The ground shook violently. The enemy leader approached Merthyl. Because of him, the surface of the old alley cracked; even for an ordinary person, it would be difficult to run. Merthyl paid no heed. Merthyl ran as fast as she could, attracting the enemy's attention. She ran over sharp rock fragments. From behind, Merthyl noticed a large rock flying towards her. Before it could hit, she slammed her hand to the ground and leaped backward, avoiding the attack. The ground shook; the person had already reached her.
"Bam!"
The person was caught off guard, then a large container fell on them. Merthyl used this condition to determine her next move.
On the other side, Zappardi tried to reach Merthyl. Without him asking, an axe shot towards him.
"Clang!"
"That rusty axe can't kill me." Zappardi then clenched his fist. Zappardi's punch landed squarely on the enemy's face, making the enemy immediately fall to the ground. Merthyl then chased Zappardi, but something blocked her way. A black silhouette moved quickly. Merthyl tried to dodge; suddenly, a sword grazed her body. Merthyl was severely shaken by the attack; she lost the strength to stand. Her eyes slowly closed. Without her realizing it, the silhouette was about to strike her. Fortunately, just as Merthyl's body was about to fall to the ground, the shadow had passed her. The figure slammed into the wall very hard; the sound and vibration from this collision made the entire place shake. Zappardi was seen standing beside Merthyl. Splashes of blood colored the wall; a coughing sound was heard from that spot. The figure took a slow breath, then drew their sword. They moved with superhuman speed, making them look like a silhouette playing with shadows in the air. Zappardi watched while dodging attacks. He then took the initiative and collapsed the floor; the figure fell into the ground.
Assuming it was safe, Zappardi asked his friend Rico to come out and immediately help him. Rico saw a light behind Zappardi and immediately told him to duck. Suddenly, a whizzing sound was heard; the same figure walked between the broken walls. They then swooped down, striking towards where Zappardi and Rico were. At a glance, Zappardi saw it: this figure was a human with long, flowing black hair, tiny wrists as if struggling to grip their sword. The attack slightly grazed Zappardi's face. Confidently, Zappardi picked up a sword stuck in the ground and threatened the figure. He then saw the figure again threatening him with a progressively broken sword. The figure dropped their sword; their hands trembled, their legs couldn't move, their entire body seemed to shiver. They then collapsed. As Zappardi was about to approach, they immediately jumped out and left them. Their attention turned to Merthyl's body, which was now covered by rock debris. After some time, notification:
*Team Zapper emerges victorious.*
After that incident, they took Merthyl to the nearest hospital. The room had minimal lighting; even the parking lot was very dark, but it was fine since they didn't bring any vehicles. Among the sturdy hospital pillars, footsteps were heard. The dimly lit room made the situation clearer. Someone wearing a hood then approached Zappardi and Rico, who were sitting lost in thought in the waiting chairs. The person opened their hood, revealing sparkling purple hair, beautiful long hair, and bright gray eyes.
"You!"
Zappardi gaped.
"Merthyl, you shouldn't be here! Go back to your room immediately!"
The ticking sound of the clock was clearly heard. The hooded figure gave them a small bag of coins. They whispered softly, "Don't you recognize this voice?" The figure whispered softly; a voice like Merthyl's was heard. "Sorry, I'm not Merthyl. How nice it is to be loved like that. So naive." The figure then clicked their tongue and left them. Not long after, the two were allowed to enter Merthyl's room. Merthyl's weak, helpless body was seen lying on the hospital bed. The doctor showed the X-ray results: 20 broken bones, 1 broken spine, 16 broken ribs, and a broken jaw. The resulting bruises could be healed over time, but the medical costs were no joke. The two opened the small bag and showed it to the doctor. Fortunately, the bag of coins was enough.
On the hospital balcony, Zappardi looked up at the sky. Many things had happened lately, leaving him a little shaken. Rico came from behind, rubbing Zappardi's back, reassuring him, "As long as we're alive, we'll face various trials. Even if they last a very long time, they won't last forever." Hearing Rico's words, Zappardi instead remembered two strange incidents recently, but he then firmly pushed those thoughts away.
The next day, Zappardi went out alone to look for supplies. Thankfully, this city was not as chaotic as the previous ones, and they still had enough savings. He went to the supermarket to buy some necessities.
Then he returned to the hospital. While enjoying some snacks, Rico said to Zappardi, "Don't forget, our goal is still the same: we will look for someone to fill the empty spot in this team until that time comes."
*Rico clenched his fist.*
"I'm counting on you, Zappardi." Zappardi returned his fist.
"Where are we going, Rico?" Zappardi asked.
"Isn't it obvious?"
"We're going to continue Team Regret's commission," Rico replied.
Zappardi frowned; the air grew heavy. He grabbed Rico's collar.
"Rico, that makes no sense!" Zappardi yelled.
Rico countered with a solid punch to his face.
"My decision is final. We need this, no matter what."
Zappardi then yelled at Rico very loudly; he punched Rico's face back.
"Since when did you become so money-crazy like this?"
Rico was not pleased about that and replied with a slap across the face.
"No matter what, our goal will be blocked if we keep going like this."
Zappardi angrily slammed his head against Rico's head.
"What if this team dies? Do you want to drag us into your problems?"
He then slammed his head again until Rico fell.
Zappardi then left him. Rico held his forehead; he was surprised by his own actions.
Zappardi was seen sitting in the hospital's back garden. Then someone approached him. It was Merthyl, with a cast on her arm. She tried to greet and comfort Zappardi. Zappardi wondered what Rico's purpose was in doing this. He then looked at Merthyl and spoke confidently.
"Did you enjoy our journey?"
Merthyl bowed her head upon hearing that question.