The sharp and cold gaze of Millia Rage cut into the sky. The few clouds that were up and about were not floating anywhere near the blazing orb, leaving it alone so it could disperse its warm rays.

"Millia." Zato greeted her from the side, his hands clasped behind him.

"Zato." She greeted back without turning to him.

"Shall we begin the search for this green-haired young man?"

"Might as well." She answered with crossed arms. Facing the unorganized line of trees that was ahead, she bolted into the deep shade of the trees, disappearing in a golden blur.

As the former assassin weaved past the trees and ground level branches with insanely sharp reflexes, she let her mind reflect on the mission she and Zato were on.

About two weeks ago, on a weekend morning, Ariels reported to the Three Kings of Illyria that she had suddenly started to have multiple visions while she was sleeping. And in all of those visions, the one thing they had in common is that she saw a green-haired young man, born with Japanese features. When they asked for further details about this particular young man, she claimed that he wasn't doing anything extreme. He was simply going on about his life. In her first vision, he was sitting on the beach, staring off into the distant sunset. In her second vision, he was walking down the streets, waving at the people with a bright, uplifting smile. And on the third vision, she saw him taking a relaxing walk through a dark rainforest. The night glimmering with the azure light of fireflies while a gentle smile graced his face.

When they asked for any more details, all they got was a head shake from her. Everything that Ariels has said was everything she knew.

This confused the Three Kings as they expected to hear another worldwide threat. After all, it was the Universal Will herself that was having these visions. But based on what they heard, that wasn't going to be the case. They had an incomplete painting in their hands, and they needed more if they wanted to get the full picture.

That is how the P.W.A.B came in. The Kings were aware that Millia and Zato were renowned for their unmatched tracking skills and superior stealth tactics. And because of that, they were the perfect pair for this job. The goal was to find the green-haired young man and bring him to Illyria, to see what made him so special to Ariels.

The former assassins at least had a few clues at hand. Based on the information the Universal Will has given, they located all areas of the world that were known for having a wide and vast rainforest and a beach that separated the land from the sea. This helped them mark off any areas they would have otherwise wasted time searching. Even though they have lessened a large number of areas, this still would not be an easy task. But that was an obstacle they had to overcome.

The settlements the pair have already investigated had no records of housing a young man bearing vibrant green hair. Even after Zato summoned Eddie to spy on the conversations of the common people, none of them mentioned anything about him. While the fruitless results made them sigh, they would not be deterred. Although the two former assassins would no doubt be very exhausted after all of this was over.

All of this searching did bring up a concerning question: Ariels... the green-haired young man she has seen... how are these two strangers connected. And why?

...

Not too far away from Millia, the green-haired young man she and her partner were searching for was trekking through the warm and humid air of the rainforest, doing a search mission of his own.

This morning, an elderly couple reported to the police that their grandchildren went missing after they went on a camping trip last night. They said that they were joined by the grandchild of their close friend, who convinced them to make the trip to a nearby waterfall.

Their elders didn't think much of it at first. Their children already knew what they had to do to survive the dangers of a vast rainforest. They let them go with very little restraint after giving them the necessary supplies for their trip.

They were assured that the children would return home after the sun began rising. The darkest fears every parent stored in their hearts began manifesting when they didn't see their children walk through the front door. Something was horribly, horribly wrong.

The elderly couple went to every one of their neighbors, asking whether any of them had seen their children return. When their neighbors reluctantly answered no, they feared for the worst.

"So you didn't see any of our grandchildren come through the gates?" The old husband asked, the worry and frustration evident on his trembling lips.

"I'm sorry, but we didn't." The receptionist for the samurai shook his head. "The children that have passed through our gates do not match the description you have given us."

"That can't be. Someone around here must've seen them, or-or at least heard of them!" The grandmother pleaded for the whereabouts of her missing children, hugging their portrait over her heart that was on the verge of breaking. She couldn't lose them. She couldn't!

The receptionist raised his hand, silently telling the couple that they should calm down for what he has to say next. "I assure you that we'll do everything we can to find your children and bring them back to the safety of your home. I'll tell the chief to arrange a search group as quickly as possible."

"You won't have to do that, sir." A young voice spoke behind them. The old couple turned to see who was speaking to them. Their eyes were filled with surprise when they saw a beautiful young man, born with the most luscious mane of emerald locks, standing at the entrance of the police station.

"Shun..." The law enforcement receptionist whispered in his own surprise, "Don't tell me that you're going to find these children on your own?" He spoke with a slightly skeptical eye.

"I hope you don't take too much offense when I say this," He said with a hand resting on his heart, "but I alone am capable of finding those kids. It wouldn't be wise to send out a group of your samurai out there. There are far too many bandits and thieves roaming in the forest, and none of them are going to treat your men with any kindness. They will most likely hurt them."

The receptionist pondered Shun's reasoning. On one hand, it would be very unprofessional to let one of their civilians handle a very serious case. And letting a civilian venture into a bandit infested forest was asking for an immediate resignation. However, Shun was not any ordinary civilian...

