We return to the present…
"Ten" sat on the edge of the ledge, his body partially relaxed, yet his eyes were sunk deep into the pendant he held between his fingers, as if it were a lifeline connecting his heart to the entire universe. The first rays of the sun timidly knocked on the window, sneaking between the closed houses and empty streets, in a scene where time itself seemed to pause briefly, reflecting the stillness of the sleeping village.
Outside, a small group of heroes moved: "Kazuma," "Rin," "Toji," "Ten," and "Harry," preparing to depart in a horse-drawn carriage. The driver moved silently, as if he were part of the scene itself, his features indistinct so as not to disrupt the tranquility. "Harn" stood at the rear, surrounded by two guards in formal uniforms, his mocking smile engraving defiance into the air.
Harn: (mocking, as if his voice rose from the sands themselves)
– Be careful not to lose your way.
Kazuma: (coldly, his voice as solid as stone)
– And you make sure not to lose your way in your village.
A heavy silence settled over the place, as if any extra word might shatter the calm of the world.
Meanwhile, "Ten" remained seated, his arm wrapped around his chest, head bowed, his gaze immersed in a sea of deep sorrow, as if searching for a hidden secret beneath the earth.
The carriage began to move, the sound of hooves striking the sand filling the horizon, echoing between distant hills, the air trembling under the early sun's heat. The sands swirled with the wind, as though playing around the carriage, whispering the secrets of the desert.
Rin: (calling out loudly, her eyes filled with concern and tenderness)
– You don't look well, Master…
But "Ten" remained silent, as though his quietude were part of the desert's own ritual.
Rin: (shouting in worry, her eyes wide)
– Master? What's wrong? Where has your mind wandered?
Harry observed silently, while Kazuma placed his hand on Rin's shoulder, exchanging a silent language of worry and compassion through their gaze, one that transcended words.
Toji: (striking the side of the carriage with enthusiasm, eyes sparkling)
– I haven't forgotten yesterday's defeat!
Harry: (surprised)
– What defeat? Did you fight?
Toji: (his eyes gleaming with fiery excitement, a spark challenging the night)
– It was her last victory… and she will never taste it again.
Kazuma: (sitting cross-legged, narrowing his eyes in mockery, his voice echoing like the wind)
– Fool… if I were in your place, she wouldn't have touched you.
Toji:
– But I won't deny it… she was strong. She unsettled me with just a single word.
Kazuma: (curious, eyes fixed on Toji, voice calm but piercing)
– Yes… I know she said something to you.
Toji: (placing his hands behind his head, relaxed, yet his heart beats with caution)
– She asked me if I liked this world…
Rin: (raising her head, eyes wide in curiosity)
– And what did that mean?
The carriage continued its journey, sand scattering beneath its wheels as if chasing it, the wind whistling through the hills, adding an echo to the double silence between motion and fear.
Kazuma looked at Ten and found his fist tightly clutched around the pendant, as if it were the axis of the universe.
Kazuma: (raising his eyebrows, voice carrying curiosity and astonishment)
– What are you holding there?
Ten: (calmly, his tone heavy with meaning)
– It is… the key to this world.
Kazuma: (mocking, a faint laugh shaking his voice)
– Just a pendant… what key are you talking about?
Ten: (seriously, as if speaking an absolute truth)
– It may seem like a mere pendant, but to me… it is the soul of this world. I will uncover the secret my uncle has hidden from me.
---
Flashback…
When Ten was about to leave his brother's house…
Brother: (shouting, his voice breaking with internal thunder)
– Do not touch the box! It is the last of our family!
---
Back to the present…
Ten: (firmly, as if laying down the law in the world)
– The box belongs to my uncle, and I will protect it as I protect my own life.
Harry: (astonished, sweat pouring)
– What are you saying? Are you insane?!
Rin: (gently, trying to calm the storm)
– This decision could bring us trouble…
Kazuma:
– You know the president entrusted us with this.
The carriage entered a vast desert, where hills and caves spread in the distance, as if the earth were challenging the sun and testing their resolve. Suddenly, Kazuma collided with Toji, Rin fell from a sudden jolt, while Harry almost lost his balance but held on tightly.
Kazuma: (angrily, his voice trembling between sand and wind)
– At least warn us before stopping!
Suddenly, his eyes widened, a cold drop of sweat sliding down his cheek…
Directly ahead stood a group of men in uniform black clothing, their faces hidden behind masks, with a scorpion emblem emblazoned on their chests. Five men, each a different threat:
The first held a long wooden staff, striking another's palm slowly and threateningly.
The second brandished a sharp knife, glinting under the sunlight.
The third held a pistol, his gaze unwavering.
The fourth carried a heavy hammer, each step weighed like judgment.
