The evening sun cast a warm orange glow across the endless sea as the ship cut smoothly through the waves. Seagulls cried in the distance, and the wooden deck creaked softly with every movement of the ocean. Inside the dining area of the ship, the atmosphere was unusually calm. Plates filled with food were spread across the table, and for once, there was no arguing—only the sound of eating, drinking, and the sea beyond the walls.
Everyone was eating together on the ship, enjoying a rare moment of peace after days of tension and danger.
Ato sat casually at the head of the table, chewing his food with visible enthusiasm. He glanced toward Kojo, who sat across from him, relaxed yet alert as always, his swords resting close by.
Ato swallowed his food and spoke.
Ato: "So, Kojo… why did you leave your island?"
Kojo paused. He lifted his wine cup and took a slow sip, his eyes drifting toward the wooden wall as if he were staring straight through it—back into his past. The usual sharpness in his expression softened.
Kojo: "When I was two years old, my parents passed away. I don't even remember their faces clearly anymore. After that, my grandfather raised me. He was a proud man… and a terrifying swordsman. From the moment I could walk, he trained me with the blade."
The room grew quieter.
Kojo: "My family was famous for creating the Three-Sword Style. To them, it wasn't just a technique—it was a sacred legacy. My grandfather believed it was my destiny to master it."
Kojo clenched his fist slightly.
Kojo: "But the training… it was hell itself. Endless hours, broken bones, blood-soaked floors. No matter how talented someone was, most couldn't survive it. Some lost their limbs. Some lost their minds. And some… died during practice."
Ato stopped eating, listening carefully.
Kojo: "From my childhood, I hated my ancestors. I hated them for creating such a cruel technique. I hated the island that worshipped it. When I finally told my grandfather that I didn't want to master the Three-Sword Style, something inside him broke. From that day on, he looked at me not as his grandson… but as a disgrace."
Kojo let out a quiet breath.
Kojo: "By the time I turned seventeen, I couldn't endure it anymore. I planned my escape in secret. On the night I left, my grandfather didn't try to stop me. He only handed me two swords."
Kojo's eyes lowered.
Kojo: "One was his personal blade—*Shin'en Meikō-ken*. The other was *Tenko*. He said nothing else. That was the last time I saw him. I left the island with one goal—to become the greatest swordsman in the world, in my own way."
Ato stared at him in awe.
Ato: "Wooo… that's an amazing story."
Before Kojo could respond, Faramis suddenly coughed, nearly choking on his food. He quickly grabbed a cup of water and drank it down.
Faramis: "Those sword names are way too long."
The tension broke for a moment as Ato laughed.
Ato: "Fair enough. So, what about you, Faramis?"
Faramis slowly set his utensils aside. His expression changed, becoming serious and distant.
Faramis: "From my childhood, I was given only one thing—knowledge. No toys. No freedom. Just books, formulas, and experiments. Knowledge was the only world I knew."
He paused.
Faramis: "Then one day, Eden soldiers came. They arrived without warning. Guns blazing. People screaming. Houses burning. They dragged young girls away like cattle. To this day, I still don't know why."
His voice trembled slightly.
Faramis: "My mother was taken right in front of me. I was powerless. That day, I stopped being a child. I swore that I would take revenge on the island's chief—the one who hired the Eden Government and sold our lives for his safety. Everything that happened after that… you already know."
Silence filled the room.
Ato nodded slowly.
Ato: "Both of your stories are incredible."
He finished the last of his food and leaned back.
Ato: "So—"
Before he could finish his sentence, the entire ship suddenly shook violently. Plates rattled, cups tipped over, and the wooden walls groaned.
Ato jumped to his feet.
Ato: "What was that?!"
Faramis: "That wasn't natural… I think it's the Eden Government."
Kojo's hand immediately went to his swords.
Kojo: "Then we don't have time to waste."
Without another word, all three rushed toward the upper deck of the ship as the sound of cannons echoed across the sea, signaling that their brief moment of peace was over.