The sun shone high in the Tokyo sky. A perfect day off, ideal for spending some quality time at the amusement park.
"Why the amusement park, exactly?" Joy asked in a whisper.
"Because we needed a place that didn't feel too 'romantic date' and that would work well with a group of friends. So, the amusement park was the ideal place." Ryouma replied in the same tone.
Joy frowned.
"Yeah... but tell me what he's doing here."
She pointed at the boy walking next to Ryouma. Her little brother, Haru.
"Nobody was home. Dad went to work, Mom was teaching today, and Haruna... no idea where she went. Anyway, Haru told me Mom asked me to look after him. And what's more, he actually insisted on coming."
Haru, despite his eleven years, displayed astonishing maturity. He wasn't the kind of child who needed to be watched to avoid mischief. In fact, Ryouma even found it odd. Haru hated being treated like a child and never hesitated to remind him of this, sometimes complaining all day long.
Normally, he would have refused their mother's request and stayed quietly at home. But this time, he'd insisted, to the point of forcing Ryouma to take on the role of "responsible big brother." And that was doubly bizarre.
"Won't that compromise the plan?"
"No, no problem. It's an insignificant variable, we can forget about it. We'll proceed as planned."
The plan the two agreed on was to have Sia and Ryouma alone, while Joy would keep Kate busy. But an unforeseen variable (Haru) had just appeared. Although unexpected, they decided not to worry too much about him.
"So, Haru, how are you doing, little guy? I hope you've become kinder and less insulting than last time," Joy said.
"And you look even dumber than last time. I didn't know you could regress so much," Haru snapped.
"Hahaha! You're very funny, man." Joy said, patting him on the head.
Except her hand didn't stop at just tapping. She grabbed the boy's head and squeezed his skull, making him scream.
"Ryo! What did I tell you about brats?... That they needed to be disciplined!"
"Let go of me, you idiot! You big brute!" Haru cried, struggling.
While Joy was arguing with Haru and Ryouma was trying his best to calm them down, a little further away the girls, Sia and Kate, were waiting. They had been waiting for several minutes, even though the boys had pretended to have "important" things to discuss among themselves.
"Is he planning on making us wait much longer? Ahh... these boys are really heavy," Kate sighed.
"They must be deciding which attractions they want to visit," Sia replied with a small smile.
She turned to her friend.
"Anyway, I'm glad you came, Kate. That way, even if the boys decide to do their own thing, we can have fun together. And… I have to say, this outfit looks great on you."
Kate wore a loose-fitting white T-shirt with a small panda face printed on it. The panda's cute face stood out even more against her ample bosom. She completed the look with faded denim shorts with frayed edges, and her long silver hair was tied into a high ponytail that accentuated her energetic side.
"You're not bad either!" she replied, returning the compliment.
Sia, for her part, opted for a pastel pink sweater with slightly rolled-up sleeves, paired with light blue skinny jeans that gave her a look that was both simple and elegant.
"Sorry for the wait, girls," Ryouma said, joining the other two.
The boys had finally calmed down... well, not quite, since Haru and Joy continued to glare at each other.
"Well, we decide to split up into teams of two."
"Huh? Why do we have to split up?" Kate asked skeptically.
"Because I'm not going on rides or other kid stuff. It's not for me," Joy replied.
"Huh? But I like the rides! They're amazing!" Sia exclaimed.
“Well, that’s good, because Ryo loves kids’ stuff too. So you two are going together… taking the brat with you. And Kate and I will go to the game booths. Is that okay?"
Ryouma, Sia, and Haru exchanged glances, then nodded... However...
“Wait, why do I have to go with you? I want to go on the rides too! I really want to go on a roller coaster!” Kate protested, clearly not agreeing with the distribution.
"No, no, no! We're not talking! We're doing it the way we planned! Kate, come with me, we're going to test the stands on our side. See you later!"
With a big smile, Joy patted Ryouma on the shoulder as if to push him onto a battlefield. Then he grabbed Kate by the arm and dragged her away with him, as planned. He left Ryouma and Sia alone. Well, almost alone. Because Haru was still there.
