The mountains of Hi-no-Kuni were supposed to be silent this time of year. Snow had just melted, cherry blossoms trembled on the trees, and the villagers were preparing for the Fire Festival—a prayer for peace and a good harvest.
But today, the wind brought smoke.Today, the fire was not for celebration.It was for destruction.
Kazan Takahiro ran barefoot through the burning street, flames licking at the edges of his torn yukata. Screams rang from every corner of the village, mingling with the crashing of splintering wood and the bone-shaking roar of something not human.
He skidded to a halt in the center of town, gasping.
The shrine—his father's shrine—was gone. Only ash and flame remained.
A monstrous shape rose behind it, tall as a temple gate. It was furred in black smoke, four-legged with a mane of fire and nine flaming tails whipping through the sky like angry comets. Its eyes burned a deep amber, ancient and cruel.
The villagers called it Homurabi.The elders whispered it was a "Kegai."Kazan knew it only as death.
"Kazan!!"
His mother's voice came from the rubble. He turned, heart pounding, and saw her beneath a broken beam. Blood soaked her sleeve. Her face was pale, but her eyes were fierce.
"Run! You must run!"
But he didn't.
Something inside him—something hot and defiant—refused.
Instead, he picked up the only thing he had left: a half-charred wooden bokken, cracked down the center. His father had given it to him years ago, the first time Kazan asked to become a swordsman.
He stepped in front of the shrine ruins. The beast turned. A rumble passed through its chest like thunder.
Kazan shouted.
"COME ON THEN!"
And it did.
Flash of Flame, Stroke of Steel
Just as the creature lunged, a second blaze tore through the sky—this one controlled, precise, divine.
Steel met fang. Fire met fire. And the beast howled in pain.
A man landed between Kazan and death, his red cloak fluttering in the searing air. His katana shimmered with ember-colored light, runes dancing along its blade.
The beast recoiled, snarling, nine tails lashing.
The man said nothing. He simply held his sword high, and a sigil flared across it—焔, the kanji for flame. The very air bent around him.
Kazan stared in awe.
"You… you're a Tsuranuki…"
The swordsman gave him a glance. His eyes were gold, like molten metal.
"Stand down, boy. This thing's blood is cursed. You touch it, and it will follow you forever."
Kazan did not move. "My mother… she—"
"I know. I'll buy her soul time to pass."
The Sealing
The swordsman fought not to kill, but to bind.
He danced through the air with steps like smoke, blade striking sigils into the beast's hide, burning it with symbols older than language. With each stroke, Homurabi weakened, howled, and faltered.
Finally, with a roar, the swordsman plunged his katana into the earth and chanted words from a forgotten tongue. The sigils from his sword bled into the ground, forming a sealing circle of flame beneath the beast's feet.
Kazan watched, awestruck, as the beast's body shattered like cracked glass, light pouring from its chest.
The fire did not extinguish.It condensed—into a glowing red shard the size of a thumb.
The swordsman collapsed to one knee, sweat pouring from his brow. He picked up the shard and placed it into a small wooden container carved with the same runes on his blade.
Kazan approached.
"You beat it," he whispered.
"No," the swordsman said, his voice gravel. "I took it into myself. A piece of it."
Kazan stared at the container. "You mean… you have more?"
The man unfastened his coat slightly. Inside, Kazan saw four more shards, each glowing with different colors—blue, yellow, green, and purple.
Each one pulsed like a heartbeat.
Offer of Fire
"What's your name?" the swordsman asked.
"…Kazan Takahiro."
He nodded. "Fitting. You didn't run. There's fire in your soul."
Kazan swallowed. "Take me with you. I want to learn. I want to seal beasts. I want to protect people."
The swordsman studied him. "Do you even know what it means to carry a Kegai?"
"I watched my home burn. I saw the world end, and I'm still here. That should count for something."
The man considered that.
Then he reached into his pouch and pulled out a worn scrap of parchment. He handed it to Kazan.
Report to Mount Enrai. Say the name "Tsuranuki" at the waterfall gate. If you survive the trial, we'll speak again.
He paused. "One more thing."
He reached into his own coat and handed Kazan a small, wooden amulet engraved with the symbol for flame.
焔
Kazan took it with both hands, like a sacred relic.
"What's your name?" he asked.
The man stood, sheathing his blade.
"Call me what they all do now," he said, walking into the rising wind. "Kaien. Flame Warden."
Final Scene: The Journey Begins
Two days later, Kazan stood at the foot of Mount Enrai. The path was treacherous, winding through ravines and across bridges of lightning-glass.
The waterfall roared like a dragon's breath.
He walked forward, clutching the amulet to his chest.
"Tsuranuki," he said.
The waterfall shimmered. And the stone parted.
Behind it, a staircase of light appeared—leading deep into the heart of the mountain.
Kazan took a breath.
And stepped into the world of fire and shadow.
End of Chapter 1