After waving Darak and Aurora goodbye, Reis went to his bedroom only to find Shin lying awake in his bed.
"I'm sorry about today" Reis apologized.
"No Reis, I'm sorry. Erasa got angry because of me. I tried to compliment her and I ended up getting too emotional" Shin apologized.
"I don't think you did anything wrong by trying to compliment her" Reis said thoughtfully.
"Anyway, I did promise to tell you about my past. How I first met Erasa? I'll tell you now if you're willing to listen" Shin said.
"Of course I want to listen" Reis said.
"It's a long story" Shin said as he began to recall his past.
"My real parents were killed when an evil warlord known as Lord Galigaos raided my village. My parents hid me so I survived. I was raised by a kind old woman who also died when I was seven years old. All that time…I had no name, I had no identity. From then on, I had to live on the streets, feeding on scraps of food and rubbish like a scavenger. Many times I had to steal and fight for food and many times, I was left half dead" Shin narrated.
"How horrible" Reis sympathized.
"Heh! It was actually on one of those days that my true story began…
TEN YEARS AGO…
A young boy, seven years of age lay wounded on the streets. He had just attempted to steal some food from one of the market stalls. Unluckily, he was caught and brutalized by the people. He lay on the streets bleeding profusely and just barely conscious. He was hungry and weak and the worst part of it all was that he felt lonely and abandoned. The people acted indifferently towards him and none of them tried to help him. Without even realizing it, he soon lost consciousness.
A whole day passed without anyone showing compassion towards the boy and he remained on the streets, his only clothes were rags and he was left at the mercy of the weather.
Then on the midnight of the second day, a group of people entered the town. They consisted of a man and nine children. Five of the children were girls and four of them were boys. They saw the brutalized boy lying on the streets.
"Is he alive?" one girl asked.
The man checked the wounded boy's pulse.
"Yes One, this boy is still alive. But just barely. He's lost a lot of blood" the man said.
"Hey, do you think he can become one of us, leader Suiryu?" the girl called one asked.
"Well, we'll have to see about that after he recovers" Suiryu said as he carried the wounded boy.
"Okay, let's leave this village. The people here were cruel enough to hurt this poor boy" the girl called One said.
"I don't think so. These are just the kind of people that deserve a good robbing. We'll rob 'em blind before we leave as tribute to this boy" one of the boys said.
"You're right! Let's show them the power of the Maelstrom Nine!" One said and they spread out.
"I'll take care of this boy" Suiryu said as he carried the wounded boy out of the village.
Suiryu took the wounded boy to a cave and tended his wounds. Soon the Maelstrom Nine returned with a lot of loot.
"So how did the robbery go?" Suiryu asked.
"Thanks to Six's great sense of smell, we robbed anyone who had the scent of this boy's blood on them" One reported.
"Well, that's good" Suiryu said.
"How is he?" the girl called Three asked.
"He'll survive. His ribs were slightly dislocated due to the beating he received but I've taken care of that. This boy's survival instincts do impress me though. A normal person would have died but he moved in such a skilful way that he avoided fatal wounds" Suiryu said.
"Most people like us have those instincts. If this boy doesn't join us, it'll be a waste of his talents, right One?" the boy called Two asked.
"I agree" the girl called Four said.
"But in the end, the choice is his to make" One said.
A week passed with the wounded boy still unconscious.
On the eighth day, he opened his eyes.
"How are you feeling?" One who was watching over him asked.
"Honestly, I've felt better" the boy said as he struggled to sit up.
"No don't! Lie down, you're still quite hurt" One warned.
"Who are you? Where am I?" the boy asked.
"You're in a cave outside the village. As for my identity, you can just call me One" One said.
"But that's just a number" the boy said in surprise.
"Well we the Maelstrom Nine are nothing more than just numbers. What's your name?" One asked.
The boy remained silent.
"Is there something wrong with what I just said?" One asked.
"Not really, it's just that…I don't have a name. I've never had one" the boy said.
"That's really sad. I understand because none of us have names as well but having a number is better than being nothing at all" One said.
Suiryu soon entered the cave.
"Good, you're awake" he asked.
"What is the Maelstrom Nine?" the wounded boy asked.
