Our Tin Can! Meet Taizen Kaizoharu! The Titanium Boy!

The bus rattled along a lonely highway under the moonlit sky, surrounded by towering cliffs and endless wilderness. Quite peaceful really, the only sound inside was the soft hum of the engine and the occasional chatter from the handful of passengers.

Taizen Kaizoharu, a boy of twelve, sat slumped in his seat near the back of the bus, almost hidden from everyone else. His silver hair gleamed faintly under the dim interior lights. That kid had quite messy hair!

He was fast asleep, speed of sound fast, his head leaning against the window, undisturbed by all the crazy or not so crazy things that went on around him.

The bus driver glanced in the rearview mirror and shook his head. "Kid's been out cold since we left the last stop," he muttered to himself.

But, of course, the calm of the night was suddenly shattered by the roar of engines. Headlights flared in the distance, growing larger as a sleek black car pulled up beside the bus. The window rolled down, revealing a man with slicked-back hair and a jagged scar across his cheek, who totally seemed like a lovely person!

"Pull over!" he yelled, his voice cutting through the hum of the bus like a knife, as if the actual knife he had wasn't already enough.

The bus skidded to a halt on the side of the road, its brakes screeching. Panic rippled through the passengers as murmurs turned into frantic whispers.

“Who are they?

"Why are they stopping us right here?”

“Are they gonna rob us?”

“Is that my girlfriend's ex?”

Taizen was still sleeping! Wake up!

The doors hissed open, and then…

Five men stormed in, their boots hitting heavy on the metal floor. At least they had style. Each was armed with a gun, and the leader, a broad-shouldered man with a menacing grin, stepped forward.

“Good evening, folks,” Ramos let out his accent while tipping his hat mockingly. "We’re looking for someone. Don’t worry, if you cooperate, no one gets hurt.”

The man was Aguiar Ramos, the infamous leader of the Los Cobras cartel. His presence made everyone quake with fear, luck was not on their side that night, that's for sure.

The passengers froze, clutching their belongings tightly. Careful there! Don't let them see the cheap phone you owned for 10 years! 

Ramos' men scanned the bus, their eyes sharper than a blade and colder than ice. "Move! Out of your seats!” shouted one of the henchmen, pointing his gun at a terrified family. “Everyone, out! Now!”

People scrambled like eggs to obey, filing out of the bus with hands raised. Amidst the chaos, no one noticed the boy in the back of the bus until a sudden movement caused him to tumble out of his seat and hit the floor like a piece of junk, complete with a metallic clank.

“Hey, boss!” one of the men called out, pointing to the groggy Taizen. “We’ve got a straggler.”

Taizen sat up, rubbing his head. His silver eyes blinked sleepily as he looked around. “Huh? What’s going on?”

Aguiar Ramos approached our lazy boy, his expensive boots echoing with authority. “Well, well. What do we have here? A kid sleeping through my big entrance?”

Taizen looked up, unimpressed. “I was having a good nap, y’know. Now I might have to punch someone.”

The passengers outside gasped, watching the scene unfold through the windows, they were not ready to see the worst case scenario possibly happen. Ramos burst into laughter.

“You’ve got guts, niño. But let’s see if you’ve got brains.” He motioned for one of his men to pull Taizen to his feet.

“Hold on,” another voice interrupted the action. It was Hernandez, a young man in his early twenties with a nervous expression.

He stepped forward hesitantly, with his hands trembling. "Boss, maybe we should just let him go. He’s just a kid—”

Ramos turned on him with a glare. “Hernandez, you’ve been with us for two months, and you still think you can tell me what to do!?” He shoved Hernandez aside, who stumbled but didn’t fall. Jackass.

Hernandez bit his lip, not in the kinky way, his heart was pounding. He hated this life, hated being part of Los Cobras. But he had no choice. It was either this, die painfully, or worse. As Ramos raised his submachine gun to intimidate Taizen, the boy finally stood up straight. He yawned, stretched, and dusted off his hoodie.

