In An Alleyway in the city of Serenia
(A lone child—no older than twelve—sprints through a ruined alleyway, his ragged breaths mixing with the howling wind. His Seimeishi (Soul Mark) glows weakly on his tattered kimono sleeve, the crashing wave insignia of the Ishikawa clan barely visible under dirt and blood. Behind him, heavy boots echo like execution drums.)
Child Hunter: "P-Please… I didn't mean to cross over—!"
(A blade whistles through the air—missing his neck by inches as he ducks behind rubble.)
(Fear glazes the child hunter's wide eyes as he presses his back against the broken wall, the cold stone biting into his skin. He tries to muffle his ragged breaths, but even that feels loud enough to give him away.)
Child Hunter (whispers): "Don't find me… don't find me… don't find me…"
(His voice trembles—a kid's voice—but laced with a desperation no child should know.)
(A shadow looms over the rubble—silhouetted by a sickly crimson sky. The woman standing there wears a fitted military uniform, her insignia marking her as part of Hakuto's elite purge squad. Cold, calculating eyes scan the ruins—not searching. She already knows where he is.)
Captain: "Pathetic." (Her voice drips with disdain.) "A hunter should die standing."
(The child flinches—her presence alone feels like an executioner's axe hovering above his neck.)
(The woman eyes him coolly, sizing him up with a critical gaze. Finally, she responds.)
Captain: "Captain Saki. Purge Division."
(The insignia on her chest confirms it: a sharp, winged hourglass. The symbol of her unit.)
A Small Glimmer of Hope
(The child hunter hesitates. The soldier has the air of a killer, but... she's asking his name, not ending his life. Maybe there's a slim chance of survival. He takes a shaky breath, trying to steady his voice.)
Child Hunter: "K-Kohji…"
(His name feels small, lost in the cold air between them.)
(The pistol glows faintly—Seishu energy coiling around its barrel like a serpent. The child freezes, eyes locked onto it in horror.)
Child Hunter (whispering): "N-No way… humans can't wield Seishu—!"
(Captain Saki levels the gun at his forehead, her expression unreadable.)
(A shadowed figure leans against a crumbling wall—his kimono jacket loose, revealing scars like battle etchings. Long, wild hair obscures his face as he idly fingers the hilt of a blade plunged into the dirt beside him. The weapon hums faintly—something about it feels... unnatural.)
Mystery Man (muttering): "Humans wielding Seishu… funny how things change." (His voice is gravel and smoke.)
(Captain Saki's grip tightens on her pistol—her gaze flicking toward the alley's depths for half a second too long...)
(The child's breath catches. He knows—deep in his bones—what that blade is. The hum, the aura… it resonates with something ancient.)
Child Hunter (whispering): "A Kizugami…?" (Eyes wide, desperate hope cutting through fear.)
(The man doesn't move. Don't even look up. But the air around him twists—like reality itself recoils from his presence.)
(Captain Saki presses the pistol tighter against Kohji's head, her eyes narrowing at the man in the darkness.)
Captain: "Take another step and this kid gets a new hole in his head." (Her tone is flat—cold—and he seems unphased.)
(The blade hums like it almost senses the growing tension. The air is thick—one wrong move and it could all snap.)
(Kohji doesn't breathe. The gun feels like an iron collar locked around his neck. The man in the shadows remains still—as if carved of stone.)
Captain: "I won't repeat myself. Put your sword down. Slowly."
(It's not a request. It's a warning.)
(Both Captain Saki and the mystery man move with blinding speed. A gunshot echoes in the air—and in the same instant a blade arcs toward the Captain like a living shadow.)
(She dodges, firing blindly—but the blade still cuts a stinging line up her arm.)
Captain: "Damn it…!" (Her curse is laced with a deepseated pain. That blade cut through her sleeve like it was cloth.)
(Captain Saki doesn't hesitate—she makes a strategic withdrawal. Her eyes hold a warning in their depths, and her voice carries a chilling certainty.)
