(5800 word)
)part 1: The Onslaught of One Hundred Thousand Iron Wings upon Planet Nibiru
Three hundred thousand years before Ame Ryusaki began his legendary odyssey across the dimensional rifts of the universe, the cosmic constellations were governed by the earliest manifestation of pure energy: the Primeval Dao Hongmeng. During this epoch, the zenith of cultivation prosperity thrived under the reign of the Primordial Emperor, Agung Cahaya Dewa Niskala, and his Empress of Chaos, Larasati Lintang Candra Kirana. However, a dark chapter of history was recorded as the greatest cosmic catastrophe within the Ancestral Continent of Ancient Sunda, the Land of Nusantara.
Far across the expanse of another galaxy stood Planet Nibiru—a supreme pearl existing under the sovereign succession of the Heavenly Emperor, Xiao Ye Qing. That world stood unyielding upon an ancient foundation of cultivation that had spanned millions of solar systems. It was here that the pure essence of creation chose to dwell. The Supreme Queen of the Sky Dragons, Kaguya Akemono Yume, lived alongside her husband, Dao Qian Chen—the Dragon God of Creation, Life, and Dreams, who held absolute dominion over the Xuan Tian Continent of Planet Nibiru.
Yet, that tranquil peace shattered into fragments when destiny unleashed a storm of iron arrogance from the Orion World.
Wuuuuzzzhhh—!!!
Nibiru's outermost atmosphere was abruptly torn open. The deafening, thunderous roar instantly fractured the spiritual mountain ranges across sixteen continents simultaneously. From within the vertical rift of ruptured space, the Star Fleet of the Orion World descended. One hundred thousand dreadnoughts shaped like silver crosses, clad in quantum armor, plunged downward in a dense formation that completely blotted out the sun. Plasma-powered propulsion engines incinerated the celestial oxygen, leaving trails of bluish-green fire that clove the sky.
This was an absolute invasion led by the sovereign hand of the Maharaja, Adipati Raksa (Su Qian Yang). His arrival was part of a grand, self-serving decree. As the scion born of mixed bloodlines—the son of Prabu Dewa Niskala (The Primordial Emperor of Light) and Empress Larasati (one of the three Goddesses of Destiny and an entity of the Eight Great Primordial Sovereigns)—Adipati Raksa wielded a catastrophic fusion of dimension-rupturing technology and the chaotic laws of Hongmeng. Beneath the looming shadow of his armada, Nibiru's spiritual clouds instantly turned into a boiling sea of bronze.
Part 2: The Sky Altar of Xuan Tian: The Clash of Two Civilizations
At the highest peak of the Xuan Tian Continent, the Sky Altar stood in breathtaking majesty atop nine thousand steps of dragon jade. The supreme authorities of the Dragon Race stood poised to repel the impending doom.
Dao Qian Chen stood at the vanguard, draped in robes of midnight black interwoven with a constellation of stars that spun in perpetual motion. Beside him, his empress, Kaguya Akemono Yume, wore a nine-layered gown of pristine white silk. Her obsidian gaze was ice-cold, reflecting the image of one hundred thousand iron ships piercing through the celestial mist. Behind them, the atmosphere vibrated violently under the crushing weight of a terrifying aura exuded by the dragon lords: the Seven Rebel Great Dragons, their spiritual armor clashing with heavy metallic thuds; the Nine Earth Dragons, who drove their energetic tails deep into the planet's core; and the Elders of the fifteen continents, holding fast to ancient dragon relics.
"The technology of the Orion World..." Kaguya Akemono's voice broke through the pattering spiritual rain. "They reject the traditional path of cultivation, yet those flying iron monoliths carry incredibly dense laws of time and space. My husband, does destiny truly decree this clash?"
Dao Qian Chen struck his Dragon Staff of Creation against the jade floor. Thud! A ripple of pure dragon energy instantly surged outward, manifesting as a translucent barrier that shielded the entire continent to withstand the atmospheric pressure exerted by the alien armada.
"Adipati Raksa does not come to annihilate us, Akemono," Dao Qian Chen whispered, his sharp eyes piercing through the hull of the main dreadnought. "He comes seeking the fragments of his lost destiny. Stand ready; the entirety of the Dragon Race shall witness how the arrogance of iron fares against the immortality of dragon blood."
