Saeyo was frozen. His legs wouldn't let him move. He didn't have a clue who the man standing on his doorstep was. He had a deep, husky voice. As soon as Saeyo heard him speak, a cold shiver ran down his spine.
Saeyo Arakawa was currently living on unregistered land, which hadn't been a problem so far. But in the two years he had spent living in this remote area, far away from Nihonmura, not a single person had complained.
The adult voice broke the silence:
"Mr Arakawa, if you're inside the house, open the damn door as quickly as possible!"
This sentence drove Saeyo into despair. How was he supposed to get out of this situation? In a fight against an adult, he might have had a chance. But not if the other man was armed, which was most likely the case with this stranger. Since Saeyo wasn't stupid, it went without saying that he didn't want to risk his life. Who knew whether the man outside his hut wouldn't attack Saeyo on the spot?
Therefore, there was only one option he could rely on at the moment.
He dared to take small steps, so quiet that no one could even begin to dream of hearing them. He stretched out his arms, lifted the chair from his desk and walked with the same quiet steps to the spot beneath the broken roof.
There, he gently placed the chair on the floor and slowly climbed up. He had to quickly overcome his fear that the chair might break into pieces at any moment. Soon, it vanished completely from his mind. Instead of wasting his time dwelling on this problem, he thought only of the chance to get out unscathed...
'I have only this single chance. I expect great things from you, my beloved chair...'
He looked up and squeezed his eyes shut so he wouldn't have to face the pain of the suns. A single leap was all he had to accomplish. If he messed up this chance, no one could guarantee he would get another.
The stranger coughed a few times, hoping for a reply. But he got none.
Without looking back, he completely ignored the man's shouting and concentrated solely on his only task. His thoughts were quiet and his heart was growing louder and louder. He leapt upwards with all his might, reached for the broken roof and pulled himself up.
His heart was racing continuously. The adrenaline in his blood grew more and more intense.
'I've done it... The chair didn't break.'
He crawled a little way further away from the hole in the ceiling to put some distance between himself and the stranger, hoping the man wouldn't notice his rapidly increasing breathing.
After another call for Saeyo's name, it was clear that the stranger's aggression was rising.
In the end, however, the only thing that could be heard was the loud bang of a door being kicked open.
The stranger entered the dusty hut. His footsteps were loud and his breathing was unsettling. Saeyo couldn't see who the man was and suppressed the urge to take a look at him. The man seemed annoyed by Saeyo's attempts to hide.
'Why is this happening to me of all people?'
Saeyo turned his gaze away from the roof and fixed it on the distant Tornado.
The endlessly spinning Tornado had nothing to worry about. Sometimes it even received a few visits from flying objects. But it was strong enough that these objects could not harm it. Saeyo, on the other hand, could do nothing against the stranger. He was weak.
'I envy the Tornado. He can stay wherever he wants. I have to get out of here if I want to survive...'
Saeyo had no idea what to do next. Should he stay on the roof or jump down and face the stranger in a duel? Probably neither. The stranger would spot him any moment now, and Saeyo would lose a fight. Both options seemed dreadful, but he had no time to think about it any further.
He could also flee and hide somewhere else. But that wasn't a perfect idea either. The stranger would notice and chase him. He had to make a quick decision.
Sand flew into his eyes, causing him to squint desperately. He focused on the sounds coming from below him. There was nothing. Absolutely nothing. No breathing. No sounds. For a moment, Saeyo thought he'd imagined the whole thing, but that couldn't be the case. He might live alone at the end of the world, but he isn't crazy. At least, he thinks he isn't.
Saeyo pressed himself against the surface of his hut. He didn't dare even move a muscle. He hoped the stranger would give up, stop wasting his time playing a game of hide-and-seek, and just leave. What on earth had Saeyo done to make him come all the way to a place like this? Besides, it didn't make sense that the man knew his name. He couldn't remember ever telling him.
The grown man let out a creepy laugh. The atmosphere became eerie.
"You thieves have no honour! You steal and don't consider the consequences. Aren't you ashamed of your existence?"
When Saeyo heard his voice, he felt much better. Not because he was in danger again, but because it was confirmation that he hadn't gone mad.
