Kashi forces his eyes open and pushes himself up off the cold marble floor with a painful groan. "Ughhh," he mutters, his mind a haze, trying to gather his thoughts. A flash of motion catches the edge of his vision. His body tenses.
"Who are you?" Kashi says without turning his head, still crouched, one hand pressed to his ribs. A small figure steps from the shadows—frail, trembling. A little girl, no older than seven, her face smeared with dirt, her kimono torn and stained. Bruises cover her arms and legs. Her eyes, wide and glassy, lock onto Kashi's.
"They killed him," she says, voice cracking, tears threatening to spill. "They killed my brother." Kashi grits his teeth, a storm rising in his chest. Savages... He pushes off the ground, forcing himself to stand—but agony pulses through his torso and he drops to one knee, gasping, one arm wrapped tight around his side. "Are you alright, mister?" the girl says, rushing to his side, her small hand on his shoulder. "I've been worse," he replies with a strained smile. "This pain is nothing new."
The girl watches him with concern, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. "Where is this place?" Kashi asks, eyes scanning the massive stone chamber around them. Marble floors stretch out in all directions, broken columns and scorched banners hint at a once-great temple now crumbling with age and battle. Faint blue torches flicker along the walls, casting ghostly shadows.
"I—I don't know," the girl replies. "They brought me here after the raid. I think… I think it's the Hall of the Forgotten."
Kashi's eyes narrow. He knows the name—an old myth whispered by monks and warlords. A place caught between realms, where the spirits of the fallen wait to be judged.
"I shouldn't be here," he mutters. "If I'm here… does that mean I'm—"
"Dead?" the girl finishes for him. Kashi's eyes flick to her. "Not yet," he says, jaw clenched. "Not until I finish what I started."
Suddenly, the torches flicker violently. A gust of wind rushes through the hall, though there are no windows, no doors. The temperature drops. Kashi pulls the girl behind him instinctively. Heavy footsteps echo from the far end of the chamber.
Something approaches.
From the black beyond the torches, a towering figure emerges—taller than even the oni from the battlefield. His body is a patchwork of molten rock and ancient bone. A mask of polished obsidian hides his face, but from beneath it, two red eyes glow like embers. In his right hand, he drags a long-bladed naginata, its edge sparking against the marble.
"The judgment begins," the creature booms, his voice like crumbling stone. "Samurai Kashi Yamada, Demon of Flashing Strikes, you stand on the border between life and death. Your soul is unbalanced."
Kashi steps forward, shielding the girl. "And what are you? Another monster sent to claim me?"
"I am the Gatekeeper," the being says. "And you have not yet earned your return. Before you lies a trial—succeed, and live. Fail… and be devoured." Kashi grips the hilt of his katana. "Trial or not, I won't die in this place."
"Then show me," the Gatekeeper growls.
Without warning, the creature vanishes—then reappears directly in front of Kashi, his naginata sweeping with inhuman speed. Kashi ducks, barely avoiding the blade, and rolls to the side, pulling the girl with him. Pain shoots through his ribs, blurring his vision, but he fights through it.
"Stay down," he hisses to the girl. "Don't move."
He draws his katana in one fluid motion, the blade humming with faint white light. The Gatekeeper raises his weapon and comes at him again, faster this time. The marble cracks under the weight of his steps.
Kashi meets him head-on. Steel clashes with obsidian. Sparks fly. Each blow rattles Kashi's bones. He can feel his injuries slowing him, but every strike he parries, every dodge he makes, is a defiance of fate itself.
The battle rages across the ruined temple. Statues crumble. The flames of the torches flare wildly. Kashi's blade glows brighter with each movement, a white crescent streaking the air as he unleashes technique after technique.
"Crescent Bloom!"
"Falling Wave!"
But the Gatekeeper endures it all. "You fight well," the creature says, stepping back for a moment. "But your soul still wavers. You hesitate. Your pain clouds you."
Kashi's breath is ragged. He drops to one knee again. Blood drips from his side, staining the floor.
"I don't… hesitate," he says, pushing himself up once more. "I just… remember. Every face. Every comrade. Every child…"
His eyes flick to the girl, crouched behind a shattered pillar, watching him with terror and hope.
"I've lived by the blade. Killed with it. But I swore that if I survived this war… I would never let another innocent fall."
The Gatekeeper stands silent for a moment.
Then, he charges again, this time roaring like a storm. Kashi narrows his stance. His blade shines like a crescent moon.
"Moonfang Requiem!" he shouts, slicing upward.
The wave of energy that erupts from his blade is silent—blinding white, like moonlight crashing against a tide. It tears through the Gatekeeper, sending him crashing into the far wall. The temple groans. Light floods the space.
When the dust clears, the Gatekeeper is on one knee, his weapon shattered. "You still carry great pain," he says. "But your heart burns with purpose. That is strength… not weakness."
Kashi lowers his katana, sweat dripping from his brow. The Gatekeeper places a massive hand over his chest, and light flows from his palm.
"Return, warrior. You have earned your breath once more."
Kashi stumbles forward as the world around him begins to fracture like glass. The little girl runs to him, grabbing his hand."Will I be okay?" she asks. He smiles. "You'll be more than okay. I promise." The light swallows them both.
Kashi gasps awake, surrounded by blood and bodies. The rain falls gently now. His fingers twitch. His katana lies beside him, glowing faintly.
He pushes himself up, his ribs still sore, but no longer broken ,few samurai stagger to their feet nearby, wounded but alive. The oni is nowhere to be seen and above him, through the clouds, a sliver of moonlight breaks through.