The cool hush of the Sand Museum was a stark contrast to the scorching heat of the dunes outside.
Tourists wandered between intricate sand sculptures, whispering in awe, taking photos, and reading the placards that explained the meaning behind each masterpiece.
Among the crowd…
…was Haruto.
He blinked in amazement at a towering sculpture resembling the Statue of Liberty.
"Amazing… I wonder how long it took to make this – out of sand, no less." Haruto said, quietly
He stepped forward, moving toward another massive sculpture that caught his eye – this one a hauntingly detailed replica of the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Haruto leaned in, scanning the small plaque beneath it.
Construction of the Notre Dame Cathedral, which means "Our Lady" in honour of the Virgin Mary, commenced in 1163 and took about 180 years to complete.
His eyes widened.
180 years? That's… a really long time.
He kept reading, captivated.
After Victor Hugo published his novel "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" in 1831, the value of the cathedral was reconsidered, and a restoration was completed.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame, huh?"
Haruto tapped his chin thoughtfully.
I should try reading it once we get back to the safehouse."
Then–
A hand gently landed on his shoulder.
Haruto froze.
He turned his head, expecting trouble.
But it was just a smiling tourist – holding out a camera.
"Excuse me, sir? Would you mind taking a picture of us?"
Haruto blinked, then smiled politely.
"Sure."
15 Minutes Later…
After taking countless pictures for tourists and admiring even more intricate sand sculptures, Haruto finally stepped out of the Sand Museum, shading his eyes as the golden dunes stretched endlessly before him.
Letting out a big breath, he muttered to himself:
"Okay… where are the others?"
His fingers twitched slightly with anticipation.
I really want to go back to the safehouse and start reading Victor Hugo's book!
A few more minutes passed.
Eventually, Haruto spotted two familiar figures not far off, gliding – well, one of them gliding – down the dunes.
Ikazuchi and Reito, mid-sandboarding.
Haruto waved his arms high over his head.
"IKAZUCHI! REITO!"
Both boys turned their heads toward the voice.
"Huh?" they said in unison as their boards cut across the slope.
Ikazuchi responded with a wide grin as he effortlessly surfed down the dune.
"YO, HARUTO!" he shouted, carving clean lines into the sand.
And Reito?"
"W-Woah–!"
WHUDD!
Reito lost his balance – again – toppling forward like a ragdoll and landing face-first into the sand for what felt like the twenty-seveneth time.
He tumbled the rest of way down, coming to a graceless stop right at Haruto's feet.
Haruto's eyes widened.
He quickly crouched down.
"Reito! Are you okay?"
He helped pull Reito to his feet, who looked more like a dusted mochi than a monk, sand covering every inch of him.
SKRRRTT!
Ikazuchi slid to a halt beside them, casually stepping off his board.
"Damn, loser. I think you should stop sandboarding already – you completely suck at it."
Reito glared at Ikazuchi with the intensity of an arctic storm… but said nothing.
A pause.
"…Y-Yeah," Reito finally muttered.
Ikazuchi turned to Haruto with a raised brow.
"So what are you doing here, Haruto? You planning to join us for some sandboarding too?"
Haruto shook his head.
"No, no. I'm just looking for you guys."
He glanced around, finally realizing something was off.
Hikaru. Moriya. Daichi.
They weren't here.
"Do you guys know where Hikaru and the others are?"
Ikazuchi shrugged and shook his head.
"Haven't got a clue!" he said. "Me and this loser have been sandboarding since we got here."
Haruto let out a thought breath, his eyes scanning the horizon.
"I see…"
Then–
THOMP! THOMP!
The sand of Tottori trembled violently. Grains bounced with every thunderous shake, the ground quivering beneath their feet like something ancient had stirred.
Haruto, Ikazuchi, and Reito immediately felt it.
"WHAT THE F@%K IS HAPPENING?!" Ikazuchi shouted, trying to keep his balance.
"I DON'T KNOW…" Haruto said, stumbling slightly as the tremors continued beneath him.
Reito scanned the horizon, his sharp eyes locking on something in the distance. His breath caught.
"Guys!" Reito shouted, pointing ahead. "Look over there!"
Haruto and Ikazuchi turned quickly to where Reito was pointing.
Their eyes widened.
It was–
–a giant hooded man, thundering across the dunes in long, seismic strides.
"Is… is that a giant man?" Ikazuchi said, stunned.
Haruto narrowed his eyes, focusing on the figure as he moved.
"No… It's Molecule."
Ikazuchi and Reito's heads snapped toward Haruto.
"WHAT?!" Ikazuchi said.
Suddenly–
BOOM!
An explosion erupted from within Molecule's massive hand.
But…
It didn't do anything.
"What was that?" Reito asked, shielding his eyes from the dust.
Then–
"LET GO OF ME!" a voice echoed from Molecule's massive palm.
Haruto froze. His eyes widened.
"That voice… That's Hikaru!"
Ikazuchi and Reito's faces turned pale.
"No way…" Ikazuchi muttered. "Molecule has Hikaru in his hand."
"We have to save him," Reito said urgently.
"Yeah," Haruto nodded in agreement, determination igniting in his eyes.
Without hesitation, the three bolted toward the towering Molecule.
"OI, GIANT! Ikazuchi shouted, his voice cracking across the dunes.
Molecule came to a slow, thunderous halt. He turned his head slightly, casting a massive shadow behind him as he looked back – spotting the three Elements charging at him.
And–
Ikazuchi jumped.
Sparks erupted from his arm, electricity surging like a live wire. The very air seemed to crackle and hum, charged by his energy. His fist drew back, glowing with pure voltage, thunder coiling around his knuckles.
"TAKE THIS – THUNDER PUNCH!"
