The Night of Blood

The story opens on a battlefield, where a lone martial artist clashes against a powerful faction. The clash is relentless, blades ringing against blades, the ground trembling beneath their strikes. For three long days and nights, the battle rages without pause, the man’s willpower the only thing keeping him on his feet. His body is battered, his breathing ragged, yet his spirit refuses to yield.

But even the strongest have limits. His strength wanes, his vision blurs, and wounds cover him like a crimson map of pain. Finally, when his enemies close in for the final strike, he makes a desperate choice. Drawing on the last of his energy, he carves out a path of escape and vanishes into the darkness, blood trailing in his wake.

Far away from the chaos, peace still lingers within the walls of a proud clan. In its palace courtyard, a boy of twelve—Kaito—laughs freely as he plays with his parents and his older sister. His world feels safe, full of warmth and love.

But peace is fragile. A sudden heaviness fills the air, sharp and suffocating. His father halts, his expression darkening as he senses an overwhelming aura of danger approaching their gates. His voice is low and urgent as he commands his wife and daughter to take Kaito away at once.

“Kaito must survive,” his father says firmly, his eyes blazing with determination. “He is the future of our clan.”

His sister, just eighteen but already strong-willed, seizes Kaito’s hand and leads him toward a hidden passage known only to a few. “Come on,” she whispers, her grip tightening. “We don’t have time.”

Confused, Kaito resists. “Why? What’s happening? I don’t want to leave!” His voice trembles as he sees guards rushing past, their armor clashing as they prepare defenses. Fear prickles at his skin, but he still refuses to abandon his family.

“Listen to me!” his sister insists, tears glistening in her eyes. “You are our only hope. Please… live.” With those desperate words, she forces him into the passage and shuts the stone door behind him.

Kaito runs into the forest, the weight of his clan’s survival pressing heavily upon him. Yet every step feels wrong, his heart aching with confusion and dread. Behind him, the sounds of battle rise—the clash of steel, the cries of men, the roar of fire.

Back at the palace, his parents and sister stand defiantly before the invaders. The enemy leader, cloaked in shadow, reveals nothing of himself. When Kaito’s father demands his name, the man answers only with a merciless slash, beginning a fight that would decide the clan’s fate.

Meanwhile, in the forest, Kaito slows. His feet falter, his mind screaming to return. “I can’t leave them,” he whispers. Against his sister’s wishes, he turns back, racing toward the place he once called home.

When he reaches the clan gates, he stops cold. Silence. No guards. No voices. Only death. The courtyard before him is drenched in blood, corpses of his clansmen scattered like broken dolls.

Kaito staggers forward, his young eyes wide with horror. “Mom! Dad!” he screams desperately. His voice cracks, echoing through the lifeless ruins. He stumbles from body to body, searching, hoping, denying what he fears most.

Then he sees them—his parents, lying motionless among the fallen. The color drains from his face. His knees give out, and his trembling hands reach toward them, but no warmth greets his touch.

His world shatters in that moment, grief swallowing him whole.

But this tragedy was not his end… it was only the beginning of his path to vengeance.

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