- Retsu remains there for a brief moment, clinging to him. Then, suddenly, she pushes him away -

  Ryusui: "Oopsy, oopsy! Hey, why did you push me?! I could've fallen to the ground, you know!"

  - Without a single word—without even casting a glance at his face—she turns her back on him. She runs toward the house, her shadow stretching long across the ground under the glow of the bulb hanging by the door -

  Ryusui: "Huh?! Hey, why are you rushing inside all of a sudden?!"

  - She doesn't answer. He stands there alone, watching her shadow slowly disappear from his sight as she crosses the threshold -

  - Ryusui scratches his forehead as confusion creases his face -

  Ryusui: "Hmph... did she get possessed by a ghost?!"

  - Meanwhile, inside Retsu's room, the light is turned off. Only the moonlight pierces through the window, slightly illuminating the room in a pale, white glow. The door is locked. Retsu lies upside down on her bed, her heart beating loudly as she tightly clings to her pillow. A deep, rosy hue emerges on her cheeks -

  Retsu: (Whispering into the pillow) "What—what is this feeling?! He is my husband... There is no reason to feel embarrassed..."

  - Outside, Ryusui is still standing in the same place. Suddenly, the sky begins to shift. Ryusui looks upward, as he sees dark, heavy clouds lurking across the sky, slowly grasping the moon and consuming the light. The air turns slightly cold as the wind starts flowing faster; a strong, sudden gust rustles Ryusui's hair and clothes -

  Ryusui: "Hmm... looks like it may rain tonight."

  - Ryusui looks down, his gaze fixed on the dry dirt of the field. He slowly taps his right temple with his finger, a deep tension emerging on his face as he gets lost in thought -

  Ryusui: "That is not the main subject. I bragged to him that I'll train hard to become stronger... But who is going to train me?!"

  - Suddenly, the sound of footsteps crunches against the dry dirt and sparse grass, approaching slowly from Ryusui's right. He snaps his head toward the sound. In the complete lack of moonlight, he sees only a dark silhouette, the distance between them slowly reducing as the figure approaches -

  Ryusui: "What is this...?"

  As the figure draws near, Ryusui sees an old man. His face is a map of freckles, framed by a medium-length beard and hair that rustles along with the wind. He wears an off-white, long-sleeved tunic featuring wave-like patterns that crawl upward like serpents, paired with sky-blue pajama trousers marked by a thin, obsidian-black line that mirrors the flow of his tunic -

  - The old man stops a few steps away from Ryusui. He stands perfectly still, his eyes locked onto the sheathed sword on Ryusui's back as if he can see right through the scabbard. He lets out a dry, raspy cough, his chest heaving as he breathes slowly -

  Unknown old man: "Cough! Cough! Hmmm... You have a magnificent sword, young man."

  Ryusui: "Huh? Who are you, old man? I've never seen you here before."

  Unknown old man: "I don't blame you. Due to my illness, I rarely leave my house."

  Ryusui: "Oh... I guess that makes sense. But how can you see my sword even though it's still sheathed?"

  Unknown old man: "A true hunter sees his prey even through the thickest bushes. I don’t need to see the blade to know its greatness."

  - Ryusui remains silent, staring at the old man with a sharp, narrow gaze. Confusion lurks across his face -

  Ryusui: (Thinking: Who is he?!") "..."

  Unknown old man: "But tell me... where did you find such a sword?"

  - Confusion races in Ryusui's mind. He is fighting with himself, wondering if it would be wise to tell the truth to a person he just met -

  Ryusui: (Thinking: "Should I tell him?! He might think I am a crazy man if I tell the truth...") "One of my closest friends gave it to me."

  Unknown old man: "Oh, I see..."

  - The old man's sharp, narrow gaze locks onto Ryusui's face as if he is trying to read a fortune written on Ryusui's forehead. Ignoring Ryusui's lie entirely, the old man sees something else; he sees exactly how immature Ryusui is with the techniques of the sword -

  Unknown old man: "By looking at your face, I can assume that you don't know how to use a sword. Cough! Cough!"

  - Ryusui looks at his dirty, bruised hands. He lets out a long breath as he replies to the old man in a heavy, disappointed voice -

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Ryusui: "Yeah... you are right. I have never used a sword before. I am somehow feeling unworthy of this sword."

  Unknown old man: "So... want some help?"

