They arrived at the immense, ancient indigenous village of Xionomami. A place where trees seemed to touch the sky, supporting houses that defied gravity.
" It is an immense honor to step on this soil!"
Saferin declared, with respectful reverence.
The village Chief spoke something in a completely incomprehensible language.
" He doesn't speak your Japanese. I will be the interpreter!"
an villager said, stepping forward.
" As you know, the danger here is PALPABLE. The 'animals' have evolved at a terrifying speed, forcing most of the villagers to hide in underground cities! And, as I mentioned in my letter..."
The Chief pointed to two figures.
" These are the two pillars who will sustain our village, my sons!"
The villagers were a breathtaking sight: one half of their bodies was an dazzling white, like freshly fallen snow, and the other, brown and earthy. A division of color that seemed to carry the weight of duality.
"These are the TWINS! The future masters of Xionomami!"
The Chief vibrated with pride.
"It is a PLEASURE to meet you all."
The twins said, their voices in a strange, synchronized harmony.
"But I beg your pardon for the intrusion, the envoys... weren't there supposed to be THREE?"
The Chief's question cut the air, full of suspicion.
Saferin spoke with impatience.
"— Yes, but one of us... had to resolve a matter of special priority."
Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers away, Momoco was on a paradise island. The sea was a vibrant blue, the wind carrying the smell of coconut. He was stretched out, wearing an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt, showing off a surprisingly sculpted physique.
" Ah, NOTHING beats this. THIS is the true life! Traffic-stopping girls, the blue sea, and a sky that's a painting!"
He sighed, a lazy, arrogant smile on his face.
" More chilled coconut water, Mr. Momoco?"
a girl asked, with sparkling eyes.
" Yes, my sweet, dear Melissa! What a BEAUTIFUL woman!"
Momoco laughed, raising his glass.
" Where could those IDIOTS be? Facing mosquitoes and parasites in a humid jungle? I'M OUT, LET THEM FIGHT!"
Back at the village:
" We will take care of your children with the DETERMINATION of a blood oath."
Saferin guaranteed.
" I TRUST you."
The Chief nodded, the tension easing slightly.
" Now, let's celebrate! THE HOUR IS FOR FEASTING!"
They held a MONSTROUS banquet. Plate after plate was piled up.
" MY GOD, SO MUCH FOOD! IT'S A CHALLENGE!"
Gintana exclaimed, her eyes wide.
" Help yourselves! You may attack!"
The villager encouraged.
Gintana took a piece and her eyes lit up.
" Wow, what flavor! What is this? It's DELICIOUS!"
" This is our village's ultimate delicacy: Poisoned Maniçoba."
The villager smiled.
"SPLAT!" Gintana instantly spat out the food.
"WHAT?! POISONED?!"
He yelled, his face pale with shock.
" Calm down! The poison is no longer active!"
The villager reassured him.
" What powerful meat is this? It has an incredible texture!"
Saferin asked impassively, continuing to eat.
" Alligator meat." The villager answered with delight.
" I'M GOING TO DIE!" Gintana threw himself backward.
"I did feel a bit of a swampy flavor..."
Saferin shrugged.
Two hours of feasting and negotiation passed. When they were ready to leave with the twins... the village, as if by a trick, disappeared.
"POOF!" A flash of light and Momoco, with his exaggerated tan and bandana, materialized in the middle of them.
" What's up, losers? Did you enjoy the trip? Because mine was EPIC! I met stunning women, got some notable rejections, BUT I FOUND THE LOVE OF MY LIFE!" Momoco boasted.
" FINALLY, YOU TRASH! Your laziness is a joke!"
Saferin growled.
"Who are these half-and-half children?" Momoco asked, his eyebrows arched.
"The boys we came to get, you irresponsible fool."
Saferin replied dryly.
" What are their names, anyway?"
Saferin scratched his head, embarrassed.
" Come to think of it... we never asked! Hey, boys! What are your names?"
" My name is Ryo and mine is Ixigu. We are the future chiefs of the legendary Xionogami village!"
The twins answered, full of authority.
" I JUST asked for your names! You don't need that speech!"
Gintana yelled, nearly losing his composure.
They activated the teleportation method: a DIMENSIONAL CRACK opened in space, a pulsating rift that led to another place, where they could store arsenals and summons.
Back in Japan, the heat was oppressive.
" WHAT HELLISH TEMPERATURE! It's worse than in the middle of the Amazon jungle! I feel like the heat is COOKING MY BRAINS!"
Ryo complained.
" Boy, stop the drama!"
Gintana grumbled.
Suddenly, the shadow of a furious figure appeared. YAGATO, running like a runaway train, delivered a CLEAN PUNCH TO MOCOCO'S FACE!
"YOU USELESS BASTARD! So many beautiful women and you didn't even invite me!"
Yagato yelled, smoke coming out of his nostrils.
" And these boys are fascinating... one part of the body white as snow, the other part brown..."
Saferin began to analyze the twins.
" Didn't your mother teach you that it's RUDE to talk about people to their faces?!"
Ryo retorted, with a look of pure reprimand.
The magic of Ryo and Ixigu was as complex as it was simple: the body division. Although they were two children, they operated as a single body, the brain acting in a strange and powerful divided synchronicity.
Nobaru began the second phase of training right at dawn, her voice like thunder.
"Today, we are moving to the COMBAT PHASE! Finally, the real battlefield!"
"Sensei Nobaru, but we are still too WEAK..."
Fukuoka grumbled, discouraged.
"YOU IDIOT! How do you expect to get STRONGER if you don't face the challenge NOW?! There are no shortcuts to power!"
Nobaru shot back, with the intensity of a punch.
" That hurt... that wounded my soul..."
Fukuoka murmured.
"The teams will be: Zaren with Zulian. Nanai, Fukuoka, and Yoshi."
Nobaru announced.
" Oh, what a DRAG! I got stuck on the LOSERS' team!"
Nanai complained, crossing her arms.
" What do you mean, losers?!"
Yoshi protested, indignant.
"Don't mind her, Yoshi. Our big sister here has the SPIRITUAL POWER to always say the opposite of what she feels!"
Fukuoka explained, laughing.
" I do not," Nanai replied.