The central mothership spanning thirty miles long, The Hongmeng Vanguard, hovered static just a few hundred meters above the altar. Its hydraulic gates hissed open, venting plumes of freezing cosmic gas. Out from the fog of advanced technology, Maharaja Adipati Raksa stepped down upon a bridge of quantum light. He wore a battle-armor of pitch-black emblazoned with fluid gold patterns that represented his mother's chaotic energy. Behind him, thousands of Orion generals marched in lockstep, wielding particle-disintegration weaponry.
The moment Adipati Raksa's boot touched the jade floor of the Xuan Tian Altar, his gaze instantly locked onto Kaguya Akemono. A faint, enigmatic smile played upon the lips of the conqueror. That convergence did not culminate in an alliance, but rather a unilateral political decree that crushed the pride of the Dragon Race. Threatened by the muzzles of dimension-shattering plasma cannons and the absolute allure of the laws of chaos, the elegance of Kaguya Akemono slowly yielded to preserve the survival of her people.
That night, within the Takamagahara Sky Palace—which was perpetually shrouded in a techno-spiritual mist—the ultimate forbidden boundary was violated. Thus was born a catastrophic anomaly of cosmic fate: Su Madara Reishi. His birth was not the fruit of love, but the cold calculation of political intrigue and the forced convergence of the space-faring conqueror genetics of Adipati Raksa and the primordial essence of the Sky Dragon Queen, Kaguya Akemono. When Reishi drew his very first breath, the skies of Nibiru wept tears of spiritual blood. The earth convulsed violently, heralding the birth of a child of chaos, within whose veins coursed the genetic code for the devastation of the heavenly order.
Part 3: The Flight to the Ancestral Continent and the Birth of a New Dawn
In the shattered corner of this ruined destiny, Dao Qian Chen's soul was torn asunder. Witnessing his empress, his throne, and his planet trampled under the iron arrogance of a galactic law, his spiritual core was mortally wounded. The deep fractures within his dragon dantian, caused by the violent collision of primeval energies, forced Qian Chen to flee from the defiled Planet Nibiru.
With the fading remnants of his dragon might, he navigated through starstorms across millions of light-years, journeying toward a sacred haven where the reach of the Orion World's machines and calculations could never penetrate: The Ancestral Continent.
The Ancestral Continent was the true spiritual cradle of the Dao Hongmeng Primordial Realm. In this world that transcended the boundaries of space-time, mountains of jade drifted freely through the clouds, and spiritual waterfalls flowed counter-gravitationally upward in magical harmony. It was here, upon a vast expanse of eternal grass, that Dao Qian Chen collapsed his body, which was drenched in pure golden dragon blood.
Yet, this exile was not an end, but a genesis. From behind the white mist of eternal peach blossoms that bloomed across thousands of years, a woman stepped forth, her majesty surpassing all deities within the Five Realms.
She was Xiao Xue, the daughter of the Heavenly Emperor, Xiao Ye Qing. Her footsteps were so pure that they coaxed light-lotuses to bloom upon every patch of earth she trod. Upon Xiao Xue's forehead, an ancient seal glowed with a subtle luminescence—her absolute identity as the Keeper of the Keys to the Nine Heavens and the rightful heir to the throne of the Eternal Emperor of the Nine Heavens.
"A majestic Dragon God, fallen to the very nadir of existence upon the soil of the ancestors," Xiao Xue's voice resonated as melodiously as the plucking of a celestial zither, instantly soothing the turbulent wounds of the atmosphere where Qian Chen lay.
Dao Qian Chen looked up, his vision beginning to dim. "My world... has been usurped by iron and chaos, Princess of the Nine Heavens."
Xiao Xue stepped closer. Her snow-white hands reached out, channeling an eternal light that instantly locked and mended the fractured dragon soul of Qian Chen, which had been torn apart by the wrath of Adipati Raksa.
"If your old world has collapsed under the law of iron, then upon this Ancestral Continent, we shall birth a new dawn," Xiao Xue spoke, her eyes reflecting the absolute certainty of fate. "Let them celebrate the birth of the child of chaos in Nibiru. For here, with me... you shall sire a legend that will reclaim the heavens."
On the exact same day that Su Madara Reishi cried out within the cold, distorted embrace of the Orion World, on the other side of the universe within the Ancestral Continent of Ancient Sunda, the seed of destiny for Xiao Ji Saka (Aji Saka) began to be woven through the union of the blood of the Dragon God of Creation and the Princess of the Eternal Emperor of the Nine Heavens. Two infants—the final children of the Dao Hongmeng—had been born at opposite ends of the cosmos, destined to tear each other down in the cataclysmic war of the future.
