If Aegis Port had a personality, it would be "strict parent who's one parking ticket away from snapping."
The streets were clean. Too clean. Navy patrols marched in tidy formations. Shops displayed their goods with precise care, and people walked with that special kind of nervous politeness that screamed: We behave or we disappear.
Raiyo strolled through with his best I'm totally normal and not an Irregular pirate-in-training face.
"Relax," he muttered to himself. "You're just a guy with a sword, a ship, and a magic compass that apparently has a crush on this place. Nothing suspicious about that."
As he walked, he started to notice whispers.
"—they say he hasn't eaten in days—"
"—monster in the yard—"
"—why hasn't he just died yet?—"
"—three swords… who uses three swords?"
The compass needle tugged him toward the center of town, where the looming bulk of Fort Aegis cast a long shadow over everything. High stone walls, iron gates, a main yard visible through the bars.
Raiyo stopped across from the front gate, leaning against a lamppost and pretending to be fascinated by a nearby bakery sign while his eyes scanned the fort's interior.
In the courtyard, chained to a thick iron pillar, was a man.
Tall. Muscular. Shirt torn and stained with blood. Arms shackled above his head, ankles locked in heavy restraints bolted to the stone. Sun had browned his skin and sweat made his dark green hair stick to his forehead. A long, jagged scar cut across his torso. His eyes, closed for the moment, looked like they could cut stone.
Three swords.
They were stuck in the ground a few meters away from him, handles jutting upright—like they were watching him. One had a plain black hilt, another wrapped in crimson, and the third was pristine white. All three were tied together with a length of chain, their blades smeared with dried blood.
"Okay," Raiyo whispered. "Either that's a 'do not approach' sign, or destiny has an aggressive sense of humor."
A girl barely older than ten shuffled near the gate, clutching a small basket. Her eyes kept darting nervously toward the chained man. A Navy officer barked at her from nearby.
"What're you doing, kid? Yard's restricted."
She flinched. "I—I just wanted to bring him some food…"
Raiyo's gaze flicked to the basket—simple bread, a bit of cheese, and what might've been dried fruit if you squinted hard enough. Not exactly a feast, but better than nothing.
The officer sneered. "That man is a criminal. He doesn't get treats. Now get lost."
He kicked the bars, startling the girl. She stumbled, the basket slipping from her hands. Food scattered into the dust just inside the gate, out of reach.
Nice. Raiyo's least favorite type of person: petty asshole with a badge.
Before he could open his mouth and make this worse (which was his specialty), a low voice rolled across the courtyard.
"Hey."
It came from the chained man.
He'd opened his eyes.
They were a sharp, piercing shade of stormy green, fixed on the girl with unnerving intensity. The officer stepped back despite himself.
The prisoner tilted his head. "You. Kid."
The girl froze. "Y-Yes?"
"I told you yesterday," the man said, his voice calm, controlled. "Don't come back. They'll just use you to annoy me."
Her eyes went watery. "But you're starving. They say you've been out here for a week and—"
"And I'm still not dead," he cut in. "Which pisses them off. That's enough of a gift for me."
A few of the watching Navy grunts shifted uncomfortably.
Raiyo frowned. Yesterday?
The girl hesitated, then bowed slightly. "I'm sorry."
She started to back away, leaving the spilled food.
Raiyo's brain, which normally ran on impulse and bad decisions, made a sound choice.
He stepped casually forward, hands in pockets, and bent just enough to let his sandal nudge a piece of bread closer to the bars.
"Tough place," he said lightly. "Hard to keep your lunch off the floor."
The officer turned on him. "You. Step away from the gate."
Raiyo blinked innocently. "Why? Is the air restricted too?"
"I said move," the man snapped, reaching for his baton.
Raiyo met the little girl's eyes, then glanced toward the courtyard food. She understood.
"Well, you heard him," Raiyo said, stepping backward with exaggerated compliance.
As he did, he stomped the heel of his sandal down—hard.
There was a sharp crack of light as he let a controlled burst out—not the full flashbang, just enough to disorient anyone staring directly at him.
