In the forest, beneath a massive tree, Ten finishes burying Dair with his own hands. He clasps his palms together, closes his eyes, and bows his back forward in silence.
Carved into the tree: "Lina & Alex."
Behind it… a cave.
---
Back to Kazuma and Rin, who are sitting in a lounge-like kitchen.
Rin, legs propped on the table.
Kazuma, staring at her with mocking eyes.
Rin (opening her eyes and noticing Kazuma staring):
"What is it, boy?"
Kazuma:
"I don't think you're useful. You just seem dumb."
Rin (smirking):
"Maybe. But I'm still stronger than you."
Kazuma (calmly):
"I've never seen you in this village before."
Rin stays silent for a moment.
Rin (raising an eyebrow, casually speaking her thoughts):
"Kazuma… do you have a family?"
Kazuma rests his left hand on his cheek, turns his head to the right, and exhales.
Rin (eyes widening, raising her brows):
"Why don't you answer?"
Kazuma (quiet, melancholic):
"Forget it. You'd never understand me… no matter how hard you tried."
Rin (laughing):
"Heh. Fine. My turn then—I don't even know where I came from."
Kazuma looks over, interested.
Rin (confidently):
"Yup. You heard me. I don't remember my childhood. Nothing happy about my past."
Kazuma (his eyes narrowing with sadness):
"Really?"
Rin:
"Would you believe… I don't even know my parents?"
Rin (laughing):
"Ha ha ha! And yet… somehow, I feel happy."
"My mind and soul… always feel like something's missing."
Kazuma:
"At least… do you remember where you used to live?"
Rin:
"Ha! You're asking the wrong girl."
Rin (drops her legs down, rests her cheek on her palm, eyes full of sorrow):
"Sometimes I wonder if I'm even human… or just some machine."
Kazuma (mouth slightly open, shocked):
"What do you mean by that?"
Rin:
"Forget it…"
Rin (softly):
"That paper you were holding earlier…"
Kazuma (eyes widening, flustered):
"W-what paper?"
Rin (seriously):
"Don't lie. I saw you hide it before you fought."
Kazuma:
"There's no paper…"
Rin stares at him silently, not buying it. Her gaze sharp.
Kazuma takes a deep breath, nervous, then pulls out the paper from his pocket.
Kazuma:
"This one…?"
Rin (mocking):
"Yeah, genius. That one."
Kazuma (holding up two fingers):
"This morning, a strange man gave it to me… said it was for training."
Rin:
"And? Are you going?"
Kazuma (lowers his head, confidently):
"I don't know. My choices decide that."
---
Back to Ten inside the cave. It's pitch black… but he holds a candle.
A droplet of water drips from the ceiling—echoing like a monster's whisper.
Ten tenses up. His left eyebrow twitches. A nervous grin creeps up one side of his face.
Sweat pours down his forehead and cheeks.
He scans the cave's walls… and on the left wall, he spots writing.
He runs toward it, hopeful… and sees the same two names:
"Alex & Lina."
He notices a paper buried beneath the wall. Setting the candle down, he digs with his hands, brushes the dirt away, and reads:
> "Alex, you're dear to me. I love you. But I must leave—I want to disappear forever.
I'm tired. Please take care of our children.
They are the future—our only thread to finish what we started."
The rest of the message is smudged, soaked with water.
Ten stands silent, sweat dripping. Each drop feels like a heartbeat of anxiety.
Ten (murmuring to himself):
"Who… were they? What is this?"
He clenches the paper tightly, crushing it in his hand, then hides it in his right pocket.
Ten (determined):
"I'll uncover this mystery. Whatever it takes."
---
Back to Kazuma and Rin, still looking at one another.
Kazuma (curious):
"What do you live for?"
Rin (tilts her head, confused):
"Huh? What kind of question is that?"
Kazuma:
"A simple one. What's your dream?"
Rin:
"Told you earlier."
Kazuma:
"No, you didn't. What's your goal?"
Rin (smiling faintly):
"To figure out who I am… before I figure out what I want."
Rin (laughs sincerely):
"So? Are we friends now?"
Kazuma goes quiet. His eyes dim, losing their shine.
Rin notices his silence and grows uneasy.
Kazuma (eyes dull, brows heavy):
"My whole life… I had only one person to lean on… and I failed to protect them."
---
Suddenly—both feel their bodies grow heavy.
As if gravity itself intensified.
Rin clenches her teeth, eyes darting to the ceiling.
Kazuma, too, grits his teeth. His eyes widen.
Sweat drips down Kazuma's face.
Rin (raising her voice):
"Do you feel that?!"
Kazuma (yells back):
"How do I look right now!?"
The pressure vanishes. Everything returns to normal.
Rin gasps for air. Sweat drips like rain onto the floor.
Kazuma clutches his chest. His heartbeat unsteady.
His pupils dull… like his heart had stopped.
A gust of wind SLAMS the door open—
The door FLIES across the room, smashing into the wall.
Kazuma's eyes lock on the entry. His jaw clenches.
He slowly turns his head forward…
A figure emerges from the darkness…
It'
s Taroli. His head is lowered, expression void of fire.
His eyes are shadowed by messy hair, sorrow dripping off him like mist.
Kazuma (firmly):
"Who are you?!"
Taroli (calmly):
"I… am the truth."