The day had barely cracked open. A soft wind rustled the grass under the old sakura tree where two figures lay asleep. Blade and Akashi, lying back-to-back, their chests rising with the quiet rhythm of rest. Sunlight filtered through the pink blossoms above, speckling their faces in warmth.
But then—
Silence.
Everything suddenly faded into white, then crimson.
Blade stood alone… in a war-torn field. Charred soil stretched endlessly, littered with broken weapons and crumbling banners. The sky bled red. A heavy fog twisted around his ankles like shackles.
From the haze stepped a figure.
Same height. Same hair. Same face.
"…Who are you?" Blade's voice cracked.
The figure smirked — a dark, bitter smile.
"I'm you," he whispered.
A sudden spike of pain surged through Blade's head. He fell to one knee, gripping his temple.
"You've seen it, haven't you? The death. The decay. Your friends—"
Images assaulted him. Kagami screaming. Kibito torn apart. Suntaro lying lifeless under rubble. Blood… so much blood.
"Stop it!" Blade shouted, stumbling back. "They're not— They're not dead!"
"You will lose them. Everything you love. That is the cost of being what you are."
"No!"
He tried to run, but with every step, another vision. Jinshi crying out. Kenshin impaled. Kairo falling from the sky.
"I SAID STOP!!"
He couldn't breathe. The world twisted. His chest tightened. He screamed—
—and woke with a start.
His breath hitched. Sweat soaked through his bandages. The room was dark. His head spun.
"…Where—?"
He realized he was lying on a white bed in the medical bay. A dim light flickered in the corridor outside. A nurse glanced in, startled to see him awake.
"You've been asleep for 18 hours," she said softly. "You collapsed after the flare incident."
Blade stared at the ceiling, heart pounding, that other him still whispering in the back of his mind.
---
In another wing of the compound, Captain Jeitsu leaned casually against the window frame, tongue sticking out in mischief.
"First time in a century we've had this many rookies this strong," he said, amused. "The energy… it's nostalgic."
Yutako leaned against the opposite wall, arms crossed, watching him carefully.
"You're always scheming. I never know whether to trust that smile."
Jeitsu chuckled. "Oh come on, Yutako. Don't you remember the last time we had more than five pass the Trials? It was us—me, you, Sekiro, Kinnatsu… and Aori Fumiya."
"Don't say that name lightly," Yutako warned.
Just then, Sekiro pushed the door open.
"You talking about me behind my back again?"
Jeitsu grinned. "Perfect timing, Sekiro. Who do you think among the rookies has the most potential?"
Sekiro adjusted his glasses. His voice sharpened. "Suntaro Akammi."
Yutako raised an eyebrow. "Not Blade?"
"Blade's unstable. Powerful, yes. But too volatile. Suntaro... has the spark. The kind that turns into a wildfire."
A soft voice echoed from the hall.
"Are you all seriously still chatting?"
Sukasa walked in, arms folded, irritation etched across her face. "We have a war coming. Plan Jyu Ichi Banteo isn't going to organize itself."
Sekiro flashed a cocky smile. "Relax. Plan's ready. Jeitsu and I finalized it last night."
Sukasa nodded curtly. "Where's our dear Captain Yuri Kinnatsu?"
Sekiro smirked. "Sleeping."
"FOOOOOOOL!" Sukasa roared.
She stormed off, thunder in every step. Minutes later, she returned dragging Kinnatsu by the ear.
"Ow! Ow! That hurts! Why didn't you just wake me up?" Kinnatsu wailed, tears forming in cartoonish panic.
"You think I'm your mother?!"
Everyone settled into their seats as Sekiro unrolled a large map onto the central table. He cleared his throat.
"Now, the assignment of teams and locations for Operation Jyu Ichi Banteo."
Kinnatsu rubbed his head. "Wait, aren't we missing—"
"Yuiii-kun~!"
A sweet, high-pitched voice filled the room as Neiki Sumiko leapt into the room and tackled Yutako in a hug.
"…Again, hassle," Yutako muttered, half-annoyed, half-defeated.
"Now we're all here," Sekiro nodded. "Let's begin."
He pointed to four marked locations on the map.
"Team One – The Intel Core."
"Kagami Hanera, Kenshin Mouri, and a new mystery member… Ryuichi Kaze."
"Who?" Neiki blinked.
"He's from Division 4. Shadow unit," Jeitsu said. "Moves in silence. He'll be perfect for this. They'll head west—Gogou River and its border villages. The Akuma Chi were spotted there."
"Team Two – Combat Unit."
"Blade Taizuka, Jinshi Teru, and Qui Toriko. You're headed to Yosen Highlands and the Valley Ring. You'll confront Akuma Chi head-on."
Sukasa narrowed her eyes. "High-risk zone. Are you sure they're ready?"
"They'll survive," Sekiro replied. "Or they'll become stronger."
"Team Three – The Founders."
"Suntaro, Kentaro, and Kibito. Your journey starts at Kyokin Waterfalls, then Senkogi Ruins, and ends at Tanjou Tengen—Temple of Eternity."
