Declaration

Sinister X Appears

The screen flickered, static distorting the image.

Then—

A shadowy figure appeared.

A dark mask concealed his face, his glowing red eyes piercing through the screen.

The Elements tensed.

Hikaru clenched his fists.

Sinister X.

The leader of the Mutant Rebellion Squad.

The mastermind behind the mutant uprising.

And now—he was speaking directly to them.

Sinister X chuckled, his voice smooth and mocking.

"Ah… there you are."

His masked face tilted slightly.

"You must be exhausted from your little adventure. The Island of Mystery… such a waste, wasn't it?"

His tone was dripping with amusement.

Like he was enjoying this.

Hikaru gritted his teeth. "What do you want?"

Sinister X exhaled dramatically.

"Straight to the point? How boring."

His voice lowered, turning cold.

"I'm here to deliver a message."

Then, his tone changed completely.

"I declare war on the Elements."

A Declaration of War

The room fell silent.

Sinister X's red eyes gleamed.

"You've interfered long enough."

His voice was calm—but it carried the weight of a death sentence.

"Your little team of 'heroes' has meddled in our affairs one too many times."

His masked face tilted slightly.

"I think it's time we end this. Once and for all."

Hikaru stood firm.

He wasn't afraid.

"We refuse."

Sinister X chuckled.

"Oh? Refuse?"

His voice lowered.

"I don't think you understand."

The Shocking Revelation

Then—

Sinister X's tone changed.

Colder. Darker.

"Hmph. Perhaps… I should give you some motivation."

The Elements felt a chill.

Sinister X's voice turned cruel.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot."

A pause.

Then—

"Teshii... is dead."

The room froze.

No one moved.

No one spoke.

No one even breathed.

Hikari's heart stopped.

Mei's eyes widened in horror.

Hikaru's hands shook.

Moriya, Haruto, Reito, Ikazuchi, Sora, Daichi, Tetsuya—they were all frozen in shock.

Sinister X laughed coldly.

"Ahh… I wish you could have seen it."

His voice was mocking, heartless.

"The so-called 'invincible warrior'… on his knees. Broken. Weak."

Hikaru's breath was ragged.

"No…" Hikari whispered, shaking her head.

Sinister X's smile widened behind the mask.

"I wonder how it feels," he mused. "To know that your dear friend is gone."

The silence was suffocating.

Hikaru's knuckles turned white.

His chest burned.

Sinister X's red eyes glowed.

"I'll see you on the battlefield."

Then—

The screen went black.

The Room Fell Silent

No one spoke.

No one moved.

The truth sank in.

Teshii.

Was dead.

Hikaru's legs felt weak.

He had lost a brother.

Mei's hands covered her mouth. Tears streamed down Hikari's face.

Moriya clenched his fists so tightly that blood dripped from his palms.

Reito looked away, his expression unreadable.

Ikazuchi slammed his fist into the wall, his anger trembling through his bones.

Haruto closed his eyes, trying to steady himself.

Sora, normally loud and carefree, was silent.

Tetsuya, who rarely reacted to anything, looked down, his shoulders tense.

No one knew what to say.

Because what could they say?

They had failed Teshii.

And now—he was gone.

The Aftermath

The safehouse was silent.

No one had moved since Sinister X's call ended.

The weight of Teshii's death hung over them like a storm cloud.

Hikaru's mind raced.

His hands trembled.

This couldn't be real.

Teshii couldn't be gone.

Yet—Sinister X had spoken with such certainty.

Mei was quietly crying.

Hikari had buried her face in her hands.

Moriya stood motionless, his eyes shadowed.

Then—

A voice shattered the silence.

"DAMN IT!"

Ikazuchi's angry shout echoed through the room.

He slammed his fist against the wall, cracks forming under his strength.

"This is BULLSHIT!" he roared, his eyes burning with fury.

"We just left him there! And now he's—" His voice caught, frustration boiling over.

Hikaru lowered his head, guilt eating him alive.

If I had just tried harder… if I had just—

A quiet sob broke through the tension.

Everyone turned toward the source.

Reina—Satoshi's wife—was crying.

Tears streamed down her face, her hands covering her mouth.

Satoshi sat beside her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"…We lost him too," he whispered.

Then, after a heavy pause, he finally spoke:

"It's time you all know the truth about Teshii."

10 Years Ago – A Tragic Loss

Satoshi's gaze was distant, lost in the past.

"Ten years ago," he began, "Reina and I were… expecting a child."

The room fell silent.

Hikaru and the others listened carefully, sensing the pain in his voice.

"We were excited. We had everything ready—a nursery, a name, dreams for the future."

Satoshi's fists tightened.

"But as soon as our baby was born… he passed away."

The air grew heavy.

Hikaru's breath hitched.

Reina's quiet sobs filled the space.

"The loss… destroyed us," Satoshi admitted, his voice hoarse.

"Reina fell into depression. She blamed herself. I… I didn't know how to help her."

A long pause.

Then—

Satoshi exhaled.

"But eventually, she found the strength to move forward. It wasn't easy, but… we healed."

His eyes darkened.

"Or at least, we thought we had."

Meeting Teshii – 2 Years Later

"Two years later," Satoshi continued, "we visited a sacred tombstone—a place said to hold the origin of the Elements."

The others exchanged glances.

"The tombstone was supposed to be a place of guidance and fate. We weren't sure why we went that day… but it led us to something—or rather, someone."

Satoshi's voice softened.

"There, standing in front of the tombstone, was a 16-year-old boy."

The air grew colder.

"He looked lost. Cold. Empty."

Reina sniffled. "His eyes… they were so lonely."

Hikaru felt his heart clench.

He already knew who it was.

Satoshi nodded.

"That boy… was Teshii."

The Beginning of the Order of the Elements

"We didn't know anything about him at first," Satoshi admitted.

"He didn't tell us his name. He didn't tell us where he came from. He barely spoke."

Hikaru and Yami exchanged glances.

That sounded exactly like the Teshii they knew.

Reina wiped her tears. "But… we took him in anyway."

Satoshi continued.

"As time passed, we formed a bond. He became like a son to us."

That hit hard.

Mei sniffled.

Hikari shut her eyes tightly.

Satoshi took a deep breath.

"And together, the three of us created the Order of the Elements."

The Mystery of Teshii's Past

Hikaru swallowed hard.

"Teshii never… talked about his past?"

Satoshi shook his head.

"No. Never."

Daichi frowned. "Not even once?"

Satoshi sighed.

"Every time we asked… he would change the subject or just smirk and dodge the question."

Reina sniffled again. "It was like… he didn't want to remember."

Yami lowered his gaze.

"Teshii… really was hiding something."

Hikaru clenched his fists.

"And now… we might never know the truth."

A painful silence followed.

Teshii was gone.

And his past would remain a mystery.

Unless—

Hikaru shook his head.

No.

Teshii was too stubborn to die.

He had to be alive.

Didn't he?