Ziro dashed toward the monster, his mind blank with fear, echoing with a single thought.
Saving a friend is more important than accepting an unfair reality. I have to… do it…i have to move my damn body!!
"Ziro! What are you doing?! STOP!!" Shintaro shouted.
But Ziro didn't stop. He was faster now. Was it adrenaline? Or the mysterious power of absorbing Aether? It felt like a light had sparked inside him in this dark new world.
On the other side, Riya struggled under the rubble, her vision blurred—but she saw him.
"Ziro…?" she whispered weakly.
"Riya! If you can hear me, hold on! I'm coming for you! Just stay still!" Ziro shouted, running toward her.
"No, please don't! It's not safe! That monster… it killed my little sister. I don't want to see anyone else die in front of me! Please stop…" Riya cried.
Ziro ignored everything else. Just hold on—I'll save you!
"Why…? Why don't you ever listen to me? You always do what you want!" Riya sobbed.
"Because… we're friends. How could I just watch you die? I'm not that kind of person. I won't let you go through this alone—we'll survive this together. Just believe in me," Ziro said softly, lifting the boulder pinning her.
"Hrrghh… why won't this boulder move?!" Ziro grunted, straining against the heavy stone.
"Ziro…" Riya whispered in fear.
"Wait, I'll do something!" Ziro muttered.
"Behind you…" Riya screamed, terrified.
Ziro froze. He felt it—the hot, rancid breath of something enormous behind him. A lizard-like monster towered over him, its jaw opening wide. Terror filled him. His limbs screamed to run, but his legs refused.
If I move, I die… but if I stay… we both die. I must move first so that Shintaro can save Riya… Ziro thought.
He took a deep breath.
"Riya… I'm going to distract it. You try to move. I know someone who can help you. Trust me."
"No! You idiot, you'll die—just run for your life… RUN!!" Riya screamed.
Ziro was already running, circling the monster, shouting, waving his arms. Without making eye contact, he ran like crazy.
"HEY! Over here!! I'm right here, come!!!" he shouted.
"STOP!" Shintaro's voice echoed across the street.
"Oy, hero—stop running like a lunatic. It's already dead," Shintaro added, cold and commanding.
Ziro froze, confused. Slowly, he turned—and saw the monster's head gone, its body collapsed. Standing next to it was Shintaro, blade dripping with dark blood.
"Come here," Shintaro said coldly.
Ziro stepped forward—SMACK!—Shintaro slapped him across the face.
"W-Why did you do that?!" Ziro stammered.
"Because this isn't a fantasy world. If you die, you die. And why didn't you listen to me when I shouted at you?!" Shintaro snapped.
"I didn't think. I just… needed to save my friend," Ziro admitted.
Shintaro turned away and walked off.
"If you want to save others, become someone strong who can save himself first. Making decisions like that is just recklessness and foolish…"
Ziro watched him walk away, eyes wide with admiration.
Yeah… he isn't wrong… I was desperate, but looking at it now, I was just a burden… I'll remember that—becoming someone that can protect himself…
"Let's go. It's getting late," Shintaro said.
"Kneel on my shoulder if your leg hurts, Riya," Ziro said, helping her up.
"It's alright… I don't feel pain anymore," Riya said calmly.
"What?! But you were crushed under a boulder!" Ziro exclaimed, shocked.
"It's self-healing. Her ability probably awakened while she was trapped," Shintaro said calmly.
"Self-healing? Cool! So… what's my ability then?" Ziro asked.
"Figure it out yourself," Shintaro replied.
"Wait—why?!"
"No questions. Just follow me."
"Ughhh, seriously…" Ziro groaned.
They were walking toward Jamal, who was sleeping like a horse in the middle of the street.
"Umm, Ziro?" Riya asked.
"Yeah?"
"Do you know that guy?"
"Who? Shintaro? Of course."
"Is it safe to just… follow him? Sure… me and Jamal both verified it."
"So you don't actually know anything about him, huh?" Riya frowned.
"Uh… well, he's Shintaro. The Mist Guy. And… he's strong!" Ziro replied.
"Wow. You really don't know," Riya muttered.
"Sorry—but he's reliable. Trust me."
Ziro paused.
"…Anyway, I'm sorry about your sister."
"It's not your fault… We couldn't find our parents. We went outside to look… and that thing, it just tore through the building. My sister… I couldn't find her until it was too late. She was smiling and saying to run for myself… how could I… Her half-body was hanging from the lizard's mouth… I… I couldn't do anything…" Riya's voice trembled.
Ziro put a hand on her shoulder.
As she broke down in tears, Ziro quietly sat beside her, offering comfort.
Meanwhile, Shintaro stood silently on a rooftop, scanning the surroundings. He saw Jamal approaching and quietly said,
"Don't go near them at the moment. Give them some space…"
Jamal looked down at Ziro and Riya, then nodded silently, guilt flickering across his face.
After some time passed,
Check! Check!
Black mist??
Hmm… yes, report.
There are many scouts going off signal; you have to come back.
Shintaro's voice echoed:
"Ziro, we should move now…"
"Yeah… thanks for waiting," Ziro said, standing.
[TO BE CONTINUED]