"Come on, where do we start?" asked Sia.
"Let's start with the roller coaster!" suggested Ryouma enthusiastically.
He already had a plan in mind: to choose rides with two-by-two seats, so he could spend the day with Sia. But... nothing went as planned.
Sia laughed out loud, her hair blowing in the wind, while Haru, sitting next to her, raised his arms and screamed with joy. Ryouma, on the other hand, gritted his teeth. He'd been beaten to the ticket counter, and Haru had taken his spot. The two were having a blast at the front of the car, while Ryouma sulked in the back, his plan already in pieces.
No problem! I'll make up for it at the next attraction...
Except the next one was… the ghost train. Haru, playing coward, grabbed Sia's arm at every mechanical skeleton that popped up. Sia laughed, amused by his reactions. Ryouma, meanwhile, was still lagging behind, and his head hit a plastic crow hanging from the ceiling.
Then came the Ferris wheel. Guess what? Haru was still two seats ahead, with Sia. Ryouma, on the other hand, found himself alone in the next gondola. Sia was telling anecdotes, Haru was laughing out loud... and Ryouma was tapping his foot like a pressure cooker about to explode. It was the first time he had seen his little brother laugh so much and he got along really well with Sia.
After several rides and other activities, the trio finally took a break on a bench. Sia stood up and offered to get some refreshments. And suddenly, only the two brothers remained, alone. The air immediately became electric.
"Hey, can you explain to me what you're playing?"
"What are you talking about?" Haru replied with a shrug.
"Don't act ignorant! You forced me to babysit you when you hate being treated like a child. You insisted on coming even though you never spend time with me... and from the beginning, you've been ruining all my plans!"
"It's not my fault. It's your plans that are flawed from the start," Haru replied, unfazed.
“No, seriously… you’re acting weird today. It seems like you're doing everything to come between me and Sia, stealing my place every time, as if..."
Ryouma paused, his eyes widening.
"...Oh shit."
He had just understood. His brother's strange behavior, his insistence, his little shenanigans... Everything became clear.
“Don’t tell me… you fell for Sia!” Ryouma exclaimed.
"So what? What does it matter to you?" Haru replied, his cheeks red behind his glasses.
Ryouma was right. Haru had fallen in love at first sight the moment they first met yesterday. It wasn't just her looks that charmed him, he also appreciated her kindness and gentle smile.
"But you're way too precocious for that! You're eleven, damn it! This kind of stuff isn't for kids who haven't even reached puberty!"
"I could say the same thing about you, Mr. I still don't have a girlfriend. At least I won't end up like you at your age." Haru retorted with a smirk.
“Seriously, don’t you have anything better to do? Like take pictures with the park mascot or get yourself some cotton candy? Let your big brother handle the adult stuff!”
"Hmph! I already told you to stop playing big brother with me," Haru growled, turning on his heel.
“Hey, oh! Where are you going?”
"Join Sia at the store. It'll still be better than staying with you."
After their argument, Ryouma watched his little brother walk away. He slumped back onto the bench, dejected.
"Haru... damned kid! You've got nothing to lose by waiting," he muttered.
Haru, for his part, walked with an angry step, unaware that a disturbing shadow was following him in the crowd.
***
Meanwhile, over at the second group, Kate and Joy toured the game booths, starting with the classic fairground shootouts. The atmosphere wasn't as lively as the others, but they still tried to have fun.
They then came across a pellet rifle range.
"I bet I'm better at shooting than you," Joy said with a smirk.
"You're joking, are you? There's no world in which you could beat me in a game of skill," Kate declared proudly.
"So, let's bet? Since you're not afraid of losing, Kate."
“Okay! If I win, you’ll stop talking to me like that and finally use my name properly.”
"Sounds good to me. What if I win?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.
"If you win... I'll do whatever you want."
"Huh!? Do you even realize what you're getting into by saying that to a guy?"
"Fufufu! That's only if you win... which will never happen," Kate replied with a small, provocative smile.
"Oh yeah? You're so sure?"
"More than certain."
"Then it's a deal. May the best man win!"
The challenge was on. Both of them focused on the game, categorically refusing to lose.
