The grand hall of the Flow Guild hummed with anticipation. Dozens of newly formed teams stood at attention, each member aware that the trials were over—but the real journey had just begun.
Standing on the elevated platform were Kazui and Suno, their gazes sweeping over the crowd with gravity.
Kazui stepped forward, arms behind his back, voice smooth and composed.
"Congratulations again. You all passed the last test."
Suno followed, his voice deeper and more cutting.
"But let me make something clear. The tragedy that occurred during the final exam... could have been prevented. We failed you on that front. And I promise—we will get to the bottom of it."
A heavy silence followed.
Suno adjusted the band on his arm and nodded. "For your first mission: Team Ranka and Team Lithos, you'll be deployed to a nearby city. Team Ranka, your investigation begins in a neighboring village. Get in, get information, and stay alert."
He turned to Kazui, who gave a silent nod and walked toward a corridor. "Team Lithos... follow me."
Kazui shut the heavy wooden door behind them with a loud clack. The room fell silent.
He turned around, his gaze intense.
"This mission is off-record. Highly classified. That's why we're speaking here... away from ears I no longer trust."
Zenith tilted his head, curious.
Kazui went on, "You're being deployed to the city of Shingen, known as Paradise City. Your task: protect the Shogun from the shadows—ward off assassination attempts before they ever reach him."
"Eh?!" Zenith blurted, nearly tripping over himself.
Beside him, Ishiguro stood still. His usual calm replaced by something... sunken.
Kazui continued, "Our intelligence says a neighboring city is planning to overthrow Shingen's peace. The Shogun refuses violence, which is why the city thrives—pure flow circulates freely. But peace... attracts enemies."
Lithos crossed his arms. "A conflict between Shoguns, then?"
"Exactly," Kazui nodded. "But Shingen... he's different. A man of serenity, of harmony."
He paced the room slowly.
"Word has it a B-rank assassin guild was hired—the Crimson Ants."
Zenith's eyes widened. "Sounds spicy."
Kazui smirked. "They're pests I've crushed before. But they always manage to squirm away. This is no small matter. I recommended your team... because I've seen how your abilities combine. I believe in you."
Zenith raised a hand like a schoolboy.
"Yes, Zenith?" Kazui asked, surprised.
Zenith scratched his cheek. "So... uh... why isn't it called Team Zenith?"
Ishiguro immediately chimed in, deadpan. "I was wondering the same. I mean, look at me. I clearly have main-character physique."
Lithos rolled his eyes and sighed. "Simpletons... desperately crying for validation."
The argument exploded into playful bickering. Kazui just stared at them, face slowly contorting into horror.
"Am I... raising children?"
The trio stepped onto a large glowing sigil etched into the floor. Around them, three masked dancers in flowing silk robes began an intricate ritual.
As the dance intensified, a brilliant blue light enveloped Team Lithos.
Kazui turned to Suno.
"You gave them the correct coordinates, right?"
Suno blinked. "What... coordinates?"
A beat of silence.
Poof.
Team Lithos vanished in a flash of light and smoke.
Kazui and Suno stared at each other, their expressions frozen in sheer bamboozlement.
Unexpected Landing
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHH—!"
Team Lithos plummeted from the sky, howling in terror.
CRASH!
They hit the ground like a meteor. Dust exploded into the air. When it settled, three groaning bodies were seen.
Ishiguro had shielded his teammates with his bulk, sprawled on his back like a fallen statue.
"Ow... my spleen," Zenith moaned.
Shadowy figures emerged from the haze—towering warriors with bodies like boulders.
From the crowd, one massive figure stepped forward. He was nearly a head taller than Ishiguro.
"Ishiguro... is that really you?"
Before anyone could react, the giant yanked Ishiguro into a bearhug that could crush steel.
"Big bro!!"
Lithos's jaw dropped. "Ishiguro has a bigger version of himself?!"
Zenith stared. "He's... he's... Ishiguro 2.0!"
With visible shame, Ishiguro muttered, "Guys... meet my brother. Shinoin Jubei."
A more regal figure approached. The warriors all bowed, even Shinoin.
It was the Clan Leader—an imposing man whose gaze alone sent shivers through the air.
"Well, well," the man spoke slowly. "If it isn't... my long-lost son."
Lithos's throat tightened as he turned to Zenith.
("His presence is suffocating!") Lithos thought.
Ishiguro bowed deeply. "They're with me on a mission to Shingen... May we stay here until we find a way back?"
The Clan Leader gave a scoff.
"Just don't be a nuisance."
That Night
Their rooms were old, creaky, and smelled faintly of smoke and cedar.
Zenith flopped onto his bed. "Sheesh. Out there was wild. Who's that giant muscle-head anyway?"
Lithos muttered, "Yeah... and what's with that aura from the old geezer? Felt like my soul was getting choke-slammed."
Ishiguro's face darkened.
"Mind how you talk about my dad."
The room fell silent.
