The world had changed.
It wasn't a place of land and sky as mortals knew it, but a boundless expanse of drifting lights and shimmering currents, each wave of brilliance carrying the whisper of a thousand forgotten voices. The air was weightless yet rich, saturated with the scent of blooming lotus and rain after a summer storm. Above, entire constellations shifted and pulsed like living beings, their glow reflected in the mirrored rivers below.
Creatures of pure spirit — transparent koi, cranes with tails made of stardust, foxes whose fur rippled like auroras — glided through the air as if the laws of gravity had never been written here. Every wingbeat, every flick of a tail sent ripples through the sky itself.
Zenith's eyes widened. The pain he had carried into battle, the burns, the bruises, the ache in his bones — gone. Completely gone. He looked down at his hands, turning them over in disbelief.
Zenith: "My… injuries are gone?"
His voice seemed to echo strangely here, as if the realm itself listened and remembered every word.
Hinazuki, Oborozuka, and Yatsurugi exchanged startled glances. Even Lithos, usually unreadable, narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin.
Lithos: "Not… quite."
Zenith: "Huh?"
Lithos's tone carried that familiar edge of mystery that Zenith had grown to both rely on and be irritated by.
Lithos: "We're in the Spirit Realm. Our physical bodies can't breach this place."
Hinazuki: "Meaning… our bodies are somewhere else?"
Lithos: "Exactly. They're at the point where we entered — the Tamashii no Kōro."
His eyes glinted as he said the name, letting it linger like an ancient word not meant for mortal tongues. "Before we crossed over, the spirit barrier separated our souls from our bodies, filtering us into this realm."
Oborozuka crossed his arms.
Oborozuka: "That being said… what do we do now?"
A small, flickering light drifted down before them — violet flames swirling within a tiny orb no bigger than a fist. Its glow was warm, not blinding, and its dance in the air was oddly purposeful.
Will-o'-Wisp: "Good dwell, travellers! Suno has contracted me to guide your path!"
Zenith leaned forward slightly, curious.
Lithos: "This one's… different. More coherent than the will-o'-wisps in the physical realm."
Zenith: "So you know the way to the one who'll train me?"
Will-o'-Wisp: "Correct."
Zenith didn't hesitate. He stepped forward, voice firm.
Zenith: "Then there's no time to waste. Suno-san is waiting!"
Their expressions shifted in unison — that shared spark of determination before a journey that mattered. In silence, they followed the wisp, its purple glow casting long, wavering shadows across their faces.
---
Time in the Spirit Realm was strange. No sun moved overhead, yet the sky seemed to breathe between shades of twilight and dawn.
Zenith: "We've been walking for a while… but I'm not even tired."
Lithos smirked.
Lithos: "Of course not. Mortal limitations don't apply here."
Yatsurugi: "So… does that mean spirits can't die?"
Lithos: "They can. The Spirit Realm has two main layers — Jōkai, the upper realm of the living souls, and Gekai, the lower realm for the dead."
Hinazuki's gaze swept the horizon.
Hinazuki: "I see… vast indeed."
Lithos: "Don't let the beauty fool you. Some yōkai here devour souls outright."
Zenith chuckled lightly.
Zenith: "So… if a soul gets eaten, what's left to cross over?"
Lithos: "Your Flow essence. It can't be destroyed by normal means. It's the blueprint of your existence. Once it drifts down to Gekai, a new soul is formed around it — but instead of pure Flow, it's coated in corrupt Flow. That's a different kind of eternity… one filled with torment."
Lithos: "And even Gekai is layered — one for the 'good' and one for the 'bad'… further divided depending on the life you lived."
Zenith: "Ugh, could you stop, genius? My brain's melting."
Lithos: "What? Too small to process basic knowledge?"
Zenith shot him a glare.
Zenith: "You wanna test me?"
The two immediately descended into light bickering, voices overlapping like an old, familiar song.
Oborozuka, Hinazuki, and Yatsurugi shared a laugh behind them.
Oborozuka: "Do they even get along?"
---
The banter was cut short when a spear crashed into the ground before them with a deafening CLANG. The purple wisp shrieked, darting back.
Will-o'-Wisp: "The Kokoro-Zoku!"
Figures emerged from the swirling light in every direction, their silhouettes tall and armed, forming an unbreakable ring around the group. The soft hum of the realm was drowned by the sound of weapons shifting into position.
Lithos's voice dropped.
Lithos: "I've heard of them… the most feared clan in the Spirit Realm."
Zenith: "Wait… there are clans here?!"
From the sky, riding a majestic kirin with antlers that shimmered like crystal, descended a single warrior. She dismounted with fluid grace, her long black hair flowing like ink in water. A single feather adorned it, swaying in the celestial wind. Her attire was both elegant and battle-ready — a short skirt patterned with ancient sigils and a sleeveless top that bared her toned midriff.
As she touched the ground, the surrounding warriors bowed low.
Will-o'-Wisp: "That's Kairi… princess of the Kokoro-Zoku."
Kairi's eyes locked on Zenith. In a blur, her spear shot forward, the point aimed straight for his chest.
Kairi's spear moved faster than the eye could follow — not a thrust, but a silver streak cutting through the air, the sound splitting the silence like a razor tearing silk.
