" you will never do anything in this world without courage".
I walked through the frozen streets as beams of neon light reflected across the snow-covered roads. Hovering discs drifted above the cybernetic city while crowds gathered around the center plaza.
At the heart of the crowd stood a man holding a speaker and stacks of leaflets.
"Brave people of the nations!" he shouted. "The world is in need of your courage! Honor, fame, wealth—for one billion yen, those willing to descend into the Underworld and return alive shall attain such rewards!"
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
Some stared in awe.
Others reacted with disgust and fear.
"And what happens if we die?" one man shouted angrily. "What good is wealth to the dead?!"
The speaker grinned, revealing sharp silver teeth.
"When you die," he replied calmly, "you become nothing more than ash and bone."
The crowd fell silent.
"What gift exists for the dead," the man continued, "when the dead can no longer speak?"
An uneasy feeling spread among the people. Many stepped back in fear, unwilling to gamble their lives for fortune.
But among the fearful stood those drawn toward the unknown.
Those hungry for purpose.
"Hey, man! Can you hear me?" a familiar voice called out.
Ezra pushed through the crowd beside Nazu with an excited grin on his face.
"We'll do it," Ezra said confidently. "I understand the risks are insane, but the reward matches it. How long does the expedition last? And why is this even happening in the first place?"
Nazu frowned immediately.
"Hey, I never agreed to this, idiot," he muttered. Then after a pause, he added quietly, "Though… the reward is tempting."
The man on the platform adjusted his coat before answering.
"Ladies and gentlemen who wish to join the expedition, stand on the right side of the plaza."
Around twenty people slowly stepped forward.
"To answer your question," the man continued, "the expedition will last between three to six months. Your chances of survival decrease with every passing week."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Do you still wish to go?"
"HELL YEAH!" someone roared from the crowd.
The man smirked.
"We all have our reasons for doing this," Ezra said quietly while staring ahead.
Nazu folded his arms.
"No matter how dangerous something is… humans always move toward it eventually."
Ezra laughed softly.
"What do they call that again?"
Nazu looked toward the dark sky above the city.
"The indomitable human spirit."
Ezra's grin widened.
"It's how humanity builds the skies from ashes," he declared proudly. "The body may be weak… but the mind can surpass anything."
For the first time in days, a faint smile appeared across Nazu's face.
"Yeah," he replied quietly. "That's humanity's greatest strength."
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
The speaker applauded slowly.
"Well then, ladies and gentlemen," he announced, his deep voice echoing through the plaza, "you will now be transported to the City of Rain in the northern district of the continent. There, preparations will begin… and your abilities will be tested."
His grin darkened.
"After all… death stands at the forefront of peace, does it not?"
With a snap of his fingers, glowing railway lines appeared in the sky above the plaza. The ground beneath the volunteers trembled as massive transport ships descended from the clouds.
Moments later, the crowd was lifted upward into the floating vessels.
Inside the ship, silence filled the cabin as snow-covered cities faded beneath the clouds.
"The sailors call them Aquak creatures," a man whispered nearby. "Over a hundred species lurking beneath the seas… waiting to prey on humans."
Another voice spoke nervously.
"They say one of them is invincible. And whoever kills it gains the power to control all the oceans of the world."
The passengers exchanged uneasy glances.
But the deeper the conversation became, the more questions filled Nazu's mind.
He had not come here seeking glory.
Nor wealth.
He came to escape the noise within himself.
And to find Suze.
Nazu finally spoke.
"If humanity already controls the continents… then what exactly lies within the seas that the kings of the world desire so badly?"
The man slowly lifted his head.
A smile spread across his face.
"Everything."