Jin stood at the edge of the tree line, his breath hitching in his throat.

Toji Village, the hidden sanctuary of the Guardians, was gone.

The training grounds were craters. The dormitories were smoldering piles of timber. The smell of pine and river water had been replaced by the suffocating stench of sulfur, ash, and burning flesh. Bodies littered the streets—men, women, children. No one had been spared.

"No..." Jin whispered, the word crumbling in his mouth. "It’s impossible."

He bolted forward, leaving Luna behind. He ran frantically from body to body, checking for pulses, for breath, for anything. Cold. They were all cold.

"Who or what could have done this?" Jin’s mind raced, panic threatening to crack his stoic veneer. "The defense perimeter... the elite squads..."

His eyes widened in realization. "The Masters!"

Jin sprinted toward the Village’s Temple, the highest point in the valley. If anyone could have survived, it would be them. He burst through the temple doors, sliding on the polished floorboards. He found the bodies of the Council elders first, cut down where they stood.

Finally, near the altar, he found him.

"Grandmaster! Grandmaster Miyamoto!"

Jin fell to his knees beside the old man, who was slumped against a pillar, his robes soaked in blood.

"Cough... Jin?" The Grandmaster’s voice was a wet rattle. "What are you doing here?"

"Grandmaster, I returned from my mission. I found the village like this," Jin said, his voice trembling. "What happened?"

"Ambush," Miyamoto wheezed. "A swarm. Demons."

"What? How?"

"It happened in the dead of night. We were on a skeleton crew. First, an explosion by the river... a diversion. Then... they swarmed from every direction."

Unknown to them, Luna had followed Jin up the temple steps. She stood silently in the doorway, horrified, listening.

"There is no way a bunch of low-class demons coordinated a plan like that," Jin argued, gripping the old man’s shoulder.

"That's the thing, my boy. It wasn't just low-class trash. They were led by... a mid-class demon."

"Impossible. No mid-class demon can cross the Great Barrier."

"This one... was unlike anything I have seen," Miyamoto coughed, blood trickling from his lip. "It looked human. But the power... demonic. No human can wield power like that."

"Survivors?" Jin asked, desperation creeping into his tone. "Where are the others?"

"I don't know if there are any," Miyamoto whispered. "Besides you... everyone had returned from missions last night. They waited until we were all here."

"Balthazar," Jin hissed, the name tasting like poison.

"It must be. He has been gathering an army... he must know about Luna."

"Luna? You found her?"

Luna stepped out from the shadows. "Yes. He did."

"Luna!" Jin snapped. "I told you to wait outside!"

"Hush, boy," Miyamoto raised a shaking hand. "Come here, child."

Luna walked over and knelt beside the dying man. Miyamoto looked into her eyes, searching the depths of her soul. "Yes... I can see her in you. Lunaclipseia."

"Excuse me, sir," Luna said softly. "But I overheard you say everyone returned. Did you not have anyone else looking for reincarnations?"

"Smart girl," Miyamoto smiled weakly. "We couldn't spare the manpower for a full search. We sent units out one at a time... Jin is the only one left."

The Grandmaster grabbed Jin’s wrist with surprising strength. "Jin. Listen to me. This is my last mission for you."

"Yes, Grandmaster."

"Protect Luna. She is a target. You must find a way to hide her signature. Go to Montavelo Village. Find the Head Sage. He is powerful enough to remove the dormant Ki from her, or mask it. Do this... or the world falls."

"I shall fulfill this mission, Grandmaster," Jin vowed, tears stinging his eyes. "Even if it costs me my life."

"Now go. Leave me. I do not have much time... let me go in peace."

"Use your Ki!" Jin pleaded. "You can heal yourself!"

"Too injured," Miyamoto sighed, his eyes closing. "Its too late. Go now, Jin. And do not fail."

"I promise."

Jin stood up, grabbing Luna’s hand, and walked out of the temple without looking back. Outside, Luna hugged him from behind, burying her face in his back.

"Jin... I'm so sorry."

Jin wiped his eyes aggressively. "It's fine. It's not your fault. Let's move."

"Jin, it's okay to cry. Just take a second to—"

"I said IT'S FINE!" Jin shouted, pulling away. "We have a mission. Let's go!"

"Okay... but where?"

"Back to your house. We regroup. We plan."

They made their way to the village exit where Minou was waiting, his ears flattened against his head. But before they could leave the ruins, a high-pitched whistling sound cut through the air.

"DODGE!"

Jin shoved Luna hard to the right.

BOOM!

A streak of pink energy slammed into the ground where they had just been standing, exploding into a crater of dirt and sparks.