Five minutes later…
"Bingo!" said Kate, taking down the last target with ease.
Joy, dejected, had barely hit anything.
"...It's rigged," he growled.
"Don't be a sore loser!" Kate replied, crossing her arms.
"Tch. All right, let's go check out another booth. I'm sure I can beat you at rings!"
"Fine, if you want. But it won't change anything," she replied confidently.
With Joy refusing to admit defeat, Kate had no choice but to accept a rematch. And so began a long series of challenges.
The two young people went from stand to stand.
Whether it was the ring game, where Kate made several successful throws while Joy knocked half of them aside, or even when fishing for ducks, where she caught three to his one, the result was always the same. Joy lost again and again, and Kate emerged victorious every time.
"How come I lose every time?! It's not possible!" Joy exclaimed in despair.
"It's simple. It's even genetic. I'm superior to you in skill and dexterity," Kate replied with a triumphant smile.
"Argh! Damn hereditary genes..." Joy groaned, clutching her head.
"So... I won, didn't I?" she insisted.
"Yeah... Yeah, you win. So let's go find the others, Kat... I mean, Katerina," he said reluctantly.
Kate smiled smugly and led the way, while Joy, behind her, was still struggling to come to terms with her multiple defeats.
Later, on the way, as they passed by the central fountain, Kate saw a little boy sitting on the ground, crying, his knee bleeding.
"What's wrong, big boy? You hurt yourself playing, didn't you?" she asked, leaning towards him.
The boy nodded, tears rolling down his red cheeks.
Taking advantage of the fact that there was no one around except Joy, Kate discreetly turned around and took out her amulet. A small flash of light revealed her first aid kit. Then she returned to the boy.
“It’s going to be okay! I’ll treat your injury, and then you can go back to playing with your friends. Okay?” she said, kneeling down.
“Okay…” the boy replied weakly.
She began by carefully cleaning the wound, applying a little disinfectant, and then placing a brightly decorated bandage.
"That's it! You can go, but watch where you put your feet, okay?" she added with a bright smile.
The little boy sniffed, then burst into a relieved laugh before running off to find his friends.
Joy, standing behind her, had watched the whole scene in silence. He was always pleasantly surprised by Kate's attentiveness and gentleness at such moments.
Their eyes finally met.
"What?" she asked, her slightly cold tone betraying involuntary embarrassment.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing your guardian angel side,” Joy replied.
"You should have gotten used to it by now," she said, sitting up.
"I must say that even I... am extremely surprised by what I just saw."
The voice, sinuous and honeyed, did not come from Joy.
A man had just intruded on their conversation. His golden hair shone in the sun like a crown, and his blue eyes, clear as the sky, rested fixedly on Kate and Joy. With an elegant, almost unreal gait, he advanced towards them.
“I’ve known you for many years… but I’ve never seen you with such an expression.” The man's voice sounded both soft and sharp.
"Back then, you would never have wasted your time caring for a child. You've changed a lot in such a short time, Katerina."
Kate's body suddenly began to tremble. Her breathing became heavy and ragged, as if she were running out of air. She seemed to be in a state of panic, her gaze fixed on him... as if a ghost had just reappeared in front of her.
Joy, intrigued by this unusual reaction, frowned. But he didn't have time to ask any questions. Already, he felt this singular, dense, oppressive aura... an aura that he knew was reserved for the Heirs.
"Kai...! W-What are you doing here?" Kate blurted out, her voice cracking with fear.
***
“Sorry to keep you waiting! The line was much longer than expected,” Sia said, returning with cold drinks.
"Huh? Haru isn't with you?" Ryouma asked, surprised.
"No, why?" she replied, tilting her head.
“Well… he left angry, saying he was going to join you.”
Sia frowned.
"Did you two have another fight?"
"No... well, yes, but it's nothing, don't worry. He'll be back soon."
Sia sighed softly, her gaze falling on Ryouma.
"You know, you should talk to him frankly. If you took the time to ask him his reasons openly, maybe you would understand each other better."
Sia's words echoed in Ryouma's mind. Was it because she'd already talked to Haru that she was taking it so well? Maybe she was right...