Part 2 The Legend of Celestial Emperor Mistic Garuda and The Divine Dragon Emperor
The sun radiated a brilliant, blinding light, illuminating the Ancient Primordial Sunda Empire. Thirty-five years had passed since Ame Ryusaki ascended as the Mystic Maharaja of Garuda Andromeda, bearing the sovereign title of Sri Banyu Tirta Cahya, the Eternal Emperor of the Divine Light Dragon of Batara Satya. He stood as the fifth-generation Maharaja of the Eternal Empire of the Mystic Garuda, having assumed the throne fifty years ago when his father abdicated to embrace the life of a secluded hermit.
"I, Ame Ryusaki, have reigned as Emperor for thirty-five years, and this year marks my fifty-fifth winter. Throughout these three decades, I have tasted both the sweetest blessings and the bitterest tragedies."
Currently, the Emperor resided with his second daughter, Hikari Yume, and his firstborn son, Ryutaro Ryusaki. Ryutaro served as the Grand Commander of the Dark Demon Dragon Empire. Twenty-five years prior, he had been abducted by the Dark Demon Dragon Emperor to replace the Empress's son, whom Ame's wife, Anne Yume Yuki, had carried away to the Immortal Realm of the Alpha Eternity Continent.
This separation frequently triggered long-buried memories of Ame's naive youth. He had been born in the hidden Rain Village of Pancuran, within the territory of the Great Primordial Sunda Empire—a sacred land that had languished under the iron fist of the Abyssal Demon Empire for five thousand agonizing years.
Chronicles of the Great Abyssal War (Year 1500 of the Divine Era)
Those were the dark years when the Demons launched their grand crusade to subjugate the cosmos. Led by the tyrannical Demon King Sahamaru, the abyssal legions occupied the Seven Heavens and the Nine Worlds, laying waste to countless planetary kingdoms. The devastation grew so absolute that the Twelve Supreme Gods were forced to intervene to halt Sahamaru and his dread generals.
An unprecedented tripartite alliance was forged among the three greatest empires of the universe:
The Milky Way Dragon Kingdom: Led by the fourth-generation Dragon Emperor, Kotaresu Wijaya Kusuma.
The Celestial Heavenly Kingdom: Led by the Maharaja of the Sky Gods, Kenji Thian Akira Yamamoto.
The Garuda Andromeda Empire: Led by the Sovereign Maharaja, Garuda Kario Kira.
[THE TRIPARTITE ALLIANCE] │ ├─► Milky Way Dragon Kingdom (Emperor Kotaresu) ├─► Celestial Heavenly Kingdom (Maharaja Kenji Thian) └─► Garuda Andromeda Empire (Maharaja Kario Kira) vs. [THE ABYSSAL LEGION] └─► Demon King Sahamaru & The 7 Infernal Generals
Demon King Sahamaru was a creature of peerless malice and cruelty, whose foul reputation echoed across the stars. He slaughtered humans, divine beasts, and gods alike without distinction, wielding two of the fifteen feared Divine Weapons: The Demon Blade of Light and The Demon Blade of Darkness. His true demon soul was a force so cataclysmic that it eventually required the combined power of two Great Emperors to seal it away.
Sahamaru was flanked by his Seven Infernal Generals: Behemoth, Amon, Phenex, Azazil, Baal, Marut, and Harut. In his hubris, he also summoned the Seven Calamity Dragon Gods—The Apocalypse Dragon, The Emperor Dragon, The Diamond Dragon, The Black Dragon, The Hundred-Headed Dragon, The Disaster Dragon, and The Infinite Dragon—to break the allied front.
The planetary invasion eventually reached the sacred Cradle of the Dragons. Having already subjugated the mortal realms and the avian kingdoms, Sahamaru turned his wrath upon the dragon race.
To repel the onslaught, Emperor Kotaresu Wijaya Kusuma marshaled twenty thousand elite dragon warriors, his Empress, and five legendary Dragon Commanders: The White Jade, Green Jade, Blue, Gold, and Black Jade Dragons. Concurrently, Maharaja Kario Kira of the Garuda Andromeda Empire arrived alongside the Seven Sky Goddesses, the Twelve Gatekeepers of the Sealing Matrix, the Phoenix Queen, and an armada of two hundred thousand mystic avian warriors.
