Chapter Seven

Kenji

We left the restaurant feeling satisfied, the warmth of a good meal lingering as we made our way back to base. Truth and Yoon were starting to get lovey-dovey, exchanging soft glances and quiet giggles. As we walked through the bustling streets, people waved and greeted us with familiarity. It was clear that everyone recognized Truth, Blade, Yoon, and Marko.

Something felt off. A strange sensation prickled at the back of my mind, like a whisper in the wind. It felt as though something was flying straight toward us. Truth suddenly halted, raising his palm as if to catch the unseen presence. The energy I had sensed gathered above his hand, swirling and coalescing into a small, glowing blue bird.

The bird and Truth locked eyes in a silent exchange. I watched them, puzzled. After a moment, Truth let out a deep sigh, and the bird dissolved into shimmering particles that scattered into the air.

"What was that?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"That was a mission bird," Truth replied, his tone calm but urgent. "I'll explain as we walk." He quickened his pace, and the rest of us followed suit.

"A mission bird is a type of spirit, or fairy, or whatever you want to call it. As the name suggests, they deliver missions to Division Knights."

"That's pretty cool," I replied, intrigued.

Blade, always one step ahead, signaled to Truth that she was going on ahead. Truth gave her a brief nod, and she disappeared into the crowd.

"Mission birds come in different colors," Truth continued. "Blue means we're being summoned by a village, town, city, or even an individual. Red means it's an urgent mission, orange signals that another team needs our help, and purple indicates a special mission."

"That's really convenient," Yushiro muttered.

"Yeah, right? The system was created by the Turtle Royal House and the Central Tower," Truth added.

We navigated through the crowded streets, weaving past vendors eagerly trying to sell their goods. The marketplace buzzed with life, merchants calling out their wares and customers haggling for the best prices.

"Sir! Hey, sir! Interested in some fine jewelry?" one vendor called out as we passed.

That's when I noticed a young boy sitting on a worn mat, selling trinkets and old items. His clothes were tattered, and he looked barely older than ten. Yushiro abruptly stopped in front of the boy, prompting both Taka and me to halt as well.

"Kenji, Yushiro, why are we stopping? We need to keep up," Taka urged, glancing back.

"Uh, I don't know," I replied. "Yushiro stopped, so I stopped." I turned to Yushiro. "Why did we stop?"

Yushiro smiled mischievously at Taka. "Blondie, why don't we buy some cards?"

Taka raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical.

"You said you didn't know what you wanted to do, right? Why not buy something to pass the time? Plus, you'd be helping someone in need," Yushiro explained.

I was taken aback. Yushiro wasn't exactly known for his kindness, so this gesture surprised me. Taka glanced between Yushiro and the boy, his expression softening. Without another word, he approached the boy's mat and crouched down.

"Hey, mister! Wanna buy something? Jewelry? It's really nice," the boy offered enthusiastically.

Taka shook his head gently. "No, thanks. How much for those cards?" he asked, pointing to a worn deck.

The boy blinked in surprise. "Huh? These old cards? Are you sure, mister?" He picked them up, inspecting them as if to make sure they were the right ones.

Taka nodded. "How much?"

"Um... three copper coins," the boy replied hesitantly.

Instead of copper, Taka handed him a silver coin. The boy's eyes widened in disbelief.

Taka smiled warmly as he took the cards. I turned to say something to Yushiro, but he had already taken off, weaving through the crowd ahead.

"Taka, let's go!" I called out.

He gave the boy a final nod and dashed after me. We left the marketplace behind, the boy still staring at the silver coin in his hand.

We caught up with Yushiro, who wasn't even running at full speed, and gave him an earful. As usual, Yushiro just grinned, completely unfazed. When we reached Truth and the others, they simply acknowledged our presence without questions. We mounted our dragons and took off immediately. Our mission? To stop a herd of rampaging bulls tearing through the sunlit fields.