"In the city of neon and shadows, crowns are negotiated, and serpents twist. Where sovereignty is traded, only rebellion can purchase the future."
Osaka, Japan
Rain traced silver lines down Osaka's neon-lit streets, each droplet scattering light into fractured jewels across the puddles.
Pachinko halls buzzed with hollow merriment; izakayas spilled laughter into narrow alleys; karaoke towers pulsed with fragmented kanji rhythms. Yet beneath this dazzling exterior lay an ancient pulse—the empire of the Orochi syndicate. Tonight, it was not yen or territory that fueled its heart, but relics.
Captain Gregorio Aguilar of the Sandata Unit embodied the serene strength of both a soldier and a saint. The Kamay ni Bathala adorned his wrists, its purple glow intermingling with the Baybayin etchings that pulsed in harmony with the surrounding relic storms: the Haring Sawa, the Pamana ni Lakan, and—sharper and more ancient—the Masamune.
Above, a crow perched on a rusted antenna. Its eyes glinted unnaturally—the Anino ng mga Anitos were observing. With a single caw, Gregorio inclined his head, acknowledging the sentinel: he was not invisible tonight.
Amakiri Residence, Osaka
Inside the stronghold, incense smoldered. Shinken Amakiri, Oyabun of the Orochi, sat cross-legged before an altar. His kimono bore serpents in coiling patterns. Beside him rested the legendary Masamune, dormant yet alive with centuries of spirit. Across from him, Raja displayed his trophies: the Haring Sawa, its scales alive with serpent glyphs, and the Pamana ni Lakan, its voidsteel edge thrumming.
Shinken: "Our ships control the veins of trade. With Orochi's reach and your relics, the seas will bend. The mainland, the dragon's throne—we shall awaken it together."
Raja: "The Convergence is no mere gathering. When it breaks, Asia will bow to the serpent's crown and the sword of shadows."
Sake was poured. Blood followed. The Masamune trembled faintly, stirred by the oath.
Rooftop Overwatch
Gregorio crouched on a rooftop, rain dripping from his coat. The Eyes of Bathala etched into his pauldrons traced unseen currents through the storm. He whispered, steady as iron:
Gregorio: "For the Republic. For those who cannot fight."
The crow cawed once more and then vanished into the tempest.
The Enforcers
Four Orochi enforcers barred the alley before the stronghold gates:
A naginata wielder, serpent glyphs etched into the shaft.
A twin-tanto assassin, dripping venom into the rain.
A massive nodachi bearer, the voidsteel edge gleaming.
A female sai-wielder, lightning-fast in precision.
Gregorio raised his fists. The Kamay ni Bathala flared purple, sizzling against the storm.
The naginata wielder struck first. Sparks flew as Gregorio caught the shaft on his forearm, then slammed a fist into the man's chest, hurling him into a vending machine.
The twin-blade assassin lunged; Gregorio twisted his wrist, driving his blade into his thigh.
The nodachi swept wide; Gregorio stomped, releasing a shockwave that deflected the arc, then surged forward, uppercutting the wielder into the alley wall.
The sai woman moved like lightning, her strikes grazing his ribs, blood mingling with rain.
The storm engulfed him.
Tsubame Hayashi-hime
A crow cawed. From the tempest, a spear thrust forward, intercepting the sai-wielder's strike. Tsubame Hayashi-hime stepped into the alley, her hakama dark as storm clouds, eyes calm and disciplined. The Tombo Giri gleamed in her grip, its edge tracing arcs as precise as temple bells.
Tsubame (Japanese, calm): 「アギラール大佐,共和国は一人で戦わない.」
(Captain Aguilar, the Republic does not fight alone.)
Gregorio blinked, not from surprise at her arrival but from recognition. Beneath the storm's roar, a memory stirred.
North Cotabato, Philippines 2007
The jungle radiated with the oppressive heat of the monsoon season. The Sandata Unit—comprised of Agosto Santos - Kampilan, Marian Dela Fuente -Sundang, Renato Ramirez - Kalasag, and Captain Gregorio Aguilar—had been assigned to collaborate with Japanese relic operatives in dismantling a smuggling ring that was channeling Japanese voidsteel into Mindanao.
It was then that Gregorio first met Tsubame Hayashi-hime. She was younger, Tombo Giri gleaming as it sliced through bamboo like water.
