The next day...
Noah and Emma walked through Riverside, heading back toward the lower district.
"I miss Amy," Emma said, arms behind her head.
"She'll be here later," Noah replied. "Her dad needs help right now. Plus, she did promise to bring us lunch."
Emma smiled. "Right… she did."
After a short walk they reached the lower district. Even from a distance, Noah noticed a change.
"This place looks a lot better," Noah said, looking around. Trash was cleared, people moved around with more energy, and the air felt less heavy than before.
"Guess giving them food helped more than we thought."
"Yeah," Emma agreed. "Let's ask around."
They split up slightly but stayed close, talking to a few people who lingered near broken fences and small huts. Most didn't know much—just rumors, fear, and whispers.
Then a young boy stepped out from behind a crate.
"I can tell you where the missing girls are," the boy said.
Noah crouched down to his level. "What's your name?"
"I'm Haku," the boy replied confidently.
Noah nodded and stood. "Alright. Lead the way."
Haku took off running. Noah and Emma quickly followed him through narrow dirt paths.
After a few minutes, they reached an open area with no trees or buildings—just dry, cracked earth and a few stones scattered around.
Noah frowned. "Are you sure they're here?"
The boy stopped. His expression twisted into something darker.
"You two are idiots."
Noah and Emma blinked, caught off-guard.
The boy began laughing—a small, sharp, sinister sound that didn't fit his age.
"This brat," Noah muttered, annoyed.
"He's still a kid," Emma said.
"He's an evil kid," Noah snapped. "And I'm going to beat him."
Haku snapped his fingers.
From behind broken walls and bushes, pirates walked out...more than a hundred of them, surrounding Noah and Emma in a wide circle.
Emma and Noah automatically stepped back to back.
"Noah," Emma said.
"Yeah?"
"Thirty percent?" she asked.
"Thirty," Noah replied. "Think of this as training."
Emma grinned and drew her blades.
Noah slowly unsheathed his sword, resting it on his shoulder. "I'll use ten percent."
Emma raised an eyebrow. "Only ten?"
"These guys don't deserve more."
The pirates roared and charged.
Clank!
Clank!
Clank!
Noah's sword met the blade of a young pirate, sparks flying.
"Let's see if your sword is sharper than mine!" the pirate shouted, pushing forward.
BAM!
Both of them slid back across the dirt.
They dashed again, blades flashing.
Clank!
Clank!
Clank!
Clank!
Noah leapt into the air, bringing his sword down. The pirate blocked—but his blade snapped clean in half.
Before he could react, Noah swung again.
One clean strike.
The pirate fell.
Noah (thinking)-[Guess I'll use five percent… these morons aren't worth ten]
Around him, pirates yelled and charged, but he simply stepped aside or flicked his sword, barely even paying attention.
Emma flipped backward as three pirates swung at her at once. She landed perfectly, she swings, and kicked one right in the face.
BAM!
He dropped instantly.
She sliced through another's sword, elbowed him in the jaw, then used her blade to trip a third.
"Come on!" she shouted, laughing as she fought. "How are you guys pirates when this is all you've got?"
A whole group rushed her at once.
Emma twirled between them like a dancer...dodging, blocking, and striking with quick, sharp movements.
Bam!
Clank!
Whoosh!
Clank!
Thud!
One by one, they dropped to the ground around her.
When she looked over, she saw Noah leaning against a rock, watching her fight with a bored expression.
"Really?" Emma snapped. "You're not helping?!"
"You said thirty percent," Noah replied. "Looks like you got this."
Emma groaned and slash another pirate.
Seeing all his pirate friends defeated, Haku's eyes went wide with panic.
He turned and sprinted.
Noah sighed. "Not today."
Vector Manipulation — Flying Thunder God.
Blip!
Noah vanished.
A heartbeat later, he appeared right in front of Haku. The boy skidded to a stop.
He dropped to the dirt and.
pssshhh
Noah stared.
"…Did you just pee yourself?"
Haku whimpered, trembling.
Noah burst out laughing. "Relax, kid. I'm not going to hurt you."
He tapped Haku lightly on the forehead with one finger.
The boy's eyes rolled back and he collapsed, unconscious on the ground.
Noah picked him up and carried him back toward Emma, who was dusting off her clothes.
"Took you long enough," she said.
"He peed his pants," Noah replied. "I had to give him a minute."
Emma sighed. "Of course he did."