The night was calm, silvered by a full moon. Stars shimmered faintly across the sky, their light spilling over the quiet forests of Cocoyasi Village. The sea breeze carried a scent of salt and soil, whispering through the trees like an omen.
All eyes were fixed on one figure suspended high above the village.
Jin Akasa stood midair, his body steady against gravity itself. The faint gleam of moonlight kissed his silver blade, while an invisible force rippled from his presence. Even from far below, everyone could feel it—the power gathering around him like the pull of a storm.
"Is he really… going to do it?" Bellemere murmured, half in awe, half in disbelief.
Makino stood beside her, calm as ever, arms crossed under the soft glow of the moon. "If Jin said he'll do it, he'll do it," she said simply. There was no doubt in her tone, no hesitation in her eyes.
Nami and Nojiko stood on the nearest boulder, eyes wide and cheeks flushed from excitement. "He's going to cut the whole hill in half!" Nami said, nearly bouncing in place.
"Start running your bets now," Bellemere said dryly, but her smile betrayed her nervous anticipation.
Below, the great bear, Kuma, crouched on all fours beside the forge, his deep voice rumbling. "He's serious this time. I can feel it in the air. The captain's not just showing off—he's testing his limit."
Hina and Kuina exchanged looks, both serious.
"His control is terrifying," Hina said softly, folding her arms. "That's not just strength. He's balancing internal force, blood flow, and will in perfect synchronization."
Kuina nodded slightly. "At this level, even his breathing alters the air pressure. He's not fighting anymore… he's rewriting the rules."
Up above, Jin stood completely still.
His blade hung beside him, gleaming faintly red under the moonlight. His shirt fluttered in the sudden wind that rose around him, though his expression was calm—almost serene.
"Fourteen years old," he whispered to himself, the corners of his lips curling upward. "Seven years in this world. Seven years since I was reborn."
He inhaled deeply, feeling the flow of energy through every muscle, every vein. His body felt like a forge—his inner force compressed, purified, and violent beneath the calm surface.
"Breathe in," he murmured, "and let the world hold still."
The air obeyed.
A strange quiet fell upon the land. The insects stopped chirping. The wind froze mid-whisper. Even the waves lapping at the distant shore seemed to hesitate.
Then Jin spoke, his voice low but resonant—each word echoing like a pulse through the night.
"Way of the Blade… Tyrant Style. Heaven's Divide."
Thunder rolled.
The sky itself darkened, as though drawn into his momentum. Clouds twisted above, lightning veining through them in violet arcs. The sheer energy around him distorted the air; it bent the light, fractured reality.
"Impossible," Bellemere whispered. "He's—he's changing the weather?!"
"He's not changing it," Hina said under her breath, eyes shining with awe. "He's commanding it."
Jin's blood surged. The veins beneath his skin glowed faintly crimson as his muscles locked, condensed with raw inner force. His heartbeat thundered in rhythm with the world around him.
"Last time," he murmured, "I held back. I only used thirty percent of my power."
He looked down at the mountain before him—the one that had long divided Cocoyasi's river from the sea, forcing villagers to carry water by hand across impossible terrain.
"This time," he said, his eyes blazing like two amethysts under moonlight, "I'll do it properly."
He raised the blade.
The world tilted.
Every ounce of energy in his body funneled into the weapon—his inner force, his blood, his will. Even his shadow stretched unnaturally long, drawn by the overwhelming pull of his spirit.
He exhaled.
And struck.
The moment the blade descended, silence became sound.
The air screamed.
A shockwave rippled outward, flattening trees for miles.
The clouds above were cleaved apart, a vast, glowing rift slicing through the heavens as though the sky itself had been cut. From the point of impact, a blinding crimson line split the earth—a luminous scar that expanded outward with unstoppable force.
The hill, once unmovable, didn't crumble. It parted.
Stone and soil didn't resist—they simply accepted the blade's judgment, opening like the sea before a divine will. The cut was impossibly clean, smooth as glass. Even the echoes of the strike took several heartbeats to catch up.
