The night passed without incident.
Sleep came lightly—if at all.
Some stared at the ceiling.
Some trained in silence.
Some simply waited.
And when the first pale light of dawn crept over the horizon, the town began to stir.
Wooden sandals (geta)struck stone.
Leather straps were pulled tight.
Steel clinked softly as weapons were secured.
Orders were passed in hushed, efficient voices.
The journey resumed.
Whatever awaited them next would not be faced in darkness.
Carriages lined the main road, their wooden frames creaking under the weight of supplies. Horses snorted softly as handlers adjusted reins and tightened harnesses.
Unit Five was already in motion.
Samurai adjusted their armor with practiced ease. Ninja moved through the crowd like shadows, checking routes, securing weapons, confirming positions. Everything moved with purpose—no panic, no hesitation.
Departure for Headquarters.
Rin stood beside Ina near the center of the road as the Vice Commander supervised preparations. Her posture was relaxed, but her eyes missed nothing.
A comrade stepped forward and bowed slightly.
"Vice Commander," he said respectfully. "Where should we place the weapons?"
Ina crossed her arms loosely over her haori.
"I'm not entirely sure," she replied calmly. "Storing them in a secure, compatible unit would make sense… but Raizo has more expertise on that. Bring it up with him."
"Understood. Thank you, Vice Commander."
As he turned to leave, Ina added,
"You're doing a good job, Shinki."
The samurai glanced back with a faint smile.
"Appreciated."
He moved off, disappearing into the flow of samurai.
Moments later, another figure approached and bowed.
"Vice Commander," the man said. "All units have been checked. Everything is in order, just as you requested. The arrangements are finalized."
Ina nodded once.
"Nice work, Tashi."
"Thank you, Vice Commander."
He stepped away.
Ina let out a soft exhale, the weight of leadership lifting from her shoulders—if only briefly.
Rin, who had been standing beside her the entire time, glanced over.
"It's nice," Rin said quietly. "You seem to know everyone by name."
Ina smiled gently.
"I feel it's my duty," she replied. "We're all family here. Every single person is putting their life on the line—for something greater than themselves. Knowing them… it's the least I can do."
She tilted her gaze upward toward the overcast sky, her expression calm—yet unyielding.
A short distance away, near the edge of the road, Shinju stood watching the preparations in silence.
Itsuki approached him, hands tucked loosely into the long sleeves of his coat.
"I'm surprised," Itsuki said calmly. "You're… quiet."
Shinju glanced at him.
"Is that unusual?"
"For someone who overheard a conversation they weren't meant to," Itsuki replied, "yes."
Shinju didn't deny it.
Itsuki continued, his tone even.
"I know you heard us last night."
Shinju paused, then nodded.
"So you knew."
"Of course," Itsuki said. "I sensed your presence the moment you stopped outside the door."
Shinju frowned slightly.
"Then why didn't you let me hear your conversation?"
Itsuki kept his gaze forward, watching the stages of preparations.
"I wanted to see what you'd do with the information," he said.
"Whether you'd act irrationally… or not."
"And?" Shinju asked.
Itsuki glanced at him.
"You didn't disappoint."
Shinju exhaled slowly.
"Staying and fighting now would only put people in danger," he said. "This town shouldn't be dragged into what's coming."
Itsuki listened without interrupting.
"Stopping one Ranker wouldn't change anything," Shinju continued. "Too many towns are already conquered. Too many empires support Nohara. One victory here wouldn't matter, the only way to stop this once and for all is to take out the root of the problem."
Itsuki nodded once.
"You're just like he said," he murmured.
Shinju looked at him sharply.
"What do you mean?"
"A friend," Itsuki replied. "Told me about you."
Shinju stiffened.
"Friend?"
Itsuki smiled mischievously.
"Roy."
Recognition hit instantly.
Shinju's expression darkened.
"We're not friends."
Itsuki chuckled softly.
"He left you a message."
Shinju looked away.
"Figures."
Itsuki recited it without hesitation.
"Don't lag behind this time. Like you always used to."
Shinju scoffed quietly.
"That does sound like him."
Itsuki laughed under his breath.
"The two of you are… complicated."
Shinju said nothing.
Ina and Rin approached them.
"What are you two talking about?" Ina asked.
"Roy," Itsuki replied.
"You guys are friends, right?"
"Yeah. We knew each other from back when we took the New Gen Test… but he was closer to Shinju."
"Closer?" Shinju said bluntly.
"He tried to kill me."
"…Right," Ina said dryly.
"Hah—seriously?" Itsuki let out a short laugh.
"Like I said… you two are complicated."
Shinju's gaze shifted to Itsuki.
Should I confirm my suspension…?
"Cap— I mean, Itsuki… can I ask you something?"