The ten-year war that ensued drowned the cosmos in blood and tears. During the final, cataclysmic confrontation, Maharaja Kenji Thian Akirayama reinforced the front with one hundred thousand celestial troops. The Five Dragon Commanders—each bearing the title of Supreme Sword God—engaged the five elemental forces of the enemy, while the Seven Sky Goddesses battled the Seven Infernal Generals.
With the aid of Maharaja Kario Kira, Emperor Kotaresu enacted the ultimate sealing art, trapping the Calamity Dragon Gods within seven elemental spheres. At the cost of his own life force, Kotaresu drove Demon King Sahamaru into an inescapable matrix of divine steel plate.
"Kotaresu! I shall have my vengeance upon your bloodline!" Sahamaru bellowed as the seal closed. Yet, in his final moment of freedom, the Demon King thrust his two ancestral abyssal blades—the Swords of Light and Darkness—deep into the earth, leaving a toxic legacy for the future.
Following the war, the legendary blacksmith Raterasu withdrew into absolute seclusion. To safeguard the future of the shattered cosmos, he forged five mystical swords using the blood, bone, and lingering souls of the fallen dragons.
"O elemental dragons, heed my call! By the authority of the Supreme Deity, bind your essences within these blades. For the enduring peace of the world and the stabilization of the cosmos, I grant you form!"
At the cost of his own flesh and spirit, Raterasu completed the five swords. Over the next five centuries, this tale was sung across the generations—a legend of the five knights and a lone dragon who survived the apocalypse.
Chapter I: The Disciples of the Divine Dragon Bee Sect
Five hundred years after the sealing of Sahamaru, in the heart of the Dark Dragon Empire, lay the hidden settlement known as The Heavy Rain Village. The village served as a sanctuary for cultivating exceptional warriors, housing the prestigious Bee Sect of the Dragon Goddess, founded by Dewi Naga Ayamure Yuki—the sole surviving dragon goddess from the ancient war.
Among the hundreds of outer disciples within the sect, three children stood out as core prodigies: Ame Ryusaki (an orphan whose parents had perished against the demon remnant when he was five), Anne Yume Yuki (the hidden Crown Princess of the fallen Milky Way Dragon Kingdom, entrusted to her maternal aunt Ayamure), and Kuzaki Daterasu Yuma (the eldest of the trio).
Before the shadow of war reached the village, Ayamure Yuki bestowed two ancient relics upon her prized disciples: Ame received The Dragon Blade of Light (entrusted to Ayamure by Raterasu), while Anne was given the 12th Volume of the Twin Dragon Holy Scripture, a divine legacy of the Dragon Gods.
The peace fractured when Crown Prince Shin Maryu of the Demon Empire and Fuji Yuki, the Empress of Darkness, launched a devastating raid on the sect. At fifteen years of age, lacking the strength to resist, the three disciples were forced by their master to flee into the wilderness as the sect burned behind them. During their desperate flight, the eldest, Kuzaki, encountered the legendary Sword Master Raterasu himself, who bestowed upon him The Thunder Dragon Blade, Ryuki. With these weapons in hand, their quest to liberate the Heavy Rain Village and reclaim the Milky Way Dragon Kingdom began.
Chapter II: The Encounter in the Market & The Mirage
"Ame, where are we heading?" Anne asked, her breath shallow from exhaustion.
"We must reach the nearest city to safely transcribe the scripture our master left behind," Ame replied, keeping a watchful eye on the tree line.
"I am starving," Anne muttered as they trudged through the dense foliage.
"Hold on a bit longer. We are crossing the city gates soon; there is no game to hunt in these outskirts."
As they stepped through the heavy stone archway of the settlement, they witnessed a grim spectacle. Hundreds of mortal citizens were being forced into hard labor—hauling heavy bricks, pushing carts of sand, and mixing mortar under a scorching sun. They were building a massive fortress and palace for the local demon lord. Overseers marched between the lines, unmercifully lashing anyone who faltered.
Kuzaki's fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white. "Terkutuklah kau, Raja Sahamaru! (Cursed be you, Demon King Sahamaru!)" he hissed, stepping forward to intervene.
