The scent of cedar and incense wafted heavily in the air, as the grey-haired man paced the length of his lavish study. His hair, neatly tied in a warrior’s bun, swayed slightly with each step. His hand brushed the ornate wooden carvings lining the walls — dragons, phoenixes, symbols of power and eternity. His eyes, sharp as a falcon’s at dawn, flickered with memories too old and too bitter.

  Jinsai Akechi, the 127th Kogunsho of the Mino Confederacy, Overlord of Kyushu, paused. His robes whispered against the wooden floor as he turned, sinking heavily into his main chair, a throne of lacquered ironwood. He took a slow, measured sip of his tea — a brew so rare it was said to be cultivated only on the eastern cliffs of Shima Island.

  "It was thirty years ago," Jinsai murmured, eyes narrowing.

  The past returned in a flood — the smile of Misato, his illegitimate daughter, as graceful as a plum blossom in early spring.

  She lived in Tanna, exiled not by hate but by a pact... one he had orchestrated himself.

  Shuri, 30 years prior...

  In the grand Hall of the Tiger Emblem, the meeting was tense. Jinsai stood firm before Tannagork the First, a warlord with a face as rugged as the cliffs of Naga Coast.

  Tannagork the First crossed his arms and barked, "What do you want, Sly?"

  Jinsai’s lips curled into a cold smile."Merely... a catalyst to end the wars between my land and yours."

  Tannagork's eyes darkened. "What do you offer?"

  For a moment, the hall fell into an oppressive silence. Then, Jinsai spoke, voice low and calculated:

  "The hand of my daughter, Misato, in marriage... to your son, Kisuki."

  The words hung in the air like a blade suspended by a single thread.

  The massive braziers flickering, casting tall, monstrous shadows on the walls.

  A fit of coughing seized Jinsai, snapping the memory apart. Tea splashed onto his fine robes. Instantly, retainers rushed forward, but he waved them off with a sharp flick of his wrist.

  "Tch..." he muttered, standing abruptly, pacing once more.

  His mind gnawed at the past — maybe the greatest mistake of his life.

  A polite knock."Enter," Jinsai said, without turning.

  The doors slid open to reveal a young man with chestnut hair and a permanent courteous smile."Lord Jinsai," he bowed, "the guests from Tanna have arrived."

  A heavy silence.

  Then, slowly, Jinsai turned and sat again, his robe pooling around him like a dark tide.The chestnut-haired retainer thought in awe, "So cool..."

  The twin doors opened wide. [Describe the gust of wind that momentarily snuffed some candles.]

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  Tannagork the Second entered, stern and proud, flanked by Yonetsu, his ever-loyal advisor. Behind them, soldiers from both sides faced each other down, muscles tense, eyes locked like hounds waiting to be unleashed. Hands hovered just above sword hilts.

  Yonetsu stiffened inwardly."This... this is Jinsai Akechi..."

  Jinsai’s voice broke the charged silence:"You may go on your knees."

  Without hesitation, both men obeyed, the polished marble floor chilling their knees.

  "I have no time for flowery formalities," Jinsai growled, "but remember who you kneel before. Jinsai Akechi, 127th Kogunsho of the Mino Confederacy. Overlord of Kyushu. Benefactor of Tanna."

  A sly smile, hidden beneath his thick grey beard, crept across his face.

  Tannagork the Second dared look up."My lord, you summoned us..."

  A guard from Tanna, standing at attention, trembled inwardly with rage."After everything the First Tannagork did for our people... this is our thanks?"

  Jinsai's voice, low but razor sharp, cut through:"Do you know... Kisuki-chan, your brother Kanzaki has mobilized."

  Confusion rippled across Tannagork’s face. Kanzaki had retired after the bloody Fourth Yao-Tanna War... why would he mobilize now?

  Yonetsu, standing stiffly, felt his mind spiral."Mobilize? Against whom? Why now?"

  Jinsai continued, voice dripping with mock sadness."You were always a good boy to me. But your brother — troublesome, resentful. He accused me... of murdering Misato."

  Tannagork the Second felt the ground sway.Misato... the girl he once loved, stolen by illness.

  "But she died of an ailment," Tannagork protested weakly.

  Jinsai leaned back, the chair creaking under his weight."The truth, boy... is bitter."

  The room plunged into a suffocating silence.

  "I found her belly swollen," Jinsai said, his voice cracking slightly. "I rushed her to the medics. They confirmed it. She was... with child."

  The horror etched itself into Tannagork’s features.

  Jinsai’s voice turned into a blade, slicing into old wounds:"Kanzaki... your twin brother... defiled her. Shamed her. Shamed Tanna. Shamed Mino."

  Yonetsu clenched his teeth so hard a faint grinding sound echoed in the chamber.

  Yonetsu, in his heart, doubted —"Why say this now? What is he really after?"

  Tannagork surged to his feet, fists trembling."So what do you want, Jinsai?! I have moved on! You should too!"

  Jinsai, cold as iron, stepped closer, his voice a whisper and a threat.

  "I want the title of Hakken... passed to your son, Crown Prince Meiji."

  Yonetsu's gasp was loud enough to make the guards flinch.

  "And Kanzaki?" Tannagork said, voice flat and dead.

  Jinsai smiled, slow and terrible.

  "I will kill him. Or you will. If not, I will send someone who will."

  The weight of those words shook the hall. Even the soldiers' knees nearly buckled.

  A terrible silence swallowed them whole.

  The marble floor now reflecting the low flickering torches, soldiers matching outside, puddles splashing quietly.

  Without another word, the meeting ended. No one spoke as they filed back to their carriages, the night thick with unshed blood.

  Tatsuya Hill, Tanna - That Night

  Kanzaki stood atop the rugged cliffs, staring down into the valley where an enemy army had pitched their tents. His 5000 men had begun setting up camp, fires burning small and low.

  Chiyou approached, his armor catching the dying sunlight.

  "Kanzaki-dono, preparations for the night are complete."

  No response.

  Instead, Kanzaki asked, voice distant:"Tell me, Chiyou... was I wrong to give the Hakken Blade to Kofi?"

  Chiyou hesitated. A weight hung on his heart.

  Kanzaki chuckled dryly."I thought so. You disapproved then, and you disapprove now."

  He turned and strode past Chiyou, making a sarcastic comment to the cook tending a smoking stew pot:"Don't poison the men, old fool. We need them alive till morning."

  The cook, used to Kanzaki’s dark humor, grunted in response.

  Chiyou remained still, gazing down at the valley.

  "Could this be the battle that saves Tanna?" he wondered.

  But deep within, a darker thought gnawed at him:"Who commands that army?"

  The night grew heavier, the first notes of an unseen storm whispering through the grass.

  And Tatsuya Hill... waited.