Brother, what are we going to do?"
"Nothing. We inspect. That's it."
"Why? Brother, this is cruel... unfair. These people, they don't deserve this. Especially not the children."
"I know. And you're right. But if you're going to look at this problem—look closely. If we act now, it'll alert the people behind it."
Hakari turned, locking eyes with his younger brother.
"Imagine this system as a tree. Cutting off a leaf won't harm it. It'll just grow back stronger. These children… they're just the leaves. We're here to find the root."
Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.
The sound of chains echoed in the cramped slave shop. The further they walked, the darker it felt—until they saw her.
A mother. Shackled. Kneeling. Arms wrapped tightly around her two young children.
Her eyes met Hakari's.
Tears streamed down her face as she repeated one thing, again and again:
"Take my children. Please... take them. They won't survive here. Please…"
Hakari's voice trembled slightly, his emotions caught between fury and restraint.
"I'm not here to buy anything," he said softly.
But the mother didn't stop. "Take them. I'm begging you. Save them."
Hakari took a breath.
"I… I can take them as orphans. We have a system for them. They'll be safe."
From behind, a voice interrupted—
"So, have you found something to your liking?"
The seller had arrived. Greasy smile. Greed in his eyes.
"I want them," Hakari murmured.
"Oh? Them? Didn't expect those to be your first choice," the seller said, amused.
"First… and last," Hakari said, his voice low and resolute.
"That'll be thirty Kohats."
Hakari pulled a pouch from his cloak and tossed it. "Take fifty. For the mother too."
The seller's smile dropped. "She's valuable. We've plans for her."
"I'll give you a hundred," Hakari said, stepping forward. "But if you refuse… just know I'm well-acquainted with Velvet's Prince. His family and ours are... close."
The seller paused, eyes narrowing. "Fine. But two hundred Kohats. And a horse."
"You'll get them," Hakari said coldly. "Black or white?"
"Black will do."
"You'll have it by nightfall. Now remove their shackles."
Clink.
Chains hit the ground.
Hakari knelt beside the mother. "Come with us. You're free now."
She tried to stand—but collapsed.
"Are you alright?" he asked, rushing to her.
"I'm fine," she whispered, smiling weakly. "I'm grateful. I can die peacefully now."
"No. Don't say that—"
"Hakari," she interrupted softly, "I heard your name… once. A long time ago.
There was a man, just like you. Kind. Brave."
Hakari froze.
She hadn't heard his full name. He never said it.
"Take care of them, Hakari Shin. I don't know how or why... but I believe in you. You see... before you came, I had no hope. I was tired of the pain."
Her voice trembled.
"One night, after they… after they did things to me, I stole poison. I drank it. But I couldn't bring myself to kill my children. Then you came."
She looked up at him.
"I didn't think they would survive. But I saw your face… and I was relieved. I'm ready now."
And with one last breath, she died in his arms.
Meanwhile in Velvet, in the Capital of Mithren…
The Royal Hall brimmed with tension, its golden walls hiding a crumbling truth.
The truth no one knows, the truth of Rui Yamazaki!
And something else was happening
In The Capital of Koha — The Royal Hall
"I told you never to say that name again."
The King rose from his throne, towering over his Minister. His voice echoed through the marble hall.
"Do you understand me?"
"Yes, my King."
"Say it louder!"
The Minister bowed so deeply his forehead nearly touched the floor.
"Yes, I understand, my King!"
The King exhaled sharply and sat again, rubbing his temples.
"Continue. But no bad news. I've had enough today."
"My King… it's about the Code."
His fingers tightened around the armrest.
"What about it?"
"The Mother Energy—what the people call Code. The force that grants Commands, fuels life, maintains balance… it's unstable."
"Where?"
"Only in Velvet and Doir. The Command Holders there—some of them are losing control. The Code builds inside them… and erupts."
The King leaned forward, eyes narrowing.
"How?"
"Through the head. The heart. They're… bursting."
A cold silence filled the hall.
"Then what's the good news you mentioned?" the King asked, voice low.
"We traced it," the Minister continued. "Their Crystal Stones—the ones that balance the Code flow—are disappearing. Without them, the energy destabilizes."
A dark realization crossed the King's face.
