Morro waited several hundred meters from the village, his body still aching from the fight. The morning air carried the scent of smoke and damp earth, and each breath reminded him of the ribs that hadn't quite healed yet. He kept his weight off his left leg—the one that had taken the worst of Raven's King's Negacion beam.
Ten minutes passed before he saw it—a flicker of movement between the trees, too fast to be natural. Then Nicolas "Nico" Nazara arrived, Lieutenant and older brother figure to Morro, moving with the speed of someone who had spent years mastering Movement Negacion.
Nicolas had reached the village so quickly because he'd used Movement Negacion in his legs, allowing him to run faster than any normal human and even leap from one tree branch to another like some phantom of the forest. He landed lightly, his athletic build absorbing the impact with practiced ease.
Nico arrived—a middle-aged man with a rugged, weathered appearance, medium-length dark hair slightly windswept from Movement Negacion. He wore a dark button-up shirt with chest pockets, dark denim pants, and a red bandana. His slim, athletic build moved with an agile confidence as his sharp eyes assessed the village.
Slowly, Nicolas removed the red bandana, revealing his face. His expression was serious.
"I see we have Sheriff Morro here." Nico's voice carried the familiar warmth Morro remembered from their academy days.
Then he smiled.
"You're early, Nico." Morro managed a slight smile despite the pain.
"Well, I wanted to get here as fast as possible to check how things are going. The team will be here in about 50 minutes." Nico glanced toward the village. "Shall we?"
They began walking toward the village at a steady pace, fast enough to cover ground quickly but slow enough to talk.
"So this bastard destroyed a few houses, but nothing else happened beyond that." Nico surveyed the damage as they approached.
"Yes. I'm curious—who is this Raven?" Morro asked.
"He's the commander of one of the larger gangs in Vage Desert. He's wanted for mass murder and robbery. There's an 80 million Blackcoin bounty on his head." Nico's tone was matter-of-fact. "So yes, one of the top fish in Vage Desert."
Morro laughed, though it hurt his ribs. "He had bad luck running into me."
"When word gets out that Raven got his ass kicked in Windfall territory, they'll avoid this place." Nico's eyes scanned the village square. "Speaking of which..."
The bound bandits watched as Morro and Nicolas approached. Their expressions shifted from defiant to nervous as Nicolas's gaze swept over them.
"Gentlemen." Nico's voice was polite but carried an edge of steel. "It seems things didn't go as planned."
The criminals grew more agitated, shifting uncomfortably in their bonds.
"Alright, why did you attack this particular village?" Nico asked.
The tall, scarred bandit from Raven's group spat on the ground. "I'm not telling you shit, asshole."
"Ah. So that's how you're approaching this?" Nico's expression didn't change. He pressed his sword slightly harder against the weaker bandit's throat, drawing a thin line of blood. "Shameful, attacking such weak villages only to be defeated by a single sheriff."
"You didn't accomplish anything." Nico stepped closer, his voice dropping. "Just talk. Raven doesn't care about you anyway. He won't save you, and the sentences can be severe. So I'll ask again—" He looked directly at the weaker bandit, the one with the dislocated shoulder. "Why did you attack this village? Were you just testing the ground?"
The weaker bandit's eyes widened in panic. "Wait, I—"
The tall, scarred bandit tried to intimidate him with a glare. "Don't you dare say a word."
Nicolas leaned closer to the weaker bandit. "Well, what can I tell you? You should've been more elusive and put your trust in some loser like Raven. Now talk, or I'll make sure your dislocated shoulder is the least of your worries."
"Did you see your commander escape?" Morro asked.
"Most of them were unconscious except for one." Morro's gaze fell on the weaker bandit. "The one with the dislocated shoulder saw it."
"And how did it look?" Nico asked.
"Do you still believe you lawless bastards, idiotic murderers, rapists, and God knows what else, can just jump to Kensei?" Nico's voice grew colder. "Since one of our sheriffs defeated your commander—"
"Good. Let's go check on the injuries. No point wasting time on them." Nico sheathed his sword and turned away.
They approached one of the damaged houses.
"It looks like Raven never built anything with his own hands." Nico ran his hand along the broken wall. "These houses weren't made from the best materials, but they were built with local expertise. They were supposed to last decades, and Raven just destroyed them."
They entered Tsunami's house.
