Roderic05

In an era where every person is safeguarded by their personal Shinigami — and primal soul reapers that patrol the Earth — Kaito Ryūzaki, an enigmatic and penitent Shinigami, has stayed solitary for centuries, declining to form a master bond. Nurtured by the failure to save his first master, a girl named Hikari, Kaito promised he would form no bond again. But after he meets Emiko Fujimura, a young woman whose life teeters on the edge of a blade, Kaito is shanghaied into another deal.

Emiko’s close call echoes the tragedy of Kaito’s past, and he is determined to save her from a fate he couldn’t prevent. But in a world where eliminating a Shinigami and their master can endow you with incredible power, Kaito’s choice lands both him and Emiko in the sights of competing Shinigami and their masters. Struggling for survival, Kaito will fight the demons of his past and the threat of betrayal around every corner, while Emiko will discover the secret to her link to the Shinigami world.

Sworn to the cause and pursued by adversaries, Kaito and Emiko must endure tests beyond their wildest nightmares to win their place as the most feared Shinigami and greatest master–apprentice pair, or see their bond destroyed by the world’s endless thirst for power.

Soulbound: The Shinigami's Oath

Kaito and Emiko strode away from the abandoned warehouse into the crisp night air, their footsteps reverberating in the empty street. The fight may have been won, but the air still carried the weight of tension, like a shadow left in its wake. Emiko kept looking at Kaito, her head spinning with thoughts she wasn't able to fully comprehend.

She had done something back there — something she didn't understand.

Kaito used to refer to such a thing as spiritual energy, which she had never experienced. It was hunger for primal power, deep inside her, something inside her waking up for the first time. Plus the way the enemy Shinigami had responded… it unsettled her.

"Kaito," she finally said, shattering the silence. "What was that guy talking about I was 'awakening'?"

A sigh escaped Kaito's lips as he rubbed the back of his neck. "It means what it sounds like." You're beginning to activate your spiritual potential."

Emiko frowned. "But I don't even know how to use it.

"That is why we're going to go train," Kaito said. "I thought you wanted to get stronger, huh? This is the first step."

Emiko hesitated. She had to get stronger — she wanted to. She had witnessed firsthand how powerless she was in that battle. If Kaito hadn't intervened, she would have died immediately. And she would not be a burden.

"Okay," she said firmly. "I'm ready."

Kaito smirked. "Don't say that too soon. You might regret it."

They walked in silence a little longer, heading toward the outskirts of the city. Finally, they reached a deserted shrine deep inside the forest. The air here felt… different. It weighed down, full of something you could not see.

"Such powerful spiritual energies at work in this place," Kaito said, stepping forward. "It's the ideal training ground."

The sight of the old, weathered shrine was enough for Emiko to look around. The stone steps were cracked with age, and vines wound around the wooden pillars. It was eerie, but oddly serene.

Kaito turned to her. "Alright, first things first. Close your eyes."

"Now," Kaito went on, "center. Feel the energy inside you. It's there, you just have to find it."

Emiko inhaled a deep breath, attempting to focus. She stood there, listening to the sound of the wind stirring among the trees, the distant hoot of an owl.

Something stirring in her heart — a glow, warm, flickering. It wasn't strong, but it was present — something deep inside her, waiting to be roused.

"I… I think I can feel it," she murmured.

Kaito nodded. "Good. Now, try to bring it out."

Emiko concentrated harder, urging the energy to rise. The warmth in her chest intensified and radiated throughout her body like a circuit. Now she could feel it, a force she had never noticed.

But then, just when she believed she was getting it, something broke.

She had unleashing a wave of power from herself sending a wind out which went through the shrine. The trees rattled, leaves spinning in the air.

Emiko gasped, stumbling back. "What was that?! "

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "That was you."

Emiko's heart pounded. "I—I didn't mean to do that."

"Of course not," Kaito said. "You're new to this. It'll take time to control. But that's a positive sign — it means you have potential."

Emiko gulped, still shaken. "So… what now?"

Kaito smirked. "Now, we keep training. You have to learn how to control that power before someone comes looking for us."

Emiko balled her fists, resolve hardening in her eyes.

She wasn't going to be weak anymore.

That she was going to become strong.

Road of Power