Erin and I were confused at first. We didn’t know what to say.

  Then I asked, “What do you mean by ‘who are you’?”

  The Master of Wind, Eryon, laughed and said:

  “You two are truly pathetic. I did heal them, yes—but they have no emotions to feel and no minds to think. They’re nothing but robots in human bodies. They have souls, but no memories. Just a system inside human flesh, and now they will obey only me. Do you understand?”

  Rage filled my body the moment he finished speaking. I was ready to attack—but Erin stopped me and said:

  “We can’t win against this guy… I hate him just as much as you do, but we can’t win. Let’s just do what he wants, Raikou…”

  As much as I wanted to kill the Wind Master, I knew the truth. We had no chance.

  After that, the Wind Master ordered everyone to obey him. Erin and I tried to talk to the others, but it was pointless. They were corrupted—no longer human, just killing machines that followed every order he gave.

  Me and Erin were different. We weren’t ordered to kill. We were told to find someone.

  He didn’t explain much. All he said was that we needed to find a “blood guy.” We never expected that person to be a 14-year-old kid from another world.

  Yes, Morro… we are in another world—millions of years away from yours. That’s the answer to where we are.

  Morro was completely shocked. He didn’t know what to say or how to react. He wished he had gone to another world—but not like this.

  Then he remembered something and asked:

  “If Erin is good and not corrupted… then why isn’t he here with us? And why did you save me? There are so many things you still haven’t explained.”

  Raikou frowned.

  “It’s Raikou. Raikou. How can you forget my name? It’s not that hard.”

  “ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, I GET IT,” Morro snapped.

  “IT’S NOT MY PROBLEM YOUR ELEMENTAL MASTERS HAVE WEIRD NAMES. NOW EXPLAIN.”

  Raikou sighed.

  “Erin isn’t with us because… he also got corrupted. I can’t explain why. Just know this, Morro—you are the last hope.”

  Morro froze.

  “I don’t know where the Master of Love or the Master of Stars are. But I do know this: you’re the last hope to kill the Wind Master.”

  “I know what you’re thinking—why you? There’s an old myth. It says there was once an Elemental Master stronger than all others. And one day, a new handler of that power would rise to bring peace back to this world.”

  “We don’t know who he is… but I’m willing to take the chance that it might be—”

  “LET’S GOOOOOOOOOO!” Morro screamed.

  “IT’S ME! IT HAS TO BE ME! I’M THE STRONGEST! RAHHHHH!”

  Raikou punched him in the head.

  “LET ME FINISH. You are not the strongest. I just need your help. The chances are low—but never zero. And we still need to find him.”

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “OKAY, OKAY,” Morro said, rubbing his head.

  “YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO HIT ME.”

  Raikou calmed himself.

  “So tell me, Morro… will you help me? Will you fight all the Elemental Masters—even if it means killing them—until we defeat the Wind Master? And even if we never find the strongest one… will you still fight by my side?”

  Morro stared into Raikou’s eyes. After a few seconds, he answered:

  “Yes. I want to go back to Earth… but I don’t belong there. No one would ever accept me. I never belonged anywhere. So I’ll fight by your side until the end.”

  Raikou was shocked. He didn’t expect that answer.

  “What do you mean… you don’t belong anywhere?”

  Morro smiled faintly.

  “That’s a secret.”

  Raikou smiled back.

  “Alright then. Let’s train. Now.”

  “WHAT?!” Morro yelled.

  “I JUST WOKE UP AFTER A HUGE SWORD WAS IN MY CHEST! I’M TIRED!”

  “I DON’T CARE,” Raikou said.

  “The sooner we train, the better. Get up.”

  “FINE.”

  “Now let’s leave this hotel.”

  Morro paused.

  “Wait—this is another world, right? So where are we exactly? And what is this place?”

  “A poor hotel,” Raikou replied.

  “I don’t know what hotels look like on Earth, and I don’t care.”

  “Why a poor one?”

  “I don’t have money. And the Elemental Masters won’t look for us here. The entire country is poor.”

