"That key… how the hell did you get it?" Akito asked, his voice sharp with disbelief.
"It's not rocket science. You dumbasses left the key to our future lying in the middle of the streets," Chester replied with a smug grin.
"Quite literally," Ace muttered, lighting a cigar, the ember flaring in the dim room. He leaned against the wall, his ash-blond hair falling across his brow, blue eyes flickering between the two bound figures.
"This key is rumoured to hold the origin of magic itself," he continued. "We all know the Rebellion is involved somehow. We just don't know how yet. The serum is the only evidence we've got."
"Wait—you know about the serum?" Kenji asked, tension flickering in his tone.
Chester smirked. "You think we'd believe the Lunaris garbage? 'Oh, the Fallen numbers dwindled because they picked fights with soldiers.' Please. We all know the truth."
"Alright, you've made your point," Akito snapped, losing his patience. "What does this have to do with us?"
"What the boss is saying," Ace stepped in, "is that we want the same thing. And your friend Ren Tanaka? He might just be the key to unlocking all of it. Our theory is that the key only responds to a fire mutation ability."
Akito's eyes darkened instantly. "And how does it respond? What if it hurts him?"
"He's right," Kenji added, his tone begrudgingly thoughtful. "We don't know what Aragon, Zane, or the rest of the Rebellion are planning."
Akito sighed, realizing they didn't have many choices. "Alright… how about we continue this discussion without the ropes?"
Chester exchanged a glance with Ace, then gave a nod. Chester began untying them while Ace took a long drag from his cigar.
Akito brushed the dust off his clothes. "Was the kidnapping necessary?"
Kenji rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, seriously."
"Don't question the boss's methods," Ace growled.
"So, where to now?" Akito asked, trying to cool the atmosphere.
"Not so fast. We've still got some things to discuss," Chester said firmly, offering cigarettes to Akito and Kenji. Both accepted. Kenji lit his like a pro, while Akito struggled not to cough in front of them—despite hating to admit it, he thought they were cool.
"We all know Rander's the leader of the Fallen City, which technically makes him ours too. But he hasn't shown a single sign of wanting to go to war," Chester said, his tone simmering with frustration.
Kenji glanced at Akito, eyes filled with something close to admiration. "He's not a coward like people say. He just doesn't want violence. But what Rander doesn't get is—too much blood's already been spilled. We can't sit back anymore," Ace added, crushing his cigarette in the ashtray.
"You're insane. Going against Rander is suicide," Kenji argued—until he caught the glare Ace shot across the room.
Akito took another drag from the cigarette, this time without flinching. "I agree. With them."
Kenji shot him a dramatic look of betrayal and turned away.
"Going against Rander, huh… I guess I'm in," Akito said, placing a hand on Chester's shoulder.
"I knew we'd get along," Chester grinned, something darker glinting in his eyes.
The four crouched behind crates near the heavily guarded border—security tighter than usual, probably because of Ren's breakout.
Suddenly, a poster smacked Akito square in the face.
"OW!" he hissed. Ace clapped a hand over his mouth. Chester and Kenji shot him disappointed looks.
"Yeah, crazy those bastards escaped," one Lunaris guard was saying.
"Fallen Liberators—real pain in the ass," another replied, stapling a wanted poster to the wall.
Akito flipped the paper over. His eyes widened. "Shit…"
It was Ren. Only Ren.
"Didn't your whole group break him out? Why is it just him they want?" Ace whispered.
"Isn't it obvious?" Chester replied, voice low. "It's his firepower. They want to extract it with the serum. And the next step… they'll go after the key."
Kenji opened his mouth to say the same, but stayed silent in defeat. Ace looked away, clearly embarrassed.
"Yeah… sorry, boss," he muttered.
"Chester?" Ace asked as they peeked back over the crates—only to see Chester standing behind a soldier, bat raised.
Kenji mouthed, Don't.
CRACK. One soldier went down.
"Max!" the other cried, drawing his sword—too slow.
Akito struck from behind, slamming him to the ground.
"Yeah. I knew I liked you," Chester said, satisfied.
With the guards subdued, Ace and Kenji dragged them toward a nearby truck. Kenji jumped in the driver's seat.
"What the fuck are you doing?! Drive!" Ace shouted.
"I DON'T KNOW HOW!" Kenji panicked, hitting reverse.
CRUNCH.
"Oh my god! Did you just run someone over?!" Akito yelled. Chester burst out laughing.
Kenji slammed the pedal, the truck lurching forward through the streets.
"Hey, what the hell?!" someone screamed as a food stall collapsed.
"I'm gonna get done for murder!!" Kenji shrieked.
"Tch. First time, kid?" Ace said, lighting another cigarette.
"It's been six hours. Where the hell are they?" Jun muttered, pouring himself another glass of wine beside Ren.
CRASH.
A truck plowed through the living room window.
"Sorry we're late," Akito announced, hopping out. The tires were stained with blood.
Kenji leapt from the truck, snatched Jun's wine, and downed it like it was holy water. Ace and Chester followed, unfamiliar to both Ren and Jun.
"What the actual fuck…" Ren muttered, eyes locked on the bloody tires.
"Man, I just replaced that window!" Jun wailed.
Chester yanked the two unconscious Lunaris soldiers from the back, dressed in uniform.
Ren and Jun's jaws hit the floor.
"Okay… WHAT THE FU—" Jun started before Ace covered his mouth.
"Meet Max. And… the other one," Chester said with a too-happy smile.
Kenji chugged wine in the corner. Akito flopped onto the sofa.
"I thought you didn't know how to drive," Ren said quietly.
"I don't," Kenji replied.
"No shit," Jun muttered, eyes fixed on the shattered window.
"Talk about a trip down memory lane," Akito mumbled