The sound of sneakers squeaking against the polished court, the rhythmic bounce of the basketball, and the roar of a hyped-up crowd filled the air with fire and adrenaline.
Kaito moved like a beast unleashed—fast, fearless, dominant. His sharp passes sliced through defenders, and every dunk felt like thunder crashing from above. When the scoreboard flashed the final result—6:1—the arena exploded in cheers.
"Kaito! Kaito! Kaito!"
The whole stadium echoed his name. His teammates lifted him onto their shoulders, and juniors from his department rushed in, promising him a celebration in the city's most luxurious hotel.
Drenched in sweat but glowing with triumph, Kaito stepped aside to catch his breath. His phone buzzed—an incoming call from a contact saved as "Godfather."
With a victorious grin, he picked up.
"Godfather!" he said, laughing, "We did it! Crushed the game—6:1! Did you see that?"
But the voice on the other end wasn't Master Kim.
"Young Master... It's me… Su Chueol."
Kaito's smile faded. The stadium noise melted into static.
"Uncle? Why do you sound like that? What's going on?"
There was a pause.
"Master Kim is... no more."
Kaito's world froze.
>"What...?"
His knees nearly buckled. The phone slipped from his fingers. His teammates were still calling him—"Kai! Let's go!"—but their voices sounded like they were coming from another world.
He ran. He didn't speak, didn't explain. He drove like a ghost chasing shadows—eyes wide, hands trembling, tears threatening to fall but refusing to blink.
---
The Silence at Home
The mansion was unnaturally still. Lights were warm, but the air was heavy with absence.
Inside the main hall, Kaito stopped. His footsteps slowed.
There, on a raised platform, lay Master Kim—dressed in ceremonial robes, surrounded by white flowers, incense smoke curling in the air.
Unmoving.
A body once feared. Now still.
Kaito dropped to his knees. The sight of his father, the man who raised him, who made him strong—now silent—struck him like a blade to the chest.
"Dad…?"
He reached out, touching his father's hand. Cold.
"Why… aren't you talking?" he whispered. "You said… we'd do this together. You were waiting for me..."
His shoulders trembled, his fists clenched, and for the first time in years, Kaito cried—not in pain, but in helplessness.
---
The Funeral: A King's Goodbye
The funeral was monumental.
Every ally, rival, and enemy came. A hundred black umbrellas filled the graveyard under a grey, weeping sky. Armed guards lined the streets. Black flags with silver dragons flew across the mansion.
This wasn't just a farewell.
It was the funeral of a mafia king.
Incense burned from golden bowls, and ancient scrolls were burned beside the pyre—sealing Master Kim's legacy with fire.
As the flames consumed the coffin, the Death Order's inner council gathered inside the great hall. Power trembled in the air.
"Who leads now?" "Kaito? He's a child." "He's adopted! He doesn't carry Kim's blood!" "This order can't fall into weak hands!"
Tension turned to chaos. Voices rose. Fists slammed tables. Men stood, shouting, debating, fighting for the throne.
But then...
A cane struck the ground.
BOOM.
All fell silent.
An elderly man stepped forward—Elder Wu, the last of the old guard.
"Enough!" his voice echoed. "Master Kim chose the boy. Not by blood—but by will."
He turned to Kaito, who stood at the hall's edge in full black, the dragon tattoo on his back barely hidden.
"Kaito. Kneel."
Kaito walked to the center, silent, calm, yet burning. He knelt. Elder Wu placed the Death Order ring—a black seal with an ouroboros dragon—into Kaito's palm.
"From this moment, you are the heir of the Death Order. You are the new Master."
No one dared challenge the old lion.
---
After the Ashes
That night, as the incense still lingered in the corridors and monks chanted quiet prayers for the dead, Su Chueol approached.
"Kaito... I didn't want to say this earlier, but it's urgent."
Kaito turned, his eyes bloodshot but burning with new resolve.
"What is it?"
"There's been a sighting. A girl. At a remote monastery in the Eastern range."
Kaito's chest tightened.
"You mean… her?"
"Yes. Hanuel's daughter. Someone claims to have seen her."
The name hung in the air like a blade drawn in darkness.
Kaito stood still for a moment—then slowly rose. Something in him had changed. The pain didn't vanish… it transformed.
"I've never done anything for him. But this... I will do."
Su Chueol hesitated.
"You're still so young. This path—"
"I don't care," Kaito cut in, his voice cold as steel. "She's the last piece of this puzzle. I'll find her."
His fingers curled around the ring. His breath steady.
"Let's go. We find that girl."
TO BE CONTINUED...