Cerebro

"So," said Zaire, breaking the silence as they walked.

"Huh?" Yuki replied, glancing over at him.

"What did you show that lady back there?" Zaire asked, curiosity evident in his voice.

"Oh, nothing important," Yuki said dismissively, waving a hand as if to brush off the question.

They both stepped out of the village, passing the guard who stood watch at the entrance.

"Thanks, Chief," Yuki said to the guard, offering a polite nod.

The guard nodded back. "Safe travels."

"I don't think the next village is far from here," Yuki continued as they walked. "If we start now, we might reach it by tomorrow morning."

Zaire turned to look back at the village, his expression troubled. "We can't leave them like this. We gotta help," he said, his voice filled with concern.

Yuki stopped and turned to face him, her expression stern. "It seems you've forgotten you're the one who caused this for them. I told you it's not our problem, so let's go."

"But they need our help," Zaire insisted, his eyes pleading.

"Listen, they don't," Yuki said, his tone impatient. "If they did, then they would have asked."

Zaire sighed, frustration and guilt mixing on his face. "Maybe they're too proud to ask."

Yuki shook his head, his expression softening slightly. "Pride or not, it's not our responsibility to fix every problem we come across."

Zaire clenched his fists, looking down at the ground. "I just... I can't ignore it." he said to himself 

"Let's get going," Yuki said, his voice firm.

They both walked off into the dense, mysterious forest. The canopy overhead was thick, allowing only slivers of moonlight to pierce through, creating an eerie, shadowy path. The air was cool and filled with the sounds of nocturnal creatures stirring.

Two hours passed, the forest growing darker and more foreboding. Yuki stopped, turning around to speak to Zaire. "We should stop; it's getting dark." But as he turned, he realized Zaire was missing. Panic surged through him. "What the hell?" Yuki muttered, his heart racing. He sprinted back along their path, cursing himself for not noticing Zaire's absence sooner. "You dumbass! Why didn't I notice he was missing earlier?"

[Back at the village]

The dim light of the village was disrupted by the arrival of the boss from earlier, accompanied by his intimidating right-hand man. They strode into the lady's store, their presence casting a shadow over the room.

"Lord Cerebro, good night," the lady stammered, her voice quivering with shock and fear.

Cerebro, a tall figure with a mask that covered his face, stepped forward. His aura radiated power and menace. "I heard what happened today. That wasn't in my calculation. Don't tell me because my crew is made up of four persons, you people think you can turn against us," his voice was cold, each word laced with threat.

"It wasn't like that, my lord. It wasn't us," the lady pleaded, her voice trembling.

"Then who?" Cerebro's eyes narrowed behind his mask. With a swift motion of his left hand, he swung and destroyed a nearby shelf, sending wooden splinters flying. The sound of the crashing shelf echoed through the store, heightening the tension.

The lady cowered, her face pale with fear. "I... I don't know, my lord," she whispered, barely able to speak.

Cerebro's right-hand man stepped forward, his black hair glinting in the dim light. "You better find out, or there will be consequences," he said, his tone as menacing as his master's.

"I really don't know they were travelers so we kicked them out of the village" said the lady while shaking in fear

[5 minutes ago in the forest]

Zaire had overheard the commotion and, driven by a surge of anger and a need for justice, he sprinted towards the village. His mind raced with thoughts of confronting the man the lady talked about. 

"Zaire, wait! You can't just rush in there!" Yuki shouted, his voice strained with worry as he runs behind him.

Zaire didn't slow down. "I'm not going to let him get away with this, Yuki! He needs to be stopped!"

As they neared the village, Yuki grabbed Zaire's arm, forcing him to stop. "This is reckless! You don't know what you're up against."

Zaire shook off Yuki's grip. "I don't care. I'm stronger than I was before. I can take him."

"What the hell are you talking about you dumbass" said Yuki.

They both heard a loud crash from the direction of the store. Zaire's eyes narrowed. "That's him. I'm going."

Before Yuki could stop him, Zaire bolted towards the source of the noise. Yuki cursed under his breath and followed Zaire.

Zaire burst into the store just as Cerebro and his right-hand man were about to leave. The two men turned, their eyes locking onto the intruder. Cerebro's gaze was cold and calculating, while his right-hand man looked amused.

"So, you're the one causing trouble," Cerebro said, his voice low and dangerous.

Zaire stepped forward, fists clenched. "I'm here to stop you."

Cerebro chuckled. "Bold words. Let's see if you can back them up."

They both heard a loud crash from the direction of the store. Zaire's eyes narrowed. "That's him. I'm going."

Before Yuki could stop him, Zaire bolted towards the source of the noise. Yuki cursed under his breath and followed zaire.

Zaire burst into the store just as Cerebro and his right-hand man were about to leave. The two men turned, their eyes locking onto the intruder. Cerebro's gaze was cold and calculating, while his right-hand man looked amused.

"So, you're the one causing trouble," Cerebro said, his voice low and dangerous.

Zaire stepped forward, fists clenched. "I'm here to stop you."

Cerebro chuckled. "Bold words. Let's see if you can back them up."

Cerebro appeared in front of Zaire, his eyes gleaming with malicious intent. Without warning, he grabbed Zaire by the throat with his large, powerful hand, lifting him effortlessly off the ground. Zaire struggled, gasping for breath, but Cerebro's grip was like iron. With a swift motion, Cerebro hurled Zaire through the glass door, the sound of shattering glass echoing through the village.

Zaire crashed outside, tumbling onto the dirt path, coughing and disoriented. Cerebro walked out calmly, his right-hand man following closely behind, their presence exuding an aura of menace and authority.

"He's strong," Zaire wheezed, trying to push himself up, "Where's harry?"

"There's a saying, don't mess with a man's family." said Cerebro.

Cerebro's right-hand man, a sinister grin spreading across his face, raised his scythe to strike. But just as the blade was about to descend, Yuki appeared out of nowhere, blocking the attack with his sheathed sword. The impact reverberated through the air, a clash of steel and resolve.

"What the hell? You can't kill him; he owes me money, damn it!" Yuki snapped, his voice filled with a mix of anger and determination. His usually carefree demeanor was replaced by a serious, deadly focus.