REDN

Ashen Blade: Legacy of the Forgotten is a dystopian cyberpunk thriller set in a future where the world has been reshaped by the unchecked power of corporate dynasties known as the Keiretsu (系列). These massive conglomerates have replaced nations and governments, molding the world through commerce, warfare, and control. In this new age, power is everything, and survival is earned—not guaranteed.

The social structure is brutal, built on a rigid hierarchy where strength and honor are the currency of survival. At the top are the Kurokenshi (黒剣士)—elite warriors who maintain their humanity despite advanced augmentations. Beneath them, the Integrated rely on cybernetic enhancements to survive, while the Unshackled, those without enhancements, struggle to cling to a dying existence. The lowest rung, however, is occupied by the Glitched—individuals who should not exist. Born outside corporate control or as failed prototypes, they are anomalies—threats in a world that cannot afford mistakes.

The story follows Ash Atsuyuki, the last of the Shirogiri clan, a once-proud bloodline of elite warriors now reduced to fighting for survival in a world that has moved beyond honor and tradition. His family’s name is little more than a relic, a fading echo of an era when power was earned through steel, discipline, and the ancient martial codes of Kurogami (黒神)—the planet that birthed his ancestors. With his father gone, his mother dead, and his grandfather clinging to life, Ash walks the crumbling streets of a city ruled by corporate power and surveillance, where history and bloodlines no longer matter.

Ash’s journey is one of reclaiming not just his heritage, but the very essence of power. In a world where only the strong survive, Ash must rise above the ruins of his family’s name, rediscover the forgotten martial techniques of the Black Gods, and reclaim his place among the elite. But in a world dominated by corporate overlords and enhanced warriors, can a fallen bloodline ever truly rise again?

This story is officially being posted on RoyalRoad.com under the account REDN_CHRONICLES.

Ashen Blade: Legacy of the Forgotten

Ash's victory didn't just shake the tournament—it sent shock waves through the underworld.

The Shirogiri name had been little more than a whispered legend. A relic of a fallen dynasty. But now? Now it was on every crime syndicate's radar.

Powerful figures who had once dismissed him as an irrelevant heir were reassessing their positions.

The Rising Threat

In the smoke-filled halls of an underground syndicate meeting, holograms of crime lords, corporate heads, and mercenary leaders flickered to life. A council of power, hidden from the public eye, now discussing one man.

A grizzled Yamagata Zaibatsu boss exhaled smoke, his cybernetic eye glowing red. "The boy is reckless. But dangerous. If the Shirogiri rise again, they could disrupt our balance."

A woman dressed in Aether Corp executive attire scoffed. "He's one fighter. A child playing with forces he doesn't understand."

A cold voice cut through the noise. "He survived. And worse—he won. That means something."

The power players were watching. And some were preparing their next move.

Back at the Shirogiri estate, Kaito leaned against the balcony, arms crossed.

"You know what this means, right?" he said, his voice calm but firm.

Ash nodded, watching the cityscape. "Winning was the easy part. Holding power is the real fight."

Kaito exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "The moment you stepped back into the light, you became a target. The old clans, the corporations, the syndicates—they'll all want a piece of you. Or they'll want you gone."

Kaito shook his head. "That's not the problem, Ash. The problem is that some of them won't just 'try.' They'll burn everything down if it means stopping the Shirogiri's return."

Deep within cyberspace, Kenshiko navigated the labyrinth of encrypted financial networks, weaving through firewalls with ease. The mountain of credits was already flowing into Shirogiri-controlled accounts, siphoned from the losing bets of underworld gamblers.

She had bet everything on Ash. And now? She had rewritten the digital economy in their favor.

But in the real world, a group of very unhappy men watched their accounts drain, their systems flagging unexplained losses. The kind of men who didn't take financial hits lightly.

One of them, a syndicate banker with a cybernetic interface, slammed his fist against a table. "That was a lot of money that just vanished. Some might say… unfairly."

In the data streams, Kenshiko's presence flickered like a shadow. "Sounds like someone doesn't understand how bets work."

The enforcer's expression darkened. "Maybe we take it back another way."

She exhaled, setting her glass down. "I was hoping you'd say that."

The digital battlefield erupted as counter-hackers tried to trace her. Firewalls collapsed. Intrusion programs crashed. Kenshiko dismantled them with ruthless precision. Their accounts remained frozen. Their credits—gone.

The War Has Begun

Ash turned as Kaito's communicator buzzed with an urgent message.

Kenshiko's voice came through, amused but edged with adrenaline.

"Let's just say they didn't want to pay up. And now their friends are getting involved."

Kaito groaned. "Great. We just won, and now we're already at war."

Ash clenched his fists, his mind already shifting to the next fight.

"Then let's make sure they know... the Shirogiri are here to stay."

THE UNDERWORLD'S RESPONSE