Enryu's Dream
As Enryu fell into a deep sleep in that warm country, a strange dream began to haunt him. He found himself enveloped in pitch-black darkness.
"What is this darkness? What is this place? Where am I?" he muttered, looking around in confusion, unsure if he was dreaming or trapped in a distorted reality.
"You are here, in the place of your power," a voice echoed.
Enryu called out, "Who are you? What do you want?"
"I am your Reza," the voice replied.
"My what? What do you want from me?"
Suddenly, a glowing green falcon appeared, its size matching Enryu's own stature.
"I repeat, I am your Reza. I know this is confusing, but what I am about to say will be even more so."
Enryu asked impatiently, "Fine, what do you want? And what is my power?"
"I want you to know that you are not a valuable plant yet—you are merely a valuable seed. The fact that Sato chose you and Chenji doesn't mean you are strong, nor does it mean you are the 'Chosen One' or a replacement for the expected savior."
The words hit Enryu's heart like a lightning strike, nearly shattering his spirit.
Trying to compose himself, he whispered, "At least you possess great power... and at least I am a good seed, right?"
"I might not grant you my power if you do not deserve it," the falcon replied coldly. "There are seeds that never grow. However..."
Enryu woke up with a start, gasping for air. "What a miserable nightmare... No, it's not a nightmare. It's my reality."
He tried to push the thoughts away, but he couldn't lie to himself. He was just a ten-year-old child. Even if he were the smartest child in the world, other children had mothers to care for them. He and Chenji had no one. After waking at 4:00 AM, he struggled for an hour to fall back asleep. His mind was a mess, trying to justify his worth but failing at every turn.
The Mission Begins
By 7:00 AM, the boys were ready. They rushed to Sato.
"You've arrived early today," Sato said. "But there is no training today."
"What will we do then, Master?" Chenji asked.
"You will carry out your first mission. I'll explain everything on the way. I received a secret letter with all the details."
As they walked, Sato was deep in thought. Chenji was jumping with joy, while Enryu walked in silence, wondering: Am I truly valuable? Sato began to explain, "The Lord ordered all houses to remain simple for administrative reasons, but some merchants opposed this. Now, the Lord wants to divide the capital into two halves with customs checkpoints. The merchants are furious, and the Lord has taken a stand."
"What does this have to do with us?" Enryu asked.
"Patience, Enryu," Sato whispered. "Gangs are stealing and killing near the palace. Secret intelligence suggests opposing merchants are behind them. Since the commanders are busy at the borders, we must find evidence and eliminate these gangs!"
"Kill?" Enryu gasped.
Sato replied firmly, "Only if they have taken a life unjustly. Otherwise, we capture them for trial. We don't kill unless it's a matter of life and death, like in war."
"I understand, Master," Enryu said. "I trust you."
The Investigation
They visited the father of a victim. "My son was killed at dawn by thugs causing chaos," the old man cried. Sato promised justice.
Next, they went to a looted jewelry store. The owner showed them security footage of a group of youths.
Suddenly, Sato spotted them. "There they are! The ones from the video!"
"We won't catch them," Enryu said.
"Why?" Sato asked.
"Because... that is exactly what they expect us to do."
Sato smirked. "Fine. We will follow them, but we won't move to capture them yet."
Sato decided to split the team. "Chenji, follow that group. I'll take the second. Enryu, stay here and protect the people. No arguments!"
Sato moved with incredible speed, stalking his targets.
"Sato is behind us!" one of the thugs hissed. "He's the strongest Reza user. He could wipe us out easily. Why isn't he running?"
"Doesn't matter! Abort the mission! Run for your lives!"
Meanwhile, Enryu sat in the empty jewelry store, his mind racing. They are plotting something. This isn't a simple plan; it's far more complex than it looks.
On the other side, Chenji cornered three thugs.
"You think a kid like you can fight us? What a joke!" they laughed.
"I'll show you!" Chenji shouted, lunging forward.
But then... the unexpected happened.