In this world, strength is not a gift… it is the price you pay to stay alive."
"Kara is the vital energy that flows through all things. Some shape it to create, others to destroy… but all depend on it to survive."
"When the breath of Kara fades, the heart ceases to beat, and the soul vanishes into eternal shadow."
The night wrapped Kazemori in a veil of darkness. Away from the turmoil of the streets, Raizen found himself in a discreet sanctuary, protected by a strange force, a refuge invisible to malicious intent.
He stepped out of a simple house, built of raw wood, its rough outlines and poorly adjusted planks giving it a crude aspect. His steps led him to a hot spring nestled at the heart of a dense clearing, where the vegetation muffled the noises of the outside world.
Raizen floated in the steaming water, naked, alone with his whirling thoughts. The heat soothed his battered muscles, while the steam rose in swirls into the clear, starry night.
Raizen (thoughtful, murmuring)
This spring… it's a miracle. Here, even Kazemori feels far away. My body is recovering, but my head… it keeps circling around Takashi Aomi, the Kara… and everything I barely understand.
A faint crack broke the silence, resonating among the branches. Raizen startled, almost losing balance in the water.
Raizen (surprised, panicked)
— Shit… what was that noise?!
He straightened at once, scanning the darkness, then caught sight of a feminine silhouette slowly approaching. His heart leaped — he recognized her instantly.
Raizen (stammering, blushing with embarrassment)
— Hana?! But… what are you doing here?!
Hana remained calm, a teasing smile lighting her face.
Hana (teasing)
— I thought you might appreciate a little company. But I didn't expect to find you… quite so… undressed. (throwing a mischievous glance between his legs).
Raizen made a hasty move to cover himself, flushing red, drowned in the steam.
Raizen (embarrassed, almost shouting)
— Hey! Are you spying now? This isn't a public bath, you know!
Hana burst into laughter, light and soft.
Hana
— No, no. Just… this place is new to you, so I came to check if you were holding up. You'd better thank me, huh?
Raizen grumbled, turning his head away, but a smile eventually crept onto his lips.
Raizen (mocking)
— You're such a pain sometimes. But I wouldn't mind a bit of company, so if you want, you can join me.
Hana blushed violently, surprised.
Hana (embarrassed)
— No, no, not at all… I didn't mean that… Maybe another time… No, no actually forget what I just said.
She turned back, resuming her path, then, in a more serious tone, threw over her shoulder:
Hana
— If you're done, come join me.
Raizen sighed and sank back into the hot water, letting his thoughts drift into the steam rising above the spring.
Raizen (in a low voice)
She's not that bad, this girl. Then he sharpened a sly grin.
I wonder just what I've gotten myself into this time…
Reluctantly, Raizen left the hot spring, his clothes still warm against his skin.
The night had thickened, as if silence weighed on every branch.
He finally returned to the small house. A warm, spicy aroma floated in the air, coming from a simple broth placed on the low table. Hana was waiting, sitting cross-legged, two steaming bowls before her.
Hana (light smile)
— Sit down. Eat.
Raizen sat, grabbing the wooden chopsticks. Silence settled, broken only by the sound of light rain outside and the crackling of the fire.
After a few minutes, Hana spoke again.
Hana
— The man who attacked you the other night… you think he was just some lunatic, right?
Raizen shrugged.
Raizen
— With his brute face, killer eyes, strange form and the energy he radiated, I'm not so sure.
Hana
— That guy was part of a group called… the Sang Brûlé.
Raizen frowned, chewing slowly.
Raizen
— Sang Brûlé… am I supposed to know that name?
Hana
— No. And it's better that way. The Sang Brûlé… Most people don't even know their name. And those who do… pray never to cross them.
She paused, as if weighing each word.
— They're called that because of the mark they all bear: a burn, inflicted during a ritual. Not an ordinary scar… something that changes them inside, corrodes them, but also makes them more dangerous than any soldier.
— The elite, those known as the true Sang Brûlé, never exceed five individuals. But the lower rank, the Kageyami, are more numerous… killers who prepare the ground.
She sipped her broth, her gaze darkening.
— When they strike, it's never by accident though sometimes it seems so. They choose a target, and they don't stop until nothing remains. No negotiation. No mercy.
She leaned closer to him.
Hana
— The man who attacked you that night… was one of the Kageyami. They are the exact opposite of us, the Zénith Stellaire. Where the Sang Brûlé sow fear, the Zénith Stellaire inspire trust, even if almost no one knows it.
Raizen gave an ironic smirk.
Raizen
— So it's just the eternal game of "good guys" and "bad guys"?
Hana put down her chopsticks, her face firm. The oil lamp flickered, casting their shadows on the wooden walls.
Hana (lower, almost to herself)
— This world needs heroes… and you could become one.
The silence that followed weighed heavier than her words. Raizen finished his bowl without replying, the broth tasting bitter.
Outside, the rain intensified, beating against the windows in relentless cadence.
Hana finally stood, extinguished the lamp, and left the room.
Raizen remained alone, lying on his makeshift bed, eyes open toward the ceiling.
Hana's words echoed in his head: Sang Brûlé… Kageyami… they don't stop until nothing remains…
He clenched his fists under the blanket, a bitter smile forming despite himself.
Raizen (in a low voice)
— Maybe it's time I had a purpose in life.
The night enveloped Kazemori in heavy silence, and only the rain accompanied his thoughts until sleep.