Tsunami greeted them at the door, her expression worried but relieved to see them. She was already tending to Kaiza, who lay on the bed.
"Oh goodness, elder, are you alright?" Nicolas spoke to Kaiza, his voice gentle.
"Let me see that." Nicolas examined Kaiza's injuries carefully, speaking softly to reassure him.
"Ah, it's nothing. You'll be back on your feet soon enough." Nicolas's voice was reassuring. He straightened up and ruffled Minari's hair gently.
"It's alright, young one. Nothing to be afraid of."
He stood up and looked Morro directly in the face.
"You see, my quick visit here isn't accidental." Nicolas looked around the village, his expression thoughtful. "Let's talk outside. I have something important to tell you."
Morro followed Nicolas until they were far enough away that no one could overhear them, standing among the trees where the morning light filtered through the leaves. The forest floor was soft beneath their boots, damp from the morning dew. Birds called in the distance, completely unaware of the weight of the conversation about to unfold.
Nicolas pulled a cigarette from his pocket and sparked it with a faint pinch of Negacion at his fingertip. The small flame danced for a moment before catching the paper. He inhaled once, then again, slower, buying himself a second before he spoke. Smoke curled from his lips, disappearing into the forest air.
"Tsukino," he said. "It finally happened."
Morro's stomach tightened. The name alone sent a chill down his spine. "Shiunkai?"
"Last night," Nicolas confirmed, his voice heavy with the weight of the news. "They launched the Night of Purgence. They moved fast—locked down the capital, swept the outer districts, and cut the roads. Checkpoints everywhere. Raids. Public killings." He took another drag from his cigarette, as if the words themselves were poison.
Morro's voice stayed controlled, but beneath the surface, something cold and dangerous stirred. "Civilians?"
Nicolas didn't look away. "Thousands in the first hours. That was the message: submit, or disappear." The cigarette trembled slightly in his fingers. "They weren't subtle about it. Bodies left in the streets. Families dragged from their homes. The kind of terror that makes people choose survival over resistance."
Morro exhaled through his nose, fighting back the rage that threatened to surface. "And after the coup?"
"Once Shiunkai seized control," Nicolas said, "the opposition didn't vanish—it organized. Survivors, defectors, and anyone willing to fight linked up fast. By morning they were calling the movement Kimetsu." He crushed the cigarette under his boot, grinding it into the damp earth. "They're not backing down."
Morro nodded once, his expression hardening. "So we back Kimetsu."
"We do," Nicolas said, "but not the way you want. Kensei's sending support, information, extra hands where we can. The leadership's still trying to avoid a direct collision in Tsukino."
Morro's eyes narrowed. "Because of Yamatsu."
Nicolas gave a short nod. "Yamatsu is backing Shiunkai. If Kensei marches in with our full strength, Yamatsu gets the clean clash they've been baiting us into." He kicked at a loose stone on the forest floor. "They want this war, Morro. They've wanted it for years."
Morro was quiet for a moment, jaw working as he processed the implications. The pieces were falling into place, and none of them looked good. "So Tsukino becomes the battlefield anyway. Just on their terms."
"Unless we stop playing by their timetable," Nicolas said. "That's why I came. You're not the kind of man who waits for permission."
Morro's gaze hardened, the familiar fire returning to his eyes. "You already know what I'm going to say."
Nicolas watched him, a faint smile touching his lips despite the gravity of their situation. "Say it anyway."
"We retire from Kensei," Morro said, his voice filled with conviction. "We build our own crew, completely independent from Kensei command. No politics to slow us down, no bureaucratic delays holding us back."
"And the goal?" Nicolas asked, his eyes intense as he leaned forward slightly.
"Yamatsu," Morro said, his voice dropping to a dangerous low. "You know what they did to me as a kid, Nico. Since Blackwater, this has been the only thing I've trained for." He held Nicolas's gaze, the weight of years of pain and determination burning in his eyes. "They're operating on all continents at once, growing more influential with each passing year, still persisting despite everything Kensei has thrown at them. The strongest criminal organization in the world—and I'm done waiting."
Nicolas let the cigarette burn down between his fingers, then crushed it under his boot. "I'm with you."
They shook hands firmly in agreement, the gesture sealing more than just a partnership—it was a pact, a promise that would change the course of both their lives.
"We need to make sure the village is safe before heading there," Morro said.
" Morro said.