Back in the Village — Yuki, Null, and the Others...
The evening settles in. The tension fades slowly, replaced by lanterns, the smell of roasted herbs, and the soft murmur of villagers cautiously returning to their routines. Null stands near a flame, staring at it like it speaks.
Yuki, sitting nearby, eyes him. "You're not going to turn into some monster again, right?"
Null tilts his head. "Not unless someone steps on my foot."
Aiko chuckles despite herself, wiping her eyes. "Careful then, Yuki's terrible with personal space."
Himari smirks. "So's Haru. But at least Yuki doesn't yell 'my aura is bigger than yours' in his sleep."
Everyone laughs.
Kai, walking by with a skewer of meat, adds, "For the record, my aura is bigger. But I'm humble."
Yuki raises a brow. "You literally just said that out loud."
Kai takes a bite, shrugs. "I didn't say I was good at being humble."
Underground — Kai's Discovery...
Later that night, drawn by a strange magnetic pull, Kai descends into an unmarked tunnel beneath the forge. It's older—carved in a forgotten tongue.
His footsteps echo.
There, in the vault's core, he finds it—a black lacquered case suspended midair by chains of light. As he touches it, the chamber responds.
Ashir's voice echoes from the distance—spiritual, perhaps a projection.
"Ah… you've found it. Tenrou. The Twin-Fanged Blade of Balance. Forged for one who walks between peace and madness."
The case opens. Twin curved daggers, each forged from opposing elements—light and shadow—gleam within.
Kai whistles. "Well damn. You're pretty."
He grabs them, and a glyph burns into his wrist—the mark of duality.
"Guess I'm cool now. I mean... cooler."
Back at the village...
Ren and Haru return, blades and fists empowered.
Yuki notices and smirks. "Let me guess… your weapons also talk?"
Haru stretches, gauntlet burning softly. "Nah. Mine yells."
Ren adds with his usual dry calm, "Mine whispers poetry. Terrible poetry."
Kai twirls his new daggers. "Mine insulted me, actually."
Yuki blinks. "Seriously?"
Kai shrugs. "Called me 'mid.' I cried for two minutes."
Even Null chuckles.
The group stands gathered, forged weapons at their sides, their bond stronger, the kingdom behind them, and a vast, echoing power beginning to stir in the lands beyond.
Aiko steps beside Yuki, nudging him.
"So… ready to be a legend?"
Yuki stares at his scythe, at Null, then back at the horizon.
"Let's write it one cut at a time."
The golden sun dipped behind the high stone walls of the kingdom, casting long shadows over the quiet training grounds. The air was still, heavy with the scent of fresh-cut grass and the lingering aroma of ramen.
"Yuki! Duck!"
Ren's blade—Jinrai—sliced through the air like lightning. Yuki twisted his body just in time, barely avoiding the flash of wind-charged steel. Haru came barreling in next, fists wrapped in golden energy, eyes blazing.
"Dude, are you two trying to kill me or just giving me love taps?" Yuki muttered, sliding back across the dusty ground.
From a nearby bench, Kairo slurped on a massive bowl of ramen, watching the chaos unfold with amusement. "You know," he said with his mouth full, "I thought training was supposed to help you grow, not turn you into a pancake."
Himari, arms crossed, stood under a tree with Aiko, both watching. Himari's eyes glowed faintly as she tracked the spiritual energies colliding in the field.
"They're holding back," she whispered.
"Barely," Aiko said. "But Yuki's adapting fast… again."
Yuki wiped sweat from his brow, flipping his scythe over his back. "Okay okay, time-out. I'm not trying to get wind-blasted into the next realm today."
Ren gave a slight grin. "Then stop holding back."
"I'm not holding back!" Yuki snapped.
"You kinda are," Haru said, cracking his knuckles. "You're not syncing with the scythe. It's reacting to your emotions again. Focus."
Kairo raised an eyebrow. "Aww, he's emotional. Maybe he needs a hug and another bowl of ramen."
"I will fling this scythe at you," Yuki muttered, pointing dramatically.
Laughter echoed across the training ground.
As the day mellowed into evening, the group settled by a small fire near the garden wall. Plates of warm food were passed around. Even the scythe rested calmly beside Yuki, glowing faintly under the moonlight.
"I've been feeling something weird," Kai said, finally speaking after being quiet all day. "There's something… old in this Kingdom. Like, ancient. Buried beneath all this peace."
Ren nodded slowly. "You felt it too."
"I think we all have," Himari said softly. "The kingdom's spiritual flow is disrupted. Something's waking up—or remembering."
Yuki looked at his scythe. Its edge shimmered like a black flame in the night.
"Do you think it's connected to us?" Aiko asked.
"I think everything here is," Haru said, his gaze drifting to the sky. "This place isn't just where we train. It's where something is waiting for us."
Kairo sipped his tea, then smirked. "Sounds like foreshadowing. Nice."
Yuki chuckled, but a strange unease curled in his chest. Something was coming. He didn't know what, or when—but the Kingdom wasn't just a resting point. It was a threshold.
And whatever was waiting beyond that threshold… was watching.