"You were the only man I respected in this entire universe. But now, look at you..." the Master said to Hal, who lay on the floor with tears in his eyes.
"Why...? Did I really deserve this? Why did you do it?" Hal wiped his tears.
"Hmm... That's an interesting question. Do you know how many people die every second? How many children starve to death? Do they deserve that? No. Sometimes nature is cruel. Sometimes people are cruel. But as for why I did it—fate. Matt was meant to die from the start, but I gave him a chance to see you one last time." The Master spoke calmly.
"Why did you do it? Why did you turn my son against me?" Hal's tone shifted from mourning to fury. He stood up, unleashing his energy. The ground trembled, and both Hawks and Elizabeth struggled to keep their balance.
"Listen to me, Hal. You abandoned your son for the sake of your crew—that was your mistake. I found Matt bleeding out on the ground, barely clinging to life. I saved him, trained him, and when he learned of my ideologies, he joined the cult of his own free will. I did nothing to turn him against you. You did that yourself," the Master shouted.
Hal vanished in an instant and punched him in the face. But the Master didn't move an inch—he only looked at Hal with an unwavering gaze. Hal clenched his fists and struck again without hesitation, but this time, the Master blocked it effortlessly and smiled. Hal's breath became ragged as realization dawned on him. His body trembled, and he collapsed to the ground.
"Master..." Elizabeth called out.
"We're leaving soon, don't worry," the Master reassured her.
"No... that's not it. Your arm..." she whispered in fear.
The Master looked down at his arm, still smiling. The arm he had used to block Hal's punch was completely shattered. Bones jutted out at unnatural angles.
"This? Just a minor injury," he said casually before turning to Kichu.
At that moment, Roco stepped in front of Kichu, raising his gun at the Master.
"What do you think you're doing?" Roco demanded.
"Oh... You must be Roco. Thanks for watching over him all this time," the Master said with an amused expression.
"How do you know me?" Roco asked, confused.
"Haha... I love your curiosity. But I suppose it's time to leave. Kid, don't lose him. He's precious." The Master turned away and walked toward Hal.
"Anger makes people weak. If you had been in your right mind, you could have killed me. Farewell, Sir Hal. You still have my respect," he said before vanishing into the darkness with the Rook and the Bishop.
Sam arrived moments later, scanning the area. "Is everyone okay?" he asked. Then, he saw Hal kneeling on the ground, his face streaked with tears. Sam rushed to his side.
"Sir Hal, what happened?"
"I failed, Sam..." Hal whispered, his voice breaking as he wept.
Meanwhile, Roco was still trying to wake Kichu.
"Kichu... Wake up..." He called out again and again, but there was no response. Desperate, he lifted Kichu in his arms and turned to Sam.
"Please, help him. Is there a hospital nearby?"
"Yeah, I'll take you there." Sam hesitated for a moment, glancing back at Hal, but Hal was too lost in his own world.
Sam led Roco to the hospital, where they immediately began treating Kichu.
Some time later, Hal finally stood up and walked toward the headquarters. Sam, who had been talking to Yoru Min, noticed him and quickly approached.
"Are you feeling better now?" Sam asked.
"Yeah… Um… I'm sorry, Sam. Is everyone okay?" Hal replied, his voice cracking.
"Yeah… but… Herlic is in the hospital." Sam's face filled with sorrow.
"It's okay, he's tough. I bet he'll be out of the hospital by tomorrow. Haha…" Hal forced a laugh.
"I'm sorry, Hal. The injury is really severe. The doctors said… he might not make it." Sam's voice wavered.
Hal froze. "Is that true…? Let me see him." He forced out the words and walked to the hospital.
Roco collapsed as soon as he ensured Kichu got medical attention.
"Look at you… You're the one who needs emergency treatment!" The doctor scolded him.
"No, doctor, give him treatment fir—" Roco lost consciousness before finishing his sentence.
Hal entered Herlic's room and looked at him with pain in his eyes.
"Oh… Sir Hal, how are you?" A doctor approached him.
"I'm fine, doctor. How is he?" Hal asked.
"It's a challenge for him. I did everything I could. The rest is up to the boy," the doctor said, tapping Hal's shoulder.
"Can we call in healers? I know a guy with Class Two healing abilities."
"We already tried. The injuries are too deep. But if you want to try, I won't oppose it."
"Thank you, doctor. I'll contact him," Hal said, looking at Herlic with hope before running to the headquarters.
Two days later…
"You are my creation, son…"
"Almighty…"
"Roco, what have you done? Haha…"
"No, Roco… You can't leave me…"
"How can I leave you, Rose?"
"Do you want a girl or a boy?"
"Rose… Rose…"
Kichu jolted awake, drenched in sweat.
"What were those voices…?" he muttered to himself, recalling the strange whispers. He turned to see Roco sleeping peacefully beside him. With frustration, he threw a pillow at him.
"Ha… Did he die? The cloaked man?" Roco mumbled in half-sleep.
"Are you talking in your sleep? Wake up, idiot!" Kichu shouted.
Roco yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Huah… You're finally awake? It's been two days."
"Two days? What was I doing all this time?" Kichu asked, confused.
"Umm… Just sleeping," Roco replied nonchalantly.
"How can I sleep for two days? And why are you covered in bandages?"
"The doctor said you were just unconscious, but I was the one who actually needed treatment. So… they stitched my wounds."
"What happened to me?" Kichu murmured, lying back down.
At that moment, Mr. Goat entered in a wheelchair, pushed by his granddaughter.
"Big brother, are you okay?" she asked Roco.
"Yeah… I'm okay," Roco reassured her.
"Umm… Are you okay, mister?" Kichu asked Mr. Goat.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just a few broken bones and ribs, that's all. Haha!" he laughed.
