The Almighty Katana
全能の刀 (Zennō no Katana)
Season 1: Exile of the Blade
Chapter 1 — Crimson Night, Wandering Blade
The cold wind whispered through the ghost village of Tsukigakure. Cracked lanterns flickered dimly as if afraid of the dark. Ashes swirled like fireflies—only there was no fire, no warmth, no light.
Kenji Sora walked alone.
His tattered cloak trailed behind him, feet silent against the gravel path. The katana strapped to his back was wrapped in thick black cloth, a symbol of exile. No crest, no clan, no honor.
His eyes — pale gray with flecks of lightning — searched the decaying homes. Abandoned. Silent. Until…
A scream.
Sharp. Young. A child.
Kenji dashed forward without hesitation. Over a fallen fence. Past shattered pottery. Into the square.
A boy no older than ten was being dragged by a masked bandit. Two others laughed, sharpening rusted blades. One pointed at Kenji. "Leave, wanderer. This ain't your fight."
Kenji didn't speak.
The boy sobbed, "Please…"
He took a step forward.
"Didn't you hear me?!" The bandit raised his machete.
Kenji raised his hand—not to stop them, but to reach over his shoulder. Slowly, the cloth slipped. A glimmer of moonlight kissed the metal.
A whisper.
A faint hum—almost too faint to notice—stirred in the air. The bandits hesitated.
Then in one motion, faster than thought, the blade was out.
Seijintō.
The sword gleamed with an unnatural glow—soft, almost silver-blue like starlight. The ground seemed to thrum. The shadows recoiled.
Kenji moved.
One slash.
Silence.
The bandit's weapon fell in two. A thin line of red traced his shoulder as he crumbled to the ground unconscious. The others ran, stumbling over each other.
The boy stared at Kenji, wide-eyed.
"You… you saved me."
Kenji sheathed the sword in silence.
Then his katana… glowed.
The etched symbol near its guard—a crest long forgotten—lit up for the first time in years. A low whisper echoed in Kenji's ears, too faint to understand.
But it chilled him to the bone.
His hand trembled slightly as he adjusted the cloth again.
He didn't understand what had happened.
But one thing was certain—
The blade was awakening.
---
🩸 To be continued…