He shook his head to focus.
"Okay! First, we have to find him. He's probably sulking in a corner."
Both of them began to search, roaming the park from end to end. They shouted his name, asked passersby, retraced their steps, searched every attraction they had already visited. But there was no sign of Haru.
"Where did he go?" Sia whispered, growing increasingly worried.
"Maybe he came home..."
"Ryouma!! Sia!! Help!!!"
The cry of distress ripped through the air, chilling their blood. Both of them immediately looked up.
There, in a deserted place away from the crowd, Haru was suspended above the roof of the house of mirrors, held by a young blond man.
"Hey, you! Who are you?! Let go of Haru right now!" Ryouma shouted, his fist clenched.
"Do you really want me to let go of him?" the man replied.
He held Haru by the nape of the neck, leaving him dangling precariously over the edge of the roof of the House of Mirrors. From that height, a fall could be fatal.
"Stop! Don't do this!" Sia cried, warning herself.
The man took a few steps, leading Haru to the end of the roof.
“Listen to me carefully, Ryouma Kirishima. You will give me the amulet. Otherwise… your brother will never know the softness of the ground.”
How does he know my name…?! thought Ryouma, his heart pounding.
"And you, don't try anything stupid," he added, throwing a murderous look at Sia.
“You understand, I hope. Good. So…”
"Are you deaf or what?! What language should I tell you this in?! Let go of me, you bastard!" Haru shouted, struggling with all his might.
"You talk too much, kid."
The man's tone turned threatening, and he slapped Haru sharply on the back of the head. The boy's eyes rolled back in his head, and he immediately fainted.
"Haru!!... Bastard!!!"
Rage exploded in Ryouma's heart. He clutched his amulet, and in a flash of light, his bident appeared. His breathing became heavy, his features hardened. The whites of his eyes gradually turned black, while his irises lit up with a shimmering purple.
His dark gaze fell on the man, charged with violent anger.
“So it’s true… you’re an Ebonveil. It’s rare to come across a subspecies of Celestine like you.”
"Who are you?! And how do you know all this about me?" Ryouma growled.
"My name is Abel Jäger. A member of Avalon, the ruling faction, serving Master Kai."
“Avalon… like those other two guys?”
"You mean Konrad and Simon?" Abel smirked.
“Yes. They were under my command. I imagine the guild is holding them prisoner. Well, too bad for them. That's what happens when you disobey.”
Ryouma's hands whitened on his weapon, ready to lunge at him. But Sia placed a firm hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
"I hope you'll be more obedient than them. Otherwise, your brother will end up on my death list," Abel said, tightening his grip on the unconscious Haru.
Ryouma gritted his teeth. A dark mist began to rise from his body, a manifestation of his anger… but he took a deep breath, dispelling it in one go to keep his head cool.
“Give me the amulet. I won’t repeat it.”
A brief exchange of glances passed between Ryouma and Sia. She nodded slightly.
Ryouma removed the amulet and threw it towards Abel, who caught it in mid-air.
“So this is the last amulet of the first series…” His eyes shone with lust.
"So this is the last amulet in the first set. It looks real."
"You got what you wanted, now release Haru."
"Do you even know what the value of this amulet is?" Abel asked coldly.
"Huh? I don't understand anything you're saying, so let Haru go!" Ryouma growled.
“This powerful artifact is an heirloom forged in the days of Eldrath’s splendor. Its value is inestimable. It is worth more than a mere human life.”
Haru's unconscious body found itself suspended in the void again.
"You have committed a grave sin by abandoning your inheritance for this human," Abel continued implacably.
"Shut up! That piece of metal is worthless next to my family. My family comes first—give me back my little brother!" Ryouma yelled.
“If you love it so much… come and get it.”
He tightened his hand around Haru's neck, ready to break his vertebrae.
"Stop it!" Sia shouted.
She waited for the right moment. With a quick gesture, she summoned a card and threw it straight towards Abel. Surprised, he narrowly avoided her, his cheek cracking slightly. He hadn't taken the girl seriously... a mistake that almost cost him dearly.
The card continued its trajectory, stuck in the roof, then began to glow.
