Part 1:spiritual manifestation
The rhythmic sound of steel cutting through air was the only noise in the training yard. Saturu moved through a series of sword drills, his movements sharp and mechanically precise. Each swing, each pivot, was executed with an operational efficiency that seemed beyond his years. The fluidity of his motions suggested not just practice, but real combat experience.
Master Kayon observed from the edge of the grounds, his experienced eyes missing nothing. After watching for several minutes, he approached with a kuksa of water in hand. The old master's mind raced with observations that didn't add up. This wasn't the same student he'd been training for months. The sword work he witnessed was at a level most masters achieved only after decades of dedicated practice. More concerning was how Saturu drew mana from the environment to amplify his physical output - a technique only top-tier swordmasters could perform, and even then, only with great strain.
"Master... Master Kayon?" Saturu's voice broke through Kayon's thoughts as he noticed his teacher's approach.
"What? Oh-right." Kayon handed him the water. "You're done."
"You seem preoccupied," Saturu noted between sips.
Kayon's eyes narrowed slightly. "No... Though now that you mention it - where did you pick up those sword skills?"
"Just been practicing," Saturu replied, his tone even.
The answer felt too simple, too pat. Kayon knew better - this wasn't the result of mere practice. The difference was too profound. "Either way," he said aloud, "you seem to be doing the right thing."
Saturu studied his master's face. He's buying it... but why does he look like that?
"Stop making that face," Saturu said. "It makes you look even older."
Kayon almost smiled. Never mind. He's still the same. "Anyway. Have you initiated spiritual manifestation yet?"
Saturu nodded and settled onto the ground, crossing his legs for meditation. A dark-blue aura slowly deployed around him as he focused inward. But as he dove deeper into his consciousness, fractured memories began disrupting his workflow. Sharp flashes of unfamiliar scenes, disjointed sensations, and sudden pains seized his attention, destabilizing his concentration. The manifestation attempt collapsed.
"You seem to be struggling?" Kayon asked, his voice laced with concern.
These memories... they don't belong to me. So where are they coming from? Saturu wondered silently.
Kayon watched his student, growing increasingly uneasy. He's reached the point where manifestation should be possible. But his spiritual energy isn't keeping up. I wonder if it's something to do with his sudden change in behavior.
"Take a break," Kayon advised. "Step back for a moment."
Saturu stood up, but as he rose, a sudden impact of pain hit him - sharp and immediate, like a spike driven straight into his skull. His heart burned with an unfamiliar agony, his stability vanished, and he collapsed to the ground as spiritual energy drained out from around him in visible waves.
Part 2: Fractured Memories of Saturu
It began on the day of the red moon, when those cursed with a direct line to Saturu were branded as cursed children.
That's when it started...
Saturu was held captive, accused of killing a member of the royal family.
Every gaze fixed on Saturu, the tension sharp enough to cut. The Vermillion Council stood in a rigid semi-circle, their expressions carved from stone, as if the verdict had already been sealed long before this moment.
"Saturu Vermillion, do you admit your crime?"
The words echoed through the hall like a hammer striking cold iron.
Saturu lifted his head, meeting their stares without flinching.
"What crime?"
His voice was steady, controlled. "I have not done anything to harm my own mother."
An elder stepped forward, robes dragging softly against the marble floor.
"You refuse to confess," he said, eyes narrowing. "You still deny killing your own mother — the Empress.:
A quiet tremor rippled through the chamber.
Saturu felt his jaw lock. His pulse quickened, but his face remained composed. For a moment, he could only stand there, stunned that his own bloodline his own council would push the accusation this far, twisting grief into a weapon.
He swallowed, the disbelief tightening in his chest.
"I… I…"
The words barely escaped him. Not because he lacked an answer, but because the betrayal was so complete it left him momentarily breathless.
His hands curled at his sides, slow and controlled, not from fear but from rising, quiet anger.
The council watched him, waiting for a collapse, a confession, anything that would justify the judgment they were ready to deliver.
But Saturu did not break.
He drew in a slow breath, lifting his chin, eyes sharp with resolve.
"I have nothing to confess."
"I did not kill my mother," Saturu declared.
The clan head pronounced judgment. "The clan now finds you guilty for the murder of the royal family. For that, you shall be executed."
