In the valleys of Tsukihana a Province, where cherry blossoms fall like snow-- even during winter-- as they are sprouted everywhere, Rei was born under a small outpost in a storm. His parents were lost to the sword before he could speak to bandits or an illness or a disease No one knew for sure. He was raised in the fortress of Lord Katsuro (the shogun) a strict but noble shogun who saw something in the boy's as his father was a powerful warrior
Rei was trained in ways of discipline, and honor. He was fast, observant, and skilled—but not yet hardened by death When the Crimson Banner Rebellion swept through Tsukihana, led by daichi who had once been Katsuro's friend, the fortress fell under siege. For three days and nights, the samurai of Katsuro held their ground. Rei stood among them—but when the final gate was breached and the shogun gave the order to charge, Rei hesitated. His feet would not move. Fear gripped him like iron. He watched, frozen, as the men he trained beside were cut down, and Lord Katsuro—his mentor, who he saw as a father was run through, dying with his eyes on Rei.
Wracked by guilt, Rei fled into the haunted woods of Jukai-no-Mori, a place said to be cursed and avoided by villagers. There, he found an abandoned cabin and collapsed inside, intending to die quietly. Untill soft licking on his face. Shocked he jumped up wiping his face Rei is now met with a dog? Ghost? Rei didn't know know
It had the shape of a largish dog, its fur was pale as snow soaked in moonlight. Its eyes—two slow-burning coals of blue fire—flickered with an emotion he couldn't name. Smoke-like wisps curled from its body, trailing along the wooden floor like fog seeking cracks. Where it stepped, frost whispered onto old wood.
Rei pushed himself up. The creature didn't flee. Instead, it tilted its head, then pressed its cold muzzle gently to his palm.
Moonlight filtered through the shattered windowpanes as Rei curled into himself, trembling in the cold cabin. The snow-white dog remained by his side—silent, watchful, mystical. At first, Rei recoiled. This creature, with its smoking fur and icy breath, felt unreal… a spirit, perhaps. Yet, when it pressed its head gently against him, its warmth melted his fear. That small touch awakened something buried deep inside: grief, yes—but also a spark of resolve.
He poured his heart out in whispers: memories of Lord Katsuro's stern kindness, the thunder of steel, the cries of fallen samurai. The dog listened, watching with its glowing blue eyes, and at last Rei felt tears come. He realized this creature—this guardian spirit—had chosen him. It had come to guide him through his pain.
In the days that followed, Rei found in himself a new purpose. He would honor Katsuro's legacy. He would reclaim his home. And he would not face what was to come alone.
Outside the cabin, he felled a sturdy oak: the first swing of his axe shook his arms, but determination drove him on. The tree fell, and he fashioned a makeshift training post—its rough surface marked with his first swings of a sword he carved from an old farming tool. Every strike rang out into the forest, a promise to himself that he would not falter again.
By his side, the ghost‑dog watched. It instinctively complemented his routine: gentle pacing when he paused, distant howls when he faltered, and always, that steady gaze reminding him he wasn't alone. At night, Rei lay beside the creature, and together they practiced silent breathing, forging a bond deeper than words.
Present day
A roaring year had passed since Rei and Hisu began their solitary training in the haunted forest. Under Hisu's ghostly guidance and the sharp sting of regret, Rei transformed from a fearful boy into a lithe, disciplined warrior. Every sunrise he greeted with steel, every dusk he closed with oath—and now the moment he'd steeled himself for had come.
At midnight the fortress walls stood dark as Rei crouched in the shadow of its outer perimeter. Hisu stood alert at his side, steam curling from every breath. "You ready?" Rei murmured, voice barely a whisper against the hush of the night. A low, fierce growl rumbled from the dog. Suddenly, Hisu's eyes flared blue-white and ghost‑fire flickered at its muzzle—a silent oath answered.
They moved, swift as wind across bare earth. Rei's blade was sheathed; he preferred silence. A lone guard patrolled the battlements—their first obstacle. In a heartbeat, Rei sprang. Metal flashed, and the guard collapsed, his mail echoing softly on cold stone. Next—two more. Hisu lunged, jaws clamping on a guard's leg while Rei sliced another down in a reverse-grip strike so swift the world blurred. Slicing the other the weight of his actions flickered. A tear slid down Rei's cheek, smearing on his oni mask he crafter hour before as he whispered, "I will avenge you, Lord Katsuro."
With the gate behind them, they slipped inside the fortress. Hisu shot up a watchtower ladder, silent as moonlight. In a single fluid motion, the dog yanked an archer by the leg, sending him hurtling from the ramparts. Hisu returned and nosed at Rei, who drew the fallen archer's bow. "Borrowing this," he said, slipping the bow over his shoulder.
The camp seemed huge as the walls seemed to stretched before them, sloping downward into the heart of rebellion. They paused. Two guards appeared, torches in hand. Hisu growled. One guard stumbled back, eyes wide. "Oh shit—a yokai!" he cried, voice tight with terror. He walked out from the tent. That was all the opening Rei needed: he jaunted his sword forward and stabbed the guard in the back, blade whispering through cloth. "I'm sorry," he murmured, voice hollow yet resolute.
The second guard turned, yelling "Hey, man down!" but Rei never stopped. He tackled the guard, drove the point home—silent, decisive, merciful.
Only two remained. They stepped out of a war tent, swords drawn. "You wanna challenge us? Come on!" Rei growled. Blades clanged as he struck—one slash, two guards down.
As Rei slipped deeper into the fortress, silently dispatching any who stood in his path, his mantra echoed in his mind: "I won't let you down, Lord Katsuro." Slash… parry… dagger… stab… strike after shadowed strike, he became a specter of vengeance.
They reached the great entrance hall. Torchlight danced across mosaic tiles. Three guards flanked the massive doors. And there—standing tall behind them—long hallway. His voice echoed as he taunted, Rei yelled "Daichi! Get your fat ass out here, bitch—I'm here to kill you!" His roar carried like thunder, drawing the guards' attention.
A guard rushed forward. "Hey, get the fuck out here u little bra—" but Rei was faster. A slash sheared through his sword arm before any curse could escape.
"Who's next?" Rei's challenge cleaved the silence.
Hisu leapt, sinking his teeth into another guard's ankle as ghost-fire seared flesh. The guard screamed, struggling. Rei advanced slowly, deliberately.
"Stupid mutt, get off my leg!" the wounded guard yelled. Rei watched as Hisu tightened his hold—blue flame flickered on the bone.
The third guard, eyes wide, dropped to his knees. Scared, out of breath, he surrendered. Their last hope unraveled. Rei stepped forward, pressing his blade against the guard's throat. "Where is he?" he demanded.
"In the big hall… down the hall to the left," the guard gasped.
Rei's heart clenched. He released him, leaning in. "Smart," he said, tapping his shoulder. Then—with the weight of the world behind his next step—he sprinted toward the final chamber.
His heart thundered, blood roared in his ears, and yet: "Even if I die, at least it'll be with pride." With Hisu at his side and fire in his spirit, Rei was ready. The gates shook, the rebellion awaited, and destiny lay just beyond that final door.