One Week After Leaving Mount Akatsuki
The Phoenix Order Headquarters in Hiraguri Town was still weeks away. The journey from Mount Akatsuki was not a simple one—only the worthy reached it.
Between the mountains and the great city lay vast forests, hidden villages, bandit-infested roads, and long-forgotten battlefields.
Blade and his group knew this wasn't just a simple march to their goal.
This was a test of survival.
And they were about to face their first true battle.
---
A Town in Despair – The Cursed Village
It had been six days since they had left Mount Akatsuki.
They were moving along an ancient trade route when they spotted something unusual—a village covered in fog.
Kagami narrowed her eyes. "Something's wrong here."
Suntaro adjusted his sword, Raitaro, resting a hand on the hilt. "You feel it too?"
Blade nodded. The air felt different—almost unnatural.
As they entered, the village was eerily quiet.
There were no people in the streets. The houses looked abandoned, but there were signs that they had been used recently—lit lanterns, unfinished meals on wooden tables.
Kibito exhaled. "I've got a bad feeling about this."
Suddenly—
BANG!
A figure ran out from one of the homes—a young boy, barely ten years old. His eyes were wide with fear.
Suntaro moved first, catching the kid before he collapsed.
"Whoa, easy there, little guy."
The boy looked up at them with terror.
"You… you have to run! The curse… it's coming!"
---
The Mystery of the Vanishing Villagers
Blade crouched beside him. "What do you mean? What curse?"
The boy swallowed hard. "The fog… it comes at night… and when it does, people disappear."
Kagami frowned. "That doesn't make sense. Fog doesn't just… take people."
The boy shook his head. "It's not normal fog! It has a voice. It whispers… and when you hear it, you're gone."
Suntaro narrowed his eyes. "Sounds like Myou-related sorcery."
Kibito crossed his arms. "Either way, we're not running. We'll handle this."
The boy looked up in shock. "You can't! No one who has tried has ever come back!"
Blade's eyes hardened. "We're not 'no one.'"
The boy hesitated, then nodded. "Then… you have until midnight. That's when it comes."
---
The Arrival of the Phantom Fog
As the sun fell, the fog began to rise.
Blade and his team stood in the middle of the village, weapons drawn.
The boy had taken shelter inside a locked house. He refused to even look outside.
Kagami held her ice katana tightly. "It's coming."
Then, they heard it.
A whisper.
A sound that wasn't human.
Suntaro's eyes flashed. "Show yourself!"
A shadow moved within the mist, forming a dark, humanoid figure.
Its voice was like hundreds of whispers overlapping.
"Leave this place… or vanish forever."
Kibito stepped forward, his flames roaring to life. "Yeah? Why don't you try taking us?"
The figure lunged.
And the battle began.
---
A Battle Against the Unknown
Blade swung Kamikaze, slicing through the mist—but the creature reformed instantly.
Kagami's ice froze parts of it, but they shattered like glass.
Suntaro tried to electrocute it, but his lightning passed through harmlessly.
Kibito gritted his teeth. "It's like it's not even real!"
Blade clenched his jaw. "It's a Myou projection… but whose?"
The figure laughed—a chilling, empty sound.
"You cannot defeat what does not exist."
Suntaro smirked. "Wanna bet?"
Then, he did something unexpected—
He ran straight into the fog.
"Suntaro?!" Kagami shouted.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—the fog EXPLODED outward, as if something inside had been destroyed.
Suntaro stepped back out, cracking his knuckles.
"Yeah, just as I thought. There's a real body hidden inside."
The mist parted—revealing a cloaked figure standing behind the fog, holding a black talisman.
Blade's eyes sharpened. "There you are."
The figure tried to retreat—but was too slow.
Blade moved in a blink, Kazeshin slamming into his chest.
With a scream, the illusion broke, and the fog vanished.
---
The Bandit King Arrives
Just as the villagers emerged from their homes, grateful for their rescue—
A loud whistle echoed through the village.
A group of heavily armed bandits stepped out from the shadows. At their center stood a man wrapped in dark red robes, a jagged sword resting on his shoulder.
His face was hidden behind an iron mask, but his presence was suffocating.
The villagers gasped.
"The Bandit King…!"
Blade's eyes locked onto the masked warrior. "Who is he?"
An elderly villager stepped forward, voice shaking. "A fallen warrior of the Phoenix Order. He once walked the same path as you… but now, he rules these lands with fear!"
The Bandit King chuckled. "Tch. The Phoenix Order was weak. I made my own kingdom."
Kibito cracked his knuckles. "Let me guess. You want a fight?"
The Bandit King's aura erupted—a violent, chaotic force that sent shivers through the air.
"No," he said, pointing his sword at Blade.
"I want a duel."
---
A Duel of Honor and Power
The village cleared as Blade and the Bandit King stepped into the center.
The Bandit King spun his sword once. "Show me if you're worthy of the Phoenix Order."
Blade exhaled, gripping Kazeshin.
And then—
They clashed.
Their blades met in a shower of sparks. The Bandit King's strength was overwhelming, forcing Blade to dodge instead of blocking.
Blade countered with a swift Kazeshin strike, but the Bandit King sidestepped, slicing toward his ribs.
Blade barely avoided it, sliding back.
"Fast," the Bandit King admitted. "But not fast enough."
He vanished—appearing behind Blade.
Kagami's eyes widened. "He's using a movement technique similar to Suntaro's!"
Blade barely had time to react before the Bandit King's blade sliced through his shoulder armor.
Suntaro stepped forward, but the Bandit King raised a hand. "Interfere, and your leader dies."
Blade growled. "Don't… move."
Then—
He released Kazeshin's full power.
A wave of balanced energy erupted around him, warping the air. The Bandit King's stance shifted, sensing the change.
Blade disappeared—appearing behind him this time.
His strike landed—directly on the Bandit King's mask.
CRACK!
The mask split apart, revealing his face.
A scarred man—eyes burning with something deeper than rage.
Shock.
"Impossible," he whispered.
Blade stood firm. "You lost."
The Bandit King clenched his fists—then let out a low laugh.
"Fine… you win. The Phoenix Order has grown strong again."
He turned, whistling. His bandits backed away.
"This land is yours now," he said. "But be warned… the real war is coming."
And with that, he disappeared into the night.
---
The Journey Continues
The villagers cheered, thanking their saviors.
Blade and his team rested, knowing this was only the beginning.
The road to Hiraguri Town was still long.
And many more trials awaited.
To Be Continued…