RYUSATSUGA

Kaien returned to the village to see with his own eyes what the monster had caused.

The morning was gray. The cloudy sky seemed to share the weight pressing on Kaien's chest as he descended the mountain with Akari. The wind dragged ashes, dust… and a heavy silence.

The children's songs and the market's bustle were gone.

The village was dead. Or almost.

Burnt houses, collapsed structures, and the stench of what was once life marked every corner. A lone crow cawed from a half-collapsed rooftop. Kaien clenched his fists at the sight of the destruction.

—Looks like another world… —he murmured.

Akari stopped before the remains of a destroyed cart. Tracks. Dried blood. Claw marks.

—It wasn't just an attack —she said gravely—. This was a hunt.

—What kind of monster was that thing? —Kaien asked, frowning.

Akari didn't answer immediately. Her gaze drifted for a moment, and a shadow crossed her face.

Kaien shifted his attention to the book wrapped in black cloth hanging at Akari's waist.

—What's that? A diary? Potion recipes?

Akari sighed and carefully untied the cloth.

—This… is no ordinary book.

It was a dark grimoire, with a blackened leather cover and symbols sealed with wax. It pulsed softly, as if breathing.

—It's one of the six cursed objects. Just like Ryusatsuga.

Kaien stepped back.

—You have one too?

—I inherited it. It's called Kuroken no Sho —The Book of Black Steel. But using it isn't as simple as wielding a sword. It requires concentration… unwavering will. If you doubt, it consumes you.

—It?

—Yes. It has its own will. Like Ryusatsuga. And it doesn't forgive the weak.

—Then why carry it with you?

Akari fell silent for a few seconds and lowered her gaze.

—Because there are things I still need to learn from it. And because… I have to use it. To save someone.

Kaien noticed she didn't want to elaborate, but he didn't press.

They continued in silence until a faint meow broke the tension.

—Did you hear that? —Kaien asked.

Among the rubble of a half-collapsed house, something moved. Akari drew her grimoire. Kaien stepped forward.

—Careful, Kaien! It might be a trap!

—No, wait! It's… a cat!

He carefully pulled it out. It was covered in dust, had one injured paw, two tails, and eyes as big as moons. It meowed weakly but stubbornly.

—Hey, little one… you're alive.

The cat licked his hand and curled against his chest.

Akari approached, surprised.

—Incredible that it survived here.

Kaien smiled for the first time all day.

—Its name is Kumo.

—You already named it?

—Of course. It looks like a Kumo.

Akari raised an eyebrow, amused.

—No, it looks like a little panther.

—Not for that. Because it's soft. And because it's full of dust.

Kumo meowed as if it understood and climbed onto Kaien's shoulder.

But then Akari stopped. Her expression changed.

—Kaien… the grimoire showed me something last night.

—A vision?

She nodded slowly.

—Yes. It wasn't a dream. It was… a figure. Tall. Inhuman. Walking among ruins like these. Its shadow stretched beyond the light. And… its eyes had no soul.

—Did you recognize that thing?

—No. But something about it… made me feel like we had no hope.

Kaien looked at the sky, gritting his teeth.

—Then we have no choice. We have to get stronger.

Akari nodded.

—Yes. And fast.

She looked back at her grimoire, then at Kaien.

—At our level, we couldn't even scratch what Hanzo would defeat with one hand tied behind his back. Compared to him… we're nothing.

Kaien lowered his gaze, but raised it with determination.

—Then we won't be "nothing" for long.

Akari watched him with a faint smile.

—Good answer.

Akari looked down for a moment, as if hesitating to say something.

—When Ryusatsuga accepted you… I thought you were just another trying to use the sword's power.

Kaien raised an eyebrow.

—Thanks, I guess.

—But you were willing to die for others. That… doesn't make you selfish. Only someone who still believes in people.

Kaien was silent, then muttered:

—Maybe that's why the sword hasn't killed me. Not yet.

Akari looked at him with serene eyes.

