"Sometimes you break to become stronger. But no matter how many times I fall, I will always stand up again – for my friends, for all of us." – Tatsuo Goda
Aki woke up early in the morning, as the first rays of sunlight streamed through his window, bathing the room in a warm light. He felt refreshed and full of energy, a stark contrast to the dark thoughts that had plagued him in recent days. Today, he wanted to do something special for Tatsuo to celebrate their newfound friendship.
After getting dressed quickly, he set out to the city. Aki was determined to find the perfect gift. As he wandered through the streets, his eyes scanned the shop windows. Finally, he stopped in front of a small store that sold handcrafted items and jewelry. In one of the windows, he spotted two simple yet elegant leather bracelets, adorned with colorful beads – one in warm red tones and the other in soft blue hues.
Aki stepped inside and asked the shopkeeper about the bracelets. The friendly man explained that the combination of the two bracelets was said to bring good luck when given as a gift between friends. Aki smiled as he thought of Tatsuo and immediately knew that this was the right gift. He purchased both bracelets, paying with part of his savings.
With the gifts in his bag, Aki made his way back to the Kenkai headquarters. As he walked through the streets, he felt excited and happy, thinking about how Tatsuo would react. These weren't just gifts; they were symbols of the friendship and support they offered each other.
When he finally reached the gates of Kenkai, a sense of anticipation washed over him. He couldn't wait to give Tatsuo one of the bracelets, showing how much their friendship meant to him.
Moonfang Arc
Episode 15 - Echo of Loss (Part 1)
A few hours later, Aki set out for the warehouse to retrieve an important item. Yamato had sent him a few hours ago to get a special box of medical supplies that they would need for the upcoming training sessions. The box contained new bandages, healing herbs, and special ointments for treating injuries. Aki was eager to do his part, especially after promising Tatsuo that he would help him with his next training session.
The sun was high in the sky, and the sky was a brilliant blue. Aki felt the warm breeze on his face as he walked through the familiar halls of Kenkai. The busy atmosphere of the headquarters lifted his spirits a little. The clinking of metal and the muffled hum of voices filled the air.
On his way to the warehouse, he noticed Tatsuo standing nearby, talking to another Sentinel. When he saw Aki, he waved to him. "Hey, Aki! Wait up!" Tatsuo stepped closer.
"Can I ask you something real quick before you go?" Tatsuo asked with a broad grin.
"Sure, what's up? I'll be right back, I just have to grab something from the warehouse," Aki replied.
"Nothing urgent. I thought maybe you could help me with something, but it can wait. I'll just come with you," Tatsuo said, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
"Alright, let's go!" Aki said, leading Tatsuo to the warehouse.
As they reached the warehouse, a vast room filled with shelves of equipment and supplies opened up before them. The air smelled faintly of fresh wood and a bit of iron. Aki stepped inside and looked around. "It should be here somewhere," he muttered, heading purposefully toward the tall shelves that stretched up to the ceiling.
He began scanning the shelves, searching for the desired box. "It must be here, somewhere on the upper shelves," Aki said to Tatsuo, standing on his tiptoes to reach the highest shelf.
Tatsuo, watching curiously from behind him, asked, "Need some help?"
"No, I've almost got it," Aki replied, stretching to reach the box. Suddenly, he felt an uneasy sensation, as if someone was behind him. A chill ran down his spine, but he tried not to get distracted.
Just at that moment, a figure emerged from the shadows, his eyes gleaming dangerously. The figure had long blond hair and wore a familiar sect robe. The man was definitely Jinrai. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked coldly, his voice sending a shiver through the air.
Aki flinched and quickly turned around, but he was too slow. Jinrai struck him with full force on the head. Aki staggered, his senses blurred, and he fell unconscious to the ground. A dull thud echoed as his body hit the cold, hard floor.
"Aki!" Tatsuo shouted in shock as he saw what had happened. His heart skipped a beat. He was about to intervene when Jinrai effortlessly lifted Aki as if he were a toy.
