The golden horizon shimmered with the reflection of the setting sun, casting long shadows across the dunes of Tottori. The waves continued to crash rhythmically against the sands below, their roaring cadence echoing through the air like the slow beat of a war drum.
And at the edge of Tottori, two people stood still – Hikaru and Daichi–
Facing the enemy who had returned.
Molecule.
Hikaru's body began to glow, a radiant aura of gold pulsing from his core. The light bent around him, flickering like fire caught in a prism.
Around Daichi, the sand stirred.
It began to levitate, swirling around him in controlled spirals. His posture lowered, fists clenched tight, muscles tense like a coiled spring.
"Molecule…" Hikaru growled, his voice heavy with restraint.
The wind tugged at Molecule's navy hair as he stood tall, that ever-present smirk plastered across his face. His turquoise eyes locked onto Daichi.
"I gotta say, Element of Earth," he said mockingly. "You've got a real tragic backstory. Cheated on, abandoned, heartbroken… Classic."
Daichi's jaw clenched. His gaze sharpened.
"Shut up."
Molecule raised an eyebrow.
"That's rude."
Then – with a snap of air–
FWOOOSH!
Molecule shrunk, his body condensing in a blur until he vanished into the grains of sand like a ghost in the wind.
"Hikaru!" Daichi barked. "Call the others – now!"
But before either could act–
FWOOOSH!
Molecule enlarged again – right in front of Daichi!
CRACK!
A heavy fist slammed straight into Daichi's stomach.
"Ggh–!" Daichi gasped, the air leaving his lungs as he was launched backward, his boots carving trenches in the sand.
"Daichi!" Hikaru shouted, his eyes blazing. "ILLUMINATE BLITZ!"
A beam of concentrated golden light erupted from his palm, cutting through the air like a laser, aimed straight for Molecule.
And Molecule?
He smiled.
FWOOOSH1
Molecule shrunk again, dodging the Illuminate Blitz by mere inches. The golden beam cut through the air and exploded harmlessly against a distant dune.
BOOM!
Hikaru gritted his teeth.
Damn it – I missed.
FWOOOSH!
Molecule enlarged once more – this time right in front of him. His right arm ballooned to monstrous proportions, larger than a boulder. With a wild, victorious grin stretching across his face, he lunged forward.
"You're mine, Element of Light!"
KRSSHHH!
Suddenly – a violent surge of sand shot upward in front of Hikaru, forming a thick, towering wall. Molecule's giant fist slammed directly into it.
FWWOOMP!
His eyes widened.
"What?!
He spun around.
Behind him, kneeling in the sand, was Daichi – one hand raised, his eyes burning with focus.
Then–
THUMP!
Daichi stomped hard into the earth. A deep rumble echoed across the dunes. With a hiss of pressurized energy, a compact sphere of sand erupted upward in front of him. The grains spun at high velocity, friction welding them together into a hardened orb that glowed faintly in the fading sunlight.
He reeled back–
And kicked it forward like a rocket.
"SAND CANNON!"
The sphere shot forward with blistering speed.
Molecule roared, raising his enlarged fist to block–
KRSSSHH!!
The impact struck like a meteor. Molecule staggered backward, stunned, sand exploding in every direction.
Some of it blasted into his eyes.
"Gaaahh–!" Molecule cried out, trying to wipe his face. "My eyes–!"
As he stumbled blindly, the wall of sand between him and Hikaru crumbled into dust.
Hikaru dashed past him in a flash of gold and rejoined Daichi, who now stood firm, wind swirling the sand around him like a protective storm.
The two stood side by side, nodding at each other.
Daichi inhaled deeply. The grains of sand danced at his feet, responding to his breath, his will.
It's been months since I started to control sand.
Seems like… I'm getting to use to it.
Five Months Ago…
Under the deep indigo sky of Tottori, Daichi sat alone at the very edge of the dunes–
The same place where, in the present, he now stood beside Hikaru.
But that night…
He was crumbling.
Tears streamed silently down his cheeks, glinting beneath the moonlight. The distant crash of the waves only made the silence heavier.
