The golden rays of the morning sun touched the tops of the trees as a gentle breeze brushed through the leaves and branches. The forest was peaceful, alive with the songs of birds and the soft rustling of foliage.
Beneath the thick canopy, the three travelers had camped for the night. The first ray of sunlight slipped through the leaves and landed on Yamato's face. His eyes twitched. Slowly, he blinked them open, momentarily confused as he adjusted to the light.
"AAAAWW..."
A quiet yawn escaped him. He rubbed his face before scratching his messy hair, pulling out a few leaves that had become tangled in it during the night. To his left, Lumei was still lying on his side, snoring softly. Yamato leaned over and gently tapped his cheek.
"Wake up."
Lumei groaned and rolled onto his back.
"Give me a little more time..." he mumbled sleepily.
Yamato frowned.
"Then I'll leave you. You know me."
He turned to his right. Sora was curled up on a bed of dried leaves. She wore light clothing to stay comfortable through the night, and her long hair had come loose, with several strands resting gently across her face. Yamato leaned forward and lightly tapped her waist.
"Time to move."
Sora stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She sat up, rubbing them as the golden sunlight reached her face, making her look even more radiant. Lumei stared for a moment.
"Wow..."
Without even turning around, Yamato reached back and smacked the back of Lumei's head.
"You've seen more than this before. Stop it."
The three stood up, brushing grass, dirt, and twigs from their clothes. A nearby river flowed quietly through the forest. Yamato splashed cold water onto his face. Sora washed her hands and feet before stretching.
Lumei soaked his feet while rubbing the back of his neck, letting out another loud yawn. Their breakfast was simple. A few pieces of dried bread and several berries Yamato had gathered the previous evening. It wasn't much, but it was enough.
After packing their belongings, they resumed their journey toward the northern edge of the continent. The forest remained calm. Sunlight filtered through the trees while birds chirped overhead.
Branches snapped softly beneath their boots. Sora walked ahead with quiet focus. Lumei lazily followed behind her. Yamato walked at the rear, his thoughts drifting elsewhere. Something felt... Wrong.
A new energy had entered his senses. He didn't know it yet, but the path they were following was leading them dangerously close to the sea. And something beneath those waters... ...had begun to awaken.
---
LOUNGE Continent
Dark clouds covered the sky, blocking the morning sunlight. To everyone else, it looked like an ordinary storm. But it wasn't. It was Madara. Inside the abandoned castle, silence filled the underground chamber.
Madara remained seated upon the throne. His long black hair shimmered faintly despite the darkness surrounding him. Broken bodies lay scattered across the floor, silent reminders of the massacre that had taken place only moments ago. He rested his cheek against one hand, looking almost bored.
His half-open eyes watched the four survivors. The pressure surrounding him was enough to crush an ordinary person. Slowly, the four raised their heads. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably. Dren was the first to speak.
"Please... I beg you. We'll do anything. We don't want to die."
Madara looked at them. There was no pity in his eyes. Only curiosity.
"Tell me. Why were you hiding here?"
None of them answered. Fear tightened around their throats. One wrong word... ...and they believed they would die. Finally, Nareen clenched his fists and forced himself to speak.
"We're villainous heroes."
Madara straightened in his chair. His interest was immediately captured.
"Villainous heroes? Explain."
Nareen took a deep breath.
"This continent has a system called the Wealth Bargain. It is..."
Madara interrupted him.
"What continent is this?"
"LOUNGE, sir."
The four answered together. Madara nodded.
"Continue."
Nareen swallowed.
"The Wealth Bargain is a system where the rich exchange anything... for anything... through a game. It is mandatory for every wealthy person to join the society, though participating in the game itself is technically their choice. They make the early games easy so newcomers keep playing after winning."
He paused for a breath.
"But after the first game... you can never stop. You continue until you either go bankrupt... or die."
Madara listened silently.
"I don't know who created the system," Nareen continued. "But I know the wealthy eventually begin buying poor people... using them as bargaining pieces instead of ordinary currency."
A smile slowly spread across Madara's face. The four survivors stiffened. None of them could tell whether that smile came from amusement... ...or from remembering something long forgotten. Madara leaned back against the throne.
"As I said earlier... I'm making the four of you my Divine Kings. But... There is one problem."
The word alone made all four tense.
"I can't share my abilities. I can only share Divine Energy. So... I'll have to use... Gold Eye."
The atmosphere instantly changed. The air itself became cold. Madara slowly opened his eyes. Golden light erupted from them.
"GOLD EYE."
The four collapsed onto their knees. Their breathing became ragged. Sweat poured down their faces. The pressure wasn't fear anymore. It was overwhelming authority. Syra slammed both hands against the floor.
"Please! We'll do anything! Just don't kill us!"
Madara tilted his head. A small laugh escaped him.
"Gold Eye doesn't kill. It doesn't even damage the body. It simply allows me to do something... unique."
The four exchanged uncertain glances. Their fear eased slightly.
"It allows me to see how strong someone can become after three years of growth... and bring that strength into the present."
He slowly descended from the throne. Each footstep echoed across the chamber.
"And... for my own amusement... I can also see how weak a person is. No matter how deeply it's hidden."
The four stared at him in disbelief. Kaien swallowed hard.
"You mean... you can make us as strong as our future selves?"
"Exactly."
Madara continued walking.
"I promised you power. All I require... is your complete acceptance."
"We accept!"
All four answered without hesitation. Madara nodded. He returned to the throne. The golden glow within his eyes intensified. Then— A violent wave of Divine Energy burst from his body.
BOOM!
The entire castle shook. Windows shattered. Walls trembled. The stone floor cracked beneath the pressure. Outside... Animals fled in terror. Trees bent violently. Storm clouds twisted overhead.
Inside the basement... Four spirals of energy formed in the air.
A crimson sphere of fire.
A deep blue sphere of water.
A brown sphere of earth.
A crystal-blue sphere of ice.
Each orb slowly descended toward one of the survivors. They warped the surrounding air as they entered their bodies.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!"
The four screamed. Their muscles expanded. Bones cracked and reformed. Veins bulged beneath glowing skin. Power flooded every part of their bodies. Only a few minutes passed.
Yet to them... It felt like hours. When the transformation ended, they slowly stood. Their breathing was heavy. Their eyes were filled with disbelief. Every one of them had become dramatically stronger. Each now possessed power comparable to Regns's Level.
Madara frowned. His Golden Eye still glowed. He had seen something.
"...Still not enough."
The four looked at one another. They could feel the overwhelming power flowing through their bodies. Yet Madara remained dissatisfied.
"You may be powerful... but not powerful enough to face him."
He sat back upon the throne.
"If he truly is like me... then do everything. Anything. Bring him to me."
Suddenly— Madara's bloodlust erupted. Not his Divine Energy. His bloodlust alone. The sky above the entire continent darkened. Every living creature felt it.
"Yamato."
Madara slowly looked toward the ceiling.
"Nareen... You are Zero. Kaien... You are One. Syra... You are Two. Dren... You are Three."
Thunder exploded across the heavens. The wind screamed. Deep beneath the continent... The earth itself began to sink. The surrounding ocean erupted into violent waves. Something sleeping in the darkness below... was disturbed.
Water surged. Hills cracked apart. Entire villages trembled. Even the four newly made Divine Kings stared in horror. Then... Madara's power finally erupted from the center of the room. His voice echoed across the continent.
"NEUROCRUSH."