Ame caught his shoulder, pulling him back into the shadows. "Calm down, Kuzaki. We are not here to draw attention to ourselves. Remember our mission."
Turning toward the market square in search of provisions, their path was suddenly blocked by a battalion of demon soldiers escorting a heavily bound woman.
"Move the captive to the vanguard!" the commanding officer barked.
Ame's heart stirred at the sight of the woman's suffering. "Kuzaki, guard Anne. I am going to free her."
"Understood. Be careful, Ame, they outnumber you."
Swiiifff—!
With lethal speed, Ame blurred across the cobblestones, materializing directly within the demon guard's perimeter.
"Twin Dragon Style: Twelve Flashes of the Horizon!"
His blade sang through the air. Twelve rapid, blinding strikes erupted in a silver arc. The surrounding guards had no time to react; limbs were severed, and black blood spattered across the stone floor as a soldier's arm flew from its socket.
"Impertinent brat!" the Commander roared, drawing his dark blade.
"Twelve Steps of the Ascent: Sky-Piercing Dragon!" Ame countered, deflecting the commander's heavy downward strike.
Clang! Clang!
"I will end you here and break her chains," Ame declared, his aura flaring with righteous light. The remaining demon soldiers charged, only to be systematically cut down by Ame's relentless swordsmanship until only the Commander and the bound woman remained.
"I shall test your blade with my finest strike," Ame challenged. The duel was fierce, their swords leaving trails of residual light in the dim marketplace, but with a swift, decisive maneuver—"Twelve Steps to Nirvana: Sky-Cleaving Dragon Claws"—Ame bypassed the Commander's guard. Slash! The demon officer's head rolled across the pavement.
Ame sheared through the heavy iron chains binding the woman. "You are safe now, my lady."
"Thank you for saving my life, warrior," she replied softly, rubbing her wrists.
"Please, there is no need for formalities. Call me Ame."
"Forgive my lack of manners. My name is Ani Sakura Yuki."
Ame froze, utterly captivated by her peerless beauty. He turned his head to look at Anne, who had just run up alongside Kuzaki, and gasped. The two women possessed identical faces.
"You have grown well, Anne. How have you been?" Ani Sakura Yuki asked with a knowing smile.
Anne stumbled back in shock. "I... I am well. But who are you? How do you know my name?"
"Hush now, child. You seek answers, and you shall have them," the mysterious woman murmured. "But not here, and not today. Time will reveal the tapestry of your lineage."
Kuzaki, recovering from the shock, openly admired her figure. "Wow... what a stunningly beautiful woman."
Ani Sakura Yuki cast a sharp, piercing glare at Kuzaki, while Anne promptly elbowed him in the ribs. "Keep your eyes to yourself!"
Before another word could be uttered, the woman vanished into thin air, leaving only a faint scent of cherry blossoms behind.
"Where did she go?" Kuzaki blinked, looking around the empty alley.
"I don't know," Ame replied, sheathing his sword.
"Could she be a ghost? Heavens, that sends shivers down my spine," Kuzaki muttered, rubbing his arms. "What a pity... I didn't get to appreciate her face long enough."
"Hmph, womanizer," Anne scolded.
Standing in the quiet market, the three young warriors raised their voices, shouting their deepest ambitions into the sky to forge their pact:
"I want to find my mother and father!" Anne cried. "I want to liberate my homeland from this darkness!" Ame declared. "I want to crush King Sahamaru, who slaughtered my parents!" Kuzaki roared.
From that day forward, they bound their destinies together as brothers and sisters in arms, sworn to shatter the tyranny of the Demon King.
Chapter III: The Shadow Over the Camp
Meanwhile, in the Seventh Celestial Heaven—the dwelling of the Gods—the Crimson-Haired Queen of the Sky Goddesses issued a divine decree to her trusted warrior, Inoe.
"Inoe, I charge you with a sacred mission. You must descend to the Mortal Dragon Realm and protect the reincarnation of the Princess of the Divine Light Dragon. Guard her with your life, for she must never fall into the hands of the Demon King."
"By your command, Mother. I shall fulfill the mandate," Inoe replied, bowing low before departing.
Back in the mortal realm, deep within the neutral forests bridging the Milky Way Dragon Kingdom and the Pegasus Realm, a ferocious duel was underway. The shockwaves of colliding blades deafened the local wildlife.
"Twin Dragon Style: Absolute Frost Slash!" a female voice echoed. "Thunder Dragon Style: Gale Force Strike!" a male voice countered.
