The royal carriage passed through the towering gates of the Central Point City.
Takashi sat quietly inside, watching the world move through the small window. He had returned home. But the city did not feel like home today. It felt like a stage.
19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdGRyPWC3k
Outside, the streets were drowning in celebration. Banners of the Shizukami and Kaimetsuza clans hung side by side, catching the wind. The 5th Anniversary of the Day of Salvation had arrived, but the noise, the colors, and the overwhelming presence of the crowds were not just for the anniversary.
It was for him.
The political wedding.
19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbAKsTzBi5O
19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UtvIQx2zt
A union between five-year-olds. To the commoners, it was a grand celebration. To the leaders, it was a necessary shield. The mysterious organization known as Shinsei had been spreading poisonous rumors, whispering that the peace between the East and West lands was fracturing, that war was imminent.
This wedding was the answer. A loud, undeniable message to the world: The Shizukami and Kaimetsuza are one. Peace remains unbroken.
In the center of the grand plaza, beneath the eyes of thousands, the ceremony began.
Hayato and Ema stood tall, projecting absolute authority. Beside them, Kazumi and Tsugumi watched with genuine warmth. Uncle Jun, stepping away from his heavy duties as Supreme Chancellor, stood with his wife Maya Shizukami, smiling brightly at his nephew.
Then came the moment.
Aira Kaimetsuza officially became Aira Shizukami.
For the little girl with the terrifying red eyes, this was paradise. She was practically vibrating with pure, unfiltered joy. Her whole world revolved around Takashi, and in her innocent mind, her life was now perfect.
But for Takashi... it was just another mask.
19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvEiF7yvwR
He stood beside her, his face completely devoid of emotion. At five years old, his mind felt like it belonged to a fifty-year-old man. The suffocating air of the palace, the fake smiles, the political theater it had forced him to grow up far too fast.
He could feel the eyes of the crowd. Even as they cheered, he sensed the hidden disgust, the mocking whispers beneath the applause. The powerless heir. The cursed child. Yet, when he looked back at his family his father, his mother, his uncle, his aunt he saw nothing but fierce, unyielding love. They were happy. They were united. And for their sake, Takashi kept his silence.
19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyM6uA3ihX
Later, in the quiet courtyards of the palace, Takashi sat alone, watching a leaf drift into a pond.
His father’s footsteps approached. Soft. Deliberate.
Hayato sat beside his son, looking out at the same water. He knew the burden the boy carried. He knew about the cruel glares of the nobles and the whispers of the commoners.
"Takashi," Hayato said, his voice deep and steady.
19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNKVo9W6aj
The boy looked up.
"People are like mirrors," Hayato told him, his words carrying the weight of a man who had seen the darkest parts of the world. "If they hate you, it means they hate themselves. If they treat you with kindness, they are at peace with themselves. If they see you as bad, the darkness is in their own hearts."
Takashi listened, his young eyes wide, absorbing every word.
"You do not need to answer them," Hayato continued, placing a heavy, warm hand on his son's shoulder. "Remain silent. Endure. Shape yourself. Define your own goal and keep walking. Do not care about their words, but always strive to do good for them. One day, they will have no choice but to love you. They will understand you. Your hard work will echo louder than their insults. Just stay focused on your path."
Those words became Takashi's anchor. His father’s wisdom filled the empty spaces the world tried to carve into him.
19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHW9DfWjBg
He wanted to be strong. He wanted to be like his Uncle Jun.
19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoWeP3Lutq
Whenever Jun visited, Takashi felt a rare spark of joy. The uncle and nephew were inseparable. But those moments were rare. The burden of the Supreme Chancellor was crushing. Jun was the solitary pillar maintaining the global balance of power across the four lands, keeping the peace, and ensuring the new Shiritsu system didn't collapse into tyranny. He never interfered in politics, but his presence alone kept the world from tearing itself apart.
The celebrations finally ended. The foreign leaders returned to their lands, and the lingering tension in the capital began to cool. The wedding had worked. The Shinsei rumors lost their power.
19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRjFjVfBPP
19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUheglFCfp9
The next morning, Hayato looked at Takashi.
"The Shiritsu Academy is taking admissions," Hayato said. "Do you want to become a Shin Warrior?"
The Academy was the first step. Only the elite, the truly dedicated, moved on to the Shiritsu Dominion University to study advanced combat, ancient sciences, and the newly discovered arts. It was the path to the top. The path to becoming someone like the Supreme Chancellor a title that had grown to command ultimate respect.
Takashi’s eyes lit up. He jumped with immediate joy. I can be like Uncle Jun! But a second later, the joy vanished. His shoulders dropped.
To go to the Academy meant leaving the safety of his family. It meant standing shoulder-to-shoulder with normal children, awakened children who had power. It meant enduring their mockery, their laughter, their cruel games.
Hayato saw the shift in his son's eyes. He knelt down.
"What did I tell you?" Hayato whispered. "Do not focus on them. Focus on yourself."
Hayato leaned in closer, his lips brushing his son’s ear. "Listen to me carefully. The natural capacity for Shin-Noa grows until you are 18 to 20 years old. Even those who seem empty can awaken their power. Keep working hard. Walk your path."
A spark ignited in Takashi’s chest. The sadness evaporated, replaced by a quiet, burning determination. He nodded eagerly and ran off to prepare.
From the doorway, Ema watched them. Her heart ached.
"Why don't you just tell him the truth?" she asked softly as Hayato stood up.
Hayato’s eyes darkened. "The fate of the world rests on his future decisions. Until I am absolutely certain, I cannot burden him with the truth. If he knows what slumbers inside him, it could change him."
He stepped closer to Ema, dropping his voice to a bare whisper. "Besides... I have found the solution. General Kazuki has located it. The Legendary Divine Spirit Wolf."
Ema’s breath caught.
"The five years are up," Hayato said grimly. "The Black Box Silent Prison could shatter at any second. If it breaks, his raw power will obliterate him, and the world will feel the Saviour’s presence once again. I will not let that happen. I will not lose my son."
ns216.73.216.101da2
and then Add to home screen.