Film · The Signal
The Last Promise builds a 90-second AI short around a duel between old friends
Its creator says the AKOOL challenge entry aims for physical sword fighting with few fantasy effects.
Reporting updated Sep 23, 2026
In a short fight scene, the audience still needs to understand why the characters are fighting.
What Happened
The Last Promise follows Kasumi home to find her old friend Akane waiting with a drawn sword. The duel reveals that neither knows the whole truth, before Kuroda Renji—the man behind the manipulation—appears.
The creator describes it as an original 90-second short made with AKOOL for the company’s AI Film Challenge. The stated aim was fast choreography, a sense of impact and minimal fantasy effects.
Why It Matters
For a filmmaker working at this length, every action cut competes with a story beat. The useful thing to watch is whether the friends’ relationship stays clear as the fight moves. Physical detail can support the scene, but the betrayal is what gives the duel a reason to happen.