Within the heart of a golden citadel, the throne room glimmered like a beacon of divine authority.
Shadows pooled in the corners, and there, in the deepest one, the current Elder god sat—serene yet ominous, a living paradox.
A servant stepped lightly into the hall, their footsteps echoing against the polished floor.
"Great One," they said, bowing, "we've received word of a catastrophic event—a forest on Earth, entirely destroyed by ice."
The Elder god's gaze sharpened, eyes glinting with curiosity.
"…And?"
The servant hesitated. "It does not appear to be the work of humans."
"Not done by the works of human hands… And if you had the gall to disturb me with this information… Then it can only mean one thing."
A faint smile—or maybe just a shadow of one—curved the Elder god's lips. "… The thousand-year mark has passed."
He rose, deliberate and calm. "Summon the Council immediately. This is an emergency."
...…
Under the silver glow of the moon, Boros and Akeno sat side by side, their conversation flowing gently.
"How was it?" she asked, eyes bright with curiosity.
"The rice balls?" he replied flatly. "Good."
Akeno's face lit up with pride. "Thanks! I made them myself."
Boros tilted his head, curious. "So, what brings a young lady like you out here alone?"
Her cheeks flushed. "You can't just call me young like that—"
"Fine," he interrupted. "Then what's an old lady like you doing here…"
"You can't just call- wait did you just call me old?" she exclaimed, tugging his ear.
"I didn't just wander into this forest," she continued, voice softening. "I ran away from my clan. I'm not supposed to tell anyone, but I trust you. I'm a Shinobi. Back home, I got into trouble with my clan elders, so I left before things got worse."
"They had us train endlessly. Hidden away, no wars—just training, over and over. Whenever I asked why, they'd say it was because of the Nexus Overlord."
Boros frowned, pressing a hand to his temple. The familiar headache throbbed—stronger this time.
Like there was a trigger.
"Are you okay?" Akeno reached out instinctively.
"I'm… fine," he said, blocking her hand.
'Nexus Overlord… could they be tied to my past?' he wondered, still clutching his head.
"What clan are you from again?" Boros asked, trying to keep the conversation going.
"Oh… I didn't tell you," she replied, her smile faltering, voice barely above a whisper.
"I'm a member of the Eraba Clan…"
Immediately, the headaches returned.
The name Eraba echoed in Boros's mind like a ghost from the past.
"Ahh," he groaned, clutching his head once more.
Akeno reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Seriously, are you okay?" she asked, concern clear in her tone. This was the second time he had acted like this during their short conversation.
"It's… migraines. Yeah," Boros muttered, sniffing.
"I've never seen them come this frequently," she remarked, eyes scanning his face.
"Now you have," he replied flatly, rubbing at his nose.
Blood.
He stared at his fingers, surprised.
"I didn't know it could get this bad," he muttered, still watching the dark stain.
'It's because of that name… Eraba,' he thought.
'Is that clan connected to my past somehow?'
Akeno shook him gently, noticing he had fallen silent for several minutes.
"I'm fine now," he said, looking back at her.
'And you… are you connected to my past too? he wondered, his gaze lingering on her.'
Akeno's voice cut through the silence.
"As I was saying…"
Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she held up an ancient scroll.
"According to this scroll I… 'borrowed' from my clan's sacred library—"
Boros arched an eyebrow, sarcasm dripping from his tone.
"Borrowed, huh?"
"I'll return it when I find him," she said, grin widening.
"It says here the Nexus Overlord was a warrior without equal, capable of conquering entire battlefields single-handedly."
Boros's thoughts stirred.
'What does someone that powerful have to do with me?'
"I think it's a bunch of crap," Akeno said, unflinching.
'Of course she does,' he thought.
"He supposedly wielded the Fire Longinus ability," she continued. "And he's been missing for a thousand years."
"Fire… Longinus…" Boros muttered, fingers brushing his lips.
The pieces began to align.
'The vision I saw—a man standing in flames. The Fire Longinus user.'
'Then her words—The Nexus Overlord… and the Eraba clan—both triggered my headaches.
Could it be… the Nexus Overlord and the Fire Longinus user are the same person?
Obviously, they're both connected to my pa—'
A flick to his forehead snapped him back.
"You sure space out a lot, huh?" Akeno teased, smiling.
"Uhh… just thinking," Boros replied, brushing it off.
"Is that so… anyways."
Her tone shifted, serious now, eyes burning with determination.
