"Grandpa, how long till we get there?"

"Just a couple of paces more, and we'll get there."

"You have been saying that for the last 2 hours, old man."

"What did ya say, brat? Good god, kids these days."

The old man and the youngster were walking through a pass in the mountain range. It extends quite far to the right and ends right before the River Kairyu.

It acted as a natural barrier for the village. The pass is the only way through which one can enter the area behind the mountains, other than the bridge from the other side of the river. There is a light forest that extends along the mountainside.

They were walking for the past couple of hours in search of the Tree of the Ancient Emperor, where a trial was being held for taking in students for the esteemed Ancient Emperor Style Swordsmanship Academy.

Tachibana, the old man, wanted his grandson to join the academy to learn and become a swordsman and, moreover, pass him onto Tetsuro Kanroji, his long-time friend and former student, before he passed away.

Takeshi was a youth who was neither interested in swordsmanship nor had any goals in his life, but was always curious about who exactly his grandfather was, what he did before Takeshi was born, and even more about the sword he carried with him.

Tachibana would always say,

"My boy, you must learn the Ancient Emperor Style Swordsmanship, inherit this sword, and surpass the current Sword Emperor, even if it means surpassing the style all together.

I see this in you; some day, you'll understand what I'm referring to. This sword, it has a liking towards you, just like it has for me. Your father didn't live long enough to use it well, but I'm sure you will." Tachibana looked at his sword fondly every time he said this.

Hearing this 24x7 was indeed annoying for Takeshi, but at the same time he was very curious, yet he never showed it. He acted like he only wanted to accompany his grandfather to places.

"I've heard that there are bandits in this mountain area. I heard the village chief talking about bandit attacks on merchant carts and such."

"Ahh, well, it won't matter, we're almost there. I don't think they would attack anyone when they're so near the Tree of the Ancient Emperor.

"Listen Takeshi."

"Yeah?"

"Remember, you have to master the Ancient Emperor Style Swordsman-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I have to master it, inherit the sword, surpass the current Sword Emperor and maybe create my own style if I'm good enough, right?"

"Ahh yes, although I didn't mention the creating your own style part.

First, learn the basics, you brat.

Listen to this fledgling talk about creating his own style.

Humph."

The clouds were darkening, almost as if there was going to be a huge downpour at any moment. Travelers and caravans could be seen rushing towards some place to take shelter on the side of the ragged mountains.

They all seemed very small to Takeshi in the distance. With the gaps in the forest, it also meant places for people to camp out. The natural vegetation was enough for people to get by in the wilderness.

There was always imminent danger, it could be in the form of beasts, bandits, or even ronins. But he always felt safe because of his grandfather.

He doesn't know what he's able to do since he has never seen him in action, but the words his parents told him during the Great Raid of Yamaguchi Prefecture,

"Takeshi-chan, no matter what happens, never leave your grandfather's side. He may look weak because of his old age, but he's much stronger than your father, and he will take care of you. Don't worry about us and go to him. Me and your father will join you after clearing this mess."

Those were also the last words the 11-year-old boy heard from his mother. After which, he heard that she died in the fire that engulfed the village as a result of the attack, and his father died protecting the rest of the villagers.

When the boy rushed over to the next village, what he saw was his grandfather standing in the midst of a fire, with dead bodies all around the nearby region.

Terrified, he could only utter the words "Grandpa". He wanted to tell him about his parents, but he couldn't. Tachibana saw him, came closer to him and picked him up, and rushed to the other side. All the things he saw and the heat of the flames made him pass out, all the while holding on to his grandfather's clothes tightly.

The next thing he knew when he woke up was that he was sitting on top of a horse with his grandfather behind him. The rest was history—growing up under his grandfather's care while traveling from place to place, with his concerns never being more than what they're having for lunch, which place they're heading to next, or which mountain they're climbing up the next day.

"Grandpa, I can see the town from here." Takeshi said as they came out of the pass.

"Oh good, we're getting closer." Tachibana extended his hand and tried to clear his vision.

As they advance towards the town, they come across a forest, which seems like the last hurdle they have to pass.

"Keep an eye out for the beasts and blood wasps, Takeshi."

"Yeah, I'm on it." Takeshi vigilantly kept an eye on his surroundings. It was hard in the forest as there were trees of various sizes and a lot of animals running around.

It was awfully quiet, the only sounds that could be heard were the occasional sounds of thunder.

Leaves rustling, and soft footsteps can be heard suddenly.

"Grandpa," Takeshi said as he tilted his head to the side as he tried to locate the sound.

"Yeah, I got it."

Tachibana immediately knew what it was. He could sense the presence of several men, and two particularly strong presence among them. He had noticed it earlier, but it was neutral enough that it was hard to determine if it was friend or foe.

"Come out, you monkeys. Why are you hiding behind trees and making sounds when you are preparing for an ambush?

Hah, amateurs these days." Tachibana said as he put his hand on his hilt.