Dream
Raizen floated in a strange space, suspended between sleep and reality. All around him, contours warped: light seemed to come from nowhere, dancing and reflecting on shifting, unreal shadows.
He felt his body detached, weightless, as if floating without ties to the tangible world.
A silhouette appeared: a man with black hair, in his thirties, dressed in traditional Japanese attire. His stride was confident, imposing, and his eyes shone with an almost supernatural intensity.
Without speaking a word, a message resonated in Raizen's mind:
— Soon, you will have to choose your path…
The man gave an enigmatic smile, then vanished into a luminous mist.
A flash of light — and Raizen awoke. Morning light filtered through the shutters, caressing the wooden floor. His heart still raced, the dream burning in his memory.
Raizen (thoughtful)
— Who… was that man?
Raizen left the hot spring, wrapped in a towel, and walked through the silent halls. Morning light drew wooden patterns across the floor.
Out of curiosity, he passed by a half-open door and peeked inside. Hana stood before an imposing man with golden-yellow hair, dressed in an outfit reminiscent of the Zénith Stellaire. Every gesture radiated mastery, every glance seemed to weigh Raizen down to his very soul.
Raizen (thinking, as he walked away)
— Hm… who is that guy…
He returned to his room, dressed in simple yet comfortable clothes, then resumed his path through the halls, still sluggish from sleep.
As he reached the living room, a soft yet firm voice called out:
Hana (calling)
— Raizen! Wait!
Raizen stopped and turned around.
Hana (smiling)
— I wanted to introduce you to someone… someone you really should meet.
Raizen turned his head and saw the man. Calm, imposing, his piercing gaze seemed to probe every corner of his mind. The aura he radiated was powerful, yet controlled.
Hana (softly)
— Raizen, this is Takashi Aomi, one of the 8 true Zénith Stellaire, and the one who saved your life.
A shiver ran through Raizen. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the man.
Takashi Aomi (deep, calm voice)
— Pleasure to meet you, Raizen. How are you feeling this morning?
Raizen stammered:
Raizen
— Uh… fine… I think…
Aomi gave a faint smile, as if he already knew far more about him than Raizen himself.
Takashi Aomi
— Don't worry. We have plenty of time to talk.
In the living room
Raizen remained frozen, unable to look away from the man. The aura radiating from Takashi wasn't only imposing — it was alive, almost palpable.
Takashi Aomi (calm, placing his hands on the table)
— Raizen, it's time you understood a little better what you felt the other night. That energy… it's Kara, the vital breath that flows in every being. But it isn't uniform: it manifests in several ways.
Raizen (intrigued)
— Several ways?
Takashi Aomi nodded, his gaze serious.
Takashi Aomi
— Yes. Some use what we call Kara Internal. It strengthens the body, the muscles, the speed, the resistance… strikes become destructive. Imagine striking a stone wall, and that wall shattering under your fist without you feeling pain.
Raizen (amazed)
— Really! And others…?
Takashi Aomi (calm, unhurried)
— Kara Elemental. It allows you to manipulate the elements themselves: fire, ice, lightning… but also light, shadow, and sometimes even stranger forms. It's Kara that strikes from a distance and turns the battlefield into a weapon.
Raizen (curious, almost excited despite the gravity of the situation)
— So… even I could have a power like that?
Takashi Aomi (serious)
— Yes… but it is not a gift. You don't receive this power… you must endure it. If your body or mind isn't ready, Kara can burn you from within, erase your memory, or worse… annihilate you.
Raizen swallowed hard.
Takashi Aomi
— Each user evolves differently. Some settle only for Kara Internal, others only Elemental, and few combine both. But all pay a price for every use.
A heavy, controlled silence filled the air.
Takashi Aomi
— Two major forces have struggled for centuries. On one side, the Sang Brûlé, wielders of Kara Noir, who use destruction and domination to reach their goals. On the other, we, the Zénith Stellaire, wield Kara Celestial to protect what remains of the world and preserve life.
Raizen (worried)
— Do the Sang Brûlé also use Internal and Elemental Kara?
Takashi Aomi
— Yes. Though Kara Noir and Celestial differ in their use, both were born from Kara itself. Internal and Elemental are simply the ways Kara acts within a body.
Raizen
— And me, in all this?
Takashi looked straight into his eyes, with an intensity that made him shiver.
Takashi Aomi
— I don't know why, nor if you will be able to receive a power… but I am certain you can become a major asset to us, the Zénith Stellaire.
Raizen felt the weight of his words press on his chest. He did not yet possess Kara, but something told him his life could shift in an instant.
Raizen (thoughtful)
I have no family, I've always lived alone since childhood, surviving only through theft and escape… so why not try a new path this time? he thought.
— Alright, I see. And how can I obtain Celestial Kara? (his eyes sharp and determined).
Takashi sharpened a smile at the corner of his lips.
Takashi
— Tomorrow, I will take you to the one who has the power to give you an ability. So rest for now, because tomorrow could be the beginning for you.
With those words, he stood and left the house.
Meanwhile, east of Kazemori, a village lay destroyed, burning, drowned in the blood of its inhabitants. In the middle of it all, in a dark corner, a sinister, almost monstrous presence could be felt. There, a man with red eyes, imposing build, and a scar across his eye appeared.
The man
— Sooner or later, these Zénith Stellaire will come to this point.
Then he raised his hands to the sky.
The man
— Kara Noir… Explosive Crystal…
End of Chapter 2