Episode 5 – The Chains of the Past
The training grounds of the Kurogane Clan echoed with the sound of clashing weapons and bursts of energy. Arata's body was drenched in sweat, his chest heaving, his arms trembling from the relentless drills.
Kaito-sensei stood a few feet away, hands tucked casually in his pockets, his trademark smirk plastered across his face.
"Not bad, kid. You lasted longer today," he said. "But lasting longer doesn't mean winning. Power without control is like fire without a container—it only burns everything around it."
Arata gritted his teeth, forcing himself up from the ground after yet another fall. "I'll… master it. No matter what it takes."
Kaito's eyes flashed with brief approval. That determination… it's the same as— he stopped the thought midway, masking his expression with humor again. "Good answer. But let's see how you handle a real opponent."
With a snap of his fingers, several masked warriors from the clan stepped forward. Their aura was sharp, disciplined, dangerous.
"Fight them. All at once," Kaito said casually.
Arata's eyes widened. "All of them?!"
But before he could protest, the warriors rushed him. Their strikes came fast—blades, kicks, and bursts of energy techniques he couldn't yet understand. Arata struggled to defend himself, his instincts barely keeping him alive. Sparks of his hidden power flared, his blood boiling in his veins, but each flare drained him more.
Finally, he collapsed, bruised and bloodied.
The warriors stood down, and Kaito approached. He crouched, looking at Arata seriously for once. "You're carrying power that doesn't belong to the normal flow of this world. That's your bloodline, Arata. The reason that organization is after you."
Arata looked up, confused and angry. "What do you mean…? My family was normal! We were—"
Kaito's expression darkened. "No, they weren't. The truth is… your clan—your bloodline—was one of the Seven Ancient Lineages. Each of them was forged to seal or protect fragments of an entity so dangerous, its existence was erased from history."
Arata's breath caught. His head spun. "Fragments…? What are you saying?"
Before Kaito could continue, a sudden tremor shook the entire compound. A dark, suffocating aura spread across the sky, swallowing the sunlight. Screams erupted from the outer walls of the clan's estate.
Kaito's face hardened. "They've found us."
From the shadows beyond the gates, figures emerged—cloaked in black, with cursed sigils glowing across their skin. Their leader stepped forward, his voice echoing with madness.
"Arata Kurogane… Child of the Bloodline. You will become the vessel to awaken Him."
Arata froze, his heart pounding. He didn't know what they meant, but the chilling certainty in those words struck him to the core.
Kaito slowly removed his blindfold, revealing his piercing eyes glowing with untamed power. His playful aura vanished—what stood there now was a god in human flesh.
"Arata," he said, his voice low but steady. "Stay behind me. If they want you… they'll have to get through me first."
And with that, the training ground erupted into chaos—where Arata's destiny truly began to unfold.
⚡ To be continued…