The whisper came again.
"Musha…"
Everyone stopped.
Even the Crimson Shadows.
The voice did not sound human.
It came from beneath the mountain, deep enough to make the stones tremble.
Musha stood before the opening Dragon Gate with both swords raised.
Her heartbeat matched the rhythm of the bells.
Donnnn.
Donnnn.
Donnnn.
Raiden stared into the darkness.
For the first time since entering the shrine, he looked afraid.
Musha heard it in his breathing.
"You know that voice."
Raiden didn't answer.
"Father."
His jaw tightened.
"Close the gate."
"How?"
"Your stone."
Musha touched her chest.
"I don't know how."
Raiden stepped toward her.
"Then listen."
"To what?"
"The mountain."
Musha frowned.
Raiden pointed toward the enormous doorway.
"It has been waiting for you since the day you were born."
Katsurane shouted from behind them.
"Don't listen to him!"
Musha turned.
Katsurane was on one knee, surrounded by fallen Crimson Shadows.
Blood ran down his arm.
"You don't know what is behind that gate," he said.
Raiden looked at him.
"I know exactly what is behind it."
"Then you know opening it will kill her."
Raiden's silence answered.
Musha's expression hardened.
"You knew."
Raiden looked at her.
"Yes."
"You brought them here knowing I could die?"
"I brought you here because there was no other choice."
Musha shook her head.
"You're lying."
Raiden's voice softened.
"Your mother said the same thing."
Musha's hands trembled.
"Don't speak about her."
"She knew this day would come."
"How?"
"Because she saw it."
Musha froze.
"What did she see?"
Raiden looked into the darkness.
"Your future."
The Dragon Gate opened another inch.
A wave of freezing air rushed through the shrine.
Musha heard something moving beyond it.
Something enormous.
The White Dragon lowered its head.
Then it bowed.
Not to Raiden.
Not to Katsurane.
To Musha.
Musha stepped forward.
The dragon lifted one wing.
Behind it was a narrow path.
Rei whispered:
"The dragon is showing you the way."
Musha looked toward her.
"To where?"
Rei's eyes filled with fear.
"To your brother."
Musha's heart stopped.
She moved immediately.
Katsurane grabbed her wrist.
"Wait."
"Let go."
"We don't know what is inside."
"My brother is."
"You don't know that."
Raiden spoke.
"He is."
Musha pulled away.
Katsurane looked at her.
"Musha—"
"I've spent my entire life being told what I can and cannot know."
She raised her sword.
"I'm done."
Then she stepped through the Dragon Gate.
Katsurane followed.
Raiden followed them.
Rei remained behind.
She stared into the darkness.
Then she whispered:
"May the gods forgive us."
The tunnel was silent.
Musha walked slowly.
The walls were covered in strange carvings.
She ran her fingers over them as she passed.
Each carving told a story.
A woman holding a glowing stone.
A dragon flying above mountains.
Warriors kneeling before a white-eyed child.
Then another image.
A black shadow rising from beneath the earth.
Musha stopped.
"What is that?"
Katsurane touched the carving.
"The old enemy."
"Who?"
"The Hollow King."
Raiden's voice came from behind them.
"He isn't a king."
Musha turned.
"Then what is he?"
Raiden looked at the carving.
"A hunger."
The tunnel became colder.
"A hunger for what?"
"Everything."
Musha continued walking.
After several minutes, they reached a circular chamber.
There was no ceiling.
The chamber seemed to open into the mountain itself.
In the center stood a black stone.
Chains surrounded it.
Hundreds of them.
Some were broken.
Musha heard breathing.
A human heartbeat.
She stepped closer.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Her body froze.
That heartbeat.
She knew it.
She had heard it in her vision.
"Sister."
A voice came from behind the stone.
Musha's swords lowered.
"Who are you?"
A figure stepped into the light.
A young man.
Long black hair.
A scar across his cheek.
White eyes.
Just like hers.
He smiled.
"I'm Kaito."
Musha couldn't speak.
Katsurane stared at him.
"You…"
Kaito looked at the old samurai.
"You remember me."
Katsurane's voice cracked.
"I thought you were dead."
Kaito laughed quietly.
"Everyone did."
Musha took a step toward him.
"You're my brother."
"Yes."
"I have a brother?"
She stopped several feet away.
"Why can't I remember you?"
Kaito's smile disappeared.
"Because Mother made you forget."
"Why?"
"To keep you alive."
Musha's chest tightened.
"Tell me everything."
Kaito looked toward Raiden.
"Ask him."
Musha turned.
Raiden remained silent.
"You knew he was alive."
"Yes."
"You lied to me."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because if you remembered him, the Crimson Shadows would have found you years ago."
Musha's voice became colder.
"You're the leader of the Crimson Shadows."
"I was."
Kaito stepped forward.
"He left them."
Musha looked at him.
"Why?"
Kaito pointed toward the chains.
"Because they wanted to open this."
Musha listened.
Beneath the chains came a sound.
A slow heartbeat.
Thump.
The black stone cracked.
A tiny line appeared across its surface.
Raiden immediately drew his sword.
"Everyone back."
Katsurane raised his blade.
"What did you do?"
"I did nothing."
Another crack appeared.
Kaito looked at Musha.
"It knows you're here."
Musha's blood ran cold.
"What knows?"
The black stone split.
Dark smoke poured through the cracks.
The chains began snapping.
One.
Two.
Three.
Then dozens.
The entire chamber shook.
Kaito grabbed Musha's arm.
"Run!"
"What about the gate?"
"Forget the gate!"
A deep laugh echoed through the chamber.
The darkness gathered above the stone.
Two red eyes appeared.
Musha felt the same presence she had felt beneath the mountain.
But this was different.
This thing was not sleeping anymore.
It was awake.
Raiden shouted:
"Get Musha out!"
Katsurane moved toward her.
The darkness suddenly struck.
A black tendril slammed into the floor.
The stone exploded.
Musha was thrown backward.
Kaito caught her.
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
She looked at him.
"You knew this would happen."
"I was afraid it would."
"Then why bring me here?"
Kaito stared at her.
"Because you're the only person who can stop it."
The black smoke surrounded them.
Musha raised her swords.
"How?"
Kaito pointed toward her chest.
"The stone."
Musha shook her head.
"I don't know how to use it."
"You don't need to use it."
"What then?"
"You need to awaken it."
The darkness roared.
Musha felt something burning inside her.
White light spread across her body.
The black veins returned.
Kaito stepped backward.
"Musha…"
"What?"
"Whatever happens…"
He paused.
"Don't let the darkness choose for you."
Musha looked at her brother.
Then she closed her eyes.
She listened.
The mountain.
The dragon.
The bells.
Her mother's voice.
Katsurane's heartbeat.
Kaito's breathing.
And beneath everything—
the heartbeat of the thing imprisoned inside the stone.
Thump.
Musha opened her eyes.
For the first time, the darkness around her did not frighten her.
She understood it.
It was not an enemy.
It was part of her.
The white light erupted.
The darkness answered.
Kaito shielded his face.
Raiden shouted:
"Musha!"
She raised both swords.
White fire surrounded one blade.
Black fire surrounded the other.
The Hollow King laughed.
"Finally…"
Its voice shook the mountain.
"My vessel has awakened."
Musha stepped forward.
"I am nobody's vessel."
The two fires grew brighter.
"I am Musha."
The dragon roared above them.
The mountain began collapsing.
And somewhere far away, in a village buried beneath the snow—
a woman opened her eyes.
She wore Queen Aiko's face.
And she whispered:
"She has awakened."
Then she smiled.
"Now the real war begins."