The mission was chaotic: guerilla fighters with cursed relics raided villages. Agosto's Kampilan cleaved through rebel barricades, his booming laughter defying bullets. Marian moved like mist, her Sundang carving silent paths through enemy ranks. Renato raised shimmering wards, his Kalasag shielding civilians as relic explosives detonated around them.
Through it all, Tsubame stood shoulder to shoulder with them, her spear bracing against collapsing bamboo bridges and sweeping enemies back with arcs as disciplined as temple bells.
Gregorio remembered one night vividly: a relic detonator nearly sank a ferry full of families. Tsubame leapt first, Tombo Giri anchoring the vessel, while Gregorio and Agosto dragged passengers to shore. Marian held the mist barrier against sniper fire, and Renato's Kalasag shielded the children until the last villager was safe.
For three days, they fought side by side. Bonds were forged not in words, but in survival. At dusk on the final day, mud-caked and bloodied, Gregorio offered Tsubame a ration bar. She accepted with only a small nod. That was enough; respect had been sealed.
Back to the Present – Osaka
And now, years later, she stood before him.
The rain could not wash away memory; it only sharpened it. Old acquaintances, forged in survival, reunited by destiny.
Gregorio's fists burned purple. He shifted to the legendary Kisap Mata stance. Tsubame leveled her spear. Together, they struck.
Combo Sequence
Rising Gale
– Gregorio feints low, baiting the nodachi wielder. Tsubame spins upward, Tombo Giri splitting the rain, while Gregorio's fist drives into the man's ribs, collapsing him against a dumpster.
Twin Serpent Sweep
– Tsubame cuts horizontally while Gregorio slides low. Their combined strike sweeps the naginata wielder's legs, slamming him into neon-lit puddles.
Dragonfly Cyclone
– They leap together. Tsubame thrusts; Gregorio arcs behind her, amplifying the spear's force and slamming the sai woman into a steel shutter, sparks showering.
Alibata Echo Strike
– Gregorio pounds the ground, a shockwave rippling through water. Tsubame arcs her spear, channeling the wave upward. The nodachi wielder is hurled into a neon sign, shattering glass in a rain of blue light.
Silent Reversal
– The twin-tanto assassin limps forward. Tsubame's spear pins one wrist while Gregorio seizes the other. Together, they twist sharply, disarming him. He collapses, rain drowning his scream.
Civilian POV – Mr. Tanaka
Across the street, Mr. Tanaka clutched his umbrella. He witnessed fists of purple aura, glowing steel, and the Tombo Giri cutting rain into silence.
Mr. Tanaka (Japanese, terrified): 「人間じゃない…やくざでもない…鬼だ.今夜,大阪に鬼が歩いている.」
(Not men… not yakuza… oni. The oni walk Osaka tonight.)
Others peeked from shutters, shop signs flickering. Umbrellas snapped back as shockwaves swept through alleys. Neon reflected on puddles, painting gods and demons on the wet ground.
The Residence Breached
The enforcers lay broken. Together, Gregorio and Tsubame advanced through the Amakiri gates. Inside, corridors smelled of incense and steel. Relic wards shimmered across paper doors. Guards poured forth in disciplined ranks—yakuza footsoldiers armed with yari, kusarigama, and relic charms bound to their skin.
Gregorio slammed his fists into the ground. Shockwaves sent men tumbling, but more surged from the halls.
Tsubame whirled Tombo Giri in perfect arcs, cleaving chains mid-flight and splitting yari shafts in half. They fought back-to-back, every strike in rhythm.
Combination Attacks vs. Henchmen
Stormbreak Spiral
– Gregorio launched upward with a knee strike while Tsubame spun low, her spear tracing a deadly circle. Dozens of henchmen collapsed, swept aside like waves breaking on stone.
Heaven's Divide
– Tsubame thrust Tombo Giri skyward; Gregorio struck it with his bracers, channeling violet light into the blade. The spear's tip erupted with lightning, piercing through three men and blasting a fourth into a painted wall.
Echoing Current
– Gregorio's fists hammered the floor; water surged upward. Tsubame guided the current with her spear, slicing through its crest. The wave carried men into the ceiling beams, dropping them unconscious onto tatami mats.
Yet still they came. For every ten felled, more replaced them, until the hall reeked of sweat, blood, and burning incense.
Shinken Amakiri
From the inner hall, Shinken stepped forth. The Masamune pulsed with Japanese glyphs, each stroke burning faintly like calligraphy of fire. His voice cut through the storm and clamor.