The fifth held a massive axe behind his back, hand on its neck, challenging death itself.
Hammer Wielder: (hoarse voice, cutting through the air)
– The drug shipment… and we will let you return home.
Toji: (leaping from the carriage, dust rising around him, voice full of confidence)
– What drugs? What are you talking about?
Knife Wielder: (harsh, voice sharp as iron)
– Did you hear what he said? Don't pretend to be foolish!
Kazuma: (closing his eyes, voice low, mind forming a plan)
– We need to find a way to escape.
Toji: (burning enthusiasm, heart defying danger)
– Plans are for the weak… the strong strike first!
He ran, the wind whistling around him, while Harry shouted:
– Don't rush!!
The gunman raised his weapon and fired a swift shot.
Toji smiled confidently, unaware of the bullet's speed…
BOOM!
His right wrist was struck, he gritted his teeth, closing his right eye in pain, clutching his injured wrist, sweat pouring down his face.
Harry: (sweating, voice mingled with the wind)
– Foolish and reckless!
Toji barely stood, planting his right foot on the hot sand, his left foot behind him, body swaying between pain and determination.
Pistol Wielder: (calmly, deadly)
– Last words?
He fired a second, faster shot… Suddenly, a barrier of ice formed between the bullet and Toji, freezing it in mid-air like a suspended statue.
Toji opened his left eye in astonishment to see Rin standing inside the carriage, hand outstretched, breathing rapidly, surrounded by a glittering icy aura in the dim morning light.
When the gunman aimed another shot, Rin extended her other hand, launching a solid ice sphere that blocked the pistol's muzzle, freezing it in place, as if time itself had paused to give the shock its full echo.
Kazuma: (loudly, commanding)
– Don't attack now! I have a plan!
Toji moved slowly, broken, struggling to control his growing pain.
Harry: (angrily, voice between clenched teeth)
– How many times have I told you not to rush?!
Toji: (lowering his head in apology)
– Sorry…
Harry:
– Apologies don't fix foolishness.
The team regrouped, the driver joining them, eyes scanning the path, sensing the pulse of the desert itself.
Kazuma: (gesturing confidently to the driver)
– You are the key to this plan… do you understand?
The driver did not answer but slightly bowed, ready for any signal.
Kazuma: (fully confident)
– We will open the way for you… you must get through.
Then he looked at Rin:
Kazuma:
– Do you still have the strength? You will cover us.
Rin sat inside the carriage, hands clasped, lowering her head, focusing all her spirit to control the ice surrounding her.
Rin: (softly, with internal worry)
– And what if I fail?
Kazuma: (placing his hand on her shoulder, smiling with calm confidence)
– Not every plan succeeds… not every person succeeds. But we will try.
He pointed to the ground and distributed tasks firmly:
Kazuma:
– I will handle the axe wielder.
– You, Harry, take the hammer.
– Master Ten… the staff.
Ten: (curious, eyes moving between the enemies)
– And what about me?
Kazuma: (pointing to Toji)
– You will fight the gunman. Your injury won't stop you, right?
The heroes took their positions:
Ten in the center
Kazuma on the left
Harry on the right
Toji in front of Harry
Rin inside the carriage, ready
The driver poised to move
The battle began…
The carriage shot forward like an arrow, sand scattering, wind whistling, Rin's icy aura surrounding her like a protective shield. The two forces were about to collide…
(Kazuma leaps, Toji and Rin unleash attacks, Ten strikes, Harry conjures stone spheres, the chaos, the pain, the struggle… leading up to the confrontation with the Scorpion gang and the revelation of Ten's brother standing before the leader.)
Leader: (stern, cutting through the air)
– Enough excuses… I want concrete proof supporting your words.
Suddenly, a calm voice echoed from the depths of the chamber:
– Let them be, Uncle… I am their proof.
All the companions turned toward the voice, astonishment etched on their faces.
The leader fixed his gaze on the newcomer, eyes glinting with suspicion and anticipation, trying to read the shadows.
It was Ten's brother, standing there in a brown coat, calm and steady, his presence commanding the attention of the entire room.
Ten: (frowning, voice charged with anger and shock)
– Don't tell me… you're working with them, brother!
Brother: (calmly, with confidence, his voice carrying the weight of truth)
– Do not rush to judgment, Ten… let us clarify the truth.
Leader: (eyes on Ten, voice mixed with disbelief and curiosity)
– Is… this… your brother?
Ten: (silent, eyes widening, the silence choking words, heart pounding, sweat dripping from his brow)
– …Is
that really you?
Time seemed to halt, as if the chamber itself held its breath, the dim light casting a beam upon the two brothers' faces, ending the chapter in a moment charged with mystery, tension, and the promise of truths yet to be revealed…