SHOKAI

"Find the princess and bring me the head of Tai lung!" the king of Christonia yelled from his chambers. As soon as the order was given, every guard in the castle was deployed at once, initiating a full-scale search. Yet, the effort yielded no results.

Tai lung was a renowned bandit across the Four Main kingdoms, publicly known as the 'Lord of the Bandits.' He possessed the power to rival even the most secure kingdoms. This power, which he obtained from the Dark Guild, came from magical items of the seventh grade, which he always kept hidden.

Tai lung managed to elude the guards, escaping with the princess to meet his horde of bandits at a hill just beyond the city walls. He had no fewer than 200 men waiting for him in the woods near the hill, and together they fled back to the Netherland, a wasteland far east of Christonia.

Their hideout, a cave they had been using since they formed six years ago, was filled with magical items, ordinary weapons, and vast amounts of treasure.

“She doesn’t look scared,” a thief muttered. “Why doesn’t she cry? Isn’t she scared?” another one asked. “Leave her be; she’s probably just confused. She’s only five,” Tai Lung said, pulling up a bench for her to sit on. “Do you know how much the Dark Guild is willing to offer for you, little one?” Tai Lung continued. “Of course, you don’t,” he added, finishing his question.

Tai Lung knew that for the Dark Guild to offer 500,000 crystals, there had to be something exceptional about Mei Sato. Despite her young age, she had not uttered a word during her abduction and showed no signs of fear. This observation unsettled Tai Lung, but something about Mei stirred long-buried memories from his days as a guard in Terroin. Tai Lung had not always been a bandit; he once had a family. His wife and daughter had been killed by a powerful noble to silence him and cover up his tracks. In his quest for revenge, Tai Lung had slain the noble and his family members with the aid of the Dark Guild. In his despair, he vowed never to serve any form of royalty again but instead to inflict pain and discomfort upon them.

Mei finally spoke up. “I can’t believe there are so many weapons here. Can I play with them? Please, please, please!” Her request piqued Tai Lung’s curiosity, and he couldn’t help but laugh. “She has some gall,” he remarked. At that moment, he decided to hide from both the Dark Guild and Christonia and take Mei under his wing, as she reminded him so much of his long-deceased daughter. He ordered that Mei be called Kaida from then on.

*In a different world*

“Zakku, please come down and greet our guest,” Yuki Yamashiro called out, her voice revealing her nervousness. Yuki is the mother of Zakku Yamashiro and Miyumi Yamashiro, and the wife of Hiroshi Yamashiro, a man whose wealth and pride are solely tied to his children.

Miyumi climbed the stairs and made her way to Zakku’s room. “Zakku—Oniichan, Mother is calling for you,” she said with a weary expression, knowing that Zakku detests everyone in the family except her. She was uncertain whether Zakku would respond to the invitation, especially since he was engrossed in his games.

Zakku was the brightest prodigy of the Yamashiro family, a truly accomplished individual. At the age of 12, he had already earned the title of Child Genius five times in a row before being banned from further participation. He had also formulated several cures for some of the world’s most significant illnesses. But Zakku was not only an academic genius; by the age of 16, he could best some of the world’s top martial artists. Now 18, he had chosen a life of anonymity despite his prominence in the real world, resenting the attention it brought him. His true passions were video games and manga. Although he was an accomplished young man, his inner child’s desires were so strong and insatiable that he spent all day playing video games and avoiding contact with others, especially his parents. Miyumi was the only exception to this aversion. He cherished her above everything else and respected her despite her being his junior.

“Tell them I’ll be down in five,” Zakku replied, setting his headset down. His pitch-black hair shimmered under the dim moonlight that streamed through the glass windows. The moonlight seemed to make his hair glow since all the lights in his room were off. He then stood up, stretched a bit, and headed downstairs.

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