"In the silent depths of the Morihana jungle lies not only the power of nature, but also the honor of our ancestors. My biological daughter may be lost, but my faith in the strength and courage of my warriors remains unshaken. Bring her back, and you will carry the eternal gratitude of this land." - Hirotaka Morihana
The Tracky gradually arrived at the Morihana Station. The entire journey hadn't been long, but it was enough to make Tatsuo sick. The walls were adorned with strange runes and inscriptions. Moss stretched across the large pillars that held the tunnel intact. Slowly, the Tracky came to a halt. It was in a small hall, illuminated by torches. The door of the wagon opened. The first to stand was Yamato. "We're here, folks." He swiftly exited the train, followed closely by Ryoko. Tatsuo vomited out the window before he, too, got up and left the underground vehicle. Miho and Aki were the last to leave. As the demonic boy jumped out of the train, he stretched. "Finally back on solid ground..." The hall was small, but elegantly furnished. It resembled an ancient temple. But the boy barely had time to take in the room as Yamato immediately left the station.
Moonfang Arc
First Mission
Episode 11 - Land of the Kings (Part 2)
In the next room, there was a large spiral staircase leading upward. While Miho, Ryoko, and Yamato had no trouble climbing the uncomfortable stairs, Aki and Tatsuo struggled to keep up. Physical strength and endurance were simply not Aki's strengths. Eventually, the Sentinels made it to the top of the stairs. They exited the room through the only doorway. A flood of light hit them and momentarily blinded the team. After all, they hadn't seen daylight for a few minutes. "Phew, it's really bright..." Miho said as her eyes gradually adjusted to the light. Her expression changed, and she let out an astonished, "Wow..." The entrance to the Tracky station was inside a small hill. Surrounding them was an endless, majestic jungle with gigantic trees draped in vines and hanging lianas. This moment was indeed worthy of a "wow."
After Yamato made sure all the Sentinels were present, he led the way. "The capital of Morihana is just a few hundred meters away. We'll walk the rest of the way." So, the Sentinels set off once again. This little trek was like paradise for the fighters. Birds they'd never seen before sang their shrill melodies, while a woodpecker busily hammered a hole into a tree. Capybaras bathed in a nearby pond, and orangutans and chimpanzees curiously watched the Sentinels' journey. The gentle sun warmed the team's skin as they entered an area with no trees. From there, the capital was visible. Traditional stone houses stretched across the flat landscape, with two large stone pyramids standing in the distance. The majestic Aztec city was reminiscent of Machu Picchu. Gradually, the Sentinels arrived in the city, captivated by its incredible South American Aztec vibe. The men of the city wore Maxtlatl and Tilmatli, while the women adorned beautiful Huipil and Cueitl, often embroidered with floral patterns.
"So, here we are. After the ride, I'll give you some time to relax. Feel free to explore the city and rest. We'll meet at the palace over there in half an hour. I'll go ahead." Yamato pointed to a square temple in the center of the city. With that, he turned and disappeared into the depths of the capital, which was named Xochitlán. "Well, what do we three do now?" Miho asked excitedly. Aki replied, "You mean the four of us," as he pointed to Ryoko, who was already running from one souvenir shop to the next. Tatsuo closed his eyes for a moment. "I'll pass." Aki also preferred to be away from the others. He sat down on a bench directly behind them and leaned back. Miho sat beside him. "What's wrong?" The boy looked away. "It's about Tatsuo... It feels like I completely embarrassed him during the trial. That's really not what I wanted..."
The girl chuckled softly. "Are you serious? You were incredibly cool, saving me from him! In a few days, the whole thing will be forgotten. Trust me, everything's fine." The young man closed his eyes. "Sorry, but I just need some time alone. Do you mind if I head to the palace? You can shop with Ryoko." The girl smiled. "That's no problem. Everyone needs some alone time. I find it interesting how you're such a sensitive, kind person, but in the next moment, you're as tough as a rock, even though deep down, you're really amazing. It kind of reminds me of… a peanut!" Aki was puzzled. "I'm supposed to be a peanut?" The cheerful girl stood up. "I'll leave you be now. See you later, Peanut!" With that, she quickly ran towards the shopping street to find Ryoko before she got too far away.
