Countdown to Disaster

“Toma, now!”

“I know!”

“Combined attack!”

Both voices rang out at once, sharp with focus, and in the next instant two figures launched through the air. Their movements blurred beyond human perception, two wooden katanas flashing as they converged on their target from opposite sides.

The blades thrust forward, aiming to skewer Inspector Carter at the exact same heartbeat.

But Carter slipped between them with a movement so quick it felt unreal.

The boys’ strikes slammed into each other instead.

“Fuck, that hurt!” Toma stumbled back, clutching his side.

“You’re telling me!?” Arlen winced, teeth gritted. “If these were real swords, you would’ve stabbed me right in the gut!”

“Yeah… sorry…” Toma shook his aching arm, then glared angrily at Carter. “But Inspector Carter, how can you be so fast? It was like you teleported…”

“I’m already approaching the speed of light,” Carter answered, his tone calm and matter‑of‑fact.

Both boys froze for a second, the words sinking in.

“Approaching… the speed of light…?”

“As I told you before,” Carter went on, “it’ll take months—or even years—of training to reach that level. If you have captain‑level talent, maybe you can do it within five years. If not, expect about nine or ten years. But if you don’t have enough Aima or you don’t work hard enough, you’ll never even come close to reaching the speed of light.”

Toma’s eyes widened. “Holy crap…”

“Training every single day… and it still takes five years to get there? That’s insane!” Arlen couldn’t keep the disbelief out of his voice.

“Don’t worry, Arlen.” Carter’s gaze swept between them. “It might sound insane now, but don’t treat it like some far‑off dream. Make it your unshakable goal—something you will achieve, no matter what.”

The two straightened, their wooden swords still in hand, their chests rising and falling with exertion.

“Understood!” they answered together, their voices firm.

“Oh, and there’s something else,” Carter said, as if casually remembering.

Toma tilted his head. “What is it?”

“For over a month now,” Carter began, “we’ve been training non‑stop. But during that time, I’ve also been monitoring demon activity. Recently, it hasn’t been anything major… but something interesting did happen this week.”

Toma’s eyes lit up. “What happened?”

Carter’s lips curved faintly, knowing that spark of eagerness. “I thought this would get your attention, Toma. Recently, there’s been a rising number of people vanishing without a trace from trains departing the station at the far end of the city. I suspect it’s connected to the criminals we’ve been tracking. And since I promised that once you grew stronger, you could take on a mission… well, both of you have made tremendous progress over the past few weeks through intense training. That’s why I’m assigning this mission to you two.”

An hour later, Inspector Carter’s sleek black limousine glided through the neon-lit streets. The city lights glimmered off its polished surface as it pulled up beside the massive central terminal, where the futuristic trains stood ready like silver spears aimed toward the horizon.

As soon as they stepped out of the limousine, Carter’s gaze immediately fell on Arlen.

“Alright, let’s go over the plan one more time. We’ll be riding and investigating these trains all day.”

“Hey, these aren’t just any trains!” Arlen shot back, unable to hide the excitement in his voice. “This is the X2000 TDI! They’re the fastest and most advanced trains in the world! They only launched service last year, and they can reach speeds of 2,000 kilometers per hour!”

Toma raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “So what!? I’m much faster with Full Flow, and Inspector Carter is even faster than me.”

“Yeah, but you’re still nowhere near the speed of light that Inspector Carter was talking about!” Arlen fired back quickly. “And these trains don’t accelerate using Aima; they run purely on technological innovation!”

“Whatever,” Toma muttered with a shrug. “Let’s just get on one already.”

As the two boys bickered lightly, Carter hung back for a moment, his expression unreadable.

I’m sorry, guys, But today, you simply have to stay here and take the train... You’ve trained hard over the past few months. But I continued my investigation, and the time has come for me to finish this mission... alone. I hope that one day you’ll understand, and that you won’t hold it against me…

***

Meanwhile, on the train…

“Wow, this train is absolutely amazing… it’s beyond anything I ever imagined!” Toma’s eyes sparkled as he took in every detail around him.

Arlen practically vibrated with excitement.

“Yeah, the X2000 TDI is an absolute masterpiece! Look at this glass—it’s military-grade, completely shatterproof. You can’t see in from the outside, but we get a panoramic view of everything. Even the climate control is AI-regulated!”

“Yeah… this seat really is comfortable.” Toma leaned back, testing it for himself. “But, Arlen, how do you know so much about this train?”

“Last year, I watched a documentary series about how it was built. It was pretty interesting.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed the series,” Toma said with a faint grin, “but let’s not just sit here. We need to start patrolling.”

“You’re right.” Arlen pushed himself up, and the two began to move through the aisle, eyes alert for anything unusual.

