The stranger turned to Saeyo. His eyes were filled with hatred. He remained on the ground, trying to get to his feet. But he was doomed to fail. His right shoulder was wounded, but he tried to suppress the pain.
His eyes showed both fear and determination. He pressed his left palm against the rubble, hoping to get back on his feet. For some reason, he could no longer move his legs. It seemed as if he was staring straight into Saeyo's soul.
"You won't shoot."
Saeyo's eyes widened.
'Huh?'
The stranger sighed.
"Look at yourself. As if you know how to use a gun. You're just a child trying to escape poor life. If you'd never stolen, you'd never have ended up in this situation."
He laughed. The fear in his eyes vanished completely.
"And even if you do know how to use the gun, you'll never be able to run away from this again. You might kill me today, but I'm just a simple foot soldier. I'm only following orders given to me by the family. You should have used your head before stealing their most precious treasure."
He gritted his teeth and added:
"The treasure had been guarded by hundreds of warriors. Yet somehow you managed to steal it from the vault. Whether you possess a power that makes you invisible or managed it somehow else, I don't care. But eventually they will find you anyway. And that treasure… that jewel, they will find it along with you. You cannot and will never escape."
Saeyo was both confused and angry. He gathered his thoughts and shouted:
"I don't know what you're talking about. But you're the one who doesn't get it! I haven't stolen anything from your people. I don't know who these powerful people are supposed to be, or what this treasure you're talking about is supposed to be. But you should get out of here now and never come back. You pitiful bastard. I haven't the slightest idea why you suspect me at all. It's true that I sometimes visit Nihonmura, but not to steal, but to survive, and you..."
His heart was racing and his anger towards the stranger grew even greater.
"... you rush into my hut and break my door, my glass and my chair. I won't even get started about my roof. As if that weren't enough, you accuse me of stealing some jewel, like I'm some kinda of a thief. Can't you hear yourself? Why on earth do you think I stole it? Please answer that question before you start accusing me again."
The man on the floor was annoyed by Saeyo's speech.
"I'm only explaining it to you because I know you poor thing don't have enough basic knowlegde. When someone awakens a power, it can vary greatly from other powers. A ability from a trusted friend has revealed to us that it was you, and if the family believes him, then I believe him too. Such an ability is rare. The family has entrusted me with returning the jewel. I must not disappoint them under any circumstances.
Saeyo had too many things he wanted to say, but in the end he decided on just one. He said:
"If you want to believe your friend so much, so be it. But I can promise you that it wasn't me, because I should know it better than someone who doesn't know me. And you shouldn't talk so big when you think about the situation you're in right now."
If the stranger was wrong about one thing, it was that Saeyo couldn't use a weapon.
Saeyo raised the rifle, aiming it at the stranger. He hesitated at first, but then his fingers moved on their own. A faint click confirmed his suspicion. The rifle was ready to fire. It was fully functional.
He exhaled, clenched his teeth and pulled the trigger.
The recoil pulled the rifle upwards and made his hands tremble. Had he done it? Had the stranger been defeated? What would happen now that Saeyo had defeated him? Where should he bury him? These were some of the thoughts racing through his mind. For a moment, Saeyo couldn't believe it, but then he noticed something odd.
The stranger was silent. He hadn't made a noise. Saeyo was nervous. When he fired, he'd closed his eyes. Could it be that the shot missed?
Saeyo froze. The... The bullet seemed to hang in the air. Just as it was about to hit, it seemed to stop moving. It was as if an invisible shield was preventing it.
But the bullet wasn't the only thing. A red hand, with three claws and several scars, had caught the bullet. The hand wasn't attached to an arm and was floating in the air.
'How is that possible?'
The enemy's hands were still attached to his body. The hand that had stopped the bullet did not belong to him. There was only one logical conclusion. He was a Chosen One! A Kyoza! Why hadn't he thought of such a possibility earlier? He had, but he wasn't sure. If this jewel was as special as he said, a normal Kenza would never have come looking for it. He probably wouldn't even know the jewel existed.