Aki also stood up. Calm and composed, he headed towards the palace, but his peace was interrupted by a familiar voice behind him. "Sorry, do you have a moment?" The voice came from Tatsuo. Slowly, Aki turned around. "What is it?" When Aki looked into his eyes, Tatsuo's gaze gradually drifted away. He couldn't meet the young demon's eyes. "Well… What I wanted to say..." Tatsuo immediately bowed deeply to Aki. "I'm so incredibly sorry for everything I've done! I always thought I was the best and unbeatable. But I never realized what a miserable jerk I was. And I'm so thankful to you. During our fight, you showed me two things. First, you showed me that I'm not the strongest or the best. And second, your words at the end showed me what a horrible person I've been. You've changed something in me. I was born in this world, so I can help you find your way around here as an apology. I've decided to change, and I've wanted to apologize and thank you for a long time, but I didn't have the courage. Now I've seen my chance and wanted to..." Aki interrupted the boy with a slight smile on his face: "It's okay. I get it—you're sorry. It takes a lot of courage to admit something like that. Let's just be good comrades from now on, okay?" Tatsuo smiled through his tears: "I… I promise!" With that, Aki turned again and walked on, while Tatsuo spotted a small park full of cats out of the corner of his eye. "CATS!" He ran to the park and began petting the cute creatures.
Finally, a calm Aki turned his attention back to the palace. However, his peace was interrupted by a small figure in a dark blue cloak rushing straight at him. She was so panicked that she wasn't paying attention and crashed directly into Aki. A beautiful golden ruby necklace fell out, which had been hidden under her cloak moments ago. She quickly put the necklace back. "S-sorry… you… saw nothing!" she said breathlessly, before fleeing again. "Strange…" Aki thought. But he wouldn't let that ruin his day. So, he continued walking toward the palace.
Meanwhile, Miho and Ryoko were busy shopping. Their backpacks were already filled with souvenirs and ancient totems. But at some point, Ryoko noticed an ominous stall with the sign 'Artifacts' on it. "No way..." the girl said in disbelief as she ran towards the shop. Miho was surprised that Ryoko suddenly took off and followed her. Eventually, they stood before the shop. Inside were all kinds of items—from necklaces with small totems to green jungle swords. There was truly everything here. An old woman, seemingly as old as life itself, cackled. "Ho ho ho, it's been a long time since I've seen such lively fighters. What brings you here? I have all kinds of artifacts to make you stronger. Here, you'll find what your heart desires!" Miho was astonished. These were indeed the artifacts Yamato had mentioned. As Miho looked around, one particular artifact caught her eye—a necklace with a green, flower-shaped amulet. Ryoko had already made her choice. Her favorite was a yellow bracelet engraved with ancient runes. They glanced at each other and nodded.
After their little shopping tour, Miho and Ryoko arrived at the palace. "Wow, I didn't expect you to choose a bracelet that strengthens your attack! You're more of a defender, after all," Miho murmured to her friend. Ryoko blushed slightly. "Well, I can't just rely on defense. What if I'm left on my own?" Before they could continue discussing it, the two girls reached the palace. They opened the large double doors and saw Yamato speaking with a man who had shoulder-length gray hair and wore a massive, elegant cloak. A large crown sat upon his head. Miho and Ryoko immediately bowed—they were in the presence of the king of Morihana. "Ah, hello. You must be the last two Sentinels. Please, take a seat," he said, gesturing to a corner with sofas and armchairs. On one of the sofas sat Aki and Tatsuo, who was surrounded by five cats. The girls sat across from them. "What happened to you? Did you kidnap all the cats in the city?" Miho asked teasingly. Tatsuo looked down. "They were so clingy… They just wouldn't leave me alone… But… I couldn't say no! Who could say no to those adorable eyes?" Ryoko and Aki burst into laughter, quickly followed by Miho and Tatsuo.
