第一章：江戸の影
江戸の影の中で、夜は眠らない。街路は囁く――残酷さを、目に見えぬ手が無垢を奪うことを、暗闇から燃える氷の破片のような瞳で見つめる存在を。都市は恐怖に生き、罪の重みの下で震える生き物のようだ。
弱きを狙う者たちがいる。心は空虚で、慈悲を力に替え、他者の苦しみに歓喜する者たち。そして、すべての叫び、奪われた命、すべての残酷を忘れず覚えている者たちもいる。
アクメツはそのひとりだ。人でも霊でもない存在。世界の境界を行き来し、無垢を守り、悪を滅ぼす。彼の存在は空気を凍らせ、影は見えぬ命でうねり、氷青の瞳は凍った炎のごとく暗闇を貫く。栄光のためでも、称賛のためでもない――ただ復讐のために来るのだ。もはや声を上げられぬ者たちのための、静かな裁きのために。
これは、残酷を狩る影の物語。暗闇の中で裁きを届ける先触れの物語。そして、江戸が知る夜――悪は決して永遠に隠れられないということを。
Under the cloud-covered night sky, the city of Edo fell into a restless sleep. Fog crawls through the rain-soaked streets, twining every corner of the alley like a ghost's finger. From afar, I hear the whispers of children trembling with fear. Those terrifying memories will surely follow them for the rest of their lives.
Akhmetz walked quietly on the wet cobblestones. The hem of his black kimono hardly shook, and his presence distorted even the shadows around him, as if he was manipulating the night itself at will. Her eyes, as blue as ice, shone faintly despite being hidden in the shadow of a hat, cutting through the fog like a freezing blade. Tonight, he targets those who oppress innocence ―― those who believe that their cruelty will not be punished.
Orphans were huddled and trembling in the corner of a dilapidated merchant house. Days of being beaten and starved, with little savings, food, and even friends taken away by corrupt magistrates and their henchmen. ―― everyone knew that surviving is a cruel lottery of fate.
A shadow cast over the doorway. Akhmetu's pale face and cold eyes caused cold air to run down the children's backs. He kneels down, spreads his shadow, and wraps the orphans like a dark, soft blanket.
"sleep"
With a low whisper, the shadows wrapped warmly and softly around the orphans. The children's eyelids became heavy and closed, as if countless sighs of relief were washing away their fear. It's been weeks since I regained my freedom of mind without pain or fear. His body was left in the shadows and he fell into a deep, calm sleep.
Akhmetz turned his gaze towards the magistrates. Those ice-blue eyes cut through the night. Outside, the henchmen laugh and shout insults. But they didn't realize that their fate was yet decided.
The shadow stretches like a rope and tears the sky with a swing of Acmetu's wrist. The rope got tangled around the henchmen's necks, and screams echoed throughout the room. The body is lifted off the floor and the hands flap helplessly. The rope continues to tighten slowly but mercilessly. The last thing they saw were icy blue eyes ―― beings who were neither human nor spiritual ――.
The magistrate tried to escape, but the shadow stretched out like a living dark hand and captured him. Bones creaked and shattered, shadows compressed his body and slammed him to the floor in small chunks.
When silence came, Akhmetsu returned to the orphans. Gently pick it up and transport it through the foggy city. The city itself seemed to give way to his footsteps.
At dawn,The orphans were safely delivered to a quiet temple on the outskirts of Edo. The monks welcomed them with few words and sensed the extraordinary presence that had saved the children. Akhmetsu stands outside the gate for a while, hiding in the shadows and looking out at the horizon with his ice-blue eyes. Once they made sure they were really safe, they quietly disappeared into the fog, leaving only traces of justice and fear.
The villagers rumored about the shadow that protects innocence and destroys evil. His mercy was deep and his revenge was absolute. Then, somewhere in Edo, he learns that evil trembles and that Akumetsu's ice-blue eyes penetrate his soul.
