"Fuck man! My spaceship is gone. We need to gather some money fast!" Kichu said desperately.
"Let's do it," Roco replied with a smirk.
"What?"
"Bounty hunting."
"Yeah, that's our only option. But where do we find targets? I haven't even seen a single wanted poster," Kichu asked, his frustration evident.
They sat near the road, lost in thought.
"Ugh, I'm done. I can't think anymore. I'm really thirsty," Roco said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out two coins worth 3 Xe.
"This is all the money I have left," Roco muttered before heading off to buy some drinks.
Kichu checked his own pockets but only found scraps of cotton. He stared at the road in distress when suddenly, a vehicle screeched to a stop in front of him.
"Hey, it's you! I've been looking for you!"
A head appeared from the vehicle's window—it was Hal Chlovsco.
Kichu froze, shocked. He never thought he'd cross paths with Hal again.
"Uh… yes, sir. Nice to meet you again," Kichu said awkwardly.
Hal stepped out of the vehicle and approached him.
"So, how's our planet? Did you enjoy it?" Hal asked.
"It's a nice planet," Kichu replied with a forced smile.
"Oh, I'm glad to hear that. Anyway, I was looking for you because I've got a message for you." Hal handed Kichu a letter.
Kichu read it and sighed. "Another headache," he muttered under his breath.
"So, you want me to lure someone to you?" Kichu asked Hal, catching on quickly.
"Bingo!" Hal said, grinning.
"Couldn't you just catch him yourself?"
"Nope. Too many restrictions," Hal replied with a shrug.
"Restrictions? Really?"
"Yeah, and I hate rules. I'd rather break them," Hal said, laughing.
"So, what do you want me to do?" Kichu asked.
Before Hal could answer, a young man drove up in another vehicle.
"Sir Hal, why are you standing here? We're going to be late for the meeting," the man said.
"Ah, sorry, kid. Just talking to a new friend," Hal replied.
The young man turned to Kichu.
"Sorry for the trouble. I'm Herlic Nonelse, captain of the 14th division."
"Captain? This kid? He looks about my age," Kichu thought to himself as he watched Herlic scold Hal.
"Oh, I almost forgot—I'll contact you later, kid. What was your name again?" Hal asked.
"It's Kichu, sir."
"Got it. See you around," Hal said, getting into the vehicle.
Just then, Roco returned with a bottle of water.
"What's going on here?" he asked, handing Kichu the bottle.
"Nothing. Just a chat," Kichu replied.
"Forget that for now. There's big news happening on this planet," Roco said.
"Big news?" Kichu asked, curious.
"Yeah, I heard at the store—there's a meeting of the AUL Protector's Council. All 14 division captains are here."
"He mentioned that too…" Kichu murmured.
"What?"
"Nothing. I'm getting a bad feeling. We need to leave this planet as soon as we can. But first, the spaceship."
"How are we going to get the money?"
"I have a plan. Let's catch the boss of that metal-armed guy. He's got to have a bounty on him," Kichu said.
"And where do we find him?" Roco asked.
"Don't worry—he'll come to me," Kichu replied, gripping his sword as he walked ahead.
"What the hell does that mean?" Roco muttered, following him.
Meanwhile, at AUL Headquarters...
"Captain, everyone is present. Can we begin the meeting?" a uniformed officer asked a young man with white hair wearing a black cloak.
The young man nodded and walked into a large room where many were already seated. Taking his place at the head of the table, he introduced himself.
"As you all know, these meetings are rare. I am Sam Ravil, captain of the first division, and I'll be leading this meeting under instructions from above," he began.
"Let's get this over with. I have better things to do," grumbled Luiz Valder, captain of the 9th division.
"Shut up. We're all busy, but you're the only one whining," retorted Yoru Min, captain of the 10th division.
"What did you just say?" Luiz snapped, leaping from his seat.
"Enough! We're not here to fight," Sam said firmly.
The room fell silent until Yoru Min asked, "Where's that Herlic kid?"
"Ever since that old man became his vice-captain, he's been irresponsible," Luiz muttered.
At that moment, Herlic and Hal walked into the room.
