Chapter 2 — The Samurai of the Beast

The broadcast of the masked hunter had spread like wildfire. Across outposts and survivor camps, whispers turned into belief. If such a figure existed, perhaps Tokyo could be reclaimed.

The Tokyo Resistance prepared their largest operation in years. Convoys of armored trucks rumbled through ruined streets, flags painted with the symbol of a phoenix. Their mission: drive back the Soul Beasts and retake Tokyo block by block.

Gunfire thundered as Unit Alpha cleared the way. Soul Beasts shrieked, torn down by rifles and android cannons. Spirits were high. For the first time in years, survivors felt hope.

But hope never lasted long.

From the silence of the ruins, it appeared. A tall figure clad in twisted armor, eyes burning crimson, blade gleaming with unnatural hunger—
the Samurai Beast Soul.

“Command! This is Alpha! We’ve engaged it—aghhhk—!” The radio screamed before cutting to static.

Gasps rippled through Resistance command. Then, Unit Bravo was dispatched. Minutes later, their signals went dark as well.

At headquarters, a woman with long blue-black hair and sharp violet eyes clenched her fists. “Enough.”

Her name was Ayanami Rika. She was no ordinary soldier. Her squad looked to her not just for orders, but for strength.

“If that thing is cutting down my people… I’ll end it myself.”

They found the beast waiting, standing amidst the corpses of Resistance fighters, its katana dripping black ichor.

“Stay close,” Rika commanded, raising her blade. “We kill it together.”

The samurai lunged with inhuman speed. CLANG! CLANG! Sparks flew as steel clashed against corrupted steel. Rika’s squad fired from behind—
BRAKKA! BRAKKA! bullets tore chunks of armor away, grenades shook the earth.

Rika weaved between strikes, her violet eyes sharp. She moved like a predator herself, sidestepping the beast’s slash before countering.

SHHRRAKK!
Her blade bit deep, severing the monster’s head in one clean strike.

Silence fell. Ash drifted in the air.

Her squad erupted into cheers. “We did it!”
“The samurai’s dead!”

But Rika’s instincts screamed. She turned—too late.

Two more figures stepped from the shadows. Twin Samurai Beasts, eyes burning, blades raised.

“No…” she whispered. “There’s more of them.”

The cheers turned to screams as her squad was slaughtered. Blood sprayed across the rubble. Androids were torn apart, their cores shattering.

“Fall back! FALL BACK!” Rika shouted, cutting down one beast, but another blade pierced through her men. One by one, her squad collapsed.

Her hands shook, breath ragged. Her Android’s voice chimed:
“Warning: Battery at 20%.”

“Damn it… not now!” Rika’s legs trembled, her arms heavy. Yet she raised her blade again. “I won’t… run…”

The twin beasts circled, katana gleaming. One lunged forward, aiming for her heart—

BOOM!

The shotgun blast tore through both samurai, sending them staggering back.

From the smoke, a shadow emerged. Hooded. Masked. Katana gleaming at his side.

The Revenant had come.

Without a word, he stepped forward. Steel clashed with steel. The masked hunter moved with terrifying precision, each strike echoing centuries of lost swordsmanship.

SHHHK!
One beast’s head rolled across the pavement.
SHHRRAKK!
The other dissolved into black ash.

Silence. Only Rika’s ragged breathing remained.

The Revenant slid his katana back into its sheath with a quiet click.

Rika stared at him, wide-eyed, blood dripping down her leg. “…It’s you. The one from the broadcast.”

He said nothing. He turned to leave.

“Wait!” she cried, stumbling forward, pain shooting through her wounded leg.

An Android appeared at her side, catching her before she collapsed. Its green eyes flickered. “We must leave. Night is coming. The Beasts will hunt in greater numbers after dark.”

Distant howls echoed through the ruins, chilling the air.

The Revenant vanished into the smoke, leaving Rika behind with only questions.

And as the night fell, she realized the truth—
the stories were real.
The hunter in the mask was no rumor.

He was their last salvation… or their final executioner.