The sky burned red. Smoke curled into the air as Seikyo Village lay in ruins. Bodies littered the streets—warriors who once believed they could stand against any threat.


    But against Shinsei, they never had a chance.


    At the center of the destruction, six figures stood among the ashes, their faces calm, their hands unstained despite the massacre.


    The one standing at the front stepped forward, his piercing silver eyes glowing in the dim light. He looked down at the last remaining survivors—wounded, shaking, barely able to move.


    "Remember this moment," he said, his voice cold. "You were never strong. Your village was never strong. Against us… the concept of strength is meaningless."


    His gaze darkened.


    "Tell the world who we are."


    One of the survivors, his body broken and barely breathing, struggled to lift his head. "W-Who… are you?"


    The leader smirked.


    "Shidou."


    Behind him, five others stepped forward.


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    "Zadara."


    "Renzai."


    "Veydris."


    "Kairo."


    "Zyren."


    "We are Shinsei. And soon, this entire world will bow to us."


    The survivor collapsed, barely clinging to life as the six figures vanished into the shadows, leaving only silence behind.


    <hr>


    Tenryu Village – The Aftermath


    Morning came, but the sun brought no warmth.


    Raizo, Izuki, and Kenzo stood at the edge of a burned field, staring at what was left of Seikyo Village. The wind carried the stench of blood.


    But then—


    "They live!"


    From the rubble, a few survivors staggered forward, their bodies battered and broken. Raizo stepped forward immediately, his sharp gaze locking onto them.


    "Who did this?" he asked, his voice steady.


    One of the men, his face covered in dirt and blood, looked up at him with hollow eyes.


    "There were six of them… just six."


    Izuki’s breath caught. Six? Only six?


    "Their leader…" The survivor coughed, his body shaking. "He called himself… Shidou."


    Raizo’s expression darkened.


    "And the others?"


    The man swallowed, as if just saying the names drained his strength.


    "Zadara… Renzai… Veydris… Kairo… Zyren…"


    He clenched his fists, his voice breaking.


    "They didn''t struggle. They didn''t fight hard. They played with us. They killed ten thousand men as if it were a game."


    Silence fell.


    Izuki felt his stomach twist. His hands trembled.


    Kenzo looked down, his jaw clenched in frustration. "Damn it…"


    Raizo exhaled slowly. "This changes everything."


    He turned to his students, his expression unreadable.


    "Izuki. Kenzo. From this moment forward, your training will no longer be just to grow stronger."


    Izuki looked up at him, eyes wide. "Then… what is it for?"


    Raizo’s gaze hardened.


    "It is to survive."