Chapter 228 - The Herald’s Challenge

The barkeep's surrender hung in the air, his hands raised in mock defeat, but Jin's hand stayed near Muramasa's hilt, his voice steady but sharp as he probed for truth. "Why surrender so easily?" he asked, his eyes narrowing, instincts flaring in the bar's neon-lit interior. Wooden tables stood empty, glassware glinting under the flickering signs, the humming jukebox a distant drone in the corner. The modern setup clashed with Solara Peak's ancient plateau outside, where Haruka and Kael waited under a starry night sky, the mountain's warmth nearly gone, the air cold and thin, biting at their skin.