Wasuren Hoshigami—called Ren by his peers. The forgotten. The outcast.
He stood in the training yard, five guards spread before him, weapons drawn. This had become a near-daily ritual. Wasuren had grown so skilled with his katana that he could spar with multiple opponents at once. In fact, he was one of the few soldiers in the capital of Hinokagura capable of such a feat.
He gripped his blade with both hands and slipped into a practiced stance: one foot forward, torso upright, sword held vertically before him. The first guard lunged. With a subtle shift of his weight, Wasuren parried and sent the man stumbling back. Two more came at him—front and rear, a coordinated assault—but he widened the gap with swift, precise footwork, evading both in a single motion.
A fourth came from the flank. Their blades clashed in a brief exchange, sparks flying, but Wasuren never yielded ground. He pushed his attacker back without landing a decisive blow—after all, this was only training.
"We'll end here for now," he called out, lowering his blade.
"Come on, Ren," one of the guards said, catching his breath. "If we kept going, I would've landed a hit!"
Wasuren scoffed. "Maybe."
Laughter erupted around him.
They were still chuckling when a wave of searing heat suddenly swept through the yard, stopping their breath short. Several dropped to their knees as though the sun had descended upon them. Others unsheathed their weapons in panic—until they saw who had entered.
And just like that, their defiance turned to dread.
He strolled in with hands behind his back, two swords at his sides. His hair, white as snow, was trimmed short. He wore a sleeveless black gi with gold trim, his presence exuding quiet devastation.
Wasuren's eyes narrowed in anger the moment he saw him.
He took a deep breath and extended a hand toward his fallen comrades. The unbearable heat began to subside, though sweat now clung to Wasuren's brow. The effort of shielding them didn't go unnoticed. The guards looked at him with newfound respect.
Then, Wasuren turned to face the source of the inferno.
"Kaito," he growled. "What is the matter with you? Stop this madness. Now."
Kaito Hoshigami, firstborn son of Raizen Hoshigami. Newly appointed general of the Hoshigami army. He let the heat fall away with a casual smile, as though he'd only ruffled a breeze.
"I simply wanted to see how far you've come, Wasuren. As expected, a little heat isn't enough to put you down."
Wasuren raised his blade, pointing it at Kaito's face. "Did you come to see how far I've come—or to measure how much it would take to put me down? You hurt my men. Don't ever do that again."
Kaito gently pushed the blade aside. "Your men should be more alert. What if I had been an enemy?"
Wasuren chuckled darkly. "Right. An enemy who just walks into the heart of the Hoshigami estate, past ten gate guards, rooftop archers, and patrol squads?"
"Fine, fine—you've made your point," Kaito said, waving it off. "I'm here to deliver a mission. You and Captain Masaki are being sent north."
Wasuren lowered his blade. "He's out on assignment. Give me the details—I'll pass them along."
Kaito nodded and retrieved a scroll sealed with the Hoshigami crest: a blazing sun.
"Kuroha," he said. "The village reported a surge in beast attacks. It appears to be the work of multiple wyverns—far beyond the capabilities of their local forces. Reports suggest the presence of more than one Nest Crystal."
Wasuren considered it silently.
"You and Masaki are to investigate and neutralize the threat. If the situation proves overwhelming, send word, and reinforcements will follow."
Wasuren exhaled through his nose. "Assign someone else to go with Masaki. I'm not going."
Kaito blinked. "You... what?"
"I said no. I'll relay the message to him when he returns."
He turned to leave, but Kaito's voice stopped him.
"Wasuren—you can't just refuse an order from the royal house."
Wasuren shrugged. "You're a general now, aren't you? Assign someone else. I refuse."
Kaito's tone sharpened. "That was a command, not a request."
"And I don't care," Wasuren shot back, his voice low and cold. "Bastard or not, I still bear the name Hoshigami. I'm royalty. Unless Lord Raizen Hoshigami himself commands it, I go where I choose. And I choose not to go to Kuroha."
Kaito stood still, momentarily silenced by the sheer defiance. Then he sighed, defeated.
"You'll end up in Kuroha, one way or another," he muttered. As he turned to leave, he added, "Father wants to see you, he says your presence is required at the next meeting."
Wasuren froze for a second, then he regained his composure and replied, "I'll be there"
---
It was time for their weekly hunt. They'll go out into the wild jungle of Hinokagura and hunt beasts for the city. The hunt is not only for food but for beast cores. When beasts are killed their bodies are taken as meat for those that are edible, but first, their cores; crystals of immense energy that powers them, like a second heart; is taken out and brought to the Hoshigami estate. The cores vary in power, and this power difference comes from the type of beast that was killed.
There are several tiers of beasts known on earth and with each tier, the beasts grow in strength.
There is the basic tier which is only twice as strong as an elephant, but speed vary, from being faster than 90km per hour but having less strength or less speed and more strength. But these varying weaknesses are overcome if the next tier is reached.
The next is the intermediate which are strong enough to level buildings and move so fast that they look like blurs, yes the speed and strength do vary, but to an average person they'd be too fast to perceive immediately. And then you have the advanced tier, king tier, emperor tier, legendary tier, demigod tier and demon tier, let's just say these other tiers are not to be truffled with unless you are well equipped.