CHAPTER 1: First Night in Kazemori
"In this world, strength is not a gift... it is the price of staying alive."
"The Kara is the vital energy that flows through all things. Some shape it to create, others to destroy... but all depend on it to survive."
"When the breath of the Kara fades, the heart stops beating, and the soul vanishes into eternal shadow."
Kazemori, an ordinary town nestled on the edge of a dense forest. By day, its markets buzz with activity, the cries of merchants mingling with the smells of food and spices. As night falls, the flickering lanterns cast trembling halos on the wet cobblestones and worn walls, projecting a veil of shadows into the narrow alleys.
Raizen (gasping, clutching pieces of stolen meat)
"Excuse me! Clear the way!"
Around him, the crowd reluctantly parts, jostled by the commotion. Rough voices echo from behind.
Voice of a pursuer (dry, menacing)
"Catch him! He stole the meat!"
Footsteps pound the cobblestones. Raizen, a young man of average height with an athletic build, slips through with an agility born of years spent surviving in these ruthless streets. His white hair, streaked with violet locks and two strands in front, catches the last rays of the setting sun. His sky-blue eyes scan the shadows with a sharp, almost predatory gleam.
Raizen (with a mischievous smile)
"Go on, try to catch me."
He plunges into a maze of winding alleys that he knows by heart, a well-rehearsed game between him and his breathless pursuers.
He disappears into an unfinished building, its raw, silent walls offering him temporary refuge.
Raizen (muttering, relieved)
"Finally... I lost them. That was easy this time."
He pulls out a small, blunt knife, cuts the stolen meat, and eats with a satisfied air.
Night settles in, enveloping Kazemori in a veil of darkness. The lanterns light up one by one, casting trembling circles of light on the wet cobblestones.
Raizen (pensive, looking around)
"Where to spend the night... Not here, too noisy."
A drunken man bursts into a hoarse laugh in a nearby alley.
Raizen moves deeper into the quieter districts, where only the wind and silence resonate.
Turning a corner into a dead end, he spots an old building with sealed shutters. The door creaks open, plunging the interior into an almost suffocating gloom.
Raizen (relieved)
"Perfect, at least it's quiet here."
He settles down, ready to rest. But suddenly, screams erupt outside, shattering the tranquility.
Raizen (tense, grabbing a plank from the floor)
"What the...?"
He creeps toward a broken window.
Outside, the scene is chilling: a strange man struggles with bestial ferocity against three young assailants, two boys and a girl. His body deforms, certain muscles swollen, fingers elongated into sharp claws like a wild beast.
The assailants try to reason with the furious beast, in vain.
Raizen (determined, raising his plank)
"Hey! Stop that right now!"
The strange man (turning slowly, cruel smile)
"Who are you to challenge me?"
Raizen (firm, fearless)
"I won't let you do this. You're going to stop, whether you like it or not."
A heavy silence falls. The assailants watch, breathless.
The strange man (sneering, deploying his claws)
"Very well. Show me what you can do, kid."
Raizen throws his plank. The wood slices through the air, strikes the man full in the chest, and shatters.
The strange man (growling, cruel)
"Patience, you three, stay there."
Suddenly he lunges at Raizen, claws ready to tear.
Raizen takes a violent blow to the shoulder, crying out in pain. Thrown against the wall, he struggles to breathe. The blows follow one another, brutal, merciless, bone and stone cracking under the force.
Dazed, bloody, Raizen tries to get up. He sees the assailants silently moving away.
The strange man (cruel smile)
"See, because of you, my toys ran away."
Raizen tries to flee, but the man catches him, his claws snapping like blades.
The strange man (whispering, fierce)
"I'm going to savor the moment your flesh gives way under my fingers."
Raizen is thrown to the ground, relentlessly struck.
A hand plunges into Raizen's stomach, a searing pain engulfs him.
Raizen (weakly, bitterly)
"So... this is it... my end," he whispered, a bitter smile on his lips.
"At least I'll never steal again."
Silence seems to settle, then a blinding light tears through the night.
Unknown voice (powerful, sharp)
"Celestial Kara... Piercing Flash!"
The assailant explodes, pulverized in a blast that makes the walls vibrate.
Raizen, on his knees, feels the burn in his wound. His soaked shirt clings to his skin. Every breath is torture.
His eyes close, a silhouette outlined against the light, haloed by a glow.
Then, blackness.
Next Scene
Raizen (slowly opening his eyes, in pain)
"Where am I...?"
Hana (soft, reassuring)
"You're finally awake. Took you long enough."
Raizen (weak, curious)
"Who... are you? Did you save me?"
