Ashes still fell from the sky.
The blackened ruins of Tsu's tower smoldered in the distance, and yet something more ominous rode the eastern wind.
A caravan of shadows descended upon the dead city.
And then—he stepped in.
Kagutsuchi Kagoshima.
Draped in a black kimono embroidered with crimson fire lilies, he walked as though death bowed at his heels. His long hair was tied in a warrior's knot, and in his left hand he held a lacquered scroll sealed with the imperial flame. Behind him, Vice-Captain Miyazato Machinagaikeda marched in solemn silence, his face hidden behind a silver oni mask. A dozen elite soldiers followed, their armor black as tar, bearing the mark of the Flame Regalia.
The city square of Tsu, now half-ruined, filled with whispers. Survivors, scavengers, and scattered remnants of Nakajima's Black Guard knelt, bowed, or hid.
Kagutsuchi stopped atop the scorched steps of the ruined barracks, where Nakajima once stood. He unfurled the scroll.
"By the will of the Shogunate, and by blood right of the Kagoshima line, I hereby assume the title of Supreme Commander of the Thirteen Flame Domains. Nakajima Takayasu is dead. May his bones rot in shame."
Gasps echoed.
He raised the scroll high. "Henceforth, I name the new Domain Captains and Vice Captains. These are my sword and shield."
He handed the scroll to Miyazato, who read in a thunderous voice:
Here's a detailed list of the 11 Domains and their respective Captains and Vice-Captains following Kagutsuchi Kagoshima's new order:
1. Chōsu
Captain: Aza Kabuki (Ikisudama – Spirit of Rage)
Vice-Captain: Okii Miruku (Black - haired tactician)
2. Aizu
Captain: Hayate Kurigawa (Stoic, strategist with a fan weapon)
Vice-Captain: Nomura Jin (Marksman with twin flintlocks)
3. Satsuma
Captain: Kanzuro Ren (A drunkard brawler, but deadly with axe gauntlets)
Vice-Captain: Hina Sagara (Sharp-eyed, uses paper seals and threads)
4. Tosa
Captain: Yuzan Himemiya (Ex-monk, wields a crescent staff)
Vice-Captain: Daigo Roku (Mute giant, communicates through drawings)
5. Saga
Captain: Kirika Mibuno (Elegant blade dancer, twin katanas)
Vice-Captain: Reiji Kurosu (Poison specialist, always masked)
6. Kabuto
Captain: Shiba Nokai (Oldest Captain, war veteran with iron arm)
Vice-Captain: Toya Rin (Cold-eyed sniper, uses mechanical crossbow)
7. Kuroishi
Captain: Fumihiko Arata (Shadowstep assassin, master of stealth)
Vice-Captain: Seika Izuno (Illusionist, known for mirror techniques)
8. Ogaki
Captain: Ujiyo Makabe (Bomb expert, loud and proud)
Vice-Captain: Noriko Tanba (Calm demolitions planner)
9. Yodo
Captain: Rokujo Maki (Blind swordsman, heightened senses)
Vice-Captain: Tatsue Kaen (Pyromancer, ruthless and erratic)
10. Matsuyama
Captain: Shigen Tohda (Scholar-warrior, fights with calligraphy blade)
Vice-Captain: Koto Hina (Beast tamer, controls ravens)
11. Jōzai
Captain: Enzan Hibiki (Former ronin, fire-style kenjutsu master)
Vice-Captain: Midori Asano (Spy mistress, manipulates intel networks)
The names flew like banners into the wind.
Miyazato lowered the scroll.
Kagutsuchi gazed into the burning horizon. His voice was soft, but every word struck like thunder. "Let no man forget. I am the Flame Heir. The blood of Kagoshima is fire. And from this fire, a new era shall rise."
The black-clad elites pounded their fists against their chests. "Kagutsuchi-sama!" they cried.
But in the shadows of this declaration, far away, another fire stirred.
---
Somewhere in the northern highlands — A ruined shrine
Rain fell hard against the broken tiles of an old war temple, where three figures stood in silence.
Sagari Kunimoto pulled the last bolt from the sealed crate. With a grunt, he lifted the wooden lid, revealing three black sheathed blades, each wrapped in cursed talismans. His long white hair, soaked by rain, stuck to his scarred face. His eyes were sharp, unreadable.
"They gave us hell blades," he said, amused.
Behind him, Kunata adjusted his glasses, their lenses gleaming in the candlelight. He was tall, thin as a matchstick, and wore a tattered lab coat over traditional hakama. His hands were always twitching, as if in thought.
"Of course they did," Kunata muttered. "They're scared. Even the Shogunate knows this isn't just politics anymore. Kagutsuchi has the Fire Lily Seal."
The last one, a boy barely fifteen, stepped forward. Ogi. Barefoot, with hair like charcoal and eyes like thunderclouds. He looked at the blades.
"Which one is mine?" he asked.
Kunimoto chuckled and tossed the smallest blade to him. "The one that drinks slowly."
Ogi caught it with practiced ease.
Kunata sighed. "They're sending children now."
"He's no child," Sagari said. "He killed a man in his sleep at nine. Killed his master at twelve."
Kunata nodded. "And now, at fifteen, he's hunting an heir."
A scroll lay between them.
MISSION: ELIMINATE KAGUTSUCHI KAGOSHIMA ORDERED BY: HIGH SHOGUNATE CLEARANCE: RED DEATH
"So," Ogi said, drawing his blade slightly. The air bent around it. "We kill the most dangerous man in the land."
Kunimoto turned, gripping his hell blade with one hand. "Not just him. His Vice-Captain, his twelve elites, his damn regalia. We don't stop until the Flame Throne turns to ash."
Ogi looked to the sky. "And what if he can't be killed?"
Kunata smiled coldly. "Then we kill his legend."
After all We are Higanabana . "
---
The next day — Capital Fortress, Flame Chamber
Kagutsuchi stood alone before the great mural of his ancestors. His fingers ran across the carved obsidian throne as he remembered the day he murdered his grandfather—Kusunoki Kagoshima.
That old relic thought mercy had a place in rule.
Now, mercy was buried. And fire reigned.
Miyazato entered, his mask still on.
"The domains accept your decree," he said. "But... some stirrings from the north. Whispers of a Red Death mission."
Kagutsuchi didn't turn. "They will send killers."
"They already have. Sagari Kunimoto."
Kagutsuchi's smile was slow, cold. "The Ghost Wolf of Nara."
"And the Glass Philosopher."
"Kunata," he murmured. "The man who sees death like math."
Miyazato paused. "And a boy."
Now Kagutsuchi turned, eyes glowing.
"A boy?"
"They say he has no name. Only Ogi."
Kagutsuchi stared at the flames that danced in the brazier beside the throne.
"Then let him come. Let them all come."
He unsheathed his blade. It was not steel—it was forged fire. Burning, alive. It hissed with wrath.
"The old world burns."
The flames around the chamber flared.
"And I am the spark."
---
To Be Continued