The battle was over.
The forest was a graveyard of broken trees and scorched earth. The air didn't just smell like smoke. It smelled like ionized Shin-Noa.
Crunch. Crunch.
Heavy, frantic footsteps shattered the silence.
"My Lord! My Lady!"
A squad of warrior(soldier) burst through the smoking treeline. Their armor was dented. Their blades were dripping with the blood of the assassins. The moment they saw the destruction, they froze.
The cavern was gone. The ceiling had been obliterated by a pillar of pure light.
The soldiers didn't hesitate. They slammed their foreheads into the dirt.
"Report!"
The Shin-Zenshu's voice was like a physical weight. He stood amidst the rubble, his royal cloak shielding the Shin-Hi and the newborn child.
"The... the ambush is broken, Sire!" the lead soldier stammered. "Most are dead. The rest fled into the woods. We are hunting them now." He gulped, his eyes fixed on the ground. "The Palace has sent backup. They are arriving now."
The Shin-Zenshu took a slow, deliberate step forward.
The temperature in the crater dropped.
"Listen to me carefully," he whispered.
The soldiers flinched.
"Whatever you saw here today... whatever destruction you witnessed... it dies with you." His eyes narrowed, leaking pure killing intent. "If a single word escapes your lips, I will not just kill you. I will erase your entire bloodlines from history. Am I understood?"
"On our souls, we swear absolute silence, Sire!" they chanted in terror.
"Secure the perimeter. Wait for the General (Kazuki) ."
The soldiers scrambled away, terrified to look back.
Silence returned to the ruins. The Shin-Zenshu looked down at the bundle in the Queen's arms.
His son was sleeping.
But the mark on his chest the Black Box Silent Prison was pulsing.
Red and Green.Destruction and Serenity.
The Supreme Leader felt a cold shiver.
Is this him?
For centuries, it was just a legend. A myth to scare warriors. The Hybrid Anomaly.
A child born with two opposing Rhythms. A child who could weave the very fabric of existence... or tear it apart.
You have five years, my son.In five years, this seal will shatter.
Will you be the Saviour?
Or will you be the end of us all?
THUD. THUD. THUD.
The ground vibrated.
A massive presence was approaching.
The Shin-Taisho the Grand General (Kazuki) stepped into the light. His golden armor was untouched by the bloodbath. He offered a crisp, perfect salute.
"My Lord. The perimeter is locked down. The royal buggy is ready."
The Shin-Zenshu lifted his wife and child.
But as he walked past the General (Kazuki) , he stopped.
"Commander."
"Sire?"
"Tear this forest apart," the Shin-Zenshu ordered, his voice dripping with ice.
"I want names. I want blood. And I want them alive so I can break them myself."
"It will be done, My Lord!"
A scout rode up to the carriage, breathless.
"Sire! The path ahead is purged. The route to the capital is safe!"
The Supreme Leader settled into the carriage.
He looked at the black brand over the child's heart.
"Move out."
The wheels ground into the dirt, leaving the ruins behind.
CLANG.
The heavy carriage doors slammed shut.
Outside, the elite guards shouted their orders. Under absolute security, the convoy finally began to move.
Inside the dim cabin, the Shin-Zenshu sat in dead silence.
'If it's really him...' He clenched his fists. 'No. It is him. I am sure of it.'
The weight of the world pressed down on the Supreme Leader's shoulders.
'We have to protect him,' he thought. 'His training must be perfect. One day, the fate of the entire world will rest on his decisions. We cannot let him walk the wrong path.'
He let out a heavy breath and slowly turned his head.
Beside him sat the Shin-Hi. The True Queen looked back at him, her eyes reflecting the same quiet fear.
He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a tense whisper.
"Listen to me."
She nodded.
"For his own protection... we must hide the truth of his birth."
He held her gaze, his expression dead serious.
"From now on, we tell everyone he was born exactly one day after the Day of Salvation."
His eyes grew cold and sharp.
"No one can ever know the real timeline. If these secret leaks... it will be the end of our son."
The clock had started.
5 Years Remaining.