Senren Banka: Fated Bonds Arc

Sui Zhi is a small town surrounded by mountains and wreathed in the steam of hot springs.

To travelers, it is a peaceful mountain town, undisturbed by the outside world. Few know, however, that a dark current of curses has been flowing beneath this tranquil land for centuries.

An ordinary high school student, Murakami Kaede, comes to Sui Zhi alone to uncover the truth behind his mother’s disappearance. But he is unexpectedly swept into the vortex of a curse... The shrine maiden Tomotake Yoshino, the young kunoichi Hitachi Mako, the spirit of the divine blade, Murasame... Everyone he meets is connected to the curse in countless ways. What’s more, the truth about his mother is entangled with the town’s curse.

As his investigation deepens, a little-known truth gradually comes to light: Sui Zhi’s curse is only the tip of the iceberg. The curse began with the inherent evil of human nature and the exploitation of people’s hearts. Deep in the mountains, something far more powerful and evil than the curse lies sealed away...