He and his fellow samurai have already seen what this boy has achieved. It would be foolish to refuse his aid.

After thinking it over for a few more seconds, the police receptionist ultimately sighed in defeat.

"Alright. Just try not to cause too much damage to the forest."

"I promise I won't be too rash." The green-haired young man answered with a polite bow.

And that is pretty much how the Andromeda Saint ended up here: going on a one-man search mission without the backup of the colony's law enforcement. But he did carry a bag that contained the necessary supplies for a mission like this: edible rations, a few bottles of clean water, and some medicine.

The first step was to locate the assumed location where the missing children went. If the children were still there, he would ask them what prevented them from coming home, and what was it he could do to convince them to come back.

But if they weren't there, which felt more likely, then he hoped something was left behind. It would be very concerning if they disappeared without a trace to be found.

He focused his gaze ahead, his senses sharpening. His nose caught the faint scent of burned wood. Good. He was getting closer.

Quickening his pace, his eyes eventually saw a makeshift camp laying a distance away from the waterfall, crashing and falling in the background. Just as he thought, none of the children were seen anywhere.

"This must be the place. Let's see what I can find."

He kneeled down to inspect the burning wood of the abandoned campfire. Using his fingers to brush aside the clump of sticks and twigs, Shun hummed to himself as he saw a few bright embers still clinging onto the dark soot of the wood.

He looked around the camp to see what else was left behind. Immediately, he noticed a water canteen laying flat against the ground; its cap was open. Grabbing it, he swirled the small container in invisible circles, hearing the small remnants of water sloshing inside.

So they left behind a bottle with a little bit of water and a still burning campfire. Either the children don't have the necessary knowledge to thoroughly take care of a campfire, or something out there forced them to leave. Shun had a very strong feeling that the latter was more likely.

Turning away from the camp, something peculiar caught his eye. A little farther away from the camp, he approached the path of wet dirt that led deeper into the unknown, crouching when he was standing over a doll wearing a white and pink dress. Right next to the small toy, were multiple pairs of footprints. It wasn't hard to figure out that the smaller prints belonged to the children. But the adult sized prints were very concerning to see.

He needed to find them before they did.

Grabbing the doll and storing it in the safety of his supply bag, Shun began to make his descent into the dangerous depths of the forest, following the trails of the missing children, and their relentless pursuers.

...

"What is the difference between these two apples? Is it only their color?"

"One of them is sour, while the other is not. Now are you gonna buy somethin' or what?"

"Kota! Do not run off like that again!"

"But , I want some candy!"

"Have you heard of the bandits that have been spotted recently?"

"Again? That is the fifth you've mentioned it!"

"My purse! Someone took my purse!"

"Hey! That guy over there took my wife's purse!!"

Zato's familiar, Eddie, was transferring all of these different conversations back to his master who concealed himself under the shade provided by the roofs. The market block of this modestly sized Japanese town was chock-full with the never ending herd of customers walking in and out. So far, no one has been rousing any sort of suspicion. No one has been talking in a hushed tone, or has been speaking as if they were trying to hide a sinister secret. It seemed as if the people from here weren't involved in any sort of illicit affairs.

Moving past one conversation after another, the renowned shadow assassin gauged for any information that would hopefully bring him and his Director a lead for them to follow.

"Hey Sakura, have you found him yet?"

"Sadly, I haven't sis. Ugh, I don't get it! Could he have skipped town already?"

"No, that can't be! He's the one and only cute boy in town who has green hair. Surely someone must've seen him!"

If Zato still had his eyes, they would've opened.

Green hair...? Could it be...?

Following his master's wishes within a heartbeat, Eddie pinpointed where this specific conversation was taking place. Soon, he was peeking through the red lenses of his shadow companion, seeing two young girls speaking at the entrance of a clothing store.

"Hopefully he hasn't disappeared. Maybe we should try asking the police? They may have seen where he went."

"Yeah, that's actually a good idea!"

Zato bolted across the roofs at the speed of a flying bullet. His mind had already memorized the entire layout of the town so he knew where he had to go.

It only took less than ten seconds for the blindfolded man to make it to the roof of the town's one and only police station.

"Alright then, let's hear the main topic of discussion."

...

Shun swiped at the mosquitoes and flies that were trying to leech away at his blood. He definitely should have brought some type of insect repellent as the constant buzzing in his ear was slowly testing his patience.

So far, he hasn't come across anything that gave him a clearer picture of the child pursuers. His frown only deepened. All he could do was follow the trail and hopefully get to the missing children before it was too late to save them...

BANG!

Shun's heart quickened to the deafening snap of a gunshot that echoed throughout the forest.

Tightening his hold on the supply bag, he turned away from the path and headed to the direction of the gun's source.

Unleashing only a fraction of his Cosmos, Shun launched himself to the highest point of the trees with a superhuman leap. He latched onto the closest branch, letting the momentum of his leap spin him over the branch a few times, further increasing the power of his momentum, before he launched himself in an impressive somersault. He landed on the wet dirt with his hands and feet before he broke into a full sprint.

