The journey had already begun.
The heroes were moving forward toward their next destination, the road stretching endlessly ahead of them. Mizuki was driving, her hands steady on the steering wheel. Kami sat beside her in the front seat, watching the scenery pass by. In the back seat, Sora and Megumi were relaxed—at least for now.
Above them all, Akuma sat on the roof of the car.
His scythe was planted firmly beside him, the wind blowing through his hair as he balanced effortlessly. From the outside, he looked absurdly dangerous—and undeniably cool.
Suddenly, Mizuki narrowed her eyes.
Dust rose violently behind them, thick clouds spiraling into the air.
"Something's coming," she muttered.
Everyone turned to look back.
Before anyone could react, a shadow burst through the dust. Whatever it was, it sped past them in an instant, throwing dirt and gravel everywhere as it overtook their car.
"Huh?!" everyone shouted at once.
They were too busy looking outside when—
VROOOM!
The car jolted forward.
Everyone was slammed back into their seats as the engine roared. Mizuki had suddenly increased the speed to an insane level.
"Kya hua?! Why are you driving so fast all of a sudden?!" Kami asked, gripping the seat.
Mizuki didn't answer.
Instead, she leaned her head out of the window and shouted at the disappearing vehicle ahead—
"How DARE you overtake me?! Couldn't you stay behind?!"
Sora blinked. "Uh… guys?"
He looked up. "Where did Akuma go?"
From behind the car, a calm voice echoed, "I'm right here."
They turned.
Akuma had been thrown backward by the sudden acceleration. Without panic, he had stabbed his scythe straight into the roof of the car. Now he was being dragged behind, his body floating in the air, sparks flying as the blade scraped metal.
Sora stared for a second… then grinned.
"Bro… you're enjoying this way too much."
Mizuki only accelerated more.
The speed became terrifying. Even Kami felt his heart race as the road blurred beneath them.
Then Mizuki's expression changed.
"The car ahead…" she whispered. "It's gone."
Before she could process it—
The road ended.
A cliff appeared right in front of them.
"BRAKE—!" someone screamed.
Too late.
The car flew off the edge.
Everyone shouted as gravity pulled them down. Kami instantly grabbed Mizuki and jumped out mid-air. Megumi clung tightly to Sora's neck, crying in panic.
Sora groaned.
"Bro… don't take life so seriously. We all gotta go up one day anyway. Just chill—"
Akuma, meanwhile, calmly pulled his scythe free before the car fell. He landed safely on the edge of the cliff, watching the others fall below with unsettling calm.
Below them, a river waited.
SPLASH!
Kami, Mizuki, Sora, and Megumi crashed into the water, completely soaked. Moments later, their car slammed into a massive rock and shattered apart.
Near the wreckage, another broken car lay abandoned.
Beside it stood a strange man—short in height, with an odd presence.
His eyes widened in shock as he saw the newly destroyed car.
Akuma descended slowly along the cliff path and walked toward him.
The man pointed at the wreckage. "H-Hey! How did you steal this car?!"
Akuma didn't answer.
He walked up calmly—
SLAP.
The sound echoed.
A two-second silence followed.
The man exploded in rage. "YOU—!"
SLAP.
Akuma hit him again.
Then he leaned closer and said softly,
"Go to hell."
The strange man could only glare, trembling.
Akuma turned and walked back toward the others, who were climbing out of the river, soaked and exhausted.
Above them, voices shouted from the cliff.
"There he is! Catch him!"
Footsteps followed as people began climbing down.
The strange man panicked and tried to run—but Mizuki caught him by the collar and shook him violently.
"How DARE you overtake me?!" she shouted.
"Don't you have manners?! Don't you know how to respect women?!"
Before he could answer—
Arrows and stones rained down from above.
Megumi rushed forward and summoned a shield. A glowing barrier formed around them, stopping every arrow and rock mid-air.
Sora and Akuma stepped forward, ready to fight.
But Kami raised his hand.
"No," he said firmly. "We're not here to fight normal people. We live like ordinary humans. We finish our work—and we leave. Don't attack."
At that moment, the attackers reached the bottom.
Among them were four giants—each one nearly five times Kami's size.
Kami swallowed hard… yet still stepped forward to talk.
"We don't want any—"
BOOM.
One giant punched Kami without warning.
Everything went silent.
Akuma's grip tightened around his scythe.
Sora's smile vanished.
The air changed.
Just as the battle was about to explode—
CRASH.
Something slammed into the giant's head.
The massive body collapsed to the ground.
From the settling dust, a calm voice spoke—
"My apologies… these people are a little… unhinged."
As the dust cleared, a man stood there, bowing deeply.
The giants behind him looked terrified.
He approached Kami, helped him up, and bowed again.
"My name is Naoto," he said. "Please forgive them."
Kami looked at him.
"…I'm Kami."
Naoto straightened himself and looked at Kami calmly.
