Passing the Torch Arc One (Volume 1)

As my grandfather struck his hammer against the ember steel, the sparks that flew up; danced round the sky like a Chinese dragon during a New Year's parade.

When it came to being a weapon smith, he managed to form every weapon without ever flinching. And never burning his face from the ricochet against the steel. It had been an exhausting voyage for any swordsman to reach the summit of Mount Shira to get the honorary steel of the Shira clan.

My grandfather was the best swordsmith in all six areas, and to be honest, he might be the best swordsmith in the entire globe. Anu is my name. The Shira Clan, also known as the Family of the Unknown Fire, are descendants of the Torch Village.

War has changed people's lives forever in my seventeenth year on our world. Mothers are widowed at a rate that exceeds the length of the marriage. Elemental Kaiju, insane monsters, have pillaged the land of countless resources and houses.

My father was promoted to the military before he turned 30. Now in command as a member of The Six, an organized clan made up of members from all six regions. This clan was made up of six mortal samurai warriors with exceptional fighting skills.

They are said to control one of the six sacred elements. Light, Shade, Earth, Air, Water, and Torch were the names given to these combinations. Many Kaiju monsters that came to our world to wage war on the living were no match for The Six. Every time The Six clashed, the terrible beasts were defeated.

The stories began to circulate as the Kaiju discovered another technique to perhaps turn the tide of war among The Six. Legend has it that the Kaiju monsters came from the spirit world and will one day attempt to join the playing field and unite our world and theirs.

Another myth going around my community was that certain Kaiju from the Shadow and Torch lands were starting to marry, giving them flying wings. We've heard that as these hybrids grow, these winged animals are starting to lay all over the six zones.

Nobody knew what those eggs could mean for our country or any of the other five. Only time will tell what darkness awaited in the spiritual world's deepest corners.

My grandfather was first hesitant to teach me his skills, possibly because he was afraid. I'm afraid I'll go missing as my father did years ago. Since the last great fight, I've been studying the ways of the Samurai in secret, hoping that one day I'll be able to earn my place among The Six.

As my seventeenth birthday approached this Summer, I daydreamed of finally locating my father and putting an end to all the havoc wrought by the Kaiju and their kin.

My grandfather entered my chamber with a faint hint of pride and worry as I began to store my hidden reserve of samurai lessons. He gave me a closer look. I could see a tear building between his cheek wrinkles. Something was wrapped in a blanket and stretched to his chest like an infant in his arms.

Its draped linen was ancient, and the end of what was clutched shined with a bright glow. "For years, I've been working on that blade for you, grandson. I feel the moment has arrived not just for you to have it, but also to comprehend why you should have it now."

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