Today was just an ordinary day for the Elements.
Training.
"LIGHTNING GUNSHOT!"
Ikazuchi snapped his fingers forward. A piercing bolt of lightning tore through the air – headed straight for Teshii.
As the rackling bolt neared, Teshii smirked.
He tilted his body slightly to the right, dodging it with ease.
Then he dashed forward.
"C'MON, C'MON! YOU GOTTA BE FASTER THAN THAT, ZEUS!"
Ikazuchi gritted his teeth, ready to retaliate–
But then–
WHOOOOSH!!!
A wall of water surged from the side, crashing forward with cataclysmic force.
It swallowed the battlefield whole. Everything in its path was dragged down, crushed beneath tons of churning pressure.
The wave didn't just wash over.
It consumed.
Teshii's eyes widened.
"WOAH!"
He leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding the onslaught.
He turned his head – and spotted the source.
Haruto stood with his pouch open, calm and unwavering. He looked like a god who had once mourned – and then passed judgment.
Ikazuchi, however, wasn't so lucky.
"OU!! ARE YOU TRYING TO DROWN ME?!"
Haruto flinched at Ikazuchi's furious voice.
"S-Sorry, Ikazuchi! I just wanted to try a new move…"
Teshii strolled toward Haruto, eyes still wide in awe.
"Damn, Aqua. What the hell was that move?!"
Haruto dusted off his hands.
"That move… I call it the 'Tsunami Wave.'"
Teshii raised an eyebrow. Then grinned.
"'Tsunami Wave', huh? That's an awesome name."
He turned toward Ikazuchi, who was still soaking wet and fuming.
"From this day forward…" Teshii pointed dramatically at Haruto. "You shall be known as… TSUNAMI!"
Silence–
"Tsu… nami?" Haruto raised an eyebrow, cringing slightly.
"Yep!" Teshii grinned proudly, arms crossed like he'd just unlocked a legendary title.
"I've decided. You're Tsunami now."
Ikazuchi gave him a deadpan stare. "…Seriously?"
While the trio trained, trading moves and banter, one of them stood still.
Hikaru.
He stood at the edge of the training rounds, silent, lost in thought.
The image burned in his mind–
The photo: his mother, Yami's mother, the mysterious woman Hana… and the baby.
Hinote.
"Just why… why does that baby look so familiar?" Hikaru wondered.
Teshii, in the middle of tossing a comment to Ikazuchi, caught Hikaru's blank stare.
"Ikazuchi." Teshii's tone changed.
CRACK!
A sudden flash–
A piercing bolt of lightning raced across the air.
BOOM!
Hikaru didn't dodge in time.
The bolt hit him squarely, launching him backward.
BAM!
He slammed into the ground, spasming as arcs of lightning danced violently across his skin like the attack refused to let go.
"Ow."
Teshii rushed toward him, concern flashing behind his crimson lenses.
"Sunshine! What's going on with you? That's not like you at all."
Hikaru groaned as the spasms faded. He pushed himself up slowly.
"Sorry… I just had something on my mind."
Teshii extended a hand. "Well, whatever it is, you better shake it off. More Mutants and Elements will show up eventually – we can't afford you zoning out in the middle of a fight."
Hikaru looked up at him, then took the offered hand.
"Yeah… You're right. Sorry."
Then–
"Guys!"
Everyone turned toward the voice.
It was Moriya, jogging toward them.
"Oh! It's Woody!" Teshii waved with a grin. "I almost forgot he existed."
As Moriya approached, Haruto blinked in surprise.
"Whoa, Moriya! New clothes?"
Moriya was wearing a green casual shirt tucked slightly into dark blue jeans – simple, but a huge step from his usual tribal attire.
"Yes. Reina gave me these. She thought it would help me fit in more."
Teshii let out an impressed whistle.
"I gotta say, Woody… the new fit suits you."
Haruto and Ikazuchi nodded in agreement, even Hikaru cracked a small smile.
Moriya blinked. "…Thank you."
Then–
"ALL OF YOU! GATHER UP!"
Everyone turned toward the doorway of the training room.
It was Satoshi.
