Mei slowly opened her eyes. Her body was still numb from the trial she had just endured. The heavy air of the cell felt almost reassuring after everything she had been through. Around her, the silence was oppressive, only broken by the distant clinking of chains.
— "Well done, Mei, you succeeded."
Kaede's voice rang softly. Mei turned her head and saw her friend sitting not far from her, a reassuring smile on her lips.
— "Thank you, Kaede…" Mei murmured, struggling to sit up.
Her memories of the trial were still blurry, but deep down, she felt a profound sense of relief. Still, a lingering concern remained in her gaze.
— "Where are the others?" she asked, looking around.
Kaede lowered her gaze slightly before responding:
— "Ryuu and Jin... I don't know where they are. But Arashi went to take his test."
At these words, a chill ran down Mei's spine.
— "His test?"
Kaede nodded and pointed to a floating screen above them. The projected image seemed unreal: a vast, dark room, infinite in size, where Arashi stood.
— "We can see what he's going through through this screen."
Mei held her breath.
— "Arashi… What have they prepared for him?"
---
A Room of Shadows and Broken Memories
Arashi opened his eyes. Darkness surrounded him from all sides, oppressive and suffocating. He felt his heart race, an odd sensation filling him. This place… he had never seen it before, yet it felt terrifyingly familiar.
The air was icy. A black mist curled around him, as if it were alive. He took a step forward, and the sound of his footsteps echoed in the void.
Then, he sensed a presence.
Slowly, figures began to emerge from the shadows. They were blurry, indistinct, but he could make out their human shapes.
A voice echoed, cold, deep, filled with reproach.
— "How can you forget us...?"
Arashi's blood ran cold.
— "After all… it's you who killed us."
His breath caught. He stared at the figures before him, and when they became clearer, his heart skipped a beat.
There, before him, stood Takeshi and Miyuki Akeron, his parents.
His father wore the same black and gold war kimono that Arashi had always seen him in. His gaze was cold, implacable. His mother, dressed in a pure white gown, stood beside him, her eyes filled with sorrow.
Arashi took a step back, shock written on his face.
— "P-Papa…? Mama…?" he stammered.
Takeshi didn't blink.
— "Are you surprised?" His voice was sharp as a blade. "We're here... to seek justice."
Arashi felt a weight pressing down on his chest.
— "I-It's not possible… You're dead."
— "By your hand."
Miyuki turned her eyes away. Takeshi, on the other hand, took a step forward, his aura menacing.
— "You are the heir of the Akeron clan. The blood of the strongest lineage runs through your veins. Yet… you destroyed our clan."
Memories of that cursed night flooded back. The blood. The screams. The silence after the carnage.
— "I was manipulated!" Arashi replied, breathing heavily.
— "That's a pathetic excuse." Takeshi cut him off, his gaze harsh. "A true heir doesn't let himself be manipulated. An Akeron never falls this low."
Arashi clenched his fists. He wanted to scream that it wasn't his fault, that the Nine Clans had orchestrated everything. But deep down, a part of him doubted it.
Was he really innocent?
Takeshi stopped in front of him, sizing him up.
— "Today, you will answer for your actions."
Then, without warning, the scene changed abruptly.
The darkness dissipated, revealing an immense, familiar terrain.
Arashi looked around, his heart racing.
— "The Akeron clan's training ground...?"
It was an endless plain, dotted with colossal mountains and crystal-clear lakes. The sky was a dark red, as if twilight were eternal.
Takeshi slowly drew his katana, its blade glowing with a dark hue.
— "If you want to survive, Arashi… you'll have to kill me."
A heavy silence hung in the air.
Arashi swallowed hard.
— "I… I don't want to fight you."
— "Then die."
With a single movement, Takeshi vanished.
Arashi felt an overwhelming pressure on him. Before he could react, a wave of destructive energy shot toward him at a speed surpassing light.
His instinct screamed at him.
He barely dodged… and his heart froze.
Behind him, ten mountains were reduced to dust.
The explosion was cataclysmic. A massive shockwave swept across the plain, lifting tornadoes of rubble and creating a crater several kilometers wide.
In the cell, Jin and Ryuu stared at the screen with terrified expressions.
— "W-What kind of monster is that?!" Jin exclaimed, his voice trembling.
Ryuu, normally stoic, remained frozen.
— "It only took him one attack to destroy all that..."
