The village has grown. What was once a scattered collection of crumbling sandstone houses is now a proper settlement. Wooden homes stand in neat rows, their fresh timber still pale and smelling of sap. A deep water well sits at the center, its stone rim worn smooth from constant use. Nearby, the old army base has been repurposed its barracks now serve as storage for supplies, and a steady stream of delivery trucks move between the base and the village, hauling lumber, tools, and food.
At the mayor's office now the crew's main base of operations Kiro sits at his table, papers scattered across the wood. The room smells of old ink and roasted meat.
VEYRA: "Next place we should go is the City of Water aka Aquanova. Raiji is calling. He wants to look at the fighting force of swordsmen. Also to spar with them. Take it easy on them. You're too strong for your own good."
Kiro doesn't look up. He's focused on the chicken leg in his hand his sixth one. Grease drips onto the table.
Kiro: "But I don't want to."
He takes another bite.
VEYRA: "Stop eating. Also, take a look at what Aurora is doing. She said she would upgrade my suit and the ship."
At Raiji's Dojo
They leave the mayor's office and walk toward the new dojo Raiji's Dojo of Swordsmen. The building is wide and low, built from dark wood with a sloped roof. Even from outside, Kiro hears the clash of steel and the thud of wooden blades against training dummies.
He steps inside.
The air is thick hot metal, sweat, and the sharp tang of worked steel. Students line the walls, sparring in pairs or practicing forms alone. Their training swords whistle through the air.
Kiro: "Yo, Raiji. You got more students. Nice dojo. Stinks like steel and metal in here."
Raiji: "Soon it'll smell like burned iron. Anyway, I called you here. You're a non-swordsman no attitude for it, weak in swordsmanship. But you're a prodigy."
He crosses his arms.
"So test my students. Your way. See how they fight. These three."
Raiji points to three students standing apart from the others.
A – Tall one. Broad shoulders. Holds his training blade like he's been doing this for years.
B – Slim but muscular. Quick eyes. Shifting his weight like a coiled snake.
C – Skinny one. Nervous grip on his wooden sword. Swallows hard.
Raiji: "Yeah, these three weaklings. You can go fist your style. They are A, B, C."
Kiro: "No need. I saw your father once the master. He did that no-sword style. Kinda cool. I'll try that."
He drops into position. Both arms stretch out, palms open, fingers curled like he's holding two invisible blades.
A: "Are you sure about this? We can still win. Easy."
He raises his wooden training blade.
Kiro: "Then try."
Kiro moves.
It's not fast it's instant. One moment he's standing still. The next, he's between all three of them. The students' eyes go wide.
He sweeps one arm toward C.
C tries to block raises his wooden sword with both hands. The impact doesn't break the blade. It pushes him. C flies backward, feet leaving the ground, and slams into the wall. His training sword clatters away. He slumps, groaning.
Kiro turns. A and B are already mid-swing both blades arcing toward him from opposite sides.
He doesn't dodge.
He stretches both arms out wide.
"Mininado."
A small, weak wind explodes from his palms not a gale, but a pulse. A ripple of invisible force. It catches both students mid-air and blows them back. They hit the ground hard, rolling once, twice, then stop. Their wooden swords spin away across the dojo floor.
Silence.
The other students stop sparring. They stare.
Raiji: "You used my move. Still learning fast. But that was a weaker version of Mininado."
C: (pushing himself up, wincing) "How does he have the master's move?"
Kiro: "Let's try real blades. A, B, C get some real blades. Give me a proper fight."
B: "Are you sure? We might injure you."
C: "You might be the mayor, but real ones can actually do damage."
Raiji: "Sounds fun. For a non-swordsman, that makes it a fight." He laughs.
Kiro: "Don't worry. Tough skin. Your butter knives could never stab me. So just this once I end it in a second. Stay ready."
Raiji: "Let's make it more fun. First to get hit loses."
Kiro: "Game on."
Random student in the crowd: "The mayor is crazy."