Kumo purred on Kaien's shoulder. The wind blew, and ashes rose like ghosts from the past.

The sun hid behind the mountains as Kaien and Akari returned to Hanzo's home. The fresh air smelled of pine and wet earth. After the village's chaos, that place seemed like a refuge.

—We're home, Kumo —Kaien whispered, while the black cat slept peacefully on his shoulder.

Upon entering, they heard children's laughter.

In the yard, Hanzo held a wooden sword while children around him played with sticks and pots as if they were warriors.

—I am the great Hanzo-sama! —shouted one.

—Phantom strike! —added another, jumping on a bucket.

Hanzo tried to keep a serious face, but his lips trembled with laughter.

—Discipline. In sword and spirit —he said sternly, while one of the kids tied a pink bow on his hakama.

Kaien laughed.

—I never thought I'd see him like this.

Akari looked at him warmly.

—He needed a family too.

Kaien watched the scene. Kumo jumped down to his lap and purred, as if understanding. For the first time in a long while, Kaien felt part of something.

At the dojo, Mei ran toward Kaien with wide eyes.

—What's that?! —she asked, pointing at the small black bundle on his shoulder.

—That? This is Kumo —Kaien replied with a tired smile—. I found him in the rubble. He's alive… and stubborn.

—A kitten?! —Mei exclaimed, approaching with open hands.

Kumo stared at her, assessing if she was trustworthy. Then accepted with royal dignity to be lifted. Mei hugged him tenderly, but as she did, a cloud of dust burst out.

—Blegh! He's all dirty! —she said, shaking her face—. We need to bathe him!

—Mei, I'm not sure that's a good idea… —warned Kaien.

Kumo stayed very still. His eyes slowly narrowed. Then he looked at Kaien. Then at Mei. Then at the nearby bucket of water.

—Look at that face —Kaien said—. He's deciding whether to flee or attack us.

—It'll only be a quick bath! We'll use Hanzo's soap and he'll look brand new!

Kumo let out a long, sharp, resigned meow that sounded like a human groan.

—I think he said "help" —Kaien joked.

—Don't be dramatic —Mei replied to the cat, carrying him like a wet towel—.

Kumo stretched a paw toward Kaien as they carried him away, as if silently begging.

Kaien shook his head, amused.

Hours later, the moon lit the improvised dojo. Akari and Kaien sat facing each other, eyes closed.

—Breathe. Listen. Don't think. Feel —Hanzo murmured.

Akari's grimoire floated between them. Ryusatsuga, sheathed, also vibrated.

A leaf fell from the roof. Kaien had to cut it with a clear mind. He failed. Akari too.

—Tch… again —she growled.

—It's not strength that will master those weapons —Hanzo said from the shadows—. It's the mind. If you don't control it… the curses will devour you.

Hours passed. Finally, Kaien cut the leaf. On the next try, Akari disintegrated it without touching it.

—That was incredible! —Kaien gasped—. How did you do it?

—I don't know… I thought of someone very important. And everything else vanished.

Kaien smiled. Something inside him was strengthening too.

He approached Hanzo.

—Sensei… how did you get so strong?

Hanzo was silent, then spoke calmly.

—I wasn't always strong.

He walked to the window.

—For years I chased the wrong things. I gained power… but lost much more.

—Then why do you fight?

—Because someone must protect. And because true strength is not destruction… but resistance. Even when everything else wants to break you.

Kaien thought of his village. Of Ryusatsuga. Of the children.

—Do you protect because you promised someone?

Hanzo slowly turned to them.

—You have no idea the danger you're in. Neither you… nor Akari. And it's all my fault.

—What do you mean? —Akari asked.

—I can't tell you everything yet. But because of mistakes I made… you're marked by forces that shouldn't have awakened. I won't let those mistakes steal your future.

He knelt before them.

—I swear by my sword and the life I have left. I will take responsibility. Even if it costs me everything.

The wind blew hard. Kumo meowed from the rooftop. The moon shone brighter than ever.

The true mission was only beginning.

| Author's Note |

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