Clang! Clang!
The two combatants moved like dancers atop a sea of blades, shifting effortlessly between playful feints and lethal thrusts.
"Who are you?" the woman demanded, parrying a swift thrust. "I am the one who will bring about your end," the man replied, his face hidden beneath a dark traveling cloak. "I am not so easily vanquished! Face me!"
Back at the campsite, Anne slumped against a mossy log, her stomach growling loudly. "I'm so hungry..."
"I'll go into the forest to hunt some game," Ame said, turning to his companion. "Kuzaki, stay here and guard Anne."
"Understood," Kuzaki nodded, resting his hand on his hilt. "Take your Light Dragon Blade with you."
"Keep it. I have my own steel, and you might need the extra protection," Ame said, noticing Kuzaki's defensive posture. "By the way, where exactly did you obtain that Thunder Dragon Blade, Ryuki?"
"It's a long story."
Ame stared intently at him, sensing a hidden truth. Kuzaki smiled sheepishly. "I'll tell you everything once you return from the hunt."
"Deal."
While Ame ventured into the thickets, Anne, overcome by exhaustion and hunger, fell fast asleep. "Hah, a true sleeping princess," Kuzaki whispered softly, gently brushing a stray lock of hair from her forehead. "You've suffered so much, trailing through these harsh lands. Rest now... it is the best medicine for you."
Deep in the woods, Ame spotted a wild stag. "This will be perfect for Anne," he muttered, drawing a hunting knife.
A short while later, Ame returned with the quarry. Anne awoke to the smell of roasting meat as they cooked the venison over an open fire. She meticulously carved the meat into three equal portions, and they ate in silence.
Kruyuuuk...
"What was that sound?" Kuzaki asked, looking around.
"That... was my stomach again. I'm still hungry," Anne admitted, blushing furiously. Ame and Kuzaki exchanged dumbfounded looks.
"Alright, alright," Ame laughed, standing up. "I'll go find more game. Kuzaki, even though you have the Ryuki blade, I have a bad premonition. Take my Light Dragon Blade just in case."
"Don't worry, Ame. I will keep her safe," Kuzaki promised.
Chapter IV: The Abduction & The Truth of the Past
By the time night fell, Anne woke up from a second restless slumber. The fire had died down to embers, and neither Ame nor Kuzaki was anywhere to be seen. She stood up, panic rising in her chest. "Kuzaki? Ame? Where are you?"
Suddenly, a tall, imposing figure materialized from the shadows directly in front of her.
"You—!" Anne gasped, reaching for the nearest weapon. "Kuzaki, help!"
Kuzaki burst through the bushes, having been patrolling the perimeter. "Anne! Unhand her! Who are you?"
"Who am I?" the cloaked stranger sneered, drawing a gleaming black sword. "I am your demise!"
Sreeet—! The assassin lunged at Kuzaki with a blinding horizontal slash.
Clang!
The blades clashed, throwing off sparks in the dark woods. "So, this princess is your precious lover," the attacker mocked.
"Release her!" Kuzaki roared, his aura flaring with lightning. "Face me like a true warrior. We fight until one of us lies dead on this soil!"
"A commendable spirit," the stranger laughed.
Swifff! Swifff! Clang! Clang!
Kuzaki managed to parry up to ninety-nine consecutive strikes, but by the hundredth exchange, his fatigue caught up to him. His guard faltered, and the enemy's blade tore a deep gash across his chest. "Argh!" Kuzaki collapsed, coughing up blood.
"A formidable effort, young warrior. Forgive me..." the attacker murmured. He placed the unconscious Anne into a coarse burlap sack, slung her over his tegap shoulder, and retreated into the darkness, taking Ame's Light Dragon Blade with him.
When Ame returned to the campsite carrying an abundance of game, he found the fire extinguished and the area ransacked. "Anne? Kuzaki? Where are you guys?"
A weak groan echoed from the base of a large oak tree. "Ame... I'm sorry..." Kuzaki whispered, slipping into unconsciousness from severe blood loss.
"Who did this?!" Ame roared, his fists trembling with rage.
Swoosh—! An arrow whistled past Ame's ear, embedding itself deeply into a nearby tree trunk. Attached to the shaft was a rolled parchment. Ame ripped it open and read the message: Anne had been taken by mercenaries contracted by the Demon Kingdom—members of the rogue Go Su Ken faction.