"Now you're coming with me," Jinrai said with a smug grin spreading across his face.
Tatsuo lunged forward, desperate to help Aki, but Jinrai vanished into the shadows with him, as if they had become one with the darkness. The world around Tatsuo seemed to freeze as shock and anger boiled within him.
"You bastard!" Tatsuo cursed, slamming his fist to the ground as he looked at the empty space before him. He hadn't reacted quickly enough.
Tatsuo stormed out of the warehouse, his heart pounding. The image of Aki, struck unconscious and kidnapped right before his eyes, replayed over and over in his mind. His hands shook with fury as he ran through the corridors. "Damn it, I should have reacted faster!"
With a loud bang, he burst into the training room, where Yamato, Miho, and Ryoko were deep in conversation. "Yamato!" Tatsuo gasped, breathless and with panic in his eyes.
Yamato, sensing the urgency in Tatsuo's voice, turned to him. "What happened, Tatsuo?" His voice was calm, but his eyes sharpened instantly.
"Aki… he's been kidnapped!" Tatsuo struggled to catch his breath, trying to organize his words. "There was… someone in the warehouse. I don't know who it was, but he knocked Aki out with a single blow and took him!"
Miho and Ryoko immediately stood up, their faces filled with horror. "What? Who was it?" Ryoko asked with a trembling voice.
"I've never seen him before," Tatsuo explained. "He had long blond hair and wore a dark cloak. I tried to stop him, but he was too fast. Before I could react, he vanished with Aki."
Yamato clenched his teeth. "Damn. Whoever he was, he knew exactly what he was doing."
Before they could discuss further, they suddenly felt a strange, cold presence in the room. The temperature seemed to drop, and the shadows on the walls appeared to move like dark veils. Miho nervously glanced around. "Do you feel that?"
Then, without warning, a figure stepped out of the shadows, so silently it was as if he had always been there. A man with long blond hair and the dark cloak of the Moonfang Sect now stood before them, his eyes cold and calculating.
"The Moonfang Sect… Who are you?" Yamato stepped forward, his eyes narrowing, ready for a fight.
The man regarded Yamato with an almost bored expression. "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that your friend is now in our custody." His voice was deep and calm, as though he held complete control over the situation.
Ryoko took a step forward, her fists clenched. "What do you want with Aki? Where have you taken him?"
The man smiled faintly, a cold smile that carried no warmth. "Asking questions won't help you now. I have my orders. Your friend is needed. But don't worry, you'll see him again soon… maybe."
Tatsuo couldn't contain his anger any longer and rushed forward. "You bastard!" But before he could get close enough, the blond man moved with lightning speed, delivering a precise, merciless blow to Tatsuo's stomach. Tatsuo's eyes widened as the air was knocked from his lungs, and he sank to his knees, gasping for breath.
"Tatsuo!" Miho cried out in alarm, rushing to his side, but the man made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "You are too weak to stop him."
Before they could react further, the stranger effortlessly lifted Tatsuo as if he were weightless. "Your friend will keep me company."
Yamato tensed and prepared to strike. "Let him go now!"
But before he could move, the man suddenly vanished in a thick mist of shadows. Nothing remained but the icy cold and the still, silent room.
Yamato stood motionless, his fists clenched. "Damn it!" His voice was low, but the fury was unmistakable.
Ryoko and Miho stood in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened. "What do we do now?" Miho asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
Yamato took a deep breath and turned to them. "We have no choice. We need to find out who that man was and where he's taken Aki and Tatsuo. We're getting them back, no matter what it takes."
The leader of the Sentinels knew immediately how to find out where Aki and Tatsuo were. "You stay here, got it?" With those words, the man left the room. He glanced to the left, where he spotted the sign "F-Tract." The Kenkai headquarters was divided into six sections. Officially, the members of the hidden Union were not the leaders of the special units but the leaders of the Kenkai members who worked in each section. This meant they were not only in charge of a few members of the special units but also of all members whose specialties aligned with the special unit's area. This meant regular members specialized in combat power were also led by the head of Vanguard.