Dust rose like mist. And then came the sound—a low, echoing roar that shook the ground, like thunder rolling from beneath the world.
The villagers gasped as the entire hill separated before their eyes, split from top to base. Between the two halves, water began to rush in from the inland lake, carving a natural channel toward the sea. The moonlight caught the flow, turning it into a shimmering silver river.
Makino smiled softly, lowering her head. "He did it," she said simply.
On the ground, Bellemere stood frozen, mouth open in disbelief. "He actually… cut through a mountain."
Nami leapt into the air, cheering with both hands raised. "He did it! He really did it! Jin cut a whole mountain in half!"
Even Nojiko, normally composed, couldn't hide her astonishment. "That was… that was beyond anything I've ever seen."
Kuma snorted with pride. "Hah. The captain's too humble to say it, but that wasn't even his full power."
Kuina nodded, eyes narrowing. "He pulled back at the last second. That wasn't reckless—it was precision. He controlled his strength so perfectly, even the shockwave didn't hurt anyone."
Hina smiled faintly. "He's growing faster than any of us expected."
As the echo of destruction faded, Jin landed gracefully at the base of the newly split hill, his boots touching down atop the shattered earth. The air around him still shimmered faintly with residual energy. His blade, now glowing faintly red-hot, hummed in his hand.
He looked up at the path he had carved—the water glistening under the moonlight as it poured toward the sea. The sound of rushing current filled the night.
For a long moment, he simply stood there, breathing softly.
Then, with a small smile, he sheathed his blade and whispered to himself,
"Happy birthday, Jin."
Makino was the first to approach him. Her green eyes caught the silver glow of the moon as she smiled, walking barefoot over the soft grass until she reached his side.
"You really did it," she said, her voice quiet but full of warmth.
He turned toward her, meeting her gaze. "I said I would."
For a moment, neither spoke. The night air was thick with the scent of water and earth. Then Makino reached up and brushed the sweat from his cheek with her thumb.
"You always say things that sound impossible," she murmured. "And every time, you make them real."
Jin's lips curved faintly. "Wouldn't be much of a birthday if I didn't."
Her hand lingered a moment longer on his face—then fell. She smiled again, this time softer. "Come on. Everyone's waiting."
He looked over her shoulder and saw the others approaching—Bellemere carrying a lantern, Hina and Kuina walking side by side, Kuma lumbering along behind them. Nami and Nojiko were skipping excitedly ahead.
Jin exhaled quietly, feeling something warm bloom in his chest. Family. That was what this was. The thing he'd never had in his past life. The thing he'd die to protect in this one.
"Captain!" Nami shouted, waving as she ran up. "You're insane! That was the coolest thing I've ever seen!"
Bellemere crossed her arms. "Next time, warn us before you start cutting the sky in half."
Kuma grinned. "If he warned you, you would've run anyway."
"I would not!" Bellemere snapped. Then, after a beat, she added, "...Probably."
Everyone laughed. The tension dissolved into the night breeze, replaced by easy laughter and the scent of the forest. Someone lit a small fire near the forge, and soon the smell of roasted meat and wine filled the air.
Makino brought out a bottle of sake. "For the birthday boy," she said, pouring two small cups—one for him, one for herself.
Jin took the cup, the faint heat of the sake warming his fingers. "You know," he said, glancing at the river flowing below, "I didn't plan for it to look that beautiful."
Makino smiled softly, raising her cup to his. "Maybe that's what happens when you create something instead of destroying it."
Their cups touched with a faint clink. The moon hung above them, whole again after the storm.
For once, Jin didn't think about strength, or training, or revenge. Just this—laughter, warmth, and the people who made it all matter.
The river sparkled below, reflecting the stars. Cocoyasi Village had been reborn—its burdened lands now open, its waters flowing freely toward the sea.
And somewhere, far beyond the horizon, another power felt the tremor he had unleashed—a whisper across the world, carrying the name of a boy who cleaved a mountain in two.
Jin Akasa.
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T/N :
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