Outside of the castle.
"I think I should ask for the guard at the main gate," Kai muttered to himself, glancing nervously at the towering walls.
Kai approached the main side of the castle.
"Who are you?" the guard asked, his stern gaze fixed on Kai.
"Uhh," Kai stammered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, "you captured a guy in the morning, at least three hours ago. I am his friend."
The guard raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you are the friend of our new Royal Guard. You can only meet him," he said with a faint smirk.
"Yes," Kai replied quickly, nodding with determination. "I only want to meet him."
The other guard crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. "How do we trust that you are his friend?"
Kai furrowed his brows and shot back confidently, "His name is Jin."
The first guard blinked in surprise and turned to his companion. "That's enough, you can enter. I also don't know his name," the other guard admitted with a shrug.
He entered the castle, his eyes widening at the grandeur of the hallways and intricate designs. Amidst the bustle, he spotted Jin, clad in Royal Guard armor, standing beside Ryu. Jin's gaze shifted, and he noticed Kai.
"Are you also here for the test of Royal Guard?" Jin asked, smirking slightly.
Kai frowned, crossing his arms. "No, but how did you two become Royal Guards? And how did Ryu enter the castle—did he find the secret entrance?"
"Lower your voice!" Jin hissed, glancing around nervously. "Ok, I'll tell you everything."
Kai leaned closer, raising an eyebrow. "Alright, tell me."
Jin sighed. "After being captured, they took me to prison. I told them I came to save my friend, so they gave me a chance—complete a test for freedom. If I passed all the rounds, they'd make me a Royal Guard. I completed all the rounds and, at last, I fought the Royal Guard. But it was Ryu... or rather, his carbon copy."
Kai blinked in disbelief, then smirked. "They trusted you—that you came to save your friend? Their security system is really poor."
Jin rolled his eyes. "Ok, take this money and stay in the city. You can't stay in the palace, and you can't let both Ryus meet each other."
"Wait," Kai asked, tilting his head, "his name is also Ryu?"
"Yes," Jin replied flatly.
Before Kai could respond, RG Ryu stepped forward. "So he's your friend," he said, crossing his arms and studying Kai.
Jin nodded. "Yes. I gave him money to stay in the city until we find our friend."
RG Ryu smiled faintly. "I'm sorry about that kick—I thought you were an intruder. What's your name?"
Kai rubbed the back of his neck, grinning awkwardly. "My name is Kai. And it's ok about that kick. You're a great warrior—the prince would be lucky to have you."
RG Ryu's expression darkened slightly. "Our prince is dead," he said somberly.
Kai's smile faded. "I'm so sorry about that," he said softly.
"But now," RG Ryu continued, "we have a Royal Guard for the princess. I hope she'll be safe with our new guard."
Kai's jaw dropped, and he pointed at Jin. "WHAT? Do you mean Jin? Royal Guard for the princess?"
"I think he needs to leave now," Jin interjected quickly, grabbing Kai's arm. "And tell my other friend they can live in the city."
RG Ryu smiled faintly. "I hope I'll meet them again."
Jin escorted Kai to the palace doors, his grip firm.
"Hey Jin," Kai said, stopping just outside, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
Jin sighed. "What is it?"
Kai smirked. "Is the princess your age?"
Jin glared at him. "No, and now you're going out!"
Kai chuckled, waving dramatically as he walked away. "Goodbye, Princess's special Royal Guard!"
"You...!" Jin's face turned red with fury. "Shut up and go now!"
Kai left the palace, still smirking to himself when Tony and Ryu approached him.
"Did you just come out of the palace?" Tony asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion.
"How did you enter the palace?" Ryu chimed in, crossing his arms.
Kai glanced at Ryu, his grin widening before he burst out laughing.
Ryu's face turned red. "Are you laughing at me?" he asked, his tone laced with frustration.
"And," Tony interrupted, pointing at Kai's hand, "what is in your hand?"
Kai tried to stifle his laughter, shaking his head.
"Where is Jin?" Tony asked, his voice rising with curiosity.
But instead of answering, Kai erupted into laughter again, clutching his stomach.
Ryu groaned and threw his hands up. "OOOOH, not again!"
Finally, Kai managed to catch his breath, wiping a tear from his eye. "Jin is... Jin is... Jin is the Royal Guard of the Princess now," he said between chuckles.
"WHAT?!" Ryu and Tony shouted in unison, their jaws dropping.
Kai nodded, still grinning mischievously. "Yes, I'll tell you everything, but first, we have to go to the city and rent a house to stay in." He paused, looking at Ryu again—and burst out laughing once more.
Ryu sighed, exasperated. "Why me?!"
After being captured by the monsters, Wei slowly opened his eyes. His head throbbed, and he realized he was being carried by creatures unlike anything he'd seen before.
"Where am I?" Wei muttered, his voice barely audible.
He looked up groggily and noticed the monsters heading toward a towering castle in the distance. They bound him tightly to a pillar before turning their focus on attacking the castle, hurling fiery projectiles and roaring fiercely.
Wei struggled against the ropes, his eyes narrowing. "I have to get out of here," he said under his breath, determination flashing in his eyes.
With a quick motion, he retrieved his fan, hidden in his garments, and carefully used its blade to slice through the ropes. The moment he was free, one of the monsters turned to him, growling menacingly.
Wei's grip on his fan tightened. "Take this!" he shouted, unleashing a massive, swirling wind blast that sent the monsters flying. The sheer force of the attack also sent chunks of the castle walls, and unfortunately, a few unfortunate humans, hurtling through the air.
"Ouch," Wei winced, rubbing the back of his neck as dust and debris settled around him.
Taking a moment to survey his surroundings, Wei noticed something strange about the architecture and atmosphere. "There are no castles and monsters like this in my world," he muttered. His brows furrowed. "I bet those monsters dragged me into their portal. But why?"
As he wandered through the wreckage, Wei's sharp eyes caught sight of a stash of gold coins gleaming under a collapsed stone wall. He pocketed a handful without hesitation. Nearby, he noticed a sleek, black assassin's outfit and a mask lying on the ground, seemingly untouched.
"Best for disguise," Wei murmured, slipping into the outfit and securing the mask over his face. He adjusted the hood and gave himself a once-over.
A sudden, sharp neigh broke the silence. Wei spun around to see a strong, midnight-black horse pawing at the ground near the edge of the rubble.
"Perfect timing," he said, a smirk playing on his lips.
Mounting the horse, Wei galloped away from the chaos, the wind rushing against his face.