Ken was ready to throw hands with the invading forces. But at that moment, it was nothing but a dumb decision. Before he could do something stupid, Akane stopped him in his tracks.

“Where the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“You heard them, right? This place has turned to shit ever since that Kuro bastard showed up. I’m gonna kick his-”

“And what after that, huh? Are you ready to take on the consequences that come after?’

Ken stuttered hearing that. He asked back,

“What… what are you saying?”

“If they are occupying this land with a government notice, then attacking them would mean violating that notice. Even if we are outlaws, we don't want a bigger bounty on our head right now.”

Ken didn't know how to answer after hearing that. Akane sighed and further said,

“Look, let's calm down for a second and think about it. Let's group up with the others first.”

Ken looked back at the villagers. Their desperate and depressed faces. He didn't know what to say to them.

“It's ok boy. I know you really want to help us. But this isn't your fight. If you stand with us, it would only mean you will stand against the galactic government.”

Kalo pulled his body up with his staff and walked towards the house. While walking, he stopped and tilted his head backwards toward Ken.

“We all have our own problems, boy. Best for you is to move on with your journey”

Ken didn't reply. He bowed his head.

“Thank you for the food”

Saying that, he strolled away. Akane also bowed and said,

“I’m sorry.”

They left the village area. Ken kept on wandering down the vast and empty path. Akane walked behind, not saying a word. She noticed the crackling noises of the pulses in Ken’s hand, ready to burst out and take on anything that comes in his way. But he was helpless to lift a finger. He was a little mad at Akane for not letting him go. Unlike her, he wasn't a rational thinker. He only knew how to talk with his fists. As they kept on walking, Akane noticed something coming out of the thick fog in front.

“Something there. Something powerful,” she said, pulling out her revolver in hand and her scope on armor. But Ken didn't stop moving. He advanced forward as his hands were mutating slowly.

“Ken, wait.” she shouted. But Ken didn't pay any heed.

“You wolves piss me off!” Ken dashed towards the shadows as he mutated his hand into a tentacle with a spike attached to the bottom. He flung the spike towards the shadows, expecting a smooth knockout, but his spike ball was grabbed.

“Oy! Look where you are you aiming, fucker!”

A woman said in a deep voice. The girl with half red and half blue hair and green eyes. It was none other than Nozomi. Beside her was Ethan and her pet dog, Bull. She had grabbed Ken’s attack without breaking a sweat.

“Yikes!!” Ethan felt a jolt of fear as he tightened to see the attack coming. Ken retracted his hand back. Feeling pissed, ready to go for a fight. Ethan slowly whispered to Nozomi,

“That's… that's the guy.”

“That's him? The guy called Kawasaki Ken?”

“Yea”

“Well, he doesn't seem that strong, but who the hell attacks like without seeing?”,

On the other end, Akane reload her bullets and said to Ken,

“Great, you got us into another mess.”

“Oy there, Kawasaki Ken!” Nozomi shouted from the top of her lungs.

“My name is Nozomi. I’m sure you heard of me. The Crimson flames prodigy, placed top 3 in the 69th universal cadet ops-”

“The fuck is that?” Ken said in a confused voice.

Nozomi stuttered hearing that. Being an outlaw and not knowing that was the same as being born and living in a country for years, but not knowing their own mother tongue.

“You don’t know what that means?! You dare to mock me? The crimson flames Queen!”

“Now I understand what that danger I felt. She is one of the few said genius that came out of this year's government military. Despite her young age, she could give any powerful outlaw a run for his money. “Akane murmured to herself.

She looked and Ken and whispered.

“Be careful. She isn’t any enemy you have dealt with before.”

“So Kawasaki Ken? Do you give up and surrender to me?” Nozomi shouted with confidence.

“I don't know what the fuck is that your talking about. If you are a so-called prodigy, then this fight is even more worth fighting.”

Ken put on a huge grin.

“I'm the man who will become the Emperor of the Cosmos! So taking guys like you on is a must”

“Emperor of the cosmos?... the cosmic emperor…” She, like everyone that heard that line, felt a bit shaken.

“You sure talk big. Let's see if your skill is on par with that.”

She dashed towards Ken. Akane pulled her revolver and shot right at Nozomi's head. It was too fast for her to dodge, so she used her hands and stopped the bullet, causing a huge amount of pain and blood.

“Ah! Damnnit!”

