The Crimson Night - 1

The garden of Shirogiri Manor was a place of silence, a sanctuary amidst the storm of war. The crimson glow of paper lanterns bathed the space in a soft, eerie light, casting long shadows on the manicured grass. Ash sat cross-legged beneath the moonlight, his body still, his breath steady, as he meditated. The koi pond mirrored the heavens, reflecting the moon's light in an unbroken, peaceful surface. But in the stillness of that serene moment, danger stirred, barely perceptible to the human eye.

Five shadows emerged from the darkness, their movements a blur, their presence unnoticed by all but the most trained observers. The Five Deadliest Assassins—legends in their own right—had arrived.

Their names whispered in terror in the darkest corners of the world:

Kurai-no-Kaze, the Black Wind, a master of silent death, invisible as the wind itself.Jinrai, the Thunder Blade, a lightning-fast striker whose blows could cleave through a man before the eye could blink.Mukuro, the Hollow Ghost, a killer who vanished into the ether before his victim even knew he was there.Shinsei, the Divine Killing Hand, a nerve master who could paralyze or kill with a single strike.And Tsumetsu, the Ender of Bloodlines, a man whose mere name was a death sentence.

Without warning, they attacked in unison. Five figures, five killers, moving as one to end Ash's life.

Ash rose from his seated position, his movements fluid, like water. His katana was already in his hand, and the night air seemed to press against him, as if holding its breath.

As the assassins closed in, Ash's senses snapped into focus. His enemies' movements were lightning fast, but he was faster still.

Kage no Jutsu.

The air seemed to ripple as Ash summoned the power of the shadows around him. His form blurred into the darkness, melting into the blackness as his body became one with the night. His enemies, trained in death, were prepared for a fight, but they were not prepared for this.

Kurai-no-Kaze was the first to strike, his blade a whisper through the night air. He lunged, moving faster than most could see. But Ash was already gone. A shadow within a shadow.

Kurai-no-Kaze's blade passed through the space where Ash had been, but his target was no longer there. In an instant, Ash appeared behind him, the sound of his katana cutting through the air barely perceptible before it cleaved the assassin's neck.

The Black Wind collapsed, his death barely a ripple in the night.

The remaining assassins surged forward.

Jinrai was a blur of motion, his strikes so fast they seemed to crackle with the force of lightning. He came in with a series of rapid blows aimed at Ash's chest and throat. But Ash—now a wraith in the dark—avoided each strike with ease, flowing through the shadows as if they were a part of him.

Then, with a twist of his body, Ash stepped into Jinrai's path, his katana slicing through the air with a resounding whip-crack. Jinrai's eyes widened as Ash's blade met his own, deflecting it with such force that Jinrai stumbled. But before the Thunder Blade could recover, Ash's katana slashed horizontally, severing his body in two. Jinrai fell to the ground in a heap of blood, his once-impressive speed useless against Ash's mastery.

Mukuro was already fading into the shadows as the others fell. Like a ghost, he moved through the darkness, his movements fluid, inhuman, as if he were part of the night itself. Ash could sense him, though, his eyes narrowing as he prepared to strike.

Mukuro lunged, his blade aimed for Ash's back, but just as he reached the Shogun, Ash vanished into the shadows once again. His form disappeared, only the faintest trace of his presence remaining, a whisper on the wind.

Mukuro, confused for a moment, hesitated. The shadows around him shifted, and he spun just in time to see Ash materialize from the darkness behind him. With a single strike, Ash's katana pierced Mukuro's chest, sending the assassin crumpling to the ground, his body dissipating into the same shadows he had used to evade death.

Shinsei, the Divine Killing Hand, was next. He approached with the calm of a predator, his eyes sharp and calculating. The moment Ash reappeared, Shinsei moved—faster than most could react—his blade cutting through the air with precision, aiming for Ash's vital nerve points.

But Ash was already gone again, his body melding into the dark like smoke. Shinsei's blade struck only air as Ash faded in and out of view, the shadows twisting with his every movement.

Then, Ash appeared behind Shinsei. The assassin's eyes widened as he tried to turn, but Ash was faster. He moved like an extension of the darkness itself, his katana finding its mark with brutal accuracy. Shinsei's body collapsed, his lifeless form falling to the ground.

The final assassin, Tsumetsu, the Ender of Bloodlines, stepped forward with a chilling presence. There was no hesitation in his movements, no fear. His blade, an extension of his unyielding will, was poised to strike.

"You're the last," Ash said, his voice calm but laced with finality. "And now, you'll join them."

Tsumetsu's eyes glowed with cold fury, and the fight between the two was pure violence. Their blades clashed in a symphony of steel—each strike, each movement calculated with deadly precision. Tsumetsu moved with incredible speed, his blows like a storm, but Ash was a shadow, slipping through the gaps, a phantom in the night.

Each time Tsumetsu's blade came close, Ash vanished, blending with the shadows around him. He used Kage no Jutsu to remain unseen, moving like liquid, unpredictable and elusive.

Then, in a flash, Ash reappeared directly in front of Tsumetsu. The Ender of Bloodlines brought his katana up, but Ash was already there, his katana slicing through the air like a bolt of lightning. In a single motion, Ash severed Tsumetsu's arm, disarming him.

Tsumetsu staggered back, pain written across his face, but before he could react, Ash's katana moved once more. With a final, deadly strike, Ash pierced the leader's heart, his blade sinking deep into the man's chest.

Tsumetsu's body crumpled to the ground, his once-mighty presence now nothing more than a shadow in the moonlight.

The battle lasted thirteen seconds.

Thirteen seconds of pure brutality. Thirteen seconds in which Ash had become one with the darkness, outmaneuvering and overwhelming the Five Deadliest Assassins.

When it was over, the assassins lay scattered across the blood-stained grass, their once-legendary names now reduced to whispers in the dark. Ash stood among the carnage, his katana gleaming under the pale moonlight, a final, grim testament to his strength.

The night had once been peaceful. But now, it was marked by death.

Ash's eyes swept over the bodies. His mind already turning to the next move, the next phase of his rule. The game was far from over.