"The Maelstrom Nine are an elite group of bandits part of a larger organization called the Maelstrom Thieves Guild. It is fundamentally divided into three groups each headed by one of its original founders. The Maelstrom Nine is the division headed by Suiryu. We steal to survive" One informed the wounded boy.
"I see…so thieves these days have class. That's very encouraging" the wounded boy said and they all started laughing.
"Most of us were abandoned as children or left to fend for ourselves when Lord Galigaos destroyed our homes and…murdered our families" Three said almost on the verge of tears.
The wounded boy squeezed his fists tightly.
"Lord Galigaos! He took my family away from me too. I'll definitely defeat him!" the wounded boy declared.
"We have the same goal. So…will you join us? You know, we are also family and we watch one another's backs. C'mon, you've got great instincts. We need you" One said.
The wounded boy seemed to think for a while.
"I guess I've got nothing to lose and everything to gain so count me in!" he declared.
"That's great! But first you need to pass the initiation test" Suiryu said.
"What's that?" the wounded boy asked.
"Tomorrow at dawn, you must return to the village and rob all those that hurt you. There's just one rule. Get back alive and without help!" Suiryu said.
"I'm really craving for some sweet payback and this is just the perfect way!" the wounded boy said.
"For now, get some rest" One advised.
At dawn the following day, the Maestrom Nine and the wounded boy assembled at the outskirts of the village.
"Are you ready boy?" One asked.
"I am" the wounded boy said.
"Then go!" Suiryu ordered and the wounded boy ran into the village on light feet. Though he was running fast, not even the sound of his footsteps could be heard.
"Whoa, he's really silent…almost like…a phantom!" Two said.
When the sun began to rise, loud screams were heard.
"Do you think he's been caught?" Three asked.
"No…listen" One said and they listened closely.
"My money! My money's gone!" "Oh no! My jewellery is missing!" "No! Not my golden belt!" screams came from the village.
"He's coming! I can smell him!" Six exclaimed suddenly and in the next instant, the wounded boy stood behind them.
"Hey, where are you guys looking? I'm over here" he said and they all turned to see him carrying a lot of loot in pillowcases.
"No way! I couldn't even sense his presence!" One thought in surprise.
"For a seven year old, you're more like a phantom than any of the elite in the Maelstrom Thieves Guild. From now on…" One was saying when Two cut her off.
"Don't tell me he's Ten. The Maelstrom Ten sounds really awful!" Two complained.
"He's right you know?" everyone agreed.
"No, he's not going to be Ten. He'll have a non-existent name just like a phantom. From now on, you will be known as Zero and we shall be known as the Maelstrom Zero-Nine!" One declared.
Everyone agreed and cheered Zero on.
PRESENTLY…
And that's how I joined the Maelstrom bandits and earned my first name, Zero!" Shin narrated.
"Whoa! You really sound like some kind of legend" Reis seemed surprised.
"Yes I was, wasn't I? My name was feared even amongst thieves and I became even more renowned than Galigaos. People began to call me the Phantom Thief!" Shin narrated.
"But wait a minute, I defeated the Maelstrom Bandits in the Village Of Shades on my recent mission. I'm sorry to tell you this but the three leaders of the Maelstrom gang were killed by a curse from Di Devilli but it's also kinda my fault. From the way you described One though, I think I met her. She said she hoped we could join forces and fight against Di Devilli someday" Reis said.
Shin frowned.
"I wouldn't trust them if I were you. I eventually regretted having anything to do with them. That actually happened five years after my initiation and around the time I met Erasa. It all started when I found out that Lord Galigaos had already been defeated by a Dragon Knight known as Jinrai the Lightning Blade!" Shin continued his story.
FIVE YEARS AGO…
"WHAT?! What do you mean Lord Galigaos is dead?!" Zero yelled.
"The villagers told me that he was sealed by a Dragon Knight. A man called Jinrai the Lightning Blade" One informed Zero.
Zero frowned and squeezed his fists.
"You should be happy Zero, we all are" One said.
"When exactly did this happen?" Zero asked.
"About two years ago" One informed him.
"Damn it!" Zero said through clenched teeth.
"What's wrong Zero?" One asked.
"I wanted to avenge my family with my own hands. It was all I lived for and now…I can't" Zero said as he stormed out of the cave.
"Zero!" One called as she ran after him.
Zero sat on top of the mountain overlooking Rubble Village below. One walked to him.