Kaede and Mei, meanwhile, stayed silent, their gazes fixed on Arashi.
The young man, still standing, watched the devastation caused by his father.
Takeshi reappeared in front of him, his blade still smoking from the attack.
— "You hesitate, Arashi. That's why you're losing."
Arashi gripped his katana.
His gaze burned with determination.
— "You… you're not my father."
Takeshi raised an eyebrow.
— "My father would never do that."
A fleeting smile crossed the warrior's face.
— "Finally, you lift your head."
Then, he disappeared once more.
Arashi had only a millisecond to react.
And it was then… that something changed within him.
Unknowingly, a dormant power had just awakened.
---
The ground trembled beneath Arashi's feet. A violent wind swept the black dust across the terrain, lifting shards of rock into the oppressive air. Before him, Takeshi Akeron stood motionless. His gaze was a chasm of cold steel, an ocean of unfathomable shadows. He gave off no rage, no anger, only a terrifying serenity, that of a warrior who knew he could not lose.
— "You're not my father. My father would never do this."
Arashi spat these words like a curse, but Takeshi showed no reaction. His hand merely brushed the hilt of his katana.
Then, he vanished.
A shiver ran down Arashi's spine. In one moment, Takeshi was in front of him. The next, excruciating pain tore across his cheek. His body was flung backward, crashing into a distant mountain.
The impact shook the entire continent. A titanic shockwave ripped across the horizon, raising a storm of flames and debris. Jin and Ryuu, in their cell, were hurled against the walls. Kaede and Mei, on the screen, gasped for air under the pressure.
— "He... he sent Arashi miles away with a single attack..." Mei whispered, her voice trembling.
— "This isn't just an illusion." Kaede shook her head, her gaze fixed on the screen. "This is a true embodiment of the Akeron power."
In the ruins of the mountain, Arashi staggered to his feet. His left arm was broken, his breathing erratic. Yet, he had no time to regain his stance.
Takeshi was already upon him.
A barrage of katana strikes rained down on Arashi at an incomprehensible speed. Each blow was a lethal gust, every movement a hurricane of destruction. Arashi desperately blocked, but his reflexes were too slow. A slash to his chest, another to his leg. His own blood splattered the ground.
He staggered back, gasping for air, searching for a moment to breathe.
Too late.
Takeshi raised a finger. A purple light concentrated around it, warping the space around it. Then, he pointed at Arashi.
— "Destroy yourself."
The attack shot forward.
Arashi had only enough time to widen his eyes before the explosion struck. A cataclysmic blast engulfed the sky. The shockwaves created craters miles wide, and the impact shattered an entire island off the battlefield.
In the cell, Jin gripped the bars, his eyes wide.
— "He can't survive this."
Ryuu remained silent, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
The blast's shockwave dissipated.
Arashi, kneeling, his body covered in wounds and blood, struggled to breathe.
Takeshi stood before him, unscathed, impassive.
— "You're weak."
Arashi gritted his teeth, his trembling fingers closing around the hilt of his katana.
— "Shut up!"
He charged straight at Takeshi, ignoring the pain, ignoring the instinct to survive that screamed at him to give up. He swung his sword with all his might…
His blade met only air.
Takeshi had moved even faster.
A fist drove into his abdomen.
Arashi felt his bones shatter, his breath ripped from his lungs. He was thrown at a speed that defied reality, crashing through multiple mountains before crashing into the ground, creating a vast crater a kilometer wide.
Jin and Ryuu couldn't even follow the attack. Only the screen showed them the inhuman sequence.
— "We can't even see his movements..." murmured Jin.
Takeshi reappeared, calmly walking toward Arashi, his katana still in its sheath.
— "The power of an Akeron is not limited to brute force. It rests on the ability to transcend limits. And you are incapable of achieving that."
He pointed at where Arashi lay.
— "Get up, or die here."
Arashi could no longer move. His body wouldn't respond. He wanted to stand, wanted to scream, but all he felt was pain.
A cold laugh echoed.
— "Pathetic."
Takeshi appeared above him, slowly raising his katana.
The world seemed to stop.
In the cell, Mei pressed a hand to her mouth. Kaede turned her eyes away.
Ryuu… moved toward the bars.
— "Arashi..."
He couldn't die.
He couldn't.
But as Takeshi's blade descended, something changed.
The wind stopped.
The air seemed to bend around Arashi.