Just as he knew nothing about it. The floating hand dropped the bullet, and it crumbled into dust. The hand clenched into a fist, which then closed the distance between Saeyo and itself so quickly that Saeyo didn't even have time to blink. To Saeyo's eyes, it looked as though it was moving at the speed of light.
The fist collided with Saeyo's chest and sent him flying across the room. His back smashed through the wall and he landed on the ground outside his house. His home was completely demolished. The wall the hand had struck was barely distinguishable from the roof. The wooden pallets had burst open and the remaining pieces lay scattered on the ground.
A figure emerged from the mist of the devastated room. He held his right shoulder, stemming the flow of blood. He didn't mind wasting his hands when he had an even stronger one. His steps were slow and calculated. The floating hand had gone.
Saeyo lay on the floor in agony as he looked up. Splinters from the wall were scratching his skin.
"You… You are a monster!
The stranger smiled:
"I am no such thing. I simply want to claim the reward for returning the lost treasure. So it would be best for both of us if you tell me exactly where it is.
The sand brushed against his skin and he immediately lifted his hand from the sand to avoid getting burnt.
From this angle, one could see just how badly his house had been demolished. The rectangular shape of his house resembled the box where he stored his potions.
The warm breeze did not help the situation. He wiped the sand from his face and focused on the shattered wall of his house.
After a brief thought, Saeyo explained:
"All right. I don't wish to have any further trouble. You have been right. I have been lying all along and have hidden the jewel in a place where you will never find it! But since the treasure is of no use to me if I die now, I will tell you where it is."
In truth, Saeyo had only lied now. He knew nothing of the jewel's existence or of the people to whom it belonged. But perhaps he could solve this problem by letting the enemy believe he knew about it.
It didn't guarantee he could escape this situation, but there was still a small chance. His plan appeared to be perfect. Yet just as the stranger was about to reply, another figure appeared behind him and stepped through the broken door.
The stranger, however, was unaware of this new presence and continued speaking in the same arrogant manner:
"Are you waiting for an invitation? Get up and lead me to that jewel! Kid.
Meanwhile, the silhouette behind the stranger became clear. It was a nightmarish beast. Its fur radiated a mysterious aura. It looked soft, but it was the complete contrary. The fur was snow-white on the front of its body, whilst at the back it turned to a deep shade of black, and was impenetrable like an armour.
The beast had four long arms, each with four deadly obsidian claws. Its head was angular and its mouth was wide open.
A cold shiver ran down Saeyo's spine. Its white teeth were sharp and could pierce through any obstacle. Its red tongue rested in its mouth. The two eyes were as black as its shadow. It was something that would never exist in the old world. It was the embodiment of a beast suited only for war.
It approached, in small steps, the stranger, still unaware of what was happening. Then something became obvious. When Saeyo saw it properly, he felt uncomfortable. The creature had a hunched posture so as not to bump into the remaining debris from the roof, allowing it to see the stranger with a clear view. In truth, it was twice as large as it appeared.
The stranger looked at Saeyo with a puzzled expression.
"Didn't you understand me correctly? If you don't help me right now, I'll kill you and find the jewel myself! So get up now and lead me there."
Saeyo remained silent and focused on breathing calmly and steadying his heart, so as not to break down under the tension.
The stranger took a few steps forward, passing through the open wall towards Saeyo, until he stood directly in front of him, thinking that no one could stop him, but that was not true. The beast was right behind him and stopped just before the opening and crawled straight through it.
It straightened its posture and reached a height that would make anyone freeze. The beast was more than twice the size of the stranger.
The terrifying creature revealed its existence with a cold breath, leapt towards the stranger and grabbed his injured shoulder with one hand, whilst the other clamped around his neck.
The stranger fell silent, but at that moment another voice spoke. The beast said:
"What are you doing here? Holkoy."