I can't believe… Yasuka would cheat on me like that.
I really thought she was the one. The person I'd spend my life with.
Guess. I was wrong.
Daichi lowered his head, resting his forehead against his knees. His voice came out as a broken whisper.
"…I'm sorry, Mother."
Then–
Sshhh…
A faint sound.
A gentle rustling.
Almost like fabric brushing against itself.
Daichi lifted his head.
What was that?
He scanned the area… and froze.
Before him–
Grains of sand had risen into the air. Floating. Twisting.
Glowing faintly under the moonlight like stardust caught in time.
He blinked.
Why… is the sand just floating like that?
Cautiously, he raised his hand.
And–
The sand began to rise even higher.
His eyes widened.
"What the…?"
He quickly lowered his hand.
The sand instantly dropped back to the ground like marionette strings being cut.
Daichi's heart thudded.
Wait… don't tell me…
He raised his hand again.
And like a silent answer to an unspoken command – the sand rose again.
Higher.
Spiralling.
Obeying him.
Then–
With a flick of his wrist, the grains swirled around him like a miniature storm. A living shield. A dance of the desert wind.
Daichi stood, breath hitching, eyes glowing with wonder.
"I… I can control sand?"
As if responding to his declaration, the sand picked up speed, swirling tighter.
He crossed his arms into an X, then flung them wide–
WHUMP!
The sand burst outward in all directions like an expanding pulse.
With exhilaration rushing through his veins, Daichi lifted his hand once more.
More sand rose.
With another flick of his wrist, it spiraled again.
And this time…
He smiled.
A wide, disbelieving, almost childlike smile.
This… this is amazing.
Back to the Present…
Hikaru glanced at Daichi, his brows furrowed in curiosity.
"Um… Daichi? By any chance, can you only control sand?"
Daichi simply smirked.
He turned his eyes toward the Sea of Japan, glistening in the distance, and silently raised his hand.
The ground beneath them trembled.
"Uh… Daichi?" Hikaru muttered, eyes narrowing.
Far beyond the dunes, the sea began to churn violently, waves slamming into the golden sand as if stirred by a great beast beneath. The water began to bubble – a roiling, unnatural boil.
And then–
KRSSSHHH!!!
From the golden horizon, the ocean suddenly split, blasting high into the sky. Water sprayed in all directions.
And from beneath the waves – a massive boulder rose from the depths like a sea dragon breaching the surface.
It cast a long shadow over the dunes as it floated – levitating under Daichi's command.
Daichi's eyes narrowed, hand steady, unwavering.
Hikaru's jaw dropped.
He turned slowly to his teammate.
"D-Daichi…"
Daichi finally spoke.
"I can control more than just sand."
Before Hikaru could respond, Daichi snapped his hand forward.
The colossal boulder surged through the air like a meteor, heading straight for Molecule – who was still blindly rubbing sand from his eyes.
Just as Molecule blinked the last grain away, he noticed the gargantuan shadow looming overhead.
His turquoise eyes shot open.
"What the hell?!"
He looked up to see the massive boulder moments from crushing him–
But instead of panic…
He smirked.
Calmly, Molecule extended his hand.
The moment his palm touched the surface of the boulder–
FWOOOSH!
It shrank instantly.
The enormous rock compressed into the size of a pebble, clinking harmlessly as it dropped into the sand beside him.
Daichi's eyes widened in disbelief.
"No way… he just shrunk that boulder like it was nothing."
Hikaru gritted his teeth. "I completely forgot he change the size of things he can touch…"
Molecule casually clapped the sand off his hands, expression annoyed.
"You…" he growled, glaring at Daichi," You're starting to piss me off."
Daichi tensed, lowering into a defensive stance, his gaze sharp and grounded.
"You just keep getting in my way."
FWOOOSH!
Molecule vanished into a blur.
Hikaru's eyes darted to Daichi.
"Daichi! We have to be careful!"
Daichi gave a quick nod, fists clenched.
"Yeah."
Then–
FWOOOSH!
Molecule suddenly enlarged mid-air, casting a looming shadow over Hikaru.