And then, suddenly…
Takeshi's katana struck nothing.
Arashi… was no longer there.
Or rather, he had moved at an impossible speed.
Takeshi slightly furrowed his brow. For the first time, a trace of surprise crossed his gaze.
— "Hmph... Now this is interesting."
In the crater where Arashi should have died, he stood, panting, his eyes strangely empty.
The ground around him vibrated. The very space seemed distorted, as if something greater than him was awakening.
In the cell, Jin took a step back.
— "What... is happening..."
Mei raised a trembling hand toward the screen.
— "Arashi… what's happening to you…?"
A heavy silence fell over the battlefield.
Then Takeshi resumed his stance, an imperceptible smile touching his lips.
— "Show me what you're truly capable of."
The real battle had just begun.
Here's the translation of the passage into English:
---
The wind whistled, howling between the gutted mountains. Every breath Arashi took was a burning pain, every movement an agony. Yet, he could not falter. Not now.
Before him, Takeshi Akeron slowly sheathed his katana, a gesture as fluid as it was natural. His gaze betrayed neither pity nor anger – only a cold indifference.
— "You moved faster than expected… But that changes nothing."
Arashi fell back into stance, his katana crackling with energy.
— "I'll make you swallow your arrogance."
Takeshi said nothing. His body simply moved.
Then, the massacre resumed.
The Master's Assault
Arashi barely had time to see Takeshi vanish before a force invisible struck him, sending him flying backward. Several of his ribs cracked before he even realized what had happened.
Takeshi was already on him.
— "Hazan no Mai – Kaze no Itami." (Dance of the Blade – Pain of the Wind)
Ten blades of air shot out at an untraceable speed. Arashi barely dodged the first wave, but the last cut opened his shoulder, spilling blood onto the ground.
— "Tch...!"
He leapt back, raising his katana in a high guard.
— "Kagutsuchi – Homura Rasen!" (Divine Fire – Fiery Spiral!)
Black flames erupted from his blade, swirling in an infernal spiral. He struck with all his might, sending a torrent of fire at Takeshi.
The attack set the sky ablaze.
But instead of being consumed, Takeshi sliced through the flames with a single stroke of his katana.
— "Naive."
He walked through the inferno, unfazed. Then, he disappeared.
A sharp pain pierced Arashi. He coughed up blood.
— "Kaze Arashi – Tenro Rendan." (Storm of the Wind – Celestial Barrage!)
Takeshi struck with a series of invisible blows. His katana danced, striking Arashi's chest, arms, and legs with surgical precision. Arashi's body was torn apart, each impact breaking his guard and his breath a little more.
Arashi tried to retreat, but Takeshi wouldn't allow it.
— "Ikari no Kokyuu – Kiba no Saidan!" (Breath of Rage – The Altar of Fangs!)
A titanic shockwave slammed into him. Arashi was hurled into the air before Takeshi leapt, grabbing him by the throat.
— "You're no match."
Takeshi slammed him violently into the ground. The impact created a massive crater, sending debris flying.
Arashi didn't move.
The Awakening of a Forgotten Power
In the cell, Jin slammed his fist against the bars.
— "Get up, Arashi! You can't lose like this!"
Mei and Kaede stood frozen, breathless.
On the battlefield, Takeshi walked toward Arashi, still lying motionless on the ground, his body shattered.
— "You've failed."
He raised his katana, ready to deliver the final blow.
But then…
A cold wind rose.
The ground cracked beneath Arashi's inert body. An invisible, oppressive energy began to emanate from him.
Takeshi stopped.
— "Oh…?"
In the cell, Jin and Ryuu felt a chill run down their spines.
Mei trembled.
— "It's…"
The wind turned into a storm.
Then, slowly, Arashi opened his eyes.
His pupils had changed.
They were no longer human.
They had become two burning abysses, crossed by golden lightning, exuding an indescribable power.
— "..."
Takeshi observed this change. Then he smiled.
— "Finally."
In the darkness of the arena, the Kenrigan had awakened.
--
The wind blew with an almost palpable intensity, creating an air pressure so immense that Arashi felt as though the Earth itself was on the verge of tearing apart. The power that had just awakened within him made the air around him tremble, every particle of atmosphere vibrating with pure energy, almost tangible. His eyes, now infused with the essence of the Kenrigan (権理眼), glowed with a bright golden light, as if they had become windows to another world, a world where the laws of reality were being twisted.