"Hey Zero" she called.
"I need to be alone" Zero said angrily.
"Come on, you probably need someone to talk to" One said as she sat beside him.
"No, I just need some time alone!" Zero insisted.
"You know vengeance was our goal too but we didn't really care how it would be achieved as long as it was achieved" One said.
"But now, my only purpose for living has been taken away from me" Zero said.
"Ouch, that hurt" One grumbled.
"What?" Zero asked.
"What do you think we are? Extra baggage? I thought we were your new family!" One scolded him.
"You are…but I failed my real family" Zero said.
"Oh so we are not enough reason for you to live on is that it?" One said in an offended tone.
"I never said that" Zero defended himself.
"But you meant it. Look Zero, we've all lost our homes and families but some good did come out of that. We found each other and we're happy or…are you not happy with us?" One asked.
"I am. I just really looked forward to taking Galigaos down with my own hands. Try to understand me" Zero said.
"I do" One said.
"You know what? Two to Nine, get your butts out here!" Zero called.
In a few minutes, they had all assembled.
"What's up Zero?" the girl called Six asked.
"Let's all make a promise together okay? Under this full moon and with this mountain as a witness that no matter the paths we take in life as we grow up, we'll never forget each other. We'll help each other when one of us is in need and we'll never hurt or betray one another" Zero said.
"As the Maelstrom Zero-Nine, we all make this vow never to abandon each other" they all said together.
The following day soon arrived with the Maelstrom Zero-Nine still resting in their cave. Suiryu soon arrived looking very disturbed.
"I've got some very bad news guys. The townspeople have requested for Dragon Rangers to rid the town of us" Suiryu said.
"Hmmph! Well that sounds like an interesting challenge" Zero said with a confident chuckle.
"What do we do?" Three asked.
"They're due to arrive right about now" Suiryu said.
"Hey, anyone willing to bet that I can rob a Dragon Ranger?" Zero challenged.
"Are you crazy?! They've got dragons! Do you want to end up as roadkill?!" Six opposed the idea.
"Well I'd like to see you try" Two challenged.
"Let's make a deal. If I can rob a Dragon Ranger by sunset, I'll receive half the loot from our next heist. How's that sound?" Zero challenged.
"Deal!" Two agreed.
"Okay, but be careful" One cautioned.
"I will, I promise" Zero said as he left the cave.
Meanwhile, Team Senshiiro had arrived in Rubble Village. They had blended in with the villagers while gathering clues. They kept hearing the name Phantom Thief so they decided to split up to cover more ground. Zero was disguised in a hood. He stood nearby monitoring their movements. He noticed them split up and decided to follow Erasa. Erasa was asking about the Phantom Thief when Zero snuck to her side.
"Beware the Phantom Thief. He'll steal you blind" Zero whispered in a hoarse voice and disappeared into the crowd.
"What was that voice?" Erasa murmured as she looked around but she didn't find the person that warned her.
Zero walked around pretending to be busy while trailing Erasa till she reached the market centre.
"Perfect, now it's Chaos Time!" Zero thought with a sly smile.
A man was selling about ten apples but when he turned for a moment, a quick shadow flashed by his stall and he was left with eight apples.
"Thief! Thief! The Phantom Thief has struck again!" the man screamed.
Almost immediately, other screams joined them.
"What's going on?" Erasa wondered as she ran towards the source of the screams.
Almost immediately, Zero ran towards her. He was very excited about the chaos he had created and knew it was time to make his big move. Erasa was contemplating what she would do when she caught the Phantom Thief and then from out of the blue, Zero suddenly crashed into her and they fell to the ground.
"Ouch ouch ouch!" they cried in pain.
"Hey! Why don't you watch where you're going?!" Erasa yelled angrily.
"Me?! Why don't you watch where you're going?!" Zero yelled angrily.
"But you bumped into me!" Erasa yelled. "Who do you think you are?!"
"Hey, you're a dragon ranger right?" Zero suddenly became friendly.
"What's it to you?!" Erasa asked.
Zero removed his hood.
"Then be glad, for today, you have had the honour of being robbed by the Phantom Thief! Sayonara! Oh and one more thing, you're the prettiest girl I've ever robbed. See ya!" Zero said as he disappeared into the crowd.
