Morning came slowly to Kanezawa.
Not with peace, but with caution.
The city awoke as if afraid to breathe too loudly, its streets quieter than Hiroto had ever known them. Shopkeepers lifted shutters only halfway. Priests stood at crossroads murmuring protection rites. Soldiers patrolled in doubled numbers, their armor clinking softly like nervous thoughts.
Hiroto watched it all from the veranda of the estate.
"They're afraid," he said.
Goro leaned against a wooden pillar nearby, arms crossed. "They should be."
Hiroto exhaled slowly. His body still ached from the night before, exhaustion clinging to him like damp cloth. But beneath the fatigue was something new, something heavier.
Awareness.
He wasn't just reacting anymore.
He was involved.
"They know my face now," Hiroto said quietly.
"Yes," Goro replied. "And soon they'll know your name."
As if summoned by the thought, footsteps approached from the corridor.
Masanori emerged, robes immaculate despite the chaos of the previous night. He carried a folded scroll in one hand.
"The Council convened at dawn," he said. "They argue loudly."
Goro smirked. "Politicians live for that."
Masanori ignored him, eyes settling on Hiroto. "They reached a decision."
Hiroto straightened. "And?"
"You are to be formally recognized," Masanori said. "Not as a criminal. Not as a weapon."
Hiroto's shadow stirred faintly.
"But not as a citizen either," Masanori continued. "You will be classified as a Designated Asset under Council authority."
Goro's expression darkened. "That's just a prettier cage."
Masanori did not deny it. "Words matter in politics."
Hiroto nodded slowly. "What does that mean for my sister?"
"She remains under Council protection," Masanori said. "Untouched."
Hiroto held his gaze. "And for me?"
Masanori unfolded the scroll.
"You are to be introduced to the city," he said. "Publicly."
Hiroto stiffened. "Introduced how?"
"As a problem," Goro muttered.
"As a solution," Masanori corrected.
The Weight of a Name
The plaza was already crowded when they arrived.
Despite the fear, curiosity had won.
Citizens gathered in dense clusters, whispers rippling through the air like wind through grass. Guards formed wide rings around a raised platform, keeping the masses back.
Hiroto stood behind the curtain, heart pounding.
Yui clutched his sleeve. "There are so many people…"
"I know," he said softly.
Goro crouched beside him. "Remember, stand straight. Don't glare. Let them decide what to fear."
"That's terrible advice," Hiroto muttered.
Goro grinned. "Worked for me."
The curtain stirred.
Masanori's voice carried across the plaza.
"People of Kanezawa," he began, calm and commanding. "Last night, our city stood on the edge of catastrophe."
The murmurs grew louder.
"A seal beneath our streets, an ancient safeguard was tampered with by reckless ambition."
Some gasps. Some angry shouts.
"But it did not break," Masanori continued. "Because one among us acted."
The curtain drew back.
Hiroto stepped forward.
The crowd fell into stunned silence.
He felt their eyes like weight pressing down on his skin fear, awe, suspicion, hope.
"This boy," Masanori said, "stood where trained men failed. He resisted a power that has swallowed clans whole."
A ripple ran through the crowd.
Hiroto swallowed.
"He carries an inheritance older than this city," Masanori said. "An inheritance tied to shadow."
A priest shouted, "A demon!"
Another voice yelled, "A savior!"
The crowd fractured instantly.
Hiroto's shadow stretched across the platform, reacting to the noise.
"Silence," Masanori commanded.
It fell.
"Hear his name," Masanori said. "Hiroto of the Vanished Lineage."
The words echoed.
Hiroto felt them settle into his bones.
"This name," Masanori continued, "will now be known to the Council, the clans, and the city."
He turned slightly, addressing Hiroto directly.
"From this day forward," Masanori said, "your actions will shape Kanezawa's fate."
Hiroto stepped forward before fear could stop him.
"I didn't ask for this power," he said, voice steady despite his racing heart. "And I don't want your fear."
The crowd murmured again.
"But I won't run," Hiroto continued. "If danger rises beneath this city, I will stand against it."
His gaze hardened.
"And if someone tries to use that danger for themselves".
His shadow darkened slightly.
"I will stop them."
The silence afterward was heavy.
Then someone bowed.
Another followed.
Not all.
But enough.
Repercussions
The moment the ceremony ended, messengers scattered like birds.
Goro watched them go. "Well. That'll stir the nest."
Masanori nodded. "The clans will move quickly."
"How quickly?" Hiroto asked.
"Days," Masanori replied. "Some faster."
As if to prove his point, a courier arrived breathless, kneeling immediately.
"Report!" Masanori snapped.
"House Takeda has mobilized scouts," the courier said. "House Mori is calling allies. And"
He hesitated.
"And Saionji?"
The courier swallowed. "They demand restitution. And blood."
Goro cracked his neck. "Knew it."
Hiroto looked toward the city.
"So this is what standing still brings," he said.
"Yes," Masanori agreed. "The world moves toward power."
Hiroto clenched his fists.
"Then I need to move first."
Masanori studied him carefully. "Meaning?"
"I need to understand what I am," Hiroto said. "The Sentinel. The Gate. The Wardens."
Goro raised an eyebrow. "You want answers."
"I need them," Hiroto said. "Before someone else forces the truth out of me."
Masanori was silent for a long moment.
"There is a place," he said finally. "North of Kanezawa. A ruined monastery."
Goro stiffened. "That place is cursed."
Masanori nodded. "Once a Warden archive."
Hiroto's shadow stirred eager, wary.
"When do we leave?" Hiroto asked.
Masanori met his gaze.
"Soon," he said. "Before the clans decide to make the first move."
Hiroto looked back at the city one last time.
Yesterday, he had been hunted.
Today, he had been named.
Tomorrow,
He would learn whether that name was a shield…
Or a target.