The Ryuzaki Training Grounds were a marvel of ancient engineering and spiritual arts. Suspended high above the clouds of the Yamato Empire, the massive island floated in the void, held aloft by glowing rune-chains that anchored it to the ley lines of the earth below. The air here was thin and crisp, filled with the scent of ozone and crushed cherry blossoms.
This was the crucible where the future legends of the Ryuzaki Clan were forged.
At the center of the arena stood the Takachiho Ancient Stele. It was a monolith of divine weight, black as the void and etched with silver runes that shimmered with a cold, judging light. For centuries, this stone had tested the physical limits of the clan's warriors.
At the base of the Stele, a young girl sat in deep meditation.
She was Ryuzaki Reika. Though only fifteen, she possessed a beauty that already transcended the mortal realm. Her long, wavy golden hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall of sunlight, and her skin was as flawless as white jade. She wore a ceremonial junihitoe (twelve-layered robe) modified for combat, which accentuated her budding, elegant figure.
Reika was known throughout the clan as the Takane no Hana—the Flower on a High Peak. She possessed the rare Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart, a spiritual constitution that granted her peerless comprehension of all martial arts and a terrifyingly sharp intuition.
"Look, Reika-sama is about to move," the surrounding disciples whispered, watching with bated breath.
Reika's eyes snapped open. A golden light swirled in her pupils.
"Heaven-Suppressing Golden Palm!"
She cried out, her voice like a silver bell. She struck the cold stone with a palm enveloped in radiant Ki.
BOOM!
The impact shook the ground. The silver runes on the Takachiho Stele flashed brilliantly, tallying the force.
150,000 Kin!
"Amazing..." "She broke the 100,000 barrier effortlessly. Most Spirit Sea experts can't even do that with pure physical strength."
Reika exhaled slowly, withdrawing her hand. Her expression remained calm, betraying no pride. To her, this was merely a step.
"Only 30,000 more than last time? Is that the limit of the famous Seven-Aperture Heart?"
A sharp, mocking voice cut through the praise. The crowd parted as a woman in a deep blue furisode swayed forward. She had a charming face, but her eyes were narrowed with jealousy and disdain.
It was Tachibana Ayaka, a retainer from a vassal family who served the Tenth Sequence.
"My master, Ryuzaki Kenji, left a record of five million kin on this very stone," Ayaka sneered, waving a silk fan dismissively. "He offered you a place at his side as a Dao Companion, yet you chose arrogance and refused. Do you see your ignorance now? Without a Sequence to guide you, you are stagnant."
Reika didn't even turn her head. She dusted off her sleeves calmly.
"Lord Kenji's sword is indeed sharp," Reika said, her voice cool as a mountain stream. "But it is not the sharpest under the heavens. The one I, Ryuzaki Reika, shall follow must be a Sovereign who can suppress an entire era."
"Suppress an era?" Ayaka laughed shrilly. "What a delusional dream! Not even the First Sequence would dare claim such a thing in this Age of Chaos!"
Reika fell silent. She didn't argue because they wouldn't understand. Her Seven-Aperture Heart had once granted her a terrifying vision: a glimpse of the future where a figure in white stood atop the heap of history, his back to all living beings, while gods and demons prostrated in worship.
She was waiting for that person.
Suddenly, the wind shifted.
A cry echoed from the heavens—not a bird, but a celestial beast. A massive White Crane, wreathed in auspicious clouds, descended from the upper atmosphere.
"Is that... a Spirit Crane from the Ten-no-Kura?" "Who is riding it?"
The crane landed softly, and a small figure hopped down.
It was a boy, no older than three. Yet, his presence instantly dominated the vast arena. His skin possessed a lustrous, jade-like glow, and his eyes were deep pools of obsidian starlight. He wore a miniature set of white robes embroidered with golden dragons. He looked like a doll carved by the gods themselves.
"Oh my Kami! He's adorable!" "I want to pinch his cheeks!" "I want to take him home!"
The female disciples instantly melted, their eyes turning into hearts. Ryuzaki Haruto, however, felt a cold sweat run down his back.
'I knew coming out would be troublesome,' Haruto thought, eyeing the "hungry" looks of the clan sisters. 'My Kidney Treasury is strong, but I'm not ready for this level of attention.'
"Little one," a senior disciple asked kindly, "which branch family are you from? I've never seen you before."
Haruto yawned, stretching his small arms. "Of course you haven't. This is my first time leaving the Ten-no-Kura."
The arena went dead silent. The Ten-no-Kura was the residence of the Patriarch and the Ancestors. Only one child lived there.
"You... you are the one from three years ago?" the disciple stammered.
"Indeed," Haruto said lazily. "I am Ryuzaki Haruto."
Whoosh!
As if commanded by an invisible emperor, every knee in the arena hit the floor. The chatter vanished, replaced by a wave of reverent silence.
"We greet the Divine Son!"
Even Ayaka turned pale and bowed hurriedly, terrified of offending the clan's greatest treasure.
But Reika... Reika stood frozen for a moment. Her heart beat against her ribs like a trapped bird. Her intuition was screaming, deafeningly loud.
'It is him.'
She looked at the small back of the toddler. The silhouette overlapped perfectly with the Sovereign in her vision.
Haruto ignored the bowing crowd. He walked up to the massive black monolith.
[Ding! You have arrived at the Sign-In Location: Takachiho Ancient Stele.] [Do you wish to Sign-In?]
'Sign-In,' Haruto commanded internally.