The Return of the Legend

A gloomy silence atmosphere could be felt. It filled the lifeless room of one of the heads of the east as if darkness, sadness, and failure filled the room alone. He sat alone on a chair in front of a round table while holding papers of classified swordsmen under his list in his hands. He looked at these papers one-by-one.

More papers were on his table till he heard a knock on the door and it opened. He put the papers underneath the table where there were multiple layers of small cabinets. He left a single paper on top of the round table and began reading it in silence. The unknown who walked in, reached the round table, stood tall, and awaited for his words.

"I— I have no choice, but to uh, task you on a dangerous mission, young one. Be careful out there," he murmured worriedly, handing him the paper, which he promptly took. He was afraid as darkness filled the room, until it suddenly began to rain outside, accompanied by a cool air blowing in from the window toward them.

"You've sent a few, but no reports after a while. They must've been killed along the way, lead," remarked the swordsman with a dark voice while handing back the paper, but he waved at him.

"Keep that along with you, let's wait for Rinkuri for the scroll you'll have. It is instructions you'll need along the way. And yeah, they must've been killed. I didn't expect it, it's just a classified mission. I told them to scout, but it seems some kind of enemy have spotted them. I should not have sent them, but sent someone like you instead, that is powerful enough to handle whoever is there," he said with regret as he exhaled a deep inhale. He felt melancholy as he clasped his fingers together and gazed out the window to his left, seeing the wind blowing the trees next to the building along with the heavy rain and feeling the cold.

Rinkuri arrived after a few hours. He handed over the scroll first to the head of the village before handing it over to the swordsman.

"Good luck to you," the head gave him a good luck. The swordsman bowed and nodded at him before vanishing in thin air like he was never there. He turned to his right and nodded at Rinkuri, who was a messenger swordsman. He also nodded at him before leaving the room, a gesture of sign of respect.

The head sighed in relief as the room was filled with loneliness. It stopped raining as soon as Rinkuri walked out of the room. The dark sky was slowly getting filled with a bright blue color along with the yellow light of the sun. It was beautiful as the cold breeze started to turn into a warmth and comforting breeze.

After a day, the head and Rinkuri meet again in the same room. Their eyes met as if there was a storm coming. The room was filled with tense and silence for a moment till Rinkuri spoke with a heavy chest.

"You called me, why?" He asked as he sat down on a chair in front of the round table, filling his thoughts with curiosity. He saw fear in the head's eyes realizing something bad might have happened.

"I want Shikari and Gakushin on this. Send them there as soon as possible," he said urgently with a serious expression on his face.

"They are currently mourning Rida's death. I'll tell them after they mourn," he said in a serious tone, making the head nod with relief.

"That will be fine... Wait, no, I change my mind. Tell them that I called them here for a specific matter. Both of them," he remarked while staring into Rinkuri's eyes. He nodded at him and immediately walked out of the room. He sighed in frustration as he cleared his throat and stared blankly at the table, seeing the papers of classified swordsmans he had sent to many unknown place.

A tall man stood solemnly before a gravestone, his gaze fixed upon it. The wind whispered through the air, carrying a weight of sorrow that seemed to intensify under the bright, unforgiving sun. Footsteps approached from his left, the rustle of leaves joining the symphony of emotions, yet he remained steadfast, unwilling to let the external world penetrate the heavy atmosphere surrounding him.

"She died in your hands... I'm sorry I couldn't be there for her and for you," the mysterious man's voice trembled with regret as he approached Shikari, the tall man before the gravestone. Shikari, bearing the weight of sorrow in his eyes, sighed deeply, his gaze finally meeting the remorseful stranger.

"Rida died in my hands because of that man. They were misunderstood, that lead to many deaths and multiple outcomes that made people suffer," he remarked, the weight of regret hanging heavily in his voice, each word a burden on his conscience. The newcomer, his friend Gakushin Gakure, kneeled before the grave, his touch on the cold stone expressing a profound sadness, as if realizing the truth that could've been avoided, leaving an indelible ache in their hearts. He put a small memorial flower before the gravestone next to the rose flowers that Shikari brought for her.

"Before she died, I remember you telling me that she warned you not to show any anger or you'll get consumed by it and end up nowhere and caused further damage," Gakushin Gakure recounted, standing and expressing his frustration with a mournful sigh. Yet, amidst the heavy emotions, a bittersweet warmth lingered in the air, as if Rida's wisdom had become a guiding light, offering solace in the midst of sorrow.

"We should leave now, let's—" Shikari Gakure uttered, his words abruptly stifled by an unexpected presence. They found a kneeling swordsman behind them, his intense gaze capturing attention. A hush fell, a tense quietude settling.