"The scroll hints at places he might be. My mission is clear: find the Fire Longinus user, who is also the Nexus Overlord—"
'I knew it,' Boros thought, a sinister grin creeping across his face.
"—and prove my worth to those damn old farts," she finished, still grinning.
"Looks like we're after the same thing," Boros said, his voice low, malice dripping from each word.
"I just so happen to be looking for the Fire Longinus user too."
"Really?" Akeno's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Akeno's eyes gleamed with mischief.
"Hey, Shiro… since we're after the same thing, why don't we team up? Watch each other's backs until we find him."
She tilted her head, smile sly.
"Besides, I already have a lead on where he might be."
Boros raised an eyebrow, interest flickering.
"You have a lead?"
She nodded.
"Mm-hmm."
He stood, movements sharp and economical.
"Fine. We'll travel together. Let's move."
Akeno laughed softly.
"Hold on, Shiro. It's midnight. Let's rest and head out in the morning."
"…Fine," Boros muttered, sitting back down.
She stretched and lay on the ground, eyes closing lazily.
"You're not going to sleep?" she asked drowsily.
"Uhh… I'm fine," Boros replied.
"Suit yourself," she murmured, already drifting off.
....
Morning came.
"Hey. Wake up."
Boros's voice cut through the silence. "You overslept."
Akeno groaned, rubbing her eyes.
"I thought you were a ninja," Boros added dryly.
"What kind of ninja oversleeps?"
She smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry, Shiro. Guess I got a little too comfortable."
"Comfortable?" He looked around sharply.
"In a forest?!"
"Hehe…" she laughed nervously as she stood.
"Anyway, let's go," Boros said, already walking ahead, his long legs eating up distance.
Akeno laughed behind him.
"You have no idea where we're going, do you?"
He paused.
"…I know. I just forgot."
Her laughter was warm and rich.
"Oh, of course you did. Sit down—I'll explain the plan."
She unfolded a map, fingers tracing its markings.
"The world is divided into five Cardinals: Northern, Eastern, Western, Southern, and Central. We're currently in the Eastern Cardinal."
Boros exhaled sharply.
"You said you had a lead on the Fire Longinus user."
"I said I had a lead on where he might be," she corrected calmly.
"As I was saying—"
"Just tell me," Boros cut in.
She sighed, annoyance flickering.
"Fine. There's a tournament being held in a state within the Western Cardinal. Guess what the prize is?"
Boros frowned, thinking.
"Maybe a—"
"A Longinus ability," she said, excitement creeping into her voice.
His eyes snapped up.
"A Longinus?"
She nodded.
"It doesn't specify which one. But there's another way to obtain a Longinus."
Her voice dropped. Their eyes met.
Together, they whispered,
"By killing the one who has it."
"At first I thought it was a trap," Akeno continued.
"But I dug deeper. The person they plan to kill is a death-row inmate."
"Instead of executing him, they decided to profit from his ability. That's how the tournament was born."
"Despicable," Boros said coldly.
"They refused to waste the Longinus… so they chose exploitation."
Akeno nodded grimly.
"And according to the scroll, the Fire Longinus user was battle-hungry. He never avoided conflict—sometimes he even created it."
"That's when I realized… if strong fighters gather in one place—"
They spoke together again, voices low.
"He'd definitely show up."
Boros's thoughts darkened.
'The more I learn about this man, the more I wonder what he has to do with my past.'
"But then I thought," Akeno continued,
"if the prize is a Longinus ability, someone who already has one wouldn't need it, because it is impossible to have two Longinus abilities at the same time."
"Unless," she said slowly,
"he wanted to announce his return. To make a spectacle. To crush every strong warrior in one place—with guild scouts watching."
"That's why I decided to gamble and head there."
Boros stared at her.
"You really thought this through."
She looked away, cheeks faintly pink.
"Shut up, Shiro."
Clearing her throat, she went on, serious again.
"The tournament starts in a month. And from here… it'll take us about that long to get there."
"…A month?" Boros grabbed her shoulders, disbelief flashing across his face.
"So we might arrive after it's over?"
"How could you be that careless?"
She winced.
"It's just an estimate! We don't have boats, and I was hoping to find someone to travel with… I kind of lost track of time."
Boros sighed deeply.
"…Let's just move."
She hesitated.
"Shiro?"
"What."
"You're not mad… right?"
His expression softened, voice low and steady.
"I'm not mad. Let's go."