They tore through the ruined streets with the wind at their backs, smoke trailing like a banner behind them.
Behind them, the remaining members of the Super Tag Force surged forward, desperate to cut them off, but a shout rang out from their commander, sharp and full of shame.
"Stand down! There's no need to attack them now."
The squad froze, confusion and anger flickering across faces.
Their leader stepped forward, voice heavy. "I watched the fight. I saw Hyung Hun's tricks. I was careless. I could do nothing."
His eyes landed on Shingo and Fate, raw with regret. "This is how I atone for my sins. I'm sorry... Shingo, Fate....I'm sorry I wasn't there when you needed me most."
They kept running.
At the water's edge a small ship waited, lanterns bobbing in the dusk. Yamato's chest tightened when he saw it, the same craft En Boon Hun and her father had arranged. Relief washed over him like rain.
As they reached the dock, the last of the Super Tag Force closed in, surrounding the ship.
Tension snapped through the air until Pak Joo Hun stepped out from the shadow of the pier.
For a heartbeat everyone simply stared. Then, as if someone had yanked a cord, the chase stopped.
Koruzan soldiers lowered their weapons, faces registering disbelief and outrage in equal measure.
"Why is the Hun family helping them?" someone spat.
Pak Joo Hun planted himself between the soldiers and the fugitives with a quiet authority that froze every further word.
The sight of the family, the most protected and powerful within Koruzan's ranks in North Korea changed the tenor of the moment. No one dared press it.
Yamato climbed the gangplank, breath heaving, and turned to bow low. "Thank you. You saved our butts."
Pak Joo Hun waved the words away with a small smile. "I'm sorry I'm late," he said, voice steady. "My daughter and I must return home now.
The pilot will take you to safety." His face was grave for only an instant, then gentler as he looked at En Boon Hun. The father and daughter stepped back together.
Yamato, Shingo and Fate thanked them again and again, words tumbling out in hurried gratitude.
The pilot cut the ropes and the ship eased away from the quay, slipping through the guarded channel.
From the shoreline Koruzan officers watched in stunned silence as the vessel passed the border and disappeared into the dark horizon.
Faces that had a moment before snarled with hunger now crumpled into impotent frustration.
"We couldn't do a thing," one of the officers muttered, jaw clenched.
"What could we possibly do?" another answered, bitter and low. "The Hun family... Pak Joo Hun, is the highest Koruzan-protected family in North Korea. Go against them and you're dead."
On the deck, Pak Joo Hun and En Boon Hun stood together and waved.
Their silhouettes shrank with the ship until only a dark line marked where they had been.
Behind them, the Koruzan force dispersed into the night, chastened and plotting.
Below the stars, Yamato watched the shoreline retreat and felt something settle inside him a promise, heavy and bright: their path had only just begun.
Inside the ship, the hum of the engine was the only sound breaking the silence of the ocean night.
The pilot, a middle-aged man with a weary look, yawned and rubbed his eyes.
"Alright, boys," he said, guiding them down a narrow corridor, "these are your rooms for the journey. Dinner's already set on the table. After eating, head straight to your bunks. I'm going to take a nap before my eyes close on me."
He chuckled, rubbing at them again.
"Thanks, old man," Yamato said casually.
The pilot gave a sleepy wave and disappeared down the hall.
Yamato didn't wait a second. The moment the pilot was gone, he grabbed his plate and started digging in. "Man, this smells too good," he said, mouth full.
Fate frowned, folding his arms. "You're not even saying a prayer first?"
Yamato blinked mid-bite, then shrugged.
"Huh? Oh, right." He paused, pretending to think for a second, then muttered, "Thank you, food," and kept eating.
Shingo sighed, hiding a small grin.
After a while, Yamato looked up, chewing lazily. "By the way," he said, pointing his spoon at them, "what's with the Japanese names anyway? You guys are from North Korea, right?"
Shingo leaned back, staring at the ceiling for a moment before answering.
"My mom's Korean," he said quietly, "and my dad's Japanese.
He came to marry her just before the borders were locked. He couldn't go back after that."
Fate added, "My parents came to North Korea on vacation before the lockdown. I ended up being born here.. fully Japanese, just… trapped."
Yamato smiled awkwardly, scratching his head. "Ah… I see. That's, uh… awkward."
Fate's eye twitched. "Who are you calling awkward, you dimwit!?" He stood up so fast his chair scraped the floor. "I'll smash you to pieces!"
