Someone once told me:
"Don't trust anyone."
...I listened.
For years, I isolated myself from everyone.
Even my own sister.
She's probably still worried about me...
Even now.
A couple of years had passed since the incident at the Elven Kingdom.
Sasaki had learned one thing during those years.
Running was easier than explaining.
He kept his hood low as he moved through the narrow streets.
One alley.
Then another.
His footsteps echoed softly against the stone.
He slowed near a corner.
Peeked around it.
Nothing.
Sasaki exhaled.
"...Finally."
He took one step forward.
Then—
SHNK!
A sword suddenly pierced the ground directly in front of him.
Sasaki stopped.
His eyes widened.
"...You've got to be kidding me."
He slowly looked upward.
The sword trembled slightly in the stone.
A second later, Sasaki heard footsteps behind him.
He turned.
A group of people stood at the other end of the alley.
Sasaki sighed.
"Again?"
A voice came from above.
"You know, running is pointless."
Sasaki looked up.
A man stood on a nearby rooftop.
Sasaki immediately stepped backward.
"Not listening."
He turned.
And ran.
The man sighed.
"Of course."
Then—
BOOM!
Swords began raining from the sky.
One struck the ground beside Sasaki.
Then another.
Then another.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
Sasaki jumped to the side.
A sword slammed into the wall where his head had been moments earlier.
"Hey!"
Another sword fell.
Sasaki ducked.
"Watch where you're throwing those!"
He sprinted through the alley.
Behind him, the man wearing sunglasses floated through the air on top of his sword.
"Quit running!"
Sasaki glanced over his shoulder.
"Why are you even chasing me?!"
"You know exactly why!"
"I really don't!"
"You've caused enough trouble!"
"I barely did anything!"
Sasaki turned another corner.
Then stopped.
His eyes widened.
People were standing at both ends of the street.
Left.
Right.
Behind him.
Above him.
He was surrounded.
"...Damn it."
Sasaki slowly looked around.
There had to be a way out.
Come on.
Think.
His eyes darted from person to person.
There's too many.
His breathing became heavier.
If I fight them all...
He clenched his fists.
No.
That would take too long.
And he didn't know what else they had.
Sasaki suddenly looked toward the people in front of him.
Then his expression changed.
"Hey!"
Everyone looked at him.
"Look over there!"
Several people immediately turned.
"...!?"
Sasaki grinned.
Idiots.
He sprinted forward.
Straight toward the man wearing sunglasses.
BAM!
His fist connected with the man's face.
"GAH!"
Sasaki stepped onto his shoulder.
Then his head.
Using him as a stepping stone, Sasaki launched himself upward.
"Thanks!"
He grabbed the edge of the rooftop.
Pulled himself up.
And landed.
Sasaki took a second to catch his breath.
"Gotcha."
He smiled.
Then looked up.
A small girl was standing several feet away.
She held an umbrella.
Sasaki froze.
"...What the hell?"
The girl looked at him calmly.
"Please just stop running."
Sasaki stared at her.
She sighed.
"It truly is pointless."
She lowered her umbrella slightly.
"Just turn yourself in."
Sasaki slowly looked behind himself.
Then back at her.
"Nope."
He turned and started running.
The girl didn't move.
Sasaki passed her.
Or at least—
He thought he did.
Clink.
Sasaki froze.
He looked down.
Chains were wrapped around his body.
"What—?"
The girl gently pulled on the chain.
Sasaki was yanked backward.
"Hey!"
He tried to grab the chain.
Too late.
The girl closed her umbrella.
Then swung it forward.
THUD!
The umbrella struck Sasaki in the side.
"—!"
He flew off the rooftop.
The ground rushed toward him.
Sasaki twisted his body at the last second.
He landed on his arms.
Rolled.
Then rolled again.
And again.
Until he finally stopped.
For a moment, Sasaki didn't move.
"...Ow."
He slowly pushed himself up.
His side hurt.
A lot.
Sasaki looked toward the rooftop.
The girl was still standing there.
