The mountain path was a knife's edge.Kaito pressed himself against the sheer rock face, his boots finding precarious footholds on the crumbling stone. Below him, a drop of hundreds of feet yawned like an open mouth. The wind howled, whipping his hair across his face."The path widens ahead," Zui called from above. The Beastman moved with surprising ease, his massive claws finding purchase where Kaito's hands slipped.Shiori followed behind Kaito, her daggers sheathed but ready. "Don't look down. Focus on the next step."Kaito forced himself to obey. His father's sword—The Last Breath—hung across his back, its weight a constant reminder of his purpose. The Testament pulsed in his core, feeding on the danger, the adrenaline.*The mountain wants to kill us*, he thought. *And we're walking right into its throat.*A loose stone skittered beneath his foot. Kaito lunged, grabbing a jutting rock, his heart hammering. The abyss below seemed to reach for him."Easy," Shiori said. "You're not d

The capital's outer wall loomed like a scar across the horizon.Kaito pressed himself against the shadow of a collapsed watchtower, studying the gate ahead. Soldiers swarmed the entrance, checking every traveler's papers, searching every cart. The Shogunate's paranoia was on full display."Too many guards," Shiori murmured beside him. "They're expecting someone.""Us," Kaito said flatly. "They're expecting us."Zui's ember eyes scanned the wall. "There's a breach to the north. Old sewer tunnel. My people used it during the purge. It should still be open.""Lead the way."They moved through the ruins of the outer district—buildings that had once been homes, now reduced to rubble. The Shogunate's expansion had swallowed everything, pushing the poor into the margins.The sewer tunnel was dark, damp, and smelled of rot. Kaito's boots splashed through stagnant water as they followed Zui's massive form through the underground maze."How much further?" he asked."Not far. The tunnel opens in

The corridor descended into darkness.Kaito's boots echoed off stone walls that seemed to breathe. The Testament pulsed in his core, a living compass pulling him deeper. Each step sent tremors through his body—the seal was weakening. The Palace was calling.He didn't know how long he'd been running. Minutes. Hours. Time had lost meaning in this labyrinth.The corridor opened into a vast chamber. Kaito stopped, his breath catching.The Sunken Palace wasn't a building. It was a wound in the earth—a chasm of obsidian and crystal that stretched into infinity. Light pulsed from its depths like a heartbeat, casting shadows that danced and twisted.And at the center of it all, a figure waited.She was tall, cloaked in shadow, her face hidden behind a mask of bone. Her presence radiated power—ancient, terrible, hungry."Kaito Oda," she said, her voice echoing from everywhere at once. "I've been expecting you."Kaito's hand found The Last Breath's hilt. "Who are you?""The Guardian of the Pala

Kaito woke to pain.It was everywhere—a deep, bone-crushing ache that radiated from his chest. His hands found the wound where he'd driven The Last Breath into his heart. There was no wound. Just smooth, unbroken skin.He sat up, gasping. The chamber spun around him. Crystal and obsidian. The Palace. He was still inside the Sunken Palace."You're alive," a voice said. "Impossible. But alive."Kaito turned. A figure sat in the shadows—small, familiar, her dark eyes watching him with an expression he couldn't read."Yuki." His voice was hoarse. "You're still here.""I'm always here." She rose, stepping into the light. Her form was solid now, more real than before. "You broke the Testament. You destroyed the Sword Emperor. But you also broke yourself."Kaito looked down at his chest. The wound was gone, but the power that had filled him—the Testament's endless hunger—was nowhere to be felt. His core was empty. Silent."What happened to me?""You died." Yuki's voice was flat. "And then yo

The dark thing moved before Kaito could blink.Its fist crashed into his chest, sending him flying through the air. He hit the ground hard, the stolen sword skittering from his grip. Pain lanced through his ribs."Pathetic," the vessel growled, its voice layered with the Sword Emperor's echoes. "Without the Testament, you're nothing."Kaito forced himself to his feet. His body screamed, but he ignored it. He'd been beaten before. He'd died before. This was nothing."I'm not nothing," he said, spitting blood. "I'm an Oda."The vessel laughed—a sound like grinding stone. "The Oda bloodline is broken. Your father died begging. Your mother burned in the flames. You're the last of a dying line. And you're going to die here, alone, forgotten."The creature lunged.Kaito dove to the side, rolling, snatching the fallen sword. He swung wildly, but the vessel was too fast. It caught his wrist, crushing the bone. The sword fell again."Yield," the vessel hissed. "Let me consume you. Let me take