After the explosion at the village entrance, everyone rushed there. The guards were scattered around, lying wounded.
Suddenly, there was a commotion at the village entrance. A face not seen for a long time, Midra Seiryo, was approaching the village. The guards immediately reported it, and Kamiya, Kinjo, and Yahiro quickly ran to the scene.
Kamiya, clenching his fists, called out to this unfamiliar stranger: "Who are you and what do you want?"
Midra replied with an amused tone: "I'm Midra Seiryo. I'm looking for Sato. I've come to settle a score with him."
This answer didn't satisfy Kamiya. "Why are you looking for Sato? Did you come here to fight?"
Midra smiled. "Yes, you could say that. I've been itching to fight him for years."
Upon hearing these words, Kamiya quickly sprang into action. He lunged at Midra with his fists. "I can't allow you to threaten our village!"
A fierce battle began between the two powerful warriors. Kamiya's quick and sharp moves were met with Midra's experienced defense. They seemed evenly matched.
Easily blocking Kamiya's punches, Midra suddenly kneed Kamiya in the stomach. Stepping back a few paces, he said, "You're stronger than you look," and became even more serious.
Just then, Kinjo intervened. "Stop!" Kinjo shouted. "Midra, is that you?!"
Kamiya stepped back in surprise. "Do you know him, Kinjo?"
Kinjo nodded. "Yes, she's an old friend of ours. Midra, I guess your journey has come to an end?"
Midra took a deep breath. "You could say that. Let's discuss the details later. Where's Sato? I miss him and want to see him."
Kinjo's face fell. "Unfortunately... Sato isn't with us right now. It's a complicated situation."
This news shocked Midra. "What? How did this happen? Tell me, what happened?"
Kamiya interjected. "Let's go inside. We'll explain everything in detail. But first, I apologize for my behavior earlier. I didn't know you."
Midra nodded. "It's alright. You were trying to protect your village. Now, I want to know everything about Sato."
As the three of them walked towards the village, Midra's mind was in turmoil. The confrontation he had been waiting for years had been unexpectedly postponed. Now, all he could do was worry about the situation of his old friend.
When they returned to Kamiya's office, Midra looked around in astonishment. "This place has changed so much. What happened while I was gone?"
Kinjo laughed, "Well, you've been gone for about ten years. If you've noticed, Kamiya Naizen is the new leader of this village."
Midra couldn't hide his surprise. "What? Did you lose the war?"
"No, it's not like that. Let's just say we made a big peace," Kinjo said, scratching the back of his head.
"So what happened to Sato?" Midra asked.
"Sato sealed himself and his wife. We believe Miki was an agent. They suddenly started fighting during the peace negotiations. Sato didn't retaliate at all and was nearly killed by Miki. Before that could happen, Sato sealed Miki along with himself. If we can find a way to remove the seal, we can treat Sato's wounds and keep him alive. Sato probably included himself in the seal to avoid dying, thinking of this possibility." said Kinjo.
Midra's face fell. "I never warmed up to Miki anyway. What did he even see in her? I was better than her." she muttered the last words. After a brief silence, Kinjo chimed in: "Tell me, did you find your brother? You've been on the road for ten years."
"Ryosei Seiryo..." Midra sighed. "Ah, where could he be? I searched for so long but couldn't find any trace."
Kamiya was listening carefully but there were things he couldn't understand. "Wasn't the Seiryo clan the owner of the Xen tribe? Was a Seiryo living here? I don't get it," he said.
Just as Kinjo was about to speak, Midra excitedly interjected: "Actually, the ancestors of the Seiryo clan come from the Ryo clan. They used to live here before, there are still some living Seiryos. Our father had returned here. We were welcomed because we were distant cousins of Hirabayashi Ryo."
Kamiya nodded. "I see, that makes more sense now."
Midra continued excitedly: "My brother Ryosei, Hisa, Remi, Arata, and I came here with our father. My other brothers Kenshin and Reizo stayed in the Xen tribe. Hisa and Arata died around that time, and my brother Ryosei disappeared."
Kinjo added: "As far as I know, Kenshin and Reizo are currently leading the Xen tribe."
Yahiro maintained his silence but nodded in agreement with Kinjo.
"Wow, so my brother has grown up and is leading a tribe now." A terrible smile appeared on Midra's face. This wasn't actually praise; fear was gripping him inside. He knew his brother was conducting crazy experiments and trying every way to gain power. "Well, those tribe elders were already supporting him, I guess it's not that surprising," he said.
"Your brother seems to be quite powerful, isn't he?" asked Kamiya.
Midra continued speaking without breaking the terrible smile on his face. "Yes, he's probably one of the strongest living people. I guess he's about your age."
"Well, let's take a break from the conversation for now and have some food. You should also rest a bit. I'll tell you about the other events while we eat. Let's go," said Kinjo.
Sanda and Rikimaru had climbed to a small hill at the edge of the village. The sun was about to set, and the sky was painted in orange hues. They both sat silently, watching the scenery.
Rikimaru, without taking his eyes off the horizon, began to speak: "Sanda, sometimes I think... How much our lives have changed, haven't they?"
Sanda turned to Rikimaru and smiled. "Yes, they have. But I don't think this change is bad. We've grown and become stronger together."
Rikimaru took a deep breath. "True... But sometimes I'm afraid. This power inside me... I worry it might get out of control."
Sanda put her hand on Rikimaru's shoulder. "Hey, remember you're not alone. I'm always by your side. Together, we'll learn to control this power." She thought Rikimaru was talking about his emotions and experiences, but the situation was different. Rikimaru was talking about a new power awakening inside him.
Rikimaru looked into Sanda's eyes. There was both concern and gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you, Sanda. Without someone like you, I'd be crushed under this burden."
Sanda moved a little closer to Rikimaru. "Rikimaru, I need to tell you something... I... I can't hide my feelings for you anymore." They were very young, but their feelings were quite intense. Perhaps these emotions had grown so strong with the excitement of youth.
Rikimaru's heart began to race. "Sanda, I too... There's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time."
They both paused for a moment, then slowly moved closer to each other. The world around them seemed to have stopped. Then they averted their eyes from each other, both blushing slightly. Rikimaru held Sanda's hand. "Sanda, you are my strength. Together, we can overcome any challenge."
Sanda smiled. "And you're my hero, Rikimaru. As long as we're together, I'm not afraid of anything."
As the sun set completely, they sat embracing each other. Whatever the future might bring, they now knew they weren't alone.