The underground chamber was dimly lit, but the air hummed with tension.
Kaminari's sharp eyes flickered over the room, taking in the dozen or so rebels seated around the long wooden table. Maps and blueprints lay scattered across its surface, the inked lines illuminated by flickering lanterns.
Tatsuo, the scarred warrior who had greeted them, leaned against the far wall, arms crossed. His presence carried weight—not just authority, but experience.
Akari sat lazily on a nearby bench, but Kaminari didn't miss the way she stayed attentively poised, her fingers drumming lightly on the wood.
Everyone was waiting. For him.
Kaminari didn't like that.
"So," he said, breaking the silence. "What exactly am I doing here?"
A voice answered—soft, measured, but carrying undeniable power.
"You are here because you've already placed yourself in the storm's path."
Kaminari turned to the speaker—a woman standing near the far end of the table. She was older than the others, her dark hair streaked with silver, but her presence was commanding. Eyes like the sky before a thunderstorm.
Akari tilted her head toward her. "That's Elder Chiyo. She's the one who actually runs things around here."
Chiyo stepped forward, gazing at Kaminari with keen interest. "Your arrival in Sorakaze was no accident, was it?"
Kaminari exhaled. "I came looking for someone. A powerful air manipulator. Someone who might have answers about the destruction of my homeland."
Murmurs rippled through the rebels. Tatsuo raised an eyebrow. "You mean Tenkū no Kuni."
Kaminari stiffened. "You know it?"
Chiyo gave a slow nod. "We all do."
Tatsuo unfolded his arms. "A floating country that vanished in a single night, consumed by an unnatural storm. We've heard the legends." His gaze sharpened. "You're saying you were there?"
Kaminari's jaw tightened. The images flickered in his mind—lightning splitting the sky, the howling winds, the screams. He forced them down.
"I don't remember everything," he admitted. "But I know that whatever happened… wasn't natural." He met Chiyo's gaze. "And I know Sorakaze might hold the key to finding out the truth."
A beat of silence. Then Chiyo spoke.
"You may be right."
The room stilled.
Kaminari frowned. "Explain."
Chiyo exhaled. "If you seek the truth behind the fall of Tenkū no Kuni, then you must first understand the Shinpū no Yumi."
Chiyo moved to the table, unrolling a large, intricate map of Sorakaze. Unlike ordinary maps, this one depicted the layers of the floating country, from the stormy lower plains to the islands drifting high above.
At the center of the map, etched in bold strokes, was a symbol resembling a bow.
Kaminari narrowed his eyes. "That's the artifact, isn't it?"
Chiyo nodded. "The Shinpū no Yumi, the Bow of the Divine Wind. It is no mere relic—it is the heart of Sorakaze itself."
She traced a finger along the map. "Long ago, this country was like any other, bound to the earth. But the first Kazehime ruler, wielding the power of the bow, lifted it into the sky. With its power, the floating islands were formed, suspended by ceaseless, controlled air currents."
Akari scoffed. "Or, to put it less poetically, the Kazehime Clan has been using it to keep themselves above the rest of us ever since."
Chiyo gave a slight nod. "Yes. The bow's power is not limitless. The floating islands must be constantly sustained—draining energy from the storms below."
Kaminari's pulse quickened. "Storms…"
Tatsuo spoke. "Sorakaze's rulers don't control the skies just for luxury. They feed off the storms, harnessing their energy to keep their kingdom afloat. Without the bow, the islands would fall."
The realization struck Kaminari like a lightning bolt.
"If they can harness storm energy…" His hands curled into fists. "Then it's possible they could have created a storm powerful enough to erase a floating country."
Chiyo's expression was grave. "It is not impossible."
The room fell into heavy silence.
Kaminari exhaled sharply, running a hand through his messy hair. If the Kazehime Clan had a hand in Tenkū no Kuni's destruction… then he was standing in the right place.
Akari leaned forward. "So? What's the plan?"
Tatsuo gave a dry chuckle. "Plan? The plan was survival. Taking on the Kazehime Clan is one thing—but taking the Shinpū no Yumi?" He shook his head. "That's a death wish."
Akari shot him a glare. "So we just let them keep draining power from the sky? Keep letting them crush us?"
Tatsuo met her gaze evenly. "We are not strong enough. Not yet."
Kaminari tapped his fingers on the table, a faint spark flickering at his fingertips. "What if we were?"
Tatsuo raised an eyebrow. "What are you suggesting?"
Kaminari exhaled. "You said you don't have the strength to take the bow. But what if I told you I could make that storm energy fight back?"
The air shifted.
Akari blinked. "You mean…"
Kaminari's yellow eye gleamed. "Lightning and wind aren't so different, are they? You can control the currents. I can bring the storm."
The rebellion's leaders exchanged looks.
Finally, Chiyo spoke.
"Then we must see if your words hold weight." She turned to Akari. "Take him to the Skyfall Ridge. If he is to fight with us, he must prove that he can withstand the storm."
Akari smirked. "Gladly."
Kaminari exhaled, a slow grin creeping onto his face.
He came to Sorakaze searching for answers.
Now he had found his first step toward the truth.
And the storm was only just beginning.