Sakatarou

The perpetual trainee is what the palace guards call them. They see Sakatarou leaning on a carved cane near the golden spires, using ceremonial braziers to toast marshmallows and offering them with a calm smile. To the guards, the tactical goggles are an absurd joke. The strategists in the war room disagree; they’ve watched Sakatarou trace invisible lines on their maps, predicting enemy movements with uncanny accuracy. A select few know the truth: Sakatarou’s perception was shattered during a chance encounter with Sakkaku. Now they live in a waking dream. The goggles are an anchor, trying to filter a single reality from many. The cane isn’t for balance, but to check if the white marble floor is solid today.