The abrupt end of the sparring matches left everyone wondering what could've prompted the Clan Lord to make such a decision.
He and the elders spent the rest of the day locked away in the meeting room, their discussion stretching on until the moon replaced the sun.
Yuri sat in a spacious room, sipping tea. Moonlight spilled through the open sliding door on her right, illuminating her beautiful silver hair cascading over her shoulders. She sat silently, her gaze fixed on the plain red robe laid before her.
"Do I really deserve to wear this?" she murmured, taking another sip. Her eyes slowly closed as she sank into thought.
***
While Yuri struggled with whether she was worthy of wearing the color of the Hikagami Clan, the siblings didn't seem to care in the slightest.
Under the pale light of the moon, they sparred in a beautifully maintained garden. Their wooden swords clashed again and again—until Katsuya finally knocked the blade from Kurenai's grip, her slender wrists trembling from the impact.
A triumphant grin curled on Katsuya's lips.
"That's your ten thousand and fiftieth loss."
Kurenai puffed her cheeks and turned away.
"Brother, you're so mean..."
Katsuya strolled over and casually tossed her sword back. She caught it with practiced ease, glanced at the blade, and then back at him.
"But brother, shouldn't we be preparing for tomorrow?"
"You mean the robes," he said, glancing past her to the two neatly bundled sets resting on the pagoda. "That can wait. Let's not waste a beautiful night."
A faint smile touched Kurenai's lips.
"Somehow, I knew you'd say that."
She removed her veil, letting it flutter to the ground like a falling petal.
"This time, I'll win."
Katsuya smiled. The clash of wooden swords resumed, echoing through the moonlit garden.
***
Inside a training room enclosed by wooden walls, the only light came from a few flickering candles and the moonlight filtering through a latticed window.
Gorōta was in the middle of his nightly routine—pushups, sit-ups, squats. Though his personality left much to be desired, his strength came from unwavering discipline. He never skipped training. Even so, he had lost… to a commoner. And for the first time, he had tasted bitter defeat.
Finishing his last set of squats, he picked up his sword and gave it a few sharp swings. The wind from his strikes snuffed out the candles, leaving only moonlight to reveal the crimson robe beneath the window.
Wiping his sweat with a cloth on the floor, Gorōta walked over to the robe, picked it up, and slipped it on. He inhaled deeply and muttered,
"Damn commoner… No—Kagerō. Next time, I'll crush you for sure."
His eyes gleamed with fierce determination. The moon, radiant and full, bore silent witness to his resolve.
***
A bandaged Kagerō noticed that moon too.
He sat on the thatched roof of his home, gazing up at its glow. It was almost as bright as the sun, yet a part of it was stained darker than the void—like a drop of blood.
Strange…
His gaze drifted to the red robe folded neatly beside him. A Hikagami robe—worn only by those deemed prodigies of the clan.
He looked at it as though it mocked him. He, whose eyes didn't share the robe's crimson shade.
"Can I really wear this…?" he whispered.
"When I don't even know what it means to be a true Hikagami?"
The question weighed heavily on him. What did it mean to be a Hikagami? Scarlet eyes? The ability to copy techniques? Or pride in one's lineage?
No matter how hard he thought, he could never find the answer. Even when he once asked his grandfather, the old man had only said, "Figure it out yourself. In that moment, you'll truly be a Hikagami."
But with the Spirit Knights Order entrance exam looming, there wouldn't be time to ponder it much longer.
Kagerō let out a quiet sigh and leaned back, arms spread out as he lay on the roof. His eyes slowly closed, and his mind slipped into darkness.
***
Inside a candlelit chamber in the Hikagami Clan's main manor, five figures sat around a table, their expressions grim.
The Clan Lord sat at the head, arms crossed, his long grey hair draping over his broad shoulders. His crimson gaze was fixed on a map stretched across the table.
"So this time, it was Moon Flower Village…"
At his words, the First Elder slammed his fist down, his face twisted in rage.
"Those damn Majin…!"
"Calm down, First. You're acting like a child," said the Second Elder, lounging with his head rested on one arm.
The First Elder glared, his killing intent nearly tangible—but before the tension escalated, the Clan Lord cut in.
"Enough. Save your anger for the enemy."
His gaze shifted to the man standing behind the Second Elder.
"Ryohei. Your thoughts?"
The man adjusted his glasses, his tone sharp and confident. This was Hikagami Ryohei—father of Katsuya and Kurenai, the clan's greatest strategist, and a rank four Spirit Knight.
"Based on information from the Shadow Corps, I can say with certainty the fall of Moon Flower Village was caused by a Shura-Class Majin. A powerful one."
Silence fell over the room. Even the aloof Second Elder looked stunned.
A Shura-Class Majin rivaled a rank three Spirit Knight—someone who could overwhelm a hundred ordinary soldiers or an entire village on their own.
It made sense now why the village fell so swiftly.
The Clan Lord closed his eyes, massaging his temple. The children had to pass through Moon Flower Village to reach the Spirit Knights Order. Taking the sea route would delay them nearly a month—too late for the exam.
He opened his eyes and turned toward a striking young woman in her twenties. Her scarlet hair matched the confidence in her eyes.
"Rinako. How would you fare against a Shura?"
She glanced at her hand, where a golden flower with three glowing petals—and a fourth, faded one—was etched into her skin.
"Leave it to me, sir. As Captain of the Shadow Corps, I swear on my honor to protect the children."
The Clan Lord gave a faint smile before rising to his feet.
"As the Seventh Clan Lord of the Hikagami Clan, I entrust our future to you. Protect them with your life!"
Rinako dropped to one knee.
"Understood!"
Then the Clan Lord turned to Ryohei.
"Investigate what the Majin are planning."
Ryohei nodded and bowed.
"I'll do my best."
"Good," the Clan Lord said. "Everyone except the Elders, may leave. I wish you luck."
With that, the meeting concluded—at least for everyone but the Clan Lord and the elders.
***
The next morning, the sun shone brilliantly in a cloudless sky.
Five Hikagami stood outside the gate—three of them clad in red robes, two in black. Kagerō and Yuri wore the black ones.
A woman with scarlet hair stepped forward and introduced herself.
"I am Rinako, and I'll be your escort." She smiled. "Nice to meet you."
She then led them to a large horse-drawn carriage prepared for the journey.
And so, their path to the Spirit Knights Order began the only one knowing of the hell to come, no other than Rinako, but what she didn't know was that the 'hell' known as a Shura-Class Majin was not alone.