The fire crackled softly in the small room as Sayuri sat across from Kaito. Her silver hair shimmered faintly in the firelight, and her calm demeanor contrasted sharply with the urgency of her words.

“You’re not the first to wield that blade,” Sayuri began, her gaze fixed on the weapon lying between them. “The Emblem of Ash chooses its bearer, and it always chooses those with a connection to its past.”

“My past?” Kaito asked, his brow furrowed. “What does my family have to do with this?”

Sayuri hesitated, then sighed. “Your father, Akihiro, was one of the last to come close to unlocking its power. He believed the relic could save the Crimson Talon from its enemies. But... something went wrong.”

Kaito’s chest tightened. “What happened to him?”

“He vanished,” Sayuri said simply. “Some say he was consumed by the relic’s power. Others believe he was betrayed by the clan. All I know is that his disappearance marked the beginning of my search.”

“Your search?” Kaito asked.

Sayuri nodded. “I’ve spent years trying to uncover the truth about the relic. I thought it was lost forever—until now. When you awakened it, I felt its presence. And I knew I had to find you before anyone else did.”

“Anyone else?” Kaito echoed, dread creeping into his voice.

Sayuri’s expression darkened. “The Hunters of Ash. They’re a group dedicated to claiming the relic for their own purposes. And they’ll do whatever it takes to get it.”

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The first sign of trouble came as a distant rumble, like thunder rolling across the mountains. Kaito and Sayuri stood at the window, their eyes scanning the dark horizon.

“They’re here,” Sayuri said grimly.

Before Kaito could respond, the alarm bell rang out across the clan grounds. Shouts echoed in the distance, and the faint glow of fire illuminated the night sky.

Kaito grabbed the blade, its weight familiar now despite the unease it brought him. “We have to help.”

Sayuri shook her head. “You’re not ready to face them. The Hunters are no ordinary warriors—they’re trained to kill wielders of the relic.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?” Kaito demanded.

“Survive,” Sayuri said. “And keep the relic out of their hands.”

The clan’s warriors clashed with the Hunters in the courtyard, the air thick with the sound of steel and the smell of smoke. Kaito and Sayuri moved through the chaos, their goal clear: escape the compound and draw the Hunters away.

But as they reached the edge of the forest, a shadowy figure stepped into their path.

“Well, well,” the man said, his voice dripping with mockery. “The new wielder of the Emblem. I was wondering when you’d show yourself.”

He was tall and clad in black armor etched with strange runes. His eyes glinted with malice, and he held a jagged blade that seemed to absorb the light around it.

“Who are you?” Kaito demanded, raising his weapon.

The man chuckled. “Just a messenger. But I’ll gladly take that relic off your hands.”

The fight was unlike anything Kaito had experienced. The man’s movements were impossibly fast, his blade striking with precision and force. Kaito struggled to keep up, each blow forcing him back.

“Is that all you’ve got?” the man taunted, his blade slamming against Kaito’s.

But as Kaito faltered, the relic pulsed in his hand, and a surge of energy coursed through him. For a moment, his vision blurred, and the whispers returned, louder this time.

“Unleash it...”

The words sent a chill down his spine, but instinct took over. Kaito swung the blade with all his strength, and a burst of fiery energy erupted from its edge, sending the man flying.

When the smoke cleared, the man was gone, but the ground around Kaito was scorched. He dropped to his knees, panting, the blade heavy in his hand.

“You’re lucky,” Sayuri said, pulling him to his feet. “But luck won’t save you next time.”

As dawn broke, the clan’s compound lay in ruins. Survivors tended to the wounded, and the air was thick with the scent of ash.

Kaito stood on a hill overlooking the destruction, the relic strapped to his back. Sayuri joined him, her expression unreadable.

“This is just the beginning,” she said. “The Hunters will come again. And next time, they won’t stop until they have the relic—or you.”

Kaito clenched his fists, his resolve hardening. “Then I’ll be ready. I’ll master this power, no matter what it takes.”

Sayuri nodded. “Good. Because if you don’t, the relic will destroy you long before they get the chance.”