"We were chasing that man," he said, pointing at the strange, short figure trembling behind Mizuki. "He stole our food and tried to escape."
The strange man panicked instantly and grabbed Kami's sleeve.
"P-Please don't hand me over!" he cried. "They'll kill me!"
Naoto sighed. "We don't want a fight with you," he said honestly. "But we do need him."
Kami thought for a moment, then spoke, "What if we compensate you instead? We can pay for the food he stole. We're hungry too."
Naoto looked surprised.
"…Very well," he nodded.
Kami reached into the remains of the car and pulled out several gold coins, handing them over. Naoto's eyes widened slightly as he accepted them. Without another word, he turned around and began walking away.
The four giants followed him immediately—obedient, almost fearful.
Silence fell.
The strange man collapsed to the ground in relief.
"T-Thank you," he said. "You saved my life."
Kami crossed his arms. "So… you stole their food just for fun?"
The man shook his head.
"No. My name is Kurogami Soma. I am a scientist."
Everyone paused.
Kurogami looked at the destroyed car and winced.
"And by the way… I built cars like this. Seeing what you've done to it hurts my soul."
Akuma silently appeared behind him.
Kurogami froze.
"Ah— okay, okay. I get it. My fault."
Kami frowned. "That car was built by Kazehera Soma from the village. He gave it to us."
Kurogami laughed bitterly.
"That's a lie," he said. "I built it. I offered Eldric Vaelorn advanced technology—vehicles, tools, systems to help people travel safely. He refused."
His eyes darkened.
"So I left the village. Kazehera Soma… is my younger brother."
Everyone listened quietly.
"If he gave you that car," Kurogami continued, "then you must have done something good for the village."
He looked at them seriously.
"You helped them. You saved me. And you even paid for the food."
He smiled faintly.
"So now, let me feed you."
Kami quickly waved his hand. "No, it's fine. You don't look like you have much either."
Kurogami chuckled.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small metal cube. Then he turned it upside down.
In an instant—
Food poured out endlessly.
Bread, fruits, meat, cooked dishes—enough to last a month.
Kami's eyes widened.
"…Where did all this come from?!"
Kurogami smirked.
"Never underestimate the power of science."
Everyone stared in disbelief.
"Come with me," Kurogami said. "You don't belong to this world… or at least, you don't act like it. I have many questions."
He glanced at the wrecked car.
"And you clearly need a place to stay."
Kami exchanged looks with the others.
"…We don't," Kami admitted.
Kurogami smiled wider.
"Then I'll handle everything."
He turned and began walking.
"Eat first," he said over his shoulder. "Then we talk."
As the group followed him, the road behind them disappeared into dust—
Kami and the others followed Kurogami Soma in silence.
They climbed higher and higher, moving along narrow paths until the land slowly changed. Dense forest surrounded them, trees growing so close together that sunlight barely reached the ground. The air felt heavier, quieter—almost as if the jungle itself was watching them.
As they moved deeper, the forest slowly opened up.
Between the trees, a wide clearing appeared, like a hidden field buried inside the wilderness. By the time they crossed it, the sky had already begun to turn orange.
Evening had arrived.
Ahead of them stood a massive mountain—towering, steep, and unnaturally tall.
Kami stopped.
"The road ends here," he said. "How are we supposed to go up?"
Kurogami walked a few steps forward without answering. He placed his hand on a large rock embedded in the mountain wall and pushed.
Click.
The stone shifted.
Slowly, the mountain opened.
A hidden pathway revealed itself, carved deep into the rock. Cold air flowed out from within, carrying a strange metallic scent.
Everyone stared.
"Of course," Sora muttered. "Why would it be normal?"
They stepped inside one by one.
As soon as the last person entered, the stone slid back into place.
The entrance vanished, sealing them inside the mountain.
Inside, the space was far larger than expected—smooth stone walls, faint glowing lines running through them like veins of light.
Kurogami led them deeper and soon prepared food.
They ate in silence.
The exhaustion of the day finally caught up with them.
After finishing, Kami stood up and approached Kurogami.
"There are things we need to talk about—"
"Not today," Kurogami interrupted gently.
He looked tired, but calm.
"You're exhausted. And you have many questions," he said. "I do too. But for tonight—rest."
He turned away.
"Tomorrow morning, I'll explain everything."
Kami nodded.
Later, Kami walked into the room prepared for them.
Akuma had already claimed the top bed, lying casually as if gravity meant nothing to him.
Megumi was clinging tightly to Sora, fear written all over his face.
Sora struggled, trying to push him away.
"Bro… personal space—"
Mizuki stood nearby, arms crossed, watching the scene with visible irritation.
Kami said nothing.
He walked to one of the simple beds crafted from stone and metal, lay down, and stared at the ceiling.
The faint glow above reflected in his eyes.
Too many things had happened.
Too many secrets were unfolding.
And somehow… this place felt like the beginning of something far bigger.