In a dimly lit bar, Sairu Heika sat alone, nursing his thoughts as he awaited his beer.
I'm such an awful person, he reflected bitterly, should be tending to my garden right now, but instead, I'm here, preparing to drown my sorrows in alcohol once more. I hope I don't end up destroying something else—things are too expensive these days.
A frosty glass of beer was placed in front of him.
"Thanks—" he began, but his words trailed off as something slid into the seat beside him. He didn't bother to look, simply grabbing the beer and taking a long drink. The unmistakable sound of a stool scraping against the floor echoed in the air.
Who is this? Some drunk again? He thought, It's probably best not to make eye contact.
The stool shifted closer, and Sairu felt a vein pulse at his temple.
Keep your cool, Sairu. These drunks really know how to provoke you...
The presence next to him inched even nearer, increasing his irritation.
*But on second thought, maybe I can lose a few more bucks to some low-life punk!*
Suddenly, a shoulder crashed against Sairu's side, jolting him from his thoughts.
"WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM, YOU—" he shouted, only to freeze as he recognized the familiar figure. It was Fuyu, wearing that infuriating cat-like expression.
"Heya, Sairu," Fuyu greeted, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"F-Fuyu?!" Sairu stammered, taken aback.
"Howya doin', man?" Fuyu asked, his casual demeanor unfazed.
"What are you doing here?" Sairu demanded.
"M.A.G.I.C," Fuyu replied, slowly spelling it out, causing Sairu's eyes to widen. He shot up from his stool, a sheen of sweat forming on his brow.
"You—"
"They're finally making a move! Can't you believe it?!" Fuyu exclaimed, excitement lacing his tone.
Sairu's eyes widened further, his teeth clenching in disbelief. "What?!" he hissed, speaking through gritted teeth.
"Dude, sit down," Fuyu urged, motioning toward the stool.
Sairu complied, wiping the perspiration from his face with trembling hands.
"Didn't mean to give ya flashbacks," Fuyu said, his expression softening.
"I-I'm fine, I'm fine," Sairu insisted, forcing himself to speak more calmly. He took a breath, attempting to steady his racing heart. "So, did you just come here to drop that bombshell on me? A heads-up just in case they come after me?"
"Shoot, I wish. They've been making moves for months now. I wish I'd told you sooner," Fuyu lamented.
Sairu slammed his fist on the table, the force reverberating through the air. "WHAT?! REALLY?!"
"Yeah, yeah," Fuyu nodded, seemingly unfazed by Sairu's outburst.
"Then why are you here? You're asking me for help, aren't you?"
"Bingo!" Fuyu replied, flashing his signature cat grin.
"I'm not in. I left the Negative Point ages ago," Sairu retorted, crossing his arms defiantly.
"Yet you're still IN the Negative Point," Fuyu countered, a sly smile playing on his lips.
"That's because I don't want to work with the Negative Point. The continent itself is a beautiful place to operate in," Sairu stated.
"Come on, old teammate, give it a try!" Fuyu urged, leaning closer.
"I was everyone's teammate, not just yours. We practically have the same relationship as kindergarten classmates," Sairu replied, frustration creeping into his voice.
"Long-time friends, I know!" Fuyu chirped, undeterred.
"That's not what I meant," Sairu shot back.
"Look, the choice is yours, man. We really need the help," Fuyu pressed.
"What? Still using child-soldiers to do your work?" Sairu raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, and they're pretty strong, if I do say so myself. But you already know how formidable M.A.G.I.C is..." Fuyu trailed off, a hint of seriousness creeping in.
"Don't you guys have an army of powerful soldiers? Why use children? And while I'm at it, why ask me for help??" Sairu questioned, incredulous.
"If you'd stuck around longer, you'd know that the Negative Point is stretched thin. Many of our soldiers are out defending the continent from attackers, and our ranked members are occupied with far more critical tasks than dealing with M.A.G.I.C. That leaves us with the Sanctuary children, the Season students, and the Season's, but the Season's have to attend diplomatic meetings, manage a mountain of paperwork, navigate political minefields, deliver speeches, attend meetups, and, of course, maintain the Negative Point."
"Why are you here, then?" Sairu inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"Well, Haru and Taiyo usually handle those things, leaving me with a lot of time on my hands... sometimes. And given that the Negative Point's military is busy 24/7, we're seriously lacking capable people to assist our students," Fuyu explained.
"Your students were Ryoshi Taisaku, Toruri Doragane, and..." Sairu said, trying to recall.
"Kuroshi Okyamasu, yes," Fuyu confirmed.
"Where are they now?" Sairu asked.
"Why do you care?" Fuyu countered.
"Those two boys were the most interesting thing to happen to me," Sairu admitted, nostalgia creeping into his voice.
"You and me both. Ryoshi got kidnapped by Ketori, while both Kuroshi and Toruri are out training to fight M.A.G.I.C," Fuyu revealed.
"I don't know about Kuroshi, but I don't really think Ryoshi and Toruri are fit to fight M.A.G.I.C just yet," Sairu replied, concern etching his features.
"Their progress has been rapid! Toruri is already learning Zilla techniques, while... well, actually, I don't know what Ryoshi's doing..." Fuyu said, scratching his head.
"Ketori, you said? The old Winter season trapper Ketori? Didn't he also leave the Negative Point? Damn, you guys can't keep anyone around," Sairu remarked, a hint of exasperation in his voice.
"Well, at least you went on to become a contributing member of society," Fuyu remarked with a smirk. "That loser became a forest-dwelling, student kidnapping, vigilante who doesn't pay his taxes."
Sairu narrowed his eyes. "And now that I think about it, didn't the old Winter inheritor, Onri, leave too?"
