The air inside the ruined outpost was thick with the scent of damp wood and old dust. Denzan gripped the map Renshin had given him, his fingers tracing the worn edges. The Traveler stood before him, their golden eyes unreadable, while Renshin remained silent, waiting.
Paimon, hovering impatiently, broke the silence first. "So, uh… does anyone want to explain what's actually happening here?"
Denzan's gaze flicked to his brother. "Yeah, I'd like to know that too."
Renshin exhaled, kneeling beside the crate once more. He tapped the map again, this time pointing to a chain of islands beyond the known borders of Inazuma. "These waters hold more than just treasure and storms, Denzan. There's something moving in the shadows—something that even the Shogunate doesn't fully understand."
The Traveler nodded. "We've been tracking strange activity. Smugglers, mercenaries… but not the usual ones. Someone, or something, is pulling strings behind the scenes."
Denzan frowned, his instincts sharpening. "And you think I'm connected to this how?"
Renshin's expression hardened. "You've been sailing these waters longer than most. You know the trade routes, the hidden currents. If there's anyone who can navigate what's coming, it's you."
Denzan crossed his arms. "And what is coming?"
The Traveler exchanged a glance with Renshin before answering. "A war, maybe. A reckoning, definitely."
Thunder rumbled in the distance, underscoring their words.
Denzan's jaw tightened. He had spent years chasing his own path, forging his own legend. But this? This was something bigger. Something that felt *inevitable*.
"…Alright," he said at last. "Where do we start?"
Renshin gave a rare, approving nod. "We follow the storm."
After the discussion,they head onto the sea,the sky darkened and the first droplets of rain began to fall.
Denzan stood at the bow of his ship, gripping the wheel as lightning forked across the sky. The Traveler and Renshin stood beside him.
"This is madness!" Paimon shrieked, clinging to the mast. "Can't we wait until the storm passes?"
Renshin smirked. "No. We sail through it."
Denzan barely acknowledged them, his focus locked on the path ahead. The map Renshin had given him marked a hidden island beyond Inazuma's borders—one that didn't officially exist. If there was a force moving in the shadows, that's where they'd find their answers.
As they pushed forward, the storm only grew fiercer. The Traveler braced against the wind. "Are you sure about this route?"
Denzan grinned, the thrill of challenge flashing in his eyes."Trust me."
A massive wave surged toward them. Denzan turned the wheel sharply, guiding the ship up and over the crest. For a breathless moment, it felt as if they were flying. Then they crashed back down, sending water spraying over the deck.
"not reassuring!" Paimon wailed.
But Denzan barely heard her. His mind was already ahead, anticipating the currents, reading the storm's rhythm. This was his domain. The sea had tested him before—and he had always survived.
Renshin gripped the railing. "We should be close."
Another flash of lightning illuminated the horizon, revealing jagged rock formations in the distance. But beyond them, shrouded in mist, was something else—a silhouette of an island, dark and unmoving.
"There," Denzan said.
The Traveler narrowed their eyes. "I've seen islands hidden by storms before. This isn't natural."
Renshin's expression darkened. "Then we're exactly where we need to be."
As they pressed forward, the storm began to shift. The wind lessened, the rain eased—almost as if something knew they had arrived.
Denzan exhaled, gripping the hilt of his katana. Whatever lay ahead, it was waiting for them.
And he was ready.