Takeshi, still impassive, stepped back a pace. He watched his son, a growing interest in his gaze. This change, this rupture in the balance, was the final step in the test he had prepared. He knew the fight wasn't over yet, but a new energy was boiling within Arashi.
— "This is where it all begins, Arashi. Welcome to the real fight."
Arashi straightened up, his breathing deep and steady, as if he had rediscovered a rhythm long forgotten. The power that had awakened within him only grew, enveloping him in an aura of newfound strength. He was no longer just a young man seeking vengeance; he had become a monster of power, a being who could rival the ancient gods themselves.
— "You said I was nothing. But you're wrong, father. I am no longer who you think I am."
Takeshi raised his katana, a mysterious smile on his lips.
— "Then show me what you've become."
The next instant, the ground beneath them trembled, and Takeshi launched himself at full speed toward Arashi, his katana gleaming with a cold light. The speed of the attack was such that it seemed to tear through the air, a sharp whistle piercing the space before the blade even reached its target. But Arashi, with the Kenrigan (権理眼), was ready. His eyes followed every movement, every muscle of his father before he even moved, predicting each action before it began.
— "Kirin no Mai!" (Dance of the Dragon!)
In a flash, Arashi raised his katana, readying it for a counterattack. The clash of the two blades resonated through the arena like a detonation. The impact sent Takeshi stumbling backward, but Arashi didn't stop there. He surged forward with the speed of lightning, striking directly toward his father's abdomen with unimaginable violence.
— "Horyu no Fūjin!" (Furious Dragon's Wind!)
Takeshi blocked the strike, but the blow exploded the air around him, creating a whirlwind of dust and debris. Arashi seized the opportunity, attacking again, this time unleashing a luminous arc of pure energy from his katana. The energy carved its way through the air, leaving a golden, incandescent trail.
— "Takeshi!" Arashi yelled, his voice trembling with rage and power. He struck again and again, each attack aimed at breaking his father's resistance.
Takeshi blocked each blow with a surprising grace for someone of his stature. He was a master of combat, a being whose strength did not lie solely in his speed or brute power, but in his ability to anticipate and manipulate the flow of battle. But even with all his mastery, Arashi was becoming a more and more formidable opponent. The fight was no longer a simple confrontation but a deadly dance where every movement was dictated by the will and fury of the young warrior.
— "Kurozai – Seishin no Kage!" (Darkness – Shadow of the Soul!)
Arashi called upon the darkness. A black, dense, suffocating wave erupted from his eyes and blade, covering the arena with a veil of obscurity. The shadow slithered around Takeshi, enveloping him, preventing him from seeing clearly or moving freely. Arashi took a step forward, fury in his eyes.
— "It's over, father."
Takeshi stepped back, before letting out a small laugh.
— "It's not over yet."
He closed his eyes, and a burst of light erupted from his body. Through the shadow surrounding him, a surge of energy shot from his arms and unleashed, forming an aura of pure power around him. He broke through Arashi's shadow in an instant, and, in an explosion of light, charged once more toward his son.
The battle intensified at an unimaginable speed. Every movement of Arashi seemed to be filled with strength and will, while Takeshi responded with perfect mastery. But each blow he struck met Arashi's newfound power, a power that only grew stronger with each passing moment. Arashi felt that every fiber of his being was fueled by this raw and pure energy, this fury that raged inside him.
— "Takeshi! Look well! It is your heir who is fighting!" Arashi yelled, his voice filled with power.
His katana shone with a new golden aura, a divine energy that made the entire environment vibrate around him. The ground cracked beneath his feet as he poured his energy into a final assault. There was no room left for mercy. No room for pity.
Takeshi watched his son with rare admiration. This was what he had been waiting for. This moment when Arashi would surpass his limits.
Arashi launched into a final strike, his blade cutting through the air with such speed that it seemed to crack reality around them. Takeshi raised his katana to counter, but he already knew this strike could not be avoided. Arashi was faster, stronger. The power of the Kenrigan (権理眼) was propelling him toward certain victory.
---
The wind still blew across the arena, but this time it carried a sinister heat, a heavy breath, as if the very air was aware of the titanic battle that had just taken place. The cracks in the ground, the broken stones, the scattered bursts of energy—everything bore witness to the intensity of the confrontation.