"Sure. What is it?" Itsuki responded.
"You're not—"
Before Shinju could finish, Raizo appeared beside them as if summoned by thought alone.
"Captain! Preparations for departure are nearly complete," Raizo reported.
Itsuki straightened slightly.
"Alright," he said clearly.
"All units—ready up. We'll depart shortly."
"Understood, Captain!" several voices answered in unison.
Rin hesitated, then spoke softly to Shinju.
"Sorry… I couldn't help overhearing. Who's Roy?"
Shinju answered immediately.
"No one."
Ina, standing nearby, sighed.
"If I had to explain it," she said, "he's something like a brother—but not really. Not a rival. Not a friend. Not an enemy."
She paused.
"They just… clash."
Shinju walked out of the conversation.
The air went still for a brief moment.
Somewhere—
Far from the main road.
Far from the town.
On a different route entirely.
Carriages rolled steadily along a dirt road, wooden wheels groaning beneath reinforced frames. Horses moved in disciplined lines, hooves striking in rhythm as reins were kept tight and banners swayed faintly in the morning wind.
This unit was compact.
Well-organized.
Purpose-driven.
At the head of the formation rode a young samurai with a relaxed posture, one hand loosely holding the reins, the other resting on his sword at his side. His expression was calm and chill—but the soldiers around him moved with unmistakable respect.
"Tch'ahh!"
Roy sneezed.
He raised a hand, eyes narrowing slightly as he blinked away the moisture gathering at their corners.
"…Huh."
The soldier beside him glanced over.
"You coming down with something, Vice-Captain?"
Roy wiped his nose, his expression unreadable.
"…No."
A brief pause.
"…Someone's talking about me."
The rider beside him laughed.
"Hah—you actually believe that?"
Roy turned his head just slightly.
His eyes met Denji's.
Sharp. Quiet. Heavy.
"Shut up, Denji."
The laughter stopped instantly.
Like it had never existed.
Before anything else could be said, a voice called out from near the front carriage.
"Vice-Captain Roy,"
the soldier reported,
"We're almost within range of the Kingdom of Luxville."
Roy's posture straightened.
"Alright," he said calmly.
"Stay sharp. Keep formation tight."
"Yes, sir!"
The troops continued forward without hesitation, the road stretching ahead toward stone walls barely visible on the horizon.
Back at the main road—
Shinju was already walking away.
His steps were steady.
Unhurried.
Decisive.
Rin watched Shinju go, saying nothing.
Ina lingered for a moment longer, then turned back toward the preparations as the carriages creaked into motion.
Orders resumed.
Steel settled.
The preparation continued.
Two paths, moving forward—
Minutes later…
Everyone was present.
Except Rin.
Shinju noticed first.
He scanned the group once more, then turned.
"Where is she?" he asked.
Ina adjusted the reins of her horse without looking up.
"The graveyard, forest side."
"Forest side." Shinju repeated
"She went to say goodbye."
"To leave flowers," Ina added. "For her family."
A brief silence passed between them.
Then Ina spoke again.
"If you're going to get her," she said, "now's the time."
Shinju stepped forward.
Ina's voice sharpened.
"And where do you think you're going?"
"To get her," Shinju replied.
Ina raised an eyebrow.
"Do you even know where the graveyard is?"
Shinju didn't slow.
"I don't need directions," he said evenly. "I can sense her now that I know her location."
Before Ina could say a word—
He vanished.
The graveyard breathed.
Not with wind—but with memory.
Rows of crooked headstones leaned toward one another like old men sharing secrets. Lichen veined the stone. Names had been softened by time. Morning light lay thin and pale across the ground, as if even the sun hesitated to intrude.
Shinju stepped between the graves.
His eyes found Rin immediately.
She knelt before two weathered headstones set side by side. An old couple. Their names were engraved. White flowers rested at their base, placed carefully, reverently.
"Rin," Shinju said quietly. "It's time. We should go."
She didn't turn.
"Just a minute."
Shinju followed her gaze to the stones.
For a moment, the graveyard fell away.
He remembered the old man's breath against his ear.
Thin. Fading.
The whisper that came with his last strength.
Do—Don't blame…yourself
Shinju's jaw tightened.
His fingers curled slowly into his palm. The knuckles whitened, tendons standing out beneath his skin. He didn't realize he was clenching until the ache reached his wrist.
Silence stretched between them.
Not empty.
Heavy.
Like something trying to be said—and failing.
Then—
SHRANG!
Steel screamed through the air.
A blade dropped from above.
Shinju moved on instinct—draw, turn, catch.
The impact echoed through the graveyard.
The samurai landed lightly, sandals barely touching the gravel. Not a pebble shifted.
He smiled.
"Fast," the man said.
