The dim light flickered in the basement, barely enough for Kai to make out the silhouette of what stood before him. He squinted, trying to understand what his eyes were seeing. The form was short, round, and… furry? As the shadows danced across the room, he finally caught a clearer view.
It was a teddy bear. A talking teddy bear.
Kai stumbled back, blinking rapidly. "What the hell...?"
The bear looked directly at him with its black button eyes, its dark brown fur slightly worn with age. "You're not Shinji! Who are you?! What have you done to him?! Give him back!" the bear shouted, standing upright on stubby legs. "I've learned Jiu-jutsu! I can beat you with one uppercut!"
Kai stared blankly. "Uppercut is used in boxing, not Jiu-jutsu."
The bear froze, cheeks puffing with embarrassment. "You insolent brat! How dare you talk back to me like that?!"
Kai took a deep breath, trying to hold his temper. "Who… are you? And why are you in Shinji's basement?"
The bear crossed its fuzzy arms. "I am the assistant of Loko—the one and only godfather Shinji has!"
"Godfather?!" Kai repeated in disbelief.
The bear smirked proudly. "You've now realized how great I am!"
Kai narrowed his eyes. "Alright then, O 'Great One', what's your name?"
"My name is Charlie. Be honored. You were blessed with hearing my name! HAHAHA!"
Kai's patience snapped. "What kind of godfather are you?! You couldn't even protect Shinji when he was abducted by the bandits!"
Charlie's laughter stopped. His tiny shoulders lowered, and he asked seriously, "Who… who did this? Was it… Argeus?"
Kai nodded. "Yes. He sent people from the Divitae Casino. They captured Shinji."
Charlie's tone shifted, becoming grave. "Then... it's started again."
Kai stepped forward. "You said you worked with Loko—Shinji's father. Then why was Shinji taken? What do they want from him?"
Charlie's fabric seemed to tense, his voice lowering into a deep, solemn tone. "You must understand… there are two powers in this world: Zyre and Zenssai."
Kai listened intently.
"Zenssai… is not something that can be made. It is not forged. It is something born with the soul. A sacred companion. A living extension of one's essence. We believed this truth to be absolute."
Charlie's eyes glinted.
"But Loko…" he paused, voice heavy with weight. "He did the impossible. He made a Zenssai."
End of Chapter 7