"Hahahah, well said, old man.

My men are just so incompetent. They can't even take down an old man and kid and can't even prepare well for an ambush—quite the useless bunch I have." A tall man walked slowly out of the darkness of the forest and clapped his hands as he complimented Tachibana.

Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, Takeshi finds himself surrounded by bandits.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"What do bandits want from us? We don't have any money or expensive items with us. All we have is the leftover onigiri and a couple of berries. Not to mention we're pilgrims headed for the Tree of the Ancient Emperor."

"Ahh, ye fool." Tachibana sighed as he tilted his head to confirm the surroundings.

"Huh? Wha-?" Takeshi, puzzled by his grandfather's reaction, couldn't say much.

"Hahaha, it seems your grandson is dumb, unlike you, old man Tachibana." The tall bandit chuckled.

"Well, this fledgling does have a lot to learn, but you are one to talk, don't you think you're even dumber when you have only gathered 10 people to confront me when you know well who I am?" Tachibana rolled his eyes, caressing his beard.

"Well, you do have a point there, but I think just me and this many men will do fine against you."

"Aren't ye a lot of talk for a fledgling?"

*Well, let's see about that, shall we?" The bandit leader sets his hands on the sword in his obi.

Tachibana readied himself and got into his stance, ready to draw his sword, Mizuko.

"Old man, you're probably thinking that since you possess one of the four legendary katana, you can still win, you should know that you are well past your Sword Emperor days."

"S-Sword Emperor?" Takeshi was dumbfounded and couldn't process the entire situation.

"Heh, so what? This old geezer's body is still enough to take on the likes of brats like you." Tachibana seemed confident as ever, keeping an eye on the energy that was increasing from the bandit leader as he slowly moved his sword from the sheath.

The bandit leader unsheathes his sword fully, throws the sheath away, and makes his stance.

"K-Kageki?, that couldn't possibly be, it should be on it's way to the Ming Empire." Tachibana was taken aback, he didn't expect to see it here.

"Hahaha, did you think that a 15-year-old could handle this sword? He needs to grow a pair before he can even lay his hands on it."

"Well, it matters not, it's not like you could use it properly. It took Hisakawa almost 10 years to master it, and there exists no one who can wield it like he did."

He tried to gauge the situation, but he kept his cool as he knew that there were limits to how much someone could use the sword's power. While the sword emitted its own aura, it didn't exhibit the aura that it should, like Tachibana and his sword did.

"You have been away from the world for ages as a pilgrim, so you don't know, but a prodigy does exist, who can wield it well, and who's hands shall you meet your end today."

Tachibana sensed the second energy approaching from behind the leader, and everything happened in a flash.

"Hahahah, end, you say."

As soon as he said this, it was as if time froze for him. Tachibana could see the rain drop right in front of his eyes, and right behind it, the tip of the sword held by a young man in a bandits outfit, with half of his face from his nose to chin covered.

Tachibana, filled with the zeal he had during his younger years, felt as if he were facing Iwao again, the former wielder of the sword, Kageki. A tear drop rolled down from his eyes after seeing the young man in front of him having the same aura as his old friend, after which he smiled.

'Clang'

As Takeshi, who closed his eyes right before the Bandit leader ended his words, opened his eyes, he remembered clearly what he saw and felt back when he was a kid. He could feel a different pressure around his grandfather, he didn't know what it was, but it was warm, and it seemed to push him back.

Six bandits were down with cuts on their bodies, while a young man who he hadn't noticed earlier was on the ground. He was coughing, but he didn't seem to be injured.

The young bandit quickly got up on his feet and charged towards Tachibana, and a flurry of exchanges ensued. Both of them swung their swords in a fierce clash.

Tachibana and his sword, Mizuko, with its particular white and blue aura emanating around it, were dazzling as he moved across the field, clashing swords with the man who wielded the Kageki.

Tachibana's movements were a sight to behold; it was chaotic and beautiful at the same time, with him moving his body flexibly, which would seem impossible for most people of his age.

The young man always seemed on the defensive; he couldn't even get an inch towards Tachibana. He was seemingly trying to block all of his attacks and was desperately trying to find an opening. Pushed back, he concentrated for a few seconds and released one of the abilities of the legendary sword, the shadow strike.

'Hmm, so he is able to use its abilities, eh? This is interesting.' Tachibana thought to himself.

Tachibana, who has fought against this sword for far too long, deflected it as if he were swatting a bug. The Kageki user continued to release the sword's abilities one by one, which were of no avail.

'His stance, posture, and ki control are all beyond human. As expected of Tachibana the Tireless, he truly lives upto his name despite his age.

His ki is half the reason why half of my men weren't able to do much, despite them being in the Peak Expert realm. Even I, who recently entered the Sword Saint realm, find it hard to concentrate when his killing intent shifts to me.