Shinju gritted his teeth and pushed forward, forcing him back.
The samurai flipped away effortlessly, landing in a relaxed stance.
Shinju steadied himself, as he narrowed his eyes.
"Who are you?"
No answer.
Instead, the samurai lunged.
Steel met steel as both blades rose at once.
Shinju countered, driving the strike aside and forcing the man back again.
The samurai straightened, blade hanging loosely at his side.
"You can keep up," he smiled. "Interesting."
Shinju didn't reply.
He slid his foot back.
Lowered his stance.
Two steps.
Until Rin was behind him.
A deliberate wall of flesh and will.
"I'll end this quickly," Shinju said, not looking back.
"Stay here. Don't move."
His gaze stayed fixed ahead as he stepped forward, placing himself between Rin and the threat.
Rin's chest tightened. His back felt farther away than it should have—solid, unmoving, already decided.
There was no time for hesitation. If she moved now, she'd put herself in danger.
"…Okay,"Rin nodded.
Rin's voice was soft, almost fragile, but threaded with trust. She stayed where she was, eyes fixed on his back as Shinji faced forward once more, ready.
The samurai noticed at once.
"Oh?" he said lightly. "You're hesitating."
He didn't rush forward.
He drifted sideways.
The blade came in low—careless, almost slow.
Shinju caught the intent a split second before impact.
Steel clashed.
Sparks flashed as Shinju twisted his wrist and redirected the strike.
The samurai laughed.
"Good instincts."
This time, he pressed harder.
Their blades collided—once, twice—each strike precise and controlled. Clean technique. No wasted motion. No openings given freely.
Shinju retreated half a step.
I have to finish this—fast.
The thought slid in uninvited.
This must be an ambush, If he's here… the others—
He tightened his grip on his sword.
Then planted his foot.
The next strike came down hard.
Shinju blocked—
And felt it.
His arm shuddered from the force.
Strong.
Far too strong for someone moving this casually.
The samurai pulled back, eyes narrowed slightly.
"You're holding back," he said. "Why?"
Shinju exhaled slowly.
"I could ask you the same," he replied.
"And I don't need to go all out to defeat you."
The samurai's smile thinned.
"Big mistake."
He vanished.
Shinju's eyes widened—
Where did he go—
Steel hissed past his cheek.
Shinju twisted just in time, barely avoiding the follow-up strike.
Fabric tore from his shoulder as he leapt back, sandals skidding across damp stone.
Fast — but worse, deliberate.
Shinju felt the timing before he saw the strike, and barely moved aside as steel cut the air where his neck had been.
The samurai appeared—then vanished—again and again, flickering through the air behind him.
Shinju moved on instinct alone, spinning and slashing—not to strike, but to force space.
The samurai swung his blade with force toward Shinju.
He hurled himself forward as the blade carved into stone where his neck had been.
He landed hard.
Breath burning.
Sweat slid into his eyes.
The familiar pain bloomed in his chest.
The samurai tilted his head, amused.
"What's wrong?"
"You're still holding back."
Shinju's breath raged on, heavily.
I guess I don't have a choice… I don't know how long I can maintain it.
His fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword.
He drew a deep breath, steady yet calm.
This time he stepped forward—and attacked first.
His blade moved cleanly—sharply—without hesitation.
The samurai blocked, surprise flashing across his face as their swords locked.
Close.
Too close.
Shinju pushed.
The samurai stumbled back one step.
His smile faded.
"Oh," the samurai murmured. "So you can press."
Their blades clashed.
A symbol stitched into the edge of his cloak—subtle, nearly hidden from casual sight.
A rising crest.
Nohara Nation.
Shinju's eyes narrowed, as he leaped backward.
"So," he said quietly, blade steady. "You're a Ranker."
The samurai didn't deny it.
"My name is Shinsuke," he replied. "And I only gave out my name to a worthy opponent, not to the weak."
Shinju exhaled slowly.
"I don't really care."
Shinsuke frowned, veins showed on his head. "You asked a question, then say you don't care. You're really getting on my nerves."
He raised his sword.
"By now… your allies are already surrounded."
He said aloud.
"There's no escape."
Shinju didn't lower his sword.
"What? Am I supposed to be scared?"
"The man in charge of this squad is a very capable man and I don't see him losing to you guys. Don't underestimate Unit Five."
Shinsuke glanced past him.
"Is that so,"the samurai said calmly.
Shinju drew a breath—not deep, not forced.
Something shifted.
Every muscle in his body tightened at once, like coiled wire drawn to its limit. His stance lowered. Balance aligned perfectly. Awareness sharpened—spreading beyond the graveyard itself.
Then—
He moved.
CRACK—!
The ground shattered beneath his foot.
Shinsuke reacted instantly, his blade flashing up—
CLASH—!
