Tsushiro woke up with a sore body.
He forced himself to sit up, only to find himself in a vast meadow. An ancient cherry tree stood at its center, its massive branches stretching across the sky. Nearby, a wide stream of golden water flowed quietly. Thousands of flower petals drifted through the air, falling gently toward the stream.
"How did I get here?" he wondered.
"You died. That's how," a voice replied.
Tsushiro turned around and saw a middle-aged man wearing a black robe. Golden symbols were inscribed along the right side of the garment, forming words that read THE KING OF THE BRIDGE. He carried a thick wooden staff that looked as though it had been carved directly from the cherry tree, and a straw hat rested on his head.
Suddenly, everything came rushing back. His mother's death. The old man dying while trying to protect them.
His own death—along with his brother's.
His expression darkened into a deep frown.
"Oh, don't look so down," the man said lightly. "Life will be much better now. For someone who lived a life of suffering, I expected you'd be happy to be here."
Tsushiro remained silent. The man tilted his head. "It seems you still have some regrets."
"So what if I do?!" Tsushiro snapped. "It's not like I can go back."
The man spun his staff once, then pointed it at him. "Now that's where you're wrong."
That caught Tsushiro's attention. He lifted his head.
"What do you mean?"
"Huh, did that pique your interest?" The man laughed softly and pointed his staff toward the giant tree. "You see that tree?"
"Yeah. What's your point?"
"Well, it's not just any tree. It's the Tree of Life."
"You're starting to make even less sense now," Tsushiro said.
The man sighed. "If you would just listen, you'd understand. The tree symbolizes life. Each flower represents a family, and each petal represents a soul."
He gestured toward the petals drifting through the air.
"When someone dies, their petal separates from the tree and falls into the stream—the afterlife. It symbolizes the cycle of death."
"Where are you going with this?" Tsushiro asked.
"What if someone were to catch the petal before it fell into the stream?" the man asked. He opened his palm, revealing a single glowing petal resting in his hand. "What I'm saying is that I'm willing to give you a second chance… but it comes at a cost."
"And what would that be?" Tsushiro asked.
"You will become an Ashura Samurai and help the Ashura Samurai Corps defeat the Emperor of the Djinn," the man said.
"Why do you want to defeat them?" Tsushiro asked.
"You think it's easy watching thousands of people die every day?" the man replied. "All of it caused by the djinn's attempt to conquer the human realm."
Tsushiro then remained silent for a while as he thought.
"Are you a god?" he asked.
"No," the man said. "I'm merely the guardian of the Tree of Life and the protector of the bridge between life and death."
"Fine," Tsushiro said. "But I won't do anything until you tell me about my mother and brother."
"I'm sorry," the man replied. "I'm not at liberty to share that information right now."
"You're asking for my help, yet you won't even tell me what going to happen to my family?!" Tsushiro yelled.
"I told you already—I'm not a god. There are things even I'm not allowed to do."
"Then who makes the rules?" Tsushiro demanded.
"I'm sorry," the man said again. "I can't divulge that either."
"Then what makes you think I'd accept your offer if you won't tell me what I want to know?!" Tsushiro shouted in frustration.
"Look, I understand how you feel," the man said calmly. "But I assure you—accepting my offer will benefit both you and your family."
He paused.
"But I must warn you. It won't be easy."
Tsushiro fell silent, his thoughts racing as he weighed his options. After a long moment—
"Fine!" he yelled. "I'll do it. But if you're wrong about my family, there will be hell to pay."
"You can rest assured," the man replied.
"Then at least tell me your name," Tsushiro said. "If you think I'll make a deal with a stranger, you're dead wrong."
"My apologies for not introducing myself sooner," he said. "My name is Ryunosuke Hachibei."
The moment the name left his lips, chains burst from the golden stream and wrapped around Tsushiro, dragging him toward the water.
"Hey! What the hell is this?!" Tsushiro shouted as he struggled against the chains.
Ryunosuke removed his hat and placed it gently on the grass.
"Calm down," he said. "We're just getting started."
"What are you going to do to me?" he asked.
"I'm going to open the gates to your soul," he replied. "And once they are open, you will ascend into someone far greater than you were before."