He is a threat that'll get more dangerous the longer we leave him be. The Lord was right, but we should've considered some more reinforcements other than him.' The bandit leader thought to himself, and then he coughed.

"Hmm, not bad, but now it's my turn." Tachibana smiled at the sight of the young prodigies relentless attacks.

Tachibana moved his right leg backward, focusing solely on him, positioning his sword as if he were removing it from his sheath, and for a few seconds, it seemed like he didn't even move, except for his sword and his haori.

For the bandits on the receiving end, they saw a pure white light moving very fast—too fast for them to react to it.

The aftermath was two of the remaining bandits stuck on the trees with wounds on their chests, bleeding heavily, and the leader being struck on his shoulder with his blade broken, while the Kageki user was barely standing.

The Kageki user coughed blood.

"Heh, I didn't think I'd be able to stand after facing you. I see it as an achievement. It definitely was dumb of the leader to think that I'd defeat you in a one-on-one."

'Arrgh' "Hehehe, which is why... I had this backup plan set in motion." The bandit leader held onto his bleeding shoulder and chuckled as he said this.

Soon after the leader says this, Tachibana falls down, with three bolts shot at his back. Tachibana had sensed another presence slowly revealing itself, but he couldn't react in time.

"Grandpa!" Takeshi runs to him as he's falling down, and the crossbow user flashes down to the ground in front of the leader.

"Well, you weren't able to defeat him, but at least you were able to get him into a position where he was staying still." The crossbow user said this as he reloaded his bolts.

"Yeah, you can say that, you had the easiest of them all. I lost eight of my men, almost had this kid dying." The bandit leader spat out some blood and walked closer.

"Well, we got what we wanted, that's three swords out of the thirteen in our possession now." The crossbow user helped the young man stand on his two feet, as he spoke to the leader.

Takeshi gritted his teeth in anger, with tears flowing from his eyes like a waterfall.

"Damn you, damn you all. You bastards first took my parents away from me, now my grandfather. All for this? Is this sword the reason why you guys came after us?"

"Hehehe, sorry kiddo, you really had it tough, eh? Well, sucks to be you.

We asked your grandfather to politely hand over his sword, and what did he do? He refused, and not only that, he humiliated our lord.

We burned down his entire prefecture and his own son and daughter-in-law, and he still wouldn't hand it over. What choice did we have?"

Takeshi, consumed by rage, picked up Mizuko. An enormous amount of ki started to emanate from him, which put the surviving bandit trio into panic. They prepared themselves to attack him, but the amount of ki that surged from the sword rendered them immobile.

This was a rather strange phenomenon.

Because almost most people who come to possess a legendary sword are able to wield it properly, let alone awaken its aura. There was a lot of mystery behind each sword and its wielder.

'Could it be the sword reacting to its former owner's grandson? But the thought of these swords having a mind of their own, is just stupid.'

These were the thoughts that went through the mind of the bandit leader, and his final thoughts.

What ensued after this still, remains a mystery to everyone. The only thing people knew was the light they saw in the forest that night, it was bright enough to be visible to the people in the academy village across the forest.

Everyone who came into the forest the next day noticed that there was a huge cavity in the ground, in which there were bones scattered, trees destroyed, and debris almost everywhere near the cavity.

*****

A considerable amount of time after Takeshi picked up the sword.

"Aargh, what happened to me?" Takeshi woke up and sat upright on the ground. He scratched his head using his left hand and noticed that Mizuko was on his right hand.

He looked around and found himself near the side of a big cavity, with his grandfather's body by his side. The bandits were nowhere to be seen, only the Kageki was remaining there, stuck on the ground.

Takeshi struggled to stand up. He realised that something had happened here, after he picked up the sword. He took a look around at his surroundings and saw his grandfather.

He then carried his grandfather's body and the two swords and made his way to the Tree of the Ancient Emperor. Kanroji, who knew that light was a familiar sight, was waiting, although he was shocked to see his dear friend dead and on the shoulders of his grandson.

He wanted to make arrangements for Tachibana's body to be cremated in the most respectable manner and asked his grandson to join the academy.

Takeshi refused. He told Kanroji,

"I want to be taken in after I complete the trial, I wish to do it in the right manner, just like how he intended it for me."

These words were enough to convince Kanroji that the young man standing in front of him was Tachibana's grandson alright.

He respected Takeshi's wishes and allowed him to do so.

Takeshi handed over both swords to Kanroji and then left to do what Kanroji asked him to do while he took care of the arrangements necessary for the funeral.

****

This is the story of Takeshi, a young man who has lost everyone precious to him and now vows to walk the path of the sword, following his grandfather and father's footsteps.

All he has left to call his own is Mizuko, the moonlight sword his grandfather wanted him to inherit.

What is the path that lies ahead, waiting for Takeshi?

What will he choose?

And what will be the end result?

Various forces in the shadows lie hidden, eyeing him and his sword. His destiny is yet to unfold.

To be continued.