“You done talking?” He tilted his head. “I’ve got places to be, friends to make and stuff to find.”

Ramos’ grin faltered. “You’re not scared? Do you even know who I am?”

“Not really... But I don’t care, either. Besides, I think I could park an entire SUV on your hairline! ” He laughs out loud.

The passengers outside watched in horror as Ramos raised his gun. “You’re gonna regret that, pendejo.”

Before Ramos could pull the trigger, Taizen’s hand shot out, grabbing the barrel of the gun and bending it like it was made of clay, as if the situation was a saturday morning cartoon. The sound of twisting metal echoed in the night, and Ramos’ men stared, flabbergasted.

“What the—?!” Ramos staggered back, dropping the useless weapon.

Taizen cracked his knuckles, metallic noises echoed slightly. “I’ve got this thing, y’see… A titanium skeleton. Makes me tough to beat!”

The henchmen started shooting desperately, but the bullets bounced harmlessly off Taizen’s body, they weren't feeling so scary now. He dashed forward with incredible speed, taking down one man with a single punch, good night!

Another tried to swing a crowbar he was carrying to likely torture someone if they felt like it, but Taizen caught it mid-swing and snapped it in half. Meanwhile, Hernandez stood frozen, torn between fear and awe.

Ramos, now almost as desperate as the other bus passengers, lunged at Taizen with a knife, but before he could strike, Taizen’s silver eyes glowed, and his voice dropped to a calm and commanding tone.

“[Inherited Soul Technique: Merciful]” he grinned as he pointed at Ramos for an added cool factor.

Ramos couldn't move, his grip on the knife was loosening. His body trembled as if an invisible weight pressed down on him. For a moment, his bravado melted away, revealing a man filled with doubt and regret.

Taizen's [Merciful] completely bypassed any front someone might put to mask their genuine lack of desire to fight, only caring for the target's true feelings, and if they lack any will to fight Taizen, he could immediately pacify them, making them immediately and irresistibly give up fighting. Ramos dropped the knife and fell to his knees.

“Wow, my [Merciful] technique actually worked on a cartel leader? I thought these guys were all pieces of shit.”

The passengers cheered as the police arrived, alerted by the commotion. Ramos and his men were swiftly arrested, but Taizen was already walking away, hands in his pockets. He was not trying to have any conversations with the police.

"T-This kid... W-Who is he? That power... he's a monster! It makes no sense for him to be this strong!" Hernandez muttered.

Hernandez dashed after him, his heart pounding. “Wait! Kid! Who... who are you? ¿Quién eres?”

Taizen glanced over his shoulder. “Taizen Kaizoharu. You can call me Taizen, though.” He flashed a confident smile.

Hernandez hesitated. “Where are you headed?”

“Wherever my head is pointing.” Taizen laughed.

“Talking seriously, though… I'm going to Area 65, but I’ll get there when I get there.” He smirked. “Gotta make a few stops first.”

The two walked in silence for a while until they passed a shop with a TV in the window. On the screen was a clip from a local news station, showing a teenage girl, no older than 14, with black hair and fierce vivid pinkish red eyes.

Her hair was apparently turning a glowing light cream yellow with a flaming bright gold aura around her hair and body.

“Mei Akamura,” the announcer said. “At just 14 years old, she's set to compete in next week’s exhibition tournament! Where she hopes to prove herself as the strongest warrior in the region!”

Our tin can boy stopped in his tracks, staring at the screen. His facial expression changed, it now sparked with excitement! “Woah! Her hair can change color!? That's sick! Hernandez, I’ve decided on my next stop.”

“Huh?”

“I’m joining that tournament. Gotta prove myself,” He grinned. “And I’m gonna make that girl my friend. See ya!”

As Taizen continued down the road, the first rays of dawn began to break over the horizon. Taizen’s journey had only just begun, but his determination burned brighter than the sun that was now shining over him.

He clenched his fists, his titanium skeleton making weird noises. “I’ll make a name for myself… And I’m dragging some friends to do it along with me!”

To Be Continued…