"...We are arriving at Montrael!"
"...Those departing, please ensure all personal belongings are taken with you!"
In the steamboat, the captain’s voice echoed from the speakers, and all the passengers quickly gathered their things and prepared to disembark.
Smoke chugged out of the large chimneys as the steamboat made its final approach to the dock.
"This is Montrael, huh?"
With hood on, Julian sat on the railing with bag in hand and looked at the city known as the "City of a Thousand Dojos."
It was also the last known home of his close friend, Kiernan Hunter.
The steamboat docked, and everyone disembarked. They met with city officials at the dock, who asked for their identification and purpose for visiting.
’The life of a fugitive...’
Julian wryly smiled and turned invisible.
Without anyone noticing, he snuck out of the dock, and after he was out of view, he turned back and became visible.
He stepped out of an alleyway into a busy street and looked at the view of the towering buildings.
The streets, and alleys were quite narrow in Montrael. One couldn’t really see any cars roaming about.
There were specific car-only streets and pedestrian streets, where one didn’t need to worry about any cars or traffic.
’...What was that Kiernan’s dojo name again? I think it was something Martial... Martial... Agh, I can’t remember.’
Julian pulled out his phone, opened the browser, and just searched, "Montrael, Martial," hoping to get a search.
All the top searches were about martial arts and about dojos. There was no dojo named Martial.
He kept searching until finally he saw a glimpse of something familiar.
[Martial Redemption]
"That’s it..."
Julian pocketed his phone, made his way to Action Street, and after a while found the expanded dojo.
It had some graffiti done on the walls. It wasn’t the only victim. The nearby neighborhood had been ravaged by graffiti artists.
Julian lifted his mask slightly to hide more of his features and knocked three times on the gate door.
Knock... Knock... Knock!
It soon opened, and a young student peeked out with a white headband on her head. She looked curiously at him.
She thought that Julian was some weird guy for wearing a mask.
"Hello, young lady, who is the current owner of this dojo?"
Julian asked.
"...Miss Aoi is."
She shyly said.
"May I come to meet her?"
Julian asked.
"...D-do you have an appointment?"
She asked.
"No, but I am an old friend of hers."
Julian said.
"...I’ll ask her... What is your name?"
She asked.
"...Julian."
He said.
The little girl nodded, closed the door, and headed inside to fetch Aoi, and while waiting, Julian leaned against the wall.
"...Argh!"
"...More, punch harder! You can’t improve your Iron Smash like this!"
"...You think doing one hundred push-ups is hard? The former master Kiernan would’ve been able to do ten thousand with one hand!"
He listened to the shouting coming from inside the dojo and smiled with nostalgia as it made him remember things.
Creak!
In that moment, the gate opened, and the beautiful Aoi stepped outside and turned to look at him with surprise.
"...Julian?"
Aoi asked.
"It’s been a long time. How have you been?"
Julian asked with a smile.
Feeling emotional, Aoi hugged him tightly, as it had been over ten years since the two of them met.
"It’s been a long time... Why have you come here?"
Aoi asked with a smile.
"Can we talk inside? I am also pretty parched, so if you got a drink for me, I would really appreciate it!"
"Of course, come in."
They went inside the dojo while the students looked curiously at Julian, wondering who he was, and they went in one of the vacant rooms.
Aoi poured him a glass of ice-cold water and sat across from him at the table.
"...Ah."
Julian enjoyed the refreshing drink and let out a satisfied "ah."
"...Now, why I have come here."
He interlocked his fingers, looked into Aoi’s eyes, and said with a smile.
"I am thinking about heading to Dead World. I have an idea what I should do, but I was wond—"
Bang!
In that moment, Aoi slammed her hands on the table, propped herself up, and looked coldly into his eyes.
"I really liked seeing you again. It’s been long time. However, I don’t want to talk about Dead World ever again.
"Also, I don’t want you to go there. You will just get yourself killed. That whole place should be wiped off the face of the planet."
Aoi said.
"It’s just really unfair. I think I should’ve gone with Kiernan to Dead World ten years ago, but they just left me behind.
"I have to see that place by myself."
Julian said.
"...Why? Just... stop, Julian, please stop. You can just get settled somewhere and get a wife and children. Why go there? It makes no sense."
Aoi said with a sad look.
"Get a wife and children? That life is not possible for me. I will be forever hunted because this shitty bounty of mine, and if I get ’settled’ anywhere, it will just be a matter of time before I get discovered.
"When that happens, I would have to leave my family.
"I got nothing going on for me, so why not make myself useful and try to find the truth behind Dead World?"
Julian said.
"I don’t want another friend of mine to die. I am sure Karma will also be extremely sad to find out about your death."
Aoi said.
"...I’ve sadly already made my decision. I just came here to ask whether Kiernan mentioned anything about Dead World that maybe I should know?"
"...No, nothing. Everyone went there blindly and paid the price..."
Aoi looked down and fidgeted with her fingers, and her self-hatred inside grew again.
She had been hating herself for years now as ten years ago, she should’ve fought Kiernan and forced him to stay.
Dead World was already known as an extremely dangerous place back then, and she should’ve never let him go.
However, in her mind, Kiernan was invincible, and she thought that he would never die, no matter what.
"Alright. I also came to tell you goodbye. I hope I will come back from there, and maybe I will know how your husband died..."
Julian stood up and left the room, but when he opened the door, there was someone outside, who had been listening to their conversation.
"...Who?"
He frowned.
"I’d like to have a word with you."
Jock said and looked extremely serious for some reason.