Gakushin's brows furrowed in solemn contemplation as he took a step back. "A messenger swordsman?" he pondered, observing Shikari approach the swordsman. The air hung heavy with curiosity, a silent inquiry echoing in the mountain breeze. The swordsman, slowly rising, bowed with a grace that spoke volumes of unspoken tales.

"I'm Rinkuri... The two of you are called to the heads office. He said he has a matter to discuss with you two," Rinkuri conveyed, his voice holding a solemn weight. Gakushin and Shikari exchanged puzzled glances, the mountain air charged with curiosity and anticipation.

At the heads office, the trio arrived, and Rinkuri bowed to an unknown figure standing in front of a round table. The unknown man nodded, and Rinkuri exited the room, leaving Shikari and Gakushin to face the enigmatic individual.

"You called us, why?" Shikari inquired.

"A matter to discuss, get to the point. Shimodo Rou," Gakushin added, his tone carrying a subtle menace.

"Five teams of swordsmen went missing last night. I'd like you two to go there and find out what's happening. That team I sent teleported a message here saying that the first teams I sent weren't there. And, I asked them as soon as they teleported the message and there was no response," Shimodo Rou, the unknown man, spoke with a stern demeanor. His gaze bore into Shikari and Gakushin, each word resonating with the weight of an ominous threat. The air in the room turned solemn, and an unspoken tension hung.

"Where?" Shikari pressed for an answer, maintaining a steady gaze into Shimodo Rou's eyes.

"The Mountain of the Zigaria. You two are my last hope. It's a classified mission. When you find them, locate a scroll, the information about their mission is there. Be careful, and I... apologize for being careless," Shimodo Rou lowered his head, a gesture of sincerity.

Shikari and Gakushin exchanged nods, acknowledging the gravity of their task. They left the room promptly, driven by a sense of duty. Meanwhile, Shimodo Rou raised a piece of the round table and retrieved a piece full of papers, each bearing the details of the swordsmen he had sent to the mountain, now feared lost.

The table resembled a double pizza, with one on top and another below, attached to a movable wood underneath, creating a seamless and convenient design. He heard a knock, and the door swung open. Two men entered, fixing their gaze on him as they approached. The mood in the room shifted, an unspoken tension settling in.

"You look sad, Rou. They've left for the mission. They've departed. You should be happy," one of the men spoke while smiling. Shimodo Rou remained silent, reading the paper detailing the personal background of an unknown swordsman.

Outside the gate, a shadowy figure approached, walking out of the forest, leaving no discernible footsteps. Gradually, a dark human figure materialized, leaving traces of footsteps behind. The guards, finally noticing him, assumed defensive positions as the atmosphere around the figure grew dark and intimidating.

Suddenly, the unknown dark figure vanished into thin air and reappeared in front of the gate in the blink of an eye. The guards were immediately seated on the ground, visibly shocked by the mysterious display of speed.

All of a sudden, a sword descended from the sky toward the unknown dark figure, who had transformed into a completely shadowy being. The tip of the blade was about to hit his face when, in a swift motion, he dodged it by simply turning his head.

The tip of the blade hit and pierced through the ground behind him. The unknown figure glanced in the distance and saw Gakushin waving at him while approaching.

"You're a Dark Mob? You're new, dangerous. But it doesn't matter," the unknown heard a whisper behind him that immediately made him turn around. As soon as he pivoted, he saw a sword blade about to decapitate him, and a man standing there.

"Teleport?!" thought furiously the dark mob as he kneeled and dodged the blade, but that's what he thought. He was sliced into numerous pieces, yet he remained alive. Stuck on the ground, he looked up as Shikari stared at him menacingly.

"Dull creature," he sneered, his voice dripping with disdain, as he raised his sword with his right arm, ready to thrust it into the dark mob's head and bring an end to the clash. Suddenly, he noticed a kimono emerging slowly on the body, a shadowy garment materializing like a phantom veil. A menacing shiver ran down his spine, freezing him in place, as Gakushin sensed another presence lurking inside the dark mob, an enigma within the shadows.

"Shikari! Behind you!" Gakusin shouted while pulling out his sword with his right hand. He suddenly propelled himself forward, and Shikari turned as soon as he heard the shout. He saw a darkening hand flying in the air, about to grab his face. His eyes widened for a moment, but suddenly he vanished from where he was standing and appeared behind the hand, a distance away from it.

He turned, ready to make his move, but the menacing hand and the dark mob vanished, leaving only Gakushin Gakure standing there. The threat was gone.

"They vanished! That hand! It came out of a dark portal!" Gakushin exclaimed, frustration evident as he resheathed his blade. Shikari appeared at his side, tapping his shoulder.