The officer cursed, clutching his eyes. "AGH! Son of a—!"
The girl darted forward, slipping a small piece of bread through the lowest gap in the gate, where it landed not far from the chained man.
He watched it fall, then looked at Raiyo.
"You could've just thrown it," he said.
Raiyo shrugged. "I like theatrics."
The officer turned back, still blinking away spots. "What did you—"
Raiyo smiled. "Wow, the sun's brutal today, huh? You should hydrate. I hear heatstroke makes you stupid."
"You little—"
A higher-ranking officer stepped out from the fort's entrance—a man with slicked-back hair, polished boots, and the kind of face that practically screamed "corrupt authority figure."
"What's going on here?" he demanded.
The grunt straightened. "Sir! Just clearing out troublemakers."
The slick officer's eyes slid over Raiyo, assessing him like a stain. "We don't tolerate disturbances in Aegis Port. Nor sympathy for criminals."
He gestured vaguely at the chained man.
"That 'criminal' got arrested for what?" Raiyo asked. "Having muscles and a resting murder face?"
A few nearby civilians went pale.
The officer's smile was thin. "Santoryu Takeshi is a menace to order. A mercenary who refused to bow to Navy law. He attacked our officers. Refused to cooperate. He is to be executed as soon as the paperwork is complete."
The chained man—Takeshi—rolled his shoulders as best he could in the chains. "You tried to shakedown a village under 'protection fees' and I broke your lieutenant's jaw for hitting a kid. Don't rewrite the story just because you're the one with a desk."
Raiyo's respect meter jumped several notches.
Santoryu. Three-sword style. Not exactly a subtle nickname.
Raiyo muttered, "You seriously arrested the guy for not letting you be an asshole? Strong moral bravery there, Captain Fancy Hair."
Takeshi smirked faintly.
The officer's gaze hardened. "This area is restricted. Leave. Now. Or you can join him in the yard."
Raiyo weighed his options:
Start a fight in the middle of a Navy fort with zero backup and a bad track record for not exploding.
Walk away and let a three-sword beast get executed by a corrupt prick.
The compass in his pocket buzzed faintly, like an annoyed god tapping its foot.
He sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I get it," he whispered. "Right choice, not easy choice. You sound like Athena."
Aloud, he said, "Fine. I'm leaving."
He gave the girl a reassuring wink and sauntered off, hands in pockets, heart racing.
Not far from the central square, he ducked into a narrow alley. Then another. He wound his way around the fort, eyes scanning the walls.
He spotted it: a less-guarded side section of the outer wall, overlooking a smaller training yard. Fewer soldiers. A high watchtower that didn't quite cover the blind spot. And below it, a stack of crates near the wall just begging to be climbed.
He grinned.
"Alright, Hikari's Folly," he muttered, imagining his ship. "Your captain's about to do something very, very stupid."
Night fell hard over Fort Aegis.
Torches flickered along the walls. The courtyard where Takeshi was chained was half-lit, a few guards posted and clearly bored. One yawned so wide it looked like his jaw might detach and roll away.
Above them, on a roof that screamed unsafe for normal people, Raiyo crouched, clutching the ledge.
His heart hammered. "Okay, Raiyo," he whispered. "In and out. No blowing up. No screaming. No giant bull monsters this time. Easy. Easy…"
A guard below shouted to another. "You think he'll crack tonight?"
Takeshi's voice floated up, dry as sand. "I'll crack your spine if you come any closer with that bucket of slop."
Charming.
Raiyo's plan was simple:
Sneak down.
Break Takeshi's chains.
Get him his swords.
Don't die.
He wished he had a fifth step like profit or celebration, but honestly, not dying was ambitious enough.
He dropped silently from the roof to the crate stack. A board creaked. One guard frowned, turning his head. Raiyo froze.
A gust of wind rattled the torches. The guard shrugged and turned back.
Raiyo exhaled slowly. "Thanks, Aeolus. I owe you one breeze."
He slipped down into the shadows of the courtyard, hugging the wall. His light power tickled under his skin, reacting to his nerves. He forced it down as best he could.