Captain Saki: "This isn't the end. Any hunters that stand in my path will pay the price." (Her eyes linger on the two of them for a second—as if taking their measure.)
(With that, she vanishes into the shadows—her footsteps echoing away.)
(The man sits back on the edge of the ledge. He doesn't speak to Kohji at first—just stares out at the smoldering skyline.)
Man: "They call me… Genshi."
(The name resonates around them like a dark heartbeat.)
(Genshi swings his blade—a shadow against the burning sky—and starts walking. He doesn't look back. But his words carry a hint of warning.)
Genshi: "You coming, kid? Unless you fancy dying here, I wouldn't linger."
(Kohji feels a tug of hesitation. But his options are slim. He gets to his feet, following behind Genshi's silhouette.)
(The scene shifts—rain pours over Ryo's motionless body, blood mixing with the storm's tears. His father, Kujuro, kneels beside him—face hardened with fury and grief. Tenjo stands behind him, his expression unreadable.)
Kujuro (growling): "That fool… he should have known better." (His hands clench into fists.)
Tenjo: "We all make our choices… Some just come with heavier consequences." (His voice is quiet—but not without weight.)
(Above them, the sky weeps harder—as if mourning what was lost today.)
(Kujuro's face twists in a mix of anger and disbelief. His words echo with the depth of his disappointment.)
Kujuro: "Damn it, he was supposed to win this. After all the training, all the promises he made… How could he fail?"
(Tenjo keeps silent, understanding the pain in Kujuro's words.)
Tenjo's Decision – The Truth Will Come Out
(Tenjo exhales, finally turning to Kujuro—his gaze unwavering.)
Tenjo: "I'll teach him the truth now… the full truth of the Hunting Realm, our history, and what it means to be a true Hunter. But there's one thing I won't do." (A brief pause.) "His mother—and you… that story is yours to tell. Not mine."
(Kujuro clenches his jaw but doesn't argue. Some wounds need air before they can heal.)
(Kujuro carries Ryo's limp form over his shoulder as they trudge through the storm. The weight of failure hangs heavy on all three of them—even Tenjo, usually so composed, looks burdened.)
Tenjo: "He'll recover. But what he learns next… will change everything."
Kujuro (gritted teeth): "...You better not hold back. If he's going to survive what's coming, he needs to know it all."
(Silence stretches between them—only broken by the relentless downpour.)
(Kujuro and Tenjo reach Kujuro's home. The rain hasn't let up, but inside the humble dwelling is as dark and cold as their thoughts. Kujuro lays Ryo on a futon before facing Tenjo.)
Kujuro (deep breath): "What I'm about to tell you… I've never shared this with anyone. Not even Kyoshirou. Are you prepared to hear it?"
(Tenjo nods. His expression is hard to read in the gloom.)
(Kujuro takes a deep breath, his voice lowered as if sharing a secret never meant to be told. The room feels almost holy in its silence.)
Kujuro: "Our family's history is steeped in the blood and shadows of the Hunter Realm." (His eyes meet Tenjo's in the dark—an unspoken understanding passing between them.)
Tenjo (softly): "I know." (His voice barely audible over the rain's patter.)
(Tenjo exhales, his gaze distant as memories flicker behind his eyes. The weight of history presses down on them both.)
Tenjo: "The Kenzaki Clan were the first to master Seishu fusion—turning their bodies into living weapons. That's why the Five Great Houses wiped them out… They feared what they couldn't control." (His voice is hollow—like a ghost recounting its own death.)
(Kujuro's hands tighten into fists. This truth was buried for a reason.)
(Kujuro stares at Ryo—his expression torn. He wanted to shield him from this world, from the bloodsoaked legacy of their name. But fate had other plans.)
Kujuro (whispering): "...I should've burned every trace of our past. Let the Kenzaki name die with me." (Regret weighs heavy in his voice.)
(Tenjo watches him—silent but understanding. Some destinies refuse to stay buried.)
