"Hoh! Itoshi has a side chick?!"
Kirashi muttered loudly, his voice echoing through the café as he barged in like a storm.
He froze mid-step, eyes darting between Itoshi and Hoshi—who still had that mischievous glint in her eye and was definitely too close for "just business."
Itoshi practically jumped out of his seat.
"Wait! Wait! It's not what it looks like!" he snapped, hands raised in full panic.
"Ah.. times up"
Hoshi muttered to herself, she looked back with a deadly gaze towards kirashi by the door.
Before either of them could say another word, a sudden gust of wind whipped through the café—sharp, unnatural.
In a blink, Hoshi vanished. No sound. No flash. Just gone—like the wind had swallowed her whole.
"Wha—?! Where did she go?!"
Kirashi cried out, spinning in place as chairs rattled and the half-finished espresso cup rolled off the table.
Itoshi's voice was low, almost too calm.
"Kira... come here."
Kirashi blinked, the usual spark in his eyes dimming slightly at the shift in Itoshi's tone.
He walked over, brows furrowed.
"What's up?"
Itoshi recounted everything—Hoshi's sudden appearance, her strange energy, the disappearing act, and her cryptic words.
Kirashi listened carefully, arms crossed. When Itoshi finished, he exhaled through his nose and snapped his fingers.
"Ah! So that's what happened. I felt a strong wind user flaring up outta nowhere, so I came down here."
He paused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"But still... Ain't every element a must-have to effectively beat Seele? So why the hell was she surprised there's a flame user in this damned organization?"
Itoshi shook his head slowly.
"I don't know... but I think Ryujin might."
The pair went out to climb back to their room, Just as Kirashi turned toward the stairwell, ready to lead the way, Itoshi froze in place—eyes wide.
A second later, his voice rang out through the café:
"The coffee!!"
Kirashi spun around, startled.
"What?! Seele? Another flare?!"
Itoshi pointed at the counter with a look of absolute betrayal.
"I came down here for coffee!!"
Kirashi blinked... then burst out laughing.
"You got seduced, interrogated, emotionally manipulated, and the wind literally swept her away—and now you remember the coffee?"
[Boys Room]
Itoshi pushed open the door, a fresh cup of coffee in each hand, Kirashi right behind him with that usual casual swagger.
Inside, the rest of the squad was already moving like clockwork—
Aldrin and Kara were setting plates with practiced ease, the smell of food filling the room.
By the window, Ryujin sat with Ayro and Jayu, their quiet conversation pausing as the two entered.
Ryujin looked up first, his gaze steady as always.
"Ah, welcome back" he said.
The clatter of plates paused. Even the air seemed to still.
Itoshi's voice cut through the warmth of the room:
"Ryujin-san..."
He paused, hesitant.
"Is there something wrong with being Gifted of Flame?"
Ryujin's eyes narrowed subtly, but he didn't speak.
Ayro's usually unreadable expression shifted—just slightly, enough to show surprise.
Aldrin nearly dropped the spoon in his hand.
For a moment, no one said anything.
Itoshi's gaze swept across the room as he spoke, voice calm but edged with frustration.
"Some woman... the Field Men... and even our driver this morning. They all reacted oddly to my power."
Ryujin took a deep breath, the weight of memory heavy in his eyes.
"Aldrin, Kara..."
He said, rising to his feet.
"Let's talk first. We'll eat later. Is that okay?"
The two exchanged a quick glance, then nodded without hesitation.
"Of course"
Kara said, her voice soft but steady.
Aldrin gave a short nod.
"Let's get it out in the open."
Everyone gathered around the couches in the common area. The room shifted from casual warmth to something heavier, quieter—like the calm before a storm.
As they settled, Itoshi noticed the second coffee cup—still warm, still untouched—resting beside him.
He blinked, realizing something.
"Oh. Right."
He reached across the table and slid it gently toward Kara.
She looked down at it, surprised.
"...Is this mine?"
Itoshi scratched his head.
"I grabbed two by mistake. But turns out it wasn't a mistake after all."
Kara gave a small smile and took the cup with both hands, the brief moment of softness a counterpoint to the tension hanging in the room.
Then Ryujin spoke again, his voice firmer now.
"What I'm about to say doesn't leave this room. Understood?"
Everyone nodded.
"Good. Then let's start with why they reacted that way..."
Ryujin's voice lowered, heavy with the weight of long-buried truths.
"You see, Flame Gifteds have always been... unusual in the Defense. And that's because of one harsh reality: discrimination."
He paused, letting the words settle.
"There's a deep-rooted prejudice people keep repeating—'People Gifted of Flames are violent and heartless.'"
His eyes darkened.
"And the recent history hasn't done us any favors."
