In the Last Episode...
Ekai and Akaio finally arrived at the beautiful private island to enjoy a peaceful vacation after defeating Toyomi. They explored the island, admired its breathtaking scenery, discovered a hidden waterfall cave, and spent the night at a luxury hotel.
However, unknown to them, a mysterious man silently watched their every move from the shadows.
Later, another mysterious figure revealed himself.
His name was Ren.
A lone swordsman dressed in a black haori, wearing a kasa hat and a mask that hid his face. His incredible swordsmanship left everyone speechless, and without showing any emotion, he disappeared back into the darkness.
But the story had only just begun...
---
Present Time
The evening sky slowly turned orange as the sun began to disappear beyond the endless ocean.
A cool breeze flowed across the island while the streets became quieter.
Ekai and Akaio slowly walked back toward their luxury hotel after spending another enjoyable day exploring.
Akaio stretched his arms with a smile.
"I didn't know this island was so huge."
Ekai laughed.
"And we've only explored a small part of it."
The streets were decorated with glowing lanterns that slowly lit up one after another.
Small restaurants welcomed tourists with delicious smells drifting through the air.
Musicians played peaceful melodies near the harbor while families enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere.
For the first time in a long while, neither Ekai nor Akaio had to think about battles.
They were simply enjoying life.
Eventually, they reached the hotel.
The grand entrance shined beneath golden lights.
Hotel staff welcomed every guest with polite smiles.
Ekai and Akaio entered the lobby before taking the elevator to their room.
Once inside, Akaio immediately jumped onto the soft bed.
"This bed is amazing."
Ekai smiled as he opened the curtains.
Outside, the moon reflected across the calm ocean.
"It really is peaceful here."
Neither of them noticed that somewhere else on the island...
Darkness had already begun moving.
---
Far away from the tourist district...
A lonely street remained completely silent.
Only the sound of footsteps echoed between the buildings.
Ren calmly walked through the shadows.
His face remained hidden beneath his kasa hat.
His black haori gently moved with the night wind.
His hand rested near the handle of his katana.
His expression never changed.
Suddenly...
Several masked assassins silently appeared from rooftops and narrow alleys.
Without saying a single word...
They surrounded Ren.
One of them stepped forward.
"So we finally found you."
Another tightened his grip on his weapon.
"This ends tonight."
Ren didn't even stop walking.
His footsteps remained calm.
The assassins rushed toward him.
For a single moment...
Everything became silent.
A flash of steel crossed the street.
Before anyone could understand what had happened...
The assassins had already fallen to the ground, defeated.
Only one remained standing.
His hands trembled.
His breathing became heavy.
"N-No..."
"You're..."
"You're a monster..."
His voice shook with fear.
Ren simply looked at him.
He did not understand why the assassin seemed terrified.
Then...
Something strange happened.
Behind Ren...
A massive dark figure slowly appeared.
Its enormous glowing eyes stared directly at the frightened assassin.
Its presence alone made the air feel unbelievably heavy.
The surviving assassin could barely move.
His entire body froze.
Sweat rolled down his face.
He wasn't looking at Ren.
He was looking at whatever stood behind him.
But Ren never turned around.
He seemed completely unaware that anything was there.
He quietly sheathed his katana.
A moment later...
The last assassin collapsed.
Silence returned once again.
Ren slowly continued walking.
"I don't have any special powers..."
he quietly said to himself.
"I simply swing my sword."
He disappeared into another dark alley.
Yet the enormous shadow silently followed him.
It made no sound.
It left no footprints.
Only its glowing eyes remained visible before they too vanished into the darkness.
---
Several streets away...
Ren continued walking through the sleeping city.
Clouds slowly covered the moon.
The streets became darker.
Suddenly...
Four more armed men blocked his path.
Another group.
Another ambush.
One of them smiled confidently.
"This time you have nowhere to run."
Ren stopped.
He let out a small sigh.
"Bye."
The four men rushed toward him together.
A single silver flash crossed the darkness.
The next moment...
Their weapons fell onto the ground.
The attackers were defeated almost instantly.
People watching from nearby windows could hardly believe what they had witnessed.
"How..."
"How did he move that fast?"
Then...
Their eyes widened.
Behind Ren...
That same terrifying shadow appeared once again.
Its glowing eyes slowly looked toward every witness.
Nobody dared to move.
Nobody dared to speak.
A cold wind passed through the street.
Ren quietly adjusted his kasa hat.
Without looking back...
He walked into the darkness.
Within seconds...
He completely disappeared.
Only the mysterious shadow remained for a brief moment before vanishing as well.
No one could explain what they had seen.
---
The next morning...
Warm sunlight entered Ekai and Akaio's hotel room.
The sound of waves gently reached the balcony.
Akaio stretched before opening the window.
"What a beautiful morning."
Ekai smiled.
"I wonder what we should explore today."
Akaio suddenly remembered something.
"Ekai!"
"What?"
"You remember those floating mountains?"
Ekai looked toward the sky through the window.
High above the island...
The floating mountains drifted peacefully among the clouds.
They looked even more beautiful in the morning light.
Akaio smiled excitedly.
"Can we go there today?"
Ekai nodded.
"Of course."
"I wanted to explore them too."
The two quickly finished breakfast before heading outside.
Near the edge of the island...
They summoned their Guardians.
Bright energy surrounded both of them.
Moments later...
Their powerful Guardians appeared before them.
The Guardians bowed respectfully.
Ekai smiled.
"Let's go."
The Guardians lifted them into the sky.
They flew higher and higher above the island.
The ocean became smaller beneath them.
Clouds surrounded them from every direction.
After several minutes...
The floating mountains finally stood directly before them.
The scenery was beyond imagination.
Huge waterfalls poured from floating cliffs into the clouds below.
Beautiful gardens covered every mountain.
Crystal-clear rivers flowed peacefully across green fields.
Colorful birds flew through the air while butterflies floated between countless flowers.
Small bridges connected one floating island to another.
Everything felt peaceful.
Akaio looked around with sparkling eyes.
"Wow..."
"This place is so beautiful."
Ekai smiled.
"I've never seen anything like this."
As they continued walking...
They noticed something unexpected.
Many people were working together.
Some carefully planted flowers.
Others cleaned the walking paths.
Several groups repaired wooden bridges while others watered gardens filled with colorful plants.
Everyone worked together to keep the floating mountains clean and beautiful.
A gentle breeze carried the sweet scent of flowers through the air.
Neither Ekai nor Akaio realized...
Far below...
Hidden somewhere within the island...
Ren continued walking with the mysterious shadow silently following behind him.
And somewhere in the darkness...
A far greater evil had already begun watching all three of them.
TO BE CONTINUED