After days of intense training, Shisui was summoned back to the Verdant Capital, the heart of the Land of Flowers. It was rare to be called to the Inner Bloom Palace, the private sanctuary of Daimyō Masaki Morinaka, his father.
Shisui entered the quiet inner court. It smelled of cherry blossoms and incense, but beneath the serenity was tension. The guards gave him sidelong glances—not with fear, but respect. Rumors of his awakening and first beast summoning had already begun to spread.
Inside the jade-walled chamber, Masaki sat alone, robed in black-and-silver noblewear, his long hair tied in an intricate knot. His gaze was firm yet tired—as though carrying the weight of a thousand roots.
> "Sit, Shisui," Masaki said.
Shisui sat wordlessly on the woven mat, his posture tense.
Masaki studied him. "I've watched your growth with pride… and concern. Your power blooms fast, perhaps too fast. That has made you more than a weapon… you've become a symbol."
Shisui remained silent.
Masaki stood and faced the garden through a silk-paneled window. "We are not only warriors, Shisui. We are rulers. Keepers of peace through balance. And balance… demands sacrifice."
Then came the truth.
> "I've arranged your betrothal."
Shisui's eyes widened.
> "To whom?"
Masaki turned, his voice cool. "Lady Naoko Tsuchibana, daughter of the Daimyō of the Land of Stone Petals."
Shisui clenched his fists. "Why now? Why me?"
Masaki's tone deepened. "Because the world trembles. The Five Great Nations turn their eyes again to the outer realms. Our land blooms, yes, but many seek to cut it."
He continued. "Naoko is not only the heir to a resource-rich land. She is rumored to possess a unique Kekkei Genkai—Pollen Shade, a rare Arch Energy art of hallucination and toxin control. Together, you would be unstoppable—and politically irreplaceable."
Shisui stood. "So I'm a flower to be planted wherever keeps your garden safe?"
Masaki walked to him, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.
> "No. You are the storm that keeps predators from the garden."
"But a storm must know its roots."