Nato7

The story picks up six years after Kael Renji, the hero who defeated the infamous Kurojin Tsukiro, secured peace in the world. Now 24, Kael is a symbol of hope and power, having built a thriving city where new Wielders can train and grow. However, this peaceful world is far from perfect. A new generation of young Wielders is emerging, born from the previous heroes and their legacy, but the challenges they face are unlike anything before.

Renzo, an 11-year-old prodigy, is Kael's apprentice, skipping primary school to become a 1st Wielder, and is ready to face the intense trials of their new system of Wielders. The next generation—composed of the children of Kael, Hana, Ryuu, Tetsu, and the others—is inheriting their parents' power and skills, but with new threats looming, they must adapt to a world that demands not just strength but wisdom.

The world has evolved since the Fracture, with new, unpredictable dangers arising. A new system for the Wielders is in place, one that tests them on a deeper level, requiring not only raw power but a mastery of complex, elemental Wills. The trials ahead are brutal, and the children of the past heroes must face not just battles, but their own inner struggles, as the weight of their parents' legacies pushes them to their limits.

As Kael leads this new generation into an era of challenges, they will have to confront dark forces, both external and internal. From monstrous beasts to internal betrayals, these young Wielders must fight for their place in a world where the line between hero and villain has become more blurred than ever. And while Kael watches over them as their leader, he must also grapple with

Shadowborn: Legacy of the Next Will

Above Shinzai, clouds churned with crackling Will as Kael Kurai stood in the heart of the shattered tower courtyard, blood dripping from the hole in his left arm, scorched clean through by the invisible strike.

His breath came in shallow rasps, and his entire arm hung limp at his side. The pain was sharp, but Kael's focus remained fixed on the figure before him.

No records. No memories. No trace in the archives of Wielder history. But Kael could feel the truth:

This man is not ordinary. He's not from here. And he's dangerous… far beyond what I've faced in years.

Zaros stepped forward, each step unnaturally silent. His body was lean but coiled with power, wrapped in a black mantle streaked with gold lines that pulsed faintly like a beating heart.

"You're disappointing me, Kael Kurai," Zaros said, voice smooth like polished steel. "I expected the hero of Shinzai to offer a challenge."

Kael raised his good arm, summoning a vortex of voidfire in his palm—unstable but focused. He pushed off his back foot, charging forward—

Only to be intercepted mid-air.

Zaros didn't even blink. His hand blurred—and in an instant, Kael's chest caved inward with a thunderous crack, as if struck by a falling star.

Kael was launched backward, crashing through two tower pillars, skidding across the courtyard stone with blood streaking the path behind him.

His vision blurred. The sky above spiraled like a whirlpool.

He couldn't move.

My arm's useless. Ribs shattered. Breathing's… shallow.

And yet, Zaros kept walking. Slowly. Patiently.

Kael tried again—summoning a burst of Voidstep to teleport behind his foe, one of his signature movements.

But Zaros anticipated it. With a tilt of his head and a flick of golden Will, Kael was ripped from the air mid-teleport, caught in a twisting knot of unseen energy.

Zaros drove him face-first into the courtyard floor. Then again. And again.

The stone cracked. Kael's body convulsed.

"You're not even using your Last Will properly," Zaros muttered, disappointed. "You're rusty. Soft. A relic of a war long finished."

Kael coughed up blood, his hand barely twitching. He tried to rise—but a crushing heel met his back, pinning him like an insect.

Zaros leaned in close, his golden eyes glowing.

"I came here for a message, Kael. Not a fight. But you're making me wonder—has your world grown too weak to protect itself?"

Kael's vision began to dim. The once-proud Ryūun of Shinzai—the hero who had slain the God Beast—now lay battered, overwhelmed, and broken beneath the feet of a man no one even recognized.

He couldn't win. Not like this.

Not with a hole through his arm. Not against this enemy.

The city of Shinzai shuddered with the sounds of battle. But inside the tower, in the eye of the storm, Kael Kurai was being utterly beaten.

Chapter 55: The Edge of Silence