"Stop it!" Shingo grabbed him from behind, holding him back. "He's just messing with you!"
Yamato laughed, finishing his food. "You guys are fun. Anyway…"
He turned to Fate with a smirk. "Your power was epic, bro. What skill was that? And you too, Shingo.... that demon beam thing was wild."
Fate sat down again, crossing his arms with a shy huff. "It's not that cool. Wait… Are you trying to read my mind again?!"
"Me? Nah... "
"LIAR!" Fate jumped again, but Shingo had to hold him back once more, struggling to keep a straight face.
Yamato looked at Shingo next. "That demon power of yours, first time I've seen something like that."
Shingo blinked. "Wait, don't tell me you don't know about the different forms of power?"
Yamato sipped from his cup of water loudly, giving no answer.
Shingo twitched. "Could you not drink like that?"
Yamato set the cup down with a grin.
Shingo sighed and continued, "Anyway… there are five major forms of power.
First, the God Type - yours. Divine abilities that can manipulate laws, space, or reality itself."
"God type, huh?" Yamato muttered, impressed.
"Then there's the Demon Type- mine. It's destructive and chaotic, powered by emotion or inner darkness.
Next, Mystical Type- that's Fate's category. They use abilities close to magic, light, illusions, spiritual energy, stuff like that."
Fate smirked proudly. "Finally, something you said that sounds right."
"Don't interrupt," Shingo said, rolling his eyes.
"The fourth type is Beast Type - transformations into animal-like forms or the ability to summon them.
And lastly- Natural Type. It covers raw strength, techniques, martial arts, and control over elements like fire, water, wind, lightning, ice, you name it."
Yamato nodded slowly. "Interesting. So which one's the strongest?"
Shingo's voice dropped low, his face darkening. "The worst… is the Complete Demon Type."
Fate's expression tensed. "You mean… the Devil Type?"
"Yeah." Shingo looked down at his hands. "When someone uses their power, they're called a Jinju... a human with special abilities. But when that power consumes them, when they lose themselves to it..... they stop being human. They become… a devil."
The ship creaked quietly as silence filled the room. Yamato looked at them both, eyes wide, the words sinking deep into his chest. He didn't even know where to start.
"Devils, huh…" he murmured, staring at his hands. "Guess I've got a lot more to learn."
The room swayed gently with the rhythm of the sea. The three boys sat around the table, dim light from the ceiling flickering over their faces.
Yamato leaned back, eyes thoughtful.
"...How can someone be consumed by his power?" he asked quietly.
Fate's expression darkened. "Desire," he answered. "When someone wants something so badly that he becomes obsessed, his heart twists. And once he can't get it, he feels betrayed by his own power. That's what happened to Hyung Hun. He was slowly turning into a devil. Thank God he was stopped before it was too late."
Yamato went silent, bowing his head as if the thought scared him. Then, without warning, he picked up his cup and took a long, loud sip..... sluuurp.
"Pfft....!" Fate slammed his hands on the table. "You're doing that on purpose!"
Yamato grinned, still sipping.
Fate chased him around the table while Shingo sighed, rubbing his temples. "These two…"
After a moment, Shingo looked up, his eyes serious. "So, Yamato," he said, watching him pinned to the floor by Fate.
"What's your plan in all this?"
Yamato stopped struggling, his face turning calm. "I want to bring out the truth to the world… about the real enemy."
Fate froze in surprise. "What do you mean?"
But Shingo didn't look shocked, he looked like someone who already knew.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "My mom told me about it once… that Sakamoto, the man everyone praises today, is the real enemy. I think that's why she was killed on the battlefield seventeen years ago."
Fate's eyes widened. "Wait..... you're saying the Six Eyes is the real deal… but Sakamoto is the enemy?"
Shingo nodded firmly. "Damn right. But he's probably dead by now, I guess."
Yamato shook his head slowly. "No… he's alive. Still breathing. Hiding in the shadows, controlling the Koruzan from behind the scenes. If he ever finds out about me, he'll do everything to erase me. But no matter what, I'll fulfill my mission, and free this world."
Shingo's expression hardened, then broke into a smile. "Then count me in. I'll support you… and I'll become a bounty hunter."
Fate smirked, folding his arms. "Yeah. You're not leaving me behind either."
Yamato bowed his head slightly, a grin stretching across his face.
"Then…" he said, standing with his back to them, the moonlight cutting across his figure...
"Let the journey begin."