Someone once told me:
"Don't trust anyone."
...I listened.
For years, I isolated myself from everyone.
Even my own sister.
She's probably still worried about me...
Even now.
A couple of years had passed since the incident at the Elven Kingdom.
A cloaked figure sprinted through the alleyways like a shadow.
A sword suddenly pierced the ground directly in front of him.
The figure stopped.
His hood fell back.
Sasaki.
He looked up.
"You know, running is pointless."
Sasaki backed away.
Then—
BOOM!
Swords began raining from the sky, piercing the ground around him.
Sasaki jumped between them, barely avoiding each one.
"Quit chasing me!"
He continued running through the alleyways.
Behind him, a man wearing sunglasses floated through the air on top of his sword.
"Quit running!"
Sasaki glanced behind him.
"Why are you even chasing me?!"
He suddenly found himself surrounded.
Sasaki stopped.
"Damn it..."
He looked around.
What do I do?
Come on, think. Think!
His eyes suddenly widened.
"Hey!"
Everyone looked toward him.
"Look over there!"
"...!?"
They actually fell for it.
Sasaki grinned.
Idiots.
He rushed toward the man wearing sunglasses.
BAM!
Sasaki punched him directly in the face.
Using the man's head as a stepping stone, Sasaki jumped onto the roof.
"Gotcha!"
But the moment he landed—
A small girl was standing there.
Sasaki froze.
"...What the hell?"
She looked at him calmly.
"Please just stop running."
She sighed.
"It truly is pointless. Just turn yourself in."
Sasaki immediately turned around.
"Nope."
He tried running past her.
Clink!
Chains wrapped around his body.
"What—?"
The girl pulled him back.
Before Sasaki could react, she closed her umbrella and drove it straight into his side.
"—!"
Sasaki was kicked off the roof.
He hit the ground on his arms and rolled several times before disappearing back into the shadows.
I know that hurt.
Sasaki quickly got back to his feet.
He ran.
And ran.
And ran.
Once he was certain he had escaped, Sasaki pulled a scroll from inside his coat.
He opened it and began reading through its contents.
His eyes widened.
The scroll contained the knowledge of an ancient fighting style.
Gods' Flow.
Sasaki carefully studied every detail.
He absorbed the knowledge.
Another piece of power added to his arsenal.
Later, Sasaki sat against a wall, wrapping his wounds.
For once...
He thought he was safe.
Then—
SHNK!
A sword pierced through the wall and straight into his back.
Sasaki looked down at the blade sticking through his chest.
"...Can't I rest even a little bit?"
He grabbed the sword.
His hands began bleeding as he crushed the blade between his fingers.
Crack.
The sword shattered.
Sasaki pulled himself free and immediately ran.
He didn't stop until he reached a massive forest.
He stumbled between the trees.
"At this rate..."
His breathing became ragged.
"I'm going to die."
His vision blurred.
His pace slowed.
His heartbeat grew fainter with every step.
Sasaki stumbled.
He caught himself against a tree.
Then his legs gave out.
He collapsed into the snow.
His eyes slowly closed.
"...I'm never going to find Sister."
And then—
Everything went dark.