The desert wind carried a strange weight as Hakari and his companions stood on the ridge, gazing down at the sprawling settlement of Akuma. From afar, the village seemed almost alive—sunlight glinting across tiled roofs, vibrant fabrics strung across the bazaar streets, the faint murmur of merchants echoing like a song.
"So this is Akuma," Hakari murmured, his voice laced with both awe and suspicion. "From this side… it doesn't look like a land of death." His eyes traced the winding alleys, the painted walls, the smoke curling from food stalls. For a moment, it could have been any other village of Koha.
Yushi squinted beside him, shielding his eyes from the relentless sun. "Yes… it's beautiful. I agree. It doesn't look like what we've heard from the stories. But…" He turned, looking at Hakari and Kage. "You two have been here before. What do you say?"
Hakari opened his mouth to answer, but his voice faltered. His throat felt dry, his tongue heavy. "We…" he began, then trailed off, casting a sharp glance at Kage.
Kage's face had gone pale, his lips tightening as though caught in a memory he didn't want to speak aloud. "We… oh well, it's like—"
"Enough," Hakari cut him off, his tone sharp enough to still the air. "I know."
The others fell silent, tension thick between them. Hakari's gaze darkened as he studied the streets below. "Since you've asked, I must state this clearly. This land lives up to its name. It's not what it looks like. There are traps all around for outsiders. If you become even a little suspicious in their eyes…" His voice dropped, low and final. "You will die. Or you will leave immediately."
Yushi frowned. "Traps? What kind of traps?"
Hakari's jaw tightened. His eyes shifted, as though the mere act of describing them might awaken them. "…You'll see."
And with that, the group began their descent into Akuma.
---
The Market
The streets of Akuma burst with life, yet every smile carried a shadow. Merchants called out their wares—spices thick with fragrance, fabrics painted with deep ochres and indigos, weapons gleaming faintly in the sun. Children darted between stalls, laughing, their eyes too sharp for their age.
Yet, beneath it all, Hakari felt it—the weight of unseen eyes. Every step seemed measured, every whisper seemed directed at them. It was a market alive with suspicion.
"How are we going to find that person here?" Yushi asked, glancing around nervously. The crowds pressed too close, the laughter too hollow.
Hakari didn't answer. His gaze was fixed forward, sharp, almost predatory. "We won't find him," he muttered at last. "He'll find us."
Yushi stiffened. "He… will hunt us?"
Before Hakari could answer, the air shifted.
---
Meanwhile, in Koha
Far from the bustle of Akuma, in the halls of Koha's palace, Akami sat motionless. His body trembled with barely contained rage, his veins burning beneath his skin. His eyes—blood-red, furious—stared ahead at nothing. His chest rose and fell, every breath a storm.
But he didn't move.
His voice broke the silence at last, quiet and venomous.
"Just wait."
---
Back in Akuma
The market air thickened. A gust swept through, rattling banners, lifting dust from the ground. In that instant, a thin red line appeared across Hakari's cheek.
Everyone froze.
"What—when?" Yushi gasped, his eyes wide.
Hakari's instincts roared. "Down! Now!"
They obeyed without hesitation, crouching low just as an invisible force ripped through the air, shattering the stalls behind them. Wood splintered, fabrics burned, merchants screamed as the destruction carved a path where their heads had been moments before.
Smoke rolled outward, curling like a living thing. From within the haze, a figure emerged.
A man.
He stepped forward slowly, each stride deliberate, his presence heavier than the air itself. The crowd fell into silence, as if even the villagers of Akuma feared him. His coat was torn, yet regal; his eyes glimmered with something cruel, something endless.
Kage's hands trembled, his voice breaking as he whispered, "He… he is…"
Hakari's stomach sank.
From the smoke, the man smiled.
Nicolas Campo was here.
---
"Why are you here?" Nicolas demanded, his voice steady,his eyes cold,. "I gave you thirty days. Why would you come back?"
Nicolas' smile widened, stretching too far, too cold. Why…" His voice dripped like venom, each word dragging the silence tighter. "I wonder why."
