Life in the Ten-no-Kura (Heavenly Emperor Palace) was peaceful.
With Reika handling his daily needs—brewing tea, organizing his scrolls, guarding his door—Haruto found he had much more time to cultivate.
He spent his days mastering the transformations of the Divine Elephant Force. He learned to condense the Ki into the Spear of Yomi, a weapon of pure darkness. He learned to form the Wings of the Tengu, massive energy wings that allowed for supersonic flight.
"This technique is versatile," Haruto praised. "Attack, defense, movement. It has it all."
[Ding! System Update.] [New Sign-In Location Refreshed: The Tenth Birthday Banquet.]
'My tenth birthday?' Haruto blinked. 'That's seven years from now. Grandpa said the clan would invite all the powers of the Empire to that banquet. That will be my official debut to the world.'
He smiled. 'Plenty of time to get stronger.'
Meanwhile, the atmosphere was far from peaceful on the Spirit Island of the Sword.
This was the personal domain of Ryuzaki Kenji, the Tenth Sequence. The island was a jagged landscape of sharp rocks and sword-scars.
At the foot of the central peak, Tachibana Ayaka paced back and forth. Her face was swollen, her lip split. She had been waiting for days.
"Why hasn't he come out?" she muttered, clutching her torn robes. "When Master Kenji hears what they did to me... he will kill them."
BOOM!
A pillar of sword-light erupted from the mountain peak, piercing the clouds. A terrifying sharpness swept across the island, cutting the leaves off the trees.
"The Sword-Master has broken through!"
A figure descended from the sky, walking on the air. Ryuzaki Kenji looked to be about fourteen. He wore black robes, and his eyes were like deep, dark pools. His aura was terrifyingly sharp—he had reached the Divine Palace Realm.
"Master!"
Ayaka threw herself at his feet, weeping hysterically.
"Ayaka?" Kenji frowned, landing softly. His voice was cool and metallic. "What happened to your face?"
"Master... you must seek justice!" Ayaka wailed. "While you were in seclusion... that Ryuzaki Reika and the new Divine Son, Haruto... they humiliated me! They humiliated you!"
Kenji's eyes narrowed. "Haruto? The child? Explain."
Ayaka spun her web of lies. "Reika became his maid! And when I told them your sword was stronger than his potential, Haruto laughed! He said the Tenth Sequence was trash! He said you weren't fit to carry his shoes!"
She looked up, waiting for the explosion. She waited for Kenji to draw his sword and roar in anger.
But Kenji just stood there. His face went pale. His hands started to tremble.
"You..." Kenji whispered. "You provoked Haruto?"
"Yes! For your honor!" Ayaka cried.
SNAP!
Kenji's hand moved faster than sound. He slapped Ayaka across the face, sending her crashing into the dirt.
"You idiot!" Kenji roared, his cool demeanor shattering. "Are you trying to destroy me?!"
Ayaka looked up, stunned. "Master?"
"Do you know who Haruto is?!" Kenji screamed, kicking a rock in frustration. "His father is the White-Clad God King! The Eighteenth Ancestor threatened to burn the world for him! He has the Kongo-Seitai! And you... a bug... went and insulted him in my name?"
Kenji was terrified. He was proud, yes, but he was also politically astute. He knew that offending Haruto could lead to his status being stripped, his resources cut, or even his death at the hands of the Ancestors.
"Get up!" Kenji commanded, his eyes cold as ice.
"Master... please..."
"Strip off your outer robe," Kenji ordered. "Find a bundle of Ibara (thorns). You are going to carry them on your bare back to the Ten-no-Kura."
"The... Apology of Thorns?" Ayaka whispered, horrified.
"Yes," Kenji said, gripping his sword hilt until his knuckles turned white. "And I will walk with you. We are going to beg for forgiveness. And you better pray he accepts it."