In City C, the three young boys had an unusual encounter.
This encounter taught them that among the mutants, there were beings capable of kindness… and others, far darker. But above all, it revealed something even deeper.
Sakolomé turned to Zeltania.
— Zeltania… your friends, then? Where are they?
— All over City C, she replied with a proud smile. It makes me happy to know that humans still care about this place. Mutreph has something to worry about now.
Bakuzan suddenly froze. A strange presence had just brushed against his mind.
— Be quiet. Someone is watching us.
Everyone went on guard. Bakuzan closed his eyes. A breath of mana rose from his body, fine and precise.
— Locating mana… find him.
The trail of luminous dust dispersed in every direction. Zeltania couldn't help but admire:
— Woah… you're good.
— Shut up, I said.
She obeyed immediately. Bakuzan reopened his eyes.
— He's there.
A deep rumble tore through the air. Several buildings collapsed under the impact of an explosion, and six figures emerged from the void.
Bakuzan frowned. Zeltania, for her part, smiled.
— Hey, it's okay! They're my friends!
Three boys. Three girls.
— Zeltania! Do you have a problem with these three?! one of them shouted.
— No, they're my new companions. Come on!
The six landed beside them in a single leap. All of them wore the same dark gothic style that Zeltania already had.
A small girl with pigtails and black gloves, a visible tattoo on her arm, approached:
— We thought you were in danger.
Zeltania introduced them in a clear voice:
— Friends… this is Bakuzan, Sakolomé, and Bakuran. They are Satsujin Otoko.
A boy wearing a black cap with a skull on it whistled in surprise.
— Satsujin Otoko? What are they doing in City C?
— The same thing as us, Zeltania replied. Mutreph is their priority. And to you, Satsujin Otoko, I introduce…
She first pointed to the most charismatic one:
— Mutjack, the pretty boy.
Spiky hair, gloves, a pronounced gothic look.
— Tanreo, the hot-headed guy.
(The one wearing the cap.)
— ErMut, the super nice one.
(A tall guy, one meter eighty-five, hood down, tattoos on his arms.)
— Mertana, the shy one.
(The little girl with pigtails… who wasn't shy at all.)
— Saramut, the supportive one.
The young girl smiled. Short hair shaved on the sides, gloves, an enormous sword strapped to her back. She looked like she had come straight out of a video game.
— And finally, Mutana, the simple one.
A dark figure, a beauty mark under her left eye, a weapon in hand. Nothing else betrayed her character.
Zeltania clenched her fist.
— With all of us, Mutreph won't stand a chance.
Bakuzan raised an eyebrow.
— With me alone, I doubt he will.
ErMut burst out laughing.
— Wow… the little Satsujin Otoko is acting all high and mighty, I see.
Bakuzan didn't like their presence. An electric tension already hung in the air. Bakuran, meanwhile, asked a question:
— You too… you have a mutant parent and a human parent?
— Oh yes, Zeltania replied.
Bakuran grimaced.
— Ugh. Disgusting.
Mertana immediately stood up.
— Start watching your language, you.
Bakuzan intervened in a dry tone:
— It was predictable. Like all mutants, they have "Mut" or "tan" in their name.
ErMut whistled, impressed despite himself.
— You, little one… you're really something.
Bakuzan sighed.
— We should split up. More than ten in the same place is dangerous.
Mutjack lifted his chin.
— And who told you it was up to you to decide?
Bakuzan's eyes narrowed. Zeltania tried to calm things down:
— Calm down, guys…
Mutjack didn't listen. He took a step forward, his gaze dark.
— From the beginning, you've been looking down on me, little Satsujin Otoko. Who do you think you are? Us mutants, and you Satsujin Otoko, we're already hated by the whole world. So stop treating us like monsters, asshole.
Bakuzan replied in an icy voice:
— I wasn't looking down on you. I'm focused on my mission. But if you're trying to intimidate me… you'll regret it very quickly. Choose your words better.
— Who do you think you are?!
Zeltania intervened again, almost desperate.
— Please… calm down!
Bakuzan didn't look away.
— We're splitting up. Yes or no?
— Shut your mouth, damn it!
Bakuzan's gaze settled on Mutjack. Time seemed to freeze. Mutjack felt a raw, inexplicable fear twist his insides.
— But… why is he looking at me like that…?
Zeltania pleaded:
— Bakuzan, please… calm down.
— I am calm, he replied. Try calming your wild animals instead.
ErMut then stepped forward, a provocative smile on his lips.
— Now, that's too much. Bakuzan, is it? I challenge you to a fight. The winner becomes the leader.
Bakuzan finally smiled. A cold, dangerous smile.
— I have no desire to be a leader. But I really want… to hit you.
ErMut took a fighting stance.
— Step aside. This is going to get bloody.
— No, Bakuzan replied. Bakuran, Sakolomé, Zeltania… step aside. You others… come. I'm going to give you a little lesson in manners.
