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Chapter 15 – Bound by the Chosen
The air carried the quiet bitterness of roasted coffee beans.
Victor and Tensei sat opposite each other in a secluded corner booth of a small café tucked between London’s streets. Afternoon sunlight filtered through the glass window, falling diagonally across the table, dividing the space between them like an unspoken line.
Victor broke the silence first.
“I don’t usually visit coffee shops,” he said calmly, lifting his cup. “But since you invited me… I made an exception.”
Tensei grinned.
“Oh? I should feel honored then. By the way, Victor—what’s your Japanese name?”
Victor paused mid-sip, then leaned back slightly.
“You really want to know?”
“Curiosity is my weakness.”
“It’s Renjiro Kaido.”
Tensei repeated it softly.
“Renjiro Kaido… sounds royal. Are you sure you’re not from some hidden clan?”
Victor chuckled under his breath as the waiter approached.
“Your order, gentlemen. Coffee and cakes. Please enjoy.”
“Thank you,” Tensei said politely, then turned back with a playful bow.
“Renjiro-sama, shall we?”
Victor rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, yeah. Drink before it gets cold.”
Steam curled upward between them, blurring their expressions for a moment.
Tensei set his cup down.
“I was chosen by the God of Knowledge. And you?”
“The God of Transformation.”
Tensei’s brows lifted slightly.
“Transformation… sounds dangerous.”
“It is,” Victor replied evenly. “I became a Raider about ten months ago. It’s a strange existence. We fight for gods, yet we live like mortals. Still—” he paused, eyes steady, “—I take pride in serving divine order.”
“Do you know any other Raiders?”
“Not personally. But I can sense them. Chosen ones leave ripples behind… like disturbances in reality.”
Tensei smiled faintly.
“I know two Raid Conquerors. Still Tier Three, though.”
Victor studied him.
“Then you’ve crossed paths with the God Flare members.”
Tensei didn’t answer. He only smiled.
Their conversation dissolved into silence, replaced by distant chatter and clinking cups. When the coffee was finished and the sunlight faded, they stepped outside—each walking toward a future already bending toward collision.
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Far away, across silver waters, a cruise ship sliced through the ocean.
Hirauka stood on the open deck, coat fluttering in the wind as a secluded island slowly emerged on the horizon. Somewhere there, an American dealer waited.
Inside her cabin, Sayaka sat cross-legged with a book resting in her lap.
The door creaked open.
“It’s strange,” Hirauka said quietly.
She looked up.
“What is?”
“The prophecy,” he replied. “I’m the one chosen for it.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“Is it?” Hirauka exhaled. “It feels like pressure. A responsibility I never asked for.”
Sayaka’s expression softened.
“You won’t face it alone. A chosen one is always accompanied. Wherever you go… I go too.”
He smirked.
“So I’m stuck with you?”
“Exactly.”
His stomach betrayed him with a growl.
She smiled.
“Haven’t eaten, have you?”
“I’ll grab something at the restaurant.”
The dining area overlooked the ocean, sunlight dancing across wide glass panels. Hirauka ordered Mexican food and waited, fingers tapping lightly on the table.
Moments later, Sayaka joined him.
“You left without asking if I was hungry,” she said. “Rude.”
“Why would I ask my boss?”
“Before that, I’m your partner.”
“Those two don’t match.”
She grinned.
“Shh. You’re no man.”
“I’m twenty-three.”
“Then act like it. You should know how to treat a woman at a restaurant. Don’t tell me you’ve never had a girlfriend.”
“Even if I didn’t, I don’t need one.”
“Of course,” she teased. “Who wouldn’t want a tall, handsome hunk like you?”
“That doesn’t suit you.”
“You’re blushing.”
“If you keep this up, I’ll teleport back to Japan. Can you at least order something?”
She leaned back lazily.
“My chef knows what I eat. Besides, this cruise is mine.”
He froze.
“The whole thing?”
“Obviously.”
He sighed.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“You still don’t know me.”
“Just—shut up.”
She gasped dramatically.
“How dare you speak to your boss like that?”
“You said partner.”
“Hmph. Fine. But if you remember the kiss—”
“Don’t,” he cut in.
The waiter arrived, placing two identical plates in front of them.
Sayaka smiled.
“See? Even our tastes match.”
“Coincidence.”
“Fate.”
They ate in silence—tense, restrained, unspoken.
Outside, as they stepped back into the corridor, Sayaka suddenly grabbed his hand.
“Don’t ignore me.”
She leaned in, but Hirauka stepped back.
“Enough of your games.”
“You don’t know how to enjoy a trip.”
“Not like this.”
He turned and walked away, her laughter echoing faintly behind him.
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? End of Chapter 15 – Bound by the Chosen