"What the hell was that?!" Luna yelled, scrambling up.

"Look out!"

Another pink streak arced through the air, homing in on Jin. He drew his Kodachi in a blur of motion. With a guttural yell, he swung the flat of the blade, deflecting the energy blast into a nearby ruined wall.

"Who is doing this?" Jin growled, scanning the smoke. "Is the leader still here?"

"You will pay for what you have done!" a girl’s voice screamed from the shadows.

A figure leaped from the smoke, landing in a crouch. It was a girl, perhaps fifteen years old, with short pink hair and a fierce expression. She wore a red form fitting top with an armor plated skirt, and in her hand was a recurve bow glowing with energy.

"Take heed!" she shouted, nocking an invisible arrow that materialized from thin air. "I am Maya Toriyato! I am a Guardian of this village, and I will avenge my people!"

"Maya Toriyato?" Jin blinked. "Wait!"

Maya didn't wait. She charged, abandoning the bow for close quarters. She threw a flurry of punches and kicks, moving with impressive speed for a small girl. Jin blocked and dodged effortlessly, refusing to draw his blades against a human.

"Maya, wait! Stand down! We are on the same team!"

"Liar!" Maya screamed, tears streaming down her face. "You killed them!"

"Maya, I'm telling you the tr—"

POW!

Maya landed a solid right hook on Jin’s jaw.

Jin’s eyes narrowed. "Okay. Enough."

When she threw the next punch, Jin caught her fist. He placed his other palm flat against her chest, swept her leg, and slammed her into the dirt. He pinned her down, not with force, but with absolute control.

"Listen to me," Jin barked. "I am not your enemy. If I wanted you dead, you would be dead. I am Jin Motozawa. Look at me!"

Maya froze, her eyes widening as she really looked at him. "Oh my god... you're Jin Motozawa?"

She scrambled backward, falling onto her hands and knees in a deep bow. "I am so, so, so sorry! Please forgive my stupidity, Senpai!"

"Get up," Jin sighed, rubbing his jaw. "And tell me how you survived. The Grandmaster said no one was left."

Maya stood up, dusting off her skirt. She looked down at her boots, ashamed. "Well... you see... we had Level 3 exams coming up. I was supposed to be training."

"And?"

"And... I hate training," she mumbled. "So I snuck off to a cave I like, a few miles out, to take a nap."

Jin stared at her. "You are telling me you are alive because you were lazy?"

"Damn it!" Maya stomped her foot, tears returning. "If I had been here, I could have made a difference! I could have saved someone!"

"No," Jin said softly. "If you were here, you would be dead too. Grandmaster Miyamoto is gone. We are all that's left."

"So everyone is truly gone?" Maya sobbed.

Jin placed a hand on her head. "No. They live on in us."

He gestured to Luna. "Maya, this is Luna Yi. The reincarnation of Lunaclipseia."

"WHAT?! FOR REAL?!" Maya’s jaw dropped. She rushed over to Luna, bowing frantically again. "Please forgive me! I almost shot a Ki arrow at the savior of the world! I’m an idiot!"

"It's okay," Luna said awkwardly. "Really."

"Maya," Jin said. "The Grandmaster gave me a final mission. To protect Luna and find the Head Sage. We are going to her home to regroup. You can come with us."

"Me?" Maya pointed at herself. "But I'm just a trainee. My potential is high, but... I'm not ready for a real mission."

"We can't leave you here," Jin said. "I can finish your training. We will complete the mission, then come back and rebuild. How about it?"

Maya wiped her face, determination setting in. "It would be an honor to join you, Jin-senpai."

"Good. You hear that, Minou? We have company."

"Reow," Minou chirped from behind a rock.

"Aww, you guys have a Cabbit?" Maya cooed. "Those are so rare!"

"Stray," Jin corrected.

"He saved my life," Luna added defensively, scooping the creature up.

As the trio walked away from the burning village, Luna looked at Maya’s weapon.

"So, Maya, what was that pink light you shot at us?"

"Oh, that?" Maya held up her bow. "Just a Ki arrow. This bow is a special Guardian weapon. It helps focus my Ki. I don't use physical arrows; I turn my own energy into projectiles."

"That's amazing," Luna marveled. "Jin, can you do that?"

"No," Jin said, patting the hilts at his waist. "My specialty is close range. That is why I use Kodachi."

"Ko-what-chi?"

"Kodachi," Jin explained, drawing one of the black blades. "Shorter than a katana, longer than a dagger. These are made of a special metal from our village. They absorb Ki energy and unleash it on impact. If I pour enough energy into them, I can cut through almost anything without even touching it."

"And the punching thing?" Luna asked.

