Episode 2 The Twin Flames.
One hundred billion later, in a distant and unnamed universe, the palace of House Renzai gleamed with lantern light. Night had fallen softly over the lands, but within the chambers, new cries pierced the silence — the voices of newborn life.
Lady Ayame lay upon silken sheets, pale from exhaustion yet radiant with joy. Her arms trembled as they held the swaddled infants close, her eyes wet with tears that shimmered in the lantern glow.
"Two… two sons…" she whispered, her voice weak but filled with wonder. "Kaien… look. They are perfect."
Lord Kaien Renzai, battle-hardened and broad-shouldered, leaned in, his steel-like gaze softening. The man who had shattered mountains with his fists now trembled as he brushed a strand of hair from Ayame's damp brow.
"Yes," he murmured, awe thick in his voice. "Two heirs. The blood of Renzai… doubled."
His calloused hand hovered over the tiny
faces. "Twins… the heavens grant twins only to mark a destiny that cannot be defied."
One child wriggled restlessly, his hair pale as silver, catching the lantern's light like spun moonfire. The other lay quieter, his hair dark as midnight, his breathing soft but steady.
"Shiro," Ayame whispered, kissing the silver-haired boy's brow. "And Shin," she breathed, pressing her lips to the dark-haired child. "My flames… may you never be parted."
Kaien chuckled, though his eyes glistened faintly. He placed a broad hand gently across both their tiny chests. "Strong hearts," he said with pride. "Shiro, fierce and radiant. Shin, silent and unyielding. The world will tremble before you both."
Ayame laughed softly. "You already dream of battle for them, husband. They are still but babies."
"Warrior blood does not wait," Kaien said with quiet conviction. "Even now, I feel it. These boys will not be ordinary."
The servants bustled in with herbs and steaming cloths, but Kaien waved them away. "Leave us," he ordered. "Tonight belongs to my family alone."
The chamber grew still. For the first time in many years, Kaien removed his armor, setting aside the mantle of Lord of Renzai. Tonight, he was not the warlord who crushed enemies — he was a husband, a father.
He sat beside Ayame on the bed, his massive frame dwarfing the room. The twins lay nestled in her arms, their tiny chests rising and falling. Shiro squirmed and wailed, demanding the world bow to his cries, while Shin gripped Ayame's finger with surprising strength, silent but unshakable.
Kaien chuckled. "This one shouts like his father."
"And this one," Ayame said softly, glancing down at Shin. "Quiet, but his presence… it feels different." Her eyes lingered on the child as though the air bent subtly around him.
Kaien's expression darkened slightly, though he forced a smile. "…Strange, yes. But no matter. They are mine. My sons."
Ayame leaned her weary head on his shoulder. "Promise me, Kaien… promise me we will protect them. Together."
His arm wrapped firmly around her. His jaw clenched, but his vow thundered in the room. "I swear it."
Peace did not last. Hours later, Kaien remained awake, the instincts of a warrior never silent. When the ground first trembled beneath the palace, his eyes snapped open.
Boom.
The sound came again, closer. Shouts echoed in the distance. Flames flickered at the windows.
Kaien rose instantly. "Enemies," he growled.
Ayame stirred, panic in her eyes. "Kaien? What is it?"
The answer came with a deafening crash. The walls shook violently as an explosion shattered stone and wood. Servants screamed beyond the doors.
Kaien's aura ignited, blazing like fire around him. "They dare invade my home?" His face hardened to steel.
Another blast struck. Ayame clutched the twins to her chest, sobbing. "Kaien! The children!"
With a roar, Kaien raised his arm, summoning a shield of energy. A dome of molten light wrapped the chamber, shaking under the next volley of attacks.
"Stay close to me!" Kaien commanded. His voice thundered over the chaos. "I'll protect you all!"
Ayame's tears streaked her pale face as she kissed her sons. "Please… don't let them take my children!"
Kaien's gaze softened for only a heartbeat as he looked back at them. He burned the sight into his memory — the fragile bodies, the future flames of his bloodline.
"I will not fail you," he vowed. "Not while I still breathe."
The night erupted in fire. Outside, the Renzai estate crumbled under waves of energy blasts. Dozens of warriors clad in dark armor stormed through the flames, shouting their allegiance.
"Lord Kaien!" one bellowed. "Your enemies send their regards. Tonight, your house falls!"
Kaien's aura flared, his fists glowing like molten stone. With a furious cry, he met them head on.
His fists split the air. One blow shattered a man's ribs. Another crushed the ground, sending shockwaves that hurled enemies backward. His ultimate technique — the Dragon Flame Burst — erupted from his fists, a torrent of fire and force that consumed scores of attackers in its blaze.
Bodies fell. Screams filled the estate. Dozens perished under his unstoppable might. Yet more kept coming, endless, like a tide.
Still Kaien fought. Still he struck. He was a storm of fists, fire, and fury.
Inside the chamber, Ayame clutched Shiro and Shin, whispering lullabies through her tears, praying her husband would prevail.
But fate was already shifting.
For on this night, one child would vanish from their arms… and destiny itself would be rewritten..