Yuzuki: "This was just the beginning. They won't stop here."
Akari: "I know. But now we have a chance to fight for real."
Yuzuki looked at Akari. The anger still burned inside him, but a new spark of respect emerged. She had proven her worth. Even so, the trust between them was still an open wound.
Yuzuki: "If you betray me, there will be no place to hide."
Akari (calmly): "And if you give in to Mao... there will be no one to save you."
Silence fell like a heavy cloak. The small boat cut through the dark waters toward the unknown. Kugutsu was already a distant shadow, hidden by the mist, but the weight of their choices would follow them for a long time.
The Trinity of Kugutsu
The night at sea was calm, but the atmosphere on the boat was tense. Yuzuki, near the helm, kept his eyes fixed on the invisible line of the horizon. Akari, sitting at the bow, let the wind play with her hair while she sank into her thoughts.
Akari: "Do you think we'll be able to escape from them?"
Yuzuki gripped the helm harder.
Yuzuki: "Kugutsu doesn't forget. No matter where we are. Those who defy the island are hunted to the end. But now... our only chance is to move forward."
Akari: "Kugutsu... it's not just an island. It's a curse."
Yuzuki nodded slowly.
Yuzuki: "It's a system. A cycle that consumes everything. Tradition, power, and blood intertwined. If we want to survive, we need to understand what we're facing."
Akari: "Do you feel it? Like it's still watching us..."
He didn't answer. He simply kept his eyes on the sea.
Yuzuki: "The clans are the foundation of this cycle. The three pillars... The Trinity."
Akari: "My father spoke of them. Three main clans, each with a vital role. Together, they shape the order of Kugutsu. At the top, leaders who are not just human... they are monsters, shaped by the power itself."
Yuzuki: "An illusion of choice. Nothing more."
Exploring the boat, they found supplies and a map with marks from the three clans. That reignited memories — and wounds.
The Three Clans of the Island
Yuzuki: "They sustain the balance of the island. Or what they call balance."
Akari: "Taida fled from them, right?"
Yuzuki: "Yes. Taida was born on the island but refused the regime. He killed the heir of the Salt clan and stole his Kugutsu. He fled to Pangeia. They say he carries two Kugutsus, but that should be impossible..."
Akari's gaze narrowed. How did he know so much?
Akari: "How do you know all this? I've never heard of this story."
Yuzuki remained silent. A heavy silence.
Salt Clan – The Butchers
Yuzuki: "The Salt Clan... the Butchers. They are the execution arm. They eliminate traitors, protect the island's secrets. Masters of Genkai and Yûgô."
Akari: "Fusion and total submission... brutal."
Yuzuki: "Gaz, the leader, is feared. He was the one who hunted Taida to the end. The blood still flows from the hands of this clan."
Lead Clan – Masters of Combat
Yuzuki: "If Salt is the blade, Lead is the impact. Raw power. Masters of Barãã, regeneration in battle. They hunt the Kanjis scattered across Pangeia."
Yuzuki lowered his head, his voice heavy with bitterness.
Yuzuki: "I am a Kanji."
Akari felt a tightness in her chest. He didn't speak with pride — he spoke with weight.
Yuzuki: "Your clan, Akari... it focuses on Shinkô and Dankai, right?"
Akari (surprised): "How do you...?"
Mao's voice whispered in Yuzuki's mind.
Mao: "Stop talking, idiot. She will be your enemy."
Yuzuki ignored it. He wouldn't be manipulated anymore.
The Origin of the Name Kugutsu
Akari: "Kugutsu means 'puppet'. The name is more literal than it seems. The Kugutsus... are demons sealed within us."
Yuzuki: "Some seals are symbolic. Others... require lives."
He knew this well. As a Kanji, he had used a forbidden ritual. He didn't split his soul — he sacrificed others.
Yuzuki: "That's why I'm a traitor. That's why I'm hunted."
Akari: "Not just you. Every Kanji is an enemy of the island."
The Kanjis – The Dark Side of the Island
Yuzuki: "The Kanjis are the cancer the clans try to purge. But the power... is real. Kugutsus created with sacrifice are violent. Wild. And uncontrollable."
Akari: "They are the distortion of what should be sacred."
Yuzuki: "And yet, outside the island, there are those who worship them as gods."
Akari fell silent, her expression grim.
Akari: "You remind me of Mustaf... it's almost forbidden to speak of him in Kugutsu. A name that became a curse."
Yuzuki walked to the back of the boat, pulled out a bottle from under the canvas, and drank slowly.
Yuzuki: "There's always a bastard who ruins everything..."
Yuzuki: "Mustaf was the only man to invade Kugutsu. He stole scrolls, distorted rituals, and created the first Kanjis outside the island. Since then, the borders have closed."
He stared at the sea, his eyes cold.
Yuzuki: "Kugutsu is not just a place. It's a bond. A bridge between the human and the supernatural. When that bond is violated... the whole world suffers."
Mao (mocking): "You still believe in this balance nonsense? Kugutsu is a farce. You know that. Tell the truth."
Yuzuki ignored it. But doubt burned inside him.
The Bond with Pangeia
Akari: "And Pangeia? How do they see us?"
Yuzuki: "With fear. With disgust. Kugutsu is a place where their laws don't work. And we... are seen as aberrations."
Akari: "But they also fear us. Some even want us as weapons."
Yuzuki: "And that's why we're here. To find out if there's salvation... or just more damnation."
Mao (whispering in his mind): "Hahaha, I didn't know Yuzuki became the little girl's master. I'm really moved by your stupidity of trusting any fool that comes along. You haven't learned anything from the death of your family. When you least expect it, I'll kill that girl. I'll strangle her, and when the light in her eyes fades, I'll make sure you stay conscious, Yuzuki, so you can feel the pleasure along with me."
The sudden change in Yuzuki's expression makes him take a deep breath and focus on the wall. He throws several weak punches, one after the other, trying to focus on his goal and calm his mind.
Akari notices Yuzuki's discomfort but remains silent, just observing.
The sea opened before them, vast and unexplored. Behind them, the cursed island. Ahead, Pangeia — and an uncertain destiny.