The road stretched through open fields as the Blue Scarf crew continued toward Moa Village.
Alya glanced down at the device in her hand.
"It's about two kilometers away."
Saito nodded.
"Not too far."
Rin stretched his arms with a groan.
"This is going to be a long walk."
Bomb laughed.
"You've only been walking for a little while."
Rin shrugged.
"I still prefer sleeping."
Saito chuckled.
"Too bad."
Beside them, Kaito remained unusually quiet.
His eyes stayed fixed on the road ahead.
"..."
His thoughts drifted away from the present.
Flashback
Three years earlier...
A fifteen-year-old Kaito stood alone in a training yard.
Wooden puppets were lined up in front of him.
He pulled another throwing knife from his belt.
Thwip!
The blade buried itself in the center of a puppet's forehead.
Another knife followed.
Thud.
Then another.
Thud.
Kaito wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
Footsteps echoed behind him.
He didn't bother turning around.
"What do you want, Void?"
Void walked into the training yard, his expression hidden behind his emotionless mask.
"I came..."
"...to supervise our newest Noctarion."
Kaito clicked his tongue.
"I never wanted that title."
"You people were the ones who gave it to me."
Void stopped a few steps away.
"Your trainer recognized your potential."
"I believe..."
"...he made the right decision."
"Making you the Eighth Noctarion."
Kaito ignored him.
He drew another knife.
Thwip!
The blade struck the puppet squarely in the chest.
Void watched quietly before speaking again.
"May I ask you something..."
"...young man?"
Kaito didn't turn around.
"What is it?"
Void's voice remained calm.
"How did you end up here?"
Kaito threw one last knife.
It struck the puppet between the eyes.
He lowered his arm.
"I followed my father's path..."
A brief silence hung over the training yard.
"...Even though..."
"...I never wanted to."
The training yard fell quiet.
A light breeze carried dust across the ground.
Void remained standing behind Kaito.
"I see."
"So..."
"You were forced into this life."
Kaito reached for another knife.
His voice was flat.
"I don't care about that anymore."
Void gave a small nod.
"Good."
"Because the Leader has another mission for you."
Kaito frowned slightly.
"...Another mission?"
He finally turned to face Void.
"But..."
"I thought I failed."
"When you sent me to kill that child."
Void answered without hesitation.
"No."
"That was a test."
Kaito narrowed his eyes.
"A test?"
Void folded his hands behind his back.
"To see..."
"...whether you still possessed a soul."
Kaito stayed silent.
Void continued.
"And..."
"You killed the assassin who accompanied you."
Kaito's expression hardened.
"I had to."
"He was going to kill that child."
Void nodded once.
"Yes."
"He..."
"...was the true target."
Kaito blinked.
"...What?"
"So..."
"The little girl was only there..."
"...to distract me?"
Void's emotionless voice never changed.
"As I said..."
"It was a test."
The words lingered in the air.
For the first time in the conversation, Kaito looked genuinely unsettled, realizing the mission had never been about the child—it had been about judging him.
Void looked at Kaito for a long moment.
"You deserve to be a Noctarion."
"No one your age..."
"...has become such a powerful assassin."
Kaito gave a dry laugh.
"...Thanks for the compliment."
"I guess."
Void turned toward the exit.
"Continue your training."
"You'll need it."
Without another word, he walked away.
Kaito watched him leave.
Then he let out a quiet sigh.
"...Back to work."
He drew another knife.
Thwip.
The blade struck the center of the target.
Another followed.
Then another.
The training continued until the sun began to set.
Two years later...
Kaito – Age 17
Kaito stood behind a stone wall, peeking around the corner.
He stayed completely still.
"..."
A calm voice suddenly came from behind him.
"...Hiding?"
Kaito didn't even flinch.
"Of course."
He glanced at Void.
"The Ninth Noctarion wants to invite me to another tea party."
Void stood beside him.
"Everyone is there..."
"...except you."
Kaito smirked faintly.
"You're not there either."
Void nodded.
"I prefer drinking alone."
He paused.
"Though..."
"I was almost dragged into it."
Kaito chuckled.
"Then..."
"I guess we're the same."
For a brief moment, the two stood in silence behind the wall, united by the simple fact that neither of them had any interest in attending the gathering waiting just around the corner.
Two weeks later...
A narrow alley echoed with the sounds of a brief fight.
One gangster rushed toward Void.
Void stepped forward.
With a single motion—
Thud!
He tackled the man to the ground.
At the same time—
Kaito flashed past another gangster.
Slash.
The blade cut across the man's throat.
He collapsed without another sound.
Silence returned.
Void looked at Kaito.
"Good work."
Kaito wiped the blood from his knife.
"Yeah..."
"Yeah."
He glanced at the two fallen gangsters.
"So..."
"Why did we kill them?"
Void answered calmly.
"They threatened our organization."
"So..."
"They had to be eliminated."
Kaito shrugged.
"Well..."
"They were pretty easy."
Void looked down the empty alley.
"One day..."
"You'll meet stronger opponents."
Kaito gave a tired smile.
"I can't even defeat you..."
"...or my trainer."
Void nodded.
"You can't."
"But..."
"Experience can."
He turned and began walking away.
Kaito blinked.
"...Wait."
"You're leaving?"
Void didn't stop.
"You know what to do."
He disappeared around the corner.
Kaito looked at the two bodies.
Then at the empty alley.
He let out a long sigh.
"...So he left me to clean this up."
"...Great."
The memory slowly faded.
Kaito's eyes returned to the road ahead.
He let out a quiet sigh.
Saito noticed.
"Everything okay?"
Kaito nodded.
"...Yeah."
Saito smiled.
"Alright."
"If you say so."
Kaito looked away toward the distant hills.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"You know..."
"We're about to fight opponents..."
"...stronger than anyone we've faced before."
Saito didn't hesitate.
"Don't worry about that."
"We'll win."
Kaito looked at him.
"...How can you be so sure?"
Saito smiled.
He stepped closer and placed one hand on Kaito's shoulder.
With his other hand, he rested it on Rin's shoulder.
"Because..."
"I've got you guys."
His eyes moved across the group.
"Kaito."
The former Noctarion looked back at him.
"Bomb."
Bomb grinned.
"Always here, Captain."
"Rin."
Rin smirked.
"You'd have a hard time getting rid of me."
"Alya."
Alya smiled and lifted the device in her hand.
"I'll make sure we don't get lost."
"And Fanny."
Fanny blinked before smiling.
"I know I just joined..."
"But I'll do my best."
Saito nodded.
"We've been together long enough..."
He chuckled.
"Well..."
"Except for Fanny."
"She just joined us."
The group laughed.
Even Kaito let out a small smile.
The weight of the memories he'd been carrying didn't disappear completely—
but for the moment, walking beside his new companions made them feel just a little lighter.
Kaito looked at Saito for a long moment.
Then a faint smile appeared on his face.
"...Then."
"We'll follow you, Captain."
Bomb nodded firmly.
"I'm in."
Rin rested his scythe on his shoulder.
"Lead the way."
Alya smiled.
"We're with you."
Fanny nodded enthusiastically.
"Always."
Saito looked at each of them.
A confident grin spread across his face.
"Then..."
"Off we go, gang."
The Blue Scarf crew continued down the road together, their footsteps echoing in unison as they pressed onward toward Moa Village, unaware that new enemies were already preparing to meet them.