Chapter 23: The Soldier in the Smoke

The Ashen Forest was deathly still.

Every footstep crunched softly on frost-laced leaves. Mist clung to the roots of ancient trees, and a strange energy—bitter and sharp—hung in the air like a warning.

Kael moved quietly between Hana and Tetsu, his senses alert. Ryuu took point up ahead, blade unsheathed, his aura flickering in readiness. Kaede brought up the rear, eyes cold and calculating, scanning the surroundings with every step.

"This place feels wrong," Hana murmured.

"It's more than wrong," Kaede said under his breath. "It's warped. This zone's been corrupted longer than we thought."

They reached the broken gates of a collapsed temple—twisted ruins of an old Will Sanctuary. Its marble pillars were cracked, eaten by vines and shadow. The moment they stepped inside, Kael felt it.

A presence.

Powerful. Calm.

Waiting.

From the darkness, footsteps echoed across the stone.

A man emerged.

He was tall—easily over six feet—with a hooded cloak trailing behind him like torn smoke. His armor was old-world tech, reinforced with something darker, sleeker. His face was uncovered—young, handsome even—but his eyes… they were ancient.

He stopped about ten meters away, folding his arms.

"Squad Four from Solstice Academy," he said, voice echoing. "Took you long enough."

Kael's muscles locked. The others formed a line behind Ryuu, who narrowed his eyes. "Identify yourself."

The man tilted his head slightly. "You're not the ones I wanted. But orders are orders."

Kael's heart thudded. "Orders? From who?"

The man smiled faintly.

"I am one of Four," he said. "Elite Wielders born from the fractured Will of the one true Sovereign."He raised a hand, and with a snap of his fingers, the air thickened with pressure.

"My name is Vael—Soldier of Kurojin Tsukiro."

Everyone froze.

Even Ryuu's smug composure cracked.

Only Kaede moved.

His eyes went wide. "That… can't be."

Vael's gaze slid to him. "You remember the name."

Kaede's voice was barely a whisper. "Kurojin Tsukiro was destroyed. Erased. Over thirty years ago. The world believed he was gone."

Vael chuckled, an eerie sound that echoed off the crumbling temple walls.

"Destroyed? Erased? That's the story they told. But let me tell you the truth: Kurojin Tsukiro was never defeated. He simply went into hiding. Into the shadows. And now…" He turned his gaze toward Kael. "He's watching again."

Kaede stepped forward, almost instinctively.

"Impossible. If what you're saying is true—"

"It is." Vael's tone was final, his Will heavy with power. "And you, Kaede Mizuno… you have no idea what you're about to face."

Before anyone could react, Vael moved.

Kaede's blade was already in motion, but the speed with which Vael closed the distance shocked everyone. The air cracked like thunder as Vael's strike came down on Kaede with such force that the ground beneath them trembled.

Kaede barely blocked it, his feet skidding back, but the sheer pressure of the blow left him gasping for breath.

"This is what Kurojin Tsukiro's soldiers are capable of," Vael said coldly. "You never stood a chance."

Kaede's face was pale. He gritted his teeth, the fear evident now. "Why now? After all these years?"

Vael's eyes gleamed with an unsettling certainty. "Because the time has come. And this time… the world won't be saved."

With a flick of his wrist, Vael vanished into smoke.

Kaede stood frozen, his blade hanging at his side, disbelief written across his face. He didn't move, his eyes darting through the shadows, searching for any sign of the man.

Kael stepped forward, voice low. "Kaede, what just happened?"

Kaede didn't answer right away. His hands trembled slightly as he sheathed his blade, his expression unreadable. After a long pause, he spoke, his voice hoarse.

"I don't know the man who defeated Kurojin Tsukiro," he admitted, his gaze distant. "No one does. There were rumors… whispers about someone strong enough to bring Kurojin down, but no one knows who it was. Some say it was a legend. A myth."

Kael's eyes widened as the weight of the situation settled on him. "And now…?"

Kaede looked toward the darkened ruins, his face shadowed with something Kael couldn't read. "And now, Kurojin Tsukiro is back, and the world is about to change."