Akio, Yoko, and Ken were walking down a dirt road surrounded by thick trees. The sun was starting to set, and orange light reflected on their faces.
Akio (walking beside Ken, looking confused): "But… why are there so many bandits here? Every corner has a gang! Even in the café!"
Ken (calmly, with hands in his pockets): "Because this island has no laws. No army, no police, no courts."
Akio (nervously): "You mean… if someone wants to kill you, they can do it easily?!"
Ken: "Yes. The one who survives is the one with power… or intelligence."
Akio (hesitating): "But why live here? This place isn't good enough even for stray dogs!"
Ken (pausing): "Because… I can't live anywhere else."
Akio (surprised): "Huh?"
Ken (looking at the sky, voice calm but heavy): "I'm wanted in more than one country. If I leave the Three Islands, it's like declaring war."
Yoko, who had been walking quietly behind them, finally spoke in a soft but confident voice:
Yoko: "Actually… I heard about that."
Both Ken and Akio stopped and looked at her. She was staring at the ground, hands folded.
Yoko (raising her eyes slowly to Ken): "I heard you're wanted… that you disappeared years ago. You became a samurai rebel against the government. I searched for you… not to take you back, not to blame you, just to make sure you're alive."
Ken (quietly): "Who said I want someone to check on me?"
Yoko (firmly): "No one. But… you don't have to allow me. It's my choice."
A short silence passed before Akio, as usual, tried to ease the mood.
Akio (scratching his head): "So… Ken is the dangerous runaway, Yoko is the childhood friend chasing him, and I'm the future Shogun stuck in a sad, mysterious story?!"
Ken (coldly): "You're loud."
Akio (smiling): "Thanks!"
Akio, who had just laughed, couldn't hide his curiosity anymore. He stepped closer to Ken and spoke more seriously this time:
Akio: "Okay, forget me and my Shogun dream… Tell me, what's your real goal?"
Ken stopped walking. He didn't turn to Akio, just stared at the sunset ahead, like it reminded him of something painful.
Ken (calmly, voice darker): "My goal? Revenge."
Akio (more curious): "Against who?"
Ken (slowly, like each word carried hate): "Cirrus."
Yoko froze and looked at Ken's back with worry. Akio was surprised.
Akio: "Cirrus? The king of the Kaji Kingdom?!"
Ken: "Yes. The Fire King… the man who ruined my life."
Ken slowly pulled out a cigarette box from his pocket. He turned his head slightly toward Akio and Yoko and asked:
Ken: "Do you mind if I smoke here?"
Yoko (shaking her head gently): "No… It's up to you."
Akio (raising an eyebrow): "Me? As long as you don't set us on fire… do what you want."
Ken smiled lightly and sarcastically, lit his cigarette with a small flame from his finger, and took a long puff.
Akio (suddenly serious as he watched Ken's face): "I like you, Ken… no, you inspired me!"
Ken (without looking): "I don't need fans."
Akio (stepping forward, more determined): "I'm not saying this because you're strong… but because you're a rebel like me."
Ken (side glance): "A rebel?"
Akio (passionately): "Yes! You're fighting a tyrant king… and I want to change the whole system. I want to make a new world… a world where the weak aren't crushed and the innocent aren't hurt."
Ken: "And how do you plan to do that? With speeches?"
Akio: "No, with action… That's why I need you with me. We're more alike than you think…"
Ken took another puff from his cigarette, then said quietly:
Ken: "The only difference between us, Akio… is that I don't fight to change the world. I fight to burn it."
Akio went quiet for a second, but didn't step back. He looked at Ken with determined eyes.
Akio (smiling calmly): "Burning the world… is the first step to changing it."
As Akio's words echoed in the air, Ken exhaled his last puff, threw the cigarette down, and crushed it under his shoe. Suddenly, a woman's scream rang out! It was sharp, hoarse, and full of fear.
Yoko (turning immediately): "What was that?!"
All three ran toward the sound without thinking. When they arrived, they saw something shocking. A wooden wagon was stopped, and on the ground, a woman in her 30s held a small child, crying with him. Beside her, a man lay on the ground, his face covered in blood, a knife in his body, and his chest not moving.
In front of them, two masked men in dark clothes—one holding a blood-covered sword, the other rummaging through the wagon's bags.
Bandit 1 (deep voice): "Hurry! Before anyone sees us!"
Akio froze in place, breathing heavily.