Zenith turned to Lithos. "You called him an old geezer."
Lithos looked away like a guilty raccoon.
Zenith recovered quickly. "Anyway! Shouldn't we be treated like royalty since we're... you know... friends with the boss's son?"
Ishiguro laughed bitterly.
"To him... I'm just a defect."
Narrator:
> The Jubei Clan—famed for their monstrous strength and size. Legends speak of one Jubei who once held the sky to stop it from falling. But with strength... came expectations.
Ishiguro sat beneath a cherry blossom tree, watching villagers laugh and train.
Zenith approached him.
Lithos had already found a route to the Shingen Palace via divination.
"Hey, big guy."
Ishiguro didn't turn.
Zenith continued, softer this time. "You know, sometimes... you don't know how brave you are till you try."
Ishiguro gave him a look.
"You really suck at advice," he said.
Zenith chuckled. "Better to live with a clean heart... than one clogged with regret."
Next morning, Lithos summoned a wisp.
"This will guide our path."
They turned—only Ishiguro wasn't following.
"Guys," he said, voice firm. "I've got something to finish."
Zenith gave a proud thumbs-up. "Give it hell."
Ishiguro stood in the village square.
The sun blazed overhead as he beat his chest and roared, "Shinoin! I challenge you to a duel!"
The village gasped.
Shinoin appeared from the training grounds, smirking. "Finally, huh?"
The Clan Leader and dozens of warriors gathered.
Zenith leaned to Lithos.
"Their battles test everything—mind, strength, speed... precision."
Lithos narrowed his eyes. "And?"
Zenith: "It ends in one blow."
The warriors stood across from each other. Shinoin: a charging mammoth. Ishiguro: a silent tiger, coiled and fanged.
Sweat trickled down Shinoin's temple.
A breath.
A roar.
"Fifth Flow: Predator Blow!"
"Jubei Style: Mammoth Dive!"
The wind howled as both titans surged forward—time itself seemed to halt.
BOOM.
Dust scattered. Gasps erupted.
The brothers stood on opposite ends of the circle.
Shinoin clutched his chest.
"I always knew... I never stood a chance."
He collapsed, blood on his lips.
Ishiguro stood tall, panting.
Zenith whispered, "That... was the Jubei Fated Blow ritual . The winner is named... a Conqueror of Fate."
The sun dipped low over the horizon, casting a golden hue across the village of the Jubei. The petals of cherry blossoms drifted lazily in the air, dancing with the wind like the final notes of a silent melody.
At the village gates, Team Lithos stood ready to depart. Their bags were packed, and Lithos's guiding wisp floated softly beside them.
Suddenly, the Clan Leader approached.
Everyone froze.
He walked up to Ishiguro—then, to everyone's shock, bowed his head.
A collective gasp rippled through the villagers.
"Ishiguro," he said, voice rough with emotion. "I know I treated you... like a ghost. Like a failure. But today, you've shown me something I forgot long ago. What it truly means to carry the Jubei name."
The old man reached into his robes and pulled out an ornate earring shaped like a coiled dragon. It pulsed faintly with a deep golden glow.
"This is the Jubei Clan's most treasured heirloom. Passed only to those who bear the will of our ancestors. Wherever you go... carry us with you."
Ishiguro lowered his head in reverence, accepting the heirloom with both hands.
Before he could speak—
"Hey... save a little respect for your other son, yeah?"
Shinoin, wrapped in fresh bandages, walked forward with a limp. A few villagers helped him stand, but he waved them off.
His face was bruised, his jaw still swollen... but his eyes—his eyes were calm. Proud.
He stopped a few feet from Ishiguro.
"You held back, didn't you?"
Ishiguro blinked. "What?"
Shinoin laughed, voice strained but genuine. "I know your strength. You could've crushed me... but you didn't. You let me fall with dignity."
Ishiguro looked away.
"I didn't want to take away the pride you built... even if I needed to win."
There was a long pause between them.
The village watched in silence.
Shinoin spoke again, softer. "I hated you for leaving. But... deep down, I think I was always hoping you'd come back. Not just to fight—but to be my brother again."
Ishiguro's fists clenched at his sides.
Then he stepped forward and did something no one expected—he pulled Shinoin into a rough, one-armed hug.
"You were always strong," he said. "Even without the title. Just... keep watching over dad, alright?"
Shinoin's voice cracked slightly. "I will... Big Bro."
They separated, neither able to look each other in the eye—yet something unspoken had been healed.
Zenith wiped a tear. "Man, why is it always the big guys that make me cry..."
Lithos sighed. "You're such a sap."
The Clan Leader gave one final nod of approval. "Go. And make the world remember the name Ishiguro Jubei."
With the Jubei sigil behind them and a new light in their hearts, Team Lithos stepped forward.
The wind whispered softly as they disappeared down the path.
And for the first time in years, Ishiguro smiled—not out of pride or pain, but with peace.
"Off to new beginnings..."