Laybirth Kingdom
"Well… bye," Jinko said, his voice low and taunting.
He turned around, blood still smeared across his face like war paint, smiling like a man who had already won everything.
"Welcome to the new Laybirth Kingdom. You're dismissed," he added with a chilling grin.
And then—his body dissolved into countless light particles, vanishing into the air. In that instant, the generals behind him faded without a trace. The golden-armored army began their steady march toward the golden palace, their boots echoing like drums of finality.
The citizens stared.
Some wept.
Some dropped to their knees in prayer.
Some smiled in disbelief—finally free.
Kaji slowly stood up, his clothes still clean, his body untouched—but the weight in his eyes said otherwise.
"It's finally over now, huh?" he said, a heavy sigh escaping his lips.
"So… what now?" Kenshiro asked, curiosity and uncertainty in his tone.
"This mission's far from over," Goro muttered, frustration clouding his face.
"Tell me about it," Kenshiro replied, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Let's find somewhere to stay for now," Kaji suggested, glancing at the sky.
After Jinko's dramatic exit, the entire left side of the Laybirth Kingdom lay in ruins. Over two thousand lives were lost in just one day. Homes were nothing but ash and rubble. Those who once lived there were forced to move to the right side of the kingdom, clinging to the few pieces of normalcy they had left.
The people walked quietly, carrying what they could, heading to the remaining side of the kingdom where roofs still stood.
"Let's take a look at the left side," Kaji said firmly.
"But it's completely destroyed," Rei said, confused.
"I know," Kaji replied, his tone serious. "I just want to see it with my own eyes."
Suddenly, the golden-armored army approached again—silent and uniform in motion.
Why are they here again? Goro thought, stepping in front of the others.
"Get ready," Kaji said, clenching his fists. Crimson fire sparked around them. "I don't think we can avoid this."
But the soldiers didn't attack.
"They're… picking up the bodies," Goro realized, relieved.
"They're here to clean up Jinko's mess," Kaji said, lowering his aura.
Without saying a word, the golden guards continued lifting the fallen with solemn respect, marching back toward the palace.
Team One quietly stepped past them and entered the broken half of the kingdom. Blood stained the streets. Houses were collapsed in on themselves. The ground was cracked, burned, and barely recognizable.
"This is just… horrible," Rei whispered.
They did all this… for control? Ryju thought bitterly. This is ridiculous.
"This is nothing compared to the things I've seen in my lifetime," Kaji said quietly, eyes scanning the ruins.
Then, they heard it.
Crying.
Kaji's senses sharpened. Someone's here…
"You heard that?" Rei asked, tense.
Ryju moved toward the sound without hesitation.
"Where are you going, Ryju?!" Rei called out.
But Ryju didn't stop. He approached a house barely standing—its roof caved in, walls cracked—and stepped cautiously inside.
There, in the corner, a middle-aged woman stood trembling, clutching a knife in both hands.
"Please! Don't come any closer! I already lost everything—I won't go down without a fight!" she yelled, her hands shaking.
Ryju slowly dropped to his knees, showing his empty hands.
"We're not here to hurt you," he said softly. "We're here to help. To save you."
The woman's eyes darted around the room, fear and grief tangled in her gaze.
"Who's 'we'? You're the only one here," she said, her voice fragile.
Then, the rest of Team One stepped in behind him, calmly and without threat.
"Oh! I'm Kaji, and we're from the Great Village," he said with a gentle smile. "We came to defeat Jinko."
"You… you all came to save us?" the woman asked, her voice cracking as tears welled in her eyes.
"Yes," Ryju said with a reassuring smile.
The woman dropped the knife and stepped forward, taking Ryju's hand as she cried into his arm.
Thank the heavens, she thought. Someone finally came.
"What are you still doing here?" Rei asked gently.
"Yeah, aren't you supposed to be on the right side with the others?" Kenshiro added.
"This is my home," the woman replied quietly. "I didn't want to leave it… not yet."
"Well, then let's sit for a bit," Kaji said, exhausted.
Team One all sat down on the fractured floor of what was once her living room.
"Can I… ask a question?" the woman asked, looking around.
"Go ahead," Kaji replied.
"Why did you let our people die?" she said bluntly, her pain raw.
The group fell into silence.
Then Kaji finally spoke.
"We didn't make it in time," he said with regret in his eyes. "We got here as fast as we could… but we were late. And I hate that."
"I just wish you came earlier. Maybe… maybe none of this would've happened," she said, wiping her eyes.
Kaji nodded.
"But… you can still help us," he said.
"What can I do?" she asked, surprised.
"Do you know how the Laybirth Kingdom was originally founded?" Kaji asked.
"Yes… of course," she replied slowly.
"Well then," Kaji said, leaning back with a grin, "get comfortable. It's time for a story."
To be continued…