As the morning dew dropped from the trees and the light struggled to reach, two men stood near a foggy swamp in the woods. Amid their nighttime patrol, the two individuals used the latrine, finding humor in relieving themselves over the murky waters. The oppressive heat and humidity caused their clothes to adhere to their skin.

"Damn this swamp," said a poacher as he fanned the collar of his shirt, while the other poacher swatted the mosquitoes buzzing near his ears.

Taking back his sword from the tree, the man declared, "Once this is all over, Dabi better burn this place to the ground."

"If he doesn't take action, I am prepared to do so." Tucked away, the two men settled, leaning against a tree and sharing water between them. The sound of metal reverberated in their ears, and the men instinctively turned their heads towards the source of the sudden snap of a twig. Among the overgrown roots of a tree, a figure fights to stay concealed by the dangling moss. The figure crawls back against the thick tree trunk and gathers mud inside a fist.

"The hell was that?!" One of them questioned, strapping his sword to his belt.

"Let's check," the other suggested, unsheathing his sword. His companion does the same. With caution, they approached the ancient tree, ensuring they never lost sight of each other.

The person in the rear silently signals the other to look behind the roots. With a grunt, the poacher swings at the roots, carving his blade into the root until it snaps in his fist. They cleared away the dead roots by tearing them apart and throwing them, allowing them to fit into the hole they had created.

They crawled on their hands and knees, accidentally colliding with each other until they finally encountered a mysterious figure quivering next to the tree. Believing it to be an animal, one extends their hand, thanking the gods for a simple hunt. Suddenly, raging dust clouds envelop the three of them, and balls of mud smear their faces, momentarily blinding them, giving you the opportunity to make a quick escape.

"A prisoner is loose!" In a sudden reaction, a poacher cried out and shuffled backward.

With a burst of speed, you sprinted in the opposite direction, your feet bare and your hair billowing in the wind as your clothes snagged on the thorns you brushed past. You dragged your feet, sprinting till you felt your heart pumping in your chest. As you vaulted over fallen trees, you pressed on bravely into the forest, shrouded in the ethereal morning mist of Mother Nature. With heavy breaths, your pursuers advance, following your trail amidst the tangled thicket, rough ground, and chilly, murky puddles and streams that carry the unmistakable odor of algae and wetness on the breeze.

To give a thrill to the chase, you muttered a spell beneath your breath and more dust clouds spew up from the ground, covering your tracks and vines stretched across your path, tripping them as they followed.

As you reached a stop, you stumbled upon a clearing. The clearing span more than a few feet from where you stood and with the space, there was nowhere for you to hide in time. Planning on jumping into the bushes to hide once more, you're tackled to the ground, wailing and hands flying everywhere in defence.

"No!" The sound of your scream was impossible to ignore. Your nails would claw at a man's face, arms, and neck. The man became furious and forcefully shoved your face into the ground. You let out a yelp and wriggled in the poacher's grasp. Your captors swiftly flipped you onto your stomach, coated your face in dirt, and tightly pulled your arms behind your back. You sank your teeth into the space between the man's thumb and index finger, causing him to scream.

"You bitch!" The man wept while holding his wounded hand, teeth marks causing his skin to turn red.

"I beg you, spare me!" The poacher holding you mouthed something to his injured comrade, which led to your hands to bound in steel cuffs and to silence your cries, that same poacher tied a gag around your mouth.

The presence of poachers multiplied rapidly, going from two to four in a matter of seconds. Guiding you with their sheathed swords, the pair who had captured you led you towards a concealed campsite. The campsite, which was bathed in the radiance of another runic orb. Under the disguise of a freed villager, you are cuffed with robust steel handcuffs and a chain that links to a collar enclosing your neck. While making your way through the dead wood and the orb's territory, a sudden and forceful pull on the chain attached to your collar startles you, resulting in a loud grunt escaping your lips.

Cornered like a trapped animal, your heart pounds as the circle of men closes in on you, their menacing presence suffocating. Two loomed over your appearance, a glimmer of excitement in their eyes as they looked over your figure, making you feel uneasy in your restraints. One man brushes a finger along your cheek, removing any stray hairs stinking to your skin.

"Hey, you found us a pretty lady!" you hear in one ear. The air is heavy with the lingering scent of sweat and liquor, overwhelming your senses.

"Leave her with me," you hear in the other room, the chilling words sending shivers down your spine as your face pales in horror. With a curious gaze, your eyes sweep across the campsite, observing every detail. No women are in sight, only men can be seen. Grotesque in appearance, with twisted features, jagged teeth, and grotesque scars marking their bodies. Day-drinkers crowd firepits, drowning in their liquor and feeding on the meat roasting on the fire.

"Fuck off, you useless pieces of shit!" Your captors shout, fending off their buddies.

Fortunately, there were no dragons around, like in the last camp. As for the prisoners that were supposedly there, you passed by clean, empty cages. You walked by troubled. As you're locked inside a cage, you carefully count the number of men surrounding you - forty-seven in total.

Sitting down on your knees, you sat there in silence, watching and waiting for nightfall to arrive.

Over the past few months, King Enji, together with a small group of individuals, meticulously devised their malicious plans in secret. In exchange for a generous sum, he hired spies to infiltrate your castle and closely monitor his son, sharing periodic updates on his welfare. As for your father, King Enji took it upon himself to hire a group of dedicated servants to care for your father's needs. In addition, they also shared valuable information. Completely unaware of his father's actions, Shouto clung to the belief that Enji had fulfilled his request during the wedding ceremony. Unbeknownst to him and Momo, Enji had many plans to end in failure.

Not only did the wedding fail the first time, but the mercenaries also failed on the second attempt. Then hawks the third time. After exhausting all other options, the fourth one became our last resort. In order for his operation to run smoothly, strategic thinking was necessary. In order to bring his plan to fruition, Enji sought the expertise of several blacksmiths from his kingdom. The construction of the device, which was a crucial component, required a significant amount of time - two months. It took several weeks to transport the device successfully to the gates of your city.

Enji knows this device will bring you back, as it's specifically crafted with that intention in mind.

In the veil of darkness, an isolated wagon came to a stop next to the sly ruler. The driver, with a swift motion, pulled aside a curtain to reveal the concealed contents of the wagon. Sitting inside is a metal circular orb that measures half the size of the king. The pulsating orb, resembling a beating heart, casts a vibrant purple glow that illuminates the entire back of the carriage. The presence of magical binding chains, tightly wrapped around it, served as a safeguard to ensure that the secrets it possessed would stay locked away and unreachable. No one else had the power to open the orb except for King Enji.

"The preparations are finally complete," Enji announced to himself. Hawks, with his wings now fully recovered, descends gracefully from the sky, his curiosity piqued by the sight of the carriage. Enji witnesses the young general as he meticulously inspects the orb, then speaks. The young general captures Enji's attention as he meticulously examines the orb. Eventually, Enji breaks the silence and reveals a secret from his past, a secret that—for once struck fear in the young mans eyes. 

Any guesses on what he's keeping inside the orb??