"Come on! The shipment should have arrived yesterday!" yelled a Fire Nation soldier as he swung open the gates of one of the largest Fire Nation fortresses.

This fortress was among the earliest structures built outside the Fire Nation, situated within the Earth Kingdom's territory. Its construction dated back almost 80 years, yet it remained a source of pride for the Fire Nation. It resembled a self-contained city in its own right.

Constructed from steel and concrete, the fortress boasted five main towers, each standing tall at thirty floors, forming a circular configuration with a circumference of 200 meters. These towers were enclosed by towering walls of equal height, forming only the outer shell of a much larger structure.

This steel prison was divided into several sections, with vast stretches of land dedicated solely to containing the thousands of enslaved individuals within. Among them were many earthbenders, forcibly taken from battlefields or torn from their homes and families. Another segment consisted of civilians from the Earth Kingdom who had been unwittingly caught up in this turmoil.

"*Shff* *Shff*"

"Stop crying, Suni."

The newly arrived prisoners were being transported in a large metallic carriage. All of them kept their heads lowered, their eyes reflecting a sense of resignation to the dreadful fate that awaited them.

"*Shff* Sorry-o!" Among the sobbing prisoners was a young girl, perhaps around 11 years old. She was small and pale-skinned, her dark eyes trembling with fear. While her appearance seemed ordinary, one distinguishing feature was a mark on her right cheek, resembling a seven-year-old named Kenji. Despite her efforts to cease crying, tears continued to stain her blue kimono.

"Please... just try not to cry." Beside her stood a young man, perhaps around 17 years old, who bore a striking resemblance to the girl, suggesting they might be siblings. He had a shaved head and sharp brown eyes, dressed in what appeared to be blacksmith attire. If not for the chains restraining his wrists, he would have held his younger sister's hand. She simply nodded in response.

"Everybody down!" The carriage came to an abrupt halt, and its rear door clanged open. Several soldiers stormed in, roughly handling the prisoners who struggled to move due to the chains binding their hands and legs.

Once outside the carriage, they realized they were already within the fortress. Roughly pushed and lined up, the group comprised at least fifty prisoners.

"It seems we have new recruits." Drawing everyone's attention was a figure standing before the prisoners. Clad in decorated Fire Nation armor, this man was tall and slender, his gray hair tied in a ponytail, and he sported a bushy mustache. A scar extended from his forehead to his chin.

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"..." Several prisoners tensed as the commander produced a whip from his belt.

"I am Hanzuke Tao, and it is my duty to ensure your stay here is as pleasant as possible." He smiled mockingly as he strolled past each prisoner, scrutinizing their eyes. Everyone averted their gaze, fearing the consequences of meeting his stare. "You find yourselves here because you stood against the great Fire Nation. A nation that offers not only control and peace but also protection from your own destructive tendencies. Yet, you chose to oppose us, and now, those who survived are here." He paused, whip in hand, to direct his attention to a young girl. "Number."

"Hey?" The little girl hesitated, taking a few steps back in confusion, her gaze shifting to her older brother.

"Number!" His sharp shout made the little girl shudder and tremble uncontrollably, tears welling up in her eyes. "You, Earth Kingdom trash, don't even know a simple number." He growled in annoyance, ready to teach the child a lesson with his whip.

"3-8-9-2-3-5!" The commander halted when a nearby boy recited the number from the girl's handcuff plate.

"Was the question for you, boy?" Hanzuke didn't hesitate; his whip struck the older brother's face, and the boy screamed in pain, collapsing to the ground as he clutched his injured face.

"Brother!" Little Suni attempted to approach, but another soldier grabbed her and forcefully pushed her away.

"I see," the old soldier appeared displeased with this display of affection, considering it weak and predictable. "You two will face a very difficult time here..." He smiled sinisterly, then used his whip to deliver a brutal strike to the boy's back, prompting a loud scream from the boy.

"Leave him alone!" Suni struggled and kicked violently, though her efforts proved futile.

All the prisoners averted their eyes from the cruel scene.

Hahaha.

Everyone, including both soldiers and prisoners, ceased what they were doing when they heard a loud laugh – and the most annoying part was that it was coming from Hanzuke, a man who was supposed to embody discipline and fear, not laughter.

Hanzuke moved purposefully along the row of prisoners until he reached the end, where a boy, around 12 or 13 years old, with dark and unkempt hair, stood. He was thin but displayed a surprising amount of muscle. His eyes were an unusual shade of blue.

"Find something amusing, kid?" the commander inquired, meeting the boy's unyielding gaze with his own.

"Oh, I apologize; I thought something was funny," the boy replied with a smile, unperturbed by the commander's growing fury.

"You should share it with everyone. Maybe we'll all have a good laugh."

"Well, where I come from, there's a word I'm not sure you're familiar with, Hanz... uke."

*Silence.*

Shock swept through all – soldiers and prisoners alike.

"It seems you understand," the boy remarked, still smiling, amused by the commander's reaction.

"Brat!" Hanzuke's whip burst into flames and shot toward the boy.

But to his disbelief, the boy caught the whip with his bare hand and forcefully delivered a headbutt that shattered Hanzuke's nose. The commander fell backward, furious, while the boy regarded him with irritation, unfazed by the burn mark on his arm where he had grabbed the flaming whip.

"Not all of us will act like good old fucking children!"

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