“Spirit of the Earth, wake up, Mother Earth!”
Behind Abel, a gigantic woman materialized. His muscular body was clad in wild skins, and his messy brown hair stood on end like a mane. In her hands, she wielded a primitive-looking stone hammer. Her wild eyes reflected the brute strength of an ancient warrior.
The spirit causing rocky stakes to shoot out and shoot straight towards Abel.
Caught off guard, he was forced to let go of Haru to dodge.
"I've got you!" Ryouma yelled.
He jumped up and caught his brother in extremis, clutching his unconscious body against him.
Abel continued to dodge the hail of stones. The noise was beginning to attract the attention of passersby. A prolonged fight risked compromising his mission, and he had already obtained what he came for.
"Hmph. Enough wasting time," he breathed.
A halo of light enveloped his body. In a split second, Abel disappeared in a blur of light.
“He teleported… to Eldrath,” Ryouma breathed, his face closed.
"It's his escape route. From Eldrath, he can travel anywhere on Earth he's been before. He's probably already reached their headquarters..." she explained quickly.
She summoned her TermRod. A holographic map of Earth appeared, a flashing green dot in a region of Europe.
She gritted her teeth.
"Kirishima, I'll take care of Haru. You, quickly find Joy and Kate. We all have to leave, and time is running out."
“Very well! I entrust my brother to you!”
Without wasting a second, Ryouma put Haru back in Sia's arms and rushed into the park, determined to warn the others of the danger that awaited them.
***
What's going on here? Joy thought, glancing at Kate, who looked frozen. And this guy who comes out of nowhere... I feel really bad. I'm dumped, and I don't like it. I've never seen Kate look so scared. Not scared of him... but of something else.
Not understanding what was going on drove him mad, especially when the situation seemed complicated.
"Hey, Ka… Katerina! Do you know this guy? Who is he? And what does he want?" Joy asked, worried.
But Kate didn't answer. Her gaze was fixed on the blond man, her body stiff, and cold sweat was breaking out on her temples.
“I was very surprised… to learn that you had left this organization. And when I heard that you had joined the ranks of the guild… "I couldn't believe it. You, who were so devoted to our cause..." Kai declared.
Joy frowned, unable to follow.
"Hey... the blond guy, Kai, is that it?! What are you talking about? Explain yourself better, because I can't stand being in the dark!"
Kai glanced at Kate.
“What’s wrong with you, Kate? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Don’t be so nervous… I’m not here to fight.”
“He openly ignores me…”
If Joy hated anything more than anything, it was being ignored, as if she didn't exist. And Kai had just committed that crime.
"What did you come here for, then?" Kate asked, her voice trembling.
“I had an urgent errand to run… and seeing you, I came to greet an old friend.” His voice was calm.
“Abel would be happy to see you too.”
“No way… he’s here too!” Kate cried.
“Stop! Stop everything!” Joy shouted, interposing herself.
Kai and Kate's gazes turned towards him.
« You're going to stop talking in such a familiar way, and if you ignore me again... I'll beat your ass up!" Joy said, pointing at Kai threateningly.
Then he turned to Kate.
“And you, stop making that scared dog face and pull yourself together!”
He gently but firmly grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly. Kate finally looked up at him, and the anxiety paralyzing her body eased a little.
Joy frowned.
"Apparently, this guy knows you."
"It's..."
Kate remained silent.
The words seemed to catch in her throat, too difficult to pronounce. Joy remained puzzled, confused, unable to fully comprehend the situation.
"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend, Kate? In that case, I'll introduce myself." Kai stepped forward, his gaze confident.
"I am Kai Von Richter, leader of the dominant faction of Avalon."
“You’re part of Avalon!” Joy exclaimed, her eyes flashing at the mere mention of the name. “So I was right… you’re an heir!”
"And what is your connection to Katerina?" he added, his tone becoming more threatening.
Kate's eyes widened at Joy's question, and she immediately turned to him, confused and worried.
"What do you mean she didn't tell you anything..." Kai whispered.
“I thought you were close… well, that’s what I assumed from looking at you from afar. Too bad.”
