The terrorist leader hesitated, staring at Isamu.
This man already knew Tony Stark was tied up here. If he let Isamu go, the base would likely be exposed.
But if he did not let him go...
He remembered the terrible legend, one confirmed by many.
The true master of this desert was never the humans struggling in war. It was the great Desert Emperor. Anyone who dared harm a citizen of Shurima would be punished by the sands. No matter how far they ran, they could not escape the Empire's sanction.
"Release him," the leader ordered the men pinning Isamu down.
Watching Isamu rise and square his shoulders, the leader wavered. "I can let you leave, but you must promise not to speak of anything that happened here."
"I..."
Isamu glanced at Tony Stark, torn. A softhearted man, he clearly did not want to flee alone.
"Can I take him with me?" Isamu pressed his luck.
The terrorist who had held him down bristled. If Tony Stark left, they were dead men.
"Who do you think you are? You are only a doctor. If the boss did not value you, I would shoot you right now," the man snapped.
He shot his boss a look. "Boss, you should not be this soft. Old men like him should be put down."
The leader recoiled in fright. "No. We cannot kill him, or our entire organization will die."
A man with some pull in this desert, he had lived and struggled here long enough to know many secrets.
Such as the mysterious Shuriman Empire, and those terrifying undying sand soldiers.
Seeing that Isamu clearly would not cooperate, the leader made a tangled decision. "We are leaving."
He did not return to his quarters. Instead he reached out in secret to his backer, the true master of the Ten Rings, the Mandarin.
Some freedom fighters might not know Shurima, or even doubt it existed, but he was different.
He had truly seen the undying sand soldiers and knew the horror of Shurima.
Even the Mandarin, who stood like a god in his mind, had once lost to the Desert Emperor.
He would never forget that day. The sky filled with yellow sand, killing intent pouring like a storm. The Mandarin, whom he worshiped as divine, was beaten helpless. If he had not yielded, the Ten Rings would have ended then and there.
The reason for the Emperor's strike was simple. One Ten Rings leader had killed a citizen of Shurima.
The result: that leader's entire line died to accompany the so-called Shuriman citizen.
He would not repeat that mistake.
While he hid in a dim basement to report, five uninvited guests arrived at their base.
Isamu and Tony Stark, who had just escaped disaster, were still shaken.
Tony could not understand why the brutal terrorists had let Isamu go.
Isamu marveled at Shurima's influence in this desert.
He had not expected such inhuman brutes to fear a single Shuriman mark.
"Isamu, how did you get that mark? When you have time, get me one too. It works better than the Christian cross," Tony joked, a little envious.
Isamu gave a wry smile. "You are not loyal enough. Shurima accepts only those whose body and heart are willing to join. This mark is essentially an identity card."
As they spoke, the sealed door suddenly blew open.
The sight was uncanny.
In theory, there should have been no wind here.
"Damn it. Do we have rats again?" Tony stood up, grumbling.
He stepped toward the door to shut it, when a sudden drift of sand began to whirl and slowly formed five soldiers.
Seeing this eerie scene, Isamu was ecstatic, like a fervent believer beholding the true God.
Tony was the opposite.
His face went sheet white, fear twisting into disbelief.
For a staunch materialist, what was the cruelest thing in the world?
Proof that the world was not only unscientific but deeply arcane.
Undying sand soldiers were spirits anchored to sand. They had no organs to speak, so they could not use voices.
But they had a more efficient way to communicate. They spoke soul to soul.
"Welcome to the Shuriman Empire. We are your guides. Under our escort, you will enter the Empire," the soldiers said.
Isamu understood and grabbed Tony, elated. "Come on, we are leaving. We are saved."
"Are you sure? These five unknown creatures... well, let us call them creatures for now. Are you sure they are reliable? We will not be shot to pieces once we step outside?"
Tony eyed Isamu's excitement with skepticism.
Isamu hurried to explain. "These five great warriors of the Empire will guarantee our safety. Please trust me."
Seeing he was not joking, Tony held Isamu's gaze for a moment, then nodded.
He chose to trust the friend who had suffered alongside him.
Mostly, he had no choice.