We boarded the ship. The waves rocked gently, but my thoughts were more shaken by something unseen. A strange feeling… like someone was watching. I turned my head several times during the trip, but only ordinary faces were in sight. Maybe it was just my imagination…
Or maybe… it wasn't.
Belzeebub, a water element user, stood silently on the upper deck. His face was partially hidden behind a blue veil, and his eyes were as cold as a winter lake. He had already heard rumors about the earth-user who had returned from the spirit realm. Hiro's aura had reached his ears, and he wanted to know... whether this boy truly deserved the legacy he carried.
But the time wasn't right.
Not here.
A Crowded City
A few days later, we arrived at a bustling big city, full of markets and vehicles, shouting vendors, and the scent of spices carried by the wind, known as Quenstown. Carla looked like a child running through a flower field. Her eyes sparkled as she approached the locals, asking about lodging, food, and jobs.
I just followed from behind. But at one point… we got separated.
"Just a minute, Hiro! I want to ask about an inn over there!" she said, pointing to a narrow alley between tall buildings.
I nodded. No bad feeling crossed my mind at that moment.
I turned around, stepping aside to rest. But suddenly… the air turned cold. Extremely cold. The street ahead grew damp, and water began seeping from between the cobblestones.
Belzeebub emerged from the shadows. His face remained calm, his steps light, but every movement flowed like water—unpredictable, unstoppable.
"Are you the one they're talking about?!" he said bluntly.
I was startled, frozen in confusion.
"What do you mean? Who are you?!"
I stepped back. "I'm not looking for a fight."
"But the fight is seeking your truth."
In an instant, walls of water surged from the ground, encircling us. People around us fled in panic. The battle had begun.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
I summoned the earth to defend myself, pulling stones from the ground to form a shield. But Belzeebub's water pierced through tiny gaps, striking me from unexpected angles. He was like a rainstorm—fast, cold, and merciless.
"-ughhh, damn it. Who are you?!" I gasped, trying to get back on my feet.
But this time… something changed within me.
I began to read my emotions. To control my power.
The earth responded—not with rage, but with resolve. I stomped the ground, sending a wave of stone to shatter his watery assault. We traded blows, explosions, and impacts… until the buildings around us started to collapse.
"I think I'm beginning to see that fate has its eyes on you."
Carla Returns
Carla had just finished speaking with a shopkeeper when a thunderous roar made her turn. Smoke and debris rose high into the air.
"H-Hiro…?"
She ran as fast as she could. Her eyes widened at the sight of the ruins, crumbled walls, and upturned earth like a battlefield.
"Hiro!!"
Amidst the rubble, she saw my hand reach out. A cut on my temple, blood dripping from my forehead, but I was still conscious.
With trembling hands, she pulled my body from the wreckage, dragging me into a quiet alley hidden from the city's eyes. There, she cleaned my wounds with water from a small pouch and a cloth she had saved.
"Hiro… you idiot. Why didn't you just run and hide, huh…?"
I smiled weakly.
"Did you think I'd keep running from reality? I don't think so. Not anymore. Because I'm not alone now."