Blood of the Kuroishi

A New Realm?

As Reiki regained consciousness, he found himself surrounded by a group of imposing figures clad in armor adorned with intricate designs. Their presence loomed over him like a weight, their eyes sharp and unwavering beneath helmets adorned with sigils of unknown origin. Surrounding them, the surreal landscape defied comprehension, with buildings of towering heights jutting out from the sky and ground, creating an otherworldly labyrinth.

"We haven't had any visits from you guys in 15 years!" one of them declared, their voice echoing with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

Confusion and alarm gripped Reiki as he struggled to make sense of his surroundings. "Who are you?" he managed to ask, his voice tinged with urgency.

The figure before him, a towering presence with a sword as large as Reiki himself, regarded him with a mixture of surprise and scrutiny. "We are the Purifiers," they answered solemnly, their tone carrying the weight of ancient duty and vigilance.

"The Purifiers?" Reiki repeated, his mind racing to grasp the implications of their name. Memories of tales and whispers from his childhood flickered in his mind—stories of guardians who traversed realms and cleansed worlds of malevolent forces.

"We maintain balance across realms," another Purifier explained, their voice resonating with an air of authority. "Your arrival here is unexpected. Are you a harbinger of chaos or a bearer of hope?"

Reiki's head spun with questions, the surreal nature of his surroundings and the enigmatic presence of the Purifiers leaving him on edge. "I... I don't know how I got here," he admitted, his thoughts racing to piece together fragments of memory lost in the tumultuous events preceding his arrival.

The Purifiers exchanged knowing glances, their expressions unreadable beneath their armored visages. "You possess powers unseen in our realm," one observed, their gaze lingering on Reiki with a blend of awe and caution. "Perhaps you are the key to restoring what was lost."

Reiki utters the name of his clan, the Purifiers' demeanor shifted subtly. The towering figures exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of reverence and realization. Slowly, one by one, they knelt before him, their swords planted firmly in the surreal ground.

"Highness," one of them intoned solemnly, their voice carrying the weight of ancient reverence. "We had thought the line of Kuroishi lost to us forever."

Confusion and disbelief gripped Reiki as he struggled to reconcile their words with his fragmented understanding of reality. "Royalty?" he echoed, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes," another Purifier affirmed, rising slightly to meet Reiki's gaze. "In this realm, the Kuroishi are esteemed royalty, guardians of balance and custodians of realms."

The revelation struck Reiki like a thunderbolt, unraveling the fabric of his perception. Memories of a distant lineage, obscured by time and tragedy, flickered to life in his mind—a legacy steeped in duty and honor, now thrust upon him in a realm where time moved to its own inscrutable rhythm.

"And time?" Reiki ventured, his mind racing to grasp the implications of their words. "How is it different here?"

"A year in this realm," a Purifier explained patiently, "is but five months in your world. Time flows differently, shaped by the ebb and flow of cosmic energies and the threads that bind realms together."

As Reiki uttered the name of his clan, the Purifiers' demeanor shifted subtly. The towering figures exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of reverence and realization. Slowly, one by one, they knelt before him, their swords planted firmly in the surreal ground.

"Highness," one of them intoned solemnly, their voice carrying the weight of ancient reverence. "We had thought the line of Kuroishi lost to us forever."

Confusion and disbelief gripped Reiki as he struggled to reconcile their words with his fragmented understanding of reality. "Royalty?" he echoed, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes," another Purifier affirmed, rising slightly to meet Reiki's gaze. "In this realm, the Kuroishi are esteemed royalty, guardians of balance and custodians of realms."

The revelation struck Reiki like a thunderbolt, unraveling the fabric of his perception. Memories of a distant lineage, obscured by time and tragedy, flickered to life in his mind—a legacy steeped in duty and honor, now thrust upon him in a realm where time moved to its own inscrutable rhythm.

"And time?" Reiki ventured, his mind racing to grasp the implications of their words. "How is it different here?"

"A year in this realm," a Purifier explained patiently, "is but five months in your world. Time flows differently, shaped by the ebb and flow of cosmic energies and the threads that bind realms together."