"Forgive me, Ame... I wasn't strong enough to protect her," Kuzaki groaned, briefly regaining consciousness as Ame applied pressure to his wound.
"Stop wasting your breath on blame," Ame said firmly, his eyes burning with determination. "First, we heal your wounds. Then, we hunt them down and take Anne back. Rest now."
Leaving Kuzaki within a concealed cave, Ame ventured into the forbidden sections of the forest under the twilight sky, gathering rare spiritual herbs to staunch the bleeding and mend Kuzaki's fractured channels.
Chapter V: The Interrogation in the Dark
Concurrently, within a damp, pitch-black chamber, Anne slowly opened her eyes. She could see nothing but absolute darkness. "Where am I? Why is it so dark?" She gasped for air, finding the atmosphere suffocatingly thin. Reaching to her left, her fingers brushed against a cold metallic hilt. Ame's sword. He left it with me.
"Let me go! Release me this instant!" she shouted into the void.
"Quiet, girl, or I will ensure you remain silent permanently," a stern voice echoed from the shadows as a torch was lit.
"You... you are the one who attacked Kuzaki! You are looking for his lover, Inoe, aren't you?" Anne challenged, trying to hide her fear.
"Inoe? No, I care nothing for that girl. Who exactly are you?" the captor demanded, stepping into the light.
"My name is Anne Yume Yuki!"
The captor's eyes widened in profound shock. "You... Princess Anne?!" He immediately lowered his blade, his demeanor shifting entirely. "Forgive my transgressions, Your Highness. My name is Ryuzaki Santa Yuma Misaga."
Anne studied the man. He was a handsome young warrior, roughly twenty-six years of age, with distinct orange hair, a broad countenance, and a towering, muscular build standing over six feet tall.
"There is no need for apologies, Commander," Anne said softly, recognizing the insignia on his tattered cloak. "You are one of the Five Jade Dragon Commanders who fought alongside my father against the Demon King."
"Yes, that was once my title," Ryuzaki sighed, looking down in shame. "Though it brings me great dishonor to admit that I now serve the Dark Demon Dragon Kingdom under the banner of the Crown Prince."
"But did you not defeat the five legendary elemental dragons? The scriptures call you a legendary hero."
"Empty praise and political fabrications, Princess. Tell me... do you know the fate of your father, the Emperor?"
Anne frowned, her heart sinking. "What do you mean?"
"He fell five centuries ago," Ryuzaki revealed solemnly. "To seal the Seven Calamity Dragons and King Sahamaru within the stone monoliths, he and the Supreme Shinigami sacrificed their very souls for the survival of the homeland."
"Oh, Father..." Anne wept, the crushing weight of the revelation shattering her spirit. "You left this world before I could even look upon your face..." Overwhelmed by grief, her vision blurred, and she succumbed to darkness once more.
Thirty minutes later, she awoke to Ryuzaki offering her a cup of water. "Be strong, Princess. You must endure."
"I understand, Uncle Ryuzaki," she whispered.
"Though I respect your lineage, my orders are absolute. You must remain our hostage to demonstrate to the world that the Demon King's dominion is absolute." Binding her hands with a soft silk rope, Ryuzaki escorted her toward the grand imperial highway.
Chapter VI: The Clash of Wills & The Awakening of Inoe
Two days had passed since Anne's abduction. Back at the cave, Ame continuously channeled his inner Qi into Kuzaki's body to accelerate his recovery. That night, Ame tossed and turned in a fitful slumber, plagued by horrific nightmares. He saw Anne cornered by a woman with her identical face, her torso pierced by a black blade, before the vision shifted to her being bound to a sacrificial cross and executed.
"Wake up, Ame!" Kuzaki shouted, shaking his shoulder.
"Hah... hah..." Ame bolted upright, drenched in cold sweat.
"I am functional, Ame. My internal injuries have stabilized. But what about you? You were screaming."
"I saw Anne... she was killed in my dream," Ame choked out, clutching his chest. "I never realized how hollow my heart would feel without her beside me. I need to find her, Kuzaki. I need to tell her how I feel."
"And we will," Kuzaki resolved, gripping his shoulder. "As soon as we check on our other guest."
