It was an ordinary day, like any other in that small town! At a barbecue skewer stand, an old man was grilling meat skewers while a popular local TV show played in the background. Customers were bustling with energy, so the work was intense.
— Hm? What's that?
Said a boy about five-foot-three, relatively short. His hair was black and medium-length. His skin tone was somewhere between fair and tan, and a black cloth mask covered his face. The old man, hearing the young man's curiosity, looked surprised and replied:
— Oh, you're not from around here?! Bishop Uzai is a very famous man, all over the country!!
Those words shocked the boy completely. Even though he was born in Buraji, he had never even heard of this religious figure, as he had limited access to things.
— Well, I am from here, actually! But you know how it is, my generation isn't very into these kinds of things.
The grill master heard that, still puzzled by the masked boy not knowing about the great bishop. Sensing the awkwardness in the air, the boy with black hair spoke again:
— Ah, I'll take two meat skewers with curd cheese, and I'd also like a soda, if possible!
You couldn't see it because of the cloth mask, but a friendly smile had formed on that strange teenager's face. Hearing the order, the old man placed some skewers on the fire, letting them heat gradually. Then, from a crate outside the fridge, he grabbed a small glass bottle and revealed his power. That barbecue man had the incredible ability to chill anything he touched, which he did to the soda bottle before handing it to the boy.
— Here you go, young man!
— Oh, thank you very much!
Replied the masked one, sipping the carbonated drink from under his mask. Noticing the shift in atmosphere, the young stranger discreetly pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, stared at it for a moment, and then asked:
— This Uzai guy, why is he so important and well-known?
Sticking to his usual grill-master routine, the old man didn't think too deeply about the question and answered casually:
— Ah, he's famous because of his miracles! I know everyone has powers in this world, but Uzai's are insane! He can heal people — he's even turned stone into gold!
The old mustached man took the skewers off the grill and handed them to the boy. After receiving them, the mysterious teen quickly ate the food and left the money on the table.
— Thanks for the chat, old man!
The boy's steps were calm, but a faint sense of happiness emanated from him as he walked. A few minutes passed — around four — until he arrived in front of a dark, sinister alley.
— Man, he came here? What an ugly place!
Said the boy with black hair quietly, stepping into the alley with calm strides. From inside the alley, a voice began to echo:
— BROTHER KURA, DID YOU GET ANYTHING?!
The voice was loud, shrill, and practically screamed — it sounded like someone extremely hysterical. As Kura approached, the silhouette of the loudmouth was revealed. The person yelling was a teenager about the same age as the masked boy. The alley kid was dressed in a white suit and matching white hat, like sheets of paper. His long black hair was tied and reached down to his back, completing his look.
— Damn, you're so loud, Arold!
Complained the masked one, scratching his left ear with his pinky, his eyes showing clear discomfort. Arold, hearing his brother's complaint, subtly cleared his throat before responding.
— Sorry, bro! It's just that you're way shorter than me. I figured the sound wouldn't reach your ears unless I yelled!
Kura heard that and visibly fumed, clenching his fist and heading toward his taller brother.
— What?! Show some respect, you brat! I'm older than you!
Arold started running in circles in the alley, laughing hard at his older brother's fury, taunting him:
— Short and angry like that, you look just like a Pinscher!!
Hearing such provocation, the short-statured teen suddenly stopped chasing his younger brother. During the pause, he took a deep breath and said in his own mind:
"Calm… calm… the mission, focus on the mission! We need it… to pass the test…"
After finally cooling off, the older one locked his eyes on the guy in the white suit and said:
— Well, I found out something about Uzai's power. I think he's probably an environmental manipulation type, you know?
The long-haired one listened carefully, a sadistic smile forming in the corner of his lips as he replied:
— Great, great! So he must be pretty weak, then! Where do we find him, huh?!
Hearing that, the medium-haired boy froze momentarily, clearly showing he hadn't thought about how to find the enemy.
— W-well… I hadn't thought about that, but… he is pretty famous in this city! So…
He moved his right hand near his right ear, and with that motion, Kura activated his powers. His ability involves creating, manipulating, and doing everything related to lightning and electricity. Using a portion of that, the electric teenager intercepted radio waves in the city air, looking for one connected to Bishop Uzai. After much searching, the boy finally found something — some useful intel for them.
— Tomorrow, there's going to be a religious gathering at the church. Perfect opportunity to complete the mission!
Arold heard that, let out a few excited chuckles, and replied enthusiastically:
— Awesome, I can't wait!!
With everything finally on track, the pair of brothers left the alley discreetly and walked back to the hotel where they were staying.