"Who the heck was that jerk and…Oh no! My sapphire ring's gone!" Erasa exclaimed in dismay then she chased after Zero but she couldn't find him.
Zero meanwhile was watching her from the rooftops.
"She is the prettiest girl I've ever robbed" he said as he disappeared.
"What am I going to tell Mom? That ring was a family heirloom" Erasa thought in dismay and just then, she found her teammates.
"Erasa, what happened?" her mother questioned her.
"Mom, there's something I've got to tell you and I don't think you'll like it" Erasa said sadly.
"What's wrong?" her mother asked her.
"I was robbed by the Phantom Thief. He stole my sapphire ring" Erasa confessed.
"That jerk! Did you see his face?" Ethan asked.
"Yes, he had dark hair and brown eyes. He's got this cocky look and he's extremely overconfident" Erasa described Zero.
"If you saw him, then we'll find him" Mistress Suzuna said confidently.
Meanwhile, Zero was at the Maelstrom Zero-Nine's hideout.
"What did I tell you guys? And it only took me half a day" Zero said cheerfully.
"Amazing!" the boy called Nine exclaimed.
"Yeah, so now you guys owe me" Zero laughed. "And you know what? The Dragon Ranger I stole this ring from had this really annoying attitude but she was very beautiful. And I really enjoyed stealing from her. I can't wait to see the look on her face when I bump into her again" Zero said with wicked pleasure.
"Now you're taking this a bit too far. Forget about her and focus on the next heist" One warned Zero.
"Nuh-uh! I'm definitely going to see her again tomorrow" Zero said.
The Maelstrom Zero-Nine spent the rest of the day playing, resting and hunting for food.
The following day, Zero got up early and snuck into town. Not many people were on the streets so he had no trouble getting around. Soon, it came to his notice that there were a lot of posters on the walls of houses in the town. Zero walked to one of them and examined it.
"Wanted, Phantom Thief. Dead or Alive. Reward, 100, 000NGs" Zero read the poster.
There was a picture of him on it. It looked cartoon like but the expression it had was just wicked.
"At least they got the expression right? And 100,000 Novatian G's? Almost makes me want to turn myself in for the reward money" Zero said with a laugh.
"There you are!" a familiar voice suddenly said.
"Aiiee! She found me!" Zero thought in fright.
"You know, I searched around town for you all day long but you really know how to hide yourself" the voice said.
Zero shook his head in boredom and turned around slowly. He decided to disguise himself so he crossed his eyes and poked out his tongue.
"Are you talking to me?" he asked in an idiotic voice but he ended up with a terrible slap.
"Don't get smart with me Phantom Thief!" Erasa yelled and a double slap followed that straightened his features.
"Okay, okay! You caught me. Just stop with the slaps okay?" Zero pleaded.
"Okay! Spill it! Where's my sapphire ring?!" Erasa yelled.
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Zero said with a pretend frown.
Quadruple slaps followed.
"Okay, I have your ring but it…well, it grew wings and flew away" Zero provoked Erasa.
Erasa hooked him by the collar and lifted him off the ground.
"Are you sure?" she asked with an intimidating grin.
"Yep, definitely zero point nine percent sure" Zero teased.
Erasa frowned and tossed him overhead. He fell on his face.
"You're crazy! Really insane!" Zero yelled.
"Oh, that's just a part of it" Erasa said as she grabbed him by one leg and lifted him into the air.
"Crazy but strong and very beautiful" Zero quickly added.
"Yeah yeah just give me my ring!" Erasa yelled and kicked him on the face. Zero somersaulted through the air and crashed into a wall which cracked on impact.
"Ouch!" he groaned in pain.
"You know I really liked you at first but now I'm starting to hate you" Zero said.
"Whatever, I'm apprehending you now" Erasa said as she removed ropes from her satchel.
"If you stay still, you won't get hurt" she said as she tied his hands.
"You know, if you tie my hands, you'll have to tie my legs and carry me on your back or my legs might just grow legs and run away" Zero teased.
Erasa frowned and flicked him on the forehead with her middle finger. Zero flew and crashed into the wall again. This time, the wall collapsed to the ground.
"With just one finger!" Zero exclaimed in shock.
Erasa tied his feet tightly.
"Now that that's taken care of I'm taking you to the village head for a trial" Erasa said.