Closer now.
Takeshi's head turned slightly. Even chained and half-dead from hunger, his senses were sharp.
"You move like a drunk cat," he said quietly.
Raiyo flinched. A tiny spark popped off his fingertip.
"Gods, don't sneak-scare me!" Raiyo hissed. "You want me to blind the whole damn fort?"
Takeshi's brows twitched. "You again?"
"Yep. Local idiot; here to make questionable life choices."
Raiyo reached for the shackles, examining them. Heavy iron. Thick, but not magical. Good.
He drew his katana, the blade whispering free.
One of the guards started to turn, sensing movement. Before he could sound an alarm, Raiyo flicked his wrist, throwing a concentrated bead of light directly into the man's eyes.
The guard screamed, dropping his spear and clutching his face. "I CAN'T SEE!"
The other guards jumped up, shouting. "What happened?!"
Raiyo cursed under his breath. "So much for quiet."
He brought the katana down hard on the chain binding Takeshi's wrists to the pillar. Sparks leapt as steel met iron. The chain groaned, then snapped.
Takeshi dropped to his knees, hands still cuffed but free from the post.
"Legs next," he grunted.
"On it!"
Raiyo sliced through the ankle chains just as the nearest guard stumbled forward, swinging his sword wildly.
"So, fun fact," Raiyo said, stepping in front of Takeshi, "I have no idea what I'm doing."
He parried the guard's clumsy swing purely on reflex. Steel clanged. His arm burned with the force. He kicked the man backward.
Two more guards rushed in. One jabbed a spear at Raiyo's chest.
"Shit—"
He startled, and this time the light inside him surged uncontrollably.
The courtyard exploded in white.
Guards screamed, some dropping their weapons, others stumbling into each other. A few crashed straight into the wall, helmets ringing like cracked bells.
Raiyo squinted, eyes watering even from his own blast. "Okay, that's… effective, actually."
When the glow faded, everyone was disoriented but not dead—yet. Takeshi blinked rapidly, pupils shrinking.
"You're a walking war crime," he said flatly.
"Trust me, I'm aware."
Raiyo spun, eyes locking onto the three swords still stuck in the dirt. He sprinted toward them, dodging a blindly swung spear by inches, and yanked them free.
The weight nearly took him down. "Holy—what are these made of, divine ego?"
He turned, tossing them toward Takeshi.
The swordsman caught the bundle with cuffed hands, twisted, and in one fluid motion that should've been illegal, shattered the metal cuffs against the hilt of one blade. The broken manacles clanged to the ground.
Takeshi rolled his neck, stretched his shoulders, then drew all three swords.
One slid into each hand. The third he gripped between his teeth with casual ease.
Raiyo stared. "Okay, what the actual Hades."
A half-dozen guards finally rushed them, still blinking away the afterimage of Raiyo's flash.
Takeshi stepped forward.
He moved like a storm given human shape. No wasted motion, just clean, terrifying efficiency. Blades flashed under torchlight, steel slicing through armor and flesh. Blood sprayed the dust, hot and dark. A man's spear shattered, another's arm opened from shoulder to elbow in a brutal arc. One guard screamed as Takeshi's sword smashed into his knee, bone cracking loud in the courtyard air.
It was gory, fast, and precise—no artistry for show. Just violence aimed perfectly.
One guard lunged from behind. Raiyo intercepted, parrying with his katana and kicking the man square in the chest.
"Hey," Raiyo shouted over the chaos, "remind me to never piss you off!"
Takeshi spat the hilt out of his mouth long enough to grunt, "Don't do anything that stupid, then," before clamping it back between his teeth and spinning into another strike.
Within a minute that felt like an hour, the courtyard fell quiet.
Guards groaned on the ground, some bleeding heavily but alive, others knocked out cold. A couple looked like they'd need new limbs, or at least new career paths.
Raiyo panted, wiping blood—some of his, most not—from his face.
"That," he said between breaths, "was metal as shit."
Takeshi stabbed one sword into the ground, resting his forearm on the hilt as he caught his breath. "You broke me out of Navy execution. Why?"
