I had little to no rest last night. Jin was right—the power I unleashed wasn't something I can just ignore. It was wild, potent, and dangerous. As I sat in silence, sharpening my blade, my thoughts had drifted back to the red and black aura I released. I couldn't shake the feeling that it awakened something darker in me.
I stopped what I was doing and walked outside to clear my thoughts, I began walking towards the forest that surrounded the inn. Jin and Li were still asleep, but I needed the comfort of the woods. Though, there was something off about the quietness, a feeling in the air that made the hairs on my neck stand high.
I moved through the forest, my mind wandering until I reached a cliffside overlooking the valley. The sky was clouded, with a nice beeeze tinging through my body. But beneath the beauty of the land, I could sense something was wrong.
***
The same thugs who had ran away last night stumbled into a dark chamber hidden deep in the mountains, panting and exhausted. They barely managed to hold themselves together as they knelt in front of a towering figure shrouded in darkness. His presence was overwhelming, a clear force of dominance, even without a clear view of his face.
The leader of the thugs, the scarred man, kept his head bowed, his voice trembling with fear. "We... we tried, Lord Takeda. But a warrior... a samurai, he—"
A soft, cold chuckle echoed through the chamber. The man sitting on a raised platform, his face blocked with a black mask, leaned forward slightly. His hands rested on the arms of his chair, while his long thin fingers drumming against the wood. His silence stretched, making the thugs sweat as they knelt.
"You were outmatched by a mere ronin?" His voice was low, smooth, but oppressive. "One boy, and yet you return empty-handed. How... disappointing."
The scarred thug swallowed hard, his voice shaking. "He... he wasn't ordinary, Lord Takeda. He had some kind of power... his aura was—"
"Red and black." Takeda finished for him, a faint tone of amusement creeping into his voice. "interesting."
The masked man slowly rose from his seat, his robe shifting around him. His movements were deliberate, elegant, but there was something terrifying in his presence. He stepped down from the platform and moved toward the thugs, who trembled as he approached.
Takeda reached down, his long fingers lifting one of the thugs chin so their eyes met. "You've failed me, but perhaps you've brought me something more valuable than you realize. Red and black Kenki, you say? Such power is rare... dangerous. I wonder what else this samurai is capable of."
The thug stammered under Takeda's gaze. "W-we didn't stand a chance. Please, my lord, show us mercy—"
"Mercy?" Takeda chuckled. "You failed, and failure... brings consequences."
Before the thug could react, Takeda's hand shot forward, gripping his neck with inhuman strength. The thug eyes widened in shock as his body convulsed, a dark energy pouring into his skin, coming from takedas fingers. After a few seconds, the thug collapsed, lifeless, as the others watched in terror.
Takeda straightened, stepping over the body without a second glance. "Find this samurai. Bring him to me. Alive."
The remaining thugs scrambled to their feet, bowing quickly before fleeing into the shadows of the chamber, their hearts racing with both fear and desperation. Takeda returned to his seat, his masked face turning toward the dim light that shined through the cracks in the stone walls.
"Red and black Kenki..." He whispered to himself, drumming his fingers on the chair. "It seems that everything is falling into place sooner than expected."
***
I arrived back at the village. Jin and Li joined me later that morning, both sensing the tension in my demeanor. My instincts screamed that something darker was coming, something bigger than the thugs I had fought.
We left the inn after sunrise, following the forest path toward the mountains. I felt uneasy. The night before had changed something in me. Jin, walking beside me, kept his eyes forward, but I could tell he was waiting for me to speak. Eventually, I broke the silence.
"I've felt this before, Jin. Something's coming for us."
He glanced at me. "It's the power you unlocked last night. That kind of Kenki... it draws attention. Darker forces will sense it, just like I did."
Li, walking behind us, remained quiet but on guard. The weight of our situation pressed down on me with every step we took.
As we reached a clearing at the base of the mountain, we caught sight of movement in the trees. My hand instinctively went to the hilt of my sword.
Figures came from the shadows—men dressed in dark, weathered armor. Their weapons gleamed in the morning light, and I recognized the leader instantly. The scarred thug who had threatened the villagers last night was back, but now he looks even more desperate.
He sneered at me, but I could see the fear in his eyes as they flickered to Jin and Li. "You got lucky last night, samurai," he spat. "But you won't escape us again. Lord Takeda wants you alive, and we will deliver."
"Lord Takeda?" Jin muttered quietly beside me, his voice showing signs of familiarity. His grip on his sword tightened as he starts emanating an aura that can take out every ounce of air in my lungs.
I drew my blade, my heart calm and steady but my mind racing. "Takeda..." the name was unfamiliar, but the sound of it carried menace. Whoever he was, he was powerful. And he had his eyes on me.
"You shouldn't have came back," I said coldly, letting a faint wave of Kenki pulse through my body. "This won't end well for you."
The scarred man's face twisted into a snarl, and with a single motion, his men lunged forward, their rusted swords raised, and their battle cries filling the air.
The fight had just begun.