"Are you going to carry me?" Zero teased.
"Nope, Terra will. I SUMMON YOU TERRA!" Erasa called and an earthquake rocked the village.
The ground split and stones arose from the ground to form the earth dragon, Terra.
"AIIIEEE!!! What in the world is that?!" Zero screamed in fright.
"Terra, I have apprehended the Phantom Thief. Let's take him to…" Erasa was saying when Terra interrupted her.
"What are you talking about Erasa? I don't see anybody" Terra said.
"What are you talking about? Look at him right…" Erasa said as she turned around but there was nobody in sight except for the ropes that lay on the ground.
"YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!" Zero yelled from a distance as he ran away.
Erasa frowned angrily.
"Come back here immediately!" Erasa roared.
"IN YOUR DREAMS!" Zero yelled back as he ran away.
"Terra, keep your presence hidden for now. I've got a thief to catch!" Erasa said as she chased after Zero.
They ran and ran till they reached the outskirts of the town. Zero ran towards the mountains. Erasa chased after him and she was catching up.
"Sheesh, this girl's got quite a stamina" Zero complained as he doubled his speed.
Soon, he reached the edge of a crevice.
"Sorry pretty girl but…this is where you lose me" Zero said as he leapt over the crevice without hesitation.
Erasa stared at him in surprise. He landed on the other side smoothly.
"This was fun, I'm really sorry girl but this is the last time you'll ever see me. I've had enough of a beating to last me for one lifetime" Zero said with a laugh, then he sped away.
Erasa scowled, then she ran with all her might and leapt over the crevice.
"HHAAAAH!!!" she screamed confidently.
"WHAT?! ARE YOU CRAZY?! YOU'RE INSANE! YOU WON'T MAKE IT!" Zero yelled in concern.
Then Erasa started to fall.
"AAAAAAAAAHHH!!!" she screamed as she missed the edge and fell into the crevice.
Zero ran to the edge of the crevice and looked into it.
Erasa was holding onto a tree stump that protruded from the side of the crevice.
"You very stupid girl! Don't you value your life?! Does catching me mean more to you than living?!" Zero scolded as he stretched his hand towards Erasa. The stump gave way a little.
"Help me! Please!" Erasa screamed.
"Reach for my hand!" Zero urged Erasa.
Erasa tried to but the tree stump gave way a little more.
"I can't!" Erasa screamed almost on the verge of tears.
"Hold on, I'll try to think of something" Zero said as he looked around.
He saw a puddle of water a distance away from him.
"I know! Hang on girl! I'll be right with you" Zero said as he moved away from Erasa's line of sight.
He went to the puddle and took off his shirt.
"Don't leave me alone!" Erasa pleaded.
Zero threw his shirt into the puddle till it was soaking wet. Then he removed it and ran back to the crevice.
"Grab this!" Zero ordered as he reached out with his shirt.
"Grab on and don't let go!" he said.
Erasa stretched out one hand and grabbed the shirt.
"Good, now let go of the tree stump and hold it with both hands" Zero directed.
Erasa was afraid but when the tree stump suddenly snapped, she quickly obeyed.
Zero held on to the wet shirt with both hands and pulled with all his might. Erasa began to rise slowly.
"Hang on!" Zero ordered as he pulled some more. The shirt was so taut that the water began to run down it. Zero pulled with all his might but Erasa was quite heavy.
"Jeez, what have you been eating?!" he asked but the problem wasn't with Erasa's weight.
Zero had not eaten well in almost three days so he didn't have much energy left and most of the water had escaped the shirt so it began to tear.
"Help me!" Erasa screamed.
Zero wrapped the shirt around his left hand and reached out with his right hand.
"If you fall, I fall, now reach for my hand!" Zero ordered.
Erasa struggled to reach for Zero's hand. Their fingertips touched but that was not enough. Zero pulled with all the strength in his left hand and reached with his right hand. Soon, he was able to grab Erasa's wrist.
"GOTCHA!" he exclaimed as he pulled with all his might.
That was still not enough so he decided to add the force of his weight by tilting himself backwards and suddenly managed to pull Erasa out of the crevasse. But he fell to the ground and Erasa fell on top of him. They both lay still panting heavily with their eyes closed. They opened their eyes together and kept staring into each other's eyes.
