"Wait a second… why am I remembering all this now?"
"Shouldn't I be thinking about my current state?"
"Or at the very least… the situation I'm in...."
"If I hadn't lost back then… would things be any different now?"
A voice suddenly echoed: "Perhaps…"
"But that timeline wouldn't have ended well for either of us…"
"You… who are you?"
"Don't you have more urgent problems than my identity right now?"
"Where… am I? Ah… the tournament…"
"Tournament? It's been five years since you lost to Admiral Anchor in the final…"
"Ahh…"
———————————————————
"Kevin… Kevin… come on, wake up!"
Kevin slowly opens his eyes.
"You're finally awake…"
"Ugh… my head hurts. Denis?"
"Are you okay? Krauser's coming soon… we have to hurry."
"Hurry?"
"Looks like you got pretty beat up in yesterday's fight. Jerusalem is after us… we hit one of their storage depots yesterday…"
Just then, someone else appears… a muscular man who looks to be in his 30s, with a deep scar over his right eye. He can't open that eye.
"Let's go. I got what we need. We can return to Dragon. I've also contacted Bıfrat. He's waiting for us."
Of course, Krauser. Bıfrat's biological son…
But calling what they have a father-son relationship would be a stretch.
And what about this kid? Denis… A cute boy in his early teens, half his face wrapped in bandages…
He started living with Kevin and Krauser after they saved him. Even though it's dangerous…
"Alright… but what about Elda?" Kevin asked.
Elda is the last remaining member of their team.
A group of bounty hunters, in short.
"Elda went to Taka two days ago, remember?" said Krauser.
"Something's off about Kevin today…"
They left the small shack they were staying in.
A small town… they joined a convoy waiting at the outskirts and set off.
Kevin tried to make sense of himself the whole ride…
And finally, the memories started to return.
His defeat to Admiral Anchor in the finals…
How just two days after, he found himself in custody in a hospital, with no clear explanation…
His escape with Bıfrat's help…
His first meeting with Krauser…
Then being marked as a target by the powerful cult known as "Jerusalem"…
Being wanted by the state…
Finding Denis on the brink of death…
Then meeting Elda…
So much happened…
In the span of about 4–5 years, one thing followed another without pause.
Every time, they tried to survive whatever situation they found themselves in…
They took on jobs for money…
Even the dirty ones…
Amid all this chaos, they couldn't even find the time to investigate why things turned out this way…
Why is Kevin wanted by both the government… and perhaps the biggest cult in the New World?
And the dreams he used to have but forgot upon waking… they were returning, more frequently than ever…
Now he could even remember parts of them when he woke up…
Lost in these thoughts, he didn't even notice how much time had passed as they entered the Dragon region.
They left the convoy there.
And from there, they quietly and carefully made their way toward Ream — a city a few hours away from Dragonomica.
For two days, they traveled nonstop, hiding along the way.
At last, they managed to sneak through the city's southern gate…
"We'll have to stay here for a few days. In four days, there's going to be a big meeting in Dragonomica between the underground kingdom of Aid and the nations of Taka and Dragon. A lot of different people will be coming. We'll sneak into the city during the crowd. Krauser, contact Bıfrat and describe the situation using the coded message. Also… we need to take Denis to a doctor tomorrow," said Kevin.
"Alright, you little brat! Come on, go see the city, get to know the place. We're not always gonna be around, you know…" said Krauser.
"Wherever you go, I'll follow. Even if you die, I won't leave you alone in hell!!"
"Hehe."
Krauser and Denis leave.
Kevin finds a small motel and sends the location to the others.
He decides to rest until they arrive.
His thoughts about the past wear him down…
And he falls asleep.
File #010
Macu Archives
Many people exposed to Macu energy develop potentially lethal illnesses.
Some of them die — death is inevitable.
But some…
Their internal organs completely shut down, causing unbearable pain.
Among these patients, the suicide rate is
97.68%.