His gaze darkened. He was being accused of stealing something, but that couldn't have been possible. Not even he himself knew of it. He couldn't think of anything he might have stolen either. Was the stranger sure it was him? Should he come out of his hiding place and explain that he hadn't stolen anything? That probably wouldn't be a great idea. It's hard to convince people like that otherwise.
Or did he mean one of the items in his room? Perhaps the mattress, the chair, or even the pictures he had. But wouldn't that mean the stranger would already recognise them?
He continued speaking and added:
"If you come out of your hiding place right now, I'll consider sparing your life."
The sound of shattering glass echoed through his room. The glass that had stood on Saeyo's bedside table had been heartlessly thrown against the wall. The shards lay scattered on the floor like worthless rubbish. The glass had held a special place in Saeyo's heart. It was no ordinary glass. It was a gift.
'That bastard.'
Saeyo's resentment towards the arrogant intruder grew even stronger. Saeyo wanted to prove that the stranger couldn't get away with everything. The mere accusation that he had stolen something was an insult in itself. But that wasn't the only thing. The fact that this man had taken it upon himself to destroy Saeyo's belongings was a completely different matter. Something Saeyo could not be allowed to accept. He had had enough of this game of hide-and-seek.
Saeyo raised his voice and stood up. With complete conviction, he revealed his hiding place.
"Here I am! Come up here if you're looking for me. Bastard."
The stranger did not reply, but his breathing alone was more than enough of an answer. It was clear he was in a rage.
Saeyo took a step back, reached for his dagger, looked down and waited for the stranger to climb onto the roof. The blade rested in the palm of his hand and he would not hesitate to use it for a vicious attack. Saeyo would never strike someone for no reason, but if the stranger was armed, he might not have a choice. He had to hope that wasn't the case. But luck wasn't always on his side.
The squeaking of the chair suggested that the stranger had stood on it. Saeyo stood two metres away from the roof gap.
The stranger was ready to jump up. As he jumped, one of the chair's legs snapped off. This surprised the man, and for a second he focused all his attention on the chair. That second was all Saeyo needed to make a decision. He knew how to win this battle.
The stranger's hands gripped the edge of the roof. You could tell he was trying to pull himself up. He climbed up cautiously, and Saeyo fought the urge to kick his hand and send him crashing down.
Standing in front of Saeyo was a broad man with a full white beard. The man had a large nose and one of his eyes twitched uncontrollably. The other eye was covered by a black eye patch. His bald head gleamed under the bright rays of the three suns.
He was wearing a red uniform with silver buttons, which matched his darker red, tailored trousers. His ears hung down to his neck and his skin was as red as his uniform. Several scars were visible on his left arm, where his uniform had been brutally torn. His posture was flawless and his wicked gaze was directed towards Saeyo.
He held a long rifle at his left hip. His right hand never loosened its grip on the rifle. The shaft was made of polished wood, whilst the barrel and machinery were made of silver steel. The rifle had no scope. One single shot, and Saeyo could forget all his dreams.
The roof on which they both stood was flat with an uneven surface and trembled under the weight of two people. Not to mention that the stranger weighed twice as much as Saeyo himself.
The hand holding the rifle suddenly began to shake. His fierce gaze turned thoughtful.
"Hand over the jewel right now if you value your life!"
Before the stranger could threaten him again, he was interrupted by the unstable roof. His weight worked against him. Whilst Saeyo was light and could stand on the roof without any trouble, the opposite applied for the stranger. The roof beneath his feet collapsed. The stranger drew his rifle and aimed it at Saeyo. But just as he was about to fire, he slipped and plummeted to the ground. Moments later, his body crashed onto the hard floor of Saeyo's room.
Saeyo stood steadily on the remaining section of the roof and looked down, where the stranger was struggling to get to his feet. His uniform was both dirty and covered in dust. His right shoulder had taken the brunt of the impact and was likely the worst damaged. The rifle lay somewhere amongst the wooden debris.
Saeyo didn't hesitate for long and jumped down carefully, where he swiftly grabbed the rifle his eyes had been staring at the whole time. Everything was going according to his plan. He'd expected things to turn out differently and for the weapon not to slip from the stranger's grasp, yet it had.
Although it would have been easier if the stranger hadn't been carrying a weapon at all, the gun ultimately played into Saeyo's hands. He raised the weapon and pointed it at the stranger.