Chapter 9 – The Scroll Keeper's Secret
全能の刀 (Zennō no Katana)
By Paul Richard
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The fight with Kurojin had left Kenji physically intact, but internally unraveling.
He and Kaede traveled in silence. The deeper they went into the forested edge of the Yomi-no-Tani region, the more the trees grew older, twisted by time and secrets. Kenji's sword, Seijintō, still shimmered faintly from the clash—its hum now more frequent. It hadn't spoken again, but Kenji could feel something changing inside it… and in him.
They arrived at a lonely cliffside shrine built into the mountainside, so old that moss covered its prayer stones and vines coiled around its torii gate. There was no door—just a faded scroll above the entrance that read:
> "To remember is to awaken. To forget is to survive."
"Is this the place?" Kenji asked.
Kaede nodded. "This is where the scroll keeper lives. If anyone knows the truth about your sword, it's him."
Inside, the air was thick with incense and candlelight. Scrolls lined every wall, hanging from ropes, stacked in crates, and pinned to ceiling beams. Some floated as if untouched by gravity. Others whispered as if alive.
A figure hunched over a low writing desk.
> "Old Man Hiro," Kaede said gently.
The man didn't move at first—until he sniffed the air and said, "The boy with the blade has finally arrived."
Kenji stepped forward. "You know who I am?"
Hiro turned around. His eyes were pale blue, milky, almost blind—but full of terrifying clarity.
> "Not who. What you are."
Kenji hesitated. "Then what am I?"
Hiro motioned for him to sit. "A chosen vessel of Seijintō, one of the Hundred Blades of the Dawnfire."
Kaede inhaled sharply. "So it's true."
Hiro opened a thick scroll, yellowed with age. "A thousand years ago, a celestial smith known only as Tengen-no-Kajiya forged one hundred katanas in the heart of a dying star. Each held a fragment of fate, tempered in essence—some pure, some cursed. These blades… they remember."
Kenji leaned closer. "Remember what?"
Hiro's fingers trembled as he pointed at an ancient symbol.
> "They remember the war that tore heaven from earth. A war between the guardians of balance… and the blade bearers who sought to rewrite destiny."
Kenji's throat was dry. "Why did my blade choose me?"
"You didn't find it," Hiro said. "It found you. Because it was meant to be wielded by someone broken, someone the world had discarded. Seijintō was a blade of mercy. It was one of only five created not for war—but for salvation."
Kenji looked down at the katana now resting across his lap. "Then why does it draw blood so easily?"
Hiro's face hardened. "Because mercy in a cruel world… is rebellion. And rebellion always spills blood."
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The Seal of the Fallen King
Kenji unwrapped the cloth around Seijintō's hilt, revealing the glowing emblem that had etched itself into the steel.
Hiro's eyes widened.
> "That's the Seal of the Fallen King…"
Kaede whispered, "The one who tried to unite all the blades…"
Hiro nodded slowly. "And failed. He was betrayed. Killed. But his blade vanished—until now."
Kenji stood. "So this sword was once his?"
"Yes," Hiro said, voice shaking. "And if that seal glows again… the Council will come for you."
Kenji frowned. "The Council?"
Hiro unrolled another scroll.
A map—marked with twelve blood-red dots, each labeled with symbols Kenji didn't recognize.
> "The Council of Blades. They were formed after the war to hide, guard, or destroy the Hundred. If they believe the King's blade lives again, they'll send Collectors to retrieve it."
Kaede's hand went to her mouth. "And if he refuses?"
"Then they'll erase him."
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Suspense Ending
Before Hiro could say more, a gust of unnatural wind tore through the shrine.
Scrolls flew into the air. Candles snuffed out.
And on the floor—burned into the stone—appeared a glowing seal. Different from Seijintō's.
Kaede backed away. "No… that's not possible."
The air chilled. Hiro's voice trembled.
> "They've found you."
From the shadows, a single voice echoed.
> "Return the blade… or die with it."
And then… silence.#WriteWithPraise #WritersCommunity #DailyInspiration #CreativeMindset #StorytellerLife #FaithAndWords #MotivationDaily #PositiveVibesOnly #WritersOfFacebook #SupportWriters #SmallPagesBigDreams #WordPower #FacebookWriters #InspireAndBeInspired #shareyourstoryandbeheard #fypviralシ #followerseveryone