The cold wind howled through the ruined village, carrying the scent of old blood and damp earth. Ryuji and Akari stood in silence, their weapons still drawn, their hearts still racing.
Souta had disappeared.
But he wasn't gone.
He was watching.
Waiting.
And Ryuji could feel it.
A Trail of Secrets
"We need to move." Akari's voice was steady, but her grip on her katana was tight. "If that bastard comes back, I won't let him slip away again."
Ryuji barely heard her. His mind was still reeling from what had happened. The curse had reacted. It had lashed out, protecting him—not because he wanted it to, but because it wanted to survive.
It had a will of its own.
He swallowed hard. "Master Ren's last known location was in the Eastern Highlands. If he's alive, that's where we'll find him."
Akari glanced at him, then nodded. "And if he's not?"
Ryuji exhaled. "Then we keep moving until we find someone who knows more about the hunter."
They stepped into the shadows of the ruined village, their footsteps light, their senses sharp.
But they weren't alone.
Something moved beneath the ground.
A deep, slow rumble.
The stench of rotting flesh filled the air.
Akari stiffened. "Tell me you felt that."
Ryuji didn't answer. He didn't have to.
Because the ground beneath them split open.
The Awakening of the Fallen
A black, clawed hand shot up from the cracked earth.
Then another.
And another.
Akari took a step back, eyes narrowing. "Undead."
The first creature pulled itself free from the dirt—a twisted corpse, skin charred and eyes glowing with a sickly yellow light. It twitched as if struggling to remember how to move.
Then it lunged.
Ryuji dodged, slicing downward in a clean arc—but the moment his blade touched the creature's flesh, it stopped.
A low, gurgling laugh bubbled from its throat.
Akari's katana flashed, severing its head cleanly. The body collapsed—only to start moving again.
"They don't die easily!" Akari hissed.
Ryuji gritted his teeth. Normal attacks wouldn't work.
The creatures kept crawling out of the ground, their numbers increasing.
And then—
A voice echoed through the ruins.
Deep. Hollow. Amused.
"How pathetic… the last heir of the Akagami Clan, reduced to running from corpses?"
Ryuji froze.
The voice was familiar.
Too familiar.
"Who's there?!" Akari demanded, shifting into a defensive stance.
A tall figure stepped forward from the shadows.
He was draped in black, his face hidden behind an intricate silver mask. His aura was suffocating, his presence like a weight pressing down on their chests.
And Ryuji knew exactly who he was.
"Impossible..." Ryuji whispered.
The masked man chuckled. "Surprised? I told you, boy. You cannot escape your fate."
Akari's fingers tightened around her sword. "Ryuji, who is he?"
Ryuji's grip on his blade trembled.
Because the man before him was supposed to be dead.
And yet, his uncle—Kenshiro Akagami—stood before him.
Smiling.
The Weight of the Past
"Uncle…" The word barely left Ryuji's lips. His chest felt tight, as if the very air had turned to iron.
Kenshiro tilted his head. "Is that all you have to say?"
Akari's eyes darted between them. "Ryuji, what the hell is going on?"
Ryuji couldn't answer. He remembered the night Kenshiro died.
The flames. The screams. The blood.
Kenshiro had been killed in front of him.
And yet… here he was.
"You… should be dead," Ryuji finally said. His voice was hoarse.
Kenshiro chuckled. "Yes, I should be. But I am not. And you…" His silver eyes gleamed behind the mask. "You should not be alive."
A dagger flew at Ryuji's heart.
He barely dodged. The blade cut his arm instead—a warning.
Akari rushed forward, her katana striking with lightning speed—
But Kenshiro blocked it with a single finger.
A shockwave rippled through the air. Akari was blasted backward, her feet digging trenches into the dirt.
She gasped. "What the hell—"
"You are out of your depth, girl," Kenshiro said calmly.
Then he turned back to Ryuji.
"Come with me. I will show you the truth of your bloodline."
Ryuji's pulse pounded in his ears. His fingers twitched on his sword's hilt.
He had two choices:
Go with Kenshiro and learn the truth.Fight. Even though the odds were impossible.
His decision would change everything.