Kazuki walked alone along the edge of Kyoto's streets. The city wind swept through his black-brown hair, carrying the scent of concrete, coffee, and modern life. Towering buildings reflected sunlight, making his eyes glimmer… like someone stepping out of the forest for the first time after a long isolation.
"Wow…" Kazuki looked up, captivated. "After training for three years with Master and immediately entering a competition… I've never even seen a building this big."
Memories of brutal training sessions with his Master flashed through his mind—the morning dew's chill, the heavy first breaths before running, the shouts when he failed, and the quiet laughter when he finally succeeded. All of it warmed his chest, though his face remained innocently puzzled.
He stepped into a small café with a simple intention: to sit, sip something warm, and appreciate a city that felt "too big for someone like me."
Yet the moment his feet touched the floor, the atmosphere shifted dramatically.
Whispers emerged. Then glances. Then a crowd.
Within seconds, people surrounded him like a flood converging on a single point.
Kazuki had no idea that his name had exploded across the world like a meteor after defeating the three heirs of the prestigious families.
"Why is everyone… crowding me?" Kazuki straightened, his face growing displeased. "Is it because I beat Ryota?"
Before he could sit, a reporter pushed through the crowd and stood right in front of him, panting from excitement.
"Makizaki Kazuki! We have a few questions! Are you proud of defeating the three distinguished families? And how is it possible for an eighteen-year-old to already activate his power?! That—"
Kazuki tensed. His fingers clenched lightly on the table, his breathing growing heavier. Moments later—CRASH—the table shook. Glasses jumped. The murmur of voices vanished, replaced by a silence that pierced.
"Please…" he stared at each face in front of him, his tone flat but sharp. "Step aside. And as for my power… that is between my Master and me. No one else."
The crowd instinctively parted. Not out of fear—but because Kazuki's aura felt like a cliff too perilous to approach. He stepped out, each movement heavy with dissatisfaction.
"Damn…" he muttered, rubbing his face. "I just became famous, yet it feels… this way? I only wanted to compete with Master. That's all."
Kazuki walked home, his eyes following the setting sun. But as he moved, a subtle unease crawled up his spine.
Someone was following him.
He glanced back—just enough to see the shadow of a man in black. Not one. Four. Walking in perfect silence.
He hastened his pace, slipping into a narrow alley, then sprinted toward home.
---
At Kazuki's house, he locked the door, drew the curtains, and held his breath for a moment. He approached the window slowly, peering through the small gap.
The four suited figures lingered too long, too still. One even turned—not toward Kazuki, but toward his own shadow as if confirming something. Their movements made Kazuki's hair stand on end… yet he couldn't tell why.
"Could they be agents of Head of the Makizaki Family? Or… power abductors?" Kazuki swallowed hard.
Though the world was peaceful, not all humans were blessed with running abilities. Those with rare powers often became targets for dark organizations—groups who sought to extract and sell or weaponize such abilities.
The President had tried to hunt them down, but never found a trace. As if the organization were a shadow with no form.
And now… those four shadows were right outside Kazuki's home.
When Kazuki decided to head to the kitchen, he glanced again. But this time—
They had vanished.
"W-what…?" Kazuki began to panic. "Should I call Master…?"
Without hesitation, he grabbed his phone and called the only person who made him feel safe.
---
Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang.
Kazuki opened the door immediately. "Master, please come in!"
The middle-aged man with a thin mustache and calm eyes smiled wearily. "Kazuki… how many times have I told you, call me 'Alden,' not Master. So… what's the matter?"
"I'll explain inside." Kazuki guided him in.
Five minutes passed. After Kazuki finished recounting everything, Alden only let out a long sigh.
"Alright," he said, leaning back. "You're being followed by a power abduction organization. At least… that's the most likely scenario."
Kazuki stiffened.
"But," Alden continued calmly, "ignore them. The more afraid you are, the more they're drawn to you. They move only toward those who panic."
"Y-Yes… understood, Master." Kazuki nodded quickly—too quickly to truly comprehend.
Alden stared at him for a long moment. "…You actually don't understand at all, do you?"
Kazuki froze. "Hehe…"
Alden tapped his forehead. "Typical of this one student of mine…"
Then, in a soft voice weighted with past burdens, Alden added:
"I've been through the same, Kazuki."
Kazuki looked up sharply, eyes wide. A faint sadness glimmered in Alden's eyes, something Kazuki had never seen before.
"So… I really don't have to worry about them?" he asked.
Alden smiled faintly. "Exactly. You're starting to understand."
Kazuki exhaled in relief. "Thank you, Master."
Alden stood. "I have to go. There's urgent business."
Kazuki asked spontaneously, "What business? Important enough that you must leave in a hurry?"
Alden only smiled faintly—a smile hiding something. "It's a secret. But Kazuki…"
He patted Kazuki's shoulder.
"I watched your match on TV. You were amazing."
Kazuki bit his lip, his face turning red. "T-thank you…"
For a moment, Alden's face looked younger, more human.
Yet suddenly, his thoughts sank into the depths of a plan unknown to Kazuki.
How far can you keep smiling, Kazuki…? Will you still smile when entering Plan Three? Alden thought, staring blankly.
"Master…? Were you daydreaming?" Kazuki tapped his shoulder.
Alden shook his head quickly. "No, no. Come on, I have to leave."
Kazuki ran to the kitchen, causing Alden to raise an eyebrow.
But Alden carried… food.
"Oh," Alden chuckled. "So you wanted to see me to the gate."
"Of course!" Kazuki beamed. "If you hadn't helped me during the winter… I might have starved."
Alden embraced Kazuki tightly—too tightly for a mere farewell. On his shoulder, Kazuki felt subtle vibrations, as if Alden was holding back something he didn't want to show. 'I'm proud of you,' he whispered, his voice nearly breaking. For a moment, the world around them blurred.
"Hey, Kazuki…" he whispered, his voice trembling. "I'm lucky to have met you. Without you… I would have been alone."
Kazuki remained still. Slowly, he returned the embrace.
In that moment, the world felt minuscule. Just the two of them—teacher and student—filling the voids in each other's lives.
A few tears fell, almost unnoticed.
When they realized many eyes were watching, they let go awkwardly.
"Master, I hope your business goes well."
"You too. Take care of yourself, Kazuki."
Alden walked away, waving. Kazuki waved back, a smile tinged with sadness.
As Alden's shadow finally disappeared around the corner, Kazuki returned home—alone again.
Kazuki did not know that Alden's light steps leaving the house were cloaked in unease he never revealed. And even more tragic—Kazuki had no idea that this 'urgent business' would change his life forever.
---
At the Makizaki Residence
Meanwhile, at the Makizaki family residence, the main hall was filled with branch heads, heirs, and the Head of the Makizaki Family: Makizaki Raizen.
The long black wooden table was shadowed, the faces of the branch heads illuminated only by the golden hanging lamp. Their laughter was never really laughter—more like clashing metal scraping against metal.
The scent of expensive perfume mixed with tension in the air.
"We are surprised by the child we cast out," said Makizaki Arakichi, head of the first branch. "What is our plan, Head of the Family?"
Raizen folded his arms, lips curling arrogantly.
"Relax. If Kazuki wins the second match… we'll bring him back into the Makizaki Family."
Low chuckles filled the room—laughter of arrogance, filling the air with a dark aura.
"Before the Sasaki Family moves," Raizen added.
Yet what they did not realize…
The Sasaki Family was not moving.
It hadn't even crossed their minds.
And this misreading—this arrogance—would mark the beginning of the Makizaki family's eventual downfall.