The next morning, Cirrus had burned 80% of the invading Makia soldiers, and a deadly silence hung over the palace courtyard. Only ash and charred corpses remained as Cirrus walked among the burnt bodies with steady steps. He moved indifferently, as if this scene were just another routine part of his life.
He reached the great palace gate, where the royal guards watched from a distance, a mix of awe and fear in their eyes. Some avoided eye contact, while others couldn't stop staring at the smoldering bodies. When Cirrus ascended the steps into the palace, he turned to a guard standing by the door.
Cirrus (with deadly calm): "Clean up the mess."
The tone alone was enough to send a chill down the guard's spine, even though he knew Cirrus wouldn't harm him. He swallowed hard and turned slowly to look at Cirrus's face.
Guard (nervously): "Y-Yes, Your Majesty!"
Cirrus continued inside the royal palace, heading toward the throne room. Once there, he sank into his lavish throne, tilted his head back, and closed his eyes briefly.
Suddenly, the scene changed completely—shifting into a strange, dark vortex. As it faded, we see Akio standing on a barren, empty land. There was nothing but sky and stars above him. He began to walk, calling out for his friends.
Akio: "Ken, Ann, where are you?!"
Tension was etched across his face as he moved through the void. Suddenly, the sky shattered into pieces, and the ground beneath him began to collapse. Akio plummeted while screaming, and as he fell, he saw Ken and Ann standing above him on solid ground—they hadn't fallen at all. But oddly, they didn't look at him.
Akio (shouting): "Ken! Ann! Help me!"
But they didn't respond. Just before he disappeared into the darkness, he heard a voice say:
"You're not who you think you are, Akio."
The scene abruptly changed again—to the hotel room where Akio had been sleeping. He woke up screaming, drenched in sweat, breathing heavily. The room was dark, but moonlight through the window made everything visible. Ken sat on the bed opposite him, silently watching with a cigarette in his mouth.
Ken (quietly): "Looks like you had a nightmare."
Akio remained silent for a moment, catching his breath before responding.
Akio (low and slightly tense): "It's nothing… just a bad dream."
Ken didn't seem convinced, but he didn't push. He simply turned back to the window and took a drag from his cigarette, the smoke drifting out into the night.
After a tense night full of strange dreams, morning came—ushering in a new day and a new adventure. The scene opened in the hotel buffet, where Akio, Ken, and Ann were having breakfast. Akio was eating pancakes, while Ken and Yoko had eggs and sausages. Ken, as always, was more interested in his coffee than the food.
Suddenly, Koto appeared—dressed casually this time, wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt and black jeans.
Koto: "Morning!"
Everyone turned toward the voice, and Akio blinked in surprise.
Akio: "Doctor Koto?! What are you doing here?"
Koto smiled, shoved her hands into her pockets, and sat next to Ann.
Koto (seriously): "I thought about it… and I've decided to become your personal doctor from now on."
Ann (shocked): "Wait—are you saying you're joining us?!"
Koto (light smile): "Not exactly. I won't always be with you, but I'll be there when you need me."
Ken (coldly, setting his cup down): "And how do you plan to do that?"
At that moment, Koto placed a small box on the table and opened it. Inside were several glowing purple pendants.
Akio (surprised): "What are those?"
Koto picked one up between her fingers.
Koto: "They're not just ornaments. This is a rare tech, and only a handful of people in the world know how it works… I'm one of them. These are called Emergency Transit Pendants. If any of you carry one and are critically injured, I'll be summoned to your location instantly."
Everyone stared in awe—they had never heard of anything like it.
Ann (amazed): "A summoning technique? Like magic?"
Koto (dryly): "Not magic. No one knows their true origin, not even me. I found them buried under the sea in strange circumstances. Now I have a set. I'll give one to each of you."
Akio: "That's so cool!"
Koto: "But you can only use them once every 24 hours, so use them wisely."
Ann: "So no matter where we go… we'll be able to call you?"
Koto (confidently): "Exactly! I'll show you. I'll summon my little sister—she has one."
She turned the pendant over, revealing a tiny button on the back. With a soft glow, the pendant activated—and within seconds… Koto's sister appeared.
It was none other than Yoko, Ken's childhood friend—who had also met Akio on Urakano Island!
Koto: "That was quick, sis! Seems like you're never busy."
Yoko (looking around): "Oh, that's true!"
But when her eyes landed on Ken and Akio—both of them froze. Akio's eyes widened, and Ken paused mid-sip of his coffee, slowly turning toward her.
Akio (shocked): "Y… Yoko?!"
Ken (quietly, but internally stunned): "You're… Koto's sister?"
Ann, unfamiliar with Yoko, watched from a distance, confused by the tension.
Ann (muttering): "Okay… this feels like a family drama I wasn't warned about."
Yoko (hands on hips): "I didn't think you two would react like that! Yeah, Koto's my big sister. She told me you were here, so I figured we'd run into each other!"
Koto (surprised): "Wait, you know these guys, Yoko?!"
Yoko (a little shy): "Of course! Ken… Ken was our neighbor eight years ago!"
Koto froze, blinked twice, and rubbed her forehead in disbelief.
Koto: "Hold up—you're saying this brooding smoker was that Ken from the neighborhood? How did I not realize?!"
Ken just gave her a blank stare and sipped his coffee.
Yoko (bashfully): "Y-Yeah, we used to race each other all the time."
Ken (finally speaking): "Yeah. I met her again last week on Urakano Island."
Ann, quietly chewing her food, suddenly stopped and stared at them.
Ann (arms crossed, suspicious): "Wait a second… Ken-san, are you telling me you've had a childhood admirer all this time?!"
Yoko (frozen, embarrassed): "I-I'm not an admirer or anything like that!"
Ken (coldly staring): "Ann… stop saying dumb things."
Ann ignored him and turned to Yoko, hands on her hips, clearly jealous.
Ann (overconfident): "Well, I'm the only one who can handle Ken-san's weird moods! No one else could deal with him!"
Yoko (awkward): "Are you… two together?"
Ken lit another cigarette, exhaled, and answered flatly.
Ken: "No."
Yoko seemed slightly relieved, but Ann cut in:
Ann (flustered): "Well… not yet. But we're always together!"
Yoko's brain seemed to shut down.
Yoko (thinking): "Why do I feel like a total outsider…?"
Akio (awkwardly): "Girls, can we not…?"
Yoko stood still, while Ken blew out a slow drag of smoke, completely unfazed.
Ann (teasing): "So Yoko-chan, what did you used to call Ken when you were little? Ken-kun? Ken-san? Or… Ken-senpai?"
Yoko (super embarrassed): "N-No! I just called him by his name!"
Ann (shocked): "So you were that close, huh?"
Ken (sharply): "That's enough, Ann."
Feeling annoyed, Ken stood up and walked out of the buffet with his cigarette, clear irritation on his face.
To be continued…