NIGHT – A BURNING VILLAGE
Darkness. Red glow pulses through the ruins. Flames rise. Screams in the distance.
A young boy, SHIN-RI (age 7), hides beneath a wooden table inside a crumbling house. Blood trails down his forehead. He grips a small wooden sword, shaking.
The front door bursts open.
A tall, faceless figure cloaked in smoke and shadow steps into the room. Its limbs move unnaturally, bending like twisted roots.
SHIN-RI'S MOTHER (O.S.):
Run, Shin-Ri! Don't look back!
SHIN-RI:
Mom...? No—
The light vanishes. A flash of silver in the dark. Silence.
VOICEOVER – DARKNESS
SHIN-RI (V.O.):
That night... everything burned.
My family... my world...
Stolen by monsters with no names.
Since then, I've sworn one thing:
To become the greatest swordsman in the world...
...so I can kill them all.
YEARS LATER – EARLY MORNING
MOUNTAIN TRAINING GROUNDS
Shin-Ri, now 15, strikes a wooden post with a heavy iron sword. His breathing is sharp. His arms tremble with effort.
Watching nearby is SENSEI GOJIRO — an old, scarred man with a deep gaze and a chipped cup of tea in hand.
GOJIRO:
Your hands are loud. Your heart is louder.
Both will get you killed.
SHIN-RI:
Then I'll die swinging.
GOJIRO:
You will die like your parents did...
if you swing without purpose.
Shin-Ri pauses, eyes narrowed. His grip tightens on the blade.
SHIN-RI:
Then give me a purpose.
Gojiro walks to the post and taps it with his cane.
GOJIRO:
This post is a title-holder.
You are a Swordsboy. The lowest rank.
To rise, you must defeat others—each stronger than the last.
Until you stand at the top.
SHIN-RI:
And the top?
GOJIRO:
There, the wind screams your name.
Only one man has ever stood there.
He died with no rivals.
SHIN-RI:
Then I'll be the second.
And I'll have none left when I'm done.
NIGHT – TRAINING HUT
Shin-Ri sits alone, sharpening his blade by candlelight. His eyes are locked on the scar across his arm — faint, shaped like a claw.
A small box rests beside him. Inside, a charred photo of his family.
He says nothing. Just stares.
THE NEXT DAY – VILLAGE OUTSKIRTS
The Sword Trials begin. A wooden platform stands at the center of a cheering crowd. Young sword users gather, each with a sash showing their rank.
ANNOUNCER:
Today begins the first Sword Trials of the year!
Swordsboys! Step forward!
Shin-Ri steps forward. Eyes fall on him. Whispers rise.
RIVAL 1:
That's him. The mountain freak.
RIVAL 2:
Doesn't even have a family name. Just "Shin-Ri."
Shin-Ri's eyes stay forward. One hand rests calmly on his blade.
DUEL – SWORDSBOY MATCH
Kanjiro, cocky and loud, steps onto the stage. He spins his blade with flair.
KANJIRO:
You sure you're ready to lose your first duel, no-name?
SHIN-RI:
Draw.
Kanjiro lunges fast. Shin-Ri sidesteps and counters — one clean, perfect slash. Kanjiro drops to his knees. His sash falls, cut.
Gasps from the crowd. Silence.
ANNOUNCER:
Winner... Shin-Ri!
SUNSET – HILLTOP
Shin-Ri sits alone, watching the sky fade into gold. The wind brushes through his hair.
GOJIRO (O.S.):
You didn't hesitate.
SHIN-RI:
I won't.
Not until they're all dead.
GOJIRO:
Then sharpen your soul.
Because the stronger the sword...
...the louder the ghosts.
Shin-Ri doesn't speak. He keeps his eyes on the horizon.
SHIN-RI (V.O.):
I don't want to be a hero.
I don't want to be saved.
I want to become the blade...
that cuts fate itself.
TO BE CONTINUED...