  “We’re in Emberhold. It used to be beautiful under the old, kind king. But his brother killed him to take control. You can already imagine what kind of man he is now.”

  “This city isn’t just poor—it’s dangerous. Full of killers. One of them is called The Everlasting Killer. He’s been killing for over 400 years. Same methods. Same everything.”

  Morro’s face went pale.

  “YOU PICKED THE WORST POSSIBLE COUNTRY?! THIS ISN’T A FREAKING ANIME!”

  Raikou blinked.

  “Stop swearing. You’re a kid. Also… what’s anime?”

  “Never mind,” Morro sighed.

  “How are you so sure that killer won’t kill us?”

  “He only kills normal people. We’re Elemental Masters. He’s just lucky. And no one knows how he’s lived for 400 years—but it’s not our problem.”

  “So stop talking. Let’s train.”

  “JUST LET ME REST, PLEASE!”

  Raikou tried not to laugh.

  “WHY ARE YOU TRYING NOT TO LAUGH?! THAT’S DISRESPECTFUL!”

  Raikou raised his hand.

  “—Hallway of the Death Flame—”

  Everything went dark. The room vanished.

  “RAIKOU! REKOU! WHATEVER YOUR NAME IS—WHERE ARE YOU?!”

  No answer.

  Then the darkness faded.

  Morro found himself in a massive hallway—so large that a thousand elephants could fit inside. Raikou stood beside him, calm as ever.

  “Relax. This is a domain. Made of flames. Every Elemental Master can create one. I like hallways, so… here we are.”

  Morro exploded.

  “WHY DID YOU TELEPORT US HERE?!”

  “For training. Don’t ask about the domain—it’s complicated.”

  “So there’s NO WAY TO ESCAPE TRAINING?”

  “No.”

  Raikou continued:

  “1,400 push-ups.

  20,000 spike jumps.

  10,000 electric-wire fights.

  5,000 ice swims.

  500 massive rocks—cut with your bare hands.”

  “Sound good?”

  Morro fainted on the spot.

  Raikou sighed, carried him back, laid him on the bed, and left—worried.

  Two hours later…

  Morro woke up, embarrassed. Weak. Alone.

  Raikou was gone.

  Panic hit him.

  Memories returned—dark memories. A dead girl with pink hair. Blood everywhere. Him crying, holding her body.

  He ran outside.

  Then he noticed something.

  The same lamp.

  The same street.

  Again.

  And again.

  “I’m… stuck in a cycle.”

  Fear consumed him.

  Then he crashed into someone.

  A tall man. Half his clothes made of gold.

  “WHERE ARE WE? I’M STUCK—”

  Morro stopped.

  This wasn’t hope.

  “Never mind,” he said, backing away.

  The man spoke.

  “What is it, Morro? Didn’t the Flame Master tell you about me?”

  Morro froze.

  “I am Rayka—the Earth Master. This cycle is mine.”

  Rayka pulled out two axes and attacked.

  A flaming arrow fell from the sky.

  Raikou appeared.

  “Dude,” Raikou said casually,

  “I left for two hours and you’re already fighting the most annoying master?”

  Rayka screamed in rage.

  Raikou laughed.

  “Your domain is weak. Waiting for a 14-year-old kid? Pathetic.”

  The battle began.

  Too fast for Morro to follow.

  Then—

  “MORRO! HE’S BEHIND YOU!”

  Too late.

  Rayka slammed his fist into Morro’s stomach.

  Darkness.

  When Morro woke up…

  The city was burning.

  Bodies everywhere.

  Blood.

  Raikou—dead.

  Something inside Morro broke.

  Rayka appeared again, holding a woman by the throat.

  “You’re nothing but a killing machine,” Morro said.

  Rayka attacked.

  Morro exploded him.

  Blood covered the city.

  Morro screamed.

  And fainted.

  Five hours later…

  A doctor healed him.

  Rayka was gone.

  The king lied to the people.

  A woman told the truth.

  She was executed.

  The crowd laughed—while crying.

  Morro understood.

  He left with hatred burning inside him.

  “I will kill that king.”

  And from far away…

  A butterfly watched him.