Chapter 2: A Student of Fire and Blood

Darkness again.

Not the kind that comes from sleep- this was heavier, deeper like being buried beneath the earth. No air. No warmth. Just pressure and silence. Somewhere in that abyss, Takeshi floated, his body weightless, his mind flickering like a

dying flame.

The- a sound.

A breath.

He opened his eyes.

Pain came first. Then light.

The ceiling above him was made of dark wooden beams. Candlelight danced across the stone walls, casting long shadows. A cold draft slipped through the open window. Outside, he could hear the wind cutting through pine trees.

He was alive.

His arm throbbed. No, worse than throbbed- it felt like his entire left side was on fire.

Takeshi sat up with a sharp gasp.

His body was wrapped in bandages. He was lying on a straw mat. A pale blanket covered him. There was no furniture, only silence. He blinked, breathing heavily, trying to piece everything together.

The fire. The village. The demon.

That man- the one who saved him. As if summoned by the thought, the door slid open. A man stood there, tall and motionless, long hair up to his elbows. Green eyes, rough skin but good physique. He was holding a steaming cup of something herbal.

"You're awake," he said, his voice as unreadable as before. Takeshi tried to respond, but his throat was dry.

The man approached and placed the cup in his hands.

"Drink. You need it."

Takeshi sipped. The taste was bitter, earthy. It warmed him from the inside out.

"Where.. where am I?"

"Safe. For now."

He sat across from Takeshi, his blade leaning against the wall beside him.

"That demon you faced. It was a Rage Demon. Stronger than most. And you…" The man tilted his head. "You survived longer than you should have."

"I didn't really do anything," Takeshi said bitterly. "I grabbed a sword and hit him, then ran."

"You fought. Even weakly. You struck it. That matters." They sat in silence for a while. Takeshi stared into the cup.

"You're not from this world," the man said at last.

Takeshi's breath caught.

"How do you-?"

"Your name. The way you speak. The way you flinch. I've seen others like you. Not many. But enough to recognise the signs."

Takeshi looked down.

"I died… back in my world. A man stabbed me while I tried to get some food. Said my whole family was dead. Then I woke up in this world with no clue what was going on."

The man nodded. "And now you're part of something far worse."

He stood.

Takeshi sighed.

"Come. There's something I want to show you."

The air outside was sharp and cold. Snow lay thinly across the ground, crunching beneath their feet. The trees were tall and silent, watching.

They walked to a clearing near the edge of a cliff. Below, mist coiled like a living thing. Far in the distance, Takeshi saw the faint glow of something red pulsing beyond the mountains.

"That is the Rift," the man said. "Where the demon world bleeds into ours. It's always night. It gets wider every year."

"Why is it always night?" Takeshi asked.

"Demons turn to dust in the light of the sun, therefore they only hunt in the night."

Takeshi stared.

"Why did you save me?"

"Because something brought you here. And because you have a choice."

The man turned to him.

"You can die as a lost soul. Or learn to fight. To kill demons. To carve your own path with fire and blood."

Takeshi clenched his fists.

"Then teach me."

I want to save mankind. I don't want anyone to go through what I saw, ever again.

The man smiled. Barely.

"Good. We begin tomorrow."

The next few days was gruelling.

His name, he learned, was Kaien Arakaki. A man who uses the Tide Serpent Style breathing. A former Astral but still fights. One of the strongest swordsman who wielded, still alive.

Takeshi learned the basics: how to grip a blade, how to move. How to breathe through the pain. He learned about different Breathing styles. People are only allowed this information if they have drawn a sword or even killed a demon. Yes, Takeshi hasn't earned this but Arakaki still believes the time will come when he will slay his first demon. Soon…

"Fear, rage, sorrow, love, greed and flame. Those are the six Demon cults the humans know about. Sorrow being the most powerful," Arakaki explained to Takeshi. "As you might have seen, they have it marked on their eyes."

Takeshi nodded.

They trained every morning, fought wooden dummies, lifted stones, ran through snow, and ran down from mountains.

Until one morning, everything changed.

Arakaki was sent to a small nearby village. Rumours of a demon. Arakaki told Takeshi to stay behind.

He didn't listen.

The village was empty. Too quiet. Doors left open. Meals left half-eaten.

Takeshi moved through the narrow streets, blade in hand. His breath fogged the air. A child's toy lay in the snow.

Then he heard it.

A whisper. A chant.

"Ash to ash. Flame to flame. The First watches."

A figure stepped out from behind a hut. Cloaked in red-orange, mask cracked, with a spiral of burned flesh on his chest.

A Flame Demon.

Takeshi didn't hesitate. He attacked.

The cultist moved like a shadow but you could smell ash, catching Takeshi's blade with a rusted dagger. Sparks flew.

"So young," the man hissed. "So full of heat. You carry his mark."

Takeshi fought harder. He was faster than before. Stronger. He drove the cultist back- but not fast enough.

A second one appeared.

A claw slashed down.

Takeshi turned- but was too late.

Pain exploded in his left arm.

He screamed as it went numb. He looked down.

His arm was hanging by a thread.

He collapsed. The cultist loomed over him, dagger raised. Then a roar- and a flash of red.

Arakaki.

A single stroke. Two bodies fell.

Takeshi gasped, blood pooling around him.

Arakaki knelt, grabbing his collar.

"Stay.with me. Do not close your eyes."

Takeshi's vision blurred. But just before darkness took him, he heard the whisper again- but this time, from inside his mind.

You are mine, child food.

You were always mine, delicious