The wind rolled gently through the open fields, bending the tall grass in soft waves. The sun was beginning its slow descent, casting warm light over the group as they traveled along the path.
Kaito walked beside Cher, still thinking about the strange encounter they had earlier.
Cher glanced over at him. "So… what exactly are you doing out here on this adventure?"
Kaito smiled happily always happy to explain. "I'm looking for this treasure called the unifates!"
Cher stopped walking. "What?"
Kaito turned toward him. "You've heard of it?"
Cher stared for a moment before letting out a laugh of disbelief. "You've gotta be kidding me… that's the same thing I'm looking for."
Kaito blinked. "Seriously?"
Cher nodded, resting his hands behind his head as they continued walking.
"There's this girl back in my village," he said. "She's a noble. Always talked about the Unifates when we were kids. Said she wanted one more than anything."
Kaito listened quietly.
"But nobles don't exactly get to wander around the world chasing treasures," Cher continued. "Too many rules. Too many responsibilities."
He smirked.
"So I figured… if she couldn't go get one herself, I'd go find it for her."
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "And then what?"
Cher grinned confidently.
"Then she'll have no choice but to marry me."
Kaito couldn't help but laugh. "That's stupid!"
Cher shrugged.
"Hey, I wanted a real quest anyway."
Kaito pulled his book from his bag. The empty slots he had been slowly filling since the start of his journey.
"Do you have one of these?"
Cher nodded and pulled out his own.
When Kaito saw it, he frowned slightly.
It looked similar, but not the same.
Some of the slots matched his exactly, but others were completely different. Different shapes. Different markings.
"Yours isn't the same as mine, that's weird." Kaito said.
Cher glanced at it and shrugged.
"Guess everyone's got their own path."
He closed the book with a satisfied smile.
"But honestly? I'm glad someone else is chasing them too."
Kaito looked at him.
"Why?"
Cher smirked.
"Because it means I've finally got someone worth rivaling."
Not far away, Taka had collapsed directly into the grass.
Fast asleep.
By the time the group reached him again, he hadn't moved an inch.
"Did he seriously fall asleep during all of that?" Kaito asked.
Cher sighed. "He does that."
By dusk, the massive cave entrance finally came into view. Torches lined the carved stone pathway leading downward, their light revealing an enormous hollow beneath the mountain.
Kaito's jaw slowly dropped. A city, inside a cave.
Crystal lamps hung from the ceiling, glowing in soft blues and golds. Stone buildings were carved directly into the cavern walls, stacked in tiers that climbed higher and higher. Rail carts rolled along metal tracks carrying crates of minerals, while workers and merchants filled the streets.
The Cave Town was alive.
As they stepped inside, Toni's eyes lit up immediately. "Oh man, there's a concert hall here!" He grabbed Kaito's shoulders excitedly. "I HAVE to sign up!" Before anyone could respond, Toni had already dashed off toward a large building where music spilled out into the streets.
Nanami adjusted her glasses, looking around at the glowing mineral stalls.
"These are rare formations…" she muttered. Then she turned. "I'm going to the mines."
Dante simply cracked his neck and walked toward a row of weapon shops.
"I'm gonna go check out the shops."
Patty didn't know what to do with herself so she just went with Dante.
And just like that…
The group scattered.
Kaito wandered through the city, completely mesmerized.
Crystals embedded in the walls glowed like stars. Streams of lantern light reflected across polished stone floors. Entire homes had been carved into pillars of rock.
"It's beautiful…" he whispered.
Cher and Taka eventually caught up with him.
"You've never seen a cave town before?" Cher asked.
Kaito shook his head. "I didn't even know you could build a city inside a cave."
Taka yawned. "This place is actually a huge part of the empire."
Cher nodded. "They mine some of the most important resources in the region here." He gestured toward the towering cave walls. "And since the workers live here too, nobody has to travel far. Housing, shops, food, it's all inside."
Kaito looked around again, realizing how massive the place truly was.
"For the empire," Cher added, "the city of Keive is one of their most valuable hubs because of this."
Kaito blinked.
"I really didn't know any of this."
Meanwhile, deep within the mining district…
Nanami approached a dwarf miner nervously.
He stood nearly as wide as he was tall, covered in dust and carrying a heavy pickaxe.
Nanami fidgeted with her fingers. "Excuse me… um…"
The dwarf looked at her.
"Yes?"
Nanami froze. Words failed her. "…rocks."
The dwarf raised an eyebrow.
She pointed awkwardly at the minerals stacked nearby. "…interesting."
He stared for a moment. Then burst out laughing. "Well, you picked a good day," he said, grabbing a small pile from a nearby crate. "We had a fantastic haul today." He handed them to her. "Take 'em."
Nanami's eyes widened. "F-free?"
"Sure."
She bowed quickly. "Thank you!"
Moments later she sat nearby, happily tinkering with scrap metal and the newly acquired minerals.
Hours passed.
Eventually the group reunited at the concert hall.
Music echoed through the cavern as Toni stood on stage with a guitar in hand.
The crowd clapped along to the rhythm.
His voice carried across the stone chamber as he sang about their journey—the battles, the strange encounters, the new friends they'd made along the way.
Kaito smiled as he listened.
Near the end of the song, Toni's voice softened.
"This last part… is for someone special."
As he played the final melody, Toni closed his eyes.
For a moment.
He imagined Rika standing beside him again, just like she had during his very first concert.
The memory made him smile.
"And wherever you are," Toni finished quietly, "we'll find you."
The crowd erupted into applause.
"He ain't half bad." Bein said.
Patty nearly jumped from her skin. "I forgot all about you!"
Later that night, the group gathered outside the hall.
Kaito turned to Cher and Taka.
"So… what's your next move?"
Cher stretched his arms. "My guilds gotta be somewhere around here, so grab them and move on?"
Taka yawned again.
Cher sighed. "Though I'm definitely gonna get an earful from the others."
Taka had already started drifting off while standing.
Kaito laughed.
The three of them stepped forward.
They shook hands.
"Let's meet again someday," Kaito said.
"Count on it," Cher replied. Then they parted ways.
As Cher and Taka walked down a dim tunnel exit of the city, Taka finally spoke. "You noticed it too, right?"
Cher nodded slightly. "Kaito?"
"Yeah." Taka rubbed the back of his neck. "He's strong."
Cher smirked. "More than that. He's growing fast." He glanced back toward the glowing cave city behind them. "If we keep crossing paths, we'll probably grow at the same pace."
Taka tilted his head. "You think you could beat him?"
Cher smiled confidently. "Of course I could." He paused. Then added honestly. "But it definitely wouldn't be easy."