[Tanezrouft Basin, Algeria]
The sun burned from above, bright and harsh. The sky was clear, no clouds, no wind just heat. Jin and Shun walked side by side, holding black umbrellas over their heads. Their boots sank slightly into the soft sand with every step.
Jin carried a shiny black suitcase in his other hand. It looked like it was made of glass, smooth and sharp, glowing faintly under the sunlight. He held it tightly.
All around them was nothing but sand. No trees, no houses, no rocks. Even at the edge of the horizon, there was nothing just flat, endless desert in every direction.
The ground was hot. The air shimmered. Their shadows stretched long behind them. It was too quiet. No wind. No sound. Just the soft crunch of their footsteps and the dry heat pressing down on them.
"Why did you choose this one? Out of all other places" Jin asked, his tone gentle as always.
Shun's gaze swept across the barren horizon, searching. "Well, I looked a lot, but either the government is involved in those other places, or there aren't any clear signs of SSS-rank beasts there. This one's just been tagged a Red Zone by the government. Basically, they're like, 'We won't stop you. Go ahead and die if you want. We warned you.'" His voice was soft, eyes still scanning.
Jin looked at him. "Did you tell Yuki that we're heading out to face a beast?"
"Yeah. Got lectured for about two hours last night, and somehow she still agreed," Shun said with a slight grin. "How about you?"
"Luckily, Hinata was in a good mood, so I got off easy with just a single promise. If she wasn't, I'm sure I would've been stuck getting grilled all night. Don't you think those two are way too similar?" Jin asked.
"You're right. And I think that's exactly why they're only friends with each other. You remember back in high school? They never talked to anyone. I mean, girls literally avoided them because of those sharp glares," Shun replied, chuckling.
"Yeah, you're right," Jin said, his smile widening as a memory sparked. "Remember when you tried to flirt with Yuki and asked her out? She punched you in the gut so hard it broke your ribs." His laugh rang out, sharp against the desert's quiet.
"You're acting like Hinata didn't break your hands when you tried pulling her close to flirt." Shun shot back, laughing loudly.
They walked through the desert for a few more minutes but still didn't find anything. Shun glanced over at Jin.
"Hey Jin, can you erase this sand?" Shun asked, taking a sip from his water bottle while holding the umbrella in his other hand.
Jin rolled his eyes. "Are you high or something? You think I'm some kind of magician or what?"
"No, I mean the erase move the one that wipes out whatever you want," Shun explained.
Jin scoffed, setting down a black suitcase filled with sand as he sat on it. "It's 'heal,' not 'erase,' you idiot."
Shun stared at him for a moment, then shook his head. "Oh right... that dream messed with my head a bit."
"What dream?" Jin asked, grabbing Shun's water bottle and twisting off the cap.
"I was about to tell you about. I had this dream last night where we were fighting each other," Shun said.
Jin shrugged, taking a long drink. "So? We fight a lot of times. What's new?"
"Nah, this one was different. It wasn't just a fight it was a death match. We were both trying to kill each other," Shun said, sitting down on the sand in front of Jin.
Jin snapped the bottle cap shut after taking a long drink.
"Now that's interesting. Tell me the whole dream. That beast's nowhere to be seen anyway might as well kill some time." He smirked, stretching his arms.
Shun took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. "Okay, so here's how it started... First off, you and I in the dream were a little different. I had black hair not sure about the rest and you were wearing this silky black robe, trimmed with tiny white flowers. But there was something... off about you. Even just thinking about that version of you gives me chills. It didn't feel like you."
Jin raised an eyebrow. "Chills, huh? Sounds like a dream-Jin's got a dark side."
Shun nodded, eyes distant. "Yeah, and the fight... It wasn't just sparring. We went toe to toe, no holding back. You had the upper hand, though. Both of us were covered in blood, injuries all over. I don't remember everything, but the moment you punched me in the stomach... I got sent flying through a whole planet in the blink of an eye."
Jin's jaw dropped slightly. "Wait, what? You got sent through a planet?"
Shun continued softly, "Yeah. Then the planet exploded and shattered into pieces floating through space. I moved, and all those shattered pieces shot toward you like a meteor shower. And then you said one word: 'Erase.' And everything just vanished."
Jin burst out laughing. "Man, what did we unlock? Super Saiyan or something? You've got some wild dreams."
Shun smiled faintly. "Yeah, it was weird."
Jin nodded thoughtfully, then glanced around the empty desert. "Well, whatever it was, that beast sure isn't showing up here. We've been wandering for an hour with no sign of it."
Shun stood up, brushing the sand off his pants. "Yeah, maybe it's time to move. This place feels dead. Let's try somewhere else-"
Suddenly, without warning, something shot out of the sand and struck both of them hard a blur of force slamming into their sides, launching them through the air like rag dolls.
They flew across the desert, crashing through dunes and skimming above the sand for several kilometers.
Jin clenched the suitcase tightly in midair, twisting his body just before impact. His feet skidded across the ground, throwing up a trail of dust before he finally managed to plant himself and come to a rough stop, knees bent, umbrella still in hand.
Shun flipped in the air, spun once, then thrust his left hand downward. His palm struck the ground with a thud, digging into the sand as he slid to a halt. A second later, he stood upright next to Jin, brushing off his coat.
Both of them looked fine not even a scratch.
They exchanged a quick glance, then turned their eyes to the horizon. But there was nothing. Just wind, heat, and endless waves of sand stretching in every direction. Silence.
"That thing's fast. Did you see what it was?" Shun asked, still scanning the dunes.
"It was a scorpion," Jin said calmly. "Not huge, but about the size of a car. It smacked us with its tail that thing's massive."
Shun raised an eyebrow. "So you wanna handle it?"
Jin shook his head without hesitation. "Nope. That one's all yours. I don't think i can stand against it."
He opened the suitcase, pulled out a small contact lens case, and handed it to Shun.
Shun took it with a sigh, popped it open, and placed the lenses in his eyes. "Seriously, can't he just make glasses like a normal person?"
Jin smirked and pulled out a sleek black coat and matching pants. "He was too busy flexing his tech, remember?" He tossed them to Shun.
Shun slipped on the coat over his clothes, then stepped into the pants. "You know, I could've worn this before we came out here. Why'd we even lug the suitcase around?"
"No clue," Jin said, closing the suitcase. "But he was pretty clear: only take this stuff out when we find a beast."
Jin's tone shifted slightly as he glanced toward the spot they were launched from. "From the size and shape of the tail, I think it's an Androctonus australis. They're fast, real fast. And don't let it sting you even the normal version can kill with one shot of venom. This one evolved an SSS-rank." He paused. "Its exoskeleton is like armor. Regular attacks won't do much. So... good luck I'll be at that hill."
Before Shun could say anything, Jin snapped his fingers middle against thumb and vanished.
[Chapter 34 end]