Chapter 2

  Just as the students were still recovering from the shock of Rei flattening a guy with one punch, a low rumble rolled through the courtyard—BOOM. A military helicopter descended onto the academy’s private airstrip.

  Out stepped General Kaien Ardyn.

  The Iron Fang of the East.

  Commander of the Continental Army.

  And... overprotective father.

  He stormed onto campus cloaked in medals and authority, eyes locked on his daughter.

  And then—his gaze shifted.

  To him.

  The one-eyed, gum-chewing, lazy-looking boy casually chatting with her like they were friends.

  "YOU!!!"

  Rei blinked. “Huh?”

  Kaien's boots thundered across the courtyard. Students scattered like birds. The General glared with the same eyes that had stared down warlords. Rei just raised an eyebrow.

  "Are you trying to flirt with my daughter?! On school grounds?!"

  Sera sighed. “Dad—”

  “Not now, sweetie. Daddy’s handling something dangerous.”

  Kaien got right in Rei’s face.

  "I’ve fought beasts the size of a mountain, survived uncountable weapon strikes, and stood beside legends… but you? You're the first battlefield I can’t read!"

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  Rei chuckled. “Relax, General. I’m just here to study.

  And maybe… talk to pretty girls sometimes.”

  "YOU LITTLE—!"

  But Kaien suddenly paused, his scowl shifting.

  A flicker of recognition.

  "…You’re the one who saved my men at Blackridge Pass."

  Silence.

  Then—Kaien extended his hand, proud.

  "Rei Fushiguro. I owe you more than a medal. You have my deepest respect."

  Rei shook it. A solid, warrior’s handshake.

  And then—

  "BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN DATE MY DAUGHTER!!"

  The whole courtyard sweat-dropped.

  Sera turned bright red. “DAD!!!”

  Rei smirked. “Tch. Guess I’ll just have to win her—and your approval—then.”

  Kaien narrowed his eyes.

  "…I’ll be watching you, Chain Reaper."

  Rei yawned. “Sure, sure.”

  Just as Rei stretched his arms and turned to leave, General Kaien’s smile vanished.

  “Rei. Sera. Walk with me.”

  His voice shifted—sharp, cold, commanding.

  That was the voice of a man who'd smelled war again.

  Both teens straightened. No more jokes.

  They followed him through a quiet hallway deep inside the academy. At the end stood a high-security door guarded by elite officers. Kaien placed his palm on the scanner—ping—and the vault-like door hissed open.

  Inside: a dimly lit war room. Screens. Holograms. Confidential files scattered across a table.

  Kaien stepped forward and tapped the center console.

  A map lit up—two continents, one blinking red signal near the enemy border.

  "Two weeks ago, we intercepted classified transmissions."

  "Valdoria is moving again."

  Sera’s eyes widened. Rei’s lazy gaze hardened.

  "They’ve created something. Something new."

  Kaien’s voice dropped.

  "It’s not a weapon. It’s a person."

  A pause.

  "A child. Around your age. Born in a lab. Designed to fight like a monster. Early scans suggest power beyond anything we’ve seen—maybe even enough to rival the Five Horsemen of Apocalypse."

  Silence.

  Rei clenched his fists.

  “Looks like peace just ran out.”