The humanoid mutants were astonished. Only Bakuran and Sakolomé remained impassive: they knew what Bakuzan was capable of.
Mutjack clenched his fists.
— Fine. As you wish.
They surrounded him. Saramut raised her sword, her gaze hard.
— It's crazy how some people don't know how to measure the scale of the situation they're throwing themselves into… before crying as if the sky were falling on them.
Bakuzan looked her straight in the eyes.
— Saramut, is that it? Others don't know how to behave properly, or how to judge who they're facing. They let themselves be guided by stupidity… or by futile frustration. And they end up humiliated.
His piercing gaze sank into her. Saramut suddenly felt that she was no longer facing a teenager, but a predator. Her legs trembled. She lost her balance.
— Saramut?! What's happening to you?! ErMut shouted.
She was sweating heavily, trembling all over.
— I… I… I don't want to fight him… please… he scares me…!
The others were surprised by her reaction; usually, Saramut would rather die than give up in that way.
The others didn't even have time to react. Bakuzan's aura, pure and overwhelming, enveloped them. They were paralyzed, terrified, unable to make the slightest movement.
Mertana whimpered:
— What's… happening to us…?
Bakuzan approached ErMut with slow steps.
— Prostrate yourselves.
The six mutants collapsed onto all fours, like beasts, without understanding.
Mutjack stammered:
— But… what's… happening to us…?!
Bakuzan towered over ErMut with all his height.
— Now that you're in this position… give me one reason to consider you my equal, you lesser being.
ErMut collapsed completely, his face against the ground, soaked in sweat and fear.
— I give up… you won… leave us alone… please…
Bakuzan sighed. His mana vanished. The mutants regained control of their bodies, humble and broken.
Mutana murmured:
— We lost…
Mertana looked up at him, her voice small:
— Bakuzan… you're the leader now. What do we do?
— I don't need to be anyone's leader. Do what you want. I'm only saying: let's split up. And set up a signal to alert the others if one of us finds the mutant first.
Saramut, still trembling, suggested:
— Does everyone here know how to speak telepathically?
— I do, Bakuzan replied. So we'll make a group of five: Tanreo, me, Bakuran, Sakolomé, and Zeltania. You'll form the second group.
Everyone nodded. Tanreo asked:
— How do we divide up?
Sakolomé smiled.
— Group A to the left. Group B to the right. Simple.
— Exactly, Bakuzan confirmed.
ErMut, his voice hoarse, agreed:
— Fine… we'll do as you said… leader.
— There is no leader. Call me Bakuzan. That's all.
Mutjack approached, head lowered.
— Bakuzan… I'm sorry about earlier.
Bakuzan gave him a slight smile.
— It's nothing, my friend. Let's go.
The two groups separated.
Zeltania, walking beside Bakuzan, looked at him sideways.
— Why did you choose me for your group?
— I don't know.
She smiled, mischievous.
— Don't be so modest. You like me, don't you? Deep down in your Satsujin Otoko heart, you're in love with me.
Bakuzan sighed.
— Yes, I like you. But nowhere near having romantic feelings for you.
Zeltania didn't back down.
— What if we called our first son Bakutan?
Bakuran and Sakolomé looked at each other… then burst out laughing.
— Zeltania, shut your mouth, please! Bakuzan growled.
On the other side, Group B continued its patrol in a heavy silence.
Saramut finally spoke:
— It's still impressive… that a Satsujin Otoko could dominate us like that, in our own city.
Mutjack nodded.
— I didn't know they were that powerful. I'd never seen one. What do you think, ErMut?
ErMut walked, his gaze lost. He looked as though he had lost something essential within himself.
— He beat us without even touching us. That proves we should… train. One day, I'll be stronger than Bakuzan. And I'll beat him the same way.
Mutana frowned.
— Train…? What do you mean?
— We're too used to the cozy comfort of City C. The country of Gu-HoiT is vast. There must be countless fighters as powerful as him… or more. When I say train, I mean going to see what's out there. After this mission, I'll travel across the whole country. No… the whole world. And I'll test myself against the strongest.
The others smiled, moved by his determination.
ErMut continued, his voice broken:
— Since I was born… I had never been beaten so easily. With such humiliation. I was scared. For the first time in my life, I was scared of someone… and of what he could do to me. Not to mention the way he looked at me… and the words he said. It was clearly another level…
He sniffed.
Saramut placed a hand on his shoulder. She too had felt that pure terror.
— ErMut… I support you. I'll follow you wherever you go. We'll become stronger… and one day, we'll defeat that Satsujin Otoko.
Mutana added softly:
— Me too. With all my heart. Especially with you, ErMut.
Mutjack clenched his fist.
— We're brothers in this world. I'll follow you everywhere.
Mertana let out a light laugh.
— Your delusions are contagious. I'm following you too!
ErMut finally smiled. Tears rose to his eyes.
— Thank you… really. You're the best.