  - Ryusui looks at the old man, a look of confusion flashes across his face. Despite the offer, the old man's sharp, narrow gaze remains fixed on Ryusui -

  Ryusui: "Huh?"

  Unknown old man: "If you want, I can train you."

  Ryusui: "How...? Are you sure?"

  - Ryusui's confusion only deepens. He looks at the old man's entire shaky body. He tries to imagine this man holding a sword, let alone swinging one -

  Unknown old man: "Yeah. You can count on me."

  - The old man's sharp gaze finally softens. His focus shifting away from Ryusui and toward the palm of his own hand. He looks down at his own right hand. It is a symbol of decades of battles, and the scars that decipher a history of indelible bond -

  Unknown old man: "A long time ago, I was a trainer in a Dojo."

  - Ryusui jumps in thrill, his face brightening with excitement. The disappointment from a moment ago vanishes, replaced by a wide smile -

  Ryusui: "Thank you very much, old man!"

  Unknown old man: "Tomorrow morning, I will be waiting for you on the top of the mountain. Be sure to come."

  - Ryusui nods vigorously, his eyes shining with a newfound determination -

  Ryusui: "I will come at any cost."

  - Suddenly, the brief softness in the old man's face disappears. The sharp, narrow gaze of the old man returns as his face turns stone-cold serious -

  Unknown old man: "Remember one thing... don't bring anyone else with you."

  Ryusui: "Got it, Sensei. See you tomorrow!"

  - Ryusui sprints toward the house, his face bursting with the raw excitement from moments ago. His shadow slowly disappearing from the old man's sight as he finally crosses the threshold into the house -

  - The old man stands in silence in the exact same place, his eyes fixed on the doorway where Ryusui entered. Slowly, the mask of stone-cold seriousness vanishes from his face. A small, genuine, and warm smile emerges in its place -

  Unknown old man: "Hmph... did I overact? I think I can drop my act now."

  - The old man's body suddenly shudders. Bones stretch. Muscle tightens, and his frailty peels away like a discarded skin. The tremors of age vanish as iron-hard muscle takes its place. His height increases, his shadow stretching across the dirt as he becomes a towering warrior from an ancient age -

  - Bare-chested, he is a veteran of countless wars. His skin is etched with scars, each telling a story of survival. Across his body, an ocean-colored wave pattern coils upward toward his neck like a living serpent -

  - A sudden gust passes through the trees, sending his long black hair streaming as piercing blue eyes shine through the drifting strands. Thick crimson-red metal bracers sheath his forearms, catching the moonlight with a dull, blood-worn sheen -

  - At his waist, an ornate hara-ate of obsidian-black and crimson-red secures his frame, a large circular flame engraved at its centre. Below it, loose sky-blue, hakama trousers feature a crimson-red line that mirrors the serpent on his skin, and his feet are firmly planted in worn leather combat boots -

  Unknown old man: "As I predicted. You couldn't recognise me."

  - Inside the house, Ryusui heads upstairs toward his room, still bursting with that earlier excitement. He enters his dark, quiet room, where the slight moonlight through the window casts short, silver light against the wooden floor -

  - He goes toward the closet and carefully places the sword inside. He stays there for a brief moment. Staring at the sheathed sword, his eyes fill with a steady confidence and pure, bright cheerfulness -

  Ryusui: "Now, stay here. I will come to take you later."

  - After closing the closet, Ryusui stands in the middle of the room, his mind battling between two options: collapsing into bed for much-needed rest or taking a bath. He pauses, feeling the mountain dirt still clinging to his skin and clothes. Deciding he needs to feel fresh, he heads for bath -

  - Feeling renewed and fresh, he steps out of the bath. He heads directly toward the bed and collapses onto the sheets. Even though the fire of excitement still burns in his blood, his body finally reaches its full limit. His limbs go loose, his breathing deepens, and he quickly falls into a heavy sleep -

  - Three hours later. Dinner time. The moon hangs full and bright in the sky; the clouds that were lurking around it a couple of hours ago have completely vanished, leaving the world illuminating in a warm silver light. The wind is flowing slowly and steadily, carrying the scent of deep woods. Trees leaves sway in the breeze, casting sharp, slow-moving shadows against the dirt field outside the house -

  - Inside the house, in the kitchen Retsu is finishing the preparation for dinner. After preparing the dinner, she carries the steaming bowls to the dining table, her movements graceful and familiar. The warm silver light from the window spills across the wooden floor. Settling everything on the table, she pauses, tilting her head upward the ceiling, toward Ryusui's room -

  Retsu: "Ryusui, Ryusui... Dinner is ready!"

