Chapter 43: The Gathering Storm
Haru groaned, still slumped against a broken wall. "I don't care about the timing. I'm just glad you guys showed up before I got my head chopped off."
Raizo, standing nearby with his remaining Kisaragi warriors, studied Kim Han closely. "I thought you were just a myth," he admitted. "The ghost of a dead warrior. But you're real… and far more dangerous than the stories say."
Kim Han gave him a side glance but said nothing.
Yeon, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. Her voice was cautious, almost unreadable. "So, you knew Daijin before all this?"
Kim Han's gaze flickered to her. A brief moment passed before he answered.
"I did. A long time ago."
"You saw it, didn't you?" Daijin asked, his voice softer now. "When we were captured by Tenshi, you recognized her."
Kim Han didn't respond immediately, but the answer was clear in his expression. His eyes flickered toward Yeon for just a second before he turned away.
"We can talk about the past later," Kim Han said, his voice firm. "Right now, we need to focus on what comes next."
Daijin clenched his jaw. "And what exactly is next?"
Kim Han's grip tightened around his sword.
"Tenshi won't let this defeat slide. He'll come back, and next time, he'll bring more than just an army."
Raizo cursed under his breath. "So we barely survive one massacre, and now we have to prepare for another?"
"Not if we strike first," Aya said, stepping forward.
Taro, one of Kim Han's new warriors, nodded in agreement. "We have the momentum. If we wait, Tenshi will regroup and overwhelm us."
Mikasa crossed her arms. "Then we hit him before he has the chance."
Kim Han's gaze darkened. "This war is just beginning. If we don't end it now, we'll all be buried under Tenshi's rule."
Daijin sighed, rubbing his temples. "And here I thought today was bad enough already."
Kim Han placed a hand on his shoulder. "Rest for now. You fought well, but you're injured. When the time comes, I'll need you at full strength."
Daijin scoffed. "You sure you didn't just come to boss me around?"
A ghost of a smirk played on Kim Han's lips. "Maybe."
Daijin shook his head, but deep down, he felt something he hadn't in a long time.
Hope.
---
Meanwhile – Tenshi's Stronghold
Tenshi stood by the balcony of his fortress, overlooking the city below. The battle had not gone as planned.
Kim Han's presence was unexpected.
He had underestimated him.
A mistake he would not make again.
A slow smirk formed on his lips.
"Interesting," he murmured. "So the rumors were true. The Last Ronin still walks among us."
He turned to his right-hand man.
"Send word to our spies. I want every detail on Kim Han and his warriors. Their locations, their weaknesses. Everything."
The man bowed and hurried off.
Tenshi chuckled softly to himself.
"This isn't over," he whispered.
Not even close.
---