Chapter 72: Tiger Balm

Chapter 72: Tiger BalmElias didn’t hesitate. "Yes, but not entirely. They’ve taken care of me and others with shards—helping us figure out what they are, how to deal with them, and what they mean for us. We can get you and your son somewhere safe. Really safe."

Joji’s expression hardened. He folded his arms, his fingers gripping at the sleeves of his worn-out coat. "I... I’m sorry. But the Military Federation has done terrible things. I will never be able to trust them."

Elias hesitated, trying to find the right words. "Is this because of the overthrow of the political structure? I mean, yeah, that sucks, but your son—"

"No!" Joji snapped, his voice raw. He exhaled sharply, his fingers tightening into fists before releasing. "It’s much more than that." He took a step back, his eyes clouded with something deeper, something personal. "When the aliens invaded our country, instead of offering direct support, the Federation rained bombs from the sky! They wiped out entire cities in an attempt to slow the enemy down."

He sucked in a breath, the weight of his words pressing down on him. "And what did the aliens do in response?" His tone dropped, bitter and laced with resentment. "They retaliated by dropping something even worse. Generations of history, of culture, of people’s lives—all reduced to rubble in a matter of days. And then, when it was all dust and corpses, the Federation marched in and seized what was left."

His lips pressed into a tight line as he shook his head. "So forgive me if I don’t buy into your ’we can help’ speech."

Before Elias could respond, Yui stepped forward with a sharp exhale, his patience wearing thin. "Save the sob story." His voice cut through the room, cold and blunt. "You don’t really have an option here."

Joji scoffed, his posture shifting slightly as he tucked a hand behind his back. "I might look frail in my current state, but I didn’t make it this far by being weak. Take the no and walk away, or things will get ugly for everyone."

His gaze locked onto Yui, unwavering and full of warning.



Elias barely had time to react before Joji suddenly moved. "Dammit, I said—"

The motion startled Joji, who yanked a revolver from his side in reflex.

Elias lunged forward, his instincts kicking in. His arm shot up, slapping the barrel aside just as Joji’s finger twitched on the trigger. A deafening crack echoed through the hall. The shot went wide, but before Joji could regain his footing, Elias grabbed his collar and wrenched him forward, throwing him off balance.

The sound of a second blast rang out—this one different, sharper, more concentrated. A streak of energy burned past Joji, just inches from his head.

Elias turned, his breath catching as he spotted a figure standing behind them, the barrel of a compact energy weapon still smoking from the shot.

It was him.

The man from before—the one Elias had seen in his vision, the one highlighted in orange. He was no bystander. He was a player in all of this.

Elias’ mind raced. "Yui, what do we do?!"

Yui didn’t hesitate. "You let me handle this."

He reached into his leather strap bag, his fingers moving with practiced ease as he pulled free two gauntlets and slid them onto his forearms. A series of metallic clicks followed as the gear locked into place, plates adjusting to fit seamlessly over his arms.

The man fired again, stepping back slightly as if thrown off by Yui’s sudden speed.

Yui shot forward, his movements fluid. Another blast rang out, but instead of dodging, he braced. The energy beam collided against his reinforced arms, rolling off the gauntlets in a dispersing arc before slamming into the wall behind him, leaving a smoldering hole.

Elias turned back to Joji, gripping his arm as he pulled him up. "For now, just trust us. We’ll figure something out. But we need to make sure your son is okay."

Joji exhaled sharply, torn between resistance and the realization that he had no other option. "Fine... I guess I don’t have much of a choice." He cast a weary glance around the room. "I thought this resort would be a good hiding spot. Too many people. Too much normalcy."

Elias’ lips pressed into a thin line as Joji moved to unlock his door. It wasn’t a bad theory, he thought. But only if he had known that his son could be tracked by the shard in him.

As the door clicked open, Elias immediately noticed the young boy nestled beneath a thick blanket, his small frame barely visible beneath the folds of fabric. An ice pack rested on his forehead, condensation trickling down the side as it slowly melted. His breathing was slow, steady, but his face was pale—far too pale.

Elias exhaled, stepping back for a moment. "Right. I’ll be right back." He turned his head slightly. "Yui, how are you holding up?"

Yui stood in the hall, his posture rigid. His eyes flicked toward the charred remains of the assailant, the man’s head obliterated—nothing left but scattered embers and the faint outline of burnt cloth. Elias blinked, barely registering what had happened before Yui answered.

"He tried to shoot me again," Yui muttered, rolling his shoulder as he adjusted his stance. "The shot reflected back at him." He exhaled sharply, then pointed at the smoldering corpse. "Keep an eye on that bastard. I’d never trust a word he said."

"Wh—what? Why?!" Elias questioned, though even as he spoke, an unpleasant thought crept into his mind. A lying politician. His gut twisted, but he shoved the thought aside for now.

He turned back into the room, his steps quick as he approached Joji. "Joji, we should be good for now. But we need to get you back to the ship to ensure you stay sa—"



The words died in his throat.

The bed was empty.

The ice pack lay sideways on the mattress, still dripping, the sheets carefully smoothed out—too carefully. The window was closed, the curtains barely disturbed, but the boy and his father were nowhere to be seen.

Elias’ pulse spiked. "What the—?" He spun on his heel just as Yui entered the room, having fully removed his gauntlets.

Yui took one glance at the empty bed before pinching the bridge of his nose. "How did he get out?"

Elias shook his head. "I have no idea. Maybe if I try to use the eyesight thing—" He hesitated for a moment. "I really should come up with a name for it."


"Possibility," Yui muttered absentmindedly, rubbing his forehead as if dealing with an oncoming headache. He pressed his fingers against his earpiece, shifting gears instantly. "Update."

A brief silence stretched before Elara’s voice crackled over the comms. "We’ve secured the one on our end. Elderly man. Appears to be suffering from the movement issues mentioned before. He’s been using his power to amass wealth quickly and... well, let’s just say he wanted to ’have fun’ with it."

Elias glanced at Yui, eyebrows raised.

"How about you guys?" Elara continued. "We’ll be taking him back to the ship for proper rest. Any luck on your end?"