A cool noon breeze drifted across Cang City.
Birds soared through the endless blue sky, singing in soft melodies as sunlight washed over the towering walls of the imperial capital. Merchants shouted through crowded streets, children laughed in open markets.
Yet beneath the calm beauty of the city…
Suspense.
---
Inside the estate of Regent Anoki, the atmosphere was heavy.
Three men stood within a dimly lit chamber. Two were elite guardians clad in dark battle robes, while the third stood before them with his hands folded behind his back.
Regent Anoki.
One of the highest authorities in all of Cang City.
His sharp eyes scanned the two men carefully before he finally spoke.
"We know from the last assassination attempt that the Sand Land Empire is targeting the Grand Lord."
The room immediately turned tense.
"We still do not know their motives," Anoki continued. "That is why I summoned the two of you here today. I will be assigning you to a secret mission. No one besides me must know of it."
The two guardians immediately knelt.
"Yes, sir."
One of them hesitated before raising his head slightly.
"Regent sir… even our families? What kind of mission is this?"
Anoki's expression darkened.
"You are to infiltrate the Sand Land Empire," he said quietly. "Spy on them. Discover their motives. Anything you find may save this nation."
A cold wind brushed through the open window.
"If word spreads that spies have entered Sand Land, both of you will die before even crossing their borders. That is why no one must know. Not your friends. Not your comrades."
"…Not even your families."
Silence filled the room.
Then both guardians lowered their heads deeply.
"Your orders shall be carried out."
"We leave at dusk."
---
Far away from politics and tension…
Laughter echoed inside the Guardian Academy.
The graduation hall was packed with students standing nervously in rows while their homeroom teacher watched from the front of the classroom.
"Alright," she announced. "For the final stage of your graduation exams, each of you will demonstrate the release of chi in a uniform flow."
The students straightened immediately.
"We will begin with Yukito."
A blond, spiky-haired boy stepped forward calmly.
The classroom watched in silence as energy slowly flowed around his body like a gentle current. His chi remained stable, controlled, and refined.
The teacher nodded approvingly.
"Excellent."
One after another, students came forward and demonstrated their chi release technique.
Some were average.
Some impressive.
Then—
"Kei Asura."
The room instantly became quieter.
A boy with messy dark hair slowly stepped forward. Sweat already formed on his forehead before he even began.
Kei swallowed hard.
Please work…
He raised his hands.
Focused.
And released his chi.
BOOM!
A violent burst of energy exploded outward wildly for only a second before vanishing completely.
Kei's body instantly lost strength.
His knees hit the floor.
The entire classroom erupted into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"What was that?!"
"He drained himself in one release!"
"So pathetic!"
Kei clenched his fists tightly as humiliation burned through his chest.
I'm terrible at chi release…
Why does this even have to be part of the graduation exam?
I'm going to repeat another year…
The teacher stared at him for a moment before sighing.
"It seems you'll be retaking this class for another year, Kei. You still fail to understand the basics of chi control."
More laughter exploded across the classroom.
Kei stood frozen in front of everyone, unable to even raise his head.
Moments later, the examination ended.
Students rushed outside celebrating happily with friends, discussing squads and future assignments.
But Kei remained alone inside the empty classroom.
The teacher slowly walked toward him.
Her expression softened.
"Kei."
He looked up weakly.
"I believe in you."
His eyes widened slightly.
"I know there's something special within you," she continued gently. "So I'll give you three more days."
"Three days from now, the graduating class will be divided into units and squads."
She smiled faintly.
"If you pass by then… you'll still graduate alongside your classmates."
For the first time that day—
Hope appeared in Kei's eyes.
"Thank you!" he shouted immediately.
"Thank you so much!"
He grabbed his bag and sprinted out of the classroom at full speed.
---
Meanwhile…
Within the Imperial Palace, an entirely different conversation unfolded.
The Grand Lord sat at a massive stone table surrounded by four elders of Cang City.
The atmosphere was serious.
One elder spoke first.
"Grand Lord, you have ruled for seventeen years now."
The old man's voice carried deep respect.
"Only four years after your ascension, an assassination attempt nearly took your life. During that tragedy… countless civilians and guardians perished."
He paused briefly.
"Even the leaders of two rival clans died protecting you."
The Grand Lord lowered his eyes quietly.
"I still regret it," he murmured.
"I wish I had died instead of them."
The elders immediately shook their heads.
"No," another elder replied firmly. "They fulfilled their duty. The Grand Lord must be protected at all costs."
The first elder continued.
"However… thirteen years have passed since both clans lost their leaders."
"The Inuzuka Clan and the Asura Clan remain without heads."
"That is dangerous for two of the greatest clans in our history."
Another elder sighed heavily.
"And neither clan has produced a true genius since their leaders died. It worries many of us."
The Grand Lord remained silent for a moment.
Then he spoke calmly.
"I will hold elections for new clan leaders soon."
"But not yet."
He slowly lifted his gaze.
"The next generation is arriving."
"Among the students graduating today…"
"There is both an Inuzuka and an Asura."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"And I believe they will accomplish great things."
One elder frowned slightly.
"The Inuzuka child shows promise, yes…"
"But the Asura boy?"
He shook his head.
"Kei Asura has shown no potential whatsoever."
The Grand Lord stared quietly toward the night sky beyond the palace windows.
Then he smiled.
"I know Kei Asura carries something within him."
"Soon…"
"He will show us all just how strong he truly is."
---
Night fell.
Deep within the forests of South Mountain—
BOOM!
A burst of chi exploded between the trees.
Kei groaned in pain as he crashed against the ground once again.
Bruises covered his arms.
His breathing was uneven.
But he stood back up.
Again.
And again.
And again.
He trained endlessly beneath the moonlight, forcing his body to release chi over and over despite the pain tearing through his muscles.
Hours passed.
The forest trembled repeatedly from unstable bursts of energy.
Sweat drenched his clothes.
Blood stained his hands.
Still—
He refused to stop.
"I have to pass…"
"I have to…"
One final explosion erupted from his body before his vision blurred completely.
Kei collapsed heavily onto the cold earth.
Bruised.
Broken.
Exhausted.
Above him, the moon shined silently through the trees.