"Sorry, gentlemen. We're late," Hal said as they took their seats.
Sam cleared his throat and continued. "A few weeks ago, we added a new region under AUL jurisdiction. Recently, there was a fight there. I'm not concerned about the fight itself but rather the person behind it…"
Sam took a deep breath before continuing.
"The fight was between Sons and Huge Rimon. And guess who won? Sons."
The room fell into stunned silence. Every face reflected shock.
"Sons? That bastard made a move? But why now? He's been inactive for years. Everyone thought he'd disappeared," said Kazo Mob, captain of the 3rd division.
"And to think he actually won. How? He's the weakest among the devils!" Luiz exclaimed.
"The worst part is, Huge Rimon joined forces with him," Sam added with a sigh.
"I still can't believe it. Sons, the weakest of them all, defeated one of the strongest ability users?" Yoru Min said, shaking her head.
"It's true," Sam confirmed.
"I've been keeping an eye on him. His behavior has been suspicious lately, and I noticed someone else with him. But… I can't remember who."
The room grew tense. Bajin Lah, captain of the 5th division, narrowed his eyes. "Now that I think about it, can any of you recall his face?"
The captains fell silent, trying to recall, but no one could.
"Memory manipulation…" Herlic whispered, his voice trembling.
"But as far as I know, Sons can't manipulate memories from a distance. Does that mean he's nearby?"
"Enough with this nonsense," Luiz said, standing abruptly.
"Let's just find him and end this. Minoko!"
A little girl emerged from behind him, her presence unexpected in such a grim meeting.
"Let's see what he's up to," Luiz said, holding her hand. She nodded and closed her eyes.
The room watched in tense silence as Minoko's expression changed from calm to terror. Her body began to tremble.
"Minoko, are you okay?" Luiz asked, tapping her shoulder.
Suddenly, she burst into tears, clinging to Luiz.
"I can't! I don't want to see anymore!" she cried.
"What did you see? Tell me!" Luiz demanded, his voice softer now.
"Bad things… really bad things. There's a man with a book," she stammered through her tears.
"A man with a book? Does she mean Sons?" Bajin asked, his brows furrowed.
"What else did you see, kid?" Hal asked gently.
"There… was another man fighting him. I felt so sorry for him. He looked familiar, but I don't want to remember…" she said, sobbing harder before running out of the room.
The captains exchanged uneasy glances.
"What do you think?" Luiz asked Sam.
Sam sighed deeply. "Another man? Friend or foe?"
"She said he looked familiar. Could he be one of us?" Yoru Min asked.
"Enough speculation," Pop Firstborn, captain of the 2nd division, growled. "Send a few divisions. Burn that bastard to the ground."
"No," Sam interjected firmly. "We can't risk that. The casualties would be severe, and it would give our enemies a chance to strike. Remember, the devils aren't our only threat."
Pop sneered. "You're afraid. If you're that much of a coward, step down. You're an embarrassment to Galacters."
"woh woh, Watch your mouth!" Yoru Min snapped. "We don't bring race here."
"Why not? We're all Galacters here… except him." Pop glared at Hal.
Hal smiled calmly. "Thank God I'm not one. I'm proud to be human."
Pop laughed mockingly. "And what has that gotten you? You don't even have a Sin. We're born with awakened Sins—divine gifts. We're the ones chosen by the gods."
Hal's smile faded. "Having a Sin is divine? Pathetic. I don't need a Sin to stand here. And yet, here I am."
Pop's laughter grew cruel. "You're only here because of your dead son. Don't forget that you became a captain when he was born. Otherwise, you're nothing."
Hal's face turned red, his fists trembling with suppressed rage.
"That's enough!" Sam shouted, slamming his hand on the table. "This meeting is over. Everyone, leave!"
The captains filed out reluctantly, though Pop threw a glare at Hal before leaving.
Once the room was empty, Sam turned to Hal.
"What the hell were you thinking? You know he's a jerk. Why let him get to you?"
Hal sighed, rubbing his face. "I'm sorry… I just…"
Sam softened. "I get it. But you need to keep your cool."
