The croco-shark crossed the river to Udon region easily, even though the bridge was destroyed. The day began to warm up as they crossed the desert and King took off his leather jacket and remained in his airy white shirt. Robin too took off her coat and remained in her tank top.
Robin got to her feet, turned to King and held his shoulder for stability. It was not difficult, the manner in which the croco-shark was running kept the center of his body moving forward smoothly, without bouncing.
"We are alone, there is no other living soul for miles around." Robin told him, "Come on and feel the wind a little, and let me see your handsome face again."
Robin began to pull at the knot that held the flag around King's head. King put a hand on her arm to stop her, but a moment later he changed his mind and helped her untie the knot and take the cloth off his head. His white hair and side braid were blowing in the wind.
"I like your tattoo." said Robin, drawing with her finger around King's eye.
"It's the warrior's tattoo I got from my father." King replied proudly.
"It is lovely." Robin answered. "Tell me, King is an assumed name, isn't it? Is your name... Arbel?"
"Where did you hear that name?!" King was startled.
"From you," Robin replied. "You mumbled it when you were feverish."
"Who else heard it? What exactly did I say?" King became nervous.
"No one heard it but me," Robin hurried to reassure him. "You mumbled things, as if you were talking to Kaido. You apologized for not being able to keep your promise and win, and then you said something like: I can no longer be King, I'm just Arbel, Kaido, I'm just Arbel."
"Damn," King said, "you know too much about me. If it wasn't you, I'd already..."
"Your name is really beautiful." Robin interrupted him, "What does it mean?"
King smiled. "It's a name of a cliff." He replied, "A mountain in the Red Line, in the Holy Land. On top of it, the ancient city of the Lunaria tribe once resided."
"Arbel..." Robin whispered, and King suddenly found that Robin's lips were almost touching his.
He hesitated for a moment, then bowed his head to her and gave her a warm, soft kiss.
"Mmm..." Robin sighed after their lips parted, "I wanted to do this from the first moment I saw your face..."
"You're not going to believe this." said King. Robin looked up at him. "That was my first kiss." King confessed.
"What?!" Robin was surprised.
"I'm not a virgin or anything, if that's what you think." King said defensively, "There's a brothel in Onigashima, you know."
There was. Robin thought, but didn't bother to correct him.
"I just never trusted anyone enough to take off my mask while I was with her." he explained.
"And me? Do you trust me?" Robin asked in amazement.
"With you it's different..." King replied, "Although we've only met yesterday, with you, I feel as if... as if you have known me all my life. Like ... a kind of twin soul..."
"Twin soul..." Robin repeated, "Yeah, I feel the same way."
King wrapped her head in his large palm and brought her closer for another kiss.