Raiyo blinked. "Uh… because watching someone starve to death chained to a rock in the sun is fucked up?"
Takeshi's eyes narrowed. "People don't usually risk their lives for strangers."
The compass in Raiyo's pocket buzzed again, hot against his chest.
"Yeah, well," he said, forcing a lopsided grin, "I'm not people. Also, you seemed cool."
A shout rang from the far end of the fort. More boots. More soldiers. Yeah, they'd overstayed their welcome.
Raiyo grabbed Takeshi's wrist. "C'mon, Three-Swords. Time to bail."
Takeshi yanked his arm back. "I walk on my own."
Raiyo rolled his eyes. "Fine. Mister 'Too Cool for Rescue,' follow me unless you wanna test how many bullets your abs can stop."
They bolted, cutting through a side gate Raiyo had quietly loosened earlier. Down narrow alleys, over walls, through an empty storehouse. Navy shouts echoed behind them, distant but chasing.
As they reached the outskirts of town, the harbor came into view. The Hikari's Folly bobbed in the water, quietly innocent.
Takeshi skidded to a stop. "You have a ship."
Raiyo wheezed. "I have… a floating disaster magnet. But yeah."
Navy rifles cracked. Bullets sparked off stone nearby.
"Decision time!" Raiyo yelled. "Get on the boat or stay and argue about morals!"
Takeshi evaluated him in half a second.
Then he sprinted for the ship.
They scrambled aboard, Raiyo cutting the lines while Takeshi hauled the gangplank up like it weighed nothing.
"Can you sail?" Takeshi barked.
"Define 'can'!"
Takeshi swore under his breath, then seized a rope and yanked it, unfurling the sail with practiced motion. Raiyo jumped to the wheel, spinning it as best he could.
Canon fire boomed behind them. A splash exploded to their right as a cannonball missed by terrifyingly little.
"Gods!" Raiyo shouted. "They're really into overreacting!"
Another shot screamed overhead, clipping the top of the mast. Wood splintered, raining shards.
Takeshi slammed a hand onto the deck to steady himself, then glared back at the rapidly shrinking fort. "If they hit this ship, I'm swimming back just to finish the job."
Raiyo laughed in spite of himself. "Remind me never to be your enemy."
The wind caught the sail, pulling them farther from the dock. The Navy guns slowly fell out of range.
Only when the boom of cannons faded completely did Raiyo let himself slump against the wheel, gasping.
"We… we did it," he said. "We actually did something insanely stupid and survived. Hecate's probably facepalming right now."
Takeshi slid his swords back into their sheaths, two at his waist, one slung over his back.
"Who are you?" he asked.
Raiyo straightened, wiped blood from his jaw, and grinned.
"Raiyo Amagiri," he said. "Captain of the Hikari's Folly. Future king of terrible plans. And I'm putting together a crew."
He jerked his chin at Takeshi. "You in, Santoryu?"
Takeshi crossed his arms. "I have one rule."
"Oh gods, here we go."
"If someone challenges me," Takeshi said, eyes sharp, "I accept. Any time. Any place. No backing down."
Raiyo stared. "That's not a rule. That's a suicide pact with your ego."
"It's who I am." He met Raiyo's gaze. "If you're fine with that, I'll sail with you. As your swordsman."
Raiyo thought about it.
About the Minotaur. About Kyoji's compass. About a world of monsters, gods, and tyrants. About a legend—an ancient stone touched by the first Irregular that could control all powers.
Having a guy who couldn't back down from a challenge was… dangerous.
But then again, so was he.
He stuck out his hand. "Welcome to the crew, Santoryu Takeshi. Try not to get us killed too fast."
Takeshi clasped his wrist in a firm grip.
"No promises, captain."
As the Hikari's Folly cut through the waves, leaving Fort Aegis and its broken order behind, Raiyo glanced down at the cracked compass.
The needle spun once, then steadied—pointing out toward the endless horizon.
He smirked.
"Alright, destiny," he said. "Let's see what else you've got."