Ren, Ami, and Sato sat under the dead tree, trying to escape the burning desert sun.
Sato turned to Ren.
"Hey… who is she?"
Ren scratched his head.
"Oh. Right. You missed everything."
He looked at Ami.
"Her name is Ami."
Sato stared at her.
"So I'm stuck in another world… with a girl you barely know?"
Ren nodded. "Yeah."
Sato leaned back with a groan.
"That does not make me feel better."
Ami gave a small, awkward wave.
"…Hi."
Ren stood up and looked at the endless sand.
"We need water."
Sato raised a weak hand. "I support water. Strongly."
Ami nodded. "We should move before it gets dark."
Sato lay down dramatically. "I support staying here and becoming part of the desert."
Ami gently pulled his arm. "Get up."
Sato sighed loudly.
"My life changed so fast… I didn't even get a tutorial."
Ren looked at both of them.
"Let's just go."
Ami stood beside him. "Where?"
Ren pointed at the horizon.
"Anywhere that isn't here."
The three of them started walking across the hot sand.
The sun beat down hard. Sato wiped sweat from his face.
"This place is too hot."
Ren replied, "It is a desert."
Sato groaned. "I hate deserts."
Ami walked quietly beside Ren. After a while, Sato spoke again.
"So… did you answer her?"
Ren blinked. "Answer what?"
Sato smiled. "Her confession."
Ren's face turned bright red.
"This is not the time!"
Ami also looked embarrassed.
Sato laughed. "Hey, we might die here. At least answer first."
Ami quickly said, "Let's find water first."
Ren nodded fast. "Yes. Water first."
Sato sighed. "Fine. Survival first."
Slowly the sun went down. The sky turned orange, then purple, then dark. Night came.
A cool wind blew. The burning heat finally eased.
Ren looked up at the stars.
"…Finally."
Sato sat on the sand. "This feels much better."
Ami sat near the tree. "We should rest tonight."
Ren nodded. "Tomorrow we keep walking."
Sato lay down. "Wake me if food appears."
Ren smiled tiredly. "If food appears, I'll eat it first."
Sato opened one eye. "…Fair."
The desert night was quiet. The three of them tried to sleep under the dead tree.
Suddenly, Ren opened his eyes.
"…I need to go to the toilet," he whispered.
He stood up carefully so he wouldn't wake the others. Sato was snoring loudly about anime Season 2. Ren shook his head and walked a short distance away.
The desert felt scary at night, but the stars gave a little light.
When he finished and turned back, he stopped.
Far away, a small light glowed softly in the darkness.
Ren frowned.
"…What is that? A fire… or a person?"
He stared at it.
"…Should I wake them?"
BOOOOM!
A huge explosion suddenly shook the desert. Sand flew into the air.
Ren jumped back. "WHAT—?!"
Ami and Sato woke up fast.
Ami sat up quickly. "Ren?! What happened?!"
Sato looked around, still half asleep. "Did the desert explode?"
Ren pointed toward the light. "Look over there!"
In the distance, two people were fighting. Bright energy flashed in the dark. Explosions lit up the night.
Sato's eyes widened. "Okay… I'm awake now."
The fighters moved incredibly fast. One swung a glowing red sword. The other used a shining blue spear. Each clash sent powerful shockwaves across the sand.
Ami held her arm in front of her face, scared.
"Their power is huge!"
Ren stared in shock.
"That's not normal fighting."
Sato whispered, "Those two are monsters."
Another massive explosion shook the ground.
Sato added nervously, "We should not be here."
Ren nodded. "Yeah… we definitely should not be here."
But they couldn't look away.
BOOOOM!!
A huge flash lit the desert.
One fighter wore dark armor with a red sword. The other wore a light cloak with a blue spear.
They rushed at each other again. Sword and spear clashed with loud CLANGs. Shockwaves pushed the sand and wind toward Ren, Ami, and Sato.
Sato covered his head. "This is not normal human fighting!!"
The red fighter jumped back and raised his sword. Red energy gathered into a giant beam. The blue fighter pointed the spear, ready to counter.
The air grew heavy.
Ren swallowed hard. "Something big is coming."
Just as they were about to attack—
"Enough."
A strong wind rushed across the sand. A tall man in a long dark coat walked calmly into the battlefield. His presence felt enormous. The air became heavy just because he was there.
Ren felt pressure on his chest. "W-What is that?"
Ami grabbed Ren's arm, voice shaking. "His power…"
Sato whispered, "He feels even stronger than those two."
The two fighters stopped and looked serious.
The man spoke calmly.
"My name is Kael."
He looked at both of them.
"You two are brothers, yet you fight like enemies."
He pointed at them.
"Rex… and Leon."
The red sword fighter was Rex. The blue spear fighter was Leon. They were twin brothers with the same face, but completely different powers.
Rex looked angry. "He betrayed me."
Leon stepped forward. "You lost control!"
Kael's powerful aura spread across the desert.
"Enough."
He stepped forward. A massive aura exploded from his body. Sand flew outward in a circle. The ground cracked under his feet.
Ren could barely breathe. "I can't breathe…"
Ami held Ren tighter, scared. "His power is unbelievable."
Even Sato stepped back. "This guy is not normal."
Rex and Leon looked nervous for the first time. Their energy started to shake.
Kael said in a deep, calm voice,
"Go."
Rex clicked his tongue. "This isn't finished."
Leon lowered his spear. "We will settle this another time."
Both brothers jumped away and disappeared into the dark desert.
The battlefield became quiet again. Kael's huge aura slowly faded.
Under the dead tree, the three friends were still frozen in fear.
Sato whispered, "Did we just watch a boss character?"
Kael turned and started walking straight toward them.
Step… step… step…
Sato whispered, "He's here."
Kael stopped in front of them. His eyes were calm but sharp.
"Who are you three?"
Ren pointed at himself nervously.
"We're just… lost travelers."
Ami nodded quickly. "We don't know how we got here."
Sato added, voice shaking, "And we are very confused."
Kael stared at them for a long moment. The air felt heavy again.
Then he spoke.
"This desert is not a place for weak travelers."
Ren scratched his head. "We didn't choose this place."
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"Then explain how you arrived in the middle of a battlefield between Rex and Leon."
Ren froze.
Ami looked away.
Sato whispered, "We also want that answer."
Kael looked at the three of them carefully.
"…Interesting."