He launched forward in mid-air, punching Molecule's leg with all the force he could muster.
But…
It didn't even budge him.
Molecule smirked.
"You really thought that would work?" he said, his voice like distant thunder rolling through a storm.
Then – he kicked.
His colossal leg swung forward like a freight train, his boot colliding with Ikazuchi at devastating speed.
BAM!
"AAAHHH!" Ikazuchi cried as he was hurled backward.
Haruto and Reito's eyes widened in horror.
"IKAZUCHI!"
BAM!
Ikazuchi's body slammed into them mid-sprint. All three of them crashed into the sand in a chaotic heap.
THUDD!
The impact of Molecule's kick – combined with the collision – was enough to knock all three out cold.
Silence.
Molecule, still in his massive form, looked over his shoulder.
He saw the three unconscious Elements sprawled in the sand.
And he smirked.
"Pathetic…"
He turns back toward the horizon, and began running again – giant strides shaking the golden dunes as he carried Hikaru away.
Meanwhile…
Moriya was still resting at the Oasis, lying on the soft patch of green, completely unaware of the chaos unfolding between the other Elements and Molecule.
He lay on the grass, arms behind his head, gazing up at the orange and purple sky.
I wonder how Teshii is doing with his… what do they call it again? Is it a date? Yeah, it has to be a date. I wonder how he's doing with his date… with Hikaru's sister.
A moment passed.
Suddenly, Moriya sat up from the grass and stretched his arms.
"Perhaps… I should go check on the others. Just in case something happened."
Dusting himself off, Moriya began walking away from the Oasis, back toward the open dunes to look for the others.
Several minutes passed…
Moriya was still making his way across the golden expanse of Tottori, his sandals brushing through the sand, eyes scanning the horizon.
Then–
His eyes widened.
In the distance, he spotted Daichi, staggering upright and soaked from head to toe.
"DAICHI!" Moriya shouted, rushing toward him across the sand.
Daichi looked over, still catching his breath.
"M-Moriya, right?"
"Yeah," Moriya nodded. "But more importantly – what happened to you? You're completely soaked!"
Daichi let out a heavy sigh, his expression tense.
"That mutant… he snuck up on us."
Moriya's brow furrowed.
"Molecule?"
Daichi nodded.
"Yeah. He took both me and Hikaru by surprise. We weren't ready."
"Hikaru too?!" Moriya said, his voice rising.
"Yeah…" Daichi nodded again, slower this time.
Moriya's expression darkened.
"Then… where is he?" Where's Hikaru now?"
Daichi hesitated. His gazed dropped to the sand.
"He… he got taken. Molecule grabbed him and ran."
"What?!" Moriya gasped, eyes wide in disbelief.
Daichi's shoulders sank.
"I tried to stop him. But I failed…"
Moriya clenched his fists, his jaw tightening.
"We need to find the others – now."
Daichi looked up and nodded with determination.
"Yeah."
Without wasting another second, the two of them took off running across the golden dunes, their footsteps kicking up sand as they raced to find the rest of the Elements.
A Few Minutes Later…
Haruto, Ikazuchi, and Reito, who had all been knocked out by Molecule, finally began to stir.
"What… happened?" Ikazuchi groaned as he slowly sat up, rubbing the side of his head.
One by one, the three of them rose to their feet, aching and disoriented.
Haruto winced, a hand to his ribs.
"Wh–"
Then, his eyes widened as the memory rushed back to him.
That's right! Molecule… he has Hikaru. And he took us down like we were nothing!
Before any of them could say another word, a voice called out in the distance.
All three turned toward it.
It was Moriya, sprinting across the dunes toward them. And right behind him–
Daichi, soaked to the bone, sand clinging to his damp clothes.
"Moriya… Daichi…" Haruto murmured, his voice faint from pain.
As the two reached them, Haruto blinked at Daichi's drenched appearance.
"Daichi… what happened to you? You're completely soaked."
"Yeah…" Daichi muttered, still catching his breath.
"What happened to you guys?" Moriya asked, scanning their bruised and battered forms.
Haruto hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck, still sore.
"Um… uh…"
"Molecule battered us!" Ikazuchi said flatly.
"Yeah, that…" Haruto nodded sheepishly.
Moriya clenched his fists, his expression darkening.
"Damn it… and now he has Hikaru."
"Yeah…" Daichi said solemnly. "Molecule completely overpowered the two of us. We never stood a chance."
Reito turned to Daichi, concern etched on his face.
"Is that how he captured Hikaru?"
Daichi nodded.
Ikazuchi then glanced at Moriya, squinting.
"So… Moriya. Did Molecule even come after you? You look way too fine."
Moriya began to sweat nervously, chuckling awkwardly.
"Well… you see… I was actually just lying down in the grassland. Taking in nature."
Ikazuchi's eyes twitched violently.
"WHAT?!"
Then–
"That doesn't matter right now!" Haruto interjected, stepping forward. "What matters is we have to find Hikaru and Molecule – fast."
"But how are we supposed to find them?" Reito asked, glancing at the endless dunes around them.
A tense silence followed.
"I… don't know," Haruto admitted, staring down at the golden sand in frustration.
"We can find him!"
Everyone turned toward Daichi, who had crouched down a few metres away.
"Look," Daichi said, pointing at the ground.
The others followed his finger – and saw them.
Massive footprints, embedded deep in the sand.
Molecule's.
"We just have to follow these," Daichi said with confidence. "They'll lead us right to them."
Ikazuchi crossed his arms, frowning.
"But how are we supposed to beat a mutant who already destroyed us once?"
Then–
"I've got a plan!"
All heads snapped toward Haruto, who was now smiling with renewed determination.
"I've got a plan to beat Molecule… and save Hikaru!"
TO BE CONTINUED!!!