[The movie continued:]
[The brave Homu left the city and first arrived at the infamous Bomb Village.
Here, the grass would explode if ignited by fire. The leaves on the trees would explode if ignited. Even the residents themselves would explode if exposed to an open flame.
It was a passionate town, but definitely not in a fiery way.
Therefore, no one carrying anything flammable was welcome.
And so, Homu, on his first journey outside the Great Homu Kingdom, was stopped at the village gate by the people of Bomb Village.
"I just want to pass through!" Homu shouted at the top of his lungs.
"No entry. Please turn back!" replied the residents of Bomb Village.
Rejected, Homu could only brave the elements outside the village for a night. He lit a fire, gloomily cooked some simple food, ate it, and then began pondering how to get through Bomb Village.
He tried sneaking in, but was chased out by the vigilant villagers.
He tried digging a tunnel, but the villagers snapped his shovel in two.
He attempted many methods, but none succeeded in getting him past Bomb Village.
"Why can't you just get rid of your fire source?" a fearless red Homu dashed out from the village, boldly sitting down next to the dejected Homu.
"Fire means cooked food, safe water, light in the darkness, and it's crucial protection against the dangers of the night," Homu explained to the audacious red Homu, extinguishing the fire he'd intended for cooking.
He certainly didn't want to see the Bomb Village resident before him go 'bong—!' and turn into a big firework.
"You can't survive without fire?" the red Homu exclaimed in surprise, then adopted a look of pity. "What a poor, unfortunate Homu."
Homu was baffled. He asked, "How can anyone survive without fire? Do you eat raw meat, drink uncooked water, and endure the encroaching darkness?"
The red Homu was equally baffled. He also asked, "Can food really be cooked by fire? Can water be boiled by fire? Can darkness be driven away by flames?"
They looked at each other, completely unable to comprehend the other's perspective.
"My name is Homu-la," said the red Homu. He had a cool-looking scar across his face, which made him look intimidating enough to make little Homus cry.
"My name is Homu," Homu introduced himself earnestly. The two became close friends.
"Does everyone in the Great Homu Kingdom use fire?" Homu-la asked.
Homu nodded. "Every day, every one of us uses fire to cook food and boil water. At night, fire allows us to move around the city."
Homu-la said, "Every day, we eat raw meat and drink uncooked water. We hide away early out of fear of the dark, afraid to go near anything that could cause a fire."
"Then why did you come near me?" Homu asked, glancing at the extinguished campfire, puzzled. "Aren't you afraid of exploding?"
Homu-la shook his head. "I am afraid. But I want to see what an explosion is, what fire is, even more."
"I want to live in a world where fire is always present, even if I turn into a string of fireworks in an explosion," he declared, his eyes fixed on the dead fire pit with a look full of yearning.
"That must be the most beautiful firework..." Homu mused.
"So, are you going to light the fire?" Homu-la asked, shrinking back slightly as Homu took out his fire source, yet his expression held a hint of anticipation.
But Homu stood up and shook his head.
"No, I'm giving it to you! Even if you only keep it as a treasure!" he stated firmly. "Since you can yearn for a life with fire, then I can endure a life without it!"
Homu ate the raw food Homu-la prepared, drank the uncooked water, and slept through the night in darkness. He felt extremely uncomfortable, but he successfully passed through Bomb Village!]
Shu: "...?"
This time, he didn't pause. Instead, he stared intently at Homu-la, who was now strolling confidently out of Bomb Village alongside Homu, and fell deep into thought.
If he remembered correctly... Homu-la should still be carrying the flint, right? Homu gave the fire source to Homu-la, yet Homu-la, possessing the means to make fire, was still accepted.
And Homu, having adopted the Bomb Village lifestyle, was accepted simply because he lost the fire source...
This story felt incredibly bizarre, no matter how you looked at it. Though these were just minor details, almost like animation errors.
And the conversation between Homu-la and Homu felt like...
Homu-la: "You actually use fire?! How did you survive?!"
Homu: "You don't use fire?! How did you survive?!"
Both sides had a certain "my imagination limits my understanding" quality.
It had a distinct "let them eat cake" vibe, didn't it? [Referring to the disconnect between their realities]
[The movie continued:]
[Having lost his fire source, Homu experienced the warmth of the Bomb Village residents. Everyone happily brought out raw meat from their homes, fetched uncooked water for him, and gathered around him when darkness fell to give him courage.
The night was scary, but with everyone together, no one was afraid.
Homu, used to cooked food, gradually got used to raw meals. Homu, used to boiled water, gradually got used to uncooked water. Homu, always used to sleeping alone, got used to everyone gathering together to sleep at night.
Only Homu-la, now possessing the fire source, would sneak out of Bomb Village at night, light a fire, and watch the flickering flames from afar, observing his own shadow, as dark as the night itself.
He tried cooked meat and drank boiled water. He thought they were wonderful!
Thus, he decided to join Homu in vanquishing the evil dragon Homusilla, and then follow Homu back to the Great Homu Kingdom to see what a world where everyone used fire was like.
And so, cheered on by the people of Bomb Village, Homu and Homu-la set off together.
Homu still carried his sword, wore his armor, and rode his little pony. Homu-la, however, carried many, many of the village's bomb fruits on his back.
Homu-la declared, "When you're in danger, I'll throw these bombs and blast all the bad guys sky-high!!"
Homu replied, "Just try not to blow yourself up."
The two hit the road and soon arrived at their next stop: the mysterious Mushroom Beach, home to guiding sprites.
Giant mushrooms grew everywhere, with small holes dug into them, housing unknown Homu inhabitants.
The place was incredibly complex! Even Homu and Homu-la got lost!
Legend had it that when travelers lost their way in this mysterious Mushroom Beach, shining guiding sprites would appear to lead the lost back the way they came.
But no one could ever pass through the Mushroom Beach.
"Lost travelers! Have you lost your way forward?" A blue, seemingly lazy-looking Homu appeared!!]