  - Hearing Retsu's voice, Ryusui snaps out of his deep sleep. He quickly gets up from the bed, heads toward the washroom to splash cold water on his face, and then makes his way downstairs -

  - The wooden stairs creak under his weight, a familiar rhythm as he makes his way toward the hall. When he enters the dining area, the warm silver moonlight pierces through the window, clashing with the soft, yellowish glow of the hanging bulb that fills the room with a pleasant warmth. He sees Retsu already sitting at the dining table -

  Retsu: "Did you get enough sleep?"

  - Ryusui pulls out the chair opposite where Retsu is sitting, the wooden legs giving a short, sharp groan against the floor. He sits down, his face brightening with an energetic glow. He looks at Retsu, flashing a wide, toothy smile -

  Ryusui: "Yeah, I'm feeling energetic now. Bwahaha...!"

  - Retsu covers her face with her hand as she lets out a charming, melodic laugh, the sound softly echoing across the dining room -

  Retsu: "Haha...! What kind of laugh is that?! Are you trying to portray a bad person?!"

  Ryusui: "Was it that bad? By the way, what was that hug for in the afternoon?"

  - Hearing the question, Retsu freezes for a split second. Her hands cling to each other tightly beneath the table. As the deep, rosy hue emerges on her cheeks, she looks down to her food. She quickly tries to pivot the conversation, her voice getting stuck as she speaks -

  Retsu: "No—nothing... you fool! Eat—eat your food first! It's getting cold!"

  - In the middle of dinner -

  Retsu: "Hey, what was that on your back?"

  Ryusui: "That was a sword."

  - A sudden shock tightens Retsu's face. The food in her hand remains frozen halfway to her mouth. She looks at Ryusui. When she speaks her voice trembles -

  Retsu: "Sword?! Where did you get that?"

  Ryusui: "Someone came into my dream and he told me about the sword."

  - Retsu breathes heavily, her eyes widening. Her chest heaves as she tries to speak, her concern only deepening -

  Retsu: "Where is it now?!"

  Ryusui: "I put it in my closet."

  Retsu: "Can I see it now?!"

  Ryusui: "Certainly."

  - They approach Ryusui's room. After entering the room, they head toward the closet. Ryusui slides the closet door fully open, revealing the sheathed sword lying there. He points toward the sword -

  Ryusui: "Here it is."

  - Retsu looks at the sheathed sword and confusion lurks across her face as she is lost in thoughts. Her heart beats loud, thumping against her ribs, but it is from the visceral shock of recognition -

  Retsu: (Thinking: "Huh?! Ryumaru?! How is it here? I thought we lost it ten years ago.") "..."

  - Retsu remains silent. Ryusui takes the sword from the closet and draws it, the metal singing a faint, sharp note as it leaves the scabbard. Retsu looks at the sword, her eyes moving, watching the steel from the guard all the way up to the tip. But Ryusui's gaze is fully locked onto the blade, it reflecting his determined and confident face -

  Ryusui: "Isn't this a great sword, Retsu?"

  Retsu: "Yeah. This is a great sword."

  - Mysterious person's castle. The atmosphere is cold and mist lurking around the area as always -

  - Inside the throne room, the mysterious person sits upon his throne. Hundreds of servants stand in perfect, terrifying silence, lined up in his left and right. They also look like living shadows, their form shifting like waves, with crimson eyes that match the eyes of the mysterious person -

  - Slowly, the figure in the throne lifts his left hand. He points his finger toward one of his servants, calling him forward -

  Mysterious person: "Hey, you worm, come here."

  - The servant comes in front of him and kneels on his feet -

  The servant: "Your Majesty, bestow upon me your holy command."

  Mysterious person: "Did they find out where Ryuma Yamamoto is?"

  The servant: "Yes, Your Majesty. They will reach there within five days."

  Mysterious person: "Bah... Bah... Bahahaha! Ryuma Yamamoto, the count down has started. This hide-and-seek game has turned into a bloodthirsty nightmare for you. From now on I will show you the depths of Hell."

  [ The game has taken the route of despair, as the clock begins to move ]

  Next Chapter: Wednesday