Suddenly, three guards approached the boys from behind. "Hey, you. Please hand over the cats. We need them later for the ritual." Reluctantly, the young man gave up the cats, though he didn't want to. Once the guards were gone, Aki asked a question: "Say, Tatsuo. You said earlier that you're from this world. Does that mean you grew up in Morihana?" The young man scratched the back of his head. "Well, I grew up in Seiryoku. I had only one friend who was from Morihana and came to Seiryoku to join Kenkai. Eventually, he had to return to Morihana for family reasons, and I had to go to the other world, so I never saw him again. This was at least six years ago, so I'm sure he's forgotten me by now... His name was Takafuyu." As Tatsuo said this, the king shot him a sharp look. One of the guards held a spear to Tatsuo's throat. "Never mention that name again in front of His Majesty, understood?" The young man immediately raised his hands. "Hey, what did I do? I was just..." But the king gestured for the soldier to lower the spear, which he did. "My son's name was Takafuyu. He disappeared without a trace just before his coming-of-age ritual. Please don't mention that name again, okay? Just remember it."
Shortly afterward, the king addressed the Sentinels fully. "Alright, let me brief you on the mission. My wonderful biological daughter Ayame is celebrating her 18th birthday tomorrow. Her coming-of-age ritual is to take place precisely at dawn. Outside this city, there are two temples—the Temple of Youth and the Temple of Eternity. Please be at the Temple of Youth at midnight and guard the site until the ritual is complete. That's your…" The king was interrupted by a soldier who stormed into the room. "Your Majesty! Princess Ayame… she's gone!" The leader of the land fell silent. He then shouted: "NO, MY BIOLOGICAL DAUGHTER! PLEASE, NO!" Aki, who already had a hunch about what might have happened, quickly spoke up. "Does she happen to have a red necklace?" The king fell quiet again. "It can't be..." The guard knew exactly what it was. "That's probably the key necklace, the artifact that grants access to the Temple of Eternity and opens its gate. Your Majesty, activate your module!"
Immediately, the king stretched out his hand. "Guide me, Temple Runner!" In his hand, a hologram slowly formed—a pyramid resembling the large stone pyramid he had seen earlier. The hologram was like a large, three-dimensional map showing the layout of all the rooms inside the pyramid. "Show me the location of my biological daughter, Ayame!" A small red dot appeared on the map. "There it is!" The guard tapped Aki and Miho on the shoulder. "His Majesty's module can display a map of the temples and everything within them. This map can also be shared with others." Before the soldier could continue explaining, he was interrupted by the king, who turned to the Sentinels. "While I continue speaking with Yamato, please go and retrieve Ayame. The temple is just a large underground labyrinth with no traps, so it shouldn't be a problem for you. Please do your best and bring back my biological daughter!"
So Aki and the others sprinted to the temple. Each of them received a small hologram map of the temple. Soon, they reached the Temple of Eternity. As expected, the gate was already fully open. "Ryoko, you have the best defensive skills among us. Please make sure nothing enters or leaves the temple until we return!" Aki ordered. The girl nodded and stood guard at the entrance after the other Sentinels entered the temple. They ran further and further, calling out for the princess and noticing that the red dot was moving farther away. The narrow, eerie corridors were challenging for the Sentinels, but eventually, they entered a more open area. However, this large room was no better than the narrow passages. It was filled with a dark fog that obscured all visibility. "Look! At the map!" Miho shouted. Aki glanced at his 3D map and saw that Ayame was in the same room as them. The young thread fighter called out: "Hey, Ayame! We don't want to hurt you. Please trust us, we're on your side!" No response. The dot didn't move forward or back. Aki, however, had an idea. Maybe the ritual was the reason Ayame had fled. "We want to get you out of here and save you from the ritual. You just have to trust us, okay?"
Miho was about to give Aki a lecture for lying, but then she saw the dot slowly move in their direction. A relieved smile spread across Miho's face, but it didn't last long. Suddenly, the dot stopped and moved quickly in another direction. "Damn!" Aki and Tatsuo immediately gave chase, with Miho bringing up the rear. Eventually, the dot reached a dead end. Finally, the Sentinels could see what was happening. Two men in cloaks as black as night stood before them, holding Ayame. "Oh, so you've caught up with us now…" one of the men said calmly as he released the girl and stepped in front of her. Then he began to laugh gleefully. "This should be interesting. I didn't know the fourth demon was still a child." Aki immediately knew they were talking about him. It seemed that he was the real target of these people. All the Sentinels assumed combat positions, ready for their first real battle.
Hey everyone! The Sentinels' first mission is in full swing! Along with that, I'm introducing an organization that I, as the author, really love.
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Stay tuned for the next chapter, and don't forget to share your thoughts and feedback in the comments. See you next time!