December of the year 2000.
"Goodness, it's so hot! I hate deserts."
"It's a dune."
Two beauties walked under the blazing sun—or so one might say, if they weren't cloaked. While ordinary people avoided exploring dunes or deserts during the day, these two had an out-of-place objective.
"If it weren't for the cloak they gave us, I'd be roasted in this desert."
"More roasted than you already are? I doubt it."
"What? Are you saying I'm too tanned?"
"I'm saying you and a burnt pot look the same, Britney."
Britney and Emily were members of Blazing Sun, a local guild in the interior of Quisqueya, the second-largest island in the Caribbean. Two years ago, they joined the guild during the same week and had since formed a strong sisterly bond.
Britney had dark, bronzed skin that gave her a perpetual fresh look. Her radiant smile, full lips painted in light lipstick, and curly hair gave an impression of unmatched confidence.
Emily, on the other hand, had fair skin, small lips, and a well-done, improvised braid. She wore no makeup and showed little expression, giving the impression of someone cold and calculating. However, with Britney, she was always more open.
"I don't know where you get so much energy."
"Oh, come on. You've got to stay positive! You never know what you might find."
"Let's hope it's not us."
"¡Madre mía, chica, ponle ganas a la vida! ¿Así esperas conseguir marido?"
"Since when are you Spanish?"
Boom! Tremble!
"What the—!"
Both Britney and Emily ran toward the source of the sound, climbing a small hill to witness a scene that left them utterly speechless.
"Hey, hey! What the hell is that?!"
In the distance, a massive black sphere covered a vast area near a structure. The strange orb seemed to swallow the surrounding light, creating an illusion of darkness. The phenomenon lasted only moments before it vanished, returning everything to normal—or almost everything.
Near the ravine stood an enormous structure, its interior partially visible due to the strange phenomenon. From this distance, it appeared gigantic, and many others had noticed the anomaly, rushing toward it.
Emily quickly spotted what she was looking for.
"Look, it's Bryan! He's heading that way. That must be Hamel Dun's mansion!" Emily exclaimed, charging down the hill.
"Wait, Emily! Didn't you see that explosion or whatever it was? If someone caused that, they must be insanely powerful!" Britney shouted.
Seeing Emily ignore her, Britney hurried after her. For Britney, catching up to the petite Emily wasn't hard—after all, Britney was athletic and had long legs.
As they ran, gunshots echoed in the distance, accompanied by flashes of dazzling attacks. A smaller but still visible explosion erupted far to the left of the mansion's perimeter.
Navigating the uneven terrain and sand took several minutes, but they eventually reached the ravine and stood at the most dangerous point—the mansion's opening.
"Damn, it's even bigger up close!"
They stayed at a safe distance from the mansion, observing like many other groups. The bravest ones charged straight ahead, unhesitant. The cacophony of battle sounds was relentless.
The mansion was enormous—seven stories high and nearly a kilometer in length. Its depth was still unknown.
The battle sounds seemed to diminish, not because the fight was over, but because they moved elsewhere.
"Bri, I'm going in!"
"Wait, think about it."
Boom! Crash! Fall!
Interrupting Britney, someone landed in front of them, carrying another person slung over their shoulder. The individual dropped their burden—a lean but muscular young man, semi-tanned and dressed only in swim trunks with bandages wrapping his feet and hands.
"Bryan?!" Emily exclaimed.
"Take care of him," the person said before turning to prepare for another leap.
"Wait, I'm coming with you!"
"No, it's too dangerous! Besides, G is inside!" With that, they leapt away, disappearing into the fire and smoke.
"is G involved in this mess?!"
"is G with you?!"
Their words hung in the air.
Both women stayed at the mansion's edge, waiting for it all to end. At their feet lay what seemed like the half-burnt body of someone.
With nothing else to do, Britney nudged the stranger with her foot, trying to elicit a response. When none came, she pushed harder, flipping him onto his back.
"This guy's pretty burnt. Plus, he looks anorexic. Is he alive?"
"Leave him be."
"I'm bored. Besides, he doesn't look like he's from here. Look," Britney said, poking his face.
"Bored? And didn't you say you wouldn't go in there?" Emily replied, struggling to keep up with Britney's antics.
"Yeah, but…" With nothing else to do, Britney pulled out a large white chocolate bar labeled Spears from her back pocket.
Both women were dressed for the scorching environment. Britney wore denim shorts and a black floral top, while Emily donned a peculiar white latex bodysuit. To prevent sunburn, everyone had been given white cloaks to reflect the sun's rays.
Weeks ago, all guilds in Quisqueya had received a top-priority mission: to locate Hamel Dun, a notorious trafficker and human experimenter. Hamel Dun, a powerful and infamous scientist, had terrorized many countries with his twisted schemes. Today, with his newly discovered base, it seemed there was hope of putting an end to his crimes.
Several guilds, especially Blazing Sun, had been mobilized to find him. That morning, Britney and Emily, along with others, had set out to explore this region in hopes of finding clues.
Today, luck—or misfortune—had led them straight to his base.
"Hey, Emi. Do you think they'll defeat Hamel Dun?"
"No." Emily replied instantly.
To her, Hamel Dun was a formidable foe. Even powerful nations had failed to capture him, so what could this island possibly do against someone like him? Emily quickly reached her conclusion.
"You didn't hesitate. Not even with the guild masters of Bald Eagles and Blue Tigers here?"
"Both masters are just veterans. Hamel Dun, on the other hand, is considered a Grandmaster—perhaps even a Supreme Master."
Britney stared at Emily for a few seconds. She didn't entirely disagree. If, by some miracle, Hamel Dun could be defeated today, it would be cause for celebration. But even wounding him severely seemed unthinkable when his name was mentioned.
"In that case, do you think Bryan—"
"No."
"What about Master Héctor?"
"The Master is too old."
"What about G?"
Emily hesitated, contemplating Britney's smiling face. G was an enigma. According to Hanae, G had once appeared before the Master, Bryan, and Bartolomé. The Master never shared details of what happened, but according to Bryan, he had fought G and never managed to land a blow.
After thinking a bit more, Emily reached the same conclusion.
"Hamel Dun wins."