"Wars after wars erupted in the Flame District. The unrelenting violence and savagery that consumed the South Eastern Hemisphere left scars—on the land, on the people, and on the reputation of Gifted of Flames everywhere."
Ryujin looked around the room, his gaze steady.
"Because of this, the Defense made a calculated decision. They stopped recruiting Flame users. They feared..."
His voice dropped to a near whisper.
"They feared having a Flame Gifted among us would taint the entire organization's image."
He nodded slowly, eyes meeting Itoshi's.
"Hence the reaction you saw.. Why those around you acted the way they did. It's not personal. It's fear... and prejudice. And it's been burning for a long time."
"Wars?"
Kara's voice broke the silence, a mixture of curiosity and concern.
"There are wars in the Flame Zone? How come they're not written in history books... nor in the news?"
She leaned forward, eyes searching Ryujin's face.
"Are there any wars happening right now?"
Ryujin's expression tightened, the flicker of old pain flashing through his eyes.
Ryujin nodded slowly, his tone calm but firm.
"Right now, the Flame Zone is as peaceful as it's ever been.. But the wars they started centuries ago have left deep scars—scars that cloud the eyes of everyone, even now."
He looked directly at Itoshi, his voice steady.
"All those beliefs... the discrimination... it's built on fears and unjustified theories, not on who the Flames truly are today."
He paused, then added quietly,
"It's a shadow cast by history, but it's not your burden to carry alone."
Itoshi's brow furrowed as he asked,
"Why did the wars start in the first place?"
Ayro's gaze darkened, his voice low and measured.
"That... we don't know for sure."
He shifted slightly, eyes distant as if reaching into the past.
"The history written by the people of Flame themselves... it's been buried, erased, or just wished to be forgotten by the rest of the world."
Ayro glanced around the room before continuing.
"It's like, in their eyes, the Flame Zone doesn't even exist anymore."
The weight of unspoken truths hung heavy in the air.
"B-but back home! Okinawa! Everyone there's been so kind to me! Even if they knew my flame!"
Itoshi protested, his voice tinged with confusion and hope.
Ryujin nodded slowly, understanding his friend's disbelief.
"We were surprised too" Ryujin said gently.
"Okinawa is... one of the only places that sees Flame Gifted as normal people."
He looked at Itoshi with a serious expression.
"The rest of the world? They still see people Gifted of Flame as nothing more than savages."
Ryujin's voice grew quieter, but firm.
"Itoshi, you're one of the very few Gifted of Flames living outside the Flame Zone right now."
The room fell silent, the truth settling between them like an invisible weight.
"But... that's not fair..."
Itoshi mumbled, his fists clenched slightly around the warm cup in his hands.
Ryujin nodded solemnly.
"Indeed. Countless flame users have been hurt—and killed—even in our time."
He looked down, the weight of history pressing behind his words.
"And the ones doing the hurting? In the eyes of the flame, they are the real savages."
Ayro added, his voice cold and direct:
"That unrelenting violence from both sides has poisoned everything. What started as fear and misunderstanding... turned into hatred."
Ryujin continued,
"Now there's a toxic relationship between the Flame Zone and the others—Water, Earth, and Wind. Each side blames the other. Each side fuels the fire."
He looked to Itoshi, his gaze sharp yet kind.
"But you, Itoshi... you're walking proof that a Flame Gifted can live outside that hatred. You're proof that change is still possible."
Ryujin's voice softened, but there was unmistakable strength behind it.
"You're the one to save every flame..." he said, his eyes fixed firmly on Itoshi.
Then he corrected himself, voice growing more resolute:
"No—not just the flame. You're the one to save the entire world from killing itself."
The room went silent.
Even Kirashi, usually quick with a joke, sat still—his eyes wide with something between awe and fear.
Itoshi stared at the floor, heart pounding.
The words felt unreal. Too big. Too much.
"...Me?" he whispered.
Ryujin didn't flinch.
"Yes. You carry fire not just in power, but in purpose. You've been spared for a reason."
Ryujin stepped closer, his voice firm, yet filled with pride.
"With your flame, you saved Okinawa."
"You helped us cleanse it from the Seeles when no one else could. People won't forget that."
He motioned to the squad around them.
"With your will, you protected us all back in Kaba—when everything was falling apart, you stood your ground."
Itoshi looked up slowly, eyes beginning to flicker with something new—not doubt, but belief.
"And now..."
Ryujin continued, placing a hand on Itoshi's shoulder,
"Mainland Japan. This is where it starts again. But not just with fighting. This time..."
He looked around the room, and the others nodded in silent agreement.
"We're going to help you prove to the world that they were wrong—about the flame, about you, about everything."
There was no dramatic music, no explosion of power—just a quiet fire building in Itoshi's chest.
A fire that refused to go out.
~~~To Be Continued~~~