THE 10 GEMS AND THE KING’S SUMMON

A small bird perched wildly near a window, flapping its wings with frantic energy, a tiny piece of paper clutched in its beak. The window creaked open, and a man with light pink hair—one eye green, the other blue—leaned out, smiling at the bird. It hopped inside casually, as if it had always belonged there.

Inside, a table held three people. A thin man with black hair, one eye covered by a cloth, dressed in a black half-sleeved t-shirt and shorts that barely passed his knees, sat quietly. Beside him, a maroon-haired man with a shirtless, perfectly sculpted body and just trousers, emanated an unnerving presence. Across the table, a girl with glasses, wearing a black t-shirt, pants, and coat, perched on the edge of the table like she owned the room, radiating beauty and command.

The bird hopped onto the pink-haired man’s shoulder. He gently stroked its head, smiling. Then it flew to the table, dropped the piece of paper, and flitted back toward the window. The girl extended her hand toward the window, clenching her fist. The window snapped shut at the exact same moment, as though under her command.

The pink-haired man dragged a chair to the table, sitting down. “Shouldn’t we call the leader… Selene?” he asked casually.

Before anyone could respond, the girl smashed the table. The thin man flew backward, hitting the floor with a grunt.

“Can you stop your childish antics, Selene? The table, chair… even the floor could have broken if I hadn’t controlled it at the perfect moment,” he said, scowling.

“Whatever,” she replied, sliding the chit into her coat pocket. “And you should be grateful I trusted you to protect those objects at the perfect moment.” She smiled, then strode toward the door. As she approached, a hat zipped through the air and landed neatly in her hand. With a wide swing of the door, she disappeared.

Not far away, Master crouched cross-legged in the clearing, focusing on amplifying his flame. Sweat dripped down his face as he muttered, “I’m trying my best, July. Stop irritating me with that wooden stick of yours.”

“Just shut up and focus on your magic! I am your teacher!” July snapped.

Five or six wolves had gathered nearby, their eyes trained on the Master. The moment they noticed July, they screeched and bolted in every direction, stomping over one another in pure panic.

Meanwhile, the demons practiced their training: handstands on a single hand, no support. Commander Veyran kicked them one by one, relentlessly.

“Master!” Rage shouted mid-handstand. “I think we’re forgetting something—”

Veyran slammed a kick into his side. “Hey! I’m talking!”

“Waiting… go ahead,” Veyran said, smirking.

“Master, are you even listening?” Rage continued.

“Yes, Rage. Continue.”

“We’re forgetting something, I feel it, but I can’t remember—” Rage stammered.

“LEAVE IT. Continue your training. This is most important!” Master shouted, and Veyran, not missing a beat, slammed a kick into Joy’s stomach.

“Pity, you seem frustrated. What is it?” Joy asked, panting.

“You’re asking what it is? What do you think this training does—fighting or aura stuff?” Pity grumbled.

“Yes, obviously!” July barked. “Your body’s aura is unevenly spread—head, hands, legs. Abdomen is vulnerable. Kicking the stomach forces aura flow there, making you less hurt.”

Pity groaned. “Okaaaayyy…”

Veyran continued his relentless kicks, perfect in rhythm.

Somewhere in the forest, six swordsmen rode white horses, advancing cautiously. The ground trembled as the Royal Wolves, each as large as a horse, emerged and blocked their path. The swordsmen tried to retreat, only to find themselves completely surrounded. A scream cut through the air, sharp and panicked.

Back at Master’s training ground, a wolf suddenly raced toward the demons, skidding to a stop at Rage’s feet. It licked him once, twice, then waited expectantly.

“Ahm! Master! We have an intruder!” Rage shouted, wobbling in his handstand.

The wolf ran back into the trees and returned, this time leading Master and the demons deeper into the forest.

“Rage,” Master said calmly, “ask the wolf to behave gently with anyone we find.” Rage nodded, and the wolf acknowledged.

Soon, they arrived at a small clearing where six knights were tied to trees, crying for help. Master and the demons rushed forward, and Joy immediately cut through the ropes.

Rage turned to the wolf. “How… how did you tie them?”

The wolf barked and turned back into the bushes. Moments later, it returned, accompanied by the two children and their mother whom Master had saved previously. The kids giggled, and the mother hurried to help the knights, bringing water and tending to them. The demons and Master facepalmed in unison at the chaos and absurdity of the situation.

The knights sobbed like children. One pointed trembling toward the palace. “King… has called you, sir,” he said.

Master stood, dusting himself off. “Ah… now I know why this kingdom is weak in military but strong in economy.”

Rage barked orders: “Treat them well. Feed them. Return their horses. Guard them until they reach the palace. And most importantly—don’t eat anything strange you find in the city. Not children, not cloth, not plastic!”

The wolves howled in acknowledgment.

As they began walking toward the palace, Master smirked. “Shouldn’t we get coffee on the way?”

“Yayyy!” Strength cheered.

Before he could finish, Joy stopped him, shaking her head. One by one, the demons refused.

“Why?” Master asked.

Rage answered, “Master, the coffee smells weird… unpleasant. And we’re heading to the palace of the richest state. We shouldn’t look like weird coffee addicts.”

Everyone laughed as they continued, walking in unison toward the palace.

Meanwhile, back in the city, Selene knelt before a table.

“Leader… we have information from our spy,” she said.

On the wall behind them, a drawing displayed the 10 Gems, each colored differently. Above it, in bold letters:

THE 10 GEMS

Episode Ends.