***

Inspector Carter crouched silently in the shadowed living room of the penthouse, his eyes sweeping every corner. He had slipped past the high-tech locks and motion sensors, but now his patience was fraying.

“Damn it,” he muttered under his breath. “I’ve searched this entire apartment, but I haven’t found anything useful. No people, no clues… They must have known I was coming and cleared out in advance. But how the hell did they figure it out?”

He straightened, standing in the middle of the room, when suddenly the massive flat-screen TV on the far wall flickered to life by itself.

A cold, distorted voice echoed through the speakers: “Good day, Inspector.”

Carter’s eyes narrowed.

“If you’re seeing this message,” the voice continued, “it means you’ve walked right into my trap.”

“The hell…” Carter’s thoughts raced. This TV must’ve been rigged with a timer or a motion sensor… Whatever. This masked bastard’s talking now, so I’d better listen carefully. Maybe he’ll slip up and give me a clue.

The screen shifted, revealing a figure hidden behind a grinning mask.

“Dear Inspector,” the masked figure intoned, his voice smooth and venomous, “I just wanted you to know that the two boys on the train… will be dead very soon.”

A countdown appeared on the screen.

“This message will self-destruct in: 5… 4… 3… 0.”

Suddenly, the entire penthouse erupted in a deafening blast. Flames roared outward, glass shattered, and a pressure wave slammed through the night air. But Carter was already in motion—he launched himself through the nearest window just before the explosion consumed the apartment behind him. Shards of glass cut through the air as he landed hard on the adjacent rooftop, rolling to his feet.

Carter brushed the ash off his face. “Hey bro, what happened to two and one? Can’t you count, you masked bastard!?” His jaw clenched. The boys. Carter's mind raced. This whole setup was a diversion to separate us. If I rush to the train to save them now, I’ll be walking blind into the real trap…

***

“Hey, Arlen, this train’s taking us home, right?” Toma groaned, his forehead leaning against the window.

“For the fifth time, yes!” Arlen sighed. “But why do you hate the train ride so much?”

“It’s not that it isn’t exciting… I’m just sick of riding around all day for nothing! Nothing’s happened at all!”

“Well, tomorrow we’re doing the same thing again.”

Toma just held his head in his hands.

“Don’t remind me… “Anyway, I’ll be right back. Nature’s calling.”

“Oh, by the way,” Arlen added with a grin, “I forgot to mention—the bathrooms here are smart toilets with heated seats and smart mirrors, too!”

“Yeah, yeah, but I’m just gonna pee.”

“Okay, see you in a bit.” Arlen leaned back into his seat, gazing out through the crystal-clear glass walls. “Wow… the view from this train really is amazing. Looks like the sun’s starting to set… I guess it really is time to head home.”

Soft footsteps approached down the aisle, breaking the quiet hum of the train. A young man stopped beside Arlen’s seat.

“Excuse me,” the man said politely. He had a calm, friendly expression and held out his phone. “Have you seen my little sister?” On the screen was a photo of a young girl.

“I’m sorry, I haven’t seen her,” Arlen replied, already sitting upright. “But I’ll help you look for her!”

“Oh, no, you really don’t have to trouble yourself.”

“I feel it’s my duty to help.”

“Well… alright. I’ll go ask the other passengers, and if none of them have seen her, I’ll take you up on that offer.”

“Sounds good.”

The polite man moved calmly down the aisle, stopping to speak with each passenger in turn. Arlen watched him work methodically, questioning everyone with quiet politeness. Minutes later, the man returned, shaking his head with a faint, weary smile. “I’m sorry, but no one has seen her. I’m going to ask the train conductor next. Maybe one of the security cameras caught something. I’ll let you know right away if I find anything.”

Arlen looked at the man with a worried expression. “Alright, sir. Good luck!”

With that, the man walked toward the front of the train, disappearing into the corridor leading to the conductor’s cabin. Arlen watched him go, concern still in his chest.

I really hope he finds her…

A few minutes later, every TV screen in the passenger car flickered on at once, crackling with static. The image sharpened—the man’s face appeared on every screen, but his expression had changed. Gone was the worried, polite boy. Now his lips curled into a sinister smile.

The man’s voice was gentle, yet it carried a hint of something dark.

“Good day, everyone! I have some good news: I don’t actually have a little sister. Never did. I just downloaded a random photo of a girl and fooled you all.”

Arlen froze in his seat.

“But tell me… are you honest people? Or liars?” The guy’s grin widened. “Well, we’ll find out soon enough, because now begins the Death Train Game—a little game I invented myself. I control this train now, and you can only get off if you win. Enjoy the show!”