face down, with his head in the toilet.
—How did you get there!?
—How many times have I told you to flush the toilet…?
Oliver pushed off the wall and, with a well-calculated turn, left the toilet. He held his breath: the stench was unmatched.
He walked into the room and saw Gouten spinning like a top, tied to the fan. On the floor, the knife was still in its holder. Looking closely, he noticed a slight cut on his cousin's cheek.
"He tried to drown me in the toilet... and then he tried to impale you with the knife while I was spinning," Oliver declared, bending down to pick up the knife with an analytical expression. "But he set the fan to power one, and the toilet doesn't have enough water to cover my entire head..."
—Why are you analyzing that?! Come and untie me!
—First, a shower. My hair stinks.
—You idiot! I'm head over heels!
"Fuck you for not flushing the toilet," Oliver replied, entering the bathroom. The water could be heard running, while Gouten continued to spin aimlessly, like an idiot hanging from a vengeful fan.
…
The day passed with surprising normality, as if Hanabi had forgotten her declaration of war. For Oliver and Gouten, this was a relief. They could finally resume their routines without fear of hidden traps.
Each one trained with a clear purpose:
Oliver sought to build his own style. Gouten fought against his instinctive impulse, trying to refine it. And Hanabi took her first steps, clumsy but determined, in the world of martial arts.
One morning, as the three gathered before Baldur, the old master revealed a new style to them: the Mizutai style , the Water College's own martial art. A fluid martial art, inspired by the adaptability of water and its ability to envelop, resist, and mold.
Oliver surprised everyone with his ability to imitate each posture so naturally, as if the flow of the Mizutai originated within him.
Gouten, on the other hand, became dizzy with the circular movements, unable to flow. And Hanabi, despite her slips and erratic movements, never took a step back.
Baldur watched them silently. This wasn't just a lesson. It was a test.
Whoever attuned themselves most to the Mizutai would be one step closer to being considered a worthy successor to the title that was once theirs: the Pillar of Water.
<< on the second day in the morning >>
Oliver woke up with his mattress floating in a nearby river. The boy was so scared he jumped into the water that he ran to his room, unable to get in because of the door lock. He ran to the window, finding the blinds and glass open.
I leap inside and quickly search for Gouten. I didn't see him in his bed, nor was he in the bathroom or under the bed. A muffled cry of complaints came from the closet.
When he opened the door, he found Gouten wrapped in duct tape all over his body, like a caterpillar.
Oliver sighed in relief, and proceeded to break the tape to free Gouten.
"This brat is crazy! How the hell did she wrap me in tape without waking me up!?" Gouten questions as soon as his lips are free.
"That doesn't matter now! She opened the window and put herself at great risk!" Oliver yells at her. "I woke up at the lake. What would have happened if I took you instead of me?"
"It would have been terrible… I would have turned into Gouron ," Gouten said, still wearing the tape on his arm.
"And Max would kill me!"
"Max doesn't matter now!" Oliver scolded, more seriously. "Hanabi could have gotten hurt! We have to talk to her and explain the danger this represents!"
The door was kicked open.
Max came in forcefully, making them both jump.
"Is everything okay?" he asked, his voice lower than usual.
"Why? What's going on?" Oliver replied attentively.
"I went to the market… and I realized I was being spied on," Max said, staring straight through the open window.
Without asking, he slapped each of them .
—What did I tell you about the window?!
"It was unintentional…" Oliver replied, looking down.
—Where is your bed?
—…in the lake… —he answered timidly.
Max blinked.
"What… what the hell happened?"
"Hanabi played a trick on us," Gouten replied dryly.
Max froze . Literally.
"We know it was dangerous, no need to lecture us," Oliver said.
Max didn't say anything.
He just stared out the window, as if imagining what might have happened .
—Lock everything up tonight… —Max ordered.
"We're not planning on sleeping tonight," Gouten murmured, serious for the first time in days. "We have to get this under control. I don't want to turn into a beast because of a little girl."
Oliver nodded.
—I agree… We'll take turns sleeping.
"I'll be on the lookout for everything," Max added, turning to leave.
But Oliver stopped him with his voice.
—Max… what did you mean by being spied on?
Max stopped. His back tensed.
<< [a serious mistake] >>
"No... nothing. I was going to share some gossip, but I forgot," she replied.