“Alright, she is a little weakened.” Akane felt a little assured.

“What the hell are you doing?” Ken shouted at her.

“Huh?”

“Don't interrupt this fight. If I'm gonna win against this woman, I'm gonna win fair and square.”

“What is this idiot talking about?!” Akane could only feel dumbfounded by Ken’s motives and actions.

“Huh! I told you not to jump first at an enemy, didn't I?” Ethan shouted at Nozomi.

“I’m sawry.” Nozomi said in a feminine manner as tears fell from her eyes. Her fierce and somewhat scary demeanor had instantly fallen apart as she acted like a kid.

“Good grief” using what would seem to be a spray of some sort, Ethan applied it in Nozomi’s hand.

“To think that someone would be able to not only shoot Nozomi but also when she was dashing. That woman’s accuracy is terrifying,” Ethan thought to himself, fixing up Nozomi’s hand.

Ken pulled his hand in front of Akane and said,

“Let her heal, I’m gonna beat her on my own”

Akane let out a sigh and said,

“Suit yourself!” She sat beside a rock, monitoring the fight. She had finally given up on trying to understand Ken. His actions

As Nozomi's hand healed, a burst of crimson flames ignited.

“Alright bastard. I’ve had it with you.” Nozomi shouted.

“Nozomi don't use those flames! You know you can’t-”

“Zip it Ethan. Here I come, Kawasaki!”

At the same time, Ken mutated his own hand into a rock hard fist. Red spikes were coming out from the knuckles of his hand.

Both Ken and Nozomi dashed at each other as their fists collided. The sound of their fist colliding was immense. A sound that could be easily heard from kilometers away. A sound that would attract and alert anyone that was nearby.

Ethan pulled out his small laptop in his hand and began typing hastily. Using the small cam on top, he was taking a reading of Ken. he gently titled his glasses back up in a nerdy way.

“Fascinating. I've never seen a human with a bio structure like his. What the hell is he?”

Ken jumped to the top. He pulled his leg on top and transformed it.

“Meteor Stomp!” With tremendous force, he swung it towards Nozomi. Nozomi, using her bare hands, tried to block it. But it wasn't something to block as the kick sent Nozomi flying across to the side. An array of emotion flooded within her. As her fair skin was tainted by blood spewing from the cuts and bruises, her inner spirit rose.

“Alright my turn!”

She pulled both her left hand to her right and right hand to her left, like a cross. Purple flames ignited in her palms.

“Flame Meto: Crimson Burst!”

She swung her arm viciously as a wave of blazing fire spread across the battlefield. Ken pulled out his huge shield, guarding himself from the attack. Ethan grabbed Bull as they hid behind a rock to cover from the attack.

“Watch it Nozomi! You're gonna make grilled doggo food.”

Bull barked at Ethan hearing that remark. “What? I’m not kidding”

Ken pulled back his shield, only to notice Nozomi was missing. He turned left, right even towards the top, but couldn't find her.

“Where did she…”

Suddenly a tremendous noise bursted out from the ground below as Nozomi's fist hit Ken right at the jaw.

“She went underground?” Akane thought to herself.

Before Ken could recover from that hit, she lunged at Ken. Ken titled his head, dodging the fist. Using his elbow, he knocked her to the side. A huge battle sword transformed into Ken’s hand as he dashed towards her. Nozomi was on the ground. Ken thought this was a perfect moment for the strike. But Nozomi had something else in mind. Using her flames, she flew up in the air. As she was on air, she tilted her hands ever so slightly, which made her spin in midair at an incredible speed. She spun towards Ken's back. There was no chance for him to react. Using her leg and the momentum of her spin, she struck Ken right at the back of his head with a strong overhead kick. The kick was a critical hit. Ken’s head was dizzy. This was what an experienced fighter was all about. Knowing when and where to strike. She slowly strolled towards Ken.

“This isn't good. Ken, snap out of it!”

Akane shouted. Ken tried to wrap his head around it, but his vision was misleading him.

“You outlaws really sicken me.”

She jabbed Ken on the left cheek.

“Always filled with nonsense visions and selfish acts.” she landed another punch on his right cheek.

“Because of the likes of you, innocent people die!”

She uppercut Ken on the jaw with a powerful punch. He was flung back by the strength of the hit.

“This fight is over.” Nozomi ignited her hands in flames. Ready to strike the final blow.