The sun was setting when Renjiro stepped out of the classroom.
His head ached, his chest felt tight, but he kept walking-until someone grabbed his shoulder.
He was shoved against the school's outer wall.
Reina stood in front of him, fire flickering in her hands.
"Still dreaming about being a hero?" she scoffed.
Ryuji crossed his arms.
"You're a disgrace to our family. Just stop embarrassing yourself."
Renjiro tried to move, but a sharp shove sent him stumbling.
"You should know by now," Haruto muttered. "Someone like you can't be a hero."
Aoi sighed, shaking her head.
"Maybe if you disappeared, the world would be better off."
More words followed. More insults.
Then, the first strike landed.
A shove.
A trip.
And before he knew it, Renjiro was on the ground, struggling to stand.
They left him there, bruised and aching.
His mind was spinning. His heart felt heavy.
He dragged his body home, the only place he thought he could find comfort.
But what he saw when he arrived shattered everything.
His mother.
Standing with another man.
Not just any man.
Jin Kazehaya.
The Number One Hero in Japan.
Renjiro's breath hitched. His body tensed.
Akane turned to him, unfazed.
"You should go back outside, Renjiro," she said calmly.
His vision blurred.
He didn't know if it was from the earlier fight or from the overwhelming pain flooding his chest.
But his feet moved on their own.
He ran.
Out of the house. Through the streets. His heartbeat roared in his ears.
Then-he saw it.
His father.
Standing at the edge of a bridge.
Renjiro froze. His heart pounded.
"Dad?" he gasped, his voice barely above a whisper.
Daigo turned to him with a gentle, tired smile.
"You..." he breathed. "You can still be a hero, Renjiro..."
Then-
He stepped forward.
Renjiro's body reacted before his mind did.
He ran.
He reached out.
But-
He was too late.
The moment his father disappeared from sight, something inside him shattered.
His head spun. His legs gave out. His breath turned ragged.
The world blurred.
Darkness crept in.
And when he opened his eyes again-
He saw nothing.
His vision was gone.
His father was gone.
Everything was gone.
That day, Renjiro Kurogane lost everything.
But in the wake of his loss...
The Blind Swordsman was born.