Watching him.
He stared back.
"...I know that hurt."
Then he turned around.
And ran.
Sasaki kept running.
One street.
Two streets.
Three.
He didn't look back.
His footsteps became uneven.
His breathing grew heavier.
But he kept going.
Eventually, the sounds behind him disappeared.
Sasaki slowed.
He looked over his shoulder.
Nothing.
He waited.
Still nothing.
"...Did I lose them?"
He leaned against a wall.
His chest rose and fell.
For several seconds, he simply stood there.
Then—
He smiled.
"...Finally."
Sasaki reached inside his coat.
He pulled out a scroll.
The paper was old.
Its edges were worn from being carried around.
He carefully unfolded it.
His eyes moved across the writing.
Then stopped.
Sasaki's expression changed.
The scroll contained the knowledge of an ancient fighting style.
Gods' Flow.
He read through the instructions again.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Every movement.
Every principle.
Every technique.
Sasaki remained silent as he studied it.
His fingers traced across the writing.
He memorized what he could.
One technique.
Then another.
Then another.
Eventually, he rolled the scroll back up.
"...Interesting."
He tucked it away.
Another piece of knowledge.
Another piece of power.
Another tool to keep himself alive.
Sasaki pushed himself away from the wall.
"Now..."
He looked down the empty street.
"...I should probably find somewhere to rest."
Later that evening, Sasaki found a quiet place between several buildings.
He sat against a wall.
His coat was slightly torn.
There were bruises along his arms and side.
He carefully wrapped a bandage around one of them.
"That girl..."
Sasaki winced.
"...hits way too hard."
He tied the bandage.
Then leaned his head against the wall.
For the first time in hours, there was nothing chasing him.
No footsteps.
No voices.
No swords.
No chains.
Just silence.
Sasaki closed his eyes.
"...Maybe I'm safe."
He let himself relax.
Only for a moment.
Then—
SHNK!
Sasaki's eyes snapped open.
A sword pierced through the wall.
And into his back.
His body went completely still.
He slowly looked down.
The blade protruded through his chest.
"..."
Sasaki stared at it.
There was a long pause.
"...Can't I rest even a little bit?"
His hand slowly reached backward.
He grabbed the sword.
The blade trembled in his grip.
Sasaki tightened his fingers.
His expression hardened.
Crack.
The sword shattered.
Sasaki pulled himself away from the wall.
He didn't bother looking for whoever had attacked him.
He already knew what came next.
Running.
Again.
Sasaki ran until the streets disappeared.
Then the buildings disappeared.
Then even the lights of the city became distant.
Eventually, he reached a massive forest.
Snow covered the ground.
Trees stretched endlessly into the darkness.
Sasaki stumbled between them.
His breathing was ragged.
His legs felt heavy.
He placed one hand against a tree.
"...At this rate..."
He swallowed.
"...I'm going to die."
He tried to keep moving.
One step.
Then another.
His vision blurred.
Sasaki blinked several times.
Keep going.
Another step.
Just a little farther.
Another.
His heartbeat felt strange.
Slow.
Heavy.
Every breath hurt.
Sasaki reached for another tree.
His hand slipped against the bark.
He caught himself.
"...Come on."
He tried to stand straight.
His legs shook.
"I can..."
He stopped.
His breathing trembled.
"...keep going."
But his body disagreed.
His knees buckled.
Sasaki fell forward.
He caught himself with his hands.
Snow pressed against his palms.
He tried to push himself back up.
Nothing.
His arms trembled.
His strength was disappearing.
Sasaki slowly rolled onto his back.
Snow began settling on his coat.
He stared up through the branches.
The sky was barely visible.
His eyes slowly became heavier.
For a moment, he thought about his sister.
Her voice.
Her face.
The way she used to worry whenever he came home late.
Sasaki smiled faintly.
"...Sister."
His eyes began closing.
He wanted to find her.
He wanted to go home.
But his body wouldn't move.
His vision faded.
"...I'm never going to find Sister."
And then—
Everything went dark.