Chapter 1: The Awakening of Raizen

  The world had long forgotten the name Raizen, but whispers of his legend never truly faded. Once the King of Cursed Beasts, he ruled an era where sorcerers trembled at his presence, where death itself seemed like a mercy. Betrayed and sealed away centuries ago by the very ones he once fought alongside, his existence had become nothing more than a forbidden tale—until today.

  A lone figure sprinted through the ruins of an abandoned temple, his breaths sharp and desperate. Blood dripped from his fingers as he clutched an ancient artifact—an obsidian talisman pulsing with an ominous glow. He had spent years searching for it, scouring lost texts and forgotten ruins. He had sacrificed everything. Now, standing before a massive stone sarcophagus covered in arcane symbols, he knew it was time.

  With trembling hands, he placed the talisman into the groove on the sarcophagus. The air crackled with energy, and the ground trembled. The temple walls groaned, ancient spirits howling in protest. Then, silence.

  A heartbeat.

  Another.

  Then, a slow, deliberate exhale.

  A deep, menacing chuckle echoed through the chamber as a single hand shattered through the stone prison. Dark mist swirled from the cracks, and the temperature dropped. A man stepped forward, his long silver hair cascading over his broad shoulders. His crimson eyes, slit like a beast’s, glowed with an unnatural hunger.

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  Raizen had returned.

  The sorcerer who had freed him stumbled backward. He had expected power, but not this. Not the overwhelming presence that made his very soul want to rip itself apart and flee.

  "You... You're finally awake," the sorcerer whispered, his voice filled with awe and terror.

  Raizen rolled his shoulders, taking in the stale air of a world that had long since moved on without him. "And who are you, insect? Another foolish sorcerer who thinks they can control me?"

  "No!" the sorcerer stammered. "I seek vengeance. The Jujutsu clans—they destroyed my family, erased my name. But with you, I can—"

  He never got to finish.

  With a flick of his wrist, Raizen's fingers slashed through the air. A thin black line appeared across the sorcerer’s neck. A heartbeat later, his head slid off his shoulders, hitting the floor with a dull thud.

  "How annoying," Raizen muttered, stepping over the lifeless body. He glanced at his hands, flexing his fingers as his aura surged around him. His power had waned over the centuries, but even at half-strength, he was a god among men.

  He closed his eyes, feeling the cursed energy of the world around him. The landscape had changed, but the stench of sorcerers remained. And among them, he sensed something—or someone—different. A force unlike any he had felt before.

  A grin spread across his lips.

  "Interesting. This world might not be so dull after all."

  With that, Raizen stepped forward, vanishing into the darkness. His reign had begun anew.