Akio (shocked): "No… this is the third crime I've seen since I came to this island…"
The first bandit turned to the woman and grabbed the child's arm roughly.
Bandit 1 (threatening): "We won't leave empty-handed… we're taking the kid as a hostage!"
The child cried and screamed, his legs dangling in the air. The woman crawled on the ground, reaching out to him and screaming:
Woman: "Please! Don't take him! Give him back!! He's just a child!!"
Akio started walking forward, anger building in his face.
Akio (shaking with rage): "Put him down… or I swear I won't show mercy."
Bandit 1 (laughing): "Really?"
The second bandit mocked and pulled out his sword, while the first focused on the kid. But before Akio could move again—Ken disappeared without warning. He reappeared behind Bandit 1… his left hand gripping the man's neck tightly. Ken's look wasn't of a savior—it was the gaze of a judge delivering death.
Ken (cold and terrifying): "You still don't know how to treat children, do you?"
Bandit 1 (choking): "Damn… let go!!"
In one last dirty move, the bandit threw the child back violently, kicking him through the air like a toy! The child flew toward the trees and screamed! Everyone froze… except Ken. He exploded forward with a hellish jump, flames shooting from his feet for speed.
In just one moment… he flew to the child and caught him in the air. He turned his body so he hit the ground on his back, not the kid. Then he rolled. The child was safe. Ken held him silently with a blank face. Slowly, he stood up and walked over to Yoko, handing her the child.
Ken (softly, looking into her eyes): "Take care of him… until we're done."
Yoko quickly took the child, hugging him and checking if he was okay. Ken turned back to the battle zone. At that moment, Akio stepped forward, standing tall with sparks dancing on his fingers. But he wasn't just angry… he was annoyed.
Akio (childish and frustrated): "So you stole the moment, huh? Saved the kid, calm, cool, fast… fine! Now it's my turn!!"
He stood in front of Ken with confidence.
Akio (to the bandits): "You two! You have two choices: surrender… or taste lightning for the first time!"
Ken (behind Akio, coldly): "Go ahead, future Shogun… show us what you've got."
Akio grinned wide, opened his hands, and sparks gathered around them.
Akio: "Sorry for the delay… I'm back in action!"
He raised his right hand high, grabbed the sword on his back, and pulled it out slowly and dramatically.
Akio (pretending to sound grand): "This is my sword… the Sword of Lightning… the Sword of Justice… the Shogun's Sword…!"
Then, simply:
Akio: "But it's really heavy."
He dropped the sword! Ken's eyes widened, and Yoko raised an eyebrow while calming the child.
Ken (dryly): "Seriously?"
Akio (confidently rubbing his hands): "I don't even need a sword. My hands are enough!"
He charged toward the bandits like lightning. One of them raised his sword, but Akio was faster. He held out his hand and shouted:
Akio: "Shock #1!!"
A medium electric shock hit the first man. His body jolted, feet lifted off the ground, and he screamed:
Bandit 1: "Yeeeeaaaahhhh!!"
Boom! He fell on his back, frozen. Akio turned to the second one at lightning speed and said:
Akio: "Shock #2—at an angle!"
He pointed his hand at a strange angle and fired another shock. It hit the second man in the side. He screamed, spun around, his face switching from anger, to shock, to fear.
Bandit 2 (screaming): "Aaaaah… hoooosspppitallll…!!"
He collapsed next to his friend, smoke rising from his clothes. Akio stood over them with his hands on his waist like a superhero.
Akio (proudly): "And I only used 5% of my power!"
Ken (coldly): "I hope I never see the other 95."
Yoko walked slowly to the crying woman still holding her husband's body. Her eyes were lost in grief. The child started waking up in Yoko's arms, clinging to her shirt, whispering:
Child (innocently): "Dad… where's Dad?"
Yoko hesitated, then looked into his small eyes. She knew he shouldn't see anything more.
Yoko (soft but firm): "Don't look, okay? You're brave… close your eyes for now."
She gently placed her hand over his eyes and walked over to the mother, knelt down, and gave her the child. The woman hugged him tightly, like afraid he might be taken again.
Yoko (whispering): "We saved him. Don't open his eyes now… don't let him see more."
The mother nodded silently, tears falling. She stood up and walked away, still covering her son's eyes.
Meanwhile, Akio picked up his fallen sword, blew dust off it like it was a treasure, and turned to the bandits. Sparks still danced around his fingers. He walked slowly toward them, and just his footsteps brought fear back to their faces.
