The campfire hissed and popped, casting a flickering light across the sand and warming the three brothers from the desert chill. Taro tilted his head back, staring at the sky filled with stars that felt almost alive.
As he watched the stars, his thoughts shifted back to the old man and the child with him who died earlier that day. His expression turned gloomy. He had never seen death so closely before.
He had grown up sheltered, cared for by his sister. Danger was something distant, not a constant presence like it was here. Compared to where he lived now, his previous world had been peaceful. Facing the deaths of real human beings with his own eyes still felt unreal.
Kise, noticing his brother's trouble, stood up and sat beside Taro. "You alright?"
Taro took a stick from the ground and poked at the campfire. "We could've saved them."
Kise nodded. "Yes, yes we could have. We were strong enough to get rid of them."
Taro frowned. "Then why didn't you?"
Kise raised an eyebrow. "What about you? Why didn't you help?"
Taro froze. "Y-You said—"
"Are you gonna keep following whatever I or Father say?" Kise paused to look into Taro's eyes. "If your mother and brother were dying in front of you, and Father said not to save them, would you follow orders?"
Taro clenched his fist. "Even if I were to go by myself, I'm too weak."
Taro remembered the Minecraft world and the system, causing his fury to rise. He had a system and a world solely for him, where he could train endlessly and achieve his goals faster than everyone else, and yet he was still not strong enough.
Kise chuckled. "You know, I was like you once. Scared to do things on my own and scared to ignore my limits." He looked at the flames and turned glum. "The first death I ever saw was someone dear to me. He was my mentor, my friend, and my ally throughout my hardships… but most of all, he was my grandfather."
The fire crackled as he continued, "He was in a fight against a man people called God. I knew I couldn't join, but I wanted to fight — I wanted to help him when the so-called god slowly walked toward him and stabbed him, ending his breath. But I couldn't, because I couldn't decide whether I should follow myself or my dad, who stopped me, fearing for my life."
Kise took a single ryo from his pocket and tossed it in the air. He caught it and handed it to Taro.
Confused, Taro asked, "What am I supposed to do with a single ryo?"
Kise smiled. "When you're not sure what to do, flip a coin, because when the coin is in the air, you realize which option you're actually looking for."
He stood up and ruffled Taro's hair. "Don't delude yourself with pointless questions. Only follow your heart."
Taro stared at the coin in his hand and clenched it.
------------------------
Next Morning
Taro woke up to a sudden prompt from the system.
[Quest: Bohemian Rhapsody
Kill - 0/1
Acceptance - 0/1
Penalty: Higher risk of death during the mission.]
Taro was confused at first but soon understood what he had to do. Just last night, he came to the conclusion that he needed the strength to follow his heart — to do whatever he wanted and not be told what to do by others.
He believed he had enough courage, enough bravery, to kill a man.
As he was ironing his determination, Nao walked inside his tent. "Dad's calling you."
Nao looked nervous and less energetic than usual, which made Taro tense up.
"Is this the reason the quest popped up?" murmured Taro.
When he stepped outside, he saw Mashiro and Kise surrounding a man tied up.
The man was burly and struggling to get out of the ropes. He resembled a bandit you'd see in the desert — full of scars and carrying a massive longsword beside him.
Mashiro noticed Taro and ordered him, "Come here."
Taro clenched his fist and walked toward Mashiro. He looked at the man who was tied up and saw hatred in his eyes. Taro knew what Mashiro wanted him to do. He knew, yet he still felt the tremor in his body.
He told himself he had the determination. He had the bravery. He had what it took to kill a man. But standing in front of someone he could easily kill, he hesitated — as if all that courage vanished.
Mashiro looked Taro in the eyes and ordered him, "Kill him."
Mashiro handed Taro a sword, but Taro hesitated as he saw the man's eyes shift from anger to pleading to helplessness. He begged in silence, yet Taro fully understood him.
Taro hesitated, which Mashiro noticed. "A single hesitation in battle can get you killed, son. I don't want to lose a son because of pointless pity toward someone else. Kill him and experience it before battle, so you'll know when not to hesitate."
Taro's mind raced. He didn't want to kill, but he didn't want to get killed either. A single mistake could be one he might never be able to change.
As Taro faltered in his task, he remembered his brother Kise. He took out a coin from his pocket and tossed it into the air.
"Should I save a life?"
Swish
The coin reached its highest peak before falling down.
"Or kill him to never regret what I could've become."
The coin landed in his hand, and he saw not heads or tails — but determination, and his buried longing.
He looked at the man, not with pity, but with resolve.
Swish
The desert wind howled as the head of the man rolled on the yellow sand.
[Quest: Bohemian Rhapsody
Kill - Completed
Acceptance - Completed]
Taro looked at the quest, then at Kise, who nodded at him. His hands were shaking — not from regret, but from relief.
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I'm back! Sorry for the wait!
What did you guys think of the chapter? I felt that I was pushing "character development" but I kinda wanna make it realistic. Taro isn't used to violence, so I wanted his dad to make sure he didn't hesitate in battle.
But did you guys think this was a bit cringy? I don't really know how to write emotional shit, I just write it lol. Anyway, thank you guys for staying even though I haven't updated! Give a review or power stone if you guys can! Thank you!