Hana (smiling, relaxed)
"No need to be formal, we can use 'tu'. I'm Hana, a Stellar Zenith, rank Astroforge. Specialist in internal Kara, medicine, and healing."
Raizen (confused)
"Okay... but you lost me after 'Stellar something'..."
Hana (amused)
"Don't worry, you'll understand when the time is right."
Raizen (sincere)
"Thank you for saving me, Hana."
Hana (modest)
"I only treated you. The one who brought you here in time is the real hero. Without him, you would have died five days ago."
Raizen (astonished)
"Five days? I slept for five days?"
Hana (respectful)
"Yes. His name is Takashi Aomi, one of the six 'pure' Stellar Zeniths."
Raizen tries to get up, but dizziness pins him down.
Raizen (distraught)
"I have to thank him..."
He collapses, unconscious.
Later, Raizen regains his strength.
Hana (encouraging)
"Come, I'll show you something."
They go outside. The air is mild, the climate perfect, neither hot nor cold. A tree-lined path leads them to a clearing bathed in the light of the rising sun.
There, a group trains with intensity. Men and women blend physical movements with bursts of bluish energy—the Kara visible in the air, vibrating, palpable.
Hana (proud, confident)
"They chose not just to survive anymore, but to live in harmony with the Kara. Learning this path will require courage. That's surely why you're here."
Raizen (hesitant, worried)
"I'm not ready for that."
Hana (understanding, soothing)
"I know. Don't rush yourself. Tomorrow will be your sixth day. Aomi will come, and you can ask him all your questions. For now, rest."
Raizen watches silently, a mix of apprehension and hope.
On the Kazemori Side
Night spread its veil over Kazemori. Lanterns hung on the facades diffused a golden, dancing light that struggled to pierce the darkness of the alleys. On the uneven rooftops of the houses, silhouettes darted like shadows: seven Burnt Bloods. Their race was fast, silent... but behind them, five bursts of bluish light relentlessly pursued them—the Stellar Zeniths.
One Burnt Blood, his face streaked with dark marks, growled:
"Too many people here... Let's lure them elsewhere. An empty place."
The fugitives leaped from roof to roof, then left the town. In a few moments, they reached an isolated field, bathed in the cold light of the moon. There, two farmers were returning from work, their shoulders hunched under the weight of full baskets.
Without a word, the Burnt Bloods threw themselves upon them. The bodies were torn, broken, reduced to pieces, all in an almost ceremonial silence... until the blood splattered the grass and the death rattles ceased.
The Stellar Zeniths stopped their advance a few meters away. Their leader, an imposing Astroforge, brandished his blade:
"It's time to eliminate you... filthy Kageyami. To position!"
(Note: The Kageyami form the lower rank of the Burnt Bloods, but some of them—can—reach an intermediate level, capable of rivaling experienced warriors.)
The leading Kageyami, a colossus whose eyes burned with hatred, roared:
"No mercy, my brothers! Destroy them all!"
The clash was instantaneous. Flashes of steel and shadow claws collided, each impact vibrating in the night. Cries of rage and pain mingled with the whistling breath of the attacks.
Two words echoed with every strike:
"Celestial Kara!"—shouted by the Stellar Zeniths, their blades enveloped in a pure light and others using the Kara as a weapon.
"Dark Kara!"—spat by the Burnt Bloods, their weapons and claws drowned in a shadowy aura.
Suddenly, a crash abruptly cut the commotion. A powerful voice burst forth, clear as steel:
"Elemental Celestial Kara... Linear Impact!"
A ray of light shot from the heights, originating from a blast of two blades, cleaving the night like a divine spear, and struck the field in an explosion of wind and fragments.
The explosion dissipated in a gust of wind, stirring up dust and torn blades of grass.
The combatants froze, all turning their heads toward the point of impact.
From the top of a barn roof, a massive silhouette stood out against the moonlight.
Two meters of lean, perfectly defined muscle, shoulders as wide as a doorway.
Two blades, fixed on his back, glowed faintly—as if they still retained a flash of the Celestial Kara.
His duck-bill-shaped mask covered the lower part of his face, revealing a mocking smile at the corner of his lips. His black hair, styled as if defying the wind, fell over a gaze shining with confidence... almost arrogance.
He landed in the center of the field with a controlled crash, cracking the earth beneath his boots.
The man with the duck head:
"Seriously... You made all this mess for this?" he said mockingly, sweeping his gaze over the Burnt Bloods and Stellar Zeniths.
His voice was steady, but every syllable seemed to weigh a ton. He was one of the pure Stellar Zeniths.
end of chapter 1