Just a few minutes earlier, the evening had been serene. Ryuken and Kanae were sharing a private meal in their chambers, the servants having been dismissed for the night. It was a rare and precious moment of solitude, free from the burdens of leadership and war. Their conversation had been filled with warmth and laughter, as they discussed their hopes for their unborn child. Kanae teased Ryuken about how strict he might be as a father, while Ryuken chuckled and shared his dreams of teaching their child the values of compassion and strength. "If it’s a boy, he’ll need discipline," Ryuken had mused. "But if it’s a girl, she should be treated delicately." Kanae had smiled, her eyes alight with mischief. "Delicately? I think she’ll need to be strong and stubborn...like her mother...to keep you in line." Ryuken laughed, the sound rare but genuine. For a fleeting moment, everything felt perfect. Kanae reached for the water pitcher but paused, her gaze landing on Ryuken’s glass instead. "You don’t mind if I steal this, do you?" she asked playfully, taking the glass and sipping from it without waiting for his reply. He had smiled indulgently. "As if I could say no to you." But the warmth of the moment was shattered in an instant. Kanae’s smile faltered. Her hand flew to her throat as a sharp gasp escaped her lips. The glass slipped from her fingers, shattering on the floor. Blood began to spill from her mouth, and her veins darkened as her lips turned an ominous blue. "Kanae!" Ryuken shouted, rushing to her side as she collapsed. He caught her just before she hit the ground, his divine spirits appearing instantly, their energies focused on purging whatever was attacking her body. But their efforts were futile. The malevolent poison coursing through Kanae resisted every attempt to heal her. It was unlike anything Ryuken had encountered...so potent that even his powers and those of the spirits were rendered ineffective. Then it dawned on him. The drink she had taken from his glass...meant for him...had been laced with the poison. A concoction so lethal that even his divine and demonic abilities couldn’t neutralize it. In a cruel twist of fate, Kanae had unknowingly taken his place as the victim. What was supposed to be a quiet and meaningful talk between two people who looked forward to parenthood… turned into a ghastly nightmare. Ryuken stood amidst the chaos, his eyes still glistening with tears yet seething with a hatred that consumed his very being. Around him, dozens of soldiers had gathered, their faces pale with terror and confusion. Kanae’s lifeless body remained in his arms as the soldiers dragged forward the servant responsible for their meal. "My lord! His face… it’s a mask!" one soldier shouted, his voice quaking as he ripped away the flesh-like disguise. The grotesque illusion peeled away to reveal a white man, his golden hair and blue eyes starkly out of place in their lands. His expression was cold, disdainful even, despite his capture. Ryuken’s grief-stricken voice trembled as he demanded, "Who are you?" The man’s lips twisted into a smirk. "You know who we are. Did you think we’d let you live peacefully after you defeated our puppets?" spoke the man with defiant eyes. Your journey continues at empire There was no sense of guilt or regret in his eyes. The man was a cold-blooded assassin. Ryuken’s soldiers murmured among themselves, their confusion giving way to a dawning realization. "This land belongs to us. It’s ours to rule. You just saved us the trouble of dealing with those dogs who forgot who fed them. The daimyos you defeated...mere tools for our plans. And you? You’ve done nothing but prepare the ground for our return. Your petty victories will be short-lived." the man continued, venom dripping from every word. Ryuken’s aura trembled violently, his grip on Kanae tightening. "You… took them from me," he whispered, his voice shaking with an incomprehensible mix of sorrow and fury. "Oh, the poison? A shame. It was meant for you. But in the end, does it matter? Your death was inevitable. As is our victory." sneered the foreigner. Crackle! Before the man could utter another word, a sudden, grotesque appendage shot out from Ryuken’s side...a dark, twisted arm imbued with a horrifying energy. Stab! With one swift motion, the arm crushed the man’s head, silencing him instantly. The soldiers gasped as the foreigner’s lifeless body crumpled to the floor. Ryuken’s face, contorted with anguish, betrayed no remorse. The words of the demonic spirit echoed in his mind, seductive and relentless. Ryuken had heard enough to know which force this man belonged to. The foreigners who previously planned the fall of the Shogunate by bribing the four daimyos and were later pushed out of the country due to civil war among them… Had returned after half a decade just because Ryuken now unified the nation, to loot and devour it again. And their first attempt took away the only thing he held most dear. [That’s right… Kill them. Avenge your wife and your child. There is a limit on how much can someone take from you. They conspired the fall of your family. Now they took away your lovely wife and innocent child. There is no need to show mercy. There is no need to hold back your rage.] whispered the strongest one among the two demonic spirits. Ryuken’s world had fallen apart once again. And his mind collapsed from the unimaginable grief and pain. And it was right then, that the demonic spirit took hold over his shattered soul to the point even the other divine spirits couldn’t stop it. BOOM!! Suddenly, the erupting aura grew stronger by tenfolds, the murderous intent spread over the whole castle while the massive surge of demonic energy rose a red pillar, lightning the whole sky. Ryuken, who had taken the form of Shuten Doji (Blood Demon), gave out an order to the terrified soldiers… "Prepare for War."