The main building was structured like a large pentagon. In the center of the large pentagon was another small pentagon. This was the A-Tract, where the administrative and management department was located. This was essentially where everything related to offices and paperwork was housed, including the office of Kei Hoshizora, the leader of Kenkai. The head of the A-Tract was Viktor Dimitrov, the youngest member of the hidden Union and the examiner of the Sentinels.
The B-Tract was in the north of the headquarters. This was where Vanguard was located, the unit of aggressive fighters and the frontline of the army. In the C-Tract, right next to it, was Aegis, Kenkai's shields and healers. Below that was the D-Tract, home to the Wraiths, one of the two departments specializing in stealth and surprise. Of these two units, it was the Wraiths who were specialized in combat.
Yamato's goal lay in the E-Tract, where the second stealth unit was housed – the messengers of Kenkai – the Seers. Each section was connected by a small bridge outside the building. Yamato crossed the bridge that connected the E and F sections, ready to seek out a specific person.
Yamato hurried through the corridors of the headquarters, his thoughts firmly fixed on his goal: the Bat. He knew this was his only chance to find Aki and Tatsuo quickly. The "Bat" was a unique member of the Seers, and it was said that he had the ability to locate anyone as long as he had seen them once – whether in a picture or in person. This ability made him one of the most valuable information gatherers within Kenkai.
The bridge connecting the E-Tract to the F-Tract was bathed in the muted light of late afternoon. The wind blew gently over the railing, but Yamato felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders heavier than the wind. He couldn't afford to fail – not now, with Aki and Tatsuo in danger.
As Yamato passed through the narrow doors of the E-Tract, the air grew noticeably cooler. The section was dim and quiet, a stark contrast to the bustle of the other areas of Kenkai. This was where the Seers worked, the mysterious information gatherers whose eyes seemed to peer into every corner of the world. And among them, the Bat was the best.
He entered a small, dimly lit room, its windows draped with heavy black curtains. Dozens of strange, metal bat figures hung from the ceiling, watching over the room like silent guardians. In the center of the room sat the Bat himself. His slender, gaunt frame was draped in a black cloak, giving him the appearance of a still, menacing figure. His face was partially hidden under a hood, but his bright, sharp eyes gleamed in the darkness like those of a creature.
"Yamato," the Bat began in a raspy yet soft voice, "I've been expecting you."
Yamato stepped closer, pausing as he pulled the group photo of the Sentinels from his pocket. "I need your help. Two of our friends have been kidnapped. Aki and Tatsuo." He handed the Bat the photo, which showed all the members of the Sentinels in one of their rare peaceful moments.
The Bat took the picture in his bony hands, and for a moment, it seemed as though his eyes skimmed over the photo before focusing on the two faces of Aki and Tatsuo. His fingers gently touched the paper, and his eyes flickered briefly as if he had made an invisible connection.
Then, he slowly set the picture aside and reached under his cloak to pull out a small, crumpled map. "I can sense their presence," the Bat said quietly. "They are strong… here."
With an old fountain pen, the Bat drew a small red "X" on the map. It was located near an abandoned place close to Tenka, far from the usual paths the Sentinels used.
"This is where they are," the Bat explained, handing Yamato the map. "Hurry. Their time is running out."
Yamato took the map with a firm grip, his eyes glowing with determination. "Thank you," he said briefly before turning to leave.
"Don't forget," the Bat added as Yamato reached the door, "shadows are not always what they seem."
Yamato paused for a moment, but without another word, he left the dark room. He could feel that time was running out. With the map in hand and the resolve to save his friends, he continued his path, leaving the headquarters. The plan was clear – they would get Aki and Tatsuo back, no matter what it took.
The door behind him closed quietly, and the cold wind of the outside world greeted him as he left the building, the map firmly in hand, and his next goal in sight.
Hey, everyone! Things are getting serious now! Aki and Tatsuo have been kidnapped by the Moonfang Sect, but help is on the way! With Yamato there, nothing can go wrong... right?
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