They get ready with sharp blades. The steel glints under the dojo lights—honed edges, real weight, real danger.
This time, they stand in formation.
B and A take the front. C hangs back, providing support, his blade held low but ready.
Kiro dashes at them no sword style again. Just his body. Just speed.
A quick motion. A slap. Not a punch an open palm strike.
B's clothes rip. The fabric tears across his chest like a blade had cut it. His eyes go wide.
A couldn't react in time. He only manages to block but the force of Kiro's follow-up sends his sword flying. It spins through the air, passes right by Raiji who doesn't flinch, just keeps drinking from his cup and embeds itself in the wall behind him with a thunk.
Another hit. A's clothes tear too. He stumbles back, clutching his chest.
Then Kiro dashes toward C.
C was ready. He blocks barely. The impact pushes him back, his boots scraping the wooden floor. Kiro slices toward him. C dodges just in time. Kiro aims for his body.
C swings. The sharp part of his blade deflects Kiro's arm. Then he launches a counterattack.
Kiro sees it coming. Dodges. Just in time.
C thinks fast. He redirects his own blow switches the blade's direction mid-swing and strikes again.
Both blows are coming at once. Kiro dodges again, barely. The blade only catches his clothes this time, but the force still sends him flying back a few feet.
He lands, steady.
Kiro: "Sorry about that. I was expecting you to be weaker. You've got skill, rookie."
He turns to walk away.
Raiji: "How'd they do?"
Kiro: "Needs a lot of work. And C is tougher than he looks."
Kiro is about to leave when he feels it a sting on his arm. Lower shoulder. He reaches up and touches the spot.
His fingers come back clean. No blood. But the sting is real.
He pauses.
Kiro: "Never mind. C is the only winner."
Raiji: "Really? He got a hit off?"
Kiro: "Seems like it. He might be the first to hit me before I hit him. Even if he hit me after... still an amazing feat."
The crowd of students murmurs among themselves.
"The mayor is strong..."
Kiro exits the dojo and heads toward the workshop.
Time to see what the ladies are up to.
At the Workshop
Kiro enters the workshop. It's the same size as the dojo wide, open, and packed. The air smells different here. Oil and gas. Burned iron. Ozone from whatever energy weapons are charging in the corner.
Kiro: "So much technology."
Technology is scattered everywhere. Guns disassembled on tables. Weapons hanging from hooks. Armor pieces stacked in crates. And on the far wall a suit. Veyra's suit. Sleek, dark, waiting.
Aurora and Veyra stand in front of it, talking.
Aurora: "Oh, Kiro. Look at these upgrades I did. The suit can now automatically reload and when you need to wear it, it dresses itself on Veyra." She pauses, admiring her own work. "Veyra, I must say, I'm impressed. It's almost like an Omega Artifact but not one. Not strong enough yet. Who built this?"
Veyra: "Don't worry about it. An old friend."
She steps forward and tries on the suit. It slips on fast fabric and plating binding to her skin like a second layer. It hugs her form, then settles.
Veyra fires a few shots at a target across the room. Crack. Crack. Crack. She spins the gun once a habit and the chamber clicks. Fully reloaded already.
Kiro: "Nice. What else is new?"
Veyra: "The airship. And I want to test this suit out. Should be faster."
Exploring the Airship
They move to the hangar. The airship sits in the center a rebuilt vessel, scarred from past fights but gleaming with new parts. Aurora walks around it, pointing out her work.
Aurora: "Just minor upgrades. Like an atomic pulse shield in case of an ambush. And a drop bay in case of an emergency drop. If someone needs to jump off, they can."
She taps a panel near the rear.
"Also, the best spot a charging station for Veyra's suit. Right here by the hangar. And a sword rack too. For Raiji. Or anyone else who fights close."
Kiro looks around. The ship feels different now. Tighter. More dangerous.
Kiro: "You've been busy."
Aurora: "Someone has to keep this crew alive."