The forest was still.
Torres and Bonny stood over the unconscious Judge Officer, the tension finally beginning to fade. The adrenaline in Torres's body hadn't quite worn off yet, and he stretched his arms casually, letting out a satisfied sigh. His body ached from the bruises and cuts, but his face wore the same light-hearted grin he always had.
Bonny, on the other hand, was frozen.
"Just… how strong are you?!" she finally asked, her voice filled with disbelief.
Torres looked at her with a calm, almost amused expression. "I don't know. That was my first real fight," he said.
Her eyes widened, and her heart skipped a beat. What? His first life-and-death fight… and it was against a Judge Officer?! she thought, her gaze snapping down to the still body of the officer.
She had spent her life avoiding men like that—strong, trained, merciless soldiers of the Royal Empire. And here was a teenager who not only challenged one but stood victorious over him. Her mouth parted, but no words came out. She was too stunned to speak.
"This guy wasn't that bad," Torres added, rubbing his shoulder.
Not that bad?! she thought, her mind spinning. Hundreds of soldiers can't beat that man!
"Y-Yay…?" she muttered, unsure how to respond.
Torres squinted at her. "Huh? What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing! I'm just… just in shock that you could best someone like that," she said, trying to mask the fear slowly crawling into her voice.
"Yeah, maybe I can beat a general," he said with a cheeky grin.
"What?! That's such a big jump! I doubt you can even beat a vice general," she argued, snapping out of her daze.
"You don't know what my true powers are!" Torres retorted.
Before Bonny could argue more, the fallen Judge Officer's chest began to flicker with a glowing red light. The insignia embedded in his uniform pulsed rhythmically.
"What's happening to his chest?" Torres asked, stepping closer.
Bonny's eyes widened in alarm. "It's calling for backup!" she shouted.
The Judge Officer, barely conscious, turned his head slowly toward them. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes burned with purpose.
"You know what happens when a Judge Officer is defeated, don't you?" he croaked.
"No?" Torres replied, tilting his head.
"They send an army," the officer muttered. "Maybe even… a Vice General."
---
Far from the forest, in the upper headquarters of Vantumato, a man stretched calmly on a bamboo mat, his limbs forming an intricate yoga pose.
Even with his massive, muscle-bound frame, his body moved with grace and flexibility. This was Vice General Hailand, a man known for his brute strength and unorthodox relaxation methods.
Suddenly, the door burst open.
"Sir! Sir!" a lower-ranked officer cried, panting.
Hailand, upside-down in a handstand, turned his head slightly. "Hm?"
"We've tracked Bonny and the self-proclaimed traitor, Torres Plosia!" the soldier declared.
Hailand grinned. "Ha! Finally."
"The Light Insignia of a Judge Officer has activated. An army is already en route to the location. A Judge Officer was beaten."
That made Hailand drop back to his feet.
"A Judge Officer was defeated?" he asked, voice suddenly serious.
"Yes. Confirmed."
Hailand's expression grew intrigued. "Obviously, Bonny couldn't do that alone… so maybe this Plosia kid is the real deal." He chuckled. "I'll go myself."
"Understood, sir!"
---
"Why are there so many?!" Torres shouted as the forest floor trembled beneath their feet. The thunder of boots echoed between the trees.
Bonny sprinted beside him, her breath ragged. "Of course there would be! He was a Judge Officer!"
"There's like 500 soldiers on our tail!"
"To be precise," Bonny said between gasps, "only 100 to 200 are usually dispatched… but this seems excessive!"
Four hours had passed since the fight. Dawn had arrived in Vantumato. But Vantumato's strange cycle of day and night was shorter than the outside world—four hours of daylight followed by four hours of night. With the sun out, hiding became harder.
"We can't outrun them in the daylight," Bonny panted. "We have to hide until it's dark again."
Torres gritted his teeth. "Four hours to hide. Got it. So what's this buyer of yours selling that's so important anyway?"
"Soulbound Rune," she replied.
Torres almost tripped. "Soulbound Rune?!"
That name alone pulled him back to why he even left his hometown three months ago. He had searched tirelessly for a way to gain power—to control a SoulBound ability. And now, the very girl he'd rescued was in possession of the one thing he desperately sought.
"I—I can't run anymore," Bonny gasped.
Without hesitation, Torres swept her up into a princess carry. "Then I'll run for both of us."
He glanced around as soldiers began combing the nearby trees. Then he whispered under his breath, "Boiling Arts: Substitution Technique."
In that moment, the air shimmered.
A single leaf vanished from a branch twenty feet above, and Torres and Bonny disappeared from the ground—reappearing up on that branch, cloaked in the concealment of leaves.
"W-Woah!" Bonny gasped, holding onto his shoulders. "You know the Boiling Technique?!"
"Yeah," he said proudly. "I read about it in a book in my village. I mastered the Substitution Technique so I could win at hide and seek!"
"You… used one of the most difficult techniques in the world for hide and seek?!"
"Yup."
Torres gently placed Bonny down, but her legs wobbled and she almost slipped from the branch. He caught her by the wrist just in time, steadying her.
They crouched together, watching the swarm of soldiers pass beneath them. The bulk of the army seemed to be sweeping the lower grounds, but one soldier—different from the rest—stood still.
He wore a sleek black uniform with red plating, signifying a Platoon Captain. Unlike the others who moved frantically, this one closed his eyes and remained motionless for exactly 23 seconds.
Bonny frowned. "What is he doing?"
The soldier suddenly opened his eyes.
They gleamed unnaturally. Like a hawk finding its prey.
He turned his head slightly. His eyes locked on the branch.
Directly at them.
Bonny's breath caught in her throat, Torres didn't move.
For a moment, the soldier didn't signal, didn't shout, didn't act. He just stared.
Then, he reached for the handle of his blade.
"…He sees us," Torres muttered.