As Ryoma's vision blurred and darkness closed in around him, a sense of weightlessness overtook his senses. His lungs burned for air, his chest constricted by the crushing pressure of the Leviathan's stomach. With a final gasp for breath, he succumbed to the void, his consciousness slipping away into the abyss.
When Ryoma awoke, he found himself sprawled upon the sun-drenched shores of a distant island, the salty tang of the sea air filling his senses. Blinking away the haze of sleep, he pushed himself upright, his head spinning as he surveyed his surroundings.
Before him, a solitary figure toiled amidst the wreckage of the Leviathan's remains, its massive carcass stretched across the sand like a grotesque monument to death. The old man's weathered face was lined with determination as he hacked away at the creature's bloated belly, his blade flashing in the sunlight with each stroke.
Ryoma's heart clenched at the sight, a wave of sorrow washing over him as he realized the magnitude of the loss they had suffered. His comrades—his friends—were gone, swallowed whole by the merciless jaws of the Leviathan. Tears welled in his eyes as he watched the old man work, his hands trembling with grief and disbelief.
"Who are you?" Ryoma whispered hoarsely, his voice barely more than a croak. "And why are you here?"
The old man paused in his labors, his gaze meeting Ryoma's with a solemn intensity. "I am but a humble swordsman," he replied, his voice tinged with sorrow. "I came to this island seeking answers of my own, but it seems fate had other plans."
Ryoma's eyes flickered to the sword that hung at the old man's waist, its blade gleaming in the sunlight with a quiet, unassuming grace. A spark of recognition flared within him—a sense of kinship born of shared loss and sorrow.
"Teach me," Ryoma pleaded, his voice raw with emotion. "Teach me to wield a sword as you do, that I may honor the memory of those we have lost."
The old man regarded him for a long moment, his eyes weighing Ryoma's words with a measured gravity. And then, with a solemn nod, he extended a weathered hand, offering Ryoma the chance to begin anew.
"Very well," the old man said, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness. "But know this, young swordsman—for every blade that is drawn, there is a price to be paid. Are you prepared to face the trials that lie ahead?"
Ryoma's heart swelled with determination as he clasped the old man's hand in his own. "I am," he vowed, his voice ringing with conviction. "No matter the cost, I will see this journey through to the end."