Chapter 37: The Aftermath of Chaos

The battle had ended, but the vault was in shambles. Debris littered the floor, scorch marks decorated the walls, and the faint smell of toasted shadows lingered in the air. The team stood in the center of the destruction, catching their breath.

Kenji, holding his Sacred Spatula like a champion, looked around with a smug grin. "Well, I think we can all agree: I saved the day."

Sakura shot him a withering glare. "You threw a frying pan. Twice."

Kenji waggled his spatula. "Correction. A sacred spatula. And let's not forget, it was my strategic genius that landed the final blow."

Ryo leaned against his katana, shaking his head. "Strategic genius? You tripped over a rock and accidentally threw the spatula."

Kenji gasped, feigning offense. "How dare you diminish my heroics! History will remember me as the Spatula Samurai!"

Kael adjusted his glasses, a hint of amusement in his usually stoic expression. "If history remembers you at all, it will be as the man who turned breakfast utensils into weapons of mass destruction."

---

Sakura's Grumbling and Kenji's Bragging

Sakura sheathed her daggers, clearly unimpressed. "Can we focus on what's important? We have the Obsidian Heart, but the Shadow King isn't gone for good."

Kenji waved her off. "Yeah, yeah, big evil guy might come back, blah blah. But can we talk about how I managed to look this cool while wielding a spatula?"

He struck a dramatic pose, holding the spatula aloft like a mythical hero. The light from Kael's glowing staff made it look almost impressive—until Kenji tripped over another rock and fell flat on his face.

Ryo sighed, pulling him up. "Kenji, you're impossible."

"Impossible to ignore!" Kenji quipped, dusting himself off.

---

The Recovery Plan

As the team prepared to leave the vault, Kael started drawing a teleportation rune on the floor. "We need to get back to the safe house and regroup. Who knows how many of Kage no Ō's minions are still out there?"

Kenji poked his head over Kael's shoulder. "Hey, can you make the portal spit us out near a ramen shop? All this saving-the-world stuff has made me hungry."

Sora chimed in, not missing a beat. "Do you even know how to eat ramen with a spatula?"

Kenji grinned. "No, but I'm willing to find out."

Sakura groaned. "How do we even tolerate him?"

Akira smirked. "We don't. We just survive him."

---

An Unexpected Visitor

Just as the rune began to glow, a small, golden creature crawled out of the hidden compartment where Kenji had found the Sacred Spatula. It was a tiny lizard, its scales shimmering like sunlight on water.

Kenji's eyes lit up. "A baby dragon! I'm naming it Pancake!"

The creature let out a high-pitched chirp, tilting its head as if considering the name.

Ryo raised an eyebrow. "Pancake?"

Kenji shrugged. "What? It fits. Besides, Pancake and the Spatula Samurai make an unstoppable team!"

The baby dragon leaped onto Kenji's shoulder, nuzzling his cheek.

Sakura crossed her arms. "Great. Now he has a sidekick. This is going to be unbearable."

---

The Teleportation Mishap

Kael finished the rune and activated it, the glowing circle expanding to encompass the team. "Hold tight. This should take us directly to the safe house."

"Should?" Ryo repeated, narrowing his eyes.

Before Kael could respond, the magic surged, and the team vanished in a flash of light.

They reappeared seconds later—suspended in mid-air over a massive fountain in the middle of a bustling plaza.

Kenji, clutching Pancake tightly, yelled, "I regret nothing!" just before they all splashed into the water.

Passersby stopped to stare as the soaked group emerged from the fountain, dripping and furious.

Kael pushed his wet hair out of his face. "Well, that wasn't supposed to happen."

Kenji laughed, holding Pancake above his head like a trophy. "Adventure Level: Unlocked!"

Ryo, wringing out his coat, glared at Kael. "Safe house, huh?"

Sakura muttered something about throwing Kenji back into the fountain, while Akira sighed and started scouting for dry clothes.

The group trudged out of the fountain, dripping wet and thoroughly annoyed. Ryo sighed, shaking water from his katana sheath. "Well, that's one way to make an entrance."

