The morning sun bathed the city of Cang in golden light.
Merchants lined the bustling streets, shouting prices and advertising their wares. The aroma of grilled meat mixed with the scent of fresh fruits as travelers, traders, and citizens crowded the marketplace.
Yet far away from the noise, in a quiet training ground, four young guardians sat before their sensei.
Kei.
Peiren.
Hori.
Hayatte.
An awkward silence lingered between them.
Kei, Hori, and Peiren couldn't stop staring at Hayatte.
Two weeks had passed since the graduation ceremony, yet they still couldn't believe what they had learned that day.
---
"Is that clear, young Mistress Hayatte?" Anoki had asked.
The entire hall had fallen silent.
"Mistress?"
The students gasped.
Anoki simply nodded.
"Well, yes. She's the granddaughter of the Grand Lord. Her family name is Aburamen."
---
Back in the present, Hori finally broke the silence.
"Hey, you never told us you were related to the Grand Lord."
"Yeah," Kei added. "You never mentioned it once during our time at the academy."
Hayatte lowered her head.
"I'm sorry... I don't really like being associated with my grandfather."
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Please forgive me."
"It doesn't matter anyway."
Peiren's cold response instantly froze the atmosphere.
SMACK!
"Ouch!"
Peiren grabbed the back of his head.
"You jerk!" Kei shouted, pulling back the fist he had planted squarely against Peiren's skull.
"You bastard!"
Peiren lunged forward.
Just as the two were about to clash—
"THAT'S ENOUGH!"
Anoki's voice thundered across the training grounds.
The two boys immediately froze.
Silence.
Anoki sighed.
"Now then, our training begins today."
The four straightened their backs.
"First, I need each of you to tell me your Chi levels."
The squad exchanged confused glances.
"Chi... levels?"
"We didn't know Chi had levels."
Anoki pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Of course it does."
He stood and crossed his arms.
"Chi is divided into nine levels, from One to Nine."
Kei's eyes sparkled.
"Awesome! So what level are we? Eight? Nine?"
Anoki stared at him.
"...Not even close."
The excitement instantly vanished from Kei's face.
"All four of you are Level One."
A collective sigh escaped the group.
"With enough training, you'll unlock greater power and rise through the levels."
"That's still amazing," Hori said.
Kei raised a hand.
"Sensei, what level are you?"
Anoki smiled faintly.
"Level Five."
The squad's eyes widened.
"I spent over twenty years training to reach that level."
"Twenty years?!"
"That's incredible!"
The students stared at him with admiration.
Peiren suddenly leaned forward.
"What about the Grand Lord and the Grand Regent?"
Anoki's expression became serious.
"The Grand Lord is Level Six."
"The Grand Regent is also Level Six."
The squad was stunned.
"But unlike most people, the Grand Regent is a genius. His combat ability rivals that of a Level Seven."
The group exchanged shocked looks.
"Then who's the strongest guardian in Cang?" Kei asked.
All four stared at Anoki expectantly.
Anoki hesitated.
"I..."
His jaw tightened.
"...can't say."
Before anyone could question him further, a guardian appeared.
"Regent Anoki."
The messenger knelt.
"You have been summoned by the Grand Lord. The Grand Regent, Seshomaru, has returned."
"I see."
Anoki nodded.
"I'll head to the palace shortly."
The messenger departed.
Anoki turned toward his squad.
"Until I return, focus on mastering the Inner Mind."
"The Inner Mind?" Hayatte asked.
"It is a state of meditation that allows one to sense Chi—both your own and that of others."
He began walking away.
"Practice it while I'm gone."
The next moment—
Whoosh!
He vanished.
The students blinked.
For a moment, it looked as though he had disappeared entirely.
"Did he just—"
"Move that fast?"
Even Peiren looked stunned.
After several seconds, Hori scratched her head.
"Well... I guess we'd better start meditating."
The others nodded.
Soon, the training grounds fell silent.
---
Imperial Palace
Deep within the palace, the Grand Lord sat upon a magnificent throne.
Before him stood Seshomaru.
The massive courtroom was quiet, illuminated by streams of sunlight pouring through tall windows.
The doors suddenly opened.
Anoki entered.
The moment he saw Seshomaru, his face lit up.
"It seems the Grand Regent has completed yet another successful mission."
Seshomaru smiled.
"Fortunately sir."
"Please don't call me sir," Anoki laughed. "I'm your subordinate."
Before their conversation could continue—
The Grand Lord interrupted.
"I believe that's enough pleasantries."
A smile rested on his aged face.
He pulled a cigarette from a silver case and placed it between his lips.
A spark.
A deep inhale.
Then smoke drifted through the air.
"Let's discuss the report."
Anoki and Seshomaru immediately became serious.
Seshomaru stepped forward.
"The battle lasted one week and four days."
"We successfully drove back the Sand Lands army."
"We reclaimed the territories belonging to the Sealands."
The Grand Lord nodded.
Seshomaru continued.
"And most importantly..."
"The Supreme Leader of the Sealands has agreed to join the Rusty Alliance."
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Then Anoki smiled.
"That's wonderful news."
The Grand Lord leaned back in his throne.
For the first time in a long while, genuine hope appeared in his eyes.
"Perhaps we still have a chance."
"The Sand Lands campaign has lasted for over sixty years."
His voice grew heavy.
"Too many lives have been lost."
Anoki nodded.
"Even so, I remain concerned."
The room fell silent again.
"Even though we possess two of the Four God Weapons."
"The Sand Lands have already united not only their continent, Cryosia, but also Drakoria."
A shadow crossed his face.
"Their strength is terrifying."
"Perhaps."
The Grand Lord exhaled another cloud of smoke.
"But we have achieved something equally remarkable."
His gaze shifted toward the distant horizon visible through the palace windows.
"The entirety of the Rusty Continent now stands united."
His voice deepened.
"What matters now is the next generation."
He thought of the countless young guardians training across the continent.
Kei.
Hayatte.
Hori.
Peiren.
And many others.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"For they will be the ones who decide the fate of this world."
Far away, across continents and oceans, unseen forces had already begun to stir.
And with them...
The Genesis of Chaos had begun.