The Passage of Time – A Year in Retrospect
(The screen fades to black—a stark symbol of time passing. In the silence, Ryo Kenzaki's voice fills the dark, the events of the past year playing out like a silent film in our minds.)
Ryo (voiceover): "It's been a year... One year since Yua was taken and Kyou Ren... left." (His voice is older now—harder in some ways, haunted in others.)
(The screen remains black, Ryo's voice echoing through the darkness like an ominous warning. The impact of their losses is felt in every word.)
Ryo (voiceover): "That day changed us all. Some... more than others."
Ryo (voiceover): "I... wasn't the same after that. I lost my innocence along with a lot of my trust. But I gained something too... a new understanding."
(Ryo's voice takes on an edge as the narrative resumes. His tone is steady—he's no stranger to pain.)
Ryo (voiceover): "That next day... Tenjo told me the truth about our family's past. About the Kenzaki legacy—and my place in it."
(The gravity of the secret hung in the air like a storm waiting to break.)
(The room is quiet—a room heavy with solemnity. Old Man Kurobe, Haru, Sora, and Sachi stand or sit in a loose circle, their faces grave. Even the usually absent Sachi has come to bear witness to this moment. Only Tenjo looks calm—like this was inevitable all along.)
Tenjo (quietly): "Before we begin, remember the rules. No interruptions." (His gaze takes in each face, searching for understanding.)
(Ryo meets Tenjo's gaze squarely. There're no promises in his tone—just a quiet resolve.)
Ryo: "I won't promise not to interrupt. These are things I need to hear."
(Tenjo looks at him for a moment, gauging the determination. Then he nods, a slight concession.)
Tenjo: "All right then. Let's start at the beginning."
(Tenjo's voice cuts through the silence—firm, authoritative. This is not a lecture but a revelation, and everyone in the room leans in.)
Tenjo: "Understand this well—there is an order to all things."
(His fingers tap against his knee as he lays out the hierarchy like pieces on a board.)
1. Kogen (Bright Beginnings) – "Foot soldiers, those still proving themselves."
2. Daiten (Great Turn) – "Handpicked by Hoten for exceptional potential."
3. Shoten (Ascending Heaven) – "Second only to their Hotens; they command when needed."
4. Hoten (Crushing Heaven) – "Pillars of their factions—each leads with absolute authority under Ishikawa law."
5. Taisho (War Marshal) - "Commanders Of All Hunters—only behind The Swordborn Apostles in Rank and Power."
6. (The 12 SwordBorn Apostles(Ishikawa region only)) — (Silence hangs heavy as he says this name.) "Legends among Hunters… said to be capable of rewriting reality itself." (Sachi shifts uncomfortably at that.)
(Kurobe exhales sharply—he's heard whispers before but never confirmed it outright.)
(Tenjo's gaze sweeps the room, ensuring every eye is on him. His voice is as steady as a heart in a storm.)
Tenjo: "Lastly... there's the symbol of ultimate power. Reserved for the greatest hunter in Ishikawa—one so skilled, none would dare stand against them."
(A ripple of tension passes through the group. Haru and Sora exchange a surprised glance, while Old Man Kurobe's eyes gleam.)
(Tenjo's lips thin into something between a smirk and grim respect. His voice lowers, carrying the weight of ancient prestige.)
Tenjo: "That seat is called—Seihai (Sacred Blade). Only one has ever earned it in the last century."
(Ryo stiffens—that name alone feels like a weight being dropped on his shoulders.)
(Tenjo's gaze darkens—the very air in the room seems to grow heavier at the mention of this figure.)
Tenjo: "His name… is Ryūgamine Shigekuni. The only Hunter to ever stand unchallenged for over 200 years."
(Silence. Even Sachi, who never reacts, exhales sharply at that revelation.)
(Tenjo stands, a solemn look on his face.)
Tenjo (finality in his voice): "Memorize that name, Ryo. For as long as you live, Ryugamine Shigekuni is a name you won't be able to escape."
⛓️💥🌌🪖 End Of Chapter Fifty One