In the shadows of history, beyond the reach of mortal eyes, the Immortals have waged their secret wars, bound by the sacred code: *There can be only one*. "Eternal Duel: Untold Chronicles of the Immortals" brings to light the hitherto unseen sagas o...
The battlefield at Sekigahara lay strewn with the bodies of the dead and dying. Mitsunari Ishida, commander of the Western Army, surveyed the carnage with despair. His forces had been crushed by Ieyasu Tokugawa's Eastern Army, and with them, his dream of halting Tokugawa's relentless march towards power.
Amidst the moans of the wounded and the stench of death, a lone samurai rose from the bloodied ground. Hachiro, loyal retainer of Mitsunari, gripped the hilt of his katana and gazed out at the triumphant banners of the Tokugawa forces flapping in the wind. Battered but very much alive, the realization hit him like an icy wave - his immortal secret remained safe, but at the cost of appearing a traitor to the vanquished.
For Hachiro was no ordinary samurai, but an Immortal - one of a hidden few who could die only by losing their head. Blessed and cursed with an eternity to shape the tides of history, these timeless warriors lived by a code all their own, bound by the Game and its sacred rule: "There can be only one."
Eyes burning with newfound purpose, Hachiro sheathed his sword and melted into the shadows. His path was now one of redemption and discovery, a journey to navigate the treacherous waters of a Japan on the cusp of a new era.
Chapter 1 Months had passed since Hachiro fled the killing fields of Sekigahara. Rumors abounded of survivors being ruthlessly hunted down by Tokugawa's men, forcing him to conceal his identity and keep to the wilder parts of the realm.
On a misty morning in the forested hills of Kii Province, Hachiro's solitude was broken by the babble of a brook and the sound of clashing steel in the distance. Creeping closer, he glimpsed two figures locked in a duel upon the mossy rocks beside a waterfall.
The skill and ferocity of the duelists gave Hachiro pause - clearly no ordinary swordsmen, they moved with inhuman grace and savage purpose. And then the telltale sensation of an Immortal presence washed over him like a static charge, raising the fine hairs on the back of his neck. These were others of his kind, engaged in the age-old dance of blades.
As he watched, one of the warriors, an older man with a wild mane of hair, knocked the sword from his younger opponent's hand. Instead of striking a killing blow, he bowed.
"You have improved, Kazuo. But you still let your anger unbalance you."
The young samurai called Kazuo snatched up his weapon and glared at the victor. "My anger gives me strength, Tarou. One day it shall be your downfall."
With those words, he spun on his heel and stalked off into the forest. The older samurai, Tarou, merely shook his head before turning to face Hachiro's hiding place.
"You can come out now, stranger. I know you've been watching us."
Hachiro emerged warily, one hand on his sword hilt. "Forgive my intrusion. I am but a wandering ronin seeking no quarrel."
