Twelve Years Later...
The sun beat down on the market square, casting golden light across the bustling heart of Kakamura. Colorful banners fluttered in the breeze, laughter rang from children darting between stalls, and the aroma of spice-soaked rice cakes filled the air.
Rui Kanzaki, now twelve, stood atop a wooden crate, helping his friend Sakura sell her mother's wares. Beside them, Kaito haggled animatedly with a grumpy merchant over a few bruised vegetables.
Suddenly, the crowd's murmur was broken by the clatter of hooves.
A procession of soldiers rode into the square-tall, armored, and commanding. Their crimson cloaks billowed behind them, and their silver breastplates shimmered under the midday sun.
Rui's breath caught. His wide eyes locked onto the soldiers, his imagination already soaring.
Leading them was a striking woman with hair the color of wildfire. Commander Victoria Vermillion. She dismounted her horse with elegant precision, her piercing gaze sweeping the market with calm authority.
Without thinking, Rui jumped down from the crate and strode forward.
"You're soldiers, right?" he asked, his tone bold, eyes locked on hers.
Commander Vermillion's brow arched. For a moment, her expression was unreadable. Then she smiled-just slightly. "We are. I'm Commander Victoria Vermillion of the Vermillion Guard."
Rui hesitated only a second. "What's it like? Being a soldier? Do you get scared?"
The commander blinked, mildly taken aback. "Sometimes," she admitted. "But fear isn't weakness. It's part of courage. We fight because we must protect the people."
Rui nodded, his voice firmer now. "I think I'd make a good soldier. I'm not afraid of much."
That drew a low chuckle from her. "Confidence is good. But it's the heart that makes a soldier, not just bravery." She leaned down slightly. "What's your name?"
"Rui Kanzaki."
"Well, Rui Kanzaki... if I ever pass through Kakamura again, I'll remember you."
Rui grinned as she turned and mounted her horse.
The Vermillion Guard rode off in a thunder of hooves, leaving dust, awe-and a fire in Rui's chest.
Back at the stall, Sakura giggled. "Rui, you're so confident! I was too nervous to say anything."
"Yeah," Kaito chimed in. "You just waltzed up to the commander like you owned the place!"
Rui blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just... wanted to know."
Sakura smiled gently. "Maybe one day you'll join her. The Vermillion Guard."
Rui's eyes sparkled. "Yeah... I think I'd like that."
Kaito nodded, grinning. "You've got the spirit for it."
The three friends packed up the rest of the stall, laughing and chatting as they went. But Rui's mind drifted again and again to that woman in red armor... and the idea of becoming something greater than himself.
At Dawn...
The first light of dawn crept over the mountains, casting soft amber hues across the village of Kakamura. Shadows stretched long across the earth as a gentle breeze stirred the mist hanging over the trees.
Rui Kanzaki stood barefoot on the damp grass of the training grounds, surrounded by the silent forest. The scent of dew and wildflowers clung to the air, thick with the weight of morning discipline.
Opposite him stood his teacher-Oldman Kanzaki, a weathered warrior whose stern gaze could cut through steel. Though many called him that out of habit, few knew he was once a swordsman of great renown-and Rui's grandfather.
"Today," the old man began, voice steady like stone, "we focus on Kokoro-no-Kaze-the Wind of the Heart. Let your spirit speak through the blade."
Rui inhaled deeply, grounding himself. He slid into his stance, feet firm against the earth.
Then-
SHHHHKK!
His blade sliced the chilled air, clean and precise.
"Good," came the reply. "But ground your heart. Flow doesn't mean drifting. It means knowing where you're going."
Rui adjusted. Again-
THWACK!
Wood cracked. A target trembled.
"Better. Now with silence. Move like a ghost-unseen, but unstoppable."
They trained in near silence. Only the wind and the sound of steel breaking air filled the sacred space.
CLANG!
SWOOSH!
SWISH!
And then, as the horizon began to burn with soft orange light, Oldman Kanzaki finally spoke again.
"You still think of the Vermillion Guard?"
Rui nodded. "I met her today. Commander Vermillion."
A pause.
"She is strong," the old man said carefully. "And her guard is noble... but remember this-loyalty can be blinding. Not all battles are fought with swords. Some... with choices."
Rui's voice was quiet. "Do you think I could ever join them?"
Oldman Kanzaki studied the boy. The wind picked up slightly, ruffling their hair.
"You may," he said at last. "But to stand among them is not just about strength or will. It's about sacrifice. Are you ready for that?"
The young warrior's eyes glinted with resolve. "I am."
"Then train harder than ever before," the old man said. "Your path is not easy, Rui-but it is yours."
As training resumed, Rui moved with sharper precision. Each strike carved through the air, driven by something deeper than ambition.
His thoughts burned with a single goal.
He could still see her-Commander Vermillion-red hair ablaze like fire, her confident gaze lingering on him.
"I'll show her," he whispered, breath ragged. "What I'm capable of."
His sword arced through the air again.
SHHHHKK!
And as the forest echoed with the sounds of practice, Rui Kanzaki's journey toward the Vermillion Guard-and a destiny far greater than he imagined-had truly begun.
But what darkness lies beyond the horizon, waiting to test the heart of a young warrior driven by ambition and destiny?
WATCH OUT AND STAY TUNED FOR CHAPTER 3!🔥🔥