The smoke from the warehouse explosion still lingered, carrying the scent of gunpowder and shattered concrete.
Amid the chaos, the child they had just rescued lowered his head deeply, his body trembling as he stared at the ground.
"My name is Rare," he said softly, yet with determination.
He looked up at Tora and Scyte, his eyes shining."I promise I'll always follow you! Thank you… thank you so much!"
Tora crossed his arms, glancing at Scyte beneath his blindfold."Do you think this kid fits our 'line of work'?"
Scyte tilted his head, casually spinning his simple scythe "Eh… no idea."
Without saying much more, the three of them left the ruins behind and returned to No Name Corporation.
The armory felt vast and cold.
Thousands of weapons, each radiating deadly energy, were neatly displayed.
Tora stood with his massive axe, pointing toward the racks with his chin.
"Pick your weapon," he ordered Rare.
Rare walked slowly through the rows.
His eyes passed over plasma rifles and vibrating daggers, until he stopped in front of a massive sword.
It resembled a grand Excalibur, wide-bladed, heavy, and emanating an ancient aura.
Anyone could tell it was meant for machines… or adults with immense strength.
"I want this one," Rare said without hesitation.
Tora frowned.
"You sure? That thing looks way too heavy for you."
Without replying, Rare reached out.
His small hand gripped the handle… and lifted it.
Effortlessly.
No strain. No struggle.
The massive blade rose as lightly as a twig.
"It's not heavy," Rare said innocently, swinging it through the air with a sharp slicing sound.
Tora went silent for a moment.
"…O-kay."
After choosing their weapons, the tension between them slowly faded.
Somehow, Scyte found a high-tech instant camera among the clutter of No Name's studio equipment.
The three of them, young killers with dark destinies, spent a moment taking ridiculous and cool poses, capturing absurd memories inside a deadly corporate headquarters.
After all that, they finally sat down to rest.
"Heh… we're kinda cool," Scyte said proudly.
"Obviously," Tora replied with a smug grin.
Scyte's curiosity returned.
"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask," he said, looking at the polaroid in his hand before turning to Rare."How did you end up tied up in that warehouse with that masked guy?"
Rare lowered his head, staring at his reflection in the blade of his massive sword.
"Maybe… because I'm special?"
"Special? Explain," Scyte pressed, resting his chin on his hand.
Rare exhaled slowly.
His gaze drifted far away, back into his past.
Dusty winds swept through clay roads.
The villagers stared at him with disgust, whispering behind his back.
His unusual appearance and strange aura made them hate him for no reason.
One day, Rare went to a playground, trying to make friends.
"Hello, everyone!"
But instead of being welcomed, he was chased away and pelted with trash.
"Go away! Freak!" one child shouted, throwing leftover food.
Yet Rare didn't dodge or cry.
His small hands moved swiftly, catching every piece of food before it hit the ground.
"Thank you for the food!" he said cheerfully, eating as he walked away.
The whispers grew louder.
"He's weird."
"Why is he like that?"
"Even his skin looks strange."
Despite the hatred, Rare had one reason to endure.
His mother.
He returned to their fragile hut.
To him, she was everything.
But that day… was different.
She didn't greet him with warmth.
Instead, a masked man stood inside, holding a metal briefcase.
"Son," his mother called, her voice unnaturally soft "Go with that man, okay?"
Rare stopped.
His eyes widened in confusion.
"Why do I have to go?"
She stepped forward, not to hug him, but to take a stack of money from the masked man.
As she counted it, she looked at him… and smiled.
A cruel smile.
"Because you are… special."
The same words she always used whenever he felt broken.
Silence filled the armory.
Scyte lowered his head.
His bangs hid his eyes, but his lips curved into a smile that was anything but kind.
"Ohoho… I see."
Beside him, Tora clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white.
The air grew heavy as killing intent leaked from his body.
"What if we visit your village," Tora said in a low, dangerous tone.
Rare blinked innocently.
"For what?"
Tora lifted his head, a wild aura radiating beneath his blindfold.
"Just a visit."
"Agreed," Scyte added, his voice filled with excitement and irritation.
Without wasting time, Tora led them to the main laboratory.
The automatic doors opened, revealing No Name, still focused on analyzing the glowing red crystal on his desk.
"No Name," Tora called bluntly.
"What is it?" No Name replied without turning.
"We're going somewhere."
No Name stopped typing.
He didn't ask where, why, or who they would face.
He simply raised a hand… and snapped his fingers.
Space itself tore apart.
A dark purple dimensional portal formed instantly, connecting directly to Rare's village.
"Call me if something comes up," No Name said flatly, already returning to his work.
The three boys stepped through.
The portal sealed behind them.
A harsh wind greeted them, carrying the scent of dry earth and old wood.
Before Tora, Scyte, and Rare stood a massive wooden wall, protecting a wide, primitive village.
The same village that had once thrown Rare away like trash.
To ordinary people, the wall looked strong.
But tonight…
What had come to visit was not human.