In the quiet land of Ochisuita, many people knew the name Watashi.
But very few truly understood who he was.
Watashi lived a simple life near the edge of a forest, far from busy towns and crowded streets. He never spoke about his past, and he never looked for attention. To most people, he was just a quiet swordsman who preferred solitude.
But there was one person who knew him better than anyone else.
A boy named Koi Ren.
Years ago, when Koi was still very young, Watashi took him in and became his stepfather. No one knew the full story of how it happened, but from that day on, Watashi raised him as his own.
There was one thing the two of them had in common.
Neither of them possessed elemental powers.
In a world where people controlled fire, water, earth, lightning, and countless other abilities, they had nothing.
No power.
No element.
Just their will.
Maybe that was why Watashi understood the boy so well.
From the moment Koi was old enough to hold a sword, Watashi began training him.
Every single day.
No matter the weather.
No matter how tired they were.
Training never stopped.
The next morning, as the sun slowly rose over Ochisuita, golden light spread across the quiet field near their home.
Watashi stepped outside.
But Koi was already there.
The boy stood in the middle of the field holding a wooden sword. His feet were planted firmly in the grass, and sweat already covered his forehead.
Watashi crossed his arms.
"You started without me."
Koi looked up and smiled.
"You were late."
Watashi raised an eyebrow.
"I woke up five minutes ago."
Koi pointed the wooden sword at him.
"That's late."
Watashi sighed quietly but picked up another wooden sword from the ground.
"Show me."
Koi rushed forward immediately.
Their wooden swords clashed.
Crack!
Koi swung quickly toward Watashi's side, but the older man moved effortlessly and blocked the strike.
"Your balance," Watashi said calmly. "You're leaning too far forward."
Koi stepped back and attacked again.
This time he aimed for Watashi's shoulder.
Blocked again.
"Too predictable."
Koi gritted his teeth and swung a third time, faster than before.
Watashi stepped aside and lightly tapped Koi's arm with his sword.
"If that were real," Watashi said, "you would have lost your arm."
Koi groaned.
"You always say that."
"Because it's always true."
They continued training.
Hour after hour.
Koi practiced footwork, learning how to move quickly without losing balance. Watashi forced him to repeat the same strikes again and again until his arms trembled from exhaustion.
Sometimes Watashi attacked without warning, forcing Koi to react instantly.
Other times he made Koi hold difficult stances for minutes at a time.
"Strength is useless if you can't control your body," Watashi told him.
Koi wiped sweat from his face.
"What if I just get stronger?"
Watashi shook his head.
"Then someone faster will defeat you."
Koi frowned.
"What if I get faster?"
"Then someone smarter will defeat you."
Koi stared at him.
"So what do I do?"
Watashi pointed his sword toward the boy.
"Become all three."
The training continued until the sun began to fall behind the mountains.
By the time evening arrived, Koi could barely stand.
The sky slowly darkened, and the moon rose above the trees.
Koi dropped onto the ground, breathing heavily.
"I'm dead."
Watashi sat on the wooden porch nearby.
"You're still talking."
Koi laughed weakly.
"Barely."
After eating a simple dinner, Koi dragged himself inside and collapsed onto his bed.
Within minutes, he was asleep.
The house became quiet.
Outside, the wind moved softly through the trees.
Watashi remained awake.
Something felt wrong.
He stepped outside and looked toward the dark forest.
For a moment, everything was silent.
Then he heard it.
A strange noise.
Branches snapping.
Low growls.
Watashi's eyes narrowed.
Slowly, he placed his hand on the handle of his sword.
The sound came from deep within the trees.
Watashi moved quietly into the forest.
The moonlight barely reached through the thick branches above him.
Step by step, he followed the noise deeper into the darkness.
Then he stopped.
In the small clearing ahead…
Several figures stood in the shadows.
They were not human.
Their bodies were twisted and unnatural, covered in dark veins that pulsed like living shadows. Their eyes glowed faintly in the night.
Watashi had traveled far and seen many things in his life.
But these creatures…
Had never been seen before.
The beasts slowly turned their heads toward him.
And the forest fell completely silent.