Shinken (Japanese, cold): 「愚か者ども…我が家を汚す気か.」
(Fools… you dare defile my house.)
He unsheathed Masamune. The air itself bent around its edge.
The Clash of Shadows and Steel
Gregorio lunged, fists colliding with the sword's aura. Sparks roared like thunder. Tsubame followed with Tombo Giri, her spear ringing against Masamune's steel.
But Shinken moved like a lord born of battle, every swing echoing with ancestral weight. His blade sang with centuries of vengeance.
One strike shattered Gregorio's guard, another hurled Tsubame across the tatami floor.
Shinken (Japanese, fierce): 「帝国の刃は折れぬ!」
(The blade of the empire will not break!)
Gregorio (Japanese, defiant): 「帝国の刃も,民を守る意志の前では折れる.」
(Even the empire's blade will break before the will to protect the people.)
Tsubame (Japanese, sharp): 「忠義は刃より強い.」
(Loyalty is stronger than steel.)
Gregorio staggered, blood at his lip.
Tsubame knelt, Tombo Giri trembling in her grip.
For a moment, they were overwhelmed, driven back by a single man whose every strike carried a dynasty.
Countered Combos
They rallied, pushing forward.
Twin Horizon Strike
– Gregorio's fists formed a blazing wall while Tsubame thrust Tombo Giri through it. Shinken pivoted, parrying both with a single rising arc.
Dragon's Cross
– Tsubame leapt high, Tombo Giri descending in a vertical slash while Gregorio swept low with horizontal fists. Shinken spun, Masamune tracing an "X" of light that scattered both attacks like dust.
Echo Fang Barrage
– Gregorio's bracers unleashed a flurry of violet strikes in sync with Tsubame's rapid spear thrusts. Shinken stepped once, Masamune sweeping in a perfect circle, repelling every blow and forcing them apart.
Shinken (Japanese, disdain): 「無駄だ.帝国の刃に勝てる者などいない.」
(Futile. None can overcome the blade of the empire.)
Gregorio (Japanese, steady): 「帝国は滅びても,民の声は消えぬ.」
(Even if the empire endures, the people's voice cannot be silenced.)
Tsubame (Japanese, calm fury): 「私は一族の矢.帝国の影を射抜くために生きる.」
(I am the arrow of my clan. I live to pierce the empire's shadow.)
The Turning Point
Bruised and battered, the two rose once more. Gregorio unleashed a shockwave, splitting the hall's pillars. Tsubame darted in, her spear a streak of lightning. Together, they forced Masamune to falter—but Shinken still pressed them, every parry perfect, every counter absolute.
Until Tsubame raised her voice, her spirit igniting. Tombo Giri's synchronization was complete.
Tsubame (Japanese, resolute): 「神々の天罰: 忠勝の継承者!」
(Punishment of the Gods: Tadakatsu's Heir!)
The Tombo Giri shone with an ethereal brilliance. Below Tsubame, the Helmet of the Tadakatsu Glyph erupted in a display of power.
Deer antlers emerged majestically from her head as thunder rumbled across the sky. Her spear descended with a force reminiscent of the war god Tadakatsu himself.
Simultaneously, Gregorio's bracers surged to life, amplifying the impact of her strike.
Masamune shrieked under the impact, glyphs unraveling in sparks. Shinken staggered back, cloak torn, pride wounded.
Smoke and fire filled the chamber. Shinken's eyes narrowed. He slashed the air, creating space, then leapt. His retreat was swift, his vow lingering:
Shinken (Japanese, vow): 「蛇は必ず再び噛みつく…」
(The serpent will strike again…)
Aftermath
The residence burned. Scrolls and ledgers scattered, some salvaged—records of shipments, proof of Orochi's alliance with Raja.
Gregorio clenched his fists, violet light dimming.
Gregorio: 「蛇は退却するが,その巻きつきは他の場所で締まる.」
("The serpent retreats, but its coils tighten elsewhere.")
Tsubame mounted the Tombo Giri to the ground. Rain hissing on its blade.
Tsubame: 「それから,さらに深く切ります.」
"Then we cut deeper."
Severed Paths
Far beyond Osaka, the Other Gregorio marched, fracturing histories and kingdoms. Simultaneously, a woman from a Kasanaan portal in Namayan gazed skyward, sensing his advance. Two paths diverged, one light, one shadow, both converging toward the impending storm.
The Convergence tightened.