Three days prior, Ame had discovered another unconscious body near the western border of the forbidden forest, right after a colossal explosion had leveled a quarter of the woodland, scattering wild beasts in every direction. The victim was a woman with crimson hair and a perfectly proportioned physique, appearing to be around twenty-four years of age. She suffered from severe internal meridian ruptures—the exact same injuries Kuzaki had sustained.
When Kuzaki saw her face, his breath hitched. "Inoe! Who did this to you?!"
"So this is the woman the Jade Commander was tracking," Ame remarked. "Do you know her?"
"Yes, she was my companion when I was thirteen," Kuzaki said, his voice trembling. "Can you save her, Ame?"
"With the grace of the Supreme Ancestor, I can stabilize her core. But her meridians are too delicate; I cannot risk touching her bare skin to direct the Qi."
"Then guide my hands," Kuzaki stated resolutely. "Channel your energy through me, and I will weave it into her network."
Flashback: The Duel of Frost and Gale
The day before she was found crippled, Inoe had been secluded in the western ridge, attempting to cultivate the Gemini Dragon Sword Technique from the 15th Volume of the Ultimate Twin Dragon Scripture. It was a volatile art; a single misstep in the circulation of energy could obliterate the practitioner's soul.
As she executed the complex footwork, a sudden shadow leaped from the canopy, a dark blade whistling toward her throat.
The attacker was none other than Reishi Sumadara. From his vantage point, he had noticed her flawed execution. If she continues that sequence, her channels will implode. I must force her to redirect the flow, he thought.
"Twin Dragon Style: Absolute Dark Frost Slash!" Reishi commanded, a massive phantom of a dark-blue frost dragon with three pairs of ice wings manifesting behind him.
"Why are you attacking me?!" Inoe shrieked, forced into a defensive stance. "Thunder Dragon Style: Tempest Gale!" A vibrant green dragon with crimson eyes erupted from her blade as they clashed.
Clang! Clang! Boom!
Reishi pushed her through the remaining steps of the scripture, matching her frost with his gale, forcing her body to adapt to the immense pressure. By the final exchange—"Gale Dragon: Maryu Divine Cannon"—Inoe's body reached its absolute limit. The backlash of the scripture combined with Reishi's suppressed strike knocked her unconscious, her meridians successfully reset but her body battered from the exertion.
"Lucky girl," Reishi murmured, sheathing his sword as he felt his own old wounds flare up. "Had I used a fraction more of my true strength, you would be dust." He retreated to the base of a massive banyan tree, crossing his legs to enter a deep meditative trance to heal his deep-seated soul injuries.
Epilogue: The Wanderer of the Banyan Tree
On the eastern border separating the villages of Ame and Ni, Ryuzaki and Anne continued their march toward the Dark Dragon capital. As they neared a clearing, Ryuzaki suddenly pulled Anne into the brush. "Someone is ahead. Conceal your presence."
Sitting beneath a massive banyan tree was Reishi Sumadara. He sat perfectly still, arms crossed over his chest, looking like an ancient statue. Reishi was a figure hunted by all three major factions—the Garuda Andromeda Empire, the Milky Way Dragon Kingdom, and the Demon Sovereign. Yet, the politics of the world mattered nothing to him. Whether they slaughtered each other or burned the heavens, his existence remained fundamentally hollow ever since the person he loved had abandoned him.
Suddenly, before Ryuzaki could even blink, the space behind them distorted. Reishi was standing directly behind them, his cold gaze piercing their cover.
"Who goes there?" Reishi's voice was devoid of emotion.
Ryuzaki drew his weapon, placing himself between the wanderer and the princess. "Identify yourself!"
Reishi looked at his own hands, a bitter smile touching his lips. "Who am I? A fair question... but it is highly discourteous to spy on a stranger's meditation."
Anne stepped out from behind Ryuzaki, bowing elegantly. "Please lower your blade, sir. My name is Anne Yume Yuki, and this is my guardian, Ryuzaki. We are merely travelers who stumbled upon your sanctuary by accident."
The wanderer's eyes focused on the broad-shouldered commander. "Sumadara Reishi."
Ryuzaki's jaw dropped, his weapon wavering. "The... the Grand Marshal of the Garuda Andromeda Empire? To think a legendary figure such as yourself would be wandering these forgotten borders."
Reishi turned back toward the banyan tree, his cloak fluttering in the wind. "That title belongs to a past life, Commander. Now, I am nothing more than an outcast chasing ghosts in a hollow universe."