The city of Tokyo, alive with flashing neon lights and endless noise, shrank below as Lord Raizen ascended into the night sky, carried by an ethereal force that swirled around him. He flew with his descendants—those who had sworn their lives to his return—through the clouds, leaving behind the world of modernity. The wind howled in his ears as they soared over highways, bridges, and seas of people who had no idea of the ancient power now loose in their midst.
Ahead, a dark and foreboding mountain loomed on the horizon. It was a place untouched by the hand of modern man, shrouded in mist and hidden from view. The mountain, known as Yamigami, had been a place of mystery for centuries, rumored to be cursed by the spirits of long-forgotten warriors. It was said that no human dared to set foot there, and tonight, it would become Lord Raizen's sanctuary.
Raizen landed on the rocky terrain with a heavy thud, his armored boots sinking slightly into the loose dirt. His descendants followed, their cloaked forms blending into the darkness that surrounded them. The air was thick and damp, the faint scent of moss and earth hanging heavy in the breeze. Raizen took a deep breath, his chest heaving with the weight of two thousand years of imprisonment.
He stood at the edge of the mountain, staring out at the city below. It seemed so far away now—both in distance and in time. His mind was racing, consumed by anger and confusion. How had the world changed so much? And why had he been left to rot while time moved forward without him?
One of his descendants, a tall, hooded figure with silver hair and a soft but authoritative voice, stepped forward. "My lord, we are safe here. No humans will dare approach this place."
Raizen clenched his fists, his eyes still blazing with fury. "Safe? You think safety is what I seek?" He turned sharply, his voice booming in the dark night. "My kingdom has vanished, my enemies have died of old age, and I have awoken to a world of metal and sorcery beyond reason. Tell me, what is there to feel safe about?"
The group of descendants bowed their heads, none daring to speak. Raizen's rage was a force of nature, something even they—his loyal servants—feared.
"Lord Raizen," the silver-haired one spoke again, stepping forward with deference. "There is much you do not yet know. But before we speak of the present, perhaps it would be wise to speak of the past—the war that led to your imprisonment."
Raizen's eyes narrowed, but he nodded. The memory of that final battle was still fresh in his mind, as though it had happened only moments ago.
"I remember it well," Raizen growled, his voice low and dangerous. "It was the final battle—the war that would have cemented my rule over all the known lands. My army was unmatched, my power uncontested. Kingdoms fell before me like wheat before the scythe. I was unstoppable."
He began to pace, his long, dark cloak swirling in the wind. "But then… they came. A coalition of cowards. The Alliance of the Six Kingdoms. They banded together out of fear, desperate to destroy what they could not control." His fists clenched tighter. "At the head of their army was the Hero of their kind—Karos, the so-called champion of light. He wielded a blade unlike any other, forged in magic that rivaled even my own."
Raizen paused, his face twisted with hatred. "We clashed on the battlefield—Karos and I. It was a fight worthy of legend. But then, in the moment when my victory was all but assured, he cast a spell—a spell drawn from the darkest depths of sorcery. Before I could stop him, the magic struck me, and I felt my strength drain away. The chains of the earth itself bound me, and the next thing I knew… I was sealed in that cursed tomb."
He slammed his fist into the ground, causing the earth to tremble. "I would have destroyed them all! But instead, I was robbed of my victory. Trapped. Forgotten."
A long silence followed, the night air thick with the weight of his words.
One of the descendants stepped forward, her face pale in the moonlight. "My lord," she began softly, "you were not forgotten. We have waited for this day for two thousand years."
Raizen turned his gaze toward her, his anger momentarily replaced with curiosity.
"Our ancestors were part of the great war," she continued. "But unlike those who sought your destruction, we were loyal to you, Lord Raizen. Our families—our bloodlines—have protected the place of your sealing for all these centuries, ensuring that no one would disturb your resting place before the time of your return."
"Even after the kingdoms crumbled and the world changed beyond recognition, we remained," another descendant added. "Through the rise and fall of empires, we kept the knowledge of your existence alive, passing it down through the generations."
The silver-haired leader stepped forward again. "And now, the magic that once bound you has finally faded. You are free, my lord. Free to reclaim what is rightfully yours."
Raizen's expression darkened as he processed their words. For two thousand years, they had waited—they had watched the world change while he remained imprisoned in darkness. Loyalty like that was rare… but so too was the hatred that still burned in his chest.
"You have done well to keep the memory of my power alive," Raizen said, his voice a low growl. "But this world is not what it once was. I do not recognize it. The kingdoms of old are gone, replaced by… by this mockery of civilization." He gestured to the city in the distance, its lights twinkling like stars.
"Then we will guide you, my lord," the silver-haired one replied. "We will help you understand this new world, just as we protected you during the old."
Raizen stared at them, his rage slowly subsiding into cold calculation. The fire of revenge still burned within him, but now he saw the truth. This world may have changed, but he could still bend it to his will. He had loyal servants, and with their knowledge, he would rise again—stronger than ever before.
"Very well," Raizen said, his voice filled with dark determination. "You have proven your loyalty. And now, you shall help me reclaim what was stolen from me. This world will bow to its true king once more."
The descendants bowed deeply, their hearts swelling with anticipation. The king had returned, and soon the world would tremble beneath his feet.
The storm was only just beginning.
To be continued…