"Between Steel and Flame” [Part 6] Tengu Origins - An Infinity Kingdom Story

🔷 Introduction

Welcome to part 6 of my new Tengu series. This will be inspired by the new release of Tengu in our game and incorporating his legend within the realm of Norheim. 

His story will be roughly based on his historical legend with a twist from within the game we know and love. 

I will be bringing 1 or 2 new episodes per week so stay tuned for more!

🔷 Recap Part 5: “Salt on the Wind”

El Cid arrives not as a rival seeking honor but as a commander leading a disciplined fleet to claim the coast beneath Kurai no Mine. Tengu descends from the mountain to stand between the invading army and the villagers, declaring that the land belongs to its people.

🔷 Part 6: “Between Steel and Flame”

The first clash came not at the forest line, but at the water’s edge.

Cid’s soldiers advanced in tight formation, shields overlapping, spears angled forward like a moving wall of iron. Their boots struck wet sand in unison. They expected resistance from above, from wind and stone.

They did not expect it from within.

The Great Tengu moved before the line could stabilize. Wind coiled around his feet and carried him across the surf in a low arc. He did not descend like a storm. He arrived like a blade.

The first shield split under the force of redirected momentum. Not shattered by strength alone, but turned against itself. The soldier behind it stumbled, and the formation broke for a single breath.

That was enough.

Tengu stepped through the opening. His staff struck the haft of a spear and bent its path aside. His blade flashed once, precise and controlled, severing straps rather than flesh. Shields fell. Sand erupted in spirals as wind pressed low against armored legs.

He did not linger.

A shout rose from the treeline.

Villagers who had not fled in time were caught between forest and steel. A child stumbled in the sand. An elder fell beside a broken cart.

Tengu pivoted.

The wind answered immediately, lifting him above the second rank of soldiers. Arrows loosed upward, but the gust twisted their flight just enough to send them skidding harmlessly into the tide.

He landed beside the fallen elder and swept his sleeve outward. Sand and spray surged in a blinding curtain that forced the nearest soldiers to halt. He lifted the man with one arm and carried him toward the trees.

Behind him, Cid’s voice cut clean through the chaos.

“Advance.”

The command restored order. Shields locked again. The line adjusted, slower now, more cautious. They began to spread rather than press, attempting to surround rather than overwhelm.

Tengu set the elder within the cover of roots and turned back toward the shore.

Fire had begun to bloom along the first huts near the water. Flaming arrows arced from the ships, landing among thatched roofs. Smoke rolled upward in dark columns.

The wind trembled.

Anger pressed at its edges, urging him to unleash it fully.

He resisted.

If he unleashed it without restraint, the fire would spread faster. The villagers would suffer as much as the soldiers.

Instead, he drove a narrow current across the burning roofs, stripping flame from wood and hurling embers into the sea. The gust required precision, not fury.

A squad broke from the main line and rushed toward a group of fleeing fishermen.

Tengu met them head on.

This time he did not simply deflect. His blade struck armor joints. His staff cracked against helms. Soldiers fell into the surf and did not rise. The wind pressed at their backs and forced them away from the treeline.

Across the beach, El Cid moved forward at last.

Not hurried.

Not reckless.

He walked through the shifting battle as if measuring it.

Their eyes met across distance and smoke.

Cid raised his sword slightly, signaling another wave to press toward the village center.

Tengu saw it at the same time he heard it.

A cry.

From deeper within the burning huts.

More villagers trapped inside.

The wind tugged at his shoulders toward the fire.

His gaze remained locked with Cid.

If he struck now, he could reach him before the next line fully formed.

If he turned away, Cid would gain ground.

Steel or flame.

Pursuit or protection.

The wind did not choose for him.

It waited.

📄 Recap Questions

1. How does Tengu balance his power against Cid’s disciplined forces without endangering the villagers?
2. When forced to choose between stopping Cid and saving those trapped in the fire, what will Tengu sacrifice?

🔷 Conclusion

As flames rise and Cid advances, Tengu stands suspended between vengeance and duty. The next choice he makes will define not just the battle, but the kind of guardian he truly is.

See you next week!

🔷 Hades, Press Officer.

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