Steel met steel.
—FWIP
They vanished—
KLANG—!
A second collision rang out.
FWIP—!
They reappeared across the graveyard—
TCHANG—!
A third strike exploded between them.
They blurred across the graveyard, clashing in rapid succession. Shinju pressed forward relentlessly, forcing Shinsuke back step by step, stone shattering beneath their feet.
Shinsuke darted through the air, his movement a blur, and reappeared behind Shinju in an instant.
Shinju launched himself forward, barely evading the incoming slash as Shinsuke's blade carved into the ground with a sharp clang.
Shinju landed, breath ragged, his chest rising and falling as sweat trickled down his face.
Shinsuke tilted his head, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
"What's wrong, Shinju?" he asked, voice laced with mockery.
"Don't tell me you're worn out already. Things are just starting to get interesting."
A sharp pulse of pain shot through Shinju's body. He clenched his fists, teeth grinding as his chest tightened—familiar. Too familiar.
The same warning.
He'd ignored it before.
He couldn't now.
The doctor's voice surfaced in his mind, clear and unyielding.
"Listen carefully," the doctor had said, his tone firm.
"Your body isn't built to endure that technique back-to-back. Every time you use it without proper rest, it overloads your muscles and nervous system."
Shinju's vision wavered.
"That's why you keep blacking out," the doctor continued.
"Your body is shutting itself down to protect you. If you keep pushing like this…"
The warning had lingered then—just as it did now.
"…you won't just collapse."
"You might not wake up next time."
Shinju steadied his stance, forcing air back into his lungs.
Not yet.
Not here.
"You really are strong," Shinsuke said.
"What Akagiri told me about you… was true."
The name struck like a blade.
Shinju's expression shifted.
For a split second, memory surged—
The old man.
The blood.
His final moments.
His grip tightened.
Not at Shinsuke — but at the memory of the old man with blood on his hands.
The next strike wasn't measured.
He swung.
KRRRBOOM—!
The impact ripped through the graveyard.
Shinsuke was sent flying, tearing through rows of trees beyond the graves. CRASH—! CRACK—!
Branches exploded as his body plowed through the forest, leaving a violent trail of splintered wood behind him.
Shinju stepped forward, blade still raised.
"It's time to end this," he said coldly.
Shinsuke laughter echoed from the wreckage.
"The feeling's mutual."
He emerged slowly—
And Shinju froze.
The wound carved into Shinsuke's side was gone.
Healed.
At the same time, Shinsuke's blade began to glow faintly—light crawling along its edge like something alive.
Shinju froze, eyes wide in disbelief as Shinsuke stood unbothered, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"That strike should've ended it. He thought."
And then it hit him.
This is the same thing that happened with Akagiri…
Back then, too. Akagiri had taken a fatal blow—only for the injury to vanish like mist.
Shinju had thought it was a fluke.
Now he wasn't so sure it had ever been.
His grip tightened on his sword. His heart pounded—not from exhaustion, but from something colder.
What are they?Shinju 's mind raced.
Shinsuke noticed his experience.
"Surprised?" he asked. "If you're thinking of the Five Shadows."
He raised the blade slightly.
" Then you're mistaken."
The glow intensified.
"Every S-tier Ranker carries a weapon like this," Shinsuke continued calmly.
As he took a step forward.
"These weapons amplify what we already are. Strength. Speed. Endurance."
"They push us beyond human limits."
"I..see."Shinju steadied his breathing.
Shinsuke moved.
The air split behind Shinju's ear.
This time, he barely reacted fast enough.
Their blades collided—
—but the force sent him skidding backward, Sanders carving deep grooves into the stone.
A sudden weakness hit his legs. They faltered—then refused to respond.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears—too fast, too loud. The world tilted, a blur of light and shadow swallowing everything.
He gasped, clawing at consciousness.
Not here. Not yet.
His sword slipped from his hand. His knees buckled. Every fiber of his body screamed surrender.
Not again…,
I can't lose, he thought desperately.
Not... again.
And then—a flash of motion.
Shinsuke's blade was coming down.
Shinju's failing vision caught a figure—impossibly fast—crashing between him and the strike.
CLANG!
Steel met steel. The shock rattled the air. Shinju's eyes widened, barely registering the scene. Itsuki stood there, driving his heel into Shinsuke's chest with a force that shattered the ground beneath him.
Shinsuke was thrown like a ragdoll, tearing through the trees as trunks cracked and splintered.
CRASH—
"…That was close," Itsuki muttered, finally turning toward Shinju, who could barely keep his eyes open.
And then his world went black.
Silent, unwavering—awaiting the storm yet to come.
Chapter 8 —ENDS.
What do u think is going to happen in the next chapter ? 👀