"My gauntlets," Jin held up his hands, showing the metal plates. "They help focus Ki into my fists or feet. That’s how I do the Kinetic Punch."

"So cool," Maya sighed admiringly. "I wish I had that kind of control."

They made camp that night in a quiet forest clearing.

"Okay ladies," Jin said, his voice flat. "Maya and I will take three-hour watch shifts. I'll go first."

An hour into Jin's shift, Luna woke up. She found him sitting on a log, staring into the darkness, his shoulders slumped.

"Jin?"

"Go back to sleep, Luna."

"I can't," she sat next to him. "I keep seeing the bodies. Jin... how are you keeping it together?"

"Seeing death gets easier the more you see it."

"Not this kind of death," Luna challenged softly. "This was your home. If you're hurting, you can talk to me."

"Please, Luna," Jin whispered, his voice cracking slightly. "Just go back to sleep. I will be fine."

Luna watched him for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. Goodnight, Jin."

Later, during Maya's shift, Luna woke again.

"Hey, Maya," she whispered.

"AAHH!" Maya jumped, nearly firing an arrow. "Don't sneak up on me!"

"Sorry. Can we talk?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"You and Jin... how are you holding up?"

"I'm barely holding it together," Maya admitted. "But this is my first mission. And I can't mess up in front of Him."

"What's so special about Jin?" Luna asked.

Maya’s eyes lit up. "Jin is a legend. He graduated with scores not seen since Lunaclipseia herself. He’s only been a Guardian for a year, but he’s already leading S-class missions. He’s a prodigy. If I failed in front of him... I'd die of shame."

"Wow," Luna looked over at Jin’s sleeping form. "I guess that explains the ego."

The next morning, Luna woke to find Maya staring transfixed at the nearby stream.

"Maya? What are you looking at?"

Maya didn't speak. She just pointed, her face bright red.

Luna turned. Jin was standing waist-deep in the water, washing up. He was shirtless. His back was a map of muscle, defined and hard as stone, bearing the scars of training.

"Maya!" Luna hissed, spinning around, her own face burning. "Stop staring!"

"Just look at those abs," Maya whispered reverently. "It's like he's carved out of marble."

"Maya, no! It's rude!"

"Oh, come on, Luna," Maya teased, poking her. "Don't tell me you aren't looking."

"I am NOT!" Luna lied, turning her head slightly to peek.

"Aha! Made you look!"

"Shut up!"

"Hey," Jin called out, walking toward them while pulling his shirt back on. "What are you two arguing about?"

Both girls snapped to attention, faces crimson. "NOTHING!"

"Okay..." Jin eyed them suspiciously. "We need to move."

"Alright," Jin said as they hiked back toward the city. "When we get back, we need a plan. It will take a few days to prepare for the trip to Montavelo."

"Well," Luna declared. "I'm going to school."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Jin frowned.

"I agree," Maya nodded. "Too dangerous."

"Look!" Luna stopped walking. "I left my normal life for this. We don't know how long we’ll be gone. I am going to school to see my friends one last time. And nobody—I mean NOBODY—can know who you two are."

"Fair point," Jin conceded. "If people find out I'm a Guardian, it links you to the supernatural world. We need to be invisible."

"So," Maya raised her hand. "If we are staying for a few days... where do I sleep?"

"My house," Luna said. "My mom will understand."

"And Jin?" Maya asked.

"Camp out," Luna said quickly.

"What?" Jin glared. "You're taking the trainee and the rat-rabbit, but I have to sleep in the bushes?"

"Yep," Luna smirked. "You like camping. You said you were 'fine.'"

"I hate you," Jin muttered.

"Jin-senpai?" Maya tugged on his sleeve, her voice trembling.

"It's fine, Maya. I can handle the cold."

"No... not that." Maya pointed toward the horizon. "Look."

Jin and Luna turned.

In the distance, spanning the entire width of the valley, a black tide was moving toward them. It wasn't a shadow. It was thousands of snarling, beastly demons.

"A swarm," Jin whispered, his blood running cold. "The army Miyamoto talked about."

"Oh my god," Luna gasped.

"What do we do?" Shouted Maya.

"Maya," Jin snapped. "Get a hold of yourself. You are a Guardian. Act like one."

He drew both Kodachi, the blades humming with anticipation.

"We have two choices. We try to go around them and get hunted down... or we go through them."

Maya unslung her bow, her hands shaking until she gripped the wood tight. "Are you crazy? Look at all of them!"

Jin grinned, a terrifying, feral look. "I think we have a better chance if we go straight through the middle."

Luna sighed, raising her fists as a faint red light began to glow in her eyes. "I was so hoping you wouldn't say that.”