The boys didn't press the issue. "They're already worried enough... I don't want to add another problem. I'd better talk to Baldur about it."
And he left.
During the day, Oliver and Gouten were forced to train alone.
Baldur, for the first time since they arrived, decided to dedicate his entire day to spending time with Hanabi. This completely thwarted his plans to confront her about the nighttime attacks.
No one spoke about it.
And when grandfather and granddaughter returned, it was too late.
Max, with no other choice, silently prepared dinner.
And before the first stars appeared in the sky, he sent Oliver and Gouten straight to their bedroom.
"Why?! Why did I have to spend the whole day with her today?!" Gouten shouted, pacing nervously, like a caged animal.
"That's bad luck," Oliver muttered, crossing his arms. "But that doesn't change the plan.
It's seven o'clock. Bedtime is at ten. We can take turns: five hours each, and we get home by eight in the morning."
Gouten clicked his tongue in annoyance, without responding.
"If only we had explained things properly to him... none of this would have happened."
"We had the chance, and nerves got the better of us both. We can't complain now," Oliver replied.
Gouten sighed deeply, silently accepting the truth.
"You go to sleep first. I'll wake you up if anything happens."
"It's okay..." Oliver murmured, scratching his lower back.
Suddenly, he froze.
He'd felt a lump... something... a curved line under his skin .
Just a few millimeters above his waist. "My... tail?"
The thought took his breath away. He didn't know whether to be alarmed or excited. He decided to keep quiet. Maybe it was his imagination.
When the clock struck ten, Oliver lay down.
In the complete darkness of the room, Gouten kept his eyes wide open, listening for every sound outside.
Four hours passed,
slowly, thickly, like a snail crossing an entire courtyard from end to end.
Gouten barely blinked.
His elbows on his knees, his gaze fixed on the closed window, through which the blinds barely filtered a pale breath of moonlight.
All that could be heard were Oliver's sighs
and the stubborn chirping of the crickets, as if they were telling a secret to the moon.
Then it was heard.
A scream.
High-pitched. Crisp. Feminine.
It cut through the night like a knife through a tablecloth. And all fell silent.
Oliver bolted upright.
Gouten was already on his feet, turning on the light, his fists clenched.
― What was that!?
― It was Hanabi… I have no doubt ― Gouten muttered, facing the door while cracking his knuckles.
But Oliver grabbed his arm, tightly.
He pushed him down onto the bed.
―Don't be stupid... we can't get out...
And then he lowered his voice.
―Also… why would he scream like that?
"It's definitely a trap... he'll have noticed we're awake," Gouten whispered, without taking his eyes off the door.
"Gouten... what if he's in danger?" "If he were in danger... we wouldn't be able to do anything..." He swallowed.
Then the second scream was heard.
Louder. Clearer.
"Let me go!"
Hanabi's voice.
The desperate plea of someone who's no longer pretending.
They both froze.
Oliver's face tensed. Gouten's, too.
"This isn't a game anymore!" Oliver exclaimed, standing up.
"But we can't leave!" Gouten retorted furiously. His eyes were filled with rage… and helplessness.
Oliver looked around.
The room seemed to be closing in on them. The windows were sealed. The doors were closed. About 20 meters separated them from Hanabi.
It was useless to scream.
If no one had heard her... much less would they hear them.
Only the two of them remained.
And time was running out.
Oliver touched his back.
The outline was larger than before. He knew what it meant, but he didn't say anything. He just took a deep breath.
"I slept outside yesterday and nothing happened to me...
Nothing's going to happen to me today either.
Trust me, Gouten.
I have to go. If Hanabi's in danger and I don't do anything,
I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."
"And if there's no problem...
I'll come back, and no one will find out."
Gouten lowered his head.
His clenched fists trembled slightly.
He wanted to argue.
But he couldn't stop himself.
―This is very stupid…
―…
He looked up.
And with a sigh, he surrendered.
―Okay… go…
Gouten slowly moved away from the door.
Oliver carefully opened it. The night light hit him head-on, as if the darkness itself were inviting him to come out.
He closed his eyes for a second,
his heart beating like a drum. He was scared stiff. But nothing happened.
He sighed, relieved for a moment.
He turned to look at Gouten. He stood there, still, his arms crossed, his face tense.
"I'll be back…" said Oliver.
And he left.