"Answer the question, damn it!" Joy urged, her voice deeper and more authoritative.
"No, wait..." Kate tried hesitantly.
“She and I were in the same faction,” Kai began, his tone serious.
“Katerina Morozova was a member of Avalon.”
Kate's voice trailed off, and Joy's face froze in shock at Kai's words.
"Hehehe!"
Joy laughed, a cold, derisive laugh.
"That's a very funny joke... but do you really think I'm going to believe you? You're kidding yourself!" Joy said, refusing to believe his words. Deep down, he was simply in denial.
“Come on, Kate, tell me this isn’t true!” he pleaded, his eyes flashing at Kai.
“This is just a tactic to confuse us… He’s trying to turn us against each other!”
Kate didn't answer. She looked away, overcome with guilt, unable to meet his gaze.
"Say something, damn it!!" Joy yelled, startling the young woman.
Kai took on a deeper, more commanding tone.
“It seems she’s been keeping her past a secret from you. I understand that it’s hard to hear, but it’s the absolute truth. Katerina was one of us… she was one of the best members, among the enforcers. She was…”
"You, stop! I already warned you not to use that familiar tone with me! You don't know anything about me or Kate!" Joy exclaimed.
Kai raised an eyebrow and replied calmly.
“Don’t be mistaken. I know Katerina very well… and I know a lot about you, Joyce Decker. Your mother, Gloria Decker, was a brilliant researcher. Outside of her research, she conducted experiments on plagues as a member of the guild.
Kai continued to tell his story, while Joy clenched her fists, seething with anger, ready to strike at any moment.
“It’s a shame she’s dead… such a wasted genius. She should have agreed to work for us.”
"BASTARD !!!" Joy yelled.
"No, Joy!" Kate shouted, trying to stop him, but he was already gone.
Joy lunged at Kai, her fist swinging straight at him... but Kai stopped her effortlessly.
"Shut up! I forbid you from talking about my mother, you bastard!" Joy roared.
"Despite her genius, she was unable to make the right choice. Intelligent people sometimes lack common sense."
A violent kick ripped through the air. Kai was thrown far away, crashing to the ground.
"Didn't you hear what he said? He told you to shut your big mouth, you poor thing!" Ryouma cried, bursting onto the scene.
Kai quickly stood up, surprised. He hadn't expected Ryouma's intervention, and he wasn't the only one surprised.
"Joy, Kate... are you okay?" Ryouma asked.
"Ryo!" Joy exclaimed, regaining her composure upon seeing her friend.
"I'm fine!" Kate replied, finally seeming a little less tense.
"You had visitors too... who was the guy I punched?" he asked, intrigued.
Kate fell into an awkward silence.
"He's Kate's ex-boyfriend," Joy whispered.
"Huh? This is nonsense! This isn't it!" Kate exclaimed, forgetting her initial fear for a moment.
"Hmm... I see! The breakup was difficult."
"You got it all."
“No… you don’t understand anything,” Kate retorted, her cheeks slightly pink.
Joy's joke had the effect of chasing away Kate's bad thoughts and she finally regained her clear mind.
“You must be Ryouma Kirishima, the Goodwill,” Kai said.
“It’s nice to see a fellow… but alas, I don’t have time to chat any longer. I must go. I’m sure our paths will cross again soon.”
With that, Kai grabbed his first-series amulet. Ryouma recognized it immediately.
“He has the same amulet as me…” he whispered, astonished.
A second later, Kai was enveloped by the artifact's light and disappeared without a trace. Those who remained there each displayed a different expression, oscillating between shock and confusion.
"Damn it! I really don't understand what's going on, and it's pissing me off!" Joy grumbled.
"I still don't know who that guy was..." Ryouma added, puzzled.
"But there are more urgent matters. Sia asked me to take you back. She'll explain on the way... we have to leave quickly."
"Okay, I'm with you," Joy replied, regaining her seriousness.
Joy and Kate followed Ryouma, who explained to them everything that had happened on the way back. However, for some reason, this didn't seem to surprise them as much as one might have expected.
"We have to go without further delay," Ryouma concluded, in a hurry.
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