"Thank you" Erasa said gratefully.
"You're welcome" Zero said.
Zero kept staring into Erasa's eyes in fascination.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Erasa asked.
"You've got really beautiful eyes" Zero complimented.
"So do you" Erasa said, then she realized her mistake.
"Besides, what else can I do? You're on top of me" Zero said with a nervous chuckle.
"What? Oh sorry, I'm really sorry" Erasa said as she got up.
Zero stood up and looked at her.
"It's fine" he said.
"Here! I'm sorry I stole it from you, I was just bored. You must think I'm a really bad person" Zero said.
"At first I did but now…I think you're a fairly decent guy" Erasa said.
"I'm Erasa Senshiiro. What's your name?" Erasa asked.
Zero looked depressed.
"You don't need to know my name. I don't really exist. I'm nothing more than a phantom" Zero said.
"That's crazy. You're real enough to me. It's important to me to know the name of my rescuer" Erasa said.
Zero glanced at her.
"It's Zero" Zero introduced himself.
"Come on. Don't hide your identity from me. Tell me your real name. I'm sorry for beating you up earlier" Erasa apologized.
"My real name is Zero. Just Zero. If you think it's not my name then just assume I have no name because it's the only identity I've ever had" Zero said sadly.
Erasa stared at him. From the serious look on his face, she could tell that he was telling the truth.
"I'm sorry" Erasa apologized.
"Don't apologize. My real parents were murdered right after my birth and the woman who raised me died when I was seven. I had to steal to survive. A person like me doesn't have the luxury of having a name. I'm content with being called Zero. I'm happy with having an identity, even if it's just a dumb number like Zero" Zero said.
Erasa smiled.
"Well I don't like calling you Zero so I'll give you a new name. A real name. Would you like that?" Erasa asked.
"Really?!" A real name?! Sounds great!" Zero exclaimed excitedly.
His joy brought a tear to Erasa's eyes.
"Erasa, are you okay?" Zero asked.
"Yes, let me think of a suitable name for you" Erasa said as she thought deeply.
"Yes! I've got it! Shin! From now on, your name is Shin!" Erasa said happily.
"Sounds cool but…what does it mean?" Zero asked.
"It's a Saggeesian name. It means 'Truth'. Do you like it?" Erasa asked.
"Why would you give me such an honourable name? I'm a thief…a criminal" Zero said sadly.
"You may be a thief but you're not a bad person. You just saved my life and told me the truth about yourself. You have shown me who you truly are. You deserve the name Shin" Erasa said.
Shin looked around. The sun had already set.
"Crap! It's late. Erasa, I've got to go. The others are probably worried" Shin said as he turned to leave.
"Wait!" Erasa called.
Shin stopped.
"Will I ever see you again?" Erasa asked worriedly.
"Nah, I don't think so" Shin said.
Erasa looked disappointed.
"Not unless you wish to see me again" Shin added.
Erasa nodded with a smile.
"Then it's settled. I'll meet you here tomorrow. Would you be willing to meet me?" Shin asked.
Erasa frowned.
"Jeez! Why are you asking?! I already said yes!" Erasa roared.
Shin flinched.
"Hey, you don't need to get so angry" Shin said with a nervous laugh.
"I'm sorry" Erasa apologized.
"I'll see you tomorrow 'kay? Goodnight!" Shin waved as he left Erasa standing near the crevice.
Erasa waved dreamily, then she stopped herself.
"What am I doing? I should be apprehending him instead of letting him go" Erasa scolded herself.
PRESENTLY…
"And that's how I met Erasa. She was pretty much annoying back then" Shin said.
"I now see why she's so important to you. She gave you an identity" Reis said.
"Yeah, she did but she's forgotten me now and she hates me. It's no use trying to make her recall the past" Shin said sadly.
"C'mon Shin. Are you really giving up on her?" Reis asked.
"No, I'll never give up on her. I'll always protect her and love her but I know now that…she gave up on me a very long time ago" Shin said sadly.
"So when will you tell me the rest of the story?" Reis asked.
"Can you wake up at dawn, very early?" Shin asked.
"I can and I will" Reis promised.
"Good, then let's get some rest" Shin suggested.
"Okay, goodnight" Reis said.
"Yeah, you too" Shin replied and the two boys lay down to sleep.