𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗘; 𝘥𝘳.𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦

02

CHAPTER 2 | HIS NAME WAS...

A BIRD SOARED gracefully through the sky, its wings catching the sunlight as it glided closer. With a gentle flap, it landed on the outstretched arm of Erastus, who smiled at the small creature. 

The bird, a vibrant blue with hints of green, tilted its head curiously as Erastus scratched its head affectionately.

He noticed a small piece of parchment securely tied to the bird's foot. With gentle hands, he unwrapped the letter, and the bird let out a cheerful chirp.

Chuckling, Erastus raised his arm up toward the sky. "Thank you, Yula," he said, affectionately acknowledging the bird that had brought him the message. 

As if understanding Erastus's words, the bird, Yula, flapped its wings and took off into the sky.

He stood still for a moment, watching as Yula soared away, heading back toward Ishigami Village. He closed his eyes, a content smile spreading across his face. "How fortunate," he murmured.

He glanced down at the letter in his hands and began to read:

"Dear Erastus,

How have you been? The Grand Bout is coming up, and there's a strange man who arrived in the village a few weeks ago. He has weird, leaky hair and some 'science' thing going on. I don't really know what that is, but he made Kinro's spear gold!!!

Uncle Kokuyo told me to tell you that you should come back to the village.

From Ginro."

Erastus couldn't help but put a hand to his mouth as he chuckled softly. Of course, Ginro was still Ginro after all these years.

Not that Erastus minded; it warmed his heart to hear from his friend and to know that things in the village were as lively and chaotic as always.

However, he looked down at the letter again, frowning slightly. A "strange man" who talked about science and had leaky hair? 

It sounded odd—almost like something out of a fairy tale or a description of an alien.

Erastus couldn't shake the curiosity stirring within him. Who could this man be? What did he want in Ishigami Village?

Whatever the truth was, it seemed he might have to return home sooner than he thought.

...

It was dark, the moon was barely visible because of the clouds. Erastus walked through the woods with ease. 

To anyone else, the darkness would be unsettling, eerie rather, but for him, it felt like a normal evening stroll. 

He had done this before—so many times.

He paused beneath the sprawling branches of a massive tree. He was tired, so he wanted to rest, that's why he decided it was the perfect spot to settle down. 

So he gathered some dry twigs and fallen branches, quickly building a small campfire.

He leaned back against the sturdy trunk of the tree, watching the flames dance in front of him.

He pondered, his brow furrowing as he gazed into the flickering flames. How many years had it been? Twenty years had passed and yet he still didn't find the source of what had happened to this world.

He would see strange statues around wherever he went. It was strange. It was creepy.

He wished that they would just—

Crack.

His head snapped toward the direction of the sound, his eyes narrowing, squinting in the direction of the woods. 

 The familiar sounds of the night fell silent, and an unsettling feeling crept up his spine. That was definitely the sound of a branch breaking.

There was something there. He could feel it.

The rustling of leaves followed, punctuated by the faintest sound of footsteps. 

Was it an animal? Or something more?

He stood up and walked towards the bushes. With a quick motion, he pushed the leaves aside, only to find—

A squirrel.

It stared at him, clutching an acorn. 

Erastus blinked, then let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "Just a squirrel," he muttered, watching the little creature scurry away.

Just as Erastus was about to turn back, a strange chill ran down his spine.

Then, a glint.

A person!? His eyes widened in alarm, his body tensing instinctively.

Before he could react, something—or someone—knocked him back with force. He stumbled, falling face-first into the ground.

Erastus was swiftly flipped onto his back, a strong hand grasping his neck with an iron grip.

"Who are you?" The voice was deep and commanding. Quite attractive. 

The man loomed over him, eyes cold and watchful, much like a predator sizing up its prey.

Erastus gasped for air, momentarily stunned.

In the dim light of the campfire, he could see the man clearly. He was tall and muscular, with long, wild black hair that framed his sharp features. His eyes were piercing, and... is that a scar? 

A scar cut across his face, making him look more intimidating.

The man's grip tightened around Erastus' neck, cutting off his air as he was shoved hard into the ground.

"Answer," the man demanded, his voice low.

Erastus gritted his teeth, his vision starting to blur as the pressure on his throat increased. Desperately, he gripped the man's arm and tapped it, gasping for air.

"Er...astus..." he managed to choke out, barely above a whisper.

The man released his grip, and Erastus felt a wave of relief wash over him.

He sat up clutching his throat, trying to soothe the pain. The man was undeniably strong—he could have easily killed him.

He flinched when the man locked eyes with him. "You have no petrification marks," the man stated coldly.

Erastus furrowed his brows, confusion washing over him. What did the man mean by petrification marks? He had never heard of such a thing before. Do humans have those?

"Petrification mark?" Erastus echoed, his voice shaky. He looked up at the man, trying to gauge his reaction. "What are you talking about? I don't know what that is."

The man raised a brow. "I see, so you're one of them."

One of what? Erastus bit the side of his cheek, anxiety pooling in his stomach. Before he could ask, the man crouched to his eye level and grabbed his chin, forcing him to face his piercing gaze.

"!?"

"You don't look like someone from the modern world. If you did, you'd be someone popular with those looks." The man examined Erastus' face, turning it to the side as if searching for something.

After a moment, he let go of Erastus' chin and stood up, dusting off his clothes.

"I am Tsukasa Shishio, the one who seeks to rebuild this world. You may not know me... but I'm someone who won't hesitate to do what's necessary."