The road stretched endlessly beneath a gray morning sky.
Sora walked ahead with his usual careless stride, his sword resting across his shoulder as if it weighed nothing.
Johan followed a few steps behind, quiet as always, his eyes scanning the road and the distant hills.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then Sora suddenly stretched his arms.
"So…"
Johan already sounded tired.
"What."
Sora turned around while walking backward.
"Are we criminals now?"
Johan did not hesitate.
"Yes."
Sora scratched his cheek.
"That was fast."
Johan looked at him.
"You attacked royal soldiers in the middle of a town."
"They were bullying villagers."
"That does not make it legal."
Sora grinned.
"I wasn't trying to be legal."
Johan sighed.
The wind carried dust across the road as they continued walking.
After a moment, Sora spoke again.
"So what happens now?"
Johan answered calmly.
"The kingdoms will hear about it."
"And?"
"And they will try to arrest us."
Sora thought about it for a moment.
Then he smiled.
"Sounds fun."
Johan stared at him.
"You are unbelievable."
Sora laughed and turned back toward the road.
"Come on. If Juluis were here, he'd probably say something mysterious like 'the world is moving' or something."
Johan crossed his arms.
"Juluis would say we are idiots."
"That too."
For a brief moment, both of them were quiet.
The road slowly curved toward another settlement ahead.
Smoke rose from chimneys.
People moved through the streets.
But something felt wrong.
Even from a distance.
Johan noticed it first.
"There are too many soldiers."
Sora squinted.
"...Oh."
A line of armored guards stood at the entrance of the town.
Several large papers had been nailed to the wooden gate.
Villagers gathered around them, whispering.
Sora and Johan approached slowly.
One of the papers had a rough drawing on it.
Two figures.
One with messy hair and a sword.
The other standing calmly beside swirling water.
Below the drawings were large letters.
WANTED
Sora leaned closer.
"Oh hey."
Johan already knew.
Sora pointed at the paper.
"That's us."
Johan stared at the poster quietly.
The bounty number written below their faces was not small.
Several soldiers stood nearby, watching travelers carefully.
One guard glanced toward them.
For a moment, the man's eyes lingered.
Johan spoke quietly.
"...We should leave."
Sora looked disappointed.
"But I wanted to go inside."
"You are on the poster."
Sora tilted his head.
"...Maybe they won't notice?"
The guard suddenly shouted.
"HEY!"
Too late.
Several soldiers grabbed their weapons.
"THOSE TWO!"
Sora sighed.
"...Yeah they noticed."
Johan raised his hand calmly.
Water from a nearby well began to rise slowly into the air.
The soldiers froze.
One of them whispered.
"...Magic."
Sora drew his sword.
The metal gleamed under the daylight.
"Alright then."
He rolled his shoulders.
"Same plan as last time?"
Johan replied calmly.
"You rush in like an idiot."
"And you?"
"I fix the mess."
Sora grinned.
"Perfect."
The soldiers charged.
The fight exploded instantly.
Sora moved first.
His sword flashed through the air as he dashed forward, faster than the soldiers expected.
Two guards fell before they could react.
Behind him, Johan's magic erupted.
Water surged through the street like a living creature.
It twisted, slammed, and knocked armored soldiers off their feet.
A spear flew toward Johan.
The water shielded him instantly.
Sora jumped onto a cart and kicked another soldier aside.
"This is easier than training!"
Johan glanced at him.
"These are normal soldiers."
Sora laughed.
"Then they should train harder!"
The street turned into chaos.
Villagers ran inside buildings.
Guards shouted orders.
But within minutes—
the soldiers were on the ground.
Defeated.
Silence slowly returned to the street.
Sora wiped dust from his shoulder.
"Well."
Johan lowered the water around him.
"...That confirms it."
Sora looked at the poster again.
"Wanted criminals."
He tilted his head.
"Rebels."
Johan looked at the fallen soldiers.
"Two people cannot be a rebellion."
Sora sheathed his sword.
"Why not?"
Johan raised an eyebrow.
"Because rebellions need armies."
Sora started walking down the road again.
His voice carried casually behind him.
"Then we'll just be the smallest rebellion in the world."
Johan watched him for a moment.
Then he followed.
The wind blew through the empty road as the two figures disappeared beyond the town.
Behind them, whispers were already beginning to spread.
About two young fighters who challenged kingdoms.
About the boy with the sword.
And the prodigy who controlled water like a living weapon.
Two rebels.
Walking toward a storm they could not yet see.
And far away—
beyond mountains and oceans—
someone had already begun watching them.