Changing the subject, Hal asked, "So… about the meeting…"
Sam nodded. "Did you want to bring something up?"
"Actually, the boss of the Flower in the Dark cult is on this planet. I thought I should let you know," Hal said.
"I've heard the same. He's a tricky one, hard to catch."
"I think they're planning something big," Hal said with concern.
Before Sam could respond, a guard burst into the room, panting.
"Sir, there's an emergency!"
"What is it?" Sam asked.
"Two kids have come to claim a bounty."
"Then process it and give them the reward. Why the panic?" Sam asked, annoyed.
"Sir… they're holding the boss of the Flower in the Dark cult—Hitch Papers," the guard said, his voice shaking.
Sam and Hal exchanged shocked looks before rushing to the scene.
There stood Kichu and Roco, holding the infamous Hitch Papers captive.
You probably wondering how this happened. Let me show a small flashback.
10 minutes earlier...
"Ah… I'm exhausted. I can't do this anymore," Roco groaned, slumping his shoulders.
"Yeah, same here," Kichu sighed, his voice tinged with frustration.
Just then, a man leaped in front of them, brandishing a sword. He was short, with a gaudy crown perched atop his head.
"Hahaha! I will be the richest man in the entire universe!" he declared, his voice filled with maniacal laughter.
"Congratulations. Now, fuck off," Kichu said, shoving the man aside.
The man stumbled but quickly regained his composure. "Hey, stop right there! Hand over that sword of yours or—hahaha…" His laugh echoed as if mocking Kichu.
"Or what?" Kichu's eyes narrowed, his tone sharp with irritation. "Look, I'm in no mood for this. Get lost before I lose my patience."
"Oh, so you're not going to give it up?" The man smirked, turning to his group of followers. "Hey guys, he says no!" The crowd behind him erupted in laughter.
The man turned back to Kichu. "Do you even know who I am?"
Kichu raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Oh my God… You… You're the motherfucking idiot who wants my sword!"
The man's grin twisted into a sneer. "Fine then." He lunged forward, slashing his sword at Kichu.
Kichu sidestepped the attack effortlessly and retaliated in one swift motion, slicing the man's head clean off.
"Well, that's that," Kichu muttered, starting to walk away.
But as he turned, something bizarre happened. The man's severed head began to fold in on itself, like sheets of paper being stacked. Piece by piece, it reattached to his neck until he was whole again.
"Hahaha! Fools! Did you really think I was just some petty thief trying to steal your sword? Allow me to introduce myself: I am the leader of the Flower in the Dark cult! My ability is unique—you cannot kill me. My body is made entirely of paper! You can't slice me, burn me, or inflict any damage at all. I can create infinite paper to nullify your attacks!" He threw his head back, laughing triumphantly.
"Paper, huh?" Kichu said, glancing at Roco.
Roco immediately understood, pointing his index finger at the man.
The cult leader scoffed. "Pointless. You can't harm me."
Roco smiled faintly as a high-pressure stream of water burst from his fingertip, drenching the man.
"What—what is this?!" the man stammered, his confidence evaporating as his paper body began to soak.
"Surprise, I'm an Elementia user," Roco said, smirking.
The cult leader staggered, his body growing heavier. "I can't fold… I can't create new paper… The water is spreading!" His voice faltered as he collapsed onto the ground.
"Here's a fun fact for you: paper absorbs water really fast," Roco said with a laugh.
While the cult leader writhed helplessly, Kichu and Roco tied him up securely.
"Well, that was easier than expected," Kichu said, brushing off his hands.
"Yeah, not so tough now, are you?" Roco teased.
Together, they hauled the drenched and defeated cult leader to Hal, ready to claim their reward.
Back from the flashback....
"Kid what did you do?" Hal put his hands on his head.
"He have a bounty right? Give it to me." Kichu smiled at Hal.
-To Be Continued...
*Galacters are the highest race in the universe.
They are divided into two sub races;
Pure Galacters and Galacters.
Pure Galacters are said to be the one nearest to the God.
Galacters have awakened sin from born. Most of them are class two sins. So they have advantage over other races.