After two weeks, Genzai began his search across the world for any clue that could lead him to Finn. With the Blessing of Time in his hands, he trained every day, learning skills he believed would one day help him defeat him.
His first stop was Solis, the Sand Kingdom. The air was hot, the sun burned down on endless deserts, and life clung to scattered towns and slums. Genzai searched the poorest places where crime ran deepest, but he found nothing. The emptiness of Solis left him frustrated.
Next was Aestus, the Island Kingdom. Its people lived off the sea, their lives tied to fishing and trade. Genzai traveled to Seta, the most dangerous island, known for pirates and smugglers. He hoped Finn's men would be there, but once again, he came away empty-handed.
He pushed on to Fastigium, the Mountain Kingdom, where tall peaks and thick forests offered countless places for criminals to hide. He scoured every cave, every valley, and every secluded village, but the trail was always cold. Each dead end weighed on him like a stone.
From there, he traveled to Norðurljós, the Ice Kingdom. The cold bit into his skin, harsher than the heat of Solis, and every step through snow and storm tested his strength. Still, his search led only to silence, as heavy and endless as the snow.
He then arrived in Perspicax, the Kingdom of Innovation. Towers of glass and steel rose high, and machines filled the streets. It was the most advanced place mankind had built. Genzai searched among the towering structures, hoping to find a trail, but every lead vanished before it began.
After Perspicax, he journeyed to Oeranous, the Great Sky Empire. Long ago, even nights there glowed with countless stars. But ever since the tragedy eleven years ago, it had become the Forgotten Empire. Once bright, now it was ancient, ruined, and avoided by most. Genzai wandered through the broken remains of towers and streets, searching for anything that could point him to Finn. The silence of Oeranous was different. It felt haunted, as though the past itself lingered in the air. Yet still, he found nothing.
Weary and discouraged, he finally returned to Aetherius, the prosperous kingdom. He had crossed deserts, seas, mountains, snowfields, ruins, and cities, only to find nothing. For a moment, doubt crept into him, whispering that his journey was meaningless.
But in Aetherius, at last, a small lead appeared. A whisper in the crowd, a trace of movement in the shadows. For the first time in weeks, Genzai's hope stirred again. This time, he would not let it slip away.
He relied on his ability, Time Skip, to fast forward five seconds. With each use, the world jumped ahead, letting him move faster than anyone else. The cooldown was 10 seconds, but it was enough. That was why he managed to explore all seven kingdoms in only two weeks.
Now, his search brought him to an abandoned warehouse. Rumors whispered that one of Finn's operations was hidden inside.
The warehouse was silent. Only the sound of his shoes pressed against the floor echoed faintly. The air was heavy, thick with rust and dust. Crates lay scattered, old tools rusted, broken glass glinting faintly in the light that slipped through the roof.
Genzai moved carefully, eyes sharp, but saw no one. The place looked abandoned. Empty.
Then it hit him. A hand gripped his arm from behind.
Pain seared instantly. His skin turned black, rotting like wood left to burn. The stench of decay filled his nose. He spun around, teeth clenched, forcing himself not to cry out.
A man stood there, eyes narrowed, watching calmly as Genzai's flesh corroded.
Genzai's thoughts cut through the pain. This was no ordinary strike. He has an ability. Either a curse or a blessing. I have to be careful.
The man's voice was low and steady. "Who are you? Why did you come here?"
Genzai's grip tightened on his ruined arm. "Do you know Finn? What's your connection to him?"
The man tilted his head. His expression showed nothing. "I don't know who you're talking about."
This man wouldn't tell me anything.
The curse crept further up his arm. Genzai could feel it eating into his bones. He had no choice.
He pulled. Time Rewind.
The world snapped back five seconds. His arm was whole again, restored as if nothing had touched it. Only he remembered. The man stood in the same place, unaware that he had already corrupted Genzai once.
Genzai's breath steadied. His gaze hardened.
This ability is tied to his hand. I can't let him touch me again.
The man stepped forward. Genzai did not move. He waited. Then he whispered inside his mind. Now.
Time Freeze. Silence drowned the warehouse. The world stood still.
Genzai closed the distance, seized the man's collar, and drove his fist into his face. Then another. And another. Five seconds of fury, every strike carrying the weight of his hatred for men like this.
Time resumed.
The blows landed all at once. The man was hurled back, crashing into crates with a sickening thud. He stumbled up, blood dripping, and ran for the exit.
Ten seconds ticked by. Genzai followed, step by step, until he reached the doorway.
The cooldown ended. He stopped time again. The man froze mid-stride at the door.
But before Genzai could move, something shattered the stillness.
A figure dropped through the rooftop. White hair. Purple eyes. Wings of metal that glimmered in the light. He slammed into the cursed man, dragging him to the floor with a violent crash.
Genzai's eyes widened. His chest tightened.
No one else should be able to move. Not while time is frozen.
The white-haired stranger looked up at him, a faint grin across his face.
"Oh. Hey."