Alex was on her way to the mountains, heading into the dangerous territory of the bandit king, Moonglow, in search of her sister. Hachisuka was the younger of the two, yet the most brilliant and sharp-witted. In town, they called her The Scheming Princess due to her many conspiratorial ideas and her relentless curiosity about the historical events of Protopaterpolis.
Fortunately, they were not traveling alone. Bianchi had called in a couple of stragglers from the Skulk Gang, who joined them on their motorcycles, along with a truck carrying five automatons and another carrying the same number of soldiers from the Makoto Cloth Corps for protection.
—Do you think your sister will be alright? —Bianchi asked.
—My sister is much stronger and braver than I am —Alex replied.
—What? That’s impossible —Bianchi retorted.
But Alex truly believed it. Her sister spent more time with their mother, enduring the queen’s wrath and unpredictable outbursts. She was also the one most concerned with the palace’s affairs: handling state matters their mother was too busy for, welcoming guests, and overseeing any other duties requiring protocol. Compared to her, Alex had far more freedom, despite being the heir to the throne.
Seeing that Alex remained silent, Bianchi didn't press further. Alex appreciated that: she hated being contradicted. It was a flaw she knew she had to work on, as a princess needed to accept that others had different opinions.
A little later, they entered a small forest and had to slow down their motorcycles. The trees crowded the path, making it harder to advance. They were already close to the mountains; the terrain had grown steep.
—Stop! —Bianchi shouted—. From here on, we’ll have to continue on foot.
—Can you track my sister’s scent? Is almost like mine —Alex asked as she dismounted the motorcycle.
—I’m a werefox, not a dog. We don’t do that —Bianchi replied, slightly offended.
—Oh. I thought you’d have a stronger sense of smell, sorry. I mean, considering how much you always say you love the way I smell… —Alex said, teasing BIanchi.
The werefox flushed red. She loved seeing him like that, so she always found ways to provoke him.
—I'm afraid we won't have to search for long —Bianchi suddenly said, turning toward the trees.
—Princess! We're surrounded! —one of the automatons exclaimed.
—How many? —Alex asked, scanning the forest. She saw no one, not the slightest movement.
—Too many —Bianchi muttered.
The attackers emerged from the trees all around them. They wore tattered cloaks and wielded all kinds of melee weapons, deadly at close range. They were bandits.
Despite being outnumbered, Alex and her group fought fiercely. They repelled wave after wave of bandits, with no casualties on either side. The bandits sustained wounds and heavy blows from the monks but kept fighting relentlessly, as if pain didn’t matter to them.
One of them, in particular, managed to break through to Alex. He was massive, clad in full red armor, wielding a colossal greatsword with a single hand. His strikes forced the automatons to retreat.
Bianchi lunged at him without thinking, without any concern for himself.
—Leave Alex alone! —he shouted, slashing with his claws.
But the armor deflected all his attacks, and Bianchi had to jump back just as the greatsword nearly took his head off.
Alex pulled a pistol from her clothes. She was never unarmed, but she liked that Bianchi was so determined to protect her. She aimed at the armored bandit but hesitated. She knew perfectly well that if she fired, it could spark an international conflict—because her opponent was none other than Moonglow VIII, the King of Bandits.
—It's time to test my new toy! —Bianchi declared, activating a mechanism on his motorcycle.
The bike’s structure folded and reassembled around his fist, transforming into a massive combat gauntlet that, strangely, felt weightless.
Alex was impressed by the weapon, but she wasn’t the only one. Bianchi also stood there, momentarily mesmerized by it.
—Focus, Bianchi! —Alex shouted, firing at Moonglow.
The bullet ricocheted off his armor, even though she had aimed for a joint.
Unfazed, Moonglow charged at Alex again. Fortunately, Bianchi intercepted his sword with the gauntlet, deflecting the attack. But the bandit king didn’t stop: he continued slashing, trying to break through the werefox’s defense and reach the princess.
Slowly, as the battle raged around them, Bianchi began to weaken. Moonglow’s assault was relentless and devastating. And then, suddenly, one of his strikes cut across Alex’s face.
However, before the blood could spill, dark blue, viscous strands wove together over the wound, mending it as if they were living tendons.
Seeing this, Moonglow raised his sword with both hands, preparing to deliver a vertical strike that would cleave Alex in two.
—Thir’ahmh, get out of contro…! —Alex began to chant, calling forth the creature within her.
—Enough! —a voice interrupted. It was a girl, clearly younger than Alex herself.
Alex placed a hand on her chest, trying to steady herself. Slowly, the glow of the Jhrelth amulet faded.
The young woman emerged from the trees and, with Moonglow’s help, jumped onto his shoulder, sitting there as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Surprised, Alex crossed her arms.
—Hachisuka? You’re on command? What’s going on? —she demanded, locking eyes with her sister—. Are you allied with Moonglow?
—Not exactly. Follow us to our hideout, sis. We have a lot to talk about —Hachisuka replied.
