Chapter 1 Part 2 : Outcast And The Shadow Deity

  Kazuki inhaled sharply and gripped Tsukuyomi’s outstretched hand. The moment their fingers met, a frigid surge rippled through his body, and the cell’s shadows seemed to twist and thicken around him. His heart thudded in his chest, caught between exhilaration and dread as unfamiliar power flooded his veins.

  “Embrace the darkness, Kazuki,” Tsukuyomi whispered, voice barely more than a breath. “Let it guide you to vengeance.”

  With that, the deity faded into the gloom, leaving Kazuki alone yet strangely emboldened. The memory of the icy power lingered on his skin, making every nerve tingle. Beneath the tatters of his old despair, he felt a new determination take root—along with the knowledge of two abilities now etched into his mind.

  That same night, while most prisoners attempted uneasy sleep, Kazuki remained wide awake. A single guard paced outside, heavy footsteps echoing in the dark. Kazuki waited, breath measured, until the guard’s route took him farther down the corridor. Then, silently, he stood.

  Almost as if by instinct, his thoughts turned to one of the two abilities Tsukuyomi’s power had unlocked within him: shadow teleportation. He focused on a spot across the cell, willing his body to vanish into the darkness. A sudden jolt coursed through his limbs, and in a heartbeat, he reappeared on the far side of the room, knees nearly buckling.

  He breathed hard, both exhilarated and alarmed by how quickly fatigue had closed in.

  “Again,” he murmured to himself, unable to resist testing it once more.

  Steeling his resolve, he repeated the process—melting into the shadows, shifting effortlessly to the opposite corner. The moment he emerged, his vision blurred, and his muscles burned. Panting, he leaned against the rough stone wall.

  “So that’s my limit… no more than twice,” he muttered, bracing his palms on his thighs. “Use it any more, and I’ll collapse.”

  He closed his eyes, willing his heart to settle. Even so, a flicker of triumph sparked inside him. The power was real, but it demanded a toll. It was then he sensed the second ability Tsukuyomi had gifted him: the ability to infuse objects with shadow energy. Eager to test it, Kazuki scanned the cell.

  A single voice drew him from his thoughts—a fellow prisoner, an older man with hollow cheeks, stirring in the darkness.

  “Kazuki-san,” the man rasped, eyes flickering with worry and confusion. “Wh-what are you… doing?”

  Kazuki pressed a finger to his lips.

  “Keep your voice down,” he whispered, mindful of the guard’s return. “You saw nothing. Understood?”

  The man nodded, clearly torn between fear and hope.

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  “As you wish. But be careful… the guards, they—”

  “I’ll be careful,” Kazuki said firmly.

  Returning to the middle of the cell, Kazuki found a small pointed rock. He remembered the swirl of power he had felt earlier, coursing through his fingertips. Closing his eyes, he reached for that second ability, channeling shadow magic into the stone. Dark energy spread through it, sharpening its edge until the rock gleamed ominously in the dim light.

  “Remarkable,” he whispered, pressing the tip lightly against the wall. A razor-thin slash bit into the stone, proving how potent the infusion could be.

  Sweat trickled down his brow. Though less draining than teleportation, this new skill still demanded focus. A shiver of apprehension mingled with his excitement.

  Is this the path I must take? he wondered, recalling his once-unshakeable samurai honor. But that question faded when he remembered the Shogun’s fate—and the lies that had condemned him.

  Two Days Remain

  Morning arrived with the clatter of metal as guards rattled keys along the iron bars. Pale sunlight seeped through high, narrow windows, illuminating grime on the prison floor.

  Kazuki sat against the wall, chilled stone at his back. He had barely slept, yet his gaze was bright with fierce purpose.

  “Kazuki,” a guard sneered, stopping before the cell. “Two days left. The magistrates have scheduled your execution. I’d start praying if I were you.”

  Kazuki let silence hang before lifting his eyes. The guard froze, unsettled by the eerie calm etched on Kazuki’s face.

  “I’ve prayed enough,” Kazuki said quietly. “Now I wait.”

  A flicker of unease crossed the guard’s features. “W-well… enjoy what’s left of your miserable life,” he spat, hurrying off as though drawn away by Kazuki’s unsettling aura.

  Kazuki watched him disappear. It took only a moment for an older prisoner in a nearby cell to speak.

  “Kazuki-san, is it true? You only have two days…?”

  “Yes,” Kazuki answered, voice a soft rumble. “Two days until I’m free of this place—or dead.”

  The older prisoner sighed, pity in his eyes. “Is there any hope for a reprieve?”

  Kazuki’s lips curved into a mirthless smile. “That hope died with the Shogun. Now, all that remains is action.”

  That evening, Kazuki deliberately pushed himself once more, testing the bounds of his new powers under the moon’s pale light. He teleported only twice to avoid total collapse, cursing his own shaking legs after the second attempt. Then he turned to shadow infusion, sharpening the rock again and again until it glowed with dark energy. Each motion left him more certain that if he was to survive—and seek vengeance—he would need to pace himself.

  He pictured the officials who had spun their lies in court: their smug grins, the false evidence. He recalled the Shogun’s kind face, twisted with betrayal in his final moments. Grief and rage flared in Kazuki’s chest, fueling his control.

  “One more day,” he muttered, slipping the stone into a tattered sash at his waist. “Then I’ll show them what it means to betray a samurai.”

  The shadows stirred around him in silent agreement.

  One Day Left

  At dawn, a thin ray of sunlight crept into the prison corridor. Another guard approached Kazuki’s cell, wearing a smirk that withered the instant Kazuki fixed him with a steady stare.

  “You,” the guard began, voice cracking. “You die at sunset tomorrow. Don’t forget.”

  “Thank you for the reminder,” Kazuki replied, meeting the guard’s eyes.

  The man shuddered, quickly stepping away. Kazuki exhaled, leaning back against the cold stone, letting the tension in his muscles unravel just enough to think.

  “They think I’m beaten,” he murmured. “But they have no idea what’s awakened inside me.”

  He spent the final hours alone, funneling every drop of betrayal, outrage, and sorrow into unshakeable resolve. The line between who he had been and the avenger he was becoming blurred further. Yet any guilt or hesitation flickered out whenever he pictured the injustice that had brought him here.

  “If it takes the power of shadows to expose the truth,” he whispered, “so be it.”

  Darkness clung to him like a living thing. With only one day left, Kazuki stood on the brink, ready to gamble everything—his honor, his life, and even his soul—in a desperate bid for freedom and revenge.