Current Chapter 134: "The Bloodline of the Crane"
Theme: Sound scale to Ardor Part V
SUHA Research Institution – Secure Wing, Greenland
The sterile silence of the underground wing echoed with nothing but the sound of Sakamoto's boots clicking across polished floors. Minister Tenzy, ever unreadable in his expression, walked beside him and stopped in front of a sealed steel door marked with ancient runes and modern security glyphs. Behind them, outside the corridor, Asger, Madagascar, Tito, Chiro, , Vincent, and Thomas stood quietly—alert but calm.
Tenzy keyed in a sequence, and the door hissed open, revealing a dimly lit conference room layered in wood, iron, and symbols of forgotten oaths.
Waiting inside were Minister Alfred and Minister Makekis, seated at the far end of a long blackstone table. Their aged eyes tracked Sakamoto carefully.
Tenzy gestured for him to sit.
"Sakamoto," Tenzy began solemnly, "first, allow me to apologize for the misjudgment made some weeks ago. Our findings have now made it clear that the incident in India was never your doing with the help of your association ."
Sakamoto's brow remained furrowed, arms crossed.
Tenzy continued, "The man responsible for placing you in Alcatraz—Warden Fendro—is dead. Killed by The Ten but I'm pretty sure you must be aware already given that the place is destroyed."
Sakamoto blinked once. "I thought as much . But why am I really here?"
The room went still.
Tenzy nodded to a secondary door behind the council table.
It slowly creaked open.
Two men stepped through.
The first was a towering figure wrapped in a long green ceremonial robe draped over a dark, tactical outfit. He bore an ornate golden emblem across his chest, a sword sheathed at his hip, and a braided cord looped across his shoulder. His stern, cold expression was framed by round glasses, his gaze sharp as a blade. He walked with quiet command.
Beside him walked a younger but equally composed man, his regent—Solomon, a presence marked by mystical calm and silent judgment.
Tenzy spoke again, but this time with reverence. "Sakamoto… this is Sir Varion Crane. One of The most valuable hunter SUHA has ever produced in our current timeline "
Sakamoto's eyes narrowed. "And what does he have to do with me?"
Sir Varion stepped forward and spoke, his voice calm, yet charged with emotion.
"Because, Saka… I'm your uncle."
Sakamoto froze.
"…First Who's Saka? And What did you just say?"
Minister Makekis quietly added, "Your true name… is Saka Crane. You are of the Crane Family, one of the oldest and most feared hunter lineages to have ever existed."
Sir Varion removed his glasses, revealing hardened eyes.
"Your father, Ichabod Crane, was my brother. And more importantly—he was the original leader of our family… a family known for its sacred art: the ability to control demons and harness their power ever wondered why The Hybrid Picked you? Despite the hundreds we tried to seal it in? And it all failed ."
Sakamoto's voice shook. "You're saying my father…?"
Sir Varion nodded. "Was one of the most legendary hunters the world has ever known."
Tenzy continued the explanation. "You were hidden from the world after the fall of the Crane Family. Your father made Varion swear—never to involve you in the hunter world. Not until the time was right."
"And now," Varion said softly, "I'm breaking that very promise because it is important you know "
He stepped forward. "Because the man who destroyed our family is the same man who destroyed the world's peace Arcade —. But he didn't act alone."
Varion's voice dropped.
"He was sent by someone else."
"Zezaraki, one of Arcade Warlord Machine of the past. "
Sakamoto's breath hitched.
"Arcade… was your father's closest friend."
Flashback – 1914, Germany – The First World War
The Forgotten Genesis of Shen
Gunfire thundered across the scarred battlefields of Europe. Trenches collapsed. Bombs shattered the earth, thousands of dead soldiers all over the ground, But at the center of it all, three lone warriors stood their ground like gods among mortals.
Arcade. Ichabod. Hera.
The trio moved like lightning—commanding fire, steel, and wind with unparalleled synergy. These were not ordinary men and women. They were the first of the second awakened. The first to feel Shen coursing through their veins.
It had begun months earlier… with the Harmony Eclipse a ceremonial ritual for those above humans that as much as we know for now, it is said to be a path to a new land but a lot we don't understand about it:
A massive celestial stone had descended from the sky, crashing into the earth's core and erupting into a massive, divine structure.
The God Tree — Yggdrasil.
This was the second time Yggdrasil had appeared on Earth. The first had vanished with the First Men, swallowed by time. But this one bloomed where the world was weakest—at the heart of war.
Its roots spread fast. Its glow awakened something in mankind.
Abilities. Evolution. Mutation, the difference maker between come on humans and extraordinary humans.
Children were born bearing Shen. Adults began to bend elements to their will. Fire. Smoke. Ice. Blood, transform themselves to mimick beasts and monsters of different kind.
But with that power… came madness.
Some sought to claim the tree for themselves. Nations fractured. Greed ignited. A war began—not of bullets, but of Shen.
Arcade, Ichabod, and Hera led a global task force. They protected the God Tree and quelled uprising after uprising. They were heroes. Legends.
When the war ended, the first governing body was formed—SUHA, the Sovereign Union of Hunter Associations. Peace returned.
But peace… was a temporary illusion.
Arcade returned from battle to find the love of his life—Elena—dead. Assassinated by a faction that feared the tree's influence. Her lifeless body lay on a bed of frost and petals.
That moment broke him.
Arcade's smile died. His ideals faded.
And unbeknownst to the others… he had secretly taken a fragment of the God Tree during the final battle, he was a scientist after all, guessed he wanted to try out experiments.
That betrayal marked the beginning of a path that would one day lead to the rise of The Ten and his idea of eradicating the world of humans without Shen.
Present – SUHA Research Institution
Sakamoto sat motionless, his body tense, his thoughts a vortex of shattered memories and forged truths.
Sir Varion stepped beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"A decade later he returned with 7 warlord ranked humans, but not as a friend but as a force of destruction, he destroyed the crane family,The Soke family known for there musical Art powers , Arcade and His 7 warlords fought ichabod the head leader of SUHA at that time and he defeated him, but things don't always remain the same , only you and I at that time survived from the crane massacre, and now Arcade has returned"
To finish what he wanted to do years ago.
Sakamoto's fists clenched.
"…Jeez this is a lot to take in ."
End of Chapter – "The Bloodline of the Crane"