Toji stood outside the tent, his gaze fixed on the distant sky. Faint fireworks bloomed far beyond the mountains, tiny sparks that seemed almost delicate against the night. A slow, devilish smile spread across his face as he watched them.
Turning toward the tent, he stepped inside. The warm glow of lanterns greeted him, casting soft shadows that danced across the walls. The air was tinged with the scent of herbs and freshly laundered cloths, a small comfort in the stillness.
Lady Shizuka lay resting on the bed, pale but smiling faintly. A maid stood beside her, cradling a newborn swaddled in white cloth. The baby's tiny chest rose and fell with each peaceful breath.
Toji's gaze softened, lingering on the infant. His throat tightened, and tears welled in his eyes.
The maid leaned slightly closer, her voice a mere whisper.
"He hasn't cried since two hours."
Toji stepped closer, his presence calm yet deliberate. His hard expression softened as he knelt beside the bed, the warmth of the lanterns brushing against his face.
Carefully, he placed a hand on Shizuka's forehead, feeling the faint heat of her skin. His voice, almost a whisper, carried both awe and gratitude.
"You were brave."
Shizuka managed a weak smile, her words barely audible.
"He's strong… just like you."
The maid approached with careful steps, holding the newborn. With delicate hands, she placed the child into Toji's arms. For a heartbeat, he froze, unsure, as if the weight of this tiny life had stopped time itself. The baby stirred slightly, and Toji's breath caught.
"So light…" His voice trembled, unpracticed in such tender emotions.
He let his thumb brush gently against the infant's tiny hand. In response, the baby's fingers curled instinctively around it, small yet firm, as if already reaching out to the world. Toji's chest tightened, a swell of emotions—pride, awe, and something undefinable—rising within him.
Toji's eyes widened in disbelief, a mixture of awe and joy breaking through his usual composure.
"Hey…!! He's holding me…"
A single tear slipped from his eye, landing softly on the cloth that swaddled the newborn. Despite the roughness of his life, a tender smile spread across his face.
"In a world ruled by hunters…" His voice was quiet but resolute, as he looked down at the child cradled in his arms.
"You chose to be born a warrior."
He closed his eyes, pressing his forehead gently against the baby's, as if to imprint this first connection deep into both their hearts. Reaching down, he unclasped a locket he always wore—a small, intricate piece bearing a blue eye at its center, flanked by two delicate white wings.
"I bless you," he whispered, voice steady now, "with strength, with courage, and with a will strong enough to stand in the realm of gods alone."
Shizuka reached out, her hand resting softly on the child's head, completing the quiet ritual of love, hope, and promise that bound them all in that dimly lit tent.
Shizuka smiled faintly, her eyes still soft as they lingered on the tiny life in Toji's arms.
"So… do you have a name for him?"
Toji's hand found hers, gripping it gently but firmly, a rare softness breaking through his usual stoicism.
"Well, yes… I decided it a month ago."
Shizuka tilted her head, curiosity shining through her tired smile.
"Is that so… then what is it?"
Toji looked back down at the child, a mix of pride and tenderness in his gaze. His voice was calm, steady, yet carried an undeniable warmth.
"Your name will be…"
A brief pause hung in the air, as if the very moment was holding its breath. Then, with quiet pride:
"Kai Akiyama."
For a heartbeat, the world seemed to hold still. The soft glow of lanterns, the faint scent of herbs, even the distant fireworks all faded as the significance of the name settled over them.
Then, as if the universe itself shifted, the scene snapped to an unfamiliar, unsettling plane. The ground stretched endlessly beneath a sky devoid of light, an oppressive darkness consuming everything.
At the center of this barren expanse stood a throne, impossibly grand and foreboding. Two massive butterfly wings unfurled behind it, their shapes stark against the pitch-black void. Someone——sat upon the throne, silent and unmoving, as if waiting for a moment that had just begun.
Then, a voice echoed across the dark expanse, reverberating against the void itself.
"KAI AKIYAMA...."
The name seemed to hang in the air, twisting and stretching through the endless darkness. Instantly, a brilliant red light poured over the barren land, illuminating every shadow, and a swirling portal tore open before the throne.
The man seated upon it had been motionless, eyes closed, but at the sound of the name, a smile curved across his face. Slowly, he opened his eyes—eyes that burned with an ancient, unfathomable knowledge.
"Akiyama KAI… 'the Nameless.' It has been 2.5 million years," he murmured, voice low but resonant, carrying the weight of untold eons.
Rising to his full height, he snapped his fingers. The ground trembled violently beneath him, and a hand-sized sphere appeared, floating in midair. Its crimson glow was blinding, pulsating with a power that seemed almost alive.
With a casual yet deliberate motion, he grabbed the sphere. As he stepped into the portal, the dimension around him began to collapse, shadows and void folding in on themselves.
Even as he passed through the swirling rift, he snapped the other hand, and the sphere was drawn into his grasp, absorbed as if it had always belonged there. The red light winked out, leaving only darkness in its wake.
The man cracked his neck while entering the portal, a small, ominous gesture.
"I'm in…"
Back in the quiet tent, the soft glow of lanterns wrapped the small room in warmth. Toji's gaze lingered on the newborn in his arms.
"Your name will be… Kia Akiyama," he said, his voice steady yet filled with pride.
Shizuka's eyes lit up with gentle joy.
"That's a great name!"
The baby stirred, opening his eyes slightly, dark and innocent yet full of potential. A calm silence settled over the tent, broken only by the faint rustle of cloth and the distant hum of life outside.
Toji whispered, almost to himself, almost to the child,
"Live… no matter what this world throws at you."
A faint smile curved his lips.
"Your father will make sure…"
Elsewhere, the world beyond the tent carried on with far darker currents. Two hunters sprinted through the shadows of a dense forest, hearts pounding and breaths ragged. Their eyes flickered over the twisted shapes of trees and the uneven ground, the remnants of the hunt still fresh in their minds.
One of them clutched a worn map, salvaged from the remains of —Mahito and Minako. The faint moonlight reflected off the paper, illuminating a path that might lead them to this destination.
The forest seemed endless, the darkness pressing in from all sides, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
One of the hunters was clad in black armor, every movement labored with exhaustion, while the other wore a white jacket, his steps lighter but his eyes glinting with something far more dangerous.
The armored hunter panted, voice strained.
"Be careful… that location is nearby."
The other hunter let out a low, unsettling laugh, a grin spreading across his face.
"It's time… to let the river of blood flow… Ha ha… hahaaa!"
To be continued...