STEEL LOTUS

The Beastman's Bargain

The wilderness swallowed them whole.

Kaito followed Shiori through the dense forest, their footsteps silent on the fallen leaves. Behind them, the Crimson Port had vanished into the morning mist—along with the bodies of the soldiers they'd left behind.

"How far?" Kaito asked, his voice rough.

"Two days." Shiori didn't slow. "There's a safe house in the mountains. We'll rest there. Plan our next move."

Kaito's core throbbed with the Testament's hunger. He'd killed eight more men. Eight souls now lived inside him, their whispers clawing at his mind.

He could feel them. The enforcer's rage. The initiates' fear. The soldiers' desperation.

And something else. Something ancient and cold that lurked beneath the surface of the Testament itself.

"You're struggling," Shiori said, glancing back at him. "I can see it in your eyes. The souls are speaking to you."

Kaito nodded. "I can hear them. All of them. They won't stop."

"They won't." Shiori's voice was gentle but firm. "But you'll learn to live with them. To use them. Your father carried the weight of a thousand souls. He never let it break him."

"Then he was stronger than me."

"No." She stopped, turning to face him. "He was just as broken as you. But he learned to channel the pain into purpose. That's what you need to do."

Kaito opened his mouth to respond, but a sound stopped him.

Footsteps. Heavy. Fast. Coming from the east.

Shiori's hand went to her daggers. "More soldiers?"

Kaito's *Sight of Ending* activated. He saw a figure charging through the trees—a massive shape, moving with inhuman speed.

"Not soldiers," he breathed. "Something else."

The figure burst from the treeline. It was a man—or something close to it. Tall and broad-shouldered, with skin the color of weathered stone and eyes that glowed like embers. He had the face of a wolf and the build of a bear.

A Beastman.

Kaito's knife was in his hand before he could think.

"Wait," the Beastman said, raising his hands. "I'm not here to fight."

Shiori stepped forward, her daggers still ready. "Zui. What are you doing here?"

The Beastman—Zui—bowed his head. "I've been searching for you, Shiori. The Shogunate knows about the safe house. They've already sent soldiers to surround it."

Kaito's blood chilled. "How do you know?"

"Because I was captured by them." Zui's ember eyes flickered with pain. "I escaped. But I heard their plans. They're setting a trap. For you."

Shiori's expression hardened. "Why should I trust you?"

"Because I owe you a debt." Zui's voice was deep, rumbling. "You saved my clan from the Shogunate's purge ten years ago. I've never forgotten."

Shiori studied him for a long moment. Then she lowered her daggers.

"Fine. We'll trust him for now." She turned to Kaito. "Zui is a scout from the Northern Mountain tribes. He knows this territory better than anyone."

Kaito didn't lower his knife. "You said the Shogunate captured you. Why did they let you escape?"

Zui's expression flickered with something that looked like shame. "They didn't. I broke free. But they're hunting me now too."

Kaito studied the Beastman's face, looking for lies. The *Sight of Ending* didn't show him anything—Zui's death wasn't imminent.

Either he was telling the truth, or he was very good at hiding his intentions.

"The safe house is compromised," Shiori said, cutting through the tension. "We need another location."

"There's a cave system three miles north," Zui offered. "My clan used it as a refuge during the purge. It's hidden. Defensible."

Shiori nodded. "Lead the way."

They moved through the forest, following Zui's trail. Kaito stayed alert, his knife never leaving his hand. The Beastman moved with surprising grace for his size, his massive frame flowing through the underbrush like water.

"Your core is strange," Zui said suddenly, glancing back at Kaito. "I can sense it. It's like nothing I've ever felt."

Kaito's grip tightened on his knife. "What do you mean?"

"Damaged. But also... hungry." Zui's ember eyes narrowed. "Like it's feeding on something."

"It's none of your concern."

Zui laughed—a deep, rumbling sound. "Fair enough. But if you're going to travel with me, I need to know I can trust you. The Shogunate has spies everywhere. Even in my clan."

Kaito met his gaze. "I'm not a spy."

"No." Zui's expression softened. "You're something else. Something I've only heard stories about."

"Stories?"

"The Oda Clan." Zui's voice dropped to a whisper. "I've heard the legends. They were the guardians of the Sunken Palace. The jailers of the Sword Emperor's power."

Kaito's blood ran cold. "How do you know about that?"

"My clan has served the Oda for generations." Zui's eyes met his. "We were your allies. Before the Shogunate destroyed everything."

Shiori stepped between them. "That's enough. We don't know each other well enough for this conversation."

Zui bowed his head. "You're right. I apologize."

They continued in silence. Kaito's mind raced with questions. The Beastman knew about the Oda Clan. About the Sunken Palace. About the Testament.

Could he be trusted? Or was this another trap?

The cave system emerged from the mountainside—a dark opening that seemed to swallow the light. Zui led them inside, his ember eyes providing illumination.

"Welcome to my people's refuge," he said. "You'll be safe here. For now."

Kaito stepped into the darkness, his knife ready. Behind him, Shiori followed, her daggers drawn.

The Testament pulsed in his core, eager and hungry.

And in the shadows, something watched them. Something ancient. Something that had been waiting for the Oda heir to arrive.

Kaito felt its gaze and shivered.

He was no longer hunting.

He was being hunted.