Suntaro groaned. "These dumbasses?! I'm gonna lose brain cells…"
Kibito elbowed him playfully. "Respect your elders, little bro."
Kentaro had already fainted.
"Team Z."
"Akashi Peigon, Yano Mikazushi, and Ryen Kairo."
Kinnatsu stood. "Wait, wait. China?! That's not even in our territory."
Neiki looked confused. "Why there?"
Jeitsu stepped in. "Because in China, they'll meet Master Lei Zeng. He holds something we need—something tied to the origin of Akuma Chi. And… he knows where their main base is."
The captains exchanged glances. Then nodded.
"…I can't doubt you," Yutako murmured. Neiki smiled softly at him.
Sukasa clapped her hands. "Enough talk. Send the letters and briefing documents."
---
Later that evening, in the training barracks, the energy was electric. The new recruits were spread out—some sharpening blades, others reading their letters.
Blade stood at a window, staring at the paper in his hand.
To: Blade Taizuka
You have been assigned to Team Two. Deployment: Yosen Highlands. Objective: Combat & Contain Akuma Chi advance.
Jinshi walked by, nodding. "You ready for this?"
Blade smirked. "I was born for it."
On the rooftop, Kagami leaned back, watching the stars. Kenshin looked up from the garden below and shouted, "Oi! Don't fall asleep, Kagami!"
"I'm wide awake," she smiled.
Ryen Kairo stood nearby, alone, sipping tea in silence. Kenshin waved. "Hey, come join us!"
Ryen hesitated. "No thanks. I'm not good with crowds."
Yano cracked her knuckles. "Oi, Ryen. Stop being a brat."
He sighed. "Fine. I'm coming…"
Laughter echoed through the night. Even the shy ones—like Qui and Kentaro—shared drinks, food, and stories at Hiraguri Town's busiest restaurant. The table was loud, filled with warmth. As if, for just one night, there was no war.
---
Midnight.
After their hearty meal in town, the members of Jyu-Ichi Banteo returned to their quarters. The laughter and warmth of shared food now slowly faded into silence. The weight of what lay ahead had begun to settle on each of them.
In a modest, dim-lit room, Blade Taizuka sat cross-legged by the window. The moonlight bathed his face in silver. He looked down at his hand, flexing it slowly, feeling the quiet hum of aura inside.
"I've come a long way... but this is just the beginning."
He clenched his fist, resolute.
"I'll protect them all. No matter what."
In the room next door, Kibito Akammi lay on his back with his feet up against the wall, staring at the ceiling fan lazily spinning above.
"Platinum fragments, huh? That sounds fun..."
Then with a sigh, he whispered,
"I won't let anyone cry ever again."
Suntaro Akammi was still grumbling to himself as he threw his jacket on a chair.
"Teamed up with those two idiots... are they trying to kill my IQ?"
But a small smirk crept across his face.
"Still… I guess they're my idiots."
On the other side of the building, Kentaro Rikotsu sat in a daze, eyes wide and glassy. He still hadn't fully recovered from the shock of ranking below his brother.
"How… How did that happen…?"
He fell flat on the bed, groaning.
"I'm gonna train all night."
In the shadows of a secluded room, Ryuichi Kaze stood, arms folded, barely visible even in the mirror. A ghost in the darkness.
"The mission is clear. The target is not."
His voice was low, sharp.
"I'll move when the time is right."
Jinshi Teru was oiling his twin swords, his face serious, but calm.
"I'm not just muscle. I have a mind too."
He glanced at the folded mission scroll.
"Time to prove it."
Qui Toriko, humming softly to herself, sat at her writing desk and sketched battle formations on a parchment.
"No one knows tactics better than me… not even that idiot Akashi."
She paused, tapping the pen to her lips.
"Maybe I'll let him think he's leading."
Kenshin Mouriu leaned against the wall near the open window, shirt unbuttoned, hair blowing in the wind.
"Intel team, huh? Fine by me."
His eyes scanned the distant rooftops.
"I always loved working in silence."
Kagami Hanera flipped through a small notebook filled with observations.
"Kenshin's fast… Ryuichi's almost invisible… Looks like I've got my work cut out."
She closed the book.
"Let's make this operation unforgettable."
Yano Mikazushi was sharpening her spear. Her eyes reflected quiet fury.
"They better not hold me back."
Then she stopped, thinking about the rest of the squad.
"...Still, I hope they're ready. Because I am."
Akashi Peigon stood outside on the balcony, sipping tea, the stars reflecting in his sharp eyes.
"Chaos is inevitable."
He looked over the horizon.
"But I'll be the calm in it."
High above, perched atop a tower's ledge, Ryen Kairo watched the entire city.
"Back to this mess again..."
He sighed, leaning back lazily.
"...Guess it's not so bad with them around."
One team. Eleven warriors.
Each with a past. Each with a mission.
And in their own silent ways, they were ready.
Jyu-Ichi Banteo was coming.
To be continued…