The lake was a mirror – smooth, black, and silent.
Moonlight drifted across the surface in silver ribbons, broken only by the slow ripple of water meeting the shore. The trees surrounding the lake stood still, tall silhouettes wrapped in mist and night.
And at the very edge of the lake – two figures stood there.
One was the self-proclaimed narcissistic GOAT, Teshii.
And the other…
…was the mysterious Yami.
The two teammates faced one another. Teshii smiled casually, holding onto his fishing rod like he was greeting an old friend. Yami, in contrast, stood silent – his demeanour colder, more serious.
"Yami! What a surprise to see you here, my friend!" Teshii blurted out. "You know… Sunshine and Aoi were completely worried about you. Sunshine told me Aoi hasn't heard from you in weeks."
Yami narrowed his eyes but remained silent.
"So, tell me…" Teshii continued, tilting his head slightly. "What have you been doing, ignoring your girl like that and making your best friend, Sunshine, worry like hell?"
Silence…
The lake whispered under the moonlight–
Lapl… lapl…
–each ripple brushing the shore like a quiet breath.
And then…
Yami opened his mouth.
"Teshii…" Yami said, his voice cold and composed. "I've been doing research these past few weeks… on you."
Teshii raised an eyebrow behind his crimson shades.
"What does that have to do with anything I just asked?" he replied. Then, as Yami's words sank in, he blinked. "Wait – you did research on me?"
He turned his head toward Yami with exaggerated curiosity, gently set his fishing rod down, and clapped his hands once.
"So, tell me… what does the internet have to say about me?"
Yami's eyes narrowed sharply.
"There was nothing. No information about you. Not even one result."
Teshii blinked again – this time, slowly – as if he'd just been told the world had ended. He dropped into his knees in mock heartbreak.
"T-There's… no information about me on the internet?" he gasped. "S-So… I'm not famous…"
Yami simply stared at him, unimpressed.
But just as quickly, Teshii sprang back to his feet, laughing.
"Well… it does make sense," he said, brushing himself off. "Of course there's nothing. I'm just that exclusive."
Then – he turned his gaze back to Yami, his grin playful but his tone curious.
"Actually… why were you doing research on me in the first place?"
Yami's eyes sharpened.
"Who are you?"
"Huh?" Teshii blinked again.
"Just tell me who you really are, Teshii." Yami demanded.
Teshii exhaled, his tone suddenly less amused.
"Yami," he said. "I asked you a bunch of questions just now and you barely answered them. And now you're the one asking questions?" He shook his head. "What makes you think I'll just give you what you want?"
"Shut up! Just answer me – who are you?" Yami snapped.
Teshii lifted his fishing rod again and smiled.
"Only if you answer one of my questions first."
Yami clenched his fists. "Fine. Ask me."
Teshii smirked.
"So… what do you think about me and Hikari dating?"
"Hikari?" Yami echoed, frowning. "You mean Hikaru's twin sister?"
"Yeah," Teshii nodded. "We're dating now."
Yami blinked, pausing for a moment.
"I mean… good for you, I guess."
"See?" Teshii beamed. "Even you – the mysterious Yami – would approve. You're dating Aoi, after all, so clearly you know romance when you see i–"
"Okay," Yami cut him off sharply. "I answered your question. Now it's your turn. Who are you?"
Teshii just stared at Yami, then casually adjusted his crimson shades.
"You know, Yami…"
"What now?! I answered your question. Now answer mine!" Yami shouted.
Teshii raised one hand calmly.
"Let me finish," he said still smiling.
"The truth is… who I am doesn't matter to you, Yami."
Yami furrowed his brows.
"What do you mean it doesn't matter to me?"
Teshii raised two fingers.
"Because who I am… only matters to two people."
Yami's eyes narrowed.
Two people? Who…?
He crossed his arms, voice quieter but sharper.
"If you don't mind me asking… who are they?"
Teshii's smile widened.
"Sayaka Nozomi…"
"…and Misaki Utsuro."
Yami's eyes widened as Teshii casually revealed the two names. His breath caught in his throat.
My mother?
And… Hikaru's mother?
Wait a minute…
If it matters to my mom and to Hikaru's…
That means…
Then–
"Yami."
Teshii's voice cut through Yami's thoughts.
"Huh?" Yami looked at him.
Teshii tilted his head slightly, his gaze unreadable behind his crimson shades.
"Are you only investigating me because I look like the boy Sayaka mentioned to me earlier?"
Yami's eyes twitched.
Wait…
He knows?
Hinote Kanashii?
Teshii placed a thoughtful hand to his chin, pretending to recall.
"What was his name again? Hinata, was it?"
Yami stared at him, dead silent.
I have to be direct. I have to ask him
Because…
Everything about him screams Hinote.
"Teshii, by any chance, are you–"
Then–
"Are you investigating me because I look like that boy?" Teshii interrupted, cutting Yami off with a teasing smile.
Yami froze.
"Huh?"
"I'm asking if that's the only reason you've been digging into me. Because I look like that boy from the past. Right?" Teshii said, shrugged. "If that's the case, sorry to disappoint you – but I've got nothing to do with him."
"What?" Yami muttered, clearly unconvinced.
Teshii crossed his arms and looked up toward the dark blue night sky, where the moonlight glimmered faintly on the water.
"I mean… if you really think about it," Teshii said nonchalantly, "that cute, adorable, good-looking boy had the same red hair with orange highlights as I do… and the same golden eyes."
He gave a smug smirk and waved dismissively.
"But honestly? I think it's just a coincidence."
Silence.
Yami clenched his fists at his sides.