Hikaru's eyes widened.
"What?!"
Before he could react, Molecule twisted mid-air, wrapped his legs around Hikaru's neck, and yanked him into a headlock.
WHUDD!
He slammed Hikaru into the sand like a meteor crash.
"Gahh!" Hikaru gritted his teeth, his fingers clawing at Molecule's legs, trying desperately to pry them apart. The sand around him exploded upward from the impact.
From behind–
"SAND GAUNTLET!"
Molecule glanced to the side, still holding Hikaru in a vice-like grip.
Daichi stood tall, fists clenched.
Sand erupted around his arms, swirling and hardening into massive gauntlets – jagged, dense, layered with shifting plates etched with glowing runes.
"Hikaru! Look away!"
Still trapped, Hikaru shut his eyes tight and turned his face into the sand.
FWOOOSH!
Daichi charged like a missile, one arm cocked back.
But Molecule – shrunk in a blink, slipping out from beneath Hikaru just in time.
BOOM!
Daichi's gauntlet slammed into the sand, creating a crater as the ground burst upward in a column of dust and shattered dune.
"Damn it!" Daichi hissed.
Hikaru coughed and stagged to his feet, wiping sand from his face. "Thanks, Daichi!"
Daichi gave a quick nod, already scanning for their opponent.
FWOOOSH!
Molecule enlarged again a few metres away, dust swirling around his feet. His expression was no longer playful – it was furious.
Hikaru's breath was ragged, light flickering along his arms.
Damn it! Where even is the others?
In the middle of the Oasis of Tottori, Moriya lay flat on the cool grass, arms spread, eyes half-lidded as he soaked in the rare paradise nestled within the endless dunes. The water trickled gently beside him, birds chirped overhead, and for the first time in ages, his soul felt at peace.
He took a deep breath.
"I wonder how the other guys are doing?"
Elsewhere, Ikazuchi was still sandboarding like a maniac – laughing, shouting, the wind roaring in his ears. Reito, meanwhile, continued to struggle with balance, face-playing for the third time as Ikazuchi yelled another insult mid-descent.
Haruto wandered the Sand Museum, awed by a sculpture of a temple made entirely from sand, light filtering through the glass roof above.
And Hikaru and Daichi?
They were breathing heavily, battered and bruised, facing off against Molecule, who stood a few metres away with his arms crossed and that unsufferable grin on his face.
His turquoise eyes flicked between the two.
They're breathing heavily!
Now's my chance…
FWOOOSH!
Daichi winced, knees shaking beneath him. "Damn it…"
His body screamed in protest.
Hikaru staggered, barely staying upright – then collapsed to his knees.
And then–
FWOOOSH!
Molecule enlarged himself again, appearing before Hikaru in a blur of motion. His massive hand grew larger, reaching forward like a crane about to snatch its prize.
"HIKARU!!" Daichi shouted, spinning around too late.
But Molecule wasn't aiming for him–
WHAM!!
A giant fist slammed into Daichi, sending him flying through the air, twisting end-over-end until–
SPLAAAASH!
He crashed into the Sea of Japan.
"DAICHII!!" Hikaru's voice cracked as he reached toward the waves, horrified.
But Molecule turned back toward him – smiling.
CLMP!
His massive fingers closed around Hikaru like a steel trap.
"OI! LET GO OF ME!" Hikaru shouted, struggling against the overwhelming grip.
FWOOOSH!
Molecule grew even larger – now towering as high as a building. Tourists screamed in surprise, some even raised their phones, snapping photos like it was part of the show.
But Molecule didn't care and puts on his hood.
Without another word, he turned and ran, shaking the ground with each step, disappearing over the horizon – Hikaru clutched tightly in his massive fist.
Back at the shore–
SPLASH!
Daichi emerged from the sea, soaked and furious. He stared at the empty stretch of golden sand ahead.
Hikaru was gone.
"Damn it!!"
He slammed his fist into the ground, sand erupting around his knuckles.
And far behind him, somewhere in the vast dunes…
The others still had no idea.
TO BE CONTINUED!!!