Arashi stood, panting, his body trembling from the effort he had just exerted. His Kenrigan (権理眼) still glowed, but an odd weariness marked his features. He looked ahead, where his father stood, his face serene, as though he had foreseen this moment, as if he were not the least bit surprised by the outcome of the fight. But there was something in his eyes, a glimmer of respect, sadness, and acceptance, betraying a deeper feeling.
Takeshi slowly lowered his katana, his muscles taut like a bow ready to snap. He knew that this fight marked the end of something bigger than himself, something he had anticipated for a long time. Arashi had become the person he had always known he would be, and this power that simmered within him would change everything.
Silence fell over the arena again, heavy with unsaid meanings. Arashi, sweat beading on his forehead, stood there, staring at his father, his throat tight. Fatigue weighed on him, but it was something else, something invisible, a presence he had not been able to name before. He had defeated Takeshi, but at what cost? The emptiness that had formed in his heart after the victory was greater than the adrenaline from the battle.
Takeshi sighed deeply, as though preparing to release a burden he had carried for too long.
— "You've shown me what I wanted to see, Arashi." His voice was calm, but there was a break in his words, a silent pain piercing through his impassivity. "You've become a man, a true man, not just the heir of the Akeron clan."
Arashi, exhausted, lowered his gaze, unable to meet his father's eyes. A heavy silence settled between them, a silence where words hung suspended, like a thread stretched between two beings who understood each other without speaking. But Arashi knew something had to be said, that this confrontation was more than just a test of power.
— "Why, father? Why did you make me go through all of this?" he asked, his voice breaking, carried away by anger and confusion. "Why train me to become this monster? Is this all you wanted from me?"
Takeshi closed his eyes, letting sadness flood his features. His body, which had been so rigid, softened, as though he were finally letting go. There was no longer a master in his movements, only a man who had lived too much to still pretend indifference.
— "I made you live through this to forge you, Arashi. To prepare you." He paused, searching for his words, as though each sentence he spoke was a burden he had carried for years. "I knew this world would never leave you in peace. You were destined to change things, and this power that sleeps within you… these eyes…"
Arashi frowned, his gaze locking onto his father. "What do you mean by that?"
Takeshi finally lowered his katana, the echo of the metal resounding like a fall in the silence of the arena. "You never understood, did you? What these eyes represent. What you represent."
He turned his gaze towards Arashi, a boundless melancholy in his eyes. "The Kenrigan (権理眼), your eyes… They are not just a weapon. They are a burden, Arashi. A burden you will carry your entire life."
Arashi gritted his teeth, a shiver running down his spine. "A burden?"
Takeshi nodded slowly, as if resigning himself to his own fate. "Yes. A burden. Because these eyes will not allow you to live in peace. Every time you use them, you will change the world around you. And each time, you will lose something. This power flowing within you is not just a blessing. It is the key to either destruction or salvation. But in the end, it will destroy everything you have loved."
Arashi looked at him, his eyes gleaming with a pain he had never wanted to face. "But I have nothing to lose. I have nothing left. My friends, my family…" He paused, his fist clenched, a silent rage boiling inside him. "I'm alone, father. So why should I fear this power?"
Takeshi slowly raised his hand, as if to calm the storm raging inside him. "Because this power will push you to change things, to break the order. And even though you think you are alone, you are not. There will be people who follow you. People who will believe in you. And one day, you will have to decide."
Arashi, eyes filled with anger and confusion, slowly approached his father. "Decide what?"
— "Decide whether you want to be a god, or a demon." Takeshi smiled sadly. "For your eyes will guide you on this path. You will be the one to change this world… or the one who destroys it."
A heavy silence settled, and Arashi felt a weight in his chest. The wind blew across the arena, carrying with it the echoes of their words. Arashi lowered his gaze, thinking about everything his father had just told him. His hands trembled slightly, not from fatigue, but from an emotion he had never felt before. It was as if the burden he had been carrying up until now had become heavier, more tangible.
Takeshi slowly turned his head, looking at Arashi one last time, as a father who was seeing his son for the final time, before speaking his last words.
— "Be careful, Arashi. The world is not ready for what you will become. But you, you will be ready. I have faith in you."
Then, without another word, Takeshi turned his back on his son and walked away, his silhouette fading into the mist that filled the arena. Arashi, now alone, stood there, his eyes fixed on the void, the weight of the truth falling on him like a cold rain.
The silence was complete.