Bandit 1 (whispering): "No… not again…"
Bandit 2: "We're done! We were just joking… harmless fun!"
Akio (cold smile): "Oh… I know. And I'm joking too."
Wham! Akio stabbed the ground beside one of their heads!
Bandit 1: "Yeeeeaaaahhhh!!"
Wham! Another stab near the other's leg!
Bandit 2: "Moooooooom!!"
Akio (shouting like an actor): "A stab for the kid!"
Wham!
"For the mom!"
Wham!
"For the peace you stole!"
Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham!
Each stab only hit the ground, but dirt flew into their faces. They screamed, eyes shut, like waiting for death. Then Akio raised the sword high…
Akio (softly): "And the last stab… is for the soufflé I didn't get to finish!"
Wham!!
The sword fell between their legs. One of them fainted from fear.
Ken (mocking from behind): "You killed him… with fear."
Akio (proud): "That's the art of psychological warfare…"
Yoko (from a distance): "I can't believe you used 'soufflé' in a death threat."
Akio: "Everyone has a weak point."
Ken stepped calmly toward them. His fire sword began glowing faint red. He stood in front of the first bandit, who was begging with his eyes.
Ken (low, deadly voice): "In this place… there are no laws. No courts. No written justice."
He looked at Akio, who watched silently, hands tense at his sides.
Ken: "Samurai aren't questioned when punishing those who violate the innocent. These men… broke every principle, every piece of humanity."
Ken looked back at the bandit. Akio shut his eyes for a second… then opened them slowly to see clearly. Ken brought down his sword on the man's neck—one clean cut. The head rolled slowly, the body froze… then fell.
Ken immediately turned to the second bandit, who screamed and crawled. Ken looked at him like a death judge… then cut off his head too. The second head fell beside the body. Everything went still, like time stopped. Ken stood in the blood, emotionless. No regret—only deadly calm.
Akio (quietly): "He… killed them… without even blinking."
Yoko (sad whisper): "Ken… has completely changed."
Akio stared at the blood, shock on his face. The sparks on his hands disappeared. The excitement from earlier was gone.
Akio (quiet, confused): "I… never killed anyone before."
He slowly looked up at Ken.
Akio: "I thought I was ready… but now? I don't even know if I can."
Ken: "No one is born ready. Killing isn't glory. It's not like training lightning or sword moves."
Ken turned and finally looked at Akio. His gaze was full of bitter truth and deadly calm.
Ken: "Samurai don't kill because they're strong… but because they can't let the weak be slaughtered. A samurai doesn't seek blood… he carries it so others don't have to."
A light silence fell. Then Ken walked away from the bodies.
Ken (without looking back): "One day… you'll face a choice: kill, or die. Only then… you'll know who you really are."
Akio froze, listening to Ken's words. Then he slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and felt something shift inside. He opened his eyes again—this time, they shined with a new determination.
Akio (strong, emotional voice): "Maybe I can't kill yet… and maybe I don't know what's ahead… but I know one thing…"
He placed his fist on his chest.
Akio: "I will become the Shogun… and create a world where no one has to kill to protect the ones they love!"
Akio rushed to catch up with Ken, voice full of his usual passion.
Akio: "I'll face my fears… fight… fall and rise a hundred times, but I won't give up! I'll change! I'll become stronger… no matter what!"
Ken kept walking silently. Then he said in a quiet voice with a hint of respect:
Ken: "You're not bad… Akio."
Akio stopped for a second, frozen, like his heart stopped then started again harder.
Akio (shocked): "H-huh?! What did you say?!"
Ken (still walking): "I said… I'll think about joining you."
At that moment, Akio's face exploded with joy like a kid getting his favorite toy after a long wait.
Akio (shouting): "Haaaah!! Finally!! Did you hear that?! Ken is thinking about joining me! That's historic!! Yoko!! We're making progress!!"
Yoko (smiling): "Yes… I think you did it, somehow."
Akio (running in circles): "Next step… make Ken my real friend!! Then… domination!! I mean… justice! Shogunhood! Something!!"
Ken (closing his eyes with a sigh): "And that's why I'm hesitating."
But despite the sarcasm, there was no real rejection in Ken's voice… only a quiet acceptance. Like a first step from someone who thought he'd never walk that path again—but found himself taking it without knowing.
To be continued…