Chapter 18: New Beginning.

After several weeks with the bandits, Kazuya found himself settling into his new surroundings. The initial apprehension and fear he felt upon waking up in the car had slowly faded away, replaced by a sense of curiosity and cautious optimism.

The bandits, it turned out, were not the ruthless villains he had initially believed them to be. They treated him with a surprising amount of kindness and hospitality, welcoming him into their makeshift family with open arms.

As Kazuya explored the bandits' camp, he couldn't help but marvel at the sense of camaraderie and unity that permeated the air. Despite their rough exterior, the bandits were a tightly-knit group, bound together by a shared sense of purpose and loyalty to one another.

The camp itself was a sight to behold. Tents and makeshift shelters dotted the landscape, surrounded by a bustling marketplace where bandits traded goods and shared stories. Children ran through the streets, their laughter echoing in the air as they played games and chased each other around.

Kazuya quickly found himself drawn into the rhythm of life in the camp. He helped with chores, shared meals with the other bandits, and even picked up a few tricks of the trade from the more experienced members of the group.

But amidst the hustle and bustle of camp life, Kazuya couldn't shake the feeling of unease that gnawed at the back of his mind. He couldn't forget the horrors he had witnessed at the hands of the Chrono Reapers, nor the night where he killed his family.

That was until Toma came to him. "Hey Kazuya, what are you doing? Come join us!"

Kazuya reluctantly followed him, even though he didn't want to.

Toma took him to the Campfire, where Musa, Shota and Jun were all present.

Shota and Mousa were all near the campfire while Jun was working on the car.

"She must be a mechanic" Kazuya thought.

Kazuya and Toma went to sit down with Mousa and Shota.

Jun was just finishing up, when she got up walked towards the campfire. Kazuya couldn't help but stare at her.

She was a example of youthful beauty, this teenage girl bandit was captivating with her striking appearance. Her messy short hair, it's colour was of a luscious mustard brownish hue, her framed delicate features in soft waves, accentuating her captivating eyes. Not to mention her glorious hourglass body shape, even though she looked rough, her beauty wasn't.

Kazuya couldn't help but stare at Jun, he didn't know why but she was alluring.

"What are you doing at brat?" Jun said, she noticed that Kazuya was looking at her.

Kazuya was embarrassed that she caught him staring, he blushed as he quickly looked away.

The others couldn't help but chuckle.

Jun then sat down near the campfire as well.

In less than a minute, a woman with a little girl came towards the group, she was holding a large pot filled with soup

"I hope this will be enough! We're almost running out of stock but I did the best I

can to make enough for everyone" the woman said with a smile.

"Oh Miss Akane You've been working hard for us, Thank you." Mousa said

"Well we should be thanking you guys for helping us, and after all we're family" Miss Akane said.

The child who was with Miss Akane suddenly went towards Kazuya.

"I've never seen you before! Look mommy he has white hair!!!"

The attention was suddenly averted towards Kazuya, which Kazuya didn't like one bit.

"What's your name!" said.the little girl asked.

Kazuya didn't expect the girl who looked to be around 5 or 6, to approach him like that. But he answered her anyways.

"..... My name is Kazuya."

The girl happily replied "Nice to meet you Kazuya! My name is Hina, I hope we would get along big bro!"

Kazuya tilted his head "big bro?"

Kazuya was kind of surprised, he didn't know what to react, ever since he was in the Chrono Reapers base, he was motionless, his emotions were numb, and at time his mind would be almost nonexistent. But now he is feeling something else that's making him feel better.

The girl then ran up to her mother. "Mommy, my new friend is Kazuya!"

The bandits including Miss Akane, all chuckled at the heartwarming scene.