Darkness surrounded the group, but a small fire kept them warm. Yamato sat under a large tree, holding Lumei gently in his arms. His face showed surprise—and fear. His eyes were wide, and his lips were tight. He couldn't stop thinking about what Lumei had said earlier.
Yamato looked down at Lumei. His friend's face was pale, and blood had dried near his eye. Slowly, with shaky hands, Yamato pulled out a cloth and gently wiped the blood away.
The others were lying around the fire, tired but safe. They shared food, laughed a little, and soon drifted off to sleep under the tree.
Yamato didn't sleep. He lay on his side, eyes open, staring at the night sky. His body turned left… then right. His arms moved restlessly, and he sighed more than once.
It wasn't the cold, or the hard ground. It was the words that came from Lumei's mouth. He didn't understand them—but he could feel they were serious. Unknown. Powerful.
---
Morning arrived. The golden sun rose over the hills. Birds chirped in the distance.
One by one, the students began to wake up—stretching, yawning, rubbing their eyes.
But Master Ozaki didn't move.
He was still lying on the ground, breathing deeply. His arm rested across his chest. His body had not fully healed, and the battle had taken a toll on him.
Sora sat up first and looked around. "Where's Master?" she asked.
"He's still sleeping," Yamato answered quietly.
"I guess he really pushed himself…" Ichiha said, standing up.
"He deserves to rest," Chella added, brushing leaves off her clothes.
After a while, Ozaki stirred. He sat up slowly, his face tired but calm. He stretched, groaning a little.
"Ah… my back," he said with a weak smile. "I'm not as young as I used to be."
Lumei laughed. "That's what you get for fighting like a beast."
The group chuckled together, light-hearted and happy to see their Master awake.
They packed their things and began their journey home, walking side by side through forests and rocky paths. They chatted, shared snacks, and sometimes walked in peaceful silence. Yamato mostly stayed quiet, his thoughts still spinning.
---
After three days of walking, they finally reached the cave where the villagers of Kehi Village were hiding.
When the villagers saw them, cheers broke out.
"You're back!"
"What happened? Is our village safe?"
Master Ozaki raised his hand to calm the crowd. He stepped forward and spoke.
"Your village is not destroyed. Another was. You're safe now."
Some of the villagers gasped. Others cried tears of joy. Then, the mood changed to celebration. Fires were lit, food was shared, and songs were sung.
The team rested with the villagers and joined in the joy. For the first time in days, they were not fighting or running. They were just people—celebrating life.
That evening, the students sat in a circle near one of the campfires. Lumei, Chella, Sora, and Ichiha laughed and talked while Yamato stared quietly into the flames.
Master Ozaki stood up in front of them. His face was proud, and his voice firm but kind.
"You all did well," he said. "And as promised…"
He lifted his hand and drew out a brown leather bag from the space where he kept his weapons. The bag glowed slightly before dropping into his palm. He opened it and pulled out five smaller pouches.
"Three thousand Flicks each," he said, handing them out.
Lumei grabbed his pouch and tossed it in the air. "Woohoo! This is heavy!"
Chella smiled wide. "This is my first real pay!"
Sora hugged her pouch. "Thank you, sir!"
Ichiha bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you, Master."
Then, the four of them raised their voices and said together, "Thank you, sir!" before bursting into laughter.
Yamato looked at his pouch for a long second. Then, he stood, walked forward, and collected it.
"Thanks, sir," he said, his voice quieter than the others. But when he turned back, a small smile formed on his lips—and finally, he laughed with the group.
---
Meanwhile, back at the school, the Chosen Six kept everything in order. Even though the headmaster was away, there was no chaos.
They patrolled the school grounds, keeping students from sneaking out. They made sure no one ditched class. Even during their own special training, they maintained discipline across the school.
---
The next morning, Team Ozaki and Master Regns left the mountains and began their journey back to school.
When the tall buildings of the academy appeared in the distance, the group paused.
"There it is…" Sora said, her eyes shining.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
As they arrived at the gates, each person went their own way, waving goodbye and smiling.
Yamato and Lumei were the last to leave because they went to the school's library.
—---
The moon had risen high in the sky, and that night, it looked bigger—brighter—than usual.
As they walked toward their dorm, Yamato shouted ahead to Lumei.
"I will make you tell me about that god," he said with a grin. "Don't think I've forgotten."
Lumei looked over his shoulder, laughing. "Well, let's see about that. If you own my mouth, we'll know."
They both laughed as they entered their dorm. They washed up, stretched out, and soon fell asleep.
Except for Sora.
In her house, she lay in bed, eyes open, staring at the ceiling. Her thoughts were filled with worry—about Yamato's cold behavior during the mission, and Lumei's strange words.
"What's happening to him?" she thought.
Eventually, her eyes closed, and she drifted off to sleep.
---
Elsewhere, Chella arrived home to her parents. They hugged her tightly and listened with wide eyes as she told stories of traveling and fighting with the world's strongest man.
"You did all that… with Master Ozaki?" her mother asked.
When Chella showed them her pouch of Flicks, their faces lit up.
"Work harder to make more of it for yourself," her father said proudly.
---
Ichiha returned to his old abandoned family home. It was quiet. He walked in and then, into a room filled with old photographs. He sat on the floor, looking at the smiling faces—his parents… his cousins… his aunt's and uncle's … all gone because of Kaku.
He picked up a picture of his mother and father and hugged it to his chest.
"Mom… Dad…" he whispered, tears rolling down his cheeks. "I couldn't do anything. I couldn't make him pay for what he did."
He closed his eyes and let the pain pour out.