No way…
That's…
That's gotta be bullsh*t.
"Unless…" Teshii said.
Yami looked up sharply.
What now?
What is he going to say now?
Teshii's lips curled into a smirk.
"Maybe… he's my long-lost twin brother I never knew I had."
Yami just stared at him, expression blank, blinking in disbelief.
Is this guy for real?
Though…
He might not be wrong…
Maybe that woman – Hana – had twins. And something happened. Maybe she and her husband divorced. Maybe the husband took one child… and that child grew up to be Teshii. And Hana took Hinote with her.
Then–
Teshii crouched down beside the lake, grabbing the bucket full of fish. With effortless calm, he lifted it and began walking – slow, deliberate steps toward Yami.
"It's not a lot," he said, as if talking about nothing more than dinner. "But it's enough."
He walked past Yami, who stood frozen – shoulders tense, fists clenched, eyes wide, his face beginning to pale.
And then–
Teshii paused.
Leaning in, he whispered into Yami's ear.
"Just for your sake, Yami… I'd recommend you stop investigating me."
Yami's body stiffened.
Teshii kept walking.
"Because if you keep digging…" he said, voice almost playful now, "you might lose everything."
Yami's breath caught in his chest.
"Your family."
His fists tightened.
"Your childhood pal, Hikaru. And…"
Gritting his teeth.
"…your precious girlfriend, Aoi."
That was it.
Yami snapped.
He spun around, shouting–
"SHUT UP! YOU DON'T GET TO ACT LIKE YOU KNOW EVERYTHING–"
But he stopped.
Eyes wide.
Heart pounding.
Teshii was gone.
Vanished.
Yami turned in every direction, scanning the lake, the forest, the trees, the sky. Nothing. No footsteps. No sound. No movement.
Only the gentle hiss of the wind slipping through the trees like a whispered warning.
Yami's fists trembled at his sides.
W-Where did he go?
And how the hell… did he disappear like that?
Meanwhile in Kantei, Tokyo
The building stood like a fortress of silence at the heart of the capital – glass, steel, and concrete moulded into clean lines and diplomatic precision.
It was not a place for chaos.
It was where secrets walked in polished dress shoes, where every word carried weight, and every smile had layers.
Inside, the halls were wide and spotless – polished marble reflecting minimalist art, subdued lighting, and a chilling sense of control.
Guards in dark suits stood like shadows at near-invisible posts, watching everything without saying a word.
At the top floor, beyond a pair of reinforced wooden doors, sat the Prime Minister's private chamber – an office that overlooked the sprawling Tokyo skyline.
A long desk dominated the room.
Beside it: a sleek digital security console, carefully stacked briefing folders, a red phone few dared to touch… and an open laptop.
Behind the desk sat a man in a tailored black suit – the Prime Minister himself.
His eyes didn't leave the laptop screen.
The footage playing wasn't a news broadcast.
It wasn't classified intel.
It was something stranger.
A giant mutant, towering like a skyscraper – Molecule, battling another colossus formed entirely of sand, controlled by Daichi.
And between them…
…a figure, which was Moriya, levitating calmly on a tree branch, riding it as if it were a surfboard in mid-air.
The Prime Minister's gaze was sharp, unblinking.
Then–
Knock. Knock. Knock.
A soft knock against the thick door broke the silence.
The Prime Minister's fingers hovered above the laptop for a moment…
…and then lowered, pausing the footage.
He turned his head slightly.
"Enter."
Click.
The doorknob turned.
Creeeak…
The door slowly opened, revealing a sharply-dressed blonde man in a black suit. He wore sleek sunglasses and a small earpiece glinted in one ear.
He stepped inside with quiet precision and bowed respectfully.
"Good evening, Prime Minister."
Behind the desk, the man watching the paused footage gave a slight nod in return.
CHARACTER INTRODUCTION
Name: Ryuga Irahara
Species: Human
Age: 65
Hair Colour: Grey
Eye Colour: Brown
Height: 5'11
Weight: 156lbs
Occupation: Prime Minister
Ryuga leaned back slightly in his chair, fingers interlocked. "Good evening to you too… Agent 007. So… what have you got for me?"
CHARACTER INTRODUCTION
Name: Unknown
Species: Human
Age: 31
Hair Colour: Blonde
Eye Colour: Unknown
Height: 6'0
Weight: 174lbs
Occupation: Agent (Agent 007)
Agent 007 stepped forward and placed a photo on the desk with careful precision.
"We've found them, Prime Minister," he said.
Ryuga reached out and took the photo. His eyes narrowed.
It was a grainy surveillance image – an abandoned building, discreetly tucked into a forest with a lake behind it.
But Agent 007 clarified with chilling calm:
"A safehouse."
Ryuga's brow arched. "A safehouse?"
"Yes, sir," Agent 007 nodded. "Our team tracked two of the individuals from the footage – the one who summoned the sand colossus, and the one riding a levitating branch. They both entered that building."
Ryuga's eyes lingered on the photo, thoughtful.
"They call themselves…" Agent 007 continued, "the Order of the Elements."
A slow, intrigued smile spread across the Prime Minister's face.
"Order of the Elements, huh?"
He looked up sharply, locking eyes with Agent 007.
"Find them. Bring them in."
Agent 007 saluted crisply. "Affirmative, sir."
With that, he turned and exited the office, the door closing with a soft click behind him.
Left alone once more, Ryuga looked down at the image in his hand, his expression darkening with satisfaction.
"…Looks like the Order of the Elements will be our answer to the M.R.S."
His smirk deepened.
TO BE CONTINUED!!!