Nozashi observed coldly. "A child born from power and under the red moon."
Kaito spoke with venom. "You are a monster that should have not been born."
Saturu's eyes shifted from normal to crimson red, then burned bright red. He grabbed a sword from a nearby guard and cut off the executioner's hand. The executioner's axe clattered to the ground as the man screamed in pain.
Kyaaaaa!!
Saturu stood in a defensive position, one hand still bound by chains.
"You have brought misfortune to us all," Kaito said. "I am afraid I must take measures."
"What are you saying?" Saturu demanded.
"Don't you know your mother died because of the curse you carry?" Kaito's voice was cold. "And for some reason, you share a name with the demon king Saturu. Thus adding the reason why you must be killed."
Saturu stared in shock. "What are you talking about?"
"She died in front of you," Kaito stated.
"You killed her, didn't you?" Saturu's voice trembled. "But why?"
"You are fast to catch on," Kaito acknowledged, "but it won't be long until you reconnect with your family."
"I asked you why!" Saturu roared. His aura erupted from his body, the ground cracking beneath him as he charged toward Kaito. The chains shattered as he moved, grabbing the sword while still standing in leg shackles.
Nozashi stepped forward, his aura making the air feel heavy.
"Saturu," Lord Kaito's voice boomed. "They sense a corruption within these walls. All evidence points to you."
Nozashi's flint-like eyes assessed him. "The energy you carry is a blight. You will submit to our judgment."
Saturu's hand rested on his sword's hilt. "The only blight here stands on that platform. You hunt a shadow while ignoring the rotting tree."
"Then you confirm your guilt."
Nozashi drew his sword—a massive slab of dark iron that seemed to suck the light from the air. Saturu drew his own sword, its polished steel a symbol of the clan that now betrayed him. The battle began with terrible, mounting pressure.
Nozashi advanced like a landslide, each swing carrying earth-shattering force. Saturu flowed around the powerful strikes.
Nozashi sent sword strikes toward Saturu as Saturu blitzed toward him. They collided, their sheer power damaging the surroundings. As Saturu was about to land a blow, Kaito interrupted with multiple spatial cuts. Saturu blocked the attack but took heavy damage. Undeterred, he unleashed all his power into his sword, striking the ground. The earth cracked, releasing pressure strikes as Saturu moved at the speed of light, clashing with both opponents at once. He grabbed Nozashi's legs and threw him to the ground with full force. The impact caused Nozashi to use his sword technique, releasing violent energy as a dark red aura formed around him. He dashed toward Saturu with a piercing strike, slashing Saturu's hand. In response, Saturu used his authority of invisibility, deflecting Nozashi's attacks. Kaito teleported behind Saturu and knocked the blade from his hands.
"You will pay for killing my mother tenfold!" Saturu roared, striking Kaito in the gut with immense force. Kaito crashed into a nearby building.
CRASH!
Nozashi strained against Saturu's overwhelming power. Though Nozashi had more battle experience and strength, Saturu managed to leave a scar on his face. Nozashi touched the blood flowing from the wound, then leaped to cut down Saturu, using his body weight as an advantage.
Just as the pressure was about to crush him, Saturu's instincts took over. He activated a technique from a forgotten life: Iron Strikes, evading a devastating blow to counter with his Clear Wing Sword Strikes. The brilliant lance of energy sent Nozashi flying backward.
Seeing his plan unravel, Lord Kaito acted. If this child manages to escape, all my power will go to waste. I can't afford to lose another sacrifice.
"You have pushed me to use my trump card, boy!" he shouted.
VWOOSH!
He secretly crushed a cursed doll. On the field, Nozashi's eyes glazed over as corrupted power erupted from him, healing his wounds and amplifying his strength. He stood, now surrounded by a poisonous gas that severed all five senses.
Trapped in the sensory void, Saturu was completely disoriented. The chapter ends with Saturu blind, deaf, and isolated, his sword feeling fragile in his hand, facing an empowered Nozashi he could neither see nor hear.
Trapped in the sensory-depriving gas, Saturu fought blind. He felt the vibrations in the ground as Nozashi advanced, each step making the earth tremble. Using centuries of battle instinct, he dodged by sensing air pressure changes, but it wasn't enough. A glancing blow from the massive sword sent him stumbling, his sword chipping from the impact.
CRACK!