The morning sun painted the land in hues of gold as two young children—Toru and his younger sister, Kaede—gathered mushrooms in the forest beyond Kaigen. Their laughter echoed between the trees, the cool summer breeze carrying the scent of pine and damp earth.

  "Catch me if you can, nii-chan!" Kaede giggled, dashing through the underbrush.

  Toru smirked and gave chase. His bare feet thudded softly against the damp ground, but just as he was about to grab her wrist—

  A scream.

  A sound so raw, so unnatural, that it sent ice through his veins.

  "Kaede?" He called, panic rising. He ran through the trees, his breath catching in his throat. When he found her, she was frozen in place, staring ahead, her small hands trembling.

  Toru turned his gaze upward and felt the world crack.

  The clearing was filled with charred bodies, flesh melted into the blackened earth. The stench of burned hair and rotting flesh made his stomach turn. Some corpses were still smoldering, their clothes fused with their skin.

  Toru screamed.

  He grabbed Kaede, shielding her eyes, and ran.

  By midday, the local authorities arrived. Five mounted officers from the Hitachi Provincial Guard, led by Captain Renkai, dismounted at the gruesome site. The bodies—twenty in total—were burned beyond recognition.

  One of the guards knelt and picked up something half-buried in the soot. A pendant, its silver chain charred but the crest on its medallion unmistakable—a dragon swallowing its own tail.

  Renkai’s breath caught in his throat.

  “This is… Lord Hidemasa’s crest,” he whispered.

  The other guards exchanged uneasy glances.

  Another soldier, Yatsu, knelt beside him, swallowing hard. “Are you saying that one of these bodies is…”

  “The heir of the Hitachi Clan,” Renkai confirmed.

  Silence.

  Renkai clenched his fists and stood. "Mount up. We ride for the Hitachi stronghold at once!"

  The sound of hooves against the dirt became the funeral drum for the dead.

  By the time they reached the Hitachi Stronghold, the news had already spread like wildfire.

  Lord Hidemasa no Hitachi, a man known for his iron will and measured speech, fell to his knees before his retainers.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “My son… my son…” His voice broke. Tears cut through the lines of his weathered face, his fingers tightening into fists.

  A cold silence crept through the hall. His vassals, officers, and concubines bowed their heads in mourning.

  Then, suddenly, the sorrow shifted into rage.

  Lord Hidemasa stood abruptly, his grief now carved into a mask of vengeance.

  “This… this cannot be tolerated.”

  His voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a blade.

  “Dispatch riders to Shuri. Inform the King of Tanna that this atrocity must be answered.”

  A war drum beat in the distance.

  The sun had barely climbed over the hills when Shigen no Rishihito and his aide, Tsunamoto, rode into the settlement.

  A boy, Kamau, was gathering sticks for arrow-making when he spotted them. His eyes widened.

  “Old man Shigen-dono?” Kamau called.

  Shigen chuckled as he dismounted. “Kamau, isn’t it? It’s been some time.”

  Kamau grinned. “A long time indeed.”

  From a nearby workshop, Kofi Sawai Lima stepped out, dusting his hands.

  "Good day, Shigen-dono," Kofi greeted.

  Shigen smirked. “Ah, Kofi! You’ve been well?”

  Kofi shrugged. “Three months. You tell me.”

  Shigen chuckled. “Indeed. There were matters in Shuri that required my attention. I trust there’s been no trouble?”

  “No,” Kofi replied, “but Tetsujo-san has been a great help.”

  “I see…” Shigen sat on a stone, rubbing his chin. “Kofi, have you given any thought to what I asked you three months ago?”

  Silence.

  Tsunamoto raised a brow as he stroked the horse’s mane.

  Kofi hesitated. “About what?”

  Shigen’s expression turned serious. “About ambition.”

  Kofi exhaled slowly. “I’ve thought about it, but… where would I even start? I’m stuck here. I know nothing about the land. The only ones who travel are Lima, Sawai, and Imei.”

  Shigen smirked. “Well, there might be something I can do…”

  Kofi huffed. “You mean to say that the new governor actually let that airhead Sawai wander off alone?”

  Shigen laughed. “It appears so.”

  Kofi folded his arms. “And he found love, too.”

  Shigen stopped laughing. “He did?”

  Kofi nodded. “I think her name was Osaka.”

  Shigen’s eyes widened. “Osaka? I… have a granddaughter named Osaka.”

  A long pause.

  Kofi scratched his head. “She lives by the coastline of Natsu-no-Hama.”

  Shigen’s face turned pale.

  Tsunamoto had to revive him in a comical way, slapping his back while muttering, "Stay with us, old man."

  Just as their conversation settled, the distant thunder of hooves shattered the quiet.

  A messenger, draped in the insignia of the Hitachi Clan, rode into the settlement at full speed. His horse was lathered in sweat.

  "I need a change of horse!" he shouted, barely stopping before dismounting.

  Tsunamoto quickly handed over his steed, but before the rider could leave, Shigen grabbed his arm.

  “What’s the urgency? You carry the seal of Hitachi.”

  The messenger’s eyes darkened. “Lord Hidemasa’s heir has been burned alive. The bodies of twenty retainers were found incinerated yesterday morning—beyond the Forest of Kaigen.”

  A cold silence fell.

  Tsunamoto’s hands clenched into fists.

  Kofi’s jaw tightened.

  Shigen was speechless. Then, his expression darkened like a gathering storm.

  “In our land?” he whispered.

  “Yes. I am headed to Shuri to deliver the message.”

  Before Kofi could blink, Shigen had already mounted his horse.

  “Let’s go.”

  Kofi called after him. “Shigen-dono, where do I go from here?”

  Shigen turned his head slightly. “Go to Nakazawa Province. Find Lord Kanzaki. He will have answers.”

  And with that, Shigen no Rishihito disappeared into the horizon.

  The year was 297 BC.