Kenji, unfazed as ever, strutted forward with Pancake still perched proudly on his shoulder. "No need to thank me, everyone. My flawless heroics brought us here. Plus, I found a dragon. Not bad for a day's work."

Sakura rubbed her temples. "We're not thanking you, Kenji. We're tolerating you."

Kael surveyed the plaza, his soaked robes clinging awkwardly to his frame. "We need to get out of here before anyone asks questions. This place is too public."

Pancake let out a small chirp, earning a few curious glances from nearby onlookers.

---

Kenji's "Brilliant" Plan

Kenji, ever the opportunist, pointed toward a clothing store nearby. "Alright, team. Priority number one: dry clothes. Priority number two: snacks."

Ryo frowned. "We're on the run from shadow assassins, Kenji. Maybe focus on survival?"

"Survival is snacks," Kenji countered, already heading toward the store.

The others reluctantly followed, Sakura muttering under her breath about wanting to throw Kenji and Pancake into the fountain again.

Inside the store, Kenji immediately began picking out the most ridiculous outfits he could find. He held up a neon-yellow jumpsuit and waved it at Ryo. "This screams 'fearless leader,' don't you think?"

Ryo rolled his eyes. "Put that down before I incinerate it."

Sakura, meanwhile, found a simple hoodie and jeans. "Let's just grab something and go. We're wasting time."

Kenji, however, was not done. He spotted a hat shaped like a pancake and placed it on Pancake's tiny head. The baby dragon let out a delighted chirp, its golden eyes sparkling.

"Perfect!" Kenji exclaimed. "Now Pancake looks like the mascot of our group."

---

A Shadowy Encounter

As the group left the store, now dressed in dry clothes, Kael's sharp eyes caught movement in the crowd. "We're being watched."

Ryo's hand instinctively went to his katana. "Where?"

Kael subtly gestured toward a figure lurking near an alleyway. Their face was obscured, but the faint shimmer of shadow magic was unmistakable.

"Great," Sakura muttered, gripping her daggers. "We can't even buy clothes without someone trying to kill us."

Kenji, oblivious to the tension, was busy feeding Pancake a piece of bread. "What's everyone so worked up about?"

Ryo glared at him. "Kenji, focus."

Before they could make a move, the shadowy figure stepped into the light. It was a young man, his face partially covered by a dark scarf. His crimson eyes locked onto Ryo.

"You've caused quite a stir," the stranger said, his voice calm but menacing.

Ryo stepped forward, his katana glowing faintly. "If you're here to fight, you'll regret it."

The stranger chuckled. "I'm not here to fight—yet. Just to deliver a message."

---

The Warning

The stranger reached into his cloak and tossed a small, black crystal at Ryo's feet. "The Shadow King isn't as weak as you think. He'll return, and when he does, none of you will survive."

Kenji, munching on a rice ball he'd somehow acquired, piped up. "Well, that's rude. We just beat him! Can't he at least take a vacation?"

The stranger ignored him, his crimson eyes fixed on Ryo. "You've barely scratched the surface of what's to come. Enjoy your little victories while they last."

With that, he melted into the shadows, disappearing as if he'd never been there.

Kael bent down to examine the crystal. "This is infused with powerful shadow magic. We should analyze it back at the safe house."

Ryo nodded, his expression grim. "Let's move. We've lingered here too long."

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Kenji's Closing Remarks

As they hurried through the plaza, Kenji couldn't resist a final comment. "You know, for someone who just delivered a super ominous warning, that guy could've at least introduced himself. Like, 'Hi, I'm Shadow Jerk Number Three. Pleased to threaten you.'"

Sakura sighed. "Kenji, could you be serious for five minutes?"

"Serious? I just saved the world with a spatula. I'm the definition of serious," Kenji replied, twirling his Sacred Spatula dramatically.

Pancake chirped in agreement, earning a laugh from Sora.

Despite the tension, a faint smile tugged at Ryo's lips. "Let's just get back to the safe house. We'll deal with whatever's coming—together."

The group moved on, their bond stronger than ever, even as the shadows loomed ahead.