Hakari clenched his fists. "Nicolas… we need your help."
Nicolas tilted his head, his grin fading. "Help?" His voice darkened, as though the word itself offended him. "Hakari Shinzowa…" He spoke the name like a curse, his smile gone, his eyes sharp and terrifying. "I am here to fight you. If you want time, you have it. But help…" He leaned forward, his voice almost a whisper. "…that is all from me."
Kage's expression shifted, hope flickering across his face despite Nicolas' words. "I—I know. But if you help us—"
"What?" Nicolas' tone snapped like a whip.
"We have a proposal," Kage said quickly, his voice calm despite his shaking hands.
Nicolas chuckled. "A proposal? No matter the proposal, I would not care less."
Hakari's eyes burned with defiance. "Don't dismiss it before you hear it."
Nicolas studied them in silence, then gave a sharp laugh. "Very well. Speak."
---
The Cave of Mura
Far away, the cave of Mura shifted in darkness. Waren stepped inside, his footsteps echoing hollow against the stone. His eyes darted around, searching.
The crystal was gone.
His chest tightened. "What? Where… where is the crystal?" His voice echoed, sharp with desperation. "It must be here. When I entered… my scars, my injuries—they vanished. The code crystal must be here. I'll find it…"
He pressed deeper into the cave, the silence pressing against his skin.
---
Running,Hakari and the others ran through Akuma's backstreets, Nicolas alongside them. His grin had returned, wide and unsettling.
"Your offer," Nicolas said, his tone playful, "is too good. But…" His smile dropped, his eyes sharpening like blades. "…if you were lying…" His voice lowered to something colder than steel. "…you'll face consequence."
Hakari glanced at him. "That is not the case."
Nicolas looked away, his gaze fixed ahead. "For twenty years, I've searched for the cave of Mura. A year ago, I found it. I entered, I saw the horrors. And before I left, I learned a secret."
"What secret?" Hakari pressed.
Nicolas' tone was grave. "The cave changes its location only when the core is hurt."
"Core?" Kage repeated, confusion on his face. "You mean the crystal?"
Nicolas shook his head. "No, not the crystal. But…" His words trailed off.
---
Inside the cave, Waren sat heavily upon a chair of stone. His voice cracked with sorrow, trembling with rage.
"When I was nineteen, I made a mistake. A horrible mistake. I forced myself,on to the one I loved,And later,I escaped. And Then I realized the pain, the suffering…" His eyes turned into rage,but that bitch. "I wandered into Koha,just because of her. I was Rejected. Alone. The underground found me."
His voice hardened. "They beat me. Used me. Made me beg in the streets by day, and at night…" His jaw clenched, his hands trembling. "…they treated me like,like their wife. My screams became their laughter. One day, I snapped. I fought. I grabbed a broken bottle and rushed them, screaming I'd kill them all. But they beat me again. Forced me to eat. Tore the clothes from me. Used me again. One week. One month. Eight months. A year. My eyes darkened. My hope died."
Waren's tone shifted, bitter. "Then they brought a girl. She became their plaything. I was used less. One night, when it was my turn… I stripped, ready to endure. But before they could touch me, a man appeared."
Waren's eyes widened at the memory.
"The man said, 'How much?' They mocked him. Told him to leave. He killed them all—snapped their throats, spilled their blood. Then he came to me. He smiled. 'If I free you, what will you do?' he asked. I told him—'Anything. I will do anything.' He pointed at the girl. 'Kill her.'"
Waren's voice trembled, fury and sorrow colliding. "I ran to her. She thanked me for saving her. But I… I sliced her throat." His hands shook as he spoke, his eyes haunted. "I wasn't going to die. Not there. Not ever."
The man touched his chest. "For your reward, I give you the key of hell and heaven." Light flared. "From now on, that's you. Just snap your fingers."
When the man vanished, Waren snapped. The ground cracked. A cave rose. Heaven on one side. Hell on the other. Food, water, trees—all at his command.
And from that day, he knew. The cave was alive. Its core was him.
---
Waren's voice echoed, broken. "So it's him. If he is hurt… the cave changes locations."