Zenith's instincts screamed. His katana was already in motion before his mind caught up, the CLANG of steel against steel ringing through the open void. Sparks scattered, their glow swallowed instantly by the spirit realm's twilight.
Kairi's lips curved into a small, knowing smile.
Kairi: "Reflexes… good."
The world around them shifted in an instant. Hinazuki, Yatsurugi, Oborozuka, and Lithos moved as one, talismans drawn and humming with power, ready to strike at her from every angle.
But she didn't flinch.
Instead, Kairi lifted her spear above her head. Flow surged toward it like a whirlpool of pure energy, spiraling so fast it became a blinding helix of light. The moment it reached the tip, a subtle pressure rolled outward — and their talismans fell dim in their hands, their energy snuffed out as though they'd been doused in cold water.
Hinazuki's eyes widened.
Hinazuki: "She… redirected our Flow."
Kairi's voice was calm, but her gaze was sharp enough to cut through armor.
Kairi: "You don't control your external Flow well. Not yet. But…" She lowered the spear slightly. "You're strong. All of you. Strong enough to help me."
Zenith kept his blade raised.
Zenith: "Sorry. We're short on time. We have to be back in the physical world within two days."
Kairi: "Then why are you here?"
Zenith: "I'm looking for someone. A man who can help me master my techniques."
She tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable.
Kairi: "Forget I asked. But if you won't help me…"
The Flow around her spear began to twist again, subtly this time — like a warning.
Kairi: "…then I won't let you reach where you wish to go."
Zenith's grip tightened.
Kairi: "However, if you do help… I'll let you continue on your journey, and I'll give you talismans that can return you to the physical world. And… you should know — one day in your world is a week here. Time flows differently, in case you hadn't noticed."
Her words made Zenith hesitate, but it was Lithos who leaned in close to his ear, voice low.
Lithos: "She's right. Let's hear her out."
Zenith exhaled slowly and lowered his katana, though he kept it within reach.
Zenith: "…Fine."
The tension around them shifted, the ring of Kokoro-Zoku warriors relaxing just enough to let the celestial wind flow between them again.
Kairi: "Good. Then follow me. First… you'll have a proper welcome at our village."
She whistled softly, and a second kirin approached — its fur like silver mist, its hooves never touching the ground. One by one, the group mounted it and other kirin offered by the clan, their ghostly steeds carrying them toward a distant horizon where a structure of glistening white stone rose from the clouds.
---
Warrior Citadel – Physical World
Kazui's voice roared through the great Samurai Hall, echoing against the lacquered beams like thunder in a canyon.
Kazui: "What?! Execution?!"
The scroll he held trembled in his hand. His sharp eyes scanned the words again, but they didn't change. The decision was final — and it was Suno's name written beside the punishment.
Kazui: "I warned him… I warned him… wait—"
His hand shot to the great bell at the center of the hall. One deep strike sent a resonant wave rolling through the citadel, summoning every disciple. Footsteps rushed in from all sides, yet when the hall filled, Kazui's frown deepened.
Kazui: "…Where are the rest of you?"
Ishiguro shifted uncomfortably, his usually unshakable expression pale.
Ishiguro: "They… followed Suno-san. To rescue Zenith."
Kazui's breath caught.
Kazui: "The road to the Elder's Council is far… unless…" His mind flashed to a possibility that twisted his gut. "…they took Suno's portal."
The parchment crumpled in his grip.
Kazui: "Damn it!"
He slammed the scroll down, his voice now edged with urgency.
Kazui: "I'll plead for him. I'll trade my mythic blade if I must — reduce the punishment to banishment."
Without another word, he activated the Citadel Barrier, its translucent dome flaring around the fortress in layers of blue and gold.
Raijin: "What's going on?"
Ayame: "We'll be safe. For now. This barrier can't be pierced by corrupted Flow."
Ishiguro glanced toward the gates, his voice low.
Ishiguro: "…I hope so."
---
Spirit Realm – Kokoro-Zoku Village, Night
The sky above shimmered with endless stars, but here, the ground glowed too — intricate runes traced into the soil by threads of blue fire. Beneath one such flame, Zenith sat cross-legged, his eyes following the slow swirl of its light.
Zenith: "So… she wants us to get a herb. For her father."
Lithos leaned back against a spirit tree whose leaves glowed faintly like fireflies.
Lithos: "Pretty much. Guarded by a strong yōkai, which is why she can't go herself."
Oborozuka: "Then we depart soon."
Footsteps approached softly. Kairi joined them, the blue fire reflecting in her eyes. For a moment, she simply watched Lithos — and the way tiny spirit creatures flitted around him, unafraid.
Kairi: "They're fond of you."
Lithos: "Yeah. I understand this realm."
Kairi: "It takes more than understanding for them to like you this much."
Lithos chuckled, his gaze still fixed on the dancing flame.
Lithos: "You know… they used to like him more, once. Sometimes… I was jealous."
Kairi's brow furrowed slightly, confused. But before she could ask, a cluster of spirit fireflies drifted between them, spiraling upward toward the moonlight.
The group sat in silence, the night wrapping around them like an endless, gentle tide.