BANG!

Another thunderous gunshot rang into his ears. His heart was beating even faster.

He ran and ran. Getting closer and closer to where those gunshots were coming from.

Up ahead, he caught a glimpse of the muzzle fire of a rifle, alongside the harsh shouts of men.

He launched himself further with another superhuman leap, flying past the trees as he performed another olympic level somersault.

He landed in front of a group of gnarly looking men, all of whom stopped in surprise.

"What the!? Who the hell are you!?"

Despite the possibility that these armed men could be dangerous, the Saint of Andromeda would nonetheless be polite with his introduction.

"Forgive me for intruding, but have any of you seen any children running around?" He asked with a hand resting on his heart. All he got was confused murmuring from the less than pleased men.

"The hell is this kid on about?"

"Is he lost or somethin'?"

Hearing their thoughts was supposed to be a little assuring for the Saint of Andromeda. It was very likely that these men were simply hunters trying to catch some game. But given that they were the only ones out here, and the children were somewhere in these woods, he couldn't write off these men as innocent.

"No, we haven't. Now piss off, kid." The tallest and largest one of the group answered, his voice gruff.

"Are you sure?" Shun asked.

"Yeah, we're sure. Now get the hell out."

"I see..." The Andromeda Saint bowed slightly. "Again, I'm sorry for intruding in your business."

Before he could turn his back to resume his search, one of the hunters, a man with a lanky build, called out to him.

"Hey, kid! Do I know you from somewhere?"

A little confused by the sudden question, Shun turned back, looking at the man who was stepping away from his pack.

"I don't think we have met before, sir."

The thinnest of the hunters flashed his yellow teeth to the young man as he slung his rifle over his shoulder.

"Nah, I think we did see eachother a few days back."

Before anyone could say something, he flicked his free hand in the air, launching a sharp knife at the young man.

If the ordinary man were in Shun's shoes, they wouldn't have the power to do anything to save themselves from a knife that flew faster than the blink of an eye. But Shun was no ordinary man: he was one of the Saints of Athena; young men who were trained to do and survive the impossible.

So when he effortlessly caught the blade of the homing knife with a single bare hand, the tip an inch away from puncturing his chest, he knew that things would take a violent turn.

"So it is you..." The lanky hunter said with barely restrained anger. "You're the little green bastard that took out my tribe!"

"I did." Shun threw the knife to the side. "But your tribe was terrorizing innocent people. I was just doing what any person would have done."

"Don't give me the heroic speech, pretty boy!" The bolt of his rifle was cocked back, the muzzle aiming directly at the skull of the young man. "You took away my life, so it's my turn to take yours."

Before the trigger could be pulled, the Andromeda Saint dropped his supply bag and dashed forward with the power of his Cosmos, effectively closing distance as he struck the center of the man's chest with a flat palm. The combination of his speed and the energy that went into his extended palm sent the lanky man flying into a tree, crashing against the trunk with a harsh thud.

"Shit! Kill that son of a bitch!" The leader shouted to his men, prompting all of them to aim their rifles at the Andromeda Saint.

Before any of them could fire a shot, he jumped over their heads, landing behind their unguarded area.

"What the-" A hunter that tried to turn back was sent flying with a palm strike to the chin.

The Saint of Athena sidestepped one flying bullet, weaved under another, and then sprinted after the hunter that was shooting at his left.

He bent his knees and struck the man's solar plexus with an elbow, knocking the wind out of the poor man in one swift motion.

"Dammit, kill that-!" The leader could not finish his command when he got struck with a powerful palm strike that was aimed at his deeply scarred face. His large body fell to the ground like a slain giant.

"S-Shit. This ain't worth it!" The last remaining hunter, frightened by the unstoppable speed and strength of the green-haired youth, turned around and ran. This was not a fight he could win with a mere firearm.

Still on guard, Shun looked around the perimeter to make sure that there weren't any more hostile enemies. When he realized that the hunter who escaped was the last of the group, he lowered his arms and sighed in relief.

Looking down at the barely conscious leader, his face shifted into a look of genuine remorse.

He kneeled next to the fallen man, the remorse in his emerald green eyes becoming more clearer. "Sir, I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm sorry that I attacked you; I was only acting out in self defense. Please, do not mistake my retaliation for anger. I'll bring help soon enough, so just stay here for the time being, alright?"

The only response he got was a groggy 'okay.' But it was enough to make Shun feel better.

"Thank you, sir! I promise I'll come back."

He got up, picked up his bag, and made his way back to the dirt path.

As he disappeared into the deep shade of the trees, he wasn't aware that a pair of blue eyes were watching him from the elevated position of the branches, not too far from where the fight took place.

"So, that is the boy who Ariels saw in her 'visions'. He's certainly a trained fighter, but he seems a little too... forgiving. Too merciful even. I'll have to follow him so I can get a deeper look into his character."

While she should have been very glad that she and Zato had finally found their man, both of them knew that the mission was far from over. They have only completed the second step. The third was going to be a challenge to overcome…