"So… they're tearing themselves apart."
The Minister allowed himself a faint, calculated smile.
"Exactly. The war… has already begun. And we are at an advantage."
---
Meanwhile In the Kingdom of Velvet, In the capital Mitheren
power had shifted without warning.
The King stood alone—his crown heavier than ever.
the King of Velvet, standing still—surrounded by soldiers. But not his own.
If I'm going to die... just tell me why.
You said it yourself. You promised the Dictator.
I told him... I promised...
Your time's up.
Suddenly, silence filled the room, broken only by a dull thud.
The King of Velvet was dead, his head lying on the ground.
"Now, all of you... move."
Before a movement could even be wasted, the killers of the king vanished without a trace.
The sun rose, and the world knew.
What began as whispers… erupted into roars.
> "Velvet's King is dead!"
> "He was murdered!"
> "No—it was planned."
>
Conspiracies began to spread, and chaos was about to begin.
On the outskirts of the trading town, Hakari's camp sat in quiet tension. The seller, now chained, squirmed in the dirt.
"You tricked me! I didn't know, I swear!" the seller cried, panic rising in his voice.
Hakari spoke calmly. "I promised you a black horse, remember?"
A shadow stepped forward. A tall, muscular man—silent and glaring.
Hakari smiled. "Here he is."
Tears started to fall from the poor man's eyes. "No... no, please... I was just—"
Hakari ignored him completely. "He's excited. Take him somewhere quiet."
"Please!" The fear crawled into the seller. In a completely terrified voice, he begged, "I beg you!"
Hakari's eyes narrowed as he nodded to the tall man. "He likes it. Go on."
The seller screamed. "Please! Please, don't!"
The man grabbed him. No one stopped him.
The man dragged him toward the woods.
"Please no! No, please!" The seller shouted, his eyes wide, mouth drooling, his body trembling in fear. "Don't do this!"
The tall man, completely ignoring him, wore a smile on his face. He whispered in broken phrases, like a child with a deep voice. "Remove clothes."
"N-no..." The seller looked at the large man, his eyes shutting tight as he realized what was about to happen.
"Aaaaah! Aaaaah! No... not anymore! Aaaaaah!"
The screams echoed through the camp.
"The boy and girl are sleeping, and he is certainly enjoying himself," Hakari said with an awkward smile.
The screams stopped. With time, only silence remained.
The big man came out of the woods. "This fun. Haha," he said with his broken words.
"Where is that seller?" Hakari asked. "Didn't you accidentally kill him?"
Hakari hesitated, then ran off toward the woods. He looked around, and not far away, he spotted a naked figure under a tree.
He walked up to him. "So... ar-are you okay?"
Hakari stopped. He looked at the seller's messed-up body.
"I said ar—"
Hakari turned away and threw up.
"No way..."
He looked back at the seller. "Oh, no."
The seller lay there, eyes wide and unblinking, like a dead person. Luckily, his hands were moving slightly, but Hakari hadn't expected it to go this far.
"I... I thought..." He threw up again, seeing the blood soaking the ground beneath the man.
"Oh gosh. Okay. Guards! Guards!" Hakari screamed. "Quick! Quickly!"
"Wh-what, my lord?"
"Take this man to a... to a fucking apothecary! Quick!" Hakari yelled, covering his face.
"As you say, my—" The guards suddenly stopped, disgusted as they looked at the seller.
"Quick! Hurry up, or he'll die!"
Somewhere far away... A cold chamber lit by a dying fire. Two figures. Shadows. One seated, one standing.
The Man in the Dark spoke calmly. "It has started."
The other man said mockingly, "So... how do you feel?"
The Man in the Dark replied, "I don't want to drag this out. Finish it clean. Quick."
The other man scoffed. "See? That's your problem. We have to plan, then execute—even if we're the strongest."
The Man in the Dark interrupted. "Not we. Me."
The laughter got louder. The other man chuckled. "Yeah? I don't believe you."
The Man in the Dark growled, "What did you just say?"
"I said—fuck off. Or I'll fucking kill you."
"I dare you. Touch me."
"You talk too much."
"Yeah? Same to you."
Their eyes locked. Silence. Tension.
The fire died out.