Roco stood up and pointed the revolver at Mr. Goat. "Take it. I know you came for this."
"If I could stand right now, I'd punch you in the face," Mr. Goat grumbled, tossing the revolver back to him.
"I didn't give it to you to return. It's a gift—for saving my granddaughter. She and the restaurant are all I have in my life," he said, patting the girl's head.
"Come on, Roco… don't just stand there. Say something," Kichu nudged him.
"Uh… Sorry if I said anything offensive," Roco muttered awkwardly.
"Haha! Never thought I'd hear those words coming from you!" Mr. Goat chuckled. "See you later, kid."
"Bye, big brother! See you!" the girl waved.
"And remember, if you're ever hungry, come by my restaurant. Eat as much as you like. Once again, thank you," Mr. Goat added.
"Yeah, yeah, get out already," Roco replied with a grin.
As they left, Kichu turned to Roco. "Hey… How much happened while I was unconscious?"
"Not much… I'm bored. Can I go out?" Roco asked.
"Too eager, huh?" The doctor entered the room with Sam.
"When can we leave, doctor?" Kichu asked.
"You can go tomorrow," the doctor answered.
"Why not today? I'm cramped in here!" Roco groaned.
"The planet is in chaos right now. The city is still rebuilding. No transport is available," Sam explained. "But don't worry, you can leave tomorrow."
"Shit… Ah…" Roco lay back in frustration.
"So, you two are alright, huh?" Sam asked.
"Yeah… We're fine. Is everyone else okay?" Kichu inquired.
"Yeah… Everyone's fine. We only had one casualty," Sam said.
"That's good. So… why did you come?"
"I just came to check on you two," Sam replied.
"Okay, as you can see, we're good. Where's old man Hal? Is he and his captain alright?"
Sam went quiet for a second.
"The casualty was Herlic. He was defeated by one of the cultists," Sam said.
"Is he going to be alright?"
"Yeah… Hal brought a friend who's a healer. He's showing positive signs."
"That's good," Kichu said, standing up.
"I'm leaving now. No goodbyes—I'm hoping to see you again, Kichu. I wish it'll be under better circumstances," Sam said before walking out.
"Did he mean something bad by that…? I don't know," Kichu muttered and walked out of the room.
"Hey, wait for me!" Roco followed him.
As they walked through the hospital halls, Kichu scratched his head.
"Ah… I still don't understand why that girl wanted me to join them. Is it because of my sword?"
"Yeah… I was about to ask you that. That master guy talked like he knew you," Roco said.
"Master guy? Who's that?"
"When you were unconscious, a guy came and told me to take care of you. He said you're 'precious' and all that. I was like… is he gay?" Roco laughed.
"What? Next time he shows up, warn me. I want to run."
"Oh, I think he loves you. You'll make a great wife for him," Roco teased.
"Shut up!" Kichu smacked him.
"Hey! Keep it down! This is a hospital!" a nurse scolded them.
Holding in their laughter, they walked ahead. Kichu spotted Hal sitting on a bench near the operation room, legs shaking with tension.
He approached and tapped Hal's shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah… He's fine. He'll make it. I have no doubt," Hal said, voice trembling.
"No, I asked about you. Are you okay?" Kichu repeated.
"Me? I'm doing great! Haha…" Hal forced a laugh.
"He'll be okay. Don't worry," Kichu reassured him, sitting down beside him.
Just then, a man stepped out of the operation room. Hal stood up, searching his face for an answer.
A small smile appeared on the man's lips. "He's out of danger. But he won't be able to serve as your captain for a while," he said, tapping Hal's shoulder.
Hal exhaled in relief and hugged him. "I'm grateful, man. How can I repay you?"
"What are you talking about? Friends don't pay back," the man said, turning to Kichu.
"And this young man is…?"
"Ah, nice to meet you. I'm Kichu. Just a traveler," Kichu said, shaking hands with him.
"He helped during the attack. He's one of the reasons we had fewer casualties," Hal added.
"Oh, I see. Thanks for reducing my workload. I'm Hinko Patt. I run a small school on a nearby planet," he said with a smile.
"A school? Where?" Kichu asked, intrigued.
"It's called Sophis-X. It's not far from here," Hinko said.
"Wait a minute... Do you mean the planet of wisdom, Sophis?" Kichu asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Yes, that's the one. I guess it's pretty well-known, huh?" Hinko replied with a warm smile.
"It definitely is. My master used to talk about it all the time. Are you heading there by spaceship?" Kichu asked.
"No… I'm taking the local transportation," Hinko replied.
"I'll give you a ride. Come with us—we have a spaceship," Kichu offered.
"I'm sorry, but I need to leave urgently," Hinko said, his expression turning somber.
"Do you want to leave now? We were just about to take off," Kichu said, turning toward the exit.
"I'm sorry, but you can't go now," Hal interjected.
"Why not?" Kichu asked.
Hal gestured toward them. "Look at yourselves. You have a broken arm, and he looks like a mummy." He pointed at Roco, who was wrapped in bandages.
"It's fine. We've survived worse," Kichu said confidently.
"Are you sure about this?" Hal asked, his concern evident.
Hinko let out a reassuring laugh. "Don't worry, Hal. If anything happens, I'll heal them right away."
Hal sighed before nodding. "Alright then. Safe travels, my friend." He hugged Hinko.
Kichu and Roco returned to their room to gather their belongings.
"Ready to go?" Kichu asked as he called the spaceship.
"Yep," Hinko replied with a smile.
The spaceship arrived, and the three of them bid farewell to Little Garden before soaring into the vastness of space.
Their next adventure awaited—on the legendary planet of wisdom, Sophis-X.
-To Be Continued...