Chapter 1 — The Moon Glance
The Izakami family had ruled Hazadar Village for generations, not only as leaders but as masters of the sword.
Yamaka Izakami, the current king, was as respected for his wisdom as for his unmatched skill with the blade. His wife, Izumi, was beloved for her kindness. Together they raised two sons, Kento and Sizumi, until, on the 21st of May, a third child was born—Kenya.
The village rejoiced. For the Moon Glance Festival was only four days away, and legend promised that any child born within that time would grow with an unbreakable will, a kind heart, and unmatched strength. The Moon Glance happened once every two centuries, when the moon would shine eighty times brighter than usual, blessing the land with its rare magic.
But not everyone shared in the joy.
In the shadows, Shashimaru—Yamaka's stepbrother—nursed a bitter hatred. Yamaka was ten times the warrior Shashimaru could ever be, and worse, he had once slain the woman Shashimaru loved to save the village. The wound in his heart had festered into vengeance. And during the Moon Glance, he planned to wipe the Izakami family from existence.
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The festival night arrived. The air buzzed with music, laughter, and the glow of paper lanterns. At 9:21, the great moon rose over Hazadar, flooding the world in silver light. Villagers bowed their heads, whispering blessings.
Yamaka stood before his home, cradling Kenya. Izumi lifted the baby toward the sky. The moonlight caught the child's skin, and to everyone's astonishment, he began to glow, as if the moon itself recognized him. A hush fell. Then cheers erupted.
But the joy was shattered.
A roar broke through the night as Shashimaru stormed into the square, sword drawn, eyes burning with fury.
"Yamaka!" he bellowed. "Face me! Tonight, you die!"
Izumi stepped forward. "Don't," she pleaded. "The village—our children—"
But Yamaka ignored her, stepping into the street. Steel met steel, and sparks lit the air. Their battle raged through the village, smashing stalls, shattering stone.
Izumi ran toward them—only for Shashimaru's blade to strike her down.
Yamaka's roar of grief echoed through Hazadar. He fought like a storm unleashed, but in the end, Shashimaru's sword pierced his heart. Bloodied and staggering, the traitor fled to the Forest of Blue, a place feared for its deadly beasts.
Yamaka collapsed, his children rushing to his side, but Kento—the eldest—pulled them away to safety. With his last breath, Yamaka whispered to them:
"Become the greatest swordsmen in the world… take back what was stolen."
Then he was gone.
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That night, Hazadar lost its king. By dawn, Shashimaru had claimed the throne. The people bowed their heads in silence, but none dared challenge him.
Hiroshi Matsumoto, Yamaka's closest friend and most trusted swordsman, took the three orphans into hiding. To keep them safe, he gave them new names—Kento became Kiyoshi, Sizumi became Sanae, and Kenya became Kazuki. He changed their appearances and trained them in the ways of the sword.
Years passed. Kiyoshi grew into a disciplined warrior of fifteen. Sanae, at ten, was swift and cunning. Kazuki, the youngest at six, burned with anger at a world that seemed to forget his parents' deaths. He didn't know that the Moon Glance had marked him with power—and that the villagers feared him for it.
The only thing that softened him was his cat, Sue. She was always with him, her emerald eyes watching with strange intelligence. No one guessed she was no ordinary animal.
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Five more years passed. The siblings had become warriors sixty times stronger than in their youth. One night, Kazuki followed Sue into the forest—only to see her transform before his eyes. Where the cat had been now stood a woman, ageless yet youthful, with a sword at her hip and a faint silver glow about her.
They trailed her silently to a gravestone—Yamaka and Izumi's resting place.
"Lord," she whispered, "your children are grown. The time is near for them to take revenge. I will teach them to be strong enough to protect themselves."
The siblings stepped from the shadows.
"What are you?" Kazuki demanded. "What's your connection to our parents?"
The woman's eyes softened. "I am Izumi's younger sister. A witch's curse gave me immortality, binding me to the form of a cat by day. Only at night, for six hours, can I walk as myself. I have lived three centuries, watching over my family in secret."
And with that truth revealed, their story took a new turn…
To be continued…