"Yeah, and she's an arctic-dwelling, student-hogging, vigilante who doesn't have to pay taxes because she built a frickin' mansion," Fuyu replied, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"And you became a politician. You all turned to shit," Sairu shot back, frustration evident in his tone.
"It's not my fault I was the only one left on my team!" Fuyu protested, his voice rising defensively.
"That, and you were the first-ever season to not be an inheritor," Sairu added, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Okay, man, whatever. But we need your help... Z-001," Fuyu said, his expression suddenly serious.
Sairu's eyes flared with rage as he grabbed Fuyu by the collar, the anger boiling within him. "Don't. Call me. That name."
"Come on, Sairu, you know damn well you can't hurt me, so let me go," Fuyu replied, unflinching in the face of Sairu's fury.
With a grunt, Sairu released him, the tension hanging thick in the air.
Fuyu straightened his shirt, his demeanor shifting to a more somber tone. "You know all the locations of the M.A.G.I.C facilities, so pick and choose. At this point, there's no other option for you. If they succeed, the Negative Point will be in danger, and that includes your quiet life."
Fuyu stood, turning to walk away but paused, glancing back over his shoulder. "So make the decision. Help yourself, or help others."
With that, Fuyu exited, leaving Sairu staring down at the floor, the weight of his choices pressing heavily upon him.
Meanwhile, in a dimly lit room, Oto, Setchi, Kemonoka, and Rukyoi stood before Jipami, who was tied to a chair, her gaze vacant and haunted.
"Now that Setchi's here, we can start to get this girl talking!" Oto proclaimed, slamming his palm against the table with enthusiasm.
"Yeah! Talk!" Setchi echoed, his excitement palpable.
As they pressed closer, blood streamed from Jipami's eyes like tears, painting her cheeks a stark crimson.
"That's... still disturbing," Rukyoi remarked, a shiver running down his spine.
"I'll help you guys, okay?" Jipami managed, her voice trembling with desperation.
"That. Was. Easy?" Oto said, astonished.
"She may be trying to trick us!" Setchi interjected, narrowing his eyes. "What are your true intentions, scoundrel?"
"No—I'm not trying to deceive you. I hate M.A.G.I.C," Jipami insisted, her voice shaking.
"Then why were you a part of it?" Oto pressed, suspicion etched on his face.
"They took me as a young kid from my village..." Jipami's voice quivered, revealing the depth of her trauma. "They forced me through their torture tests and gave me my rank. Dr. Jibun used some sort of power to grant me the ability to create my own dimension, but he also ripped out my eyes, eyelids, eyelashes, lips, and teeth, replacing them with zippers to make my abilities work better. I think that wasn't necessary..."
"Yeah, definitely not necessary," Rukyoi murmured, feeling a wave of sympathy.
"I was tormented and abused by the others for most of my life," Jipami continued, tears of blood spilling down her face. "I just can't take it anymore. I could only stay silent for so long. I cry blood, and I can't see most of the time... My bones have been broken and repaired, and it all hurts too much." She broke down, her body shaking with silent sobs.
"I miss the way I used to look. I—I hate suffering. Take me to the Negative Point, please... find a way to save me..."
Setchi frowned, uncertainty clouding his judgment. "I still kinda don't trust her. I've read this kind of stuff in comics; she's gonna backstab us from the inside or something!"
"Well... she got defeated by Rukyoi. She can't be that strong," Oto argued, trying to rationalize their predicament.
"Hey!" Rukyoi protested, crossing his arms defensively.
"I promise I'm not lying! Just please save me! I'll help you find a quicker way to wherever you're going!" Jipami pleaded, her voice raw with emotion.
"Heh, deal," Oto replied, a flicker of determination in his eyes.
"But Oto, she could be lying," Setchi warned, concern etched across his face.
"I look at her and see that she's being genuine. Besides, you act like if she were to betray us, we'd lose everything," Oto countered.
"Good point. YOSHA! NEW MEMBER!!!" Setchi cheered, his enthusiasm returning.
Unbeknownst to them, outside their hotel-room door, Nuqta Edray eavesdropped on their conversation, her expression darkening. "That traitorous bitch. I knew she'd pull something like that," she whispered to herself, a flicker of betrayal igniting within her.
With a swift movement, Nuqta slipped behind a lamp and vanished, reappearing in the bustling streets of the town. She moved silently through the crowd until she turned into an alleyway, where she was abruptly halted by Damiki, who stood with his unsheathed katana poised at her neck. The blade shimmered, featuring a long, see-through strip running down its center, a silent warning of the danger she now faced.
"Damiki..." Nuqta said, her voice steady but laced with tension.
"Dorpai's dead. Khaya's death caused the awakening of Gonchung, who was also killed. I know Cornelia is dead because Dorpai reported to me that she perished before she fought the Negative Point kid. So that leaves you and Jipami. What the hell do you think you're doing?" Damiki replied, his tone sharp and accusatory.
Nuqta narrowed her eyes. "Their numbers are high right now. I knew if I interfered in Dorpai's fight, I might've ended up dead. And since the other three stuck together the entire way, I couldn't kill any of them. I'd try something here, but they're all together, and this town is a little too crowded for another chaotic fight."
"But that's why you have Jipami," Damiki countered, his voice dropping slightly. "She's meant to split up the group."
"Jipami's a traitor. She's working with the enemy now," Nuqta shot back, her frustration boiling over.
With a resigned sigh, Damiki sheathed his katana, the sound echoing ominously. "Very well. At least one of you is staying useful. I would help, but we have to stay low for the time being. Besides, I need to get back to the main base."
He turned, starting to weave through the crowd of people, his presence commanding yet unassuming.
"Stay useful!" he called over his shoulder, vanishing seamlessly into the sea of bodies, leaving Nuqta alone with her thoughts and the weight of her decisions.