"Bossman?" Teshii raised an eyebrow.
"We may have found another Element."
Their eyes widened in unison.
Another Element?!
"I wonder what kind of Element it us?" Haruto asked curiously.
"OHHH! I'm definitely calling it – it's going to be Fire." Teshii declared confidently pointing to the sky.
Ikazuchi glanced at him. "And what makes you think that?"
"Well, Zeus, that's because Fire is usually the earliest Element to show up in other shows!" Teshii explained with way too much enthusiasm.
"And since we've already found Water, Wood, and Thunder, there's no doubt the next one's Fire!"
"Unless…"
Everyone turned toward him.
"Unless what, Teshii?" Hikaru raised an eyebrow.
Teshii grinned.
"Unless the writer is feeling different today."
Dead silence.
They all just stared at him like he'd spoken in a forgotten language.
Then–
Satoshi pulled out a tablet from under his arm and held it up for all of them to see.
The image displayed was a wide shot of a majestic Shaolin Temple, nestled in snow-draped mountains.
Everyone leaned in.
"A… Shaolin temple?" Hikaru squinted.
"Yes. A Shaolin temple hidden in the mountains." Satoshi confirmed.
Teshii narrowed his eyes. "A Shaolin temple… in Japan? That doesn't even make sense."
Then–
He paused.
"Guys, just be aware the writer is trying his best to make a story."
Satoshi ignored the comment and zoomed in on a specific section of the photo.
"Here. Look at this." He pointed to a detail in the image.
Everyone leaned in closer.
It was a patch of glacier-like ice, unnaturally formed along the temple floor - its crystalline shapes jagged and spreading unnaturally from a central point.
"F@*#!" Teshii muttered under his breath. "It's Ice. Not Fire." He pouted in disappointment.
"That's right." Satoshi nodded. "The Element of Ice might be there, hiding in that Shaolin Temple."
Haruto's eyes gleamed. "Wow… that's amazing. My brother used to say Shaolin monks were known for their discipline and mastery in martial arts."
The word "Martial Arts" echoed in Teshii's mind like a battle bell.
"Martial Arts, huh?" he grinned, raising his fist.
"Alright, everyone! Let's head to the Shaolin Temple and find the Element of Ice!"
"Yeah!" the rest of the team cheered, fists rising with energy.
As the Elements and Satoshi filed out of the training room, excited and loud with anticipation, Teshii lingered behind.
His smirk slowly faded.
He waited until the door clicked shut, leaving him alone in the room.
Then, silently, he pulled out his phone from the pocket of his orange-red fleece and dialed a number.
The screen glowed faintly in the training room's dim light.
"Yo…" Teshii muttered into the receiver.
His tone – calm, but serious.
45 Minutes Later…
Vrrrmmm…
The black SUV hummed steadily as it cruised down a narrow, winding mountain road.
Teshii was at the wheel, sunglasses on, tapping the steering wheel to the beat of some chill lo-fi playing quietly in the background.
Beside him in the front passenger seat was Hikaru, his head leaned against the window, eyes half-closed, deep in thought.
In the back seats sat Ikazuchi, staring out the window with a permanent scowl etched into his face.
Beside him was Haruto, legs stretched comfortably, arms behind his head, clearly enjoying the ride.
And next to Haruto, pressed against the window like an amazed puppy, was Moriya, wide-eyed and completely fascinated.
"H-How? How are we moving in this… box?" Moriya asked, genuinely awestruck.
"This 'box,'" Teshii replied without looking back, "is what you call a car, Moriya."
"A… car?"
Teshii smirked and nodded. "Yes. It's like a beast made of obsidian – smooth, sharp-edged, and humming with a power you can't see. Instead of legs, it has four round stone wheels, each thicker than a tree trunk and wrapped in blackened bark that somehow doesn't crack when it moves."
Moriya blinked, nodding slowly. "Oh… I see."
Somehow, he understood that.
Then–
"OW WOW! LOOK AT THAT!" Moriya suddenly shouted, pointing excitedly at a passing delivery truck.
The loud outburst made Ikazuchi's eye twitch. He turned sharply toward Moriya, looking two seconds away from electrocuting something.
"If he yells like that one more time…" Ikazuchi muttered through gritted teeth.
Teshii raised an eyebrow at the growing tension.
"Um… Sunshine?" he called out casually.
Hikaru turned his head slightly from the window. "What?"
"Is… Woody wearing his seat belt?"
Hikaru blinked and turned to look back at Moriya.
And instantly panicked.
"MORIYA!" Hikaru barked. "YOU NEED TO WEAR YOUR SEALT BELT!"
Moriya tilted his head in confusion. "Why?"
Hikaru let out the biggest sigh of his life. "Because, if we crash or stop suddenly, the belt keeps you from flying through the windshield and becoming one with the sky. It's not option. It's modern protection magic!"
Moriya's eyes widened in horror.
"A-Ah! I don't want to become one with the sky!" He fumbled with the buckle until it clicked in place.
Teshii grinned. "Welcome to modern safety, Woody."
Ikazuchi groaned. "This is going to be a long ride."
As Teshii continued to drive the sleek, black SUV through winding mountain roads, the sound of the engine was the only thing filling the silence…
Until Ikazuchi finally broke it.
But the question he had in mind–
It wasn't for Teshii.
It wasn't for Hikaru.
It was for Haruto.
"Oi, Haruto."
Haruto turned slightly from the window, raising an eyebrow. "Hmm?"
"Let me ask you something…"
Ikazuchi kept his gaze fixed outside, never once turning to face him.
Haruto just stared at him in silence, unsure where this was going.
Then–
"How?"
Haruto blinked. "Huh?"
Ikazuchi's voice was quiet but firm. "How did you move on… from your brother's death?"
The words struck like a bolt.
Haruto's expression dropped – completely stunned. He hadn't expected that question from Ikazuchi of all people.
"Um…"
He shifted in his seat, suddenly all too aware of the confined space of the car. He looked around aimlessly, as if the answer might be hiding between the cushions or in the faint reflections on the window.
Then–
His eyes landed on Teshii.
Then to Hikaru.
He remembered.
He remembered how those two had stood by him in his lowest moment – how they'd helped him begin to move forward after Mamoru's death.
Haruto drew in a deep breath, steadying his voice.
"If I'm being honest, Ikazuchi…"
Ikazuchi finally turned to look at him.
"At first, I couldn't accept it. I completely lost myself after my brother died. The pain… the anger… I didn't know what to do with it."
He clenched a fist in his lap.
Ikazuchi narrowed his eyes. "But?"
Haruto exhaled slowly. "But if it weren't for those two idiots–" He nodded toward Teshii and Hikaru, "I would've destroyed everything. I nearly unleashed a disaster during the festival. I almost killed people… innocent people."
Ikazuchi sat in silence, eyes flickering between Haruto, Hikaru, and Teshii.
"I see."
His voice was quieter now, the edge dulled slightly by thought.
Then – his gaze landed on Teshii.
Unmoving.
Focused.
"Teshii… I appreciate how you helped me after my old man's death… I will make sure to repay you," he thought.
Meanwhile, up front, Teshii's lips twitched into an awkward smile as he stared at the road ahead.
"So… are me, Sunshine, and Woody just going to pretend we didn't hear that emotional therapy session happening right behind us?" he thought.
"I mean, I appreciate Tsunami's shout-out. That was nice. But damn… they're so loud."
Meanwhile…
At the gate of the Shaolin Temple, nestled among the snow-draped mountains.
The wind whispered through the peaks, brushing against ancient stone and still prayer flags.
A figure – half-shadow, half-man – emerged from the ground, as if it were no more solid than silk. His form phased upward with unnatural smoothness, like ink bleeding through parchment.
There was no doubt…
He was a mutant.
He stood motionless, eyes locked onto the temple with quiet intensity. The world around him held its breath.
And then–
A grin stretched across his face, wide and wicked.
"So… this is the place where the Leader said